City News
This is news from the city of Boulder, about the city or any of its departments
Director of Public Works for Utilities Ned Williams announces retirement
Jun 13th
The City of Boulder’s Director of Public Works for Utilities Ned Williams announced that he will retire as of Oct. 28, 2011. The City of Boulder will initiate a hiring process to fill this key position in the organization.
Williams joined the city organization in 1980. From 1980 to 1990, Williams worked as the coordinator of projects and as a project manager with the Transportation and Utilities divisions of the Public Works Department. He was an assistant director from 1990 to 2001 and has been the Director of Public Works for Utilities since 2001.
Prior to working for the City of Boulder, Williams was a project engineer at Shive-Hattery & Associates in Davenport, Iowa, and a design/project engineer at HNTB in Kansas City, Mo.
Williams has a bachelor’s of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is a licensed professional engineer and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Public Works Association, the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation. Williams is also a past officer in local chapters and professional societies. Williams has authored, published and presented technical papers for regional and national conferences.
”I’ve been fortunate to work with many knowledgeable and experienced members of the public and city staff during my time with the city,” said Williams. “Together, we’ve been able to develop, implement and advance several key programs that are very important to the health and safety of the community; rebuild major components of our infrastructure, secure a healthy and positive financial status in each utility, implement a conservation-focused billing system using water budgets, and achieve significant results in water conservation.”
“The city’s water, wastewater and stormwater and flood management utilities are well managed and I thank Ned for all he has done for the city,” said City Manager Jane Brautigam. “The director of Public Works for Utilities is a challenging position and we will proceed with a national hiring search. Executive Director of Public Works Maureen Rait will be working with me to hire the next director. I value inclusive hiring processes and will appreciate the involvement of key stakeholders, including the Water Resources Advisory Board and staff.”
“I’ve enjoyed working with Ned and will continue to rely on his expertise during this transition,” said Rait. “In addition to filling this key position, over the next four months, Ned and I will work with City Council, the Water Resources Advisory Board and staff on several flood studies, the consideration of a critical facilities ordinance, and a water utility master plan.”
A hiring decision involving the city’s next director of Public Works for Utilities is anticipated to be made during September.
Daytime closures of Lee Hill Drive scheduled for June 13-24
Jun 6th
Boulder County, Colo. – As the final phase of improvements to Lee Hill Drive are implemented, the Boulder County Transportation Department will close a portion of the road from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on weekdays only from June 13-24.
The daytime closures – between Fourth Street and Olde Stage Road – will begin Monday, June 13 at 8:30 a.m. and will continue on weekdays only until 4 p.m. on Friday, June 24.
If needed, the road will be accessible to emergency vehicles and responders 24 hours a day.
“This closure will allow us to rebuild the road in a way that maximizes pavement life and improves drainage,” capital projects coordinator Tim Swope said. “The process does not allow for daily traffic use during construction. School buses and mail and delivery trucks will be allowed through with some delay, as will anyone living in the construction zone south of Olde Stage.”
No other traffic, including bicycles, will be allowed through the construction zone. Residents of Wagon Wheel Gap and Bow Mountain roads will need to use Linden Drive and Pine Brook Hills for access during the day. Boulder Heights and Olde Stage Road residents will need to use a detour through Lefthand Canyon.
Message boards are located in the area to alert residents of any construction schedule changes and additional information is available at www.BoulderCounty.org/Transportation.
The Lee Hill Drive project, expected to be complete in early July, will provide improved drainage, a new roadway surface, bikeable shoulders on both sides of the road up to the “hogback” formation, and a 5-feet wide climbing shoulder from the hogback up to Olde Stage Road.
-BoulderCounty.org-
City of Boulder Public Works summer construction projects
Jun 3rd
For the next six months, construction crews will be working to resurface city streets, restore utilities infrastructure and improve transit options for all modes of transportation. The major summer construction projects with traffic impacts are outlined below. All active projects and related traffic impacts are updated weekly on www.boulderconezones.net.
2011 Street Resurfacing Program
The City of Boulder’s annual street resurfacing projects have begun, and are scheduled to continue through the summer and into the fall. About 50 city streets are targeted for chip sealing, resurfacing (overlay) or replacement in 2011 (See all streets planned for resurfacing). In general, these operations will have daytime traffic impacts with intermittent lane/road closures and parking restrictions. Budget and scheduling issues may prevent the city from finishing all of the resurfacing projects currently being considered.
Sidewalk Improvements Program
This project completes repairs to damaged sidewalk and installs or improves pedestrian curb access ramps in a particular neighborhood area each year. This year’s program begins on Tuesday, June 7. Crews will be making improvements to the area bounded by 4th and 9th streets, Alpine and Iris avenues. There will be periodic daytime lane closures associated with this work, as well as short-term impacts to sidewalks and bicycle lanes. This project is expected to be completed by early fall 2011.
Arapahoe Avenue Multimodal Improvements Project
This project will begin in late summer, with traffic impacts expected to last for three months. The purpose of the project is to upgrade Arapahoe Avenue, from Folsom to 30th streets, to include amenities and facilities for all transportation modes. Generally, lane closures will occur during off-peak hours with occasional 24-hour closures as needed. There will also be impacts to sidewalks and transit stops. Detailed weekly traffic impacts will be posted on the Cone Zones website when the work begins.
Broadway (Euclid to 18th) Transportation Improvements Project
Intersection improvements at Broadway and 18th Street (part of the larger improvement project) will begin on Monday, June 6. During construction:
Broadway will be reduced to one lane in each direction, 24 hours a day;
Turn lanes at 18th Street, to and from Broadway, will be closed at times, and detour signage will be in place; and
There will also be occasional closures of the Broadway multi-use path, with bicycle and pedestrian detours in place.
Improvements are expected to take about two months to complete. Work should be done by mid-August, prior to students’ return to campus for move-in week. Construction of the underpass work has been rescheduled to start in late 2011 or early 2012, with the work taking approximately one year to complete.
2011 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project
This project began in May, and involves the rehabilitation of sanitary sewer lines at various sites throughout the city. In general, motorists can expect intermittent daytime lane closures and parking restrictions where posted. Individual work sites and times will be scheduled on a weekly basis. The project is scheduled for completion by mid-July.
2011 South Boulder Waterline Replacement Project
These projects will begin in mid-June, with traffic impacts expected to last until the end of November. The project involves the replacement of waterlines on:
33rd Street, from Fisher Drive to Walnut Street;
3rd and 4th streets, at Evergreen and Forest avenues;
Chippewa Drive, from Inca Parkway to Mohawk Drive;
Hillsdale Way, from Howard Place to Table Mesa Drive;
Lipan Way, from Inca Parkway to Eutaw Drive; and
Ottawa Place.
Crews will also be installing 1,300 linear feet of new waterlines in Arapahoe Avenue, between 28th and 30th streets. Construction will begin in July and is expected to take approximately a month to complete. The replacement of waterlines will greatly improve the water distribution system and water quality in South Boulder.
For the most up-to-date information on all construction impacts, visit the Cone Zones webpage or follow Cone Zone Man on Twitter at www.twitter.com/boulderconezone for real-time traffic updates.