Minutes of Maryland/DC Damage Prevention
Meeting
April 22, 2008
Miss Utility Call Center
Hanover, MD 21076
I. Call To Order and Introduction:
Wayne Gilmer (Utiliquest) called the regular meeting to order at 9:35am.
Introductions were made.
The minutes of March 25, 2008 were approved.
II. Safety Item:
Wayne Gilmer reviewed safety tips on how to protect yourself from bites and scratches from rodents, snakes and insects.
III. Chris McMurry/MGH Advertising Public Awareness Campaign Update:
Chris McMurry discussed the following initiatives:
- Full Radio Campaign
- Negotiated and ready to air in the spring
- Looking into additional media buys in the summer time to suppliment the minor league baseball
sponsorships
- Association outreach – for DP speaking engagement opportunities
- Other mailings
- Permit offices
- Equipment rental
- Realtors
- Miss Utility Day at the Bowie Baysox Stadium
- Scheduled for Thursday, July 31.
- More details to come at upcoming DP meetings.
- Summer homeowner outreach (county fairs)
- Prince George’s County Fair (September 4th-7th)
- Others being considered include:
- Montgomery County
- Howard County
- Miss Utility Contractor Nights
- Kickoff meeting will be held May 16, 2008 following the Dig Smart/LAA post Awards Night meeting
- 2 contractor dinners will be held this fall
- The nights will consist of dinner, damage prevention presentations, question/answer session and
networking opportunities
- Cal Brooks (Howard County Utilities) offered to host one of them
IV. Damage Prevention Presentations
Wayne Gilmer gave feedback on recent presentation for Nothern Pipeline.
Wayne stated there would be a future presentation for Mainling Services.
V. Trade Shows/Safety Events:
Wayne Gilmer stated he and Matt Ruddo (Miss Utility) would be attending the a safety day for the Department of
Army in Fort Detrick, MD on May 8, 2008
Chris McMurry thanked everyone for volunteering at the 2008 spring home and garden shows. He also said that he received
approval from the MD/DC Subscribers Committee to book the 2009 in order to get the best locations.
There was a brief discussion about the Miss Utility booth locations being switched around at the last minute. Chris McMurry
indicated that they would address that issue for the fall 2008 shows as well as the ones for 2009
VI. Locator Achievement/Dig Smart Awards
The follwing update was provided:
- 70 people RSVP for this years event
- Khrysanne Kerr was an execellent guest speaker
- Alvin Collins, Secretary of General Services, presented Tom Hoff (One Call Concepts, Inc.) with the
Underground Excavation Safety Week proclamation
- Dig Smart Award Winners were B. Frank Joy for DC, Northern Piepline for MD and Sunrise Safety Services
received the first ever honorable mention award
- Locator Achievement Award Winners were recognized via a 10 minute video
- 15 door prizes were given out
- 95% of the surveys returned rated the event a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best
- Post Awards meeting would be held May 16, 2008 at 10:00am.
- Daryl “Blue Shows” Cox was very graciuos in receiving the overall Locator Achievement Award
VII. Marking Standards Group:
Chris McMurry stated the text of Marking Guidelines book had been completed and a photoshoot will be scheduled in the
very near future to select the photos for the book. He stated that the Group would be meeting after today’s meeting
to select the front cover design and discuss the photos that would be inserted into the book.
VIII. Title 12 Steering Committee:
Tom Baldwin (BGE) stated the Committee revied the first draft of the proposed Law changes document. He sadi the next
meeting would be held on May 12, 2008 and the focus would be to address the “scope of work” on tickets as well as
start the review of the “9 Key Elelments of Damage Prevention” document. is really hung up on enforcement.
IX. MD/DC Subscribers Committee Meeting:
Wayne Gilmer reviewed meeting topics such as the advertising/ public awareness campaign, Dig Smart/Locator Achievement
Awards and trade shows.
Matt Ruddo and Dora Parks reviewd the ADC grid format changes. The Miss Utilty Center began accepting the new ADC
Montgomery County grid coordinates on March 19, 2008. Dora stated they are currently working on the map databases
for the Prince Georges and District of Colimbia Subscribers.Dora also indicated the the mapbooks for Caroll, Howard
and Frederick Counties are done, but she was waiting on the digital files.
Matt Ruddo gave a brief update on 811 usage. He said the “lion share” of the calls do not go to a Miss Utility
operator. He said the ITIC usage is very strong in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
X. FTTP Projections:
Sam Jones (Verizon) provided the following two month FTTP trench footage projections:
|
May |
June |
Anne Arundel |
48,000 |
5,000 |
Baltimore |
116,000 |
125,000 |
Howard |
8,000 |
30,000 |
Montgomery |
17,000 |
15,000 |
Prince George’s |
121,000 |
125,000 |
XI. Open Discussion:
Tony Goodman (Washington Gas) expressed concerns with a gas damage they recently had at Reagan National Airport. A
lenghty discussion ensued about locating issues at aiports and military bases. A few expressed concenrs over who
has the jurisdiction/authority to mark underground utility lines at airports and military bases.
Matt Ruddo gave the following update on Ticket Check enhancements:
- DC Ticket Check went online for a half a dozen Subscribers on April 1, 2008
- Emergency Tickets were added to Ticket Check on April 1, 2008
- Ticket Check statuses would be sent via email to individuals that provide an email address at the time of the
call or ITIC transaction
Tom Baldwin thanked the Dig Smart/Locator Achievement Committee for a job well done.
Upcoming Damage Prevention Presentations:
May 8, 2008: Department Of The Army Safety Awareness Day Fort Detrick, MD 7:00am-2:00pm
Upcoming Trade Shows:
Show name: |
|
Maryland Municipal League |
Date: |
|
June 22nd - 25th |
City, State: |
|
Ocean City, MD |
Place: |
|
Ocean City Convention Center |
Website: |
|
www.mdmunicipal.org/cv08/cvinfowlinks.cfm |
  |
Show name: |
|
Maryland Association of Counties |
Date: |
|
August 13th - 16th |
City, State: |
|
Ocean City, MD |
Place: |
|
Roland Powell Convention Center |
Website: |
|
www.mdcounties.org/events/eventDetails.cfm?EventID=58 |
  |
Show name: |
|
Chesapeake Safety Conference |
Date: |
|
September 12th |
City, State: |
|
|
Place: |
|
|
Website: |
|
|
  |
Show name: |
|
Suburban Maryland Fall Home Show |
Date: |
|
September 12th - 14th |
City, State: |
|
Germantown, MD |
Place: |
|
Discovery Sports Center at Maryland Soccerplex |
Website: |
|
www.acshomeshow.com/HGExpo/HGF.html |
  |
Show Name: |
|
Harford LIVE! |
Date: |
|
September 27th - 29th |
City, State: |
|
Aberdeen, MD |
Place: |
|
Ripken Stadium |
Website: |
|
www.harfordlive.com/assets/har_live_contract.pdf |
  |
Show Name: |
|
Maryland Home & Garden Show |
Date: |
|
October 17th - 19th |
City, State: |
|
Timonium, MD |
Place: |
|
Maryland State Fairgrounds |
Website: |
|
www.acshomeshow.com/HGExpo/HAF.html> |
  |
Show Name: |
|
Suburban Maryland Fall Home Show |
Date: |
|
October 24th - 26th |
City, State: |
|
Upper Marlboro, MD |
Place: |
|
The Show Place Arena |
Website: |
|
www.acshomeshow.com/HGExpo/HAF.html |
Upcoming Meetings:<
The next Maryland/DC Damage Prevention meeting is scheduled for May 27, 2008 at the Miss Utility Center.
Coffee and donuts will be served at 9:00 am. The meeting will begin at 9:30 am. The next Marking
Guidelines Group meeting will be held immediately following the MD/DC Damage Prevention meeting.
The 2008 Maryland/DC Subscribers meeting is scheduled ford June 12th, 2008 at the Miss Utility
Center. Coffee and donuts will be served at 9:30 am, and the meeting will begin at 10:00 am.
There being no further business to be brought before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at 10:30 am.
 |
ITIC % Report for Maryland and Washington D.C. |
 |
Month |
|
Call Center Tickets |
|
ITIC Tickets |
|
Percentage |
Mar-07 |
|
68,632 |
|
46,108 |
|
67% |
Apr-07 |
|
71,453 |
|
47,548 |
|
67% |
May-07 |
|
79,243 |
|
53,201 |
|
67% |
Jun-07 |
|
74,055 |
|
50,649 |
|
68% |
Jul-07 |
|
75,034 |
|
52,724 |
|
70% |
Aug-07 |
|
76,641 |
|
54,537 |
|
71% |
Sep-07 |
|
68,418 |
|
47,376 |
|
69% |
Oct-07 |
|
74,837 |
|
51,712 |
|
69% |
Nov-07 |
|
60,718 |
|
42,868 |
|
71% |
Dec-07 |
|
53,677 |
|
39,652 |
|
74% |
Jan-08 |
|
58,159 |
|
41,586 |
|
72% |
Feb-08 |
|
51,004 |
|
36,810 |
|
72% |
Mar-08 |
|
57,239 |
|
39,568 |
|
69% |
 |
Attendee List |
 |
Name |
|
Company |
|
Phone |
|
Email |
Wayne Gilmer |
|
|
|
Andy Kaldmaa |
|
|
|
Alice Gilmore |
|
|
|
Matt Ruddo |
|
|
|
Tom Baldwin |
|
|
|
Chris McMurry |
|
|
|
Mark Hamrick |
|
|
|
Karen Watkins |
|
|
|
Erik Phillips |
|
|
|
Tony Goodman |
|
|
|
Tim Kempa |
|
|
|
Sherell Stone |
|
|
|
Cal Brooks |
|
|
|
Dora Parks |
|
|
|
Sam Jones |
|
|
|
Bill Taylor |
|
|
|
Greg Johnson |
|
|
|
Rick Behrens |
|
|
|
Dena Walters |
|
|
|
Oliva Herrera |
|
|
|
Guy Arcieri |
|
|
|
|