DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS NEWS
June/July 2017
NORFOLK PUBLIC WORKS WEEK 2017 EBENEZER STEVENS’ WINNERS The 2017 APWA Poster Theme (left) is “Public Works Connects Us”. This year we celebrate the vital role public works plays in connecting us all together. As the cornerstone of civilization, public works provides, maintains and improves the structures and services that assures a higher quality of life for our communities. Its streets, road, bridges, and public transportation keeps us linked together from coast to coast, and its clean water and sanitation services keeps us healthy and allows our communities to grow and prosper. The executive staff proudly salutes and thanks each and every public works’ employee who worked tirelessly every day to strengthen the bond that keeps us all in Norfolk connected.
OUR WEEK began with a Career Day that allowed people throughout the city to get insight into the positions being offered within the department of Public Works. Attendees came in with resumes for PW staff and division heads to review. During the event, computers were set up so that participants could also get tips on completing job applications and supplemental questions. Tuesday, May 23 we celebrated our 40th Anniversary of the Ebenezer Stevens Award Program. The Public Works Team were honored to be in the presence of so many executive staff members from the City Manager’s office to Directors, but we were most honored by Councilwoman Mamie Johnson who acknowledged and expressed gratitude for the hard work Public Works employees do each and every day. Wednesday, May 24 the employees of the Leadership Development III class celebrated their hard work in their training as a future leader during their graduation celebration. Friday, May 26 ended the week long celebration with a sister-city softball game against the Virginia Beach, Public Works team. Sadly we lost, but fun was had by all and what a great opportunity to network. Stay tuned, there may be more opportunities to network with more of our sistercities.
Richard Broad and David L. Ricks with 2017 winners. Levon T. Bright, Street Maintenance Supervisor (Jim Checkovich Award) and Anne J. Doyle, Management Analyst (Ebenezer Stevens Award)
The City of Norfolk’s Department of Public Works recently celebrated the 40th annual Ebenezer Stevens Awards. The program took place on Tuesday, May 23 at the Murray Center. Employees gathered for a morning of laughter and celebration. The program lead by Public Relations Manager Bob Batcher began with Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps members from Norview and Norcom High Schools leading the department in the pledge of allegiance. The award ceremony’s keynote speaker was The Honorable Mamie Johnson, Norfolk City Councilwoman. During her speech, Johnson spoke about her gratitude and appreciation for the Public Works Department. Included in her speech, she referred to the department’s employees saying, “You all are my heroes”. The kind words of the councilwoman were further exemplified as the presentation of the awards began. Awards were presented to various individuals that have been devoted and impactful to the department. The 40th Ebenezer Award was presented to Management Analyst II Anne J. Doyle for being the employee of the Year in Public Works. The Jim Checkovich Leadership Award was presented to Street Maintenance Supervisor Levon Bright for exemplifying model qualities of leadership. Both individuals have worked tirelessly, demonstrating dedication to the department and to the city and citizens of Norfolk.
A message from the
Director Director’s Message – Aug 11, 2017 Greetings Public Works team! As most of you know by now, I recently accepted the Director position after the departure of Mr. Ricks. I am humbled to have been selected to lead the talented and dedicated team of professionals we have at Norfolk Public Works. For those of you who I have not worked closely with in my past role as Assistant Director, you will find that my management style is based on open twoway communications, mutual respect, and trust. I see my role as serving you by striving to obtain the resources you need to do your jobs effectively, and by creating a workplace that you enjoy coming to every day. Collaboration across division and department lines is my preferred method for problem solving. I welcome your ideas and suggestions as to how we can more efficiently deliver services and streamline our workflow. Lastly, I want to thank you for the support many of you have expressed to me and for the great work you perform every day to deliver outstanding services to our citizens. I am very proud of what you do!
Team Public Works, As you well know this will be my final newsletter. I have been extremely honored and privileged to lead such an awesome team. There are very few Public Works Departments that have the breath and diversity of responsibilities as the one here at the City of Norfolk. One key aspect I believe that sets this team as one of the Nation’s best is how well everyone works together as an integrated team for its citizens. Keep “Daring to be great”!! Sincerely, David L. Ricks
NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK
My day as a Refuse Collector, Senior It’s seven a.m. and the room is bustling with activity. The Refuse Collectors enter the Assembly Room lively and full of energy while the Management staff is standing front and center of the room preparing to amp up the team. As everyone settles down and greets one another, I feel a sense of comradery in the room. First order of the day, daily announcements. Shortly thereafter, I am paired with a man fondly referred to as “Family” because of his affinity to refer to every team member as “Fam.” He’s known to bring that sense of community to his team and immediately I am at ease. Riding through the City blaring some of my favorite songs, “Family” takes the time to explain how his route works and as we talk, I wonder if it was truly possible for him to be this pleased with his line of work. Throughout our ride, one question stayed with me, but I felt hesitant about asking. Eventually, I mustered up the courage to ask: “Family, do you really like your line of work?” He turned and smiled, “yeah, I do.” Mildly Thomas L. Edwards Refuse Collector, I shocked, I posed my follow up question, “Well, what’s your favorite part about your job?” Again, he smiled and replied, “well working that back there” as he pointed to the machine that operated the garbage truck. He continued, “it’s like…playing a video game… But also them” he said pointing to the people standing near their home waiting for their garbage to be collected. “Everyone is always so happy to see you.” Admittedly, I came into the morning with many misconceptions about the Waste Management workers and their job satisfaction. I had assigned experiences and emotions to them without any basis for my perceptions. But quickly I learned just how great of a disservice I did them and myself by believing these prejudices. I smiled back at Family and said, “Yeah, that is pretty cool.” For a while the music played in the background, we both rode in silence mouthing the words to the latest songs that played on the radio. I sat attentive to the streets and roads on the route and though from Norfolk, I realized just how much of the City I had yet to explore. Family, however, knew every street name and had memorized
every road as well as connecting roads. He navigated the narrow and winding roads with much ease. Eventually, I smiled and with pure astonishment, I had to ask “are you from Norfolk???” As we turned down yet another unfamiliar street, he laughed and said “yeah… but this wasn’t always so easy. I had to create a method to remember everything. In the beginning…. I was everywhere.” He chuckled. We turned down some streets and I was simply baffled at how Family could maneuver this massive truck through such small streets. I was forced to watch quietly in skepticism. How did he do it? I wondered. Family’s down to earth mannerisms relieved many residents’ wary disposition, while softening the moods of others. By the end of our garbage load, I felt that our Waste Management members were more than “just garbage people,” they were professional drivers, communication experts, public relations specialist, and above all, they were servant leaders. When the City of Norfolk looks for the idea of true public service and servant leaders, they should look no further than our Waste Management Division.
By Dara Bright, NEL Executive Intern Public Works, Management Services
Newsletter Staff Managing Editors Trista Pope Fayton and Robert L. Williams Contributing Writers Dara Bright Graphic Designers Beth Z. Chambers Richard Broad, Director Thelma D. Drake, Assistant Director City of Norfolk, Department of Public Works 810 Union Street, Suite 700 Norfolk, VA 23510
THE SKINNY Good effort by Norfolk, but in our defense we didn’t play rec ball this year. Great opportunity to network with our sister city.
HATS OFF TO THE GRADUATES Public Works celebrates the 2017 Leadership III Development Training Program graduates for their dedication and immense enthusiasm for leadership growth.. Participants took a series of five classes that allowed them to learn more about leadership. The six week program included courses about presentation techniques, building the community and mentoring within an organization, communicating an organization’s vision, and more. Thirteen individuals from various divisions completed the training.
PUBLIC WORKS
The graduates included Anton Ashby (Operations), Richard Bennet (Operations), Everette Boyd (Operations), James Ellenburg (Design), Deleno Evans (Operations), Janal Floyd (Operations), Jasmine Latimer (Waste Management), William Lewis (Operations), Michael McDonald (Operations), Elpaul Pope (Operations), Timothy Russell (Operations), Cary Shannon (Operations), and Alan Speller (Waste Management).
Pete Garner I should’ve had a V-8
Team Supporter, Jack Sumler, giving the team a pep talk, “Mooch style”. “You will all be fired if I don’t see some points.
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FUN
EBENEZER STEVENS
FUN
JIM CHECKOVICH
FRIENDS
Around norfolk The Main Hotel and Conference Center termed “The Main” is one of the City’s latest attractions. The 22-story luxury Hilton hotel boasts a street level glass atrium that stands 100 feet tall, 75 feet wide and 30 feet deep. The Main” the offers 300 rooms, three restaurants , a city-owned 12,000 square foot conference room, 90-seat tiered meeting room, a multi-media “think tank” room, and at 18,500 square feet will feature the largest grand ballroom in Virginia. The new state of the art hotel that opened in late March also features a rooftop beer garden with an exterior space of 6,000 square feet and exterior of 2,000 square feet. Adding to the man amenities, The Main will offer two restaurants, the Saltine, featuring shellfish, seafood and spirits to include a 65-seat craft cocktail and raw bar; and the Varia which will include a 77-seat wine studio with piano bar and a pizza oven. The design elements of The Main are said to incorporates Norfolk’s military heritage and nautical lifestyle and is worth taking a walkthrough this summer.
Another development for Downtown Norfolk is The Waterside District. The grand opening was celebrated from May 11- May14. The venue features over 14 bars and restaurants. The 120 foot IFlex LED tubing “Waterside” sign is said to evoke early 1900s. The District is designed to allow the outside feel to come inside. Plans are to bring back the look and feel of the old amphitheater-style seating along the Elizabeth Rivers years ago. Future plans are to add a stage, which will feature street performers and musical acts on the weekends. The District is yet another must see, it is a major transformation from the old Waterside Mall. For one, it is all restaurants and bars, in addition, “The Market” has a 30,000 square feet, wide-open space and is perfect for family members discerning taste. Guy Fieri’s, Luk Fu, Rappahannock Oyster Co., Star Hill Brewery, Cogan’s Pizza and the Blue Moon Taphouse are among the dining options. A country-themed bar called PBR will feature several stages and a mechanical bull. To increase your options local food trucks will be allowed to park outside PBR. Norfolk Premium Outlets also opened. The grand opening took place on June 29, 2017. The outlet is a contemporary twist on colonial architecture with a “beachy feel” representing both Norfolk and Virginia Beach and features stores like Armani Exchange, Calvin Klein, Under Armour, and Banana Republic Factory. Patrons can also enjoy the walking trail that leads to a park around Lake Wright. A must see, you won’t be disappointed.
WATER COOLER TALK: THE NBA FINALS
“The finals were pretty interesting. It seemed like an impossible task for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it turned out to be just that.
“The NBA Finals this year were not that exciting. You knew from the start that Golden State was going to win. The addition of Kevin Durant was too much.”
I wanted the warriors to win, not necessarily because I am a Warriors fan, but because I am definitely not a fan of Labron James.
I thought the team that won was supposed to win. I thought both teams played well but the Kevin Durant on the Warriors, the team was just better.
Irvin Ashburn, Design
Gayle Johnson, Design
Cregg Fortin, Right-of-Way
John Alford, Design
Did you know?
A trip to Traffic Operations
Did you know that placing signs on city property without permission is illegal? According to City legislation, the Director of Public Works, law enforcement officers, designated special police officers, and the fire marshal and his assistant have the authority to remove any signs that are posted without permission. The city also offers a training course to authorize designated citizens to remove signs, placards or notices placed in the right-of-way or on city property. Managing the signs that are posted throughout the city minimized the risk of scams and helps to keep Norfolk beautiful.
NEL Executive Intern, Hank Morrison measures up.
shout
OUT
Mr. Ricks, Just a short note to thank your staff for their support. Waste Management is one of those less than glamorous functions, however, the staff I've met - the people on your collection trucks and the people who assisted me today when I dropped off some batteries at the Pineridge Road facility were extremely helpful -- they are some of the folks I've encountered. It would be great if their attitudes were contagious. - John Tennant
NEL Executive Interns Breeland Edwards and Kira Vu.
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JULY BIRTHDAYS
JUNE/JULY NEW HIRES Cyrus D. Simmons, Waste Management Elliott E. Williams, Operations Joseph A. Salone, Jr., Transportation Warren Benton, Jr., Surveys Allen L. Tripp, Waste Management Linda Childress, Management Services Megan McCain, Keep Norfolk Beautiful Aaliyah Essex, Management Services Justina Jackson-Reyes, Towing & Recovery
JUNE/JULY PROMOTIONS Richard Broad, Director’s Office Tammy T. Halstead, Design Scott J. Proffer, Operations
1 - Angelo M. Stango, Transportation 1 - Adrian L. Gill, Waste Management 2 - Anthony M. Wilkins, Operations 3 - Harold C. Ray, Design 3 - Francisco Vazquez, Jr. - Operations 3 - Elpaul G. Pope, Operations 8 - Jerold C. Eddins, Waste Management 8 - Donna J. Rogers, Towing & Recovery 9 - Thomas L. Clark, Operations 10 - Barbara McLaurin-Wynn, Waste Management 10 - Bernie K. Owens, Management Services 12 - Cary C. Liverman, Operations 13 - Karen S. Davis, Operations 14 - Trevon D. Moore, Waste Management 16 - Dennis L. Harris, Right-of-Way 16 - Richard B. Lobko, Operations 17 - Patrick A. Regester, Operations 18 - Charles M. Chavoustie, Surveys 19 - Pierce A. Robinson, Operations 20 - Dalton Gregory, Operations 21 - Robert J. Arnold, Waste Management 22 - Craig Banks, Waste Management 22 - Troy D. Gaines, Surveys 23 - Sid Kitterman III, Design 23 - Steven D. Patton Jr, Operations
Ask Bernie? Need Help With Your Computer? Who You Gonna Call? All hardware and software failures that are not security or network related should be reported directly to the helpdesk at 664-4357. To help identify which items should be reported to whom, you can refer to the following examples: CALL THE HELP DESK: Your computer won’t turn on; You cannot get Outlook or Word to run, or they give you an error message when they do; Your computer is making a strange sound; Your computer gave you a “blue screen of death” and rebooted On the other hand, all issues related to networking and security will still be handled by me. I will also remain the point of contact for IT related quotes for equipment. CALL BERNIE Reset passwords; Move computers from one location to another; Install new network drops, or patch in unused drops to support new systems; Phone related issues; Request quotes for new IT purchases, including systems, monitors, cameras, etc. Suspicious system activity that could indicate a virus; Request new or disable user accounts; Change user rights or add new access rights. If you are confused about where to send your issue, then by all means please bring it to me first. I can be contacted at my desk at 664-4668, or on my cell phone at 323-2034. You can also email me at Bernard.Owens@norfolk.gov.
MILESTONES 24 - Rory L. Chatman, Transportation 25 - Patrick Wood, Operations 26 - Thomas D. Cross, Operations 26 - Eric Speller, Operations 27 - Warren Benton, Surveys 27 - David L. Ricks, Director's Office 28 - Jamonda R. Bryant, Operations 28 - Zachary D. Hawkins, Waste Management 28 - Sharron R. Roach, Operations 28 - Anthony M. Deberry, Operations 30 - Grover C. Edmonds, Transportation 30 - Cheryl M. Prince, Operations 31 - Jessika A. Jemmott, Financial Management 31 - Bruce L. Ming, Waste Management 31 - Thomas F. Johnson, Operations
AUGUST BIRTHDAYS 2 - Michael D. Smith, Transportation 2 - Dava D. Dupree, Transportation 3 - Karen A. Robey, Management Services 3 - Roger W. Fentress, Operations 5 - Herbert A. Williams, Right-of-Way 5 - Leonard J. Gilliam, Operations 5 - CW Gaskill, Jr., Operations 7 - Tommie Lee Boose, Waste Management 7 - Linda M. Childress, Management Services 7 - Michael M. Etheridge, Waste Management 7 - Joshua J. Mays, Operations 8 - Matthew S. Slater, Waste Management 8 - Dave Vachet, Surveys 9 - Damon J. Hines, Waste Management 9 - Tyrone L. Walker, Design 9 - Tammy L. Wright, Operations 10 - Madre V. Massey, Transportation 11 - Bob T. Jackson, Design 11 - Lloyd W. Wright, Waste Management 11 - Jorge Muniz, Operations 12 - Tyrone L. White, Waste Management 12 - John A. Williams, Waste Management 13 - Deleno W. Evans, Operations 13 - Elliott E. Williams, Operations 14 - Eric W. Bissell, Transportation 14 - John S. Chavez, Waste Management 15 - Terence O. Ameen, Operations 20 - Tionne Thomas, Operations 20 - John T. Ward, Surveys 21 - Eric G. Dodd, Waste Management 21 - Marquis D. Talbot, Operations 22 - Jermel P. Broadnax, Operations 23 - Clarence Ruffin, Waste Management 27 - Larry Keefe, Towing & Recovery 28 - Mark E. Ecobichon, Transportation