FY2018 | ISSUE 3
Blanche Quarterman The relationship builder
Safety Spot
Dangers lurking in our carts
2018 Road-E-O & Family BBQ
PICTURED: 2018 Road-E-O & Family BBQ
Road to Zero
On-Call Bulk Collection Pilot
CONTENTS
DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE PAGE 1
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Why are we pursuing zero waste?
BLANCHE QUARTERMAN PAGE 2 From corrections officer to relationship builder
WHAT DO THEY DO? PAGE 4 The Brownfields Team
EVENT HIGHLIGHT PAGE 4 Bring your kids to work day
SAFETY SPOT PAGE 5 Dangers lurking in our carts
ROAD TO ZERO
PAGE 6
On-Call Bulk Collection Pilot
2018 ROAD-E-O & FAMILY BBQ PAGE 8 AIMING HIGHER AWARDS PAGE 10 NEWS YOU CAN USE PAGE 12 Announcements & upcoming events
HR CORNER PAGE 13 Training our way through the year
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Photos from events
Careers on Wheels at Williams Elementary
Chicken keeping class and coop tour
RLC Green Team kids’ clothing swap
Roy Rivera, Caesar Jeffery and Maddie Morgan graduate from LEAPS
Director’s Message
Why are we pursuing Zero Waste? BY SAM ANGOORI, PE Austin Resource Recovery Interim Director In September 2011, the Austin City Council adopted the Austin Resource Recovery Master Plan, our roadmap to achieving Zero Waste. From that day on, our mission has been to achieve Zero Waste by providing excellent customer services that reduce waste, increase resource recovery, and support the City of Austin’s sustainability efforts. The Master Plan outlines various ways to reduce, reuse and recycle Austin’s unwanted items and materials. Some steps ARR has taken towards Zero Waste include expanding services at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center, launching pilot programs such as on-call bulk collection, engaging the community through outreach and educational efforts, developing rebate programs to incentivize Zero Waste for Austin residents, businesses and more. With these great efforts, we have also seen some challenges. While these efforts have had a positive impact for the community, we are lagging behind our first milestone of diverting 50 percent of Austin’s trash by 2015. Our diversion rate is just under 40 percent, and our current milestone is 75 percent diversion by the year 2020. We are a strong and hardworking team, and we must work together as a community to reach our goals. One of the biggest challenges that we face is influencing public opinions and behaviors. With a diverse and rapidly growing population, what people know, understand and do when it comes to recycling varies widely. Participation in our services is typically not mandatory – meaning that we rely on customers to change their habits and be open to learning about Zero Waste. Another challenge is influencing trash going to landfills from properties not serviced by ARR. Roughly 85 percent of Austin’s waste stream is produced by the commercial properties, private subdivisions, and large multifamily units that are serviced by private haulers. City Council has passed ordinances such as the Universal Recycling Ordinance that affect those properties and is working to ensure ordinance requirements are met. With such hefty challenges in mind, we have to ask ourselves, “why are we doing this?” Why has Austin chosen to make Zero Waste and sustainability initiatives a priority? The simple explanation is that the City of Austin, Council, ARR and Austin residents all want to ensure that Austin can continue to be just as weird and amazing as it is now, for generations to come. People flock to Austin, not only for its unique culture,
but because of the rivers, lakes, and vast preserved greenbelt areas. In order to preserve the natural resources that make Austin great, they cannot be overrun with trash. The complex piece of the answer is that every product we consume is made up of all of the energy that went into its production. Everything from extracting raw materials, forming the product, transporting it to its final destination, and ultimately its disposal. Choosing to reuse and recycle products to extend their lives means that we don’t spend as much energy to use materials and we prevent them from taking up space in a landfill. Although it can be hard to see the difference we make when we choose to recycle a single plastic bottle or aluminum can, each small step adds up and contributes to Zero Waste and, ultimately, to preserving our City and home. Additionally, each of us at ARR plays a significant role in helping us meet the Zero Waste goal. Whether it’s providing high-quality curbside services, excellent customer service or community outreach, we all contribute to reaching the goal. Thank you for your service!
In response to a request from Council, ARR is currently doing an affordability study to compare the cost of our services to industry standards. With this study comes the implied question of whether or not our services should be privatized. As the Interim Director, I want to assure all ARR employees that I will continue to advocate for City provided services, emphasizing the high quality and efficient services you provide. The ARR leadership team values each of our employees, and we will continue to speak to City Council members about the value you bring to the City. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to public service. 1
Blanche Quarterman
From Corrections Officer to relationship builder BY EVGUENIA GOLOLOBOVA Public Information and Marketing Intern Born in small town Augusta, Georgia, a young Blanche first dreamed of being an attorney. While most kids wanted to be teachers, firefighters, and police officers, she wanted to pursue law. When I asked her why law was her passion at such a young age, she shared with me a powerful story about her firsthand experience with desegregation in the South. She recalled how she went to the pediatrician one day and the moment she saw for herself that things were going to be different. “Before, the doctor had segregated waiting rooms and water fountains, but this time – suddenly– things were different. The walls had come down. It was light and bright, and now the waiting room was open and I got to see the other side. It was defining for me. It was amazing, and I was just in awe. I was aware of what was going on in the country and the idea of desegregation, but that was the first time I had experienced it myself.” That defining moment is what made Blanche passionate about people and helping them to fight for their rights. Although she may not be an attorney today, as the Human
“THE WALLS HAD COME DOWN... IT WAS DEFINING FOR ME. IT WAS AMAZING, AND I WAS JUST IN AWE. I WAS AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE COUNTRY AND THE IDEA OF DESEGREGATION, BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF.”
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Resources Division Manager she does have to be very familiar with the laws that govern and protect ARR’s employees. Few may know, but before coming to ARR, Blanche spent the majority of her career working for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). She started off as a Corrections Officer, later moving up to a Lieutenant and eventually transferring to a personnel role where she managed duties such as payroll and onboarding paperwork. She enjoyed the human resources work because she had found a way to truly help employees gain a better understanding of the benefits and services available to them. One particular instance Blanche remembers was when an employee working for TDCJ suffered a heart attack and had to take time away from work to recover. He had exhausted all of his time off and thought that if he took advantage of the leave system, he would have to pay that time back eventually. Blanche was able to meet with the employee and his wife in person to explain that the program, which is very similar to the City’s leave bank program, would allow him to take the time off he needed and still get paid.
Blanche started working in her current role as the ARR HR Division Manager with the City of Austin in March 2011. As a division, HR is responsible for critical functions supporting ARR, including policy development, the hiring and employee onboarding process, timekeeping and payroll, employee relations, soft skills training, worker’s compensation, and many other things. As the HR Division Manager, Blanche stated that her role is to “build relationships between Austin Resource Recovery and other departments, the corporate HR, and between managers and employees within ARR.” Blanche strives to make sure her staff are properly trained and have the tools they need to be able to do their jobs to the best of their ability. One of her favorite things though is going to events like the ROAD-E-O because, “management and staff get the opportunity to speak in a less formal setting. People are generally eating, talking and laughing and overall they are enjoying themselves. You get an opportunity to learn a little more about the person that is working next to you.” While she very much enjoys her role as HR Division Manager, the job also comes with a few challenges, such as the antiquated technology, that Blanche says is out of date and makes their work harder and take longer to complete. She is really excited about the new electronic timekeeping system that the City will be rolling out, especially because ARR is helping to pilot the system. She thinks it will help cut down on timekeeping and payroll errors and will provide instant data that will be useful to the employees,managers and executives, and the City as a whole. Blanche is hopeful that this new system will open the door to introducing a new full Human Resource Information System (HRIS). Blanche sees strength not only in the people, but in ARR as a department. One strength is the innovative ways we are at trying to achieve Zero Waste for Austin. Although Zero Waste is still a new concept to her, she has become more conscious of how she throws away different items. “I am still learning too. I am still a student of Zero Waste.” Blanche has made training her top priority. Her goal is to make sure employees and managers understand their rights, the policies and laws that protect them and what expectations both employee and employer should have. Currently, she is working closely with the executives and division managers on bringing training programs that she believes will help strengthen the department.
Aside from her work as HR Division Manager and commitment to improving ARR as a whole, Blanche is a football lover. She enjoys watching the Cowboys and Longhorns. She also enjoys walking as it gives her the time needed to reflect on her day and clear her mind. Blanche also shared that she was diagnosed last August with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The diagnosis was something she found overwhelming at first, but since she has come to realize what it really meant, and how it would impact her life, she isn’t so afraid. “You take what is dealt to you, do the best you can with it and accept it.” Blanche wanted to make sure her staff was recognized for the incredible support and understanding they showed while she was on intermittent medical leave. They made sure she was always up to date on anything she had missed and that everything ran smoothly at the office. From witnessing desegregation first hand in Georgia, to going through her own personal battles with M.S., Blanche has been through a lot. After speaking with her, it is clear how she has become the incredible Division Manager that she is today. 3
What do they do
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The Brownfields team
The City of Austin has a Brownfields team, but do you know what a ‘brownfield’ is? A brownfield is any property having trouble selling or redeveloping because it might be contaminated with harmful waste or hazardous chemicals from past business operations. The property could have been a gas station, dry cleaner or warehouse that isn’t being used because buyers or bank lenders are concerned about possible things like buried fuel tanks or residual chemicals used during business processes. Cleaning up harmful waste can sometimes cost just as much as the value of the land, making redevelopment difficult to finance. The Austin’s Brownfields Revitalization Office (Brownfields team) provides free environmental services to help these struggling property owners “recycle” their underutilized properties for better uses in the community. This amazing two-person team does everything from searching historical records for previous businesses, collecting soil and water samples to be analyzed for harmful chemicals; to surveying the properties and structures on them for evidence of pollutants. Once they have completed their assessment of a property, they advise the owners of what steps they can take to turn their property into something beneficial for the community, and even help them get loans for their clean-up projects or grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To learn more about the Brownfields team, email them: brownfields@austintexas.gov.
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Event Highlight
bring your kids to work day
Safety spot
Dangers lurking in our carts BY JOHN HOLLENBECK Occupational Health & Safety Coordinator Every day, nearly 300 trash, recycling and compost trucks hit the streets of Austin to collect the City’s residential waste. While collecting every day, our operations employees have seen all sorts of crazy things end up in carts that shouldn’t be thrown away. While some things may just be mysterious or strange, others may be dangerous to handle. It’s important that we all remember the dangers that can be associated with handling various kinds of waste, what we should do when we encounter a dangerous item and how to educate our customers on proper disposal. We are now in the full swing of summer, which means many people are enjoying time spent outdoors or finally getting around to those long overdue home projects. Some curbside customers are still unfamiliar with what can and cannot go into their carts and may throw things like live ammunition, paints and paint thinners and petroleum products like gas, diesel, oil, hydraulic fluid, brake fluid or grease rags into their carts. Other items our operations staff frequently see during this time are pool cleaning chemicals, such as chlorine or muriatic acid. When these pool chemicals are combined with common household aluminum and heat, they can spontaneously combust. In fact, all of the items listed here have the potential to spontaneously combust when exposed to high temperatures like those we see here in Texas. If you should encounter any of these items, you should: 1. Immediately step away from the cart– do not remove any items from the cart or hopper. 2. Call dispatch to report what you have found (they will contact your Supervisor, Safety and APD for live ammunition or needles). 3. If you have not yet emptied the cart, leave a door tag for the customer letting them know why their cart has not been serviced. 4. Remain in place until Safety or your Supervisor give you the OK to continue your route. Besides the possibility of spontaneous combustion, many of the items we have mentioned can lead to serious chemical burns if they come into direct contact with skin or eyes. For this reason, it is important to remember to always wear all of your personal protective equipment (PPE) like your gloves and safety glasses, to ensure there is always a barrier between you and the things you may be coming into contact
with while on route. You should also remember to always stand to the side of the hopper when emptying carts to help avoid the potential for things to splash out of the hopper and onto you, and to be clear of the way of any ammunition misfire. Should you be given the opportunity to talk directly to the customer, they should be informed that the items they placed in their cart are considered household hazardous waste and should be taken to the Reuse & Recycle Drop-Off Center located at 2514 Business Center Drive. If they have live ammunition, they should call 311 or contact APD for proper disposal options.
Pro Tip
For another way to talk to customers about how they can dispose of specific items, refer them to our ‘What Do I Do With’ web app found at Austinrecycles.com.
Type in the name of a waste item and we’ll tell you how to recycle or dispose of it.
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BY MEMI CARDENAS Public Information Specialist Sr. The Litter Abatement Division has started a pilot program to collect bulk items on an on-call basis. One goal of the program is to reduce the amount of bulk items that are going to the landfill. Background
The ARR Master Plan estimates that Austin residents dispose of approximately $11 million in reusable materials each year. Last fiscal year alone, ARR recorded 11,179 tons of bulk material that had been taken to the landfill. With the release of the Master Plan in 2011, ARR committed to exploring all possible options for how we can divert as much material as possible from the landfill, including those items collected during bulk pick-up. Why are so many bulk items ending up in the landfill?
There are many reasons that can contribute to why bulk items are ending up in the landfill. One reason may be that, on average, people in the United States have a higher level of discretionary income than they have in years past. In 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported nearly 33 percent of household income was spent on discretionary items (everything other than housing, food, clothing and healthcare). Couple this extra income, with the ability to produce cheaper products through outsourcing and consumers can afford to buy things like new cars, furniture, and electronics more easily than in years past. According to the case study, The final stop for quality furniture from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 15 million tons of furniture in the United States goes to the landfill each year with only 2 percent of that being resold. It is often easier and cheaper for people to throw items away and buy items, than it is for them to find storage space or move bulk items from home to home. Finally, another reason that may be contributing to bulk items in the landfill is consumer trends and preferences. Last June, Fortune Magazine published an article called The Fast-Fashion Trend That’s Changing How You Buy Furniture. In this article, the author discusses how the furniture industry has been influenced by fast-fashion trends in such a way that consumers are looking to update their living spaces as often as they update their wardrobe. Although the author does not specifically call out how the latest consumer trends are impacting the landfill, we can draw some conclusions about where the furniture and household items no longer considered fashionable are ending up. How is ARR addressing the issue?
collected on bulk routes. Customers in the pilot area received a letter in the mail notifying them in late March, and a follow-up post card in early April with information on how to schedule their next pick-up. This program allows ARR customers to schedule up to three collections of bulk items too large to fit in their trash carts for the remainder of 2018. The nine-month pilot program was designed to ease high traffic weeks for bulk collection routes while also providing a more convenient bulk collection option for curbside customers. With the ability to schedule bulk collection as needed, customers won’t have to wait up to six months before their next scheduled pickup. The program will also help test the usability and benefits of on-call bulk collections including how it might help with Zero Waste efforts. Customers will be asked to describe the items they wish to have collected when they call to schedule a pickup. This will allow ARR to schedule a day and the appropriate equipment needed to do the collection and recycle items that can be recycled. Tires, appliances, electronics and metal will be separated to divert for recycling, while other bulk items will be in a different pile for landfill collection. At the end of the nine-month pilot, ARR will seek customer feedback on their experience with the on-call bulk service. Staff will consider that feedback, as well as operational data collected, to determine if we want to replace the existing bi-annual bulk collection program with the on-call service for all ARR customers. What can you do at home?
The On-Call Bulk Collection pilot program is only one way Austin Resource Recovery is attempting to promote recycling of bulk and household items. Other initiatives include promoting reuse options like donating to local non-profit organizations, providing resources for reuse like the online ReUse Directory and hosting events like the Fix-it clinics to help owners give new life to the items they own. To help promote reuse and recycling in your home and with your friends and family you can: • Save up and purchase high-quality items more likely to last a greater length of time • Give items you no longer need to friends and family that can use them • Repair broken items instead of purchasing new ones • Choose retailers that promote recycling of your old products, like tires.
In April of this year, ARR launched the On-Call Bulk Collection pilot program for two of the existing bulk collection routes, in an attempt to address how we might recycle more materials 7
2018 Road-E-O and family BBQ BY ASHLEY PACE Public Information Specialist
This year marked the 23rd annual ARR ROAD-E-O and family barbeque. Held the morning of April 28, the event consisted of competition, carnival attractions, delicious barbeque and a visit from City Manager Spencer Cronk. Families, friends and coworkers gathered to watch operators compete for top spots in the automated, semi-automated, tractor/trailer and roll-off categories. Each competitor was timed as they attempted to navigate trucks through tight turns, barriers and straight aways through tennis balls, as well as back up or parallel park as close as possible to imaginary curbs without touching them. Each time a competitor knocked over an obstacle or went over a line, their time was penalized. First and second place winners from each category qualified to move onto the TXSWANNA State Competition in El Paso on June 9. Also featured was the ever-popular crane bullseye event, in which crane operators are tasked with picking up a shaken soda with the claw of the crane and placing it as close as possible to the center of the bullseye without crushing the can. This year, ARR used this opportunity to invite new City Manager, Spencer Cronk to see what our operators can really do with these large pieces of equipment. Mr. Cronk was invited to enjoy the competition, test out his recycling knowledge at our Green Team table, take a tour of our Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center and speak with many of our employees. In thanks, Mr. Cronk took the opportunity to speak at the beginning of the barbeque lunch to talk about the difference ARR employees are making in our communities and thank them for all they do for Austin. Note: Proper PPE is required when operating equipment outside of a controlled environment.
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Rear Loader JOEL GARCIA Automated JAIME MARTINEZ Tractor Trailer DARIO THOMAS Roll Off CHRIS FARR Crane CHRIS FARR
Rear Loader MALCOLM SMITH Automated RANDAL TAYLOR Tractor Trailer DAVID CHAMP Roll Off ISMAEL BRYANT Crane ISMAEL BRYANT
Rear Loader NICHOLAS AREVALO Automated CHRIS CALABRESE Tractor Trailer ROBERT MATA Roll Off RUBEN MATA Crane DARIO THOMAS
$100 cash prize
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$75 cash prize
$50 cash prize
Texas SWANA Road-E-o The first and second place winners of ARR’s Road-E-O qualified to compete in the Texas State Road-E-O in El Paso, Texas on June 9. Congratulations to ARR’s state winners who will move on to compete at the 2018 SWANA International Road-E-O in Denver on September 22.
Malcolm Smith Jaime Martinez 1 place, rear loader st
2 place, Side loader nd
Chris Farr
2nd place, Roll-off 9
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AIMING HIGHER YAWARDSY
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Aiming Higher Awards are presented to individuals who shoot for the stars, whether through one exceptional action or by regularly going above and beyond.
For more information about Aiming Higher Awards, or to request a nomination form,contact your division awards and recognition committee member: Collection Services Willie Simmons
Ron Romero
Ron sets the standard for his City employees and regularly goes above and beyond. He makes communication with employees a priority. Ron spends many hours listening and counseling others on how to respect different perspectives and experiences, and how they can master their work goals and succeed with the City. Ron also takes customer service matters into his own hands, whenever possible, to help ensure every customer’s needs are being met.
Jeana Kingsbury
Jeana regularly goes above and beyond her job duties by volunteering to do things like assist with the mock interview classes, baking cookies for employees, and sitting on the safety committee. While on the safety committee, she noticed finance employees had to kneel on the floor to access the safe. She suggested a shelf be built to house the safe at a more comfortable level so finance employees wouldn’t injure their knees or backs accessing it.
Lionel Benford, Andy Dawson, Eladio Romero & Amanda Gomez (Not pictured)
Customer Service Juanita Fernandez Diversion Facilities Javier Vazquez Finance Stephanie Hollanders Human Resources Amanda Noble Litter Abatement Regina Valencia Operations Support David Herrera Quality Assurance Andrea Francis Safety John Hollenbeck Strategic Initiatives Alexandra Mascareno
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Because of some extenuating circumstances, I had requested an unusual number of interviews take place in one day. Amanda Gomez, Andy Dawson, Lionel Benford, and Eladio Romero put in at least an 11 hour day to get all of the interviews done.
Keri GReenwalt Keri has been an invaluable resource for our team. She is full of design knowledge and is always willing to give advice and suggestions to our clients on what will best meet their needs. Keri works tirelessly to ensure every product coming out of the Strategic Initiatives Division is beautifully executed and meets all client expectations and brand standards, even going so far as contacting vendors and researching options outside of her job duties.
Amanda Gomez During the hiring process for two Administrative Specialists for Strategic Initiatives, Amanda provided prompt, thorough and timely updates throughout the hiring process and met all timelines. The hiring process was complex, due to a large number of applicants and three skills assessments, but Amanda made sure we completed the process as quickly as possible and promptly completed documentation and got approvals so we could move to the next step
Arthur Guzman
Arthur “Vincent” Guzman is always seeking greater responsibilities within the recycle 400 crew. On his own, he has sought training by Crew Leader Malcolm Smith on how to complete weekly and daily reports that greatly assist his team. He is constantly stepping into a leadership role and communicating with his team to be sure the crew is getting the job done in a safe and timely manner.
Kenneth Hicks
Freezing over the winter brought on multiple water leaks at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center. While repairs were being done on the visible leaks, Kenneth noticed a particular patch of ground that seemed damper than the rest. After watching it for a couple of days, he confirmed an underground leak that, if left unrepaired, could have been very dangerous for staff walking in the area.
Gary Liston, Roxyie Winston (not pictured) & Kevin Spencer
When a Pflugerville resident was unfortunate enough to lose his wallet, Kevin, Roxyie and Gary went above and beyond to make sure his belongings were returned to him. Kevin found the wallet while on route and called dispatch. Roxyie instructed him to look for a name inside so she could contact him, but the only thing available was a Pflugerville ISD card. Roxyie called the Pflugerville ISD main office who were able to locate the owner of the wallet. Gary picked the wallet up from Kevin and brought it to the Rutherford location where it was united with its owner.
Jimmy Brown & James Young When another collections employee was involved in a collision, Jimmy and James were first to arrive on the scene. The employee was pinned inside the cab of the truck and they helped calm him down and stayed with him until Fire and EMS arrived.
Terrance Clark
Terrance had a great safety suggestion and took the initiative to coordinate cleaning the floor in our paint processing station. It’s a long and difficult job because you have to move everything and chisel paint off the floor. This job takes 2 hours and it’s somewhat unpleasant but Terrence saw the need for it and did it happily.
Carole Reynolds
During the busy budget planning season, Carole has been an invaluable resource of knowledge. She was flexible in meeting with our team, answering numerous questions and always being willing to help in any way she can with an upbeat attitude.
Raymond Maldonado On 1/17/18 Raymond came in to work early to lay absorbent down on all the iced surfaces. He did this on his own accord because he did not want any of his co-workers to slip and fall when they came into work.
Tim Hill
When it went down, Tim went above and beyond his typical job responsibilities to restore the audio/visual equipment at KGSC. His efforts saved the City of Austin, Resource Recovery thousands of dollars that might have been spent on repairing or replacing the damaged equipment.
Claudia Gonzales
Claudia exceeds expectations by handling her normal day-today functions in a professional manner while also completing ad hoc assignments before their due dates. In one example, Claudia was handling a phone call with an irate customer who was insisting they speak with her supervisor, at a time when I was unavailable. She calmly and clearly explained the credit that would be issued to the customer and provided a comprehensive spreadsheet of the customer’s bill. The customer continued to be ill-mannered and irate with Claudia, but she maintained a professional and courteous attitude the entire time.
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News you can use
Announcements & upcoming events 2018 CITY OLYMPICS
KUDOS Congratulations to David Manor from the litter abatement team for his nearly perfect bowling score! David is part of a regular bowling league and recently scored 854/900 points during one of his competitions. There have only been 33 perfect games in the world. Wishing David luck in his attempt to make it 34!
Solid Wasters
KUDOS Jason Alvarez and Isaiah Machado received public recognition from an Austin resident who witnessed them helping a blind man cross a busy intersection one morning. Great job guys!
The Kickin’ Compostaballs
JOIN THE GREEN TEAM!
Congrats to all of our ARR City Olympic teams for the commendable efforts made during this year’s kickball and softball events. The Kickin’ Compostaballs took 4th place in kickball and the Solid Wasters took 1st place in co-ed softball.
KUDOS Congratulations to Natalie Betts who is now a Certified Economic Developer under the International Economic Development Council after passing her exam! This nationally recognized certification denotes a mastery of skills in economic development, professional attainment and a commitment to personal and professional growth. Kudos Natalie! 12
Looking for a way to take Zero Waste in the workplace to the next level? Join the Green Team or learn how to start your own with your coworkers. For more information contact Tom Gleason at thomas.gleason@austintexas.gov or call 512-674-9201.
HR Corner Training our way through the year
IN MEMORIAM: CHARLES KEPNEY
BY BLANCHE QUARTERMAN Human Resource Manager When we filled the position of Performance Consultant in February 2017, we took on the goal of increasing the number, frequency, and diversity of training opportunities that are available to our employees. In the last year-anda-half, Carina Hanson has presented a broad spectrum of classes, including everything from effective email communication and interview classes; to recent and upcoming topics on how to de-escalate conflict; to preventing substance addictions and dependency. Many of these classes were developed at ARR and created just for you! Along the way, we have received invaluable feedback from attendees of each class on what works and what doesn’t, and suggestions from numerous employees that have helped us to better understand which subjects you want to see in the future. As we end the third quarter of 2018, it is my hope that we have helped ARR meet its training goals, and look forward to continuing to advocate for different speakers, events and training topics to meet all of your needs. Notable 2018 training and events:
Charles Kepney, a former longtime employee of The City of Austin Solid Waste Services department, passed away on June 24. Throughout his time working for the City, Mr. Kepney was given the nickname “Smooth Mouth” for his ability to calm down just about any irate customer that he encountered. Mr. Kepney was a loyal employee who helped start the Tonka truck operations in the garbage division late in his career. He retired in 2001, after more than 20 years of dedicated service to the City. He was known as a great team member and someone who always had a smile on his face. May he rest in peace.
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Interview Classes
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HR Portal and eAccess refresher courses
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2018 Education Fair
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Effective e-Mail Communication
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De-escalation Training & Workshops
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Stages of Team Development
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Team Dynamics Workshops
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Customer Service Training
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Reasonable Suspicion Training for Supervisors and Crew Leaders
•
Train the Trainer Workshops
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Back Safety and Injury Prevention
•
Addiction & Dependency Prevention
If you would like to give input or suggestions, please contact Carina to talk about your ideas. She can be reached by email at Carina.Hanson@austintexas.gov, by phone at 512-974-1904 or let her know you want to chat when you see her in person.
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2018 Road-E-O & Family BBQ
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ReNews?
Please let us know what you think about this edition of ReNews. Email Ashley Pace at ashley.pace@austintexas.gov with any of the following: • Guest columns • Photos • Employee profiles and recognition • Special projects • Events • Suggestions for improvement
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RENEWS TEAM Editor – Ashley Pace Managing Editor – Alexandra Mascareno Graphic Design – Keri Greenwalt Photography – Keri Greenwalt, Susanne Harm, and Ashley Pace