By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
City officials from Decatur and Berne have successfully completed 12 core courses in Indiana’s Road Scholar program and are now working on achieving a higher level of education dealing with streets, highways, etc.
Decatur’s Operations Manager, Jeremy Gilbert, and Assistant Operations Manager Matt Schultz, along with Berne Assistant Street Superintendent Drew Dull, recently achieved the title of 2023 Road Builders.
The State of Indiana says its Road Scholar Program is designed to serve as a core knowledge base for those actively involved with Indiana’s local roads. The program provides attendees with foundational information about road care and allows opportunities for networking with peers and industry leaders. P
Participants attend 12 core courses, elective conferences and workshops to accrue credit hours.
Among the core courses are the following: a) Asset Management for Street and Highway Departments; b) Liability and Risk Management; c) Highway Funding; d) Public Purchasing; e) Roadway Safety; f) Basics of a Good Road; g) Temporary Traffic Control; h) Bridge Basics; i) Drainage; j) Road and Bridge Plan Reading; and k) Estimating Local Road Maintenance Work.
Once the 12 courses are completed and 300 credit hours have been obtained, participants are awarded the title of Road Builder. The title of Master Road Builder, then, is awarded once 600 credit hours have been accrued.
Gilbert said the classes are beneficial to municipal governments “to keep up on changing technologies and innovative changes INDOT (Indiana Department of Public Transportation) makes along the long highway of dealing with local streets, interstates, state roads and county roadways. There is a great deal of information taught in each class and you are required to pass each class to receive your credits.”
The trio is now working on achieving the Master Road Builder certification, which requires the additional 300 credits.
Much of the work is being done virtually and in hours of free time the three can find since all are busy with their community programs.
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