As we close out 2020, it is time to reflect on the past year and to think about next. No one could have envisioned last year what 2020 has brought to us across this country and the world. Public Works is always on the front line of every emergency ready to provide the essential services that only we can to keep our communities safe. The pandemic created a situation that did not allow for a response in our normal “Public Works” ways. All of us had to immediately work with our respective teams to ensure first that each of our team members and their families stayed healthy. Then we needed to develop new ways to work to provide the public safety and quality of life services to our residents. 

NACE provided best practices from around the country to help each of us think outside the box and to learn from one another. The information shared by our members was priceless in developing new policies and protocols that met the requirements of health professionals at the Local, State and Federal levels of government. For me, it was absolutely inspiring to see the initiative that agencies were taking to continue “getting the job done” in a pandemic environment while keeping the team safe. In my department, I am proud to say that of the limited cases team members have contracted over the course of the year all were from community spread and not a result of coming to work. As I write this month’s message today I heard just this morning on the news that the first person, a nurse, in the United States was vaccinated in New York. My hope is this is just the start of millions more to come so we can put COVID-19 to rest on this planet.