KUTC

Kansas Road Scholar Program Level I: Road Scholar Technical Skills Program

Goal

To enhance the knowledge of general public works maintenance and construction methods, safety practices, and local government organization as it applies to the direct delivery of quality public service.

Objective

To provide a comprehensive technical skills program and recognition for participation in that program.

Program Recognition

Road Scholar certificates are awarded to individuals who participate in all Technical Skills courses within a six-year period.

Technical Skills Courses:                         Technical Skills -Level 1 Events calendar

Culverts and Drainage
Risk and Liability Issues
MUTCD for Technicians
Snow and Ice Control

Choose two of three of the following:

Gravel Road Maintenance
Asphalt Road/Street Maintenance
Concrete Road/Street Maintenance

Workplace, Equipment and Job Site Safety

Choose one of these two courses, as appropriate:

County Government 101
City Government 101

Service Excellence in Local Government

Monitoring Agency:

Kansas Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP)
1530 W. 15th, #2160
Lawrence, KS 66045.

Contact Person:  Kristin Kelly. 785-864-2594   Email: kbkelly@ku.edu

Level I : Technical Skills Program Course Listing

Culvert and Drainage Workshop
(approximately 6 hours of instruction offered by Kansas LTAP)

Length: A minimum of four hours of instruction. Currently this is a six hour class

Objective:

• Provide detailed information on procedures for proper installation and maintenance of culverts to ensure long service life.
• Facilitate group interaction and problem solving for a list of pipe installation challenges.
• Acknowledge the role of an engineer in making culvert decisions based on watershet runoff.

Instructor Info: Staff from the Kansas Department of Agriculture Water Resource Office

Presentation Frequency: To be presented every year.

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Risk and Liability Issues
Length: A minimum of four hours of instruction. Currently this is a five-hour class

Objective:

• Provide a basic understanding of tort liability and risk management.
• Explain how the responsibility for reducing risk must be assumed at all levels within street and road departments.
• Present the basic principles of negligence.
• Present recordkeeping information.
• Consider roadway and equipment inspections.
• Provide an understanding of statutes and procedures to reduce liability.
• Present activities to prevent and identify accidents and to prepare for litigation.
• Provide Kansas resources.

Instructor Info: Tom Mulinazzi, KU Professor of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering (CEAE) and Gelene Savage, KDOT Managing Attorney

Presentation Frequency: To be presented at least every other year.

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MUTCD for Technicians
Length: Eight hours of instruction.

Objective:

• Provides an introductory overview of the 2009 edition of the MUTCD, with emphasis on MUTCD applications related to work zones (temporary signing). The course has been updated to include an overview of Revision 2 (effective January 2008) of the 2003 MUTCD.
• Provides an overview of sign retroreflectivity requirements.
• Provides an introduction to guidelines for Incident Management (emergency temporary traffic control).

Instructor Info: Tom Mulinazzi, KU Professor of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering (CEAE), Robert Stokes, KSU Professor of Civil Engineering and Lynn Berges, KDOT Traffic Safety Engineer.

Presentation Frequency: To be presented every year.

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Snow and Ice Control
Length: A minimum of four hours of instruction. Currently this is a six hour class.

Objective:

• Discuss how to get the most out of snow removal equipment.
• Explain effective use of chemicals in de-icing and anti-icing.
• Discuss winter planning and staffing.
• Demonstrate plow hook-up.
• Discuss appropriate storage of salt and sand.
• Introduce road weather information systems.

Instructor Info: TBD.

Presentation Frequency: To be presented every year.

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Gravel Road Maintenance
Length: A minimum of six hours of instruction.

Objective:

• Provide basic information on engineering matters such as: aggregate, dust abatement, traffic control, etc.
• Discuss best maintenance practices for granular surfaced roads, including equipment and operations.

Instructor Info: Dale Dorsch, Nemaha County road and Bridge Department. Dale has over 20 years of motorgrader and bridge inspection experience.

Presentation Frequency: To be presented every year.

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Asphalt Road/Street Maintenance
Length: A minimum of six hours of instruction.

Objective:

• Provide basic maintenance information on patching, sealing, drainage, etc.
• Discuss new maintenance and road rehabilitation techniques.

Instructor Info: Roger Alexander, transportation engineer and a recent KDOT retiree, and Kansas Asphalt Pavement Association identified pavement professionals from across KS.

Presentation Frequency: To be presented every year.

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Concrete Road/Street Maintenance
Length: A minimum of six hours of instruction.

Objective:

• Explain the practices of designing, constructing and rehabilitating concrete pavements.
• Discuss concrete types, materials and equipment used, mix design, jointing and sealing, life cycles and cost analysis, strategies for selecting concrete pavement and restoration and overlays.

Instructor Info: Staff of the Missouri/Kansas Chapter American Concrete Pavement Association, Kansas Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Monarch Cement Company, and South Central Cement Promotion Association.

Presentation Frequency: To be presented every year.

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Workplace, Equipment and Job Site Safety
Length: A minimum of six hours of instruction.

Objective:

• Provide information on developing a safe work culture.
• Provide information on many of these topic areas: hazard communication, safe equipment operation (such as chainsaws), confined space safety, trench safety, shop safety, fall protection, hazardous materials, safe mowing, controlled substances in the workplace, etc.
• Facilitate group discussion on safety challenges.

Instructor Info: Kansas Department of Human Resources, Kansas Workers Risk Cooperative for Counties, KDOT and Kansas law enforcement.

Presentation Frequency: To be presented every year.

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County Government 101
City Government 101
Length: A minimum of three hours of instruction.

Objective:

• Provide a practical primer on county and city governments.
• Enhance skills in educating citizens about county and city governments.

Instructor Info: Kansas Association of Counties.

Presentation Frequency: To be presented at least every other year.

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Service Excellence in Local Government
Length: A minimum of three hours of instruction.

Objective:

• Application and refinement of basic communication skills to typical customer service situations.

Instructor Info: Kansas Association of Counties.

Presentation Frequency: To be presented at least every other year.

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Brochures and Applications

Master Calendar