NEWSLETTER. Managing Director s Message

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1 NEWSLETTER SPRING/SUMMER 2018 Managing Director s Message I am continuously amazed by the great team at the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County (RCKC). We are continuously working on maintenance activities, whether it be winter maintenance, grading gravel roads, maintaining signs/signals, etc. We are continuously preparing for the next season and training staff to assist in managing projects throughout the county. We are always working to do so efficiently and effectively and the cycle for improvement never ends. As I look back at 2017, I want to take the time to highlight key areas of accomplishments including: COMMUNICATION: We continued our Township Joint Meeting presentations with an additional touch of polling for greater participation. It has indeed been well received. We completed our third final year in Kalamazoo Township to support projects for the $9.75 million dollar resident supported bond proposal and provided a construction season update adding a little tune. We participated in public outreach including the Touch a Truck event and continued our Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day poster contest. We had a variety of public educational opportunities with special thanks to Public Media Network including Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day coverage and winter maintenance. RCKC Connect outreach continued and refined with shorter direct messaging. Communications Survey completed. We helped organize a variety of educational workshops including Non-motorized Facilities 101. We met with the County Board of Commissioners and together we have a consensus of the process to foster those communications and provide optimum results and customer service. PROJECTS: We had 2 bridge projects to eliminate structurally deficient bridges S Avenue and Q Avenue over Portage River; we had one preventive maintenance project on E. Michigan Avenue as well. We paved approximately 35 miles of roadway. We updated our provisions for our hot mix asphalt (HMA) bids allowing extensions for timely project start. We updated our chip seal program and implemented new application methods and successfully transitioning. We chip sealed approximately 176 miles of road / 131 Fog Seal - a record year. We continued experiments including more Texas Underseals. We were once again most proud of our overall chip seal program this year and our successful year end with Kalamazoo Township projects. We continue to have one of the best road surface conditions in the State. THE TEAM: Administrative team leadership sessions continued in Team Leaders job description and presentation for expectations completed for success and understanding. We welcomed 6 new employees/we thanked 3 employees for their combined 68 years of service as they retired. We continued opportunities in a variety of staff training throughout they year too numerous to mention. Various staff continue in a variety of leadership positions in industry associations. The administrative team provided the Board with presentations on their positions and shared the depth of knowledge in the team and the importance of leadership support. We participated in the County Road Association Self-Insurance Fund return to work and crisis response plan, which we look forward to next steps in We thanked Commissioner Oscarson for serving as Road Commissioner since January 2007, we welcomed Commissioners Pawloski and Stehouwer in March Continued on Page 2 In This Issue Street Lights / Reminders Chip Seal and Fog Seal... 3 Operation Brush Control..3 RCKC Recognized...4 Pothole Season....4 Put the Brakes on Fatalities Nat l Work Zone Awareness Week 5 Ten Tips for Work Zones Toward Zero Deaths.6 Office Closures..6 Your Local Road Professionals for Over 108 Years Spring/Summer Newsletter 2018

2 THE TEAM CONT D: AND we all worked toward completion of our organizational goals. MISC: We continue to be fiscally responsible as seen in our Financial Audit and our first Act 51 audit. We learned a lot about Communication Service Providers and the right-of-way and were proactive in a Board Policy. We continued to be recognized by various awards with our contractors and partners. We continued collaborative efforts including the MDOT, Drain Commissioner, Villages, City of Kalamazoo and Road Commissions in the State. 3,090 (2,487 same time 2016 and same time 2015 = 1,652) likes on Facebook. 5,281 (4,997 same time 2016 and same time 2015 = 4,715) Service Requests YTD 314 (185) same time 2016) RCKC Connect. Yes there were and always will be CHALLENGES/LESSONS LEARNED including Sign Policy, Commercial Drivers License Recruitment, Succession Planning and meeting public expectations as what we do touches all. Thank you to our Board, local officials, employees and their families, all our contractors, and vendors. As we are now in 2018, the RCKC continues to be recognized as leaders in our industry and we all prepare for another cycle of improvement. We sincerely appreciate our great team work reflected along our network of roads and bridges throughout the county. IS YOUR STREETLIGHT OUT? Streetlight outages can be reported directly to Consumers Energy by calling: or by clicking on the following link: Consumers Energy to report streetlight problems. Q. Who is responsible for the removal of dead/dying trees in the public right-of-way? A. Dead/Dying trees located in the right-of-way are the responsibility of the property owner for removal. The RCKC may remove trees from the public right-of-way that is not designed for vehicular travel, but has the discretion not to do so. If a property owner wishes to remove, trim or prune a tree that is located in the right-of-way they must fill out a permit to work within the public rightof-way with the RCKC. The permit fee may be waived. REMINDERS You see them all the time and you understand that they are a harsh reality of the clash between nature and civilization. Road Commissions are responsible for the construction or maintenance of public roads within the state per Public Act 51. We are not responsible for roadside litter of any type. Some townships may have litter ordinances that apply for possible enforcement. If the animal is causing a road hazard or blocking the traveled portion of the road, RCKC crews will move the dead animal to the side of the road and let nature take its course. Our crews will make an effort, if we find a tag or telephone number, to contact the owner of a domestic dead animal. We will not dispose of any dead animals. Sign-Up Today For Road Commission Alerts RCKC CONNECT is a mass notification service that allows RCKC to send citizens voice and/or text messages to home phones, businesses, local agencies and mobile phones in just minutes regarding road closures, detours, and road construction projects. Citizens can choose to receive notifications about RCKC events that may affect their home, workplace, schools and more. RCKC CONNECT is also a great way for the RCKC to remind citizens of upcoming public meetings and RCKC General News. The following is the link to RCKC CONNECT sign up page. Your Local Road Professionals for Over 100 Years Spring/Summer Newsletter 2018 Page 2 of 6

3 2018 Chip Seal Operation Brush Control Potential start date is May 14th, weather permitting. The RCKC advanced our chip seal program to a higher level by applying the first chip/fog seal treatment at the beginning stages of the hot mix asphalt (HMA) surface life (1-2 years after a new HMA surface is place) for our primary network. Performing earlier applications of chip seal will protect and preserve the new HMA surface and prevent the initial deterioration of an HMA surface, which will also extend the timeline for future chip seal applications. Chip seal treatments performed at years 1-2 of surface age is anticipated to reduce the crack fill and HMA wedging costs due to improved surface condition and advanced preventive maintenance. For more information on chip seal, including a video please visit: Chip Seal / Fog Seal are Preventative Maintenance Not New Pavement CHIP SEAL is a surface treatment in which asphalt emulsion is applied to a pavement and then immediately covered with a single layer of aggregate. Chip seal is used to seal the surface of an existing pavement and improve surface friction. Rollers, street sweeping and traffic flow after a chip seal assists in compacting the aggregate. RCKC continues to monitor the quality of our product and the application rates for both the asphalt emulsion and the aggregate to reduce stone loss. Chip seal treatments remain the most cost-effective preventative maintenance treatment to preserve our infrastructure. It is common to have some stone loss and tracking after the application is completed. The asphalt emulsion is key, the aggregate is placed to allow travel over the asphalt emulsion. FOG SEAL is a surface treatment in which asphalt emulsion is applied over the chip seal application, typically 1-2 weeks following the chip seal application. The fog seal assists in preventing initial deterioration of the surface, reduce crack filling in the future and extend the timeline for future chip seal applications. Not all chip seal surface treatments also include a fog seal application. Fog seal will cause some user delays based on cure time and weather impacts. Typically chip seal and fog seal operations will not be conducted if there is a chance of rain. Chip seal is a moving operation, therefore specific dates for each area/road will be provided in our weekly RCKC news release and RCKC Connect. Approximately one-quarter of the county is sprayed annually for brush control, so a given area will only be sprayed once every four years. In 2018, unplatted (non-subdivision) and primary roads of Ross, Comstock (including Sprinkle Road, Charleston Climax and Pavilion Townships will have brush control. The RCKC uses an integrated approach to control roadside brush and branches using: Hand Cutting Mechanical Devices Herbicides Hand clearing and wing equipment are expensive and cannot be used safely in all areas. Specifically trained, licensed and experienced professionals selectively apply the herbicides to specific vegetation that could create a driving hazard. This spot spraying along local unplatted and primary roads is done on a rotating basis in one-quarter of the county late each summer. The operation is not a continuous broadcast spray only those roadside areas where existing brush and limbs create safety hazards are sprayed. The RCKC applies Krenite S a chemical approved by both Michigan Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Toxicological studies of both long-term and short-term, high level exposures have shown Krenite S to be safe in fact, in terms of lethal dosage, safer than substances like caffeine and aspirin. A copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and the product specimen label for Krenite S are available at the RCKC s office. If you would rather not have the brush control sprayed along your roadside, owners have to clear the brush and limbs before the spraying program begins annually. Property owners may remove brush and low hanging limbs at minimum fourteen (14) feet up and fourteen (14) feet away from the traveled portion of the right-of-way or 14 feet from the edge of the road with RCKC permission prior to the time frame specified by RCKC. If the roadside vegetation control efforts have not been accomplished within the permitted time frame, an application of brush control may occur. Your Local Road Professionals for Over 100 Years Spring/Summer Newsletter 2018 Page 3 of 6

4 RCKC Receives 2017 APWA Awards RCKC Receives 2017 NAPA Award The RCKC was awarded by the American Public Works Association (APWA) the 2017 Branch Award in Public Works Project of the Governmental Cooperation for the S. Burdick Street from Cork Street to Stockbridge Avenue project. The RCK was also awarded the 2017 Branch Award in Public Works Project of the Year Transportation Less than $5,000,000 for the G Avenue 32nd Street to 37th Street project. RCKC Receives 2017 Award of Merit The RCKC was awarded by the Asphalt Pavement Association of Michigan (APAM) and Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) the 2017 Award of Merit Projects 10,000 30,000 Tons for providing the people of Michigan the Highest Quality Asphalt Pavement on Stadium Drive from 9th Street to US-131. The RCKC received the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) Award for 2017 Quality in Construction for work on approximately 1.2 miles of Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo, Michigan Touch-A-Truck Join the RCKC for the 7th Annual Touch- A-Truck Event held on Saturday, May 12th at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center & Fairgrounds. Touch-A-Truck is a fun event for the whole family where kids, young and old, can learn about and touch an assortment of vehicles including police cars, National Guard vehicles, construction equipment, and many other unique items from those who protect, build and serve in our community! Gates open at 10:00am for a 2 hour Siren-Free Zone (no horns or sirens) with general admission following from 12:00-2:00pm. Pothole Season RCKC Receives 2017 CRA Awards The RCKC was awarded by the County Road Association (CRA) at their 2018 banquet the People s Choice Award 2017 Impress Awards in the Collaboration Category RCKC and the City of Kalamazoo. The RCKC was also awarded the 2017 Impress Award for Excellence in Collaboration for RCKC and the City of Kalamazoo projects. RCKC received the 2017 Impress Award for Excellence in Communications for Township Joint Meetings. RCKC also received the 2017 Impress Award for Excellence in Operations for the Truck Hook Lift Hoist System. Most people don t always associate winter with pothole season, but periods of thaw and freeze are the perfect recipe for potholes. The process for creating a pothole begins when water (usually from rain or melted snow) permeates the pavement surface, sometimes through cracks in the pavement. This water saturates the road base and ground below the road pavement. When we have a freeze, the water expands. This is called frost heave. When we have a thaw, the water retracts, leaving a pocket of air underneath the pavement. The weakened pavement is likely to crumble under the weight of cars driving over it. The creation of potholes is unavoidable, especially with our typical winter weather creating perfect conditions for potholes to form. The RCKC tries to respond to potholes as soon as possible. You can report potholes on our website by using the service request form or by calling our office at Your Local Road Professionals for Over 100 Years Spring/Summer Newsletter 2018 Page 4 of 6

5 Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day Wednesday, October 10, Tips For Safe Driving In Work Zones Rules: Art MUST be on 8.5 x 11 paper No computer aided drawings ALL entries must be postmarked by September 28, 2018 to be eligible Winners names/artworks will be posted to the RCKC Facebook page and posted on the RCKC website at Age Categories 4 through 6 years old 7 through 9 years old 10 through 12 years old More Information To Come National Work Zone Awareness Week The 2018 National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is observed across the country April National Work Zone Awareness is an annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones. This years theme is Work Zone Safety: Everybody s Responsibility. Driving in and around work zones requires motorists to constantly be alert and prepared for changes that a distracted driver may not notice in time to prevent a potentially fatal crash. Please avoid distractions while driving!! The RCKC would like to remind motorists of safe driving tips in work zones for you and our employees/contractors: Expect the Unexpected Slow Down! Be Alert! Pay Attention to the Signs! Traffic Regulators have the same authority as a regulatory sign Merge as soon as possible! Follow designated DETOUR ROUTES Plan ahead, and try an alternate route Keep a safe distance between you and the car ahead of you Pay attention to signs and obey traffic regulators Stay alert and minimize distractions; keep up with traffic flow Observe the posted signs until you see the one that states end of work zone We are looking forward to another construction season REMEMBER ORANGE BARRELS = PROGRESS! Your Local Road Professionals for Over 100 Years Spring/Summer Newsletter 2018 Page 5 of 6

6 The RCKC Participates in Toward Zero Deaths Toward Zero Deaths is a statewide safety campaign based on the national strategy on highway safety intended to influence driver behavior and improve safety. With over 35,000 fatalities occurring on US highways each year, roadway safety remains one of the most challenging issues facing Michigan, and the nation. Single-lane roundabouts in Michigan not only reduce fatal and incapacitating crashes by 88 percent, but they also provide an economic benefit of almost $600,000 per year per roundabout, based on crash reduction and user cost delay. Crashes on curved roadways account for more than 27 percent of all traffic deaths every year. In an effort to reduce crashes on curved roadways, road agencies install a variety of countermeasures to keep your vehicle on the road such as centerline rumble strips, curve delineation, speed warning systems and high friction surfaces. Board of County Road Commissioners of the County of Kalamazoo County To better serve our County and local officials, each Road Commissioner has been assigned as a liaison to various townships we serve as follows: Daniel J. Moyle 2017 Chair Brady, Climax, Charleston Townships Deborah J. Buchholtz 2017 Vice Chair Cooper, Kalamazoo, Wakeshma Townships David Q. Worthams Alamo, Oshtemo, Richland Townships David C. Pawloski Prairie Ronde, Schoolcraft, Texas Townships Larry Stehouwer Comstock, Pavilion, Ross Townships Upcoming Office Closures As of January 2, 2018 Kalamazoo County has had 11 fatalities and 49 serious injuries. To learn more about Michigan s efforts, visit: March 30th May 28th July 4th Good Friday Memorial Day Independence Day Together we are moving Michigan Toward Zero Deaths We are committed to providing a safe and convenient road system for our county motorists. As our customers and as residents of Kalamazoo County you are also entitled to excellent service from us at all times. We aim to provide answers to your service requests. We encourage our residents and the motoring public to report road conditions that need attention. To make sure our service to you is prompt and courteous we strive to continually improve our methods of contact. September 3rd Labor Day Visit our Website Board Meeting Information 2016 Annual Report Construction Guidelines 2018 Budget Primary Road Capital Improvement Plan Brochures Permit Applications Purchasing/Bid Information Road Data Business hours 7:30am 4:00pm, Monday through Friday or call 911 for road related emergencies after business hours. Subscribe to our news feeds for up to date information. or us at info@kcrc-roads.com Your Local Road Professionals for Over 100 Years Spring/Summer Newsletter 2018 Page 6 of 6