Advertise on podcast: Madison's Everyday Engineering

We love native plants and lush areas for our pollinators here at the City of Madison, however, what we don’t like is confusion about the maintenance of that land… specifically stormwater land. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Greenway Vegetation Coordinator Maddie Dumas and Engineering Division Operations Foreperson John Toso to talk about mowing, questions residents have about mowing and why it’s important to have a strategy.

Concrete and paint—two things, among many, that should not go down the storm drain. However, unfortunately they do. It’s not only residents who are responsible for illicit dumping, but people you hire to clean your home, carpets, painting and more. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Water Resource Engineer to talk about illicit dumping, the fines you can be charged for something a contractor does at your home and the questions you can ask before you hire someone to perform work. Life’s Blueprint: Paul Lauby Shares How he became one of the City’s most experienced Construction Inspectors Summer means construction season, but did you know, the City of Madison has staff out at construction sites making sure contractors are following the rules and that you’re safe? City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Construction Inspector Paul Lauby to talk about his decades-long career as a City Construction Inspector, and why it could be a great career choice for someone curious about construction and public service.

Did you know, the City has staff out at construction sites making sure contractors are following the rules and that you're safe?

The lakes in the City of Madison are the center of so many activities in both summer and winter. These lakes include: Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Waubesa, and Kegonsa. They also are the center of conversation when the lake water turns greener and isn’t so pretty. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Water Resource Engineer Phil Gaebler and University of Wisconsin Research Scientist Eric Booth to talk about water quality and why the lakes get mucky at a certain point in the season. You’ll also learn more about the history of how lakes have been impacted over the years.

You have likely heard of Vision Zero in the last few years here at the City of Madison, and chances are, you’ve likely driven on roads that have a changed speed limit, a much slower speed limit. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Traffic Engineering Division Engineer Jeremy Nash to talk about what 20 is Plenty is, how it will impact all residential neighborhoods in the City of Madison, Wis.

It's bright green, with big pink letters on the outside reading "Have a Drink on Us," a drink of water of course. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Madison Water Utility's Marcus Pearson to talk about the City's one-of-a-kind Water Wagon, a custom vehicle that has proved a major success for community outreach and a long waiting list! Listen to how the idea came about, who built the vehicle and why the Water Wagon is a perfect vehicle to connect the community with a necessity!

Extreme weather continues to challenge our environment, and that includes major flooding events. However, the City received major funding to help a project in the middle of one of the hardest hit spots of the 2018 flood. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded the City of Madison $6 million through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. The BRIC grant will cover 70-percent of eligible project costs, which are estimated to be $8.6 million. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineering Division's Principal Engineer Janet Schmidt to talk about the what we've learned since 2018, the funding and the outlook on stormwater design in the City for the future.

You've seen them plenty of times, and often you've likely noticed how pretty they are, but ponds serve an important purpose in the City of Madison. In this podcast episode, you may learn about ponds things you may not have known before, including what they're built for. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts stormwater engineers Phil Gaebler and Grant Pokos to talk about the City's 300 ponds on stormwater utility owned land and what the actual purpose of a pond is in our community.

The City of Madison’s approach to invasive species has changed over the years, but this one you probably didn’t see coming: Goats—yes, fuzzy white, black and tan goats all there to help with tackling invasive species on the City’s land. City of Madison Engineering Division Greenway Vegetation Coordinator Maddie Dumas and Parks Division Conservation Resource Supervisor Paul Quinland joined Public Information Officer and Everyday Engineering Podcast Host Hannah Mohelnitzky to share more about why this unique approach is important to the health of the City’s green spaces and how the partnership came to be so helpful and fun!

Dredging is a standard practice for stormwater projects, scooping out the mud, weeds and sediment from the bottom of the space to help with water flow. However, it’s not just mud or sediment at the bottom of ponds in our area, there are likely herptiles and other living water creatures who need delicate care in the process. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Landscape Architect Sarah Lerner to learn a new approach that the City of Madison Engineering Division is trying out to keep the frogs, snakes, salamanders and others safe during the Wexford Pond Project.

If you’re a person who loves the outdoors, digging, planting and being outside, imagine being paid to enjoy nature and improve greenspaces, it could be the best first step toward making a career in nature! The Conservation Trainee Program is a part of the City of Madison Engineering Division, and it’s a great way to get into the dirt, help out your community and spend time with our amazing conservation crews while learning something new! City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts the supervisor of the program City of Madison Engineering Division Greenway Vegetation Coordinator Maddie Dumas and Conservation Technician Emily Jorgensen to talk about how the program has changed and how it can create space into a career at the City of Madison Engineering Division! https://media.cityofmadison.com/Mediasite/Play/888f0e262cc5424ca92bc554f3a65da81d

Dredging is a standard practice for stormwater projects, scooping out the mud, weeds and sediment from the bottom of the space to help with water flow. However, it’s not just mud or sediment at the bottom of ponds in our area, there are likely herptiles and other living water creatures who need delicate care in the process. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Landscape Architect Sarah Lerner to learn a new approach that the City of Madison Engineering Division is trying out to keep the frogs, snakes, salamanders and others safe during the Wexford Pond Project.

Getting your foot in the door at the City of Madison can look different for so many people, with different backgrounds, apprenticeships, hourly positions, seasonal positions, part time positions, internships and training programs. In the past few years, we have been building on some key positions that are developing our workforce, and our #TeamCity. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineering Division Facilitites Coordinator Stephen King and Fleet Services Superintendent Mahanth Joishy to talk about two successful programs, and one new program anyone trying to work for the City of Madison should know about: GreenPower, Fleet Apprenticeship Program, MI-TE Program. Thinking about applying? Listen to this 20-minute episode to know what you can expect! https://media.cityofmadison.com/Mediasite/Play/bef223c2536d420fa3f3fff1bb5b41f81d

Little did you know, in the City of Madison Engineering Division, we have pollinator specialists. Our team focuses on best practices, and also is part of a state-wide group Bumble Bee Brigade. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineering Division Greenway Vegetation Coordinator Maddie Dumas and Conservation Technician Emily Jorgensen to talk about the City’s involvement in the Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade, and give you some useful tips and tools while out in nature that can help you identify different species with a quick click of a question to a pool of experts. Learn what we’re talking about in this quick buzz-tastic episode of Everyday Engineering! The Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade is coordinated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. As a citizen-based monitoring project, we partner with volunteers from the public to conduct long-term monitoring of the state's native bumble bees. https://media.cityofmadison.com/Mediasite/Play/4e5d1753c182467c8397597b4619ae581d