Between Two Shovels with Derek Minnema

About Between Two Shovels with Derek Minnema

Between Two Shovels is an executive-level transportation podcast on turning policy and funding into reality hosted by the Capital SouthEast Connector JPA in California. Senior guests include DOTs, counties, cities, contractors, engineering firms, trucking, and supply chains—including Illinois RTBA, Texas DOT, and Caltrans. California contractors, union laborers, supply chain advisors, and the California Trucking Association share candid lessons. Expect practical, accountable insight on cost, schedule, risk, and delivery that safeguards public dollars and improves mobility.

Publisher

Derek Minnema

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Jun 2025

Latest episode

29 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

34 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Oct 2026

   Between Two Shovels Ep.34: Sabrina Drago - Winning Grants, Express Lanes & Pay-Per-Mile

   Drago Vantage’s first grant application won $103 million for the Yolo 80 managed lanes project. At the time of recording, tolls on those lanes were planned to move with traffic, from $0.75 up to $10. Carpools of three or more would ride free. Sabrina Drago, founder of Drago Vantage and former executive director of the Sacramento Transportation Authority, joined me on Between Two Shovels to talk about what wins discretionary grants, how express lanes work, and whether Californians should pay by the mile. Thank you, Sabrina, for comparing notes on what it is like to come from the private sector into the top job at a small public agency. When your agency writes a grant application, how much of it is about the people the project will serve? Chapters: 0:00 How to Win Transportation Grants and Fund Infrastructure 4:17 Stakeholder vs Public Engagement: How to Reach People Who Never Go to Public Meetings 14:51 Why Local Transportation Sales Tax Measures Fail, and What It Will Take to Pass One 22:05 Why Widening Freeways Won’t Fix Traffic: How Managed Lanes Free Up the Road 30:33 Rural Roads vs Big City Freeways: Who Gets Transportation Funding? 33:55 Should Californians Pay Per Mile Driven? The Case for a Road User Charge 40:25 How to Win Transportation Grants: Make It About People, Not Pavement Guest: Sabrina Drago, CEO & President, Drago Vantage Hear from government and public sector leaders, transportation executives, funding decision makers, development managers, and more who are shaping our industry. Watch more of the Between Two Shovels show and subscribe to our Connector JPA project updates email list at connectorjpa.com/between-two-shovels Title: Between Two Shovels Ep.34: Sabrina Drago - Winning Grants, Express Lanes & Pay-Per-Mile

2. 

   29 Oct 2026

   Recycling Wastewater for Sacramento County Farms

   Harvest Water’s state funding comes with a contract to deliver ecological benefits to the Sacramento region for 84 years. At the time of recording, the $597 million project had close to $420 million in outside funding lined up, most of it from the state. Water is set to start flowing in program year 2027. Jofil Borja, Environmental Legislative & Regulatory Affairs | Harvest Water APMO, Sacramento Area Sewer District, joined me on Between Two Shovels to talk about how recycled water can help refill local groundwater, how the project’s funding came together, and what it takes to compete for state dollars. Thank you, Jofil, for the details all the way down to the connection assemblies that will tie the new pipes into growers’ irrigation equipment. How many funding sources did your last project need before construction could start? Chapters: 0:00 Trailer 1:32 Intro 4:18 What Is Harvest Water? 6:11 How the Project Started 8:26 Is Recycled Water Safe? 14:19 How It’s Funded 16:38 Pipeline and Roads 20:14 Managing Six Projects at Once 23:10 Ecological Benefits 28:02 Impact on Ratepayers 30:02 Winning State Funding 35:05 Final Thoughts Guest: Jofil Borja, Environmental Legislative & Regulatory Affairs | Harvest Water APMO, Sacramento Area Sewer District Hear from government and public sector leaders, transportation executives, funding decision makers, development managers, and more who are shaping our industry. Watch more of the Between Two Shovels show and subscribe to our Connector JPA project updates email list at connectorjpa.com/between-two-shovels Title: Recycling Wastewater for Sacramento County Farms #BetweenTwoShovels #HarvestWater #RecycledWater #WaterInfrastructure #SacramentoCounty

3. 

   27 Sept 2026

   A Civil Engineer on 50 Years of Sacramento Growth, CEQA, and the Capital SouthEast Connector

   A subdivision in the region once got approved in a single night. Today, Folsom's development south of Highway 50 went from planning in 2005 to a groundbreaking in 2017. By Jim's estimate, something like 250,000 more housing units are in the regional pipeline. Jim Ray, a civil engineer in his 50th year with MacKay & Somps Civil Engineers, joined me on Between Two Shovels to talk about how the California Environmental Quality Act changed development, the seven-year Water Forum negotiation over American River water, and where the region's growth is headed next. Thank you, Jim, for bringing 50 years of perspective, going back to when the Capital SouthEast Connector was still a bypass idea called the Beltway. How long did your last project take to get from planning to shovels in the ground? Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and fifty years in the industry 01:42 Growing up with a father who shaped Sacramento's transportation system 06:20 What goes into master planning a large development 08:39 How CEQA changed development timelines and costs 10:56 The regional habitat conservation plan and Folsom's south of 50 project 17:38 Decades of leadership with the Building Industry Association 18:09 The seven year negotiation behind the Water Forum agreement 27:56 250,000 housing units and where they are concentrated 30:03 Why infrastructure often comes after development, not before 31:42 The challenge of infill development in the urban core 35:57 A project that did not survive neighborhood opposition 43:51 Advice for young engineers entering the profession Guest: Jim Ray, Former Principal and President, MacKay & Somps Civil Engineers, Inc. Hear from government and public sector leaders, transportation executives, funding decision makers, development managers, and more who are shaping our industry. Watch more of the Between Two Shovels show and subscribe to our Connector JPA project updates email list at connectorjpa.com/between-two-shovels Between Two Shovels is produced by the Capital SouthEast Connector Joint Powers Authority and explores transportation policy, engineering, and project delivery through conversations with industry leaders. Title: A Civil Engineer on 50 Years of Sacramento Growth, CEQA, and the Capital SouthEast Connector #BetweenTwoShovels #CivilEngineering #LandDevelopment #SacramentoRegion #CapitalSouthEastConnector

Who has been a guest on Between Two Shovels with Derek Minnema

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Joe Cruz
• Kiana Valentine
• Clifton Taylor
• James Corless
• Nancy Miller

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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