Tough TOPICS Edition

During the past 30 years, my team and I had the privilege of working with clients on often-challenging, yet vital, public works, utilities, infrastructure, and development projects across California. They frequently involve complex issues that incorporate public education and stakeholder engagement as a key part of project development.

I’ve worked with brilliant engineers, construction managers, financial consultants, and planners and have consistently witnessed a shared commitment: a genuine desire to hear public concerns, integrate community ideas, and strive for optimal solutions. I’ve witnessed this countless times and it’s that mindset that makes the public process sincere and collaborative.

Here’s a sampling of projects where that took place:

1. Converting to metered water billing (11 different water agencies)
2. Road widening (Hazel Avenue Improvement Project, Sac County)
3. New water intake, transmission pipeline & treatment plant (Stockton’s Delta Water Supply Project)
4. Reducing “the claw” leaf pickup frequency from 52x/year to 12x (City of Sacramento ballot measure)
5. Underground combined sewer storage facility in regional park (McKinley Water Vault, Sacramento Dept of Utilities)
6. Traffic calming measures (Midtown Traffic Calming, Sacramento Public Works)
7. 6 Miles of Levee Construction involving significant eminent domain (West Sacramento Area Flood Control Dist)
8. 60 miles of 180" sewer interceptor construction (3 projects, Sac Area Sewer District)
9. Water, wastewater & flood control rate increases (Nearly 75 Prop 218 campaigns throughout NorCal)
10. Early water recycling program (aka late ‘90s “toilet to tap” era, Sac Area Sewer District)

Let me know if you remember these or have examples of your own. Former employees, I want to hear from you, too!