Issue
10—Spring 2009 (Download
PDF)
Stimulating
Discussion—American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 Funds Reaching State and Local
Levels
Federal,
state, and local governments are
devoting massive resources toward
job creation through public works
projects to fight the current
recession. The American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
. .
Ask
the Expert
•
I am considering subdividing land
I own in a Minnesota shoreland
district in the near future. What
should I do?
•
What is a Certified Wetland Delineator?
Outside
the Lines—A
Sustainable Challenge
Sustainable
design has a new challenge. The
2030 Challenge is an ambitious,
global plan to reduce and eventually
stop the production of greenhouse
gases. The plan’s goal is
. . .
Issue
9—Autumn 2008 (Download
PDF)
Bridging
the Gap—Bridge
Inspections and Ratings Play Important
Role in Planning
and
Maintenance
Many
were moved by the recent opening
of the new I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.
This tragedy certainly focused
the nation’s attention on
the problem of aging infrastructure.
The Minnesota Legislature and
Mn/DOT have responded. . .
Ask
the Expert
•
How can my business benefit from
the energy tax credit?
Outside
the Lines—Weathering
The Economic Storm: Planning
When
budgets are tighter, some cutbacks
are necessary and prudent. It’s
important, however, for local
governments to continue to make
long-range plans for their infrastructure,
thus making good decisions . .
.
Issue
8—Winter 2007 (Download
PDF)
A
Model Life—Sewer Modeling:
Anticipating What Happens Down the
Line
Most
people don’t give a second
thought to their community’s
or district’s wastewater
collection system. That’s
not necessarily a bad thing, because
it likely means that the system
is working well. A few people,
however, have to think about it
to ensure the system is, indeed,
working. . .
A
Virtual GEM—Alexandria
Lake Area Sanitary District Utilizes
SewerGEMS Modeling Software
Encompassing
more than 100 square miles, Alexandria
Lake Area Sanitary District’s
collection system is larger in
area than most metropolitan systems.
With 300 miles of pipe, 121 lift
stations, and approximately 10,000
users . . .
Ask
the Expert
•
What can you tell me about “best-value
procurement”? Is it true
my city doesn’t simply have
to go with the lowest bidder?
• I recently found an iron
pipe near the corner of my property.
Is this my actual property corner?
Outside
the Lines—Minnesota's
Onsite Systems
The
“old” days were simple.
There was plenty of land and water
to go around, and nobody worried
about what happened after used
water went down the pipe (or the
road, stream, or into the lake).
Today it’s much different.
Did you know . . .
Issue
7—Spring 2007 (Download
PDF)
Good
Things Come in Small Packages—Financial
Help Available To Small Businesses
Ideally,
facilities should support or even
enhance a business’ operations.
Unfortunately, many small businesses
face inefficiencies that can be
directly traced to poor or outmoded
design, and many businesses have
limited resources to invest in
improvements. But there is good
news—the Small Business
Administration (SBA) may be able
to offer assistance. . . .
Change
Is Good—Grand
Forks Business Benefits From SBA’s
504 Loan Program
Every
three months or 3,000 miles. Virtually
every vehicle owner recognizes
this refrain. Siblings Jerome
Gerszewski, Mark Gerszewski, and
Betty (Gerszewski) Borst recognized
it as an opportunity . . .
Ask
the Expert
•
What can you tell me about the
Minnesota DNR’s Water Emergency
and Conservation Plan update?
• What kind of “environmental
nasties” do I need to be
aware of as I look at buying an
existing building for my business?
Outside
the Lines—Let
the Sun Shine
Whether
in politics, the media, or even
the Academy Awards®, renewable
energy sources have been garnering
a lot of attention. Designing
buildings to take advantage of
or diminish the impact of the
sun’s energy has gone on
for centuries. Following are just
a few basics to keep in mind if
you’re considering letting
the sun energize your facility
. . .
Issue
6—Winter 2006 (Download
PDF)
The
Development Path—Taking
Small Steps Leads to a More Manageable
Project
“Making
an area of land more useful.”
A simple definition for a process
that can seem so complex. Whether
you are a parent allocating portions
of the family farm to your children,
an individual dividing investment
property into lots, or a major
development company . . .
Adding
Value
A
development’s success may
hinge on something as simple as
the curve of a road. There are
positive and negative attributes
on any site, and a good design
will capitalize on the positive
and minimize (or at least distract
from) the negative. By working
with the land . . .
Ask
the Expert
•
Our architect has scheduled a
programming meeting as the first
step in designing our new building.
What is “programming,”
and is it important for the success
of my project?
• What is a “100-year
storm”?
Outside
the Lines—Safe
Passage
Numbers
are relative—depending upon
one’s perspective, they
can seem large or small. The figure
43,443 is rather small when compared
to the United States’ population,
which recently exceeded 300 million.
However, to a transportation engineer
43,443 is a big number—too
big, as it is the number of people
killed in motor vehicle crashes
in the United States last year
. . .
Issue
5—Spring 2006 (Download
PDF)
Open
Waters—Restoring
and Improving the Red River Valley’s
Waterways
The
distinctively flat Red River Valley
is known for its rich agricultural
land as well as its regular floods—the
most notable of which occurred
in 1997. Formed by the ancient
glacial Lake Agassiz, the Red
River Basin . . .
Dam
Busters—Opening
up the Red Lake River
The
former Otter Tail Power dam on
the Red Lake River in Crookston,
Minnesota, was one of the most
disruptive structures in the Red
River Basin . . .
Ask
the Expert
•
I am planning on purchasing property
soon. Do I need a land survey?
• How do geothermal heating
and cooling systems work?
Outside
the Lines—North
Dakota Communities Take Advantage
of New Law
Several
of North Dakota’s smaller
communities are experiencing a
building boom. A new state law—passed
during the 2005 session—allows
communities with populations of
less than 5,000 to form housing
authorities and to publicly construct
low- or moderate-income housing
. . .
Issue
4—Summer 2005 (Download
PDF)
Growth
Spurts—Nurturing
Community Development
Everyone
wants his or her community to
thrive. Communities throughout
North Dakota and Minnesota have
been striving for years to improve
their economic potential and provide
opportunities . . .
Ask
the Expert
•
Why did my road get dug up so
many times when the city put water
and sewer in?
Outside
the Lines—Clean
Up, Without Getting Cleaned Out
New
Guidelines Issued for Petroleum
Contamination in Utility Projects,
Petrofund Reimbursement Available
Issue
3—Autumn 2004 (Download
PDF)
Sustainable
Design—Designing
Buildings in Tune With Nature
Green
building, sustainable architecture,
eco-design, natural building,
alternative architecture—have
you heard these terms in the news?
. . .
Ask
the Expert
•
What are alternative on-site sewage
treatment systems, and when should
they be used ?
• What
types of material are allowed
in a demolition landfill?
Outside
the Lines—US
Access Board Updates Design Guidelines
Covering Access for
Persons
With Disabilities
Issue
2—Winter 2004 (Download
PDF)
Bolstering
Your Budget—Grants
and Loans Available for Community
Projects
Rural
governments throughout Minnesota
and North Dakota continue to face
tight budgets and tough choices
. . .
Funding
Package Examples
Ask
the Expert
•
What is a watershed?
• What
do the letters "AIA"
that follow your name stand for?
Outside
the Lines—Stretching
Public Funds Even Further with Stormwater
Utilities
Issue
1—Summer 2003
(Download
PDF)
A
Season of Change—New
NPDES Permit Requirements Are in
Effect
With
summer comes construction season,
and with the 2003 construction
season come new stormwater management
regulations . . .
What
Are "BMPs"?
The
simple answer: Best Management
Practices, or BMPs, are pollution
control devices. . .
Ask
the Expert
•
What is that thing that surveyors
peer through?
• What
determines is someone is an "architect"?
Outside
the Lines—Minimizing
the "Yuck" Factor in Minnesota's
Waterways & Lakes
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