Dustin Deaton

My responsibilities as the Waco District Utility Coordinator are to ensure utility conflicts with future TXDOT projects are mitigated in a timely effective manor ensuring the effectiveness of TXDOT project delivery. Another key role I play at the district is to ensure new utility installation requests are reviewed and approved within the RULIS permitting system. This process entails reviewing utility installation plan sets and confirming these operations will follow the Texas Administrative Code’s Utility Accommodation Rules. My direct experience includes:

- Assisting with the identification, communication, and resolution of utility conflicts on Transportation/Roadway projects.

- Assisting with the management and coordination of Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) investigations, schedule, and submittals.

- Performing utility records research, obtaining project utility company contacts, existing maps and plans, preparing contact ledgers and assisting in utility conflict tracking reports.

- Working independently, and with project team, coordinating with utility companies and roadway engineers to meet department needs and objectives.

- Assisting with and preparing deliverables, utility exhibits, project guides, project reviews, project invoices, expense reports and project monitoring/field verification, as needed.

- Apply quality, policies, assurance guidelines and procedures for project documents, time and budget management.

- Assisting in the review and perform QA/QC of utility company agreements, plans, specifications, cost estimates and invoices submitted by utility companies to assure compliance with applicable rules, regulations, and requirements.

- Frequent communication, both verbal and written, between project managers, design consultants, and utility owners to ensure project schedules are met and are compliant with federal, state and local laws, in addition to any other regulations required by the department.

- Assisting with and conducting meetings, presentations, and minutes for both in person and virtual meetings.

- Support Project Managers and/or lead the development of proposal elements, project scope elements, budget elements, and schedule elements.

- Type, format, and organize project documents, reports, specifications, and correspondence.

- Create and maintain paper and electronic files.

As a utility inspector and utility project coordinator for the Johnson County Area Office I was responsible for overseeing approved new utility installation requests by public utility providers in the utility installation review system. My role was to ensure the placement and construction of new utility projects within TXDOW ROW be performed in accordance with the Texas Administrative Code’s Utility Accommodation Rules and with the approved permitted plans. I also confirmed the abandonment of existing utilities within TXDOW ROW be performed in accordance with the Texas Administrative Code’s Utility Accommodation Rules and be clearly delineated from proposed utility installations on the approved permitted plans. My responsibility was to set and lead onsite meetings with public utility providers before, during, and after construction and to contact the utility construction contractor in communicating effectively the department’s plans and procedures. The onsite pre- construction meeting is where we discuss proper operation methods, traffic control placement, hours of operation, and personal protective equipment expectations. The post construction walk through is also an important phase of this operation. This inspection includes ROW cleanup and to verify the utility installation did not adversely affect any existing drainage features, roadway pavement, private property, and other publicly owned utility facilities.

- Another key role I have with JCAO is overseeing the preliminary review and construction of new residential and commercial access permits within TXDOT roadway. The commercial access preliminary review, approval, and construction process is the majority focus for this role and requires overseeing the addition of auxiliary lanes to the existing roadway. I also review and assist in the approval of Traffic Impact Analysis and Drainage studies.

My responsibility at the Waco District in this role was balanced between TXDOT project coordination and permit approval/onsite inspection. In this role I was responsible for investigating existing utilities, determining conflicts with future TXDOT projects, and ensuring these conflicts were mitigated prior to the project LET date. This included finding unique ways to locate utilities like utilizing 811, requesting the assistance of in-house TXDOT surveying, and onsite investigation focused on locating and measuring above ground appurtenances and utility markers.

My role was also to receive new installation requests through the utility installation review system and verify if the utility owners will be placing their new facilities according to the requirements made by the Texas Administrative Code. These requirements entail proper depth and horizontal placement for underground facilities, proper height and guy wire placement for overhead utilities, proper materials used for encasement, and the most updated traffic control information being applicable to the operation.

I work closely with the Area Offices to coordinate traffic control information, hours of operations for utility construction, open cuts to the roadway for utility repairs or new utility installations, verifying if temporary driveway permits will be needed for construction and ensuring the utility owner has an executed Form 1058 associated with the utility permit if required.

My responsibility was to oversee utility relocations for future TXDOT projects. I had to work closely with many different utility owners, TXDOT project managers, TXDOT design consultants, TXDOT SUE consultants, TXDOT construction contractors, and engineering consultants for public utility owners. Coordination between all parties involved was a key component to ensure the flow of project information. I held meetings, reviewed, and approved plans, and performed onsite inspections to make sure the utilities shown to be in conflict with the project were relocated according to the plans.

My responsibility was also to negotiate SUE and Utility Coordination contracts. The primary goal with these contracts was to balance department funds with the SUE and Utility Coordination contract amounts in assuring enough SUE is provided to locate all the potential utility conflicts early in the design process. This process was also monitored before the SUE was initiated and during as to keep track of department expenditures on these operations.

I worked as an instrument operator for the Fort Worth District Survey department performing survey work for flight surveys, topographic surveys, utility locates/SUE, and highway striping.