PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE

Lifelong Learning

April 2014

It’s nearly May, our month for highlighting the incredible talents and successes of our next generation of Civil Engineers – Cal Poly’s SCE Chapter.

Our Branch is small and in a more remote part of Region 9, yet within our borders is one of the nation’s leading universities for Civil Engineering. In fact, Cal Poly recently received the Robert Ridgway Chapter Finalist Award, which means they are among the top five university student chapters in ASCE! That’s incredible considering there are over 150 student chapters nationwide. Suffice it to say, we are proud of our SCE Officers, Student Members and Faculty Advisors, and grateful for the opportunity to spend time with the students through ASCE.

Each month SCE makes it a point to send student members to our Branch meetings – providing a connection between students and professionals, and helping to bridge the gap when students enter the industry. I urge our members (you!) to attend this month’s Branch meeting on May 15^th, where we will hear presentations about innovation, dedication, and engineering from Cal Poly SCE’s Concrete Canoe, Steel Bridge and Geo Wall teams. Come help to highlight the successes of our local students and encourage their education and practice in Civil Engineering. And who knows, you might even meet your company’s next student intern or new hire! We look forward to seeing you there.

Speaking of SCE events, I want to leave you with one last great ASCE opportunity for the month. Do you like eating delicious BBQ? Better yet, do you like eating free BBQ?! Or hanging at Chorro Park? Or playing softball and frisbee? SCE would love to see our Branch members (you!) come out for a casual and fun event! So grab your sunblock and your family, and come join SCE, YMF and the Branch for the SCE End-of-the-Year annual BBQ at Chorro Park on Sunday, May 25^th, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm. You’re welcome to bring your kids, spouses and friends.

As always, thank you for participating in our local ASCE events, and for helping to support our students! 

Carolyn K. Berg, P.E.
ASCE SLO Branch President

UPCOMING SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

Continuing Education Seminars & Workshops – 2014 Spring / Summer

Region 9, ASCE

Geographic Services is proud to announce the Continuing Education schedule of ASCE-produced seminars and workshops for the spring and summer in Region 9:

HEC-RAS Computer Workshop  –  April 23-25, Los Angeles

Project Management  –  May 15-16, San Francisco

Design of Concrete Pavements (NEW)  –  June 5-6, Long Beach

Design and Construction of Launched Bridges (NEW)  –  July 10-11, San Francisco

Seismic Design of Highway Bridges  –  September 4-5, Long Beach

For more information, please contact Jackie Simon, ASCE Geographic Services Manager at (703) 295-6143 or jsimon@asce.org.

BRANCH MEETING: APRIL 17, 2014

PASO ROBLES WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT UPGRADE
CITY OF PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

To provide effective wastewater treatment, the City of Paso Robles is upgrading its aging wastewater treatment plant.  Most of the existing wastewater treatment plant is over 50 years old.  As a result, its treatment performance is declining and it has become expensive to maintain. Water quality regulations have become very stringent. To protect the Salinas River, the Regional Water Quality Control Board requires the City to reduce its discharge of pollutants such as ammonia and nitrate.

Construction of the $36.4 million upgrade began 1 year ago and is now 50% complete.  Currently about $2 million of work is being completed each month. The overall schedule is 30 months but the 1st phase, which accounts for nearly all of the new treatment facilities and the new Operations Building, is to be completed within the first 22 months.

The sewage never stops!  Construction of the upgrade must be completed while the existing plant continues to operate.  This requires extensive planning and operational coordination to phase construction and develop temporary bypasses to keep sewage flowing while new facilities are constructed. 

Steve Wrightson, of The Covello Group, is the Construction Manager for the project.  Covello is a professional services firm that specializes in construction management of wastewater, water, recycled water, municipal buildings, and solid waste projects for municipalities and special districts.  Steve has worked in the engineering profession with an emphasis in construction since 1977. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from University of Maryland, is a Vice President of the firm.  His experience includes construction of water, wastewater, powerhouse, pipeline, flood protection, and industrial facilities.

Location:
City of Paso Robles Wastewater Treatment Plant
3200 Sulphur Springs Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446

Date & Time: 
Thursday, April 17 2014
12:00 PM

Cost: 
Members and Guests $20 by RSVP ($25 at the door)
Students $10
ASCE Life Members, complimentary lunch.

Menu: 
Buffet catered by Stein's BBQ & Catering including: caesar salad; citrus glazed baby back pork ribs & ale basted chicken with housemade bbq sauce; Stein's famous beans; sweet butter pamesan garlic bread; and mocha brownies.

Please RSVP by 1:00 p.m. Monday, April 14th, at the Branch web site (www.asceslo.org). Please attend the luncheon if you sign-up – some venues will charge the Branch for every seat we reserve, regardless of the actual attendance. If you have specific dietary restrictions or have questions, please contact Ryan Hayes, ASCE Secretary at rhayes@rickengineering.com or (805) 544-0707.

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Interested in sponsoring a future meeting?
A $200 donation to our scholarship fund will also bring you recognition at the meeting and in our newsletter following the meeting. Please contact Liz Moody at lizm@cannoncorp.us for more information.

ASCE Student Chapter 
Cal Poly SCE meets twice a month on Wednesday evenings. All members of ASCE are invited and encouraged to attend. Please see the SCE website for information regarding special events and ongoing activities.

JOB OPPORTUNITY: COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO

Organization: San Luis Obispo County Public Works

Position: Civil Engineering Technician II/III - CADD Technician
Salary: CET II - $4,985 - $6,061; CET III - $5,723 - $6,955

Application Deadline:  4/11/14, 11:59:00 PM

Website: www.jobaps.com/SLO/sup/b0314PM-00650-01.asp?View=
(Visit website for full job description and application.)

Description: Provide computer aided drafting and plan production for Public Works civil engineering design projects using Autocad Civil 3D.  Work with Engineers and Land Surveyors to produce required basemapping, plans, profiles, sections, elevations and details for road, bridge, drainage, water and wastewater construction projects.  Must have experience with Autocad Civil 3D.

PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE

Highlighting Outstanding Engineers and Projects

March 2014

Last Friday, ASCE Region 9 (California) hosted its Infrastructure Symposium and Region 9 Annual Awards. The event highlighted a series of outstanding civil engineers and innovative and/or mega projects throughout our state. What an incredible honor to meet individuals and project teams that represent our industry so well.

This got me thinking about our own local civil engineers, planning efforts, and projects. Here at our Branch, we have a breadth of members who quietly make positive ripples in our industry. Our county faces incredibly challenging issues. From my own office, we deal with declining groundwater basin levels, finding options to improve drought reliability and creating community resiliency in the face of climate change. And each of you face dynamic challenges in your own areas of expertise. In this, we also find great potential in re-thinking traditional engineering, assumptions and processes. Engineers are constantly brainstorming new technologies, methods and approaches to these issues. I find this incredibly hopeful.

Each year, we encourage our ASCE Members to submit award applications (e.g. Outstanding Government/ Private Sector Civil Engineering Project, Outstanding Younger Civil Engineer, Outstanding Sustainability Project, Lifetime Achievement in Civil Engineering). This year is no different. We constantly face rapidly changing environments, morphing regulations, and dynamic community profiles. Because of that, our engineering industry is adapting and finding ways to stay ahead of the issues. Quite a few of you are part of that positive adaptation and would make outstanding candidates. We will publish the award requirements over the next few months. Start considering which engineer or what project might be a good candidate.

Your work already helps to uplift our communities, why not also let it uplift your firm and our industry? These awards will help to inspire other engineers and new methods for engineering. An added bonus, it highlights the positive changes that our industry makes, instilling more trust from our communities and residents. The best of luck to you each! Keep your eyes open for more information coming out on our annual awards.

Carolyn K. Berg, P.E.
ASCE SLO Branch President

BRANCH MEETING: MARCH 20, 2014

John Hollenbeck

DIAMOND VALLEY LAKE PROJECT
METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
RIVERSIDE COUNTY

You might be asking yourself, “What’s that giant hunk of metal John is standing in front of?!” Join us at our March ASCE Branch lunch and find out more about this mega valve and mega project.

Our very own local engineer, John R. Hollenbeck, worked on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s (Metropolitan’s) mega project: the Diamond Valley Lake (DVL) project. It is located about 90 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles in Riverside County, CA. The 800,000 acre-feet off-stream reservoir doubled Metropolitan’s surface water storage capabilities to meet seasonal, drought, and emergency needs. Metropolitan began planning the project in 1987, and the project began filling in late 1999. The project cost was $2-billion (in 1999$).

The dams of the project represent the largest earth and rock fill reservoir project ever built in the United States. A total embankment volume of over 110 million cubic yards of earth and rock were required to construct the West Dam, East Dam, and Saddle Dam. While the West Dam spans a 1.5 mile alluvial valley, the East Dam transverse a 2 mile expanse of small hills and a large alluvial valley. The Saddle Dam closes a small gap in the north hills. The resulting reservoir has a surface area of 4,500 acres.

The major hydraulic structures of the project include the 260 feet tall Inlet/Outlet Tower, the 16 feet diameter P-1 Pressure Tunnel, the Hiram Wadsworth Pumping and Pressure Control Facility which houses 12-6,032 horsepower vertical turbine pumps, the 500 acre-feet Forebay and its connection to the San Diego Canal, the 12 feet diameter yard piping, and numerous large diameter valves (butterfly, spherical, sleeve, and fixed cone).

The Diamond Valley Lake project was a Merit Award Winner at the 2000 ASCE OPAL Gala.

Mr. Hollenbeck is a California and Kansas licensed Civil Engineer with 30 years’ experience in management, planning, design, and construction of hydraulic structures and civil infrastructure projects. He was born and raised in northeast Kansas and received his BS and MS degrees in civil engineering at Kansas State University. He relocated from Kansas to California in 1994 to work on the design of the Diamond Valley Lake Project in Riverside County, a project constructed by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. He has worked on several water related projects throughout California. He and his family moved to Atascadero in 2005 when he was hired by San Luis Obispo County to manage the Nacimiento Water Project. Mr. Hollenbeck started Hollenbeck Consulting in 2012 following the successful completion of that project.

Location: 
Atascadero Lake Pavilion
9315 Pismo Avenue
Atascadero, CA 93422

Date & Time: 
Thursday March 20, 2014
12:00 PM

Cost: 
Members and Guests $20 by RSVP ($25 at the door)
Students $10
ASCE Life Members, complimentary lunch.

Menu: 
Buffet catered by Pacific Harvest Luncheon including: mixed green salad; wild rice pilaf with dried fruit and sliced almonds; herb-roasted potatoes; farmers market grilled vegetables; roasted chick with citrus zest, tarragon and white wine; assorted artisan breads; and white chocolate chip cookies.

Please RSVP by 1:00 p.m. Monday, March 17th, at the Branch web site (www.asceslo.org). Please attend the luncheon if you sign-up – some venues will charge the Branch for every seat we reserve, regardless of the actual attendance. If you have specific dietary restrictions or have questions, please contact Ryan Hayes, ASCE Secretary at rhayes@rickengineering.com or (805) 544-0707.

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Interested in sponsoring a future meeting?
A $200 donation to our scholarship fund will also bring you recognition at the meeting and in our newsletter following the meeting. Please contact Liz Moody at lizm@cannoncorp.us for more information.

ASCE Student Chapter 
Cal Poly SCE meets twice a month on Wednesday evenings. All members of ASCE are invited and encouraged to attend. Please see the SCE website for information regarding special events and ongoing activities.

PROFILES: CITY OF SLO, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, DARYL GRIGSBY (PART 2/2)

In December, we shared the first part (found here) of a two-part profile on Daryl Grigsby – the new Public Works Director for the City of San Luis Obispo. In this second part, we delve deeper into the life of public service that led him to his present position.

Daryl Grigsby

Photo by: Brian Minami

Written by: Stephanie Hunting

Daryl got his start in government as an administrative analyst for the City of San Diego back in the ‘70s – a job that taught him how to wade through government forms. After several years, he moved up to Government Affairs Liaison for the City Manager. This position gave him insight as to how local governments operated as he worked as a go-between for the City Manager, Mayor, and City Council.

“Going to all of the City Council meetings was an amazing experience,” Daryl recalls. “Really, the local government is just a mirror of our own failings and successes on a public and very visible scale.” Daryl was quick to observe that many problems could be resolved through listening to others and trying to see the bigger picture.

Daryl’s next few years brought about an uncanny pattern of starting a new position only to rise just months later to a role vacated by a supervisor. In the first instance, Daryl rose from San Diego’s Assistant Deputy Director of Water and Wastewater to Deputy when his supervisor resigned. In the early 1990s, after a move to Seattle to become Environmental Programs Manager for a private wastewater and transportation agency, he became Director of Pollution and Control after half a year. Finally, after a mayoral appointment to the City’s Transportation Division Director a few years later, Daryl again received a quick promotion – this time to the City’s Department Head of Transport.

While in Seattle, Daryl learned about alternative mode funding and pursued projects to install traffic improvements, infrastructure improvements, and bike trails. His favorite project was the Spokane Street ViaductMedian Barrier – a powerful safety improvement on a previously treacherous stretch of road. Several appreciative citizens personally testified to and thanked Daryl for the new system, many saying the barrier had likely protected them from horrible accidents.

Daryl began his first role as a Public Works Director for the City of Kirkland– an amalgamation of his previous experience in water, wastewater, transportation, and waste management – in 2005. He received the Washington State Roy Morse Award in 2008, and in 2009 became heavily involved with the National American Public Works Association (APWA).

In 2010, Daryl took on a new Public Works position with the City of Pomona, where he completed a series of essential projects despite the City’s dire financial condition at the time. Perhaps his most engaging project in Pomona centered on making the city of 150,000 more bike- and pedestrian-friendly.

Daryl had long recognized that transportation options are important for a variety of reasons, just one of which is relief of traffic congestion. A group of citizens had been expressing interest in a City affiliation with CicLAvia, an organization dedicated to connecting communities by temporarily shutting down streets to vehicle traffic and allowing pedestrians and cyclists to move freely. City officials had not exactly been openly accepting of the idea, which Daryl recognized as an opportunity for people to connect in a fun, active way that also enhanced community engagement. Daryl’s Ride Around Pomona (RAP) program, born in 2010, saw Pomona residents joining Daryl on 7.5- to 10-mile rides to explore and gain more insight about their hometown. Daryl says the program also sparked higher levels of community involvement in general. Daryl helped Pomona create a Bike Master Plan and pushed for the installation of two Class 2 bike lanes in a city that previously had none. The Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition has since adopted Daryl’s RAP as one of its monthly rides, keeping the community-led program active.

After noticing the City of San Luis Obispo’s need for a new Public Works Director, Daryl decided to pursue the position. By late 2012, he was making his mark on the public affairs of the Central Coast. Here, he continues to share his zeal to imbue others with an active desire to change their communities. Government is far better when citizens are involved, he says.

Daryl’s biography teems with diversity – a pervasive theme not only in his career path but in his hobbies and social impact. No better word comes to mind than “multifaceted” as an embodiment of his personality. His passion for people and a desire to help develop quality local infrastructure are winning qualities for any Public Works Director.

BRANCH MEETING: FEBRUARY 20, 2014

CALIFORNIA'S DROUGHT CRISIS - A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

A quote from the Governor’s recently released California Water Action Plan: “After two years of dry weather and shrinking reservoir supplies, we are reminded once again that nothing focuses Californians’ attention on our limited water resources like drought.” California is entering its third year of drought, with the driest 2013 rainy season on record. This month’s meeting presentation will center around California’s drought, with a focused local perspective.

Dr. Charles Burt, Professor emeritus of Irrigation, and Chairman and Founder of the Irrigation Training and Research Center, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, received a B.S. in Soil Science from Cal Poly, an M.S. in Irrigation and Drainage Engineering from Utah State University, and a Ph.D. in Engineering from USU. He is a Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer with the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers and is a Registered Professional Engineer in California in both Civil and Agricultural Engineering. Dr. Burt is also one of our newest Branch life members!

LOCATION:
Novo Restaurant
726 Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, 93401

DATE & TIME:
Thursday, February 20, 2014
12:00 p.m.

MENU:

Family style lunch including fresh shrimp avocado spring roll appetizer, Novo green salad, and sandwiches quartered (each guest gets a quarter of each sandwich). Sandwiches include grilled chicken breast on focaccia, flat iron on ciabatta and roasted vegetables of ciabatta.

RESERVATIONS:
Please sign up by 1:00 p.m. Friday, February 14th, at the Branch web site (www.asceslo.org). Please attend the luncheon if you sign-up – some restaurants will charge the Branch for every seat we reserve, regardless of the actual attendance. If you have specific dietary restrictions or have questions, please contact Ryan Hayes, ASCE Secretary at rhayes@rickengineering.com or (805) 544-0707. The cost is $20 for members and guests and $10 for students.

WELCOME LUNCH FOR NEW MEMBERS

We have started a new section member incentive program. We are inviting new section members to attend an upcoming branch meeting, free of charge, in the near future (soon after they join ASCE), as a way to welcome our newest members and encourage them to come and meet current members.

Please reach out to any of your associates and encourage them to join ASCE!

For more information, please contact Steve Tanaka, Wallace Group, Membership chair, at stevent@wallacegroup.us, or (805) 597-7161.  

THANK YOU - SLO HIGH SCHOOL CAREER FAIR VOLUNTEERS

Thank you to all who came out to help with the SLO HS Career Fair on Friday, Jan. 31st. Our table was a big hit, and it was clear the activities (life-sized Jenga and trivia board) really helped to promote positive interaction with the students. We definitely caught the student’s attention with our enthusiasm!

Cara Martinez

Vice President, ASCE SLO