Madison's Everyday Engineering

When we hear the term “Soil Amendments,” the first thought that comes to mind may not be an easy fix in the front yard. However, in this podcast episode, engineers explain simply how not only are soil amendments easy to do in your yard, but they have huge impacts to helping mitigate flooding if that’s an issue for your neighborhood. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts engineers Phil Gaebler and Jojo O’Brien as they explain how residents should learn about soil amending, especially if they’ve never heard about it. They explain what tools residents need (not many) and how soil amendments make a huge impact.

Solar is at the center of conversation around the world, no matter if you’re a homeowner, developer, engineer or installer. GreenPower is a program at the City of Madison where trainees who have little to no electrical experience learn how to install solar, which then helps the City reach its sustainability goals. In this episode, City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts GreenPower Program Leader and City of Madison Engineering Division Master Electrician Matt Parks and City of Madison Sustainability Coordinator Stacie Reece to talk about all things solar. From basics of solar and solar terms to how investing and buying into this idea is pushing the City of Madison toward a more carbon neutral operation environment, it’s all here in this 20 minute episode.

Pumpkin spice lattes, patches, candles, carving, when it’s fall, pumpkin is everywhere! However, when the pumpkins are sitting on your front porch rotting after a busy pumpkin season, you could do something more purposeful when it comes to parting from your pumpkins or other yard waste. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineering’s Greenway Vegetation Coordinator Maddie Dumas and City of Madison Streets Division Public Information Officer Bryan Johnson to talk about how to compost your pumpkins, and get started on your journey to becoming a master composter! From the tools you need, to composting 101 basic information you need to know to get started, it’s all covered in this podcast episode in less than 20 minutes.

You’ve heard the buzz word, but what does it actually mean? Green Infrastructure: rain gardens, permeable pavement, green roofs, you name it. It’s infrastructure that works with the environment, and in our case, here in Madison, a forward thinking way of approaching stormwater and flood management. City of Madison Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts engineers Phil Gaebler and Jojo O’Brien to talk about why the City is approaching this forward way of thinking and how City Engineering is working with residents to make it not only easy to install, but beneficial for everyone in the City.

Rain gardens, they’re green, beautiful and help our infrastructure, but if you’ve never built one, have one or even know of how to make it happen in your yard, it can be hard to understand the benefits. A rain garden is a garden of native shrubs, perennials, and flowers planted in a small depression, which, sometimes, is built on a natural slope. A rain garden is also a great option for stormwater management as it temporarily holds and soaks in rainwater runoff that flows from roofs, driveways, patios or lawns. In this episode, you’ll find not only ways to help the City accomplish it’s 1,000 rain garden goal, but you’ll learn step-by-step instruction on how to build a rain garden, and how to build a rain garden on a budget. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer, Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineer Phil Gaebler and Greenway Vegetation Coordinator Maddie Dumas to explain what plants to select, how to measure and build a rain garden, in addition, to the most common mistakes to avoid.

A green roof, or living roof, is a roof a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium. Plants on the roof or garden on the roof, if you picture it in your head, not only looks cool but it has a number of benefits to the environment and also stormwater mitigation. In this episode, listen in to City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky as she hosts Engineering’s Stormwater Section Principal Engineer Janet Schmidt and Facilities Management Section Principal Architect Bryan Cooper to talk about green roofs, how many the City has and how they are referred to as an option as the City looks at updating its stormwater ordinance.

A lot of communities have their own version of a public market: complete with diverse food, vendors and experiences to fill the space with life for the community. The Madison Public Market will be no different, and it’s moving closer and closer with each day and benchmark in the design process. In this episode, hear from the people pushing the project along, and have been key stakeholders in making sure the Public Market is a success for the last several years: City of Madison Engineering Division Project Manager Brent Pauba and City of Madison Economic Development Business Resource Manager Dan Kennelly. City of Madison Engineering Division’s Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Pauba and Kennelly to get the latest information on the Public Market, including what seems to be a quiet time from a public perspective, is actually where and when a lot of planning happens for a big project like this.

Libraries have been part of Madison for quite some time, including one of nine locations, getting a major upgrade on the City’s east side: Pinney Library. The new location is designed with state-of-the-art facilities, designs, colors focusing on accessibility, sustainability and productivity for anyone who visits and plans to use the new resource. In this episode, City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineering Architect Amy Scanlon and Madison Public Library’s Neighborhood Library Supervisor Sarah Lawton to talk about all the new, unique features of the new Pinney, including local wood most municipalities would consider throwing away. Don’t miss this episode which also gives insight into how public library locations are chosen in the first place, and if you can’t visit one, there’s one that can drive to you!

Flooding impacts last years after devastation, and so does the work to look at ways to provide possible solutions so flooding doesn’t reoccur. Knowing how the watershed works as a whole and sharing every step toward finding solutions is the core of the City Engineering Division’s Watershed studies. It takes time, but to improve storm water infrastructure correctly, time will allow engineers to do work right. In this episode, City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineers Jojo O’Brien and Caroline Burger to talk about how close the division is getting to presenting answers to the public along with why it takes so long to put plans and modeling together. If you’re wondering what the City is doing to prevent flooding from happening in the future since the devastating flooding in August of 2018, listen to this episode, chances are, your questions will be answered.

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “engineering” may be something related to building, designing or constructing, which is all correct. However, designing isn’t just about materials, it’s about how people will use the space for functionality, which then contributes to the overall quality of experience in the building. While the first lactation room was added years ago, even before part of City process, the need for lactation rooms continues to grow, but now has support from the Engineering Division, City of Madison and Dane County. In this episode, you’ll hear a different perspective on purposeful designing, why lactation rooms are needed, how to find them in City and County buildings and some new lactation pods that add another futuristic option for those nursing. Engineering Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineering’s Jeanine Zwart and Public Health of Madison and Dane County Rebecca LeBeau.

Map of public lactation spaces (there's 96 in Dane County!): https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1De9SKGstfCJXmzu-isCixdIET1J_2j8s&ll=43.0638704210184%2C-89.41365519419276&z=13

Learn more about Dane County's Breastfeeding Initiatives here: https://www.publichealthmdc.com/health-services/breastfeeding