Official Informal Briefing Minutes Tuesday, September 4, 2018 - 10:30 AM Present: Charlotte J. Nash, Jace Brooks, Lynette Howard, Tommy Hunter, John Heard 1. Water Resources Water Innovation Center Update Water Resources Assistant Director Tyler Richards and Melissa Meeker, Director of Development for the Gwinnett Water Innovation Center, provided an overview of the concept, goals and business plan for the future Water Innovation Center and Environmental Campus. No Official Action Taken.
Transcript
Official Informal Briefing Minutes
Tuesday, September 4, 2018 - 10:30 AM Present: Charlotte J. Nash, Jace Brooks, Lynette Howard, Tommy Hunter, John Heard
1. Water Resources
Water Innovation Center Update Water Resources Assistant Director Tyler Richards and Melissa Meeker, Director of Development for the Gwinnett Water Innovation Center, provided an overview of the concept, goals and business plan for the future Water Innovation Center and Environmental Campus. No Official Action Taken.
Department of Water Resources
Water Innovation
Center and Environmental
Campus
Wednesday, September 05, 2018
DWR Mission
To Provide Superior Water Services at an Excellent Value
DWR Vision
To be Widely Recognized as a Leader in the Water Industry
Value of Water
Public Health
Environmental Protection
Economic Development
Quality of Life
Level 1 Providing
Fundamental Services
Level 2 Optimizing
Operations and Services
Level 3 Transforming
Operations and Services for the Future
Moving Toward Sustainability: Water Utility Roadmap
Utility of the Future
DWR
Continuous improvement through personal commitment, innovation, efficiency, and education.
Level 3: Effective Utility Management Roadmap for Utility of the Future
Level 3: Transformative “Utility of the
Future”
Acts as a leader in local
watershed and community
sustainability
Catalyst for economic
development
Engages in community planning
to ensure community
sustainability
Focuses on resources
management and recovery
Manages and treats wastewater as
valuable commodity
Innovative, collaborative, and active engagement
culture
Water Innovation Center & Environmental Campus
Property Overview
Water Innovation Center and Campus Core Focus Areas
Create an experience that conveys the value of clean water, cultivating water ethics in the community. Provide interactive spaces that showcase watershed management. Target high schoolers and college students through university partnerships*.
Workforce Development Technology Innovation
Workforce Development
Public Engagement
Applied Research
Technology Innovation
Applied Research Conducting collaborative research to solve practical problems both locally and globally
Applied Research Core Area Summary
Research focused on process improvement, innovative technologies, and creative solutions in the areas of: • Water • Wastewater
• Stormwater • Limnology and water quality / Lake Lanier
• Infrastructure • Social Sciences
External Focus
• R&D efforts of Gwinnett-based technology and service providers
• R&D efforts of water industry technology and service providers
Gwinnett Focus
• DWR needs • Other Department needs?
Technology Innovation Fostering and facilitating the creation of new technologies to transform the efficiency and effectiveness of the water industry
Technology Innovation Core Area Summary
Center and Campus will have collaborative spaces and a wide variety of the following: • Demonstrate options • Specialized instruments / tools Campus network will provide support system to create economic development opportunities
External Focus
• Calls / competitions to meet unmet needs
• Collaboration with partners to demo new technologies
Internal Focus
• DWR initiated ideas
Workforce Development Enhancing the capabilities of resources through classroom and field training to improve work quality and resource satisfaction
Workforce Development Core Area Summary
Three main focus areas: 1. Technical Professionals – internships, co-ops, post docs, teachers and professors 2. Trades – internal training, GAWP 3. Professional Development – conferences, workshops
Indoor and outdoor training facilities
External Focus
• Regional utility / professional training • Industry conferences and workshops
Internal Focus
• DWR employee training • Other Department training needs?
Public Engagement Demonstrating the value of clean water and showcasing the wide range of application across industries to increase awareness of water-related challenges
Public Engagement Core Area Summary
Complement Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center and other programs • Multipurpose design • Additional resources to enhance education experience
Create campus experience to become a “place to be” • Entice water-related businesses to be a part of campus and activities
External Focus
• Attractions for national and international visitors
• Industry conferences and workshops
Internal Focus
• Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center and FWH Water Resource Center educational collaborations
• Public campus for Gwinnett citizens
Campus Concept - WaterWays
Goal To create a Journey that includes publically accessible trails and spaces that connect campus features and offers educational opportunities
Business Plan
CONDUCT RESEARCH & STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
Research 15+ model organizations (innovation centers, incubators, accelerators, environmental campuses, museums)
Funding Model Define funding model to achieve self-sustaining operations Strategic Partners Determine strategic partners Services Introduce services to be provided Governance Establish a governance structure to steer initiatives and remove impediments to ensure success
DEVELOP HIGH-LEVEL ANALYSIS
Water Innovation Center Environmental Campus
DELIVER BUSINESS PLANS
July - August September- October October
Stakeholders and Prospective Partners
30+ interviews across local, national, and international organizations. Many more to come…
Water Innovation Center & Environmental Campus
Governance Lessons Learned
Business plan will help define best components of the Gwinnett County and Water Innovation Center / Environmental Campus relationship
All opportunities including a not-for-profit will be reviewed to determine the best operation environment
Unlimited Opportunity Innovation & Knowledge Sharing: Return on Investment
GWINNETT Innovations are
discovered at the WIC and environmental
campus, and implemented in
Gwinnet
Unlimited Opportunity Innovation & Knowledge Sharing: Return on Investment
GEORGIA Trials of innovative ideas
are expanded beyond Gwinnett to other
counties in the state
GWINNETT
Unlimited Opportunity Innovation & Knowledge Sharing: Return on Investment
GEORGIA
GWINNETT
SOUTHEAST US The Southeastern states
become a hot bed of water innovation and best practices
Unlimited Opportunity Innovation & Knowledge Sharing: Return on Investment
NATIONWIDE Word gets out – the WIC and campus become the go-to training ground for
all of the United States
SOUTHEAST US
GEORGIA
GWINNETT
Unlimited Opportunity Innovation & Knowledge Sharing: Return on Investment
NATIONWIDE
SOUTHEAST US
GEORGIA
GWINNETT
INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM Ideas realized in Gwinnett are implemented across the world
