Thursday, September 26, 2013

MEETING RECAP - SEPTEMBER 2013

ASCE Highlights and New Officer Installation
Rosa's Italian Restaurant, Pismo Beach
9/19/2013

Our September Branch meeting topic highlighted the world of ASCE. The San Luis Obispo Branch is fortunate to have a member of the ASCE Board of Direction, Jennifer Epp, living here locally. With over ten years of ASCE leadership under her belt, Jennifer now serves as Chair of ASCE Region 9 (California) and the Director representing California on the ASCE Board of Direction. Jennifer provided some insight into the world of ASCE beyond our branch including some exciting statewide and nationwide initiatives as well as opportunities to get involved.

Also, our newly elected officers for 2013-2014 were installed this month. We are looking forward to another great year with all of our members and officers.

 2013/14 ASCE Officers
ASCE President: Carolyn Berg
President Elect: Anthony Severy
Past-President: Tom Martin
Vice President: Cara Martinez
Treasurer: Ryan Hayes
Secretary: Joe Patterson
Historian: Kyle Anderson
Newsletter Editor: Wes Thompson
Assistant Newsletter Editor: Jazz Gilbert
Membership Chair: Steve Tanaka
Webmaster: Buddy Hain
Public Relations Coordinator: Liz Moody

2013/2014 ASCE SLO Branch Officers


Tom Martin, 2012/2013 ASCE SLO Branch President
and 2012/2013 Past-President, Valerie Huff





Thursday, September 19, 2013

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Dear SLO Branch Members:

Yes, it’s that time again!  Your 2014 annual ASCE membership dues should be submitted by January 1, 2014.  You should be receiving a packet in the mail, or notification via email.  As a reminder, dues can be conveniently paid on-line.  As always, if you have any questions, please contact me or visit the ASCE website at www.asce.org. 

Sincerely,

Steven G. Tanaka, M.ASCE,
SLO Branch Membership Chair

Friday, September 13, 2013

2013 SEPTEMBER MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

ASCE Highlights and New Officer Installation
Thursday, September 19th

We are pleased to announce that our September Branch meeting topic highlights the world of ASCE. The San Luis Obispo Branch is fortunate to have a member of the ASCE Board of Direction, Jennifer Epp, living here locally. With over ten years of ASCE leadership under her belt, Jennifer now serves as Chair of ASCE Region 9 (California) and the Director representing California on the ASCE Board of Direction. During this month’s SLO Branch meeting, Jennifer will provide some insight into the world of ASCE beyond our branch including some exciting statewide and nationwide initiatives as well as opportunities to get involved.

Also, it is time to meet your new officer Board. Our newly elected officers for 2013-2014 will be installed this month. We are looking forward to another great year with all of our members and officers.

For more details and to RSVP, please visit the branch website: http://asceslo.org/

Thursday, September 5, 2013

MEETING RECAP - AUGUST 2013

Union Valley Parkway (UVP)
Presented by David Beard, Mike Lew, and Rodger Olds
Hosted at the Radisson Hotel, Santa Maria
8/15/2013

The August Branch meeting featured the history, project development, and upcoming completion of the Union Valley Parkway (UVP) in two locations; the UVP Extension west of highway 135 and the UVP Interchange at US 101. The UVP is a major east-west arterial in the southern Santa Maria area. Its completion is finally becoming a reality after being in the City and County general plans for 50+ years. The Union Valley Parkway will provide a valuable new link both for local trips and for regional traffic headed to the airport, Orcutt, Vandenberg, and even Lompoc. This new route will substantially relieve traffic congestion on other parts of the local road network, as well as the adjacent US 101 interchanges at Clark and Santa Maria Way.


Substantial cooperation between Caltrans, the City of Santa Maria, the County of Santa Barbara, and funding partner SBCAG was needed to get the final portions of UVP into construction, and the entire length is expected to open to traffic by the end of this year. The meeting ended with a site visit to both construction sites.


Site Visit: Union Valley Parkway



(L to R)
Rodger Olds, City of Santa Maria
Mike Lew, Caltrans
David Beard, Caltrans


MEETING RECAP - JULY 2013

County Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Program
Presented by Carolyn Berg
Hosted at Upper Crust Trattoria, San Luis Obispo
7/19/2013

July’s Branch meeting covered the county-wide Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) program presented by Carolyn Berg with the County of San Luis Obispo. The San Luis Obispo County Regional Water Management Group and stakeholders are currently updating the IRWM Plan to meet current State Guidelines – an effort funded by $1-million of California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Proposition 84 grant funding and local funding match. The San Luis Obispo County IRWM Plan promotes implementation of projects and programs that ensure sustainable water uses, reliable water supplies, better water quality, enhanced groundwater reliability, environmental stewardship, efficient urban development, drought preparedness, and watershed awareness.

San Luis Obispo County is a part of what the State calls the “Central Coast Funding Area”, which includes six regions from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara. These regions coordinate on water resources programs and overall IRWM development, but each region develops and implements its own IRWM Plan to address its critical local water resources issues. And when grant funding is available these six regions compete with each other at the State-wide level.


IRWM crosses jurisdictional, watershed, and political boundaries; involves multiple agencies, stakeholders, individuals, and groups; and attempts to address the water resources issues and differing perspectives of all the entities involved through mutually beneficial solutions. 

Carolyn Berg
Utilities Division Staff Engineer
County of San Luis Obispo, Department of Public Works