Briefs

And the winner is…

The Portland (Ore.) City Council has received the 2002 Climate Protection Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its efforts to reduce local emissions of greenhouse gases. Those efforts include installing a wind turbine at a city maintenance facility and developing CarpoolMatchNW.org, an Internet-based ridesharing project.

The Passaic Valley (N.J.) Sewerage Commission (PVSC) has received the Operation & Maintenance Excellence Award in the Large Secondary Treatment category from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The PVSC was recognized for its wastewater treatment programs including its Passaic River/Newark Bay Restoration Program, its Liquid Waste Acceptance Unit and its Equipment Maintenance Management system.

The Maryland Department of Transportation has presented an Award of Excellence to Euless, Texas-based Superior Concrete Products. The company was recognized for manufacturing and installing a custom decorative precast concrete screening and sound wall along Canal Parkway in Cumberland, Md.

The Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Planning Center has received the Outstanding Planning Award from the California Chapter of the Washington, D.C.-based American Planning Association. The center was recognized for updating Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.’s General Plan.

Company news

San Francisco-based URS has formed URS Security Services Group to develop security management systems, infrastructure and facility protection, and preparedness and emergency response programs. The company will provide those services for public buildings, airports, transportation infrastructure, power plants, pipelines and water supply systems.

Victoria, B.C., Canada-based Municipal Software has partnered with Sudbury, Ontario, Canada-based Pen Systems to provide field data collection software to local governments. The software will allow building inspectors to capture digital data on site.

El Cajon, Calif.-based LFG&E has formed a Biogas Equipment Service Team composed of biogas specialists from the company’s construction division. The team will provide equipment design support, installation, startup, tuning, testing, troubleshooting and training for flare systems, engines/generators, microturbines, fuel conditioning systems, compression systems, condensate pumps, leachate pumps, wellheads, and automation and monitoring systems.

West Chester, Pa.-based Roy F. Weston has changed its name to Weston Solutions.

Schenectady, N.Y.-based Trac Medical Solutions has partnered with Ottawa-based Entrust to integrate its secure, Web-based medical forms processing solution with Entrust’s digital signature technology. The combined technology safeguards against healthcare transaction fraud on the Internet while complying with information privacy requirements of the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Fort Washington, Pa.-based Severn Trent Services has acquired Camp Hill, Pa.-based InfraTech International, a provider of wastewater system rehabilitation and assessment services.

Etc.

Oakland, Calif., has contracted with San Diego-based Ninyo & Moore to analyze pavement and pipeline trenches, evaluate landslides and groundwater issues, and provide geotechnical studies for buildings and retaining walls. Under the two-year contract, the company will review aerial photographs and geologic maps, conduct subsurface investigations and prepare geotechnical reports.

The California Department of Transportation has contracted with New York-based Parsons Brinckerhoff to monitor the biological impact of the construction of a self-anchored suspension bridge in San Francisco Bay. The company will recommend and implement measures to protect special-status species and habitats. Construction is scheduled for completion in June 2008.

Greenfield, Mass., has contracted with Westfield, Mass.-based Tighe & Bond to demolish the Greenfield Tap and Die complex. The 145,000-square-foot complex is located on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-designated brownfield site, which will need to be remediated before the demolition.

Getting there

Festus, Mo., has contracted with St. Louis-based Horner & Shifrin to provide engineering and design services for the replacement of the two-lane Sunshine Bridge over Joachim Creek. The new bridge will feature wider traffic lanes with shoulders to safely accommodate pedestrian and bicycle use. The project is scheduled to begin late this year.

Fort Myers, Fla., has selected Boynton Beach, Fla.-based McMahon Associates to study and implement plans for traffic calming improvements throughout the city. The company is conducting public educational workshops and planning sessions.

The New York State Department of Transportation has contracted with Long Beach, Calif.-based Earth Tech to provide construction engineering and inspection services for the reconstruction, maintenance and repair of 20 bridges along the Henry Hudson Parkway. The company is responsible for overall project management, quality assurance, traffic maintenance and protection, public safety, material certifications, field changes, final record plans, daily inspection reports, and monthly and final cost estimates. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2004.

Plugged in

Vigo County, Ind., has purchased General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Budget Preparation, Cash Receipts, Fixed Assets, Grant and Project Management, Human Resources, Payroll, and SkyView software from St. Louis-based Government e-Management Solutions.

Columbus, Ohio, has contracted with Frankfort, Ky.-based PlanGraphics to provide an enterprise GIS for permit applications and approvals. The GIS will provide tools for assigning certified addresses, importing CAD-formatted plats and site plans, creating address plats, and customizing application formats based on permit type.

Glendale, Ariz., has hired Sacramento, Calif.-based Hansen Information Technologies to install Community Development and Regulations software. The city’s Planning and Building Safety departments will use the software to manage their plan review, permitting and inspection processes. The city also is using the company’s Mobile Solutions software to complete inspection service requests.

Jasper County, Iowa, has contracted with St. Charles, Ill.-based Sidwell to overlay the county’s existing cadastral database with state soils mapping information. The company will perform acreage computations on about 13,000 agricultural parcels countywide, and apply and factor soil productivity indexes into the determination of final values for each agricultural parcel.

Cincinnati has contracted with Schaumburg, Ill.-based Motorola to design and install an 800 MHz digital communications system for the city’s public safety agencies.

Oakland County, Mich., has contracted with Lowell, Mass.-based M/A-Com to install a private wireless network for voice and data communications between municipal and public safety departments. The network will connect more than 80 agencies across the county.

Bristol Virginia Utilities has contracted with Paris-based Alcatel to provide a full-service optical network to its residential customers. The fiber-optic network will deliver high-speed Internet access, interactive video, and other high-bandwidth services to residents.