Having a green, lush, lawn makes for a beautiful visual, but at what cost? Some people use fertilizers, others use different means to make the perfect lawn cushy and vibrant. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Engineer Phil Gaebler and Engineering Division Greenway Vegestation Coordinator Maddie Dumas to talk about the lasting impacts your lawn can have on the area lakes. They also share what sort of fertilizers you should look for, while also trying to support local waterways. Is it possible? That question answered in this 20-minute episode that will get you closer to your perfect, green lawn.

Anyone who is riding, driving or commuting in some form in the City of Madison is already impacted by Vision Zero. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. Is it possible to lower speed limits to 25 miles per hour, and have everyone abide by it? That question is answered in this podcast as City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Transportation Department Director Tom Lynch and Principal Engineer Jim Wolfe. Designing safer, it’s a topic your life depends on, and in 20 minutes you’ll learn everything you need to know about a new way of approaching safety in the City of Madison.

A lot of residents want the feeling of soft water, the silky-hair-out-of-the-shower-feeling, which is possible with salt. However, have you ever thought of how much damage you’re doing thanks to the amount of salt you’re putting into your water softener? It’s a question City of Madison Engineering Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky asks to Water Resource Engineer Phil Gaebler and Wisconsin Salt Wise Coordinator Allison Madison, both experts in salt and salt reduction. Not only do they explain what sort of impact salt from your softener can have on the environment, they’ll tell you what to look for when deciding if you need to replace your softener.

A Town of Madison and City of Madison have existed for quite some time separately, however, come October 2022 the City of Madison and City of Fitchburg will absorb the Town of Madison. This process is called attachment, and in a nutshell, means some major changes for the roughly 6,300 people living within the Town of Madison boundaries, which is about 3.9 square miles of land. As part of an aggressive communication plan to connect with the residents impacted, this podcast episode will explain generally what attachment is, introduce resources and background that support the process to help those impacted understand how they can get answers as the process moves forward. City of Madison Planning Division Director Heather Stouder joins City of Madison Engineering Division Hannah Mohelnitzky for a conversation breaking down attachment as the City gets ready to welcome its newest residents.

A pandemic, Wisconsin winter, growing need and a tight deadline: all things standing in the way as Engineering crews work as fast as they can to put together a temporary homeless shelter for men in need in our community. City agencies pulled together in December 2020 to open a temporary homeless shelter in the City’s former Fleet services building located at North First Street in Madison, Wis. This included pop-up showers, bathrooms, more than 200 bunk beds and maintenance to the building that helped make it livable. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineering Division Facilities Services Coordinator Stephen King and City of Madison Community Development Grants Supervisor Linette Rhodes to answer the questions of why the City needed this so quickly, how it was possible to whip together in seven short weeks and where will men be placed when the City finds a more permeant location? It’s all explained in 20 minutes in this episode.

Operating a backhoe, designing a street, wiring an entire floor of lighting or designing a building: they’re all jobs in the trades and construction industry. These positions are also historically, held by men, however, the industry is changing and the number of women in the construction industry is increasing thanks to some of the pioneers who blazed the trail for other women, and also men helping create space for women to benefit as well. The City of Madison Engineering Division is celebrating women in the construction industry with a week-long profile campaign to align with the Nationally-recognized week: Women in Construction March 7-13, according to the National Association of Women in Construction. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts President and CEO of CLE Consulting Dawn McIntosh and Madison College Construction and Remodeling Instructor Allie Berenyi talk all things Women in Construction, the hurdles still in the way, and other obstacles that no longer are in sight when it comes to women not only sitting at the table, but leading.

A bike path with ice and snow is no good to ride on, unless you have the right equipment or if Engineering crews make a pass through, which is the case even if on weekends and holidays. The City of Madison Engineering Division works with the Parks Division to make sure bike paths are clear in the City of Madison. The city also has a very active bike community, and once the snow falls, Engineering crews move into snow removal mode immediately to make sure to support riders and safe paths. In this episode, Engineering Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Common Council District 15 Alderman Grant Foster and Engineering’s Ryan Schmidt to talk about snow clearing strategy, the expectations from the bike community and so much more as part of winter biking in the City of Madison.

For municipalities to operate efficiently, the Fleet Service Division is often the backbone that keeps the fire department trucks tuned up, police cars up to date with oil changes and engineering’s dump truck tires filled with air. However, the work of Fleet means so much more, especially to the mechanics and team doing the hard work. At the City of Madison, a brand new fleet building was built, and the team gets to enjoy the state-of-the-art facility, while Engineering can proudly say the project was a success. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts a candid conversation between Fleet’s Superintendent Mahanth Joishy and Engineering’s Jon Evans to share why not only should you care about the brand new Fleet resource but the process that goes into pushing through a successful energy-efficient project and building.

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

Anytime Wisconsinites see a snowy forecast, they know, travel is typically not advised, and planning begins until the roads are cleared of snow and ice. However, there’s a lot more planning that happens from the City’s perspective far before the snow starts to fall. In this episode, listen to City of Madison Streets Division’s Steve Schultz and Engineering Division’s Phil Gaebler on how City crews decide how much salt goes on the roads to keep you safe. Engineering Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Schultz and Gaebler to talk about road plowing and salting from a perspective that may make you appreciate the crews working nonstop to clear roads in the dead of winter.