City Council
MEETING DATE: 12/14/2016
TITLE:
Title
American Public Works Association (APWA) Project of Merit Award for Ocotillo Park.
End
FROM:
John A. Corella, P.E. - City Engineer
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Report and Presentation of Award.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The American Public Works Association (APWA) represents more than 28,500 members of all aspects of the public works profession worldwide. Founded in 1894, APWA is the comprehensive public works resource in North America.
APWA has a rich tradition of making a difference on the professional level and prides itself on its ability to provide educational opportunities that help public works personnel to grow in their professionalism and directly impact the quality of life in the communities they serve.
Every year APWA local branches place a request for projects that are extraordinary enough to compete for prized APWA awards. Projects are placed within defined categories, such as, Streets and Transportation Projects, Revitalization Projects, Parks and Trails Projects, Buildings and Facilities Projects, Water and Wastewater Projects and Public Works Programs. These are competitive submittals. The projects are then evaluated by the local branch awards committee.
DISCUSSION:
Ocotillo Park's (formerly Whitewater Park) design engineers, David Evans and Associates and City Staff, incorporated several unique design and construction features into this Park Project. Features were incorporated that provided sustainability and functionality. For a small example, solar power and LED lighting systems were incorporated in the Park Project, as well as low impact environmentally friendly and sustainable pervious surfaces. There are numerous innovative features to the Park Project, that alone do not stand out, but when combined add up to a well thought out completed Park Project that was well received by the community.
As a result, on November 17, 2016 at the Agua Caliente Casino Ballroom, the Coachella Valley Branch of the Southern California Chapter of APWA presented the City of Cathedral City with the 2015 - 2016 Parks and Trails Project of Merit Award for the Ocotillo Park Project.
As a result of the Park Project receiving this award from the local APWA Chapter, the Ocotillo Park Project is moved forward into a larger regional (Southern California Chapter) award contest and competed with other projects from other APWA Branches within the same category.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
ATTACHMENTS:
None