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In this episode I welcome one of my favorite Public Works Nerds, Brian Simmons from Bolton & Menk. Brian and I look back at our recent presentation on Artificial Intelligence in Public Works - titled AI in the Sky - at the 2025 APWA PWX in Chicago.

We also critique and marvel at an AI generated podcast that was created using just our slide deck from that presentation. In between this and the jokes, we also talk about AI applications in Public Works that will be disruptive in a good way for Public Works professionals.

Below is the AI Generated Episode Description, which I must say I'm a bit disappointed with this time. Thanks for listening!

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AI GENERATED (Buzzsprout) DESCRIPTION

What if your city could turn weeks of fieldwork into decisions in a matter of days? We sat down together at a buzzing conference hall to unpack how AI and uncrewed aerial systems are shifting public works from manual, inconsistent surveys to fast, reliable insights you can act on. Our lens is practical: remove the dull, dirty, dangerous, and repetitive tasks so crews can spend more time fixing the real problems and less time hunting for them.

We start with pavement. Using vehicle-mounted imaging and computer vision, tools like Violytics generate network-wide PCI ratings with surprising speed—plus bonus detections like faded signs and sunken structures. That means fresher data for budget talks, clearer maps for crews, and consistent baselines you can trust. We then jump underground, where hours of CCTV “dirty videos” turn into prioritized worklists with platforms like SewerAI. Let the model find cracks, offsets, and roots; let engineers review, rank, and dispatch. The human stays in charge, and the algorithm never gets tired.

From there, we head to the sky. Drones paired with edge AI are quietly transforming inspections for cell towers, water towers, utilities, and urban forests—spotting defects and tracking disease without sending staff into harm’s way. We talk policy and privacy too: how to balance FOIA, data governance, and model provenance so IT can say yes with confidence. And we lean into what’s next: agentic AI that writes first drafts, cleans up slide decks, suggests dashboards, and eventually orchestrates systems—think stormwater storage decisions guided by sensors, weather forecasts, and smart controls.

If you care about smoother roads, smarter budgets, safer inspections, and stronger asset management, this conversation is your field guide. Subscribe for more Public Works Nerds deep dives, share with a teammate who needs a spark, and leave a review with the first AI workflow you want to try.

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Two Marks trade friendly jabs while making a serious case for APWA: vote, get involved, and mentor the next generation. Join Mark Ray and me, Marc Culver, as we walk through the Minnesota chapter ballot, unpack what the board actually does, and share practical ways to lead well and care for yourself.

• APWA Minnesota election overview and why turnout matters
• Department rebrand from operations and maintenance to public works
• What the APWA board does and why representation matters
• Candidate spotlights across municipal, consultant and regional roles
• Mentorship as legacy, mock interviews and LinkedIn as a living log
• Self‑care as leadership capacity in high‑stakes seasons
• Communicating long‑horizon infrastructure value to communities
• PWX conferences, LTAP and LRRB resources, and how to plug in

Vote for Marc. Vote for Mark. Help us spread the word on the podcast. Drop us a comment on LinkedIn, like our posts, what have you. It really helps us spread the word.

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I'm excited to welcome my good friend and former colleague Ryan Johnson to the show. Ryan is the Environmental Manager for the City of Roseville in Minnesota and is my favorite storm water and water resources guru. Ryan joins me in this episode to talk about the underappreciated role of making sure that private stormwater BMP's are properly maintained. I know, exciting! But it is. And it is certainly very important for the overall efficiency of the public stormwater system as well. Enjoy!

AI Generated Description:

Private stormwater device maintenance is vital to the overall operation of municipal stormwater systems, especially for meeting retention and treatment goals. Ryan Johnson shares his expertise as Roseville's Environmental Manager on managing these often-overlooked infrastructure components.

• Ryan's background includes working with Ramsey County on residential BMPs and critical area stabilizations before joining Roseville
• Roseville faces unique challenges as a first-ring suburb built in the 50s-60s with limited stormwater planning
• Private property BMPs are essential when municipalities can't handle all stormwater management alone
• Maintenance of underground chambers requires regular inspection and cleaning of pretreatment structures
• Proactive maintenance is far more cost-effective than emergency repairs or city enforcement
• Roseville created a comprehensive program with maintenance agreements, plans, and code enforcement
• Property owner education is crucial as many don't realize they have stormwater infrastructure
• The city can perform abatements when property owners fail to maintain their systems
• Success stories include both the property owner who immediately took action and challenging sites requiring enforcement
• Future plans include potentially offering inspection services similar to private hydrant programs

Contact your local municipal stormwater team if you're uncertain about the maintenance requirements for stormwater infrastructure on your property.