Page 23 - JulyAug Vol43 No2

TENNESSEE PUBLIC WORKS INSTITUTE By John Chlarson, P.E., C.P.M.
Maintenance Technologies in PW

The 2025 Maintenance Technologies
in Public Works Class of the Tennessee
Public Works Institute (TPWI) was
conducted May 6-9 at the Tennessee
Association of Utility Districts Training
Station in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Twenty-eight students attended the class,
representing 14 local government entities
from Bartlett to Kingsport.
Class modules included: Right of Way
Maintenance, Qualities of Leadership,
Liabilities and Risks as a Supervisor,
Basic Heavy Equipment Operations
& Safety, Basic Public Works Math
Concepts, Blueprint Reading, Pavement and the latest in GPS equipment and along with John Chlarson, is co-chair
Maintenance, Concrete Maintenance, methodology. of the Tennessee Public Works Institute
Surveying, New Tools and Technologies, A relatively fresh topic, added in 2024, Committee, assisted Chlarson with the
Work Zone Safety, Safe Trenching and was repeated for this class: New Tools and onsite administration of the class.
Excavation, and Confined Space Entry. Technologies, and during this session the The next TPWI class, Construction
Exercises included testing participants students and the facilitators shared their Inspection, will take place July 8-11.
to determine their mastery of the math knowledge of the topic in open forum. The last class of the year, Public Works
skills commonly used in Public Works. Class instructors included Scott Jenkins, Administration, is scheduled for
After classroom and field instruction, City of Knoxville; Chipper Wyatt, City of November 4-7. While the July class is
participants were given various field Alcoa; Shane Snodderly, City of Alcoa; full, there are still spots available in the
exercises to reinforce their instruction Bo Mills, (retired!) City of Germantown; Administration session.
in using common surveying and layout Doug Tarwater, City of Sevierville; Co-Chairs, Chlarson and Kimmey, are
equipment, techniques, and calculations. Paul Brown, City of Morristown; John planning the schedule of classes for 2026.
Methods and equipment included the use Eskew, UT-MTAS; and John Chlarson, Please use the QR code on page 28 to
of measuring tapes, levels and leveling UT-MTAS. Tennessee Public Works share input on the classes you would like
rods, electronic total station instruments, Magazine Publisher Klair Kimmey, who, to see offered.

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