Street Talk | July 2013 Issue

STREET TALK

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 4

REPORTING ON WHAT MATTERS TO PUBLIC WORKS

INSIDE: Cover Story: PAVING THE PATH Public Workers contemplate the foot trails left by our ancestors, and the impressions they’ve made on the road to our future.

All Around Austin

Combating Crime Creatively

In March and April, Public Workers were out and about – discussing ways our department practices sustainability at Earth Day, planning some exciting new events to come, and more! Check out what’s been going on lately and what’s coming up next.

Have you ever wondered about the Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC)?

See page 30 to read about their team’s collaborative approach to seeking solutions for frequent offenders.

JULY 2013

director’s message

BY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

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Equity MattersOn and Off the Job

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hy does my sister get to stay up until 10 and I only get to stay up until 9?

It’s not fair! You love her more than me!” Anyone who is a parent of more than one has heard this – it’s an inherent part of sibling rivalry, and of course your answer is , “We love you both the same.” But is this really true? Do you really treat all of your children exactly the same way? Is there equity among all members of your family?

This month’s Street Talk addresses the tough issue of “equity,” but what does it really mean? According to the “Bing” dictionary, equity is “justice tempered by ethics: justice applied in conformity with the law, but influenced at the same time by principles of ethics and fair play.” I think that’s a pretty good definition, so let’s see how it applies to daily life within Public Works. (By the way, in doing the web search I ran across the headline, “World’s Oldest Man Dies.” Thinking about that statement, if he died is he still the world’s oldest man, or he is actually the world’s youngest dead person?)

Keri Juarez, our Assistant Director and oracle for Project Delivery, relayed the wisdom of the ages to me concerning ethics and equity.

Her observation was “in most peoples’ minds, ethics are about fairness in hiring and promotion.” I think that’s inherently true, and would add that it also includes how we address disciplinary and other personnel concerns. Fairness is related to consistency of outcomes and, generally, similar sets of circumstances produce similar (but not always equal) results.

About two years ago, we rewrote our procedures for hiring and promotion and provided training to potential hiring managers. On the flip side, we consider past disciplinary measures when addressing matters that are before us and have been predictable in the actions taken.

The results have been much improved processes and, based upon the Listening to the Workforce Survey data, you generally agree.

Beyond consistency and fairness, equity is about trust, and trust is built upon the twin pillars of honesty and transparency. Honesty is about more than telling the truth, it’s also about context. It’s entirely possible to relate facts, but to do so in a way where there is an intent

to deceive.

For example, let’s say you’re involved in an accident while driving a City vehicle. You report the facts as the driver in front of you stopped suddenly and you rear-ended him. That may be true, but you may have left out that you were talking on your phone and eating a breakfast taco while driving. Are you being honest and transparent in leaving out your actions? How does this behavior degrade the environment of trust in our department? Much of work requires that we work independently, either individually or in small groups, and we make decisions that directly impact the citizens we serve. We have to be able to trust in each other that when we relay the facts they are truthful and complete.

Equity is about delivering quality services throughout the City.

Our citizens have to feel that they are getting our very best regardless of where they live. You are the ambassadors for the City government and the department, and you are critical in delivering the message that we treat all neighborhoods equitably. If you don’t feel this way, let’s sit down and review the what, how, where, and why we are doing what we are doing. After all, a better-informed Public Worker is our best agent!

Finally, equity requires exceptional internal communications. It’s inevitable in a large organization that there will be appearances of, and in some cases actual, inconsistencies. Many of these cases stem from the receipt of incomplete or contradictory information. We need to be able to discuss these instances when they arise and be strong enough to correct situations when we can to restore the sense of fairness. What I ask of you is to live by another observation from Ms. Juarez – “In Public Works, we always presume good intentions.”

Equity is about trust,

and trust is built upon the twin pillars of honesty and transparency.

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Much of work requires that we work independently, either individually or in small groups, and we make decisions that directly impact the citizens we serve. We have to be able to trust in each other that when we relay the facts they are truthful and complete.

”

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-Howard Lazarus

VOLUME 3

ISSUE 4

contents

JULY 2013

COVER STORY

PAVING THE PATH

Public Workers contemplate the foot trails left by our ancestors, and the impressions they’ve made on the road to our future.

View from the Southern Walnut Creek Trail.

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contents

VOLUME 3

contributors

ISSUE 4

JULY 2013

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief Shannon Wisner

shannon.wisner@austintexas.gov

Chief Reporter Michelle Frith

michelle.frith@austintexas.gov

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Contributing WriterS

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Howard Lazarus

howard.lazarus@austintexas.gov

Carmen Morgan

carmen.morgan@austintexas.gov

Molly Ritter

molly.ritter@austintexas.gov

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Denise Riad

denise.riad@austintexas.gov

Justin Golbabai

justin.golbabai@austintexas.gov

Chelsea Donahue

chelsea.donahue@austintexas.gov

Robin Field

robin.field@austintexas.gov

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COVER STORY: PAVING THE PATH Public Workers contemplate the foot trails left by our ancestors, and the impressions they’ve made on the road to our future.

KEEPING YOUR COOL IN THE HEAT?

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Bridging the gap to create an equitable, connected Austin!

BUILDING THE ROAD TO THE FUTURE ON A SOLID FOUNDATION Public Works takes the lead on building the sustainable foundation that will support the road to the future.

A NEW SPEEDY TRANSIT SYSTEM FOR AUSTIN Construction inspectors collaborate with Capital Metro on MetroRapid project.

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Gerald Nation

gerald.nation@austintexas.gov

Pete Valdez (Community Court) pete.valdez@austintexas.gov

David Smythe-Macaulay

david.smythe-macaulay@austintexas.gov

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Luciano Tamayo

Public Workers spent time in May and June doing all kinds of things around town to highlight the work we do in PWD. See what’s been happening and what’s coming up next.

luciano.tamayo@austintexas.gov

Carolyn Perez

carolyn.perez@austintexas.gov

Adrian Lipscombe

adrian.lipscombe@austintexas.gov

design

MILESTONES

Chief Graphic Designer: Alexa Muraida

alexa.muraida@austintexas.gov

What Public Workers are doing out there to achieve, foster community, impress co-workers and citizens alike, and show we really are the ‘Department with a Heart’!

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robin.murray@austintexas.gov

ALL AROUND AUSTIN

With July upon us, the safety office has some hot tips to help you stay cool this summer.

NORTH ACRES BRIDGE AND HART ELEMENTARY BIKE TRAIN COMING TO LITTLE WALNUT CREEK

Robin Murray

Director of Photography: Shannon Wisner

shannon.wisner@austintexas.gov

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A BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE As the Central Library and Seaholm District begin to form, the Second Street Bridge project is underway.

BIKES AND EQUITY

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EAST 5TH STREET: TRANSFORMED

The Human Resources Office takes a look at how they serve YOU! Making some organizational changes helps HRO serve Public Works and Transportation more efficiently.

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR? Michelle Frith profiles two employees that work hard for PWD everyday, who you may have never met!

Public Works facilitates conversation on barriers to bicycling.

Another Great Street Project takes shape on the east side.

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EMPOWERING NEIGHBORHOODS, BUILDING COMMUNITY Public Works’ Neighborhood Partnering Program shows the department’s ‘heart’ by enabling Austin’s best asset – its citizens.

PRESIDENT OBAMA VISITS AUSTIN Public Works aides in safety meaures.

COMBATING CRIME CREATIVELY Austin’s Community Court takes a collaborative approach, seeking multifaceted solutions to address frequent offenders.

safety zone

BY DENISE RIAD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Keeping your Cool in the Heat With July upon us, the safety office has some hot tips to help you stay cool this summer.

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ach year about 400 people die from exposure to excessive natural heat. That number increases in the event of a heat wave, like the one we had last year. Heat stress occurs when the body has to work too hard to cool off. The body’s core temperature gets too high for the body to cool off quickly enough.

Here are some ways to help you recognize heat stress symptoms:

There are ways to preventing heat emergencies, so familiarize yourself with the following procedures to ensure that you or those around you do not become a heat stress statistic.

heat rash

acclimation Acclimate yourself to the weather prior to long durations of physical activity.

Occurs in hot, humid environments where sweat can’t easily evaporate from the skin.

This condition produces a rash, which in some cases causes severe pain. Resting frequently in cool places and bathing regularly will help this condition.

Proper diet

Stay away from heavy foods. They increase metabolic heat production and also increase water loss. Eat smaller, well-balanced meals more often.

dress light

Lightweight, light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight and helps your body maintain normal temperatures. Wear loose-fitting clothes made out of cotton, which lets air move over your body. Wide brimmed hats should also be worn.

Often occur in the legs and abdomen when a person is sweating heavily and replacing water, but not salt. The skin is hot and moist and pulse is normal.

maintain body fluids

Fluid intake must be maintained throughout the course of physical activity.

Do not rely on thirst as an indicator of dehydration, because your body loses water faster than you realize. Alcohol should be avoided because it is a diuretic, which increases dehydration.

heat exhaustion

rest periods Pace your work activities at a slower rate during high temperatures, take fre-

heat cramps

Occurs when the body’s heat control system is overtaxed. The core body temperature increases, which may lead to heat stroke.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include: heavy sweating, intense thirst, cool and moist skin, weak and fast pulse and feelings of fatigue, weakness or dizziness.

Heat stroke Is a serious emergency, which requires immediate medical attention. It occurs when the body is rapidly using up its supplies of water and salt. Sweating stops and the body, including the brain, begins to overheat rapidly and body temperature climbs to fatal levels. Symptoms include: hot, dry, flushed skin, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, headache, confusion, strange behavior, weakness and nausea.

quent rest periods in a shaded area and drink plenty of fluids.

Hot temperatures are not the only thing we need to protect ourselves from during the summer months. The sun’s UV rays can damage your skin in as few as 15 minutes. Everyone, regardless of skin color, can get sunburned or develop skin cancer. One way you can protect yourself is to limit your exposure to direct sunlight and apply sunscreen before you go outside, even on slightly cloudy or cool days. Slather a thick layer on all parts of exposed skin. Get help for hard-to-reach places like your back.

Tips for Sunscreen

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Most sun protection products work by absorbing, reflecting, or scattering sunlight. They contain chemicals that interact with the skin to protect it from UV rays. All products do not have the same ingredients; if your skin reacts badly to one product, try another one or call a doctor.

[2]

Remember sunscreen will wear off.

Apply it again if you stay out in the sun for more than two hours and after you swim or sweat.

[3]

Check the sunscreen’s expiration date. Sunscreen without an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than three years, but its shelf life is shorter if it has been exposed to high temperatures.

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DEADLINE

CALLING ALL CREATIVITY

Do you have an idea for this blank space?!

Art Design Contest Create the logo art for a Public Works forestry chipper truck and get 365 days worth of fame and recognition for creating one of the coolest designs ever! Your work will be featured all over Austin and we’ll hook you up with free PWD swag.

How to Enter Entries must be submitted via email to alexa.muraida@austintexas.gov. Highresolution digital files (JPG,EPS,Ai,PDF) or hand drawn artwork can be mailed to 505 Barton Springs Road, 13th Floor, suite 1300. Attn: Art Contest, postmarked by the deadline date. Entrants must provide personal contact information with entry.

Eligibility The contest is open to all PWD employees Need More Information?

Contact: Alexa Muraida 512.974.7268 alexa.muraida@austintexas.gov

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BY CHELSEA DONAHUE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

North Acres Bridge and Hart Elementary Bike Train Coming to Little Walnut Creek Bridging the gap to create an equitable, connected Austin!

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he North Acres Bridge, a long-planned and eagerly-anticipated project, is finally underway! On May 23, Council approved the construction of the bridge, which should take about six months. The bridge will connect residents north of Little Walnut Creek to the North Acres Neighborhood Park and Hart Elementary School. It will also complete Bike Route 57 and provide crucial safe bike and pedestrian access to students, cyclists and park lovers in the Rundberg area.

The construction of this bridge in North Acres Park is a great opportunity to link neighborhoods and improve safety and access for all road users in this North Austin neighborhood, where 10 percent of the residents do not have access to a car. With the existing infrastructure, to get from Park Plaza Drive north of the creek, to Hermitage Drive to the south, pedestrians and cyclists must choose between climbing over the creek and using the sidewalk along the IH35 access road. Neither option is very safe or convenient, creating an unfortunate gap between the Heritage Hills and Rundberg neighborhoods.

As a result, students living north of Little Walnut Creek travel to Hart Elementary by bus, many with routes of over three miles. This bridge will cut that down to half a mile, an easily walkable distance, thereby transforming Hart Elementary from a commuter school to a neighborhood school and eliminating the need for several school bus routes. The bridge construction will enable two exciting new Safe Routes to School programs for the 2013-2014 school year: a Bike Train and a Walking School Bus. The Child Safety Program, in partner-

ship with Austin Police Department, will implement a Bike Train for students north of the bridge. At several apartment complexes, students will be able to sign up to earn a new bicycle if they commit to ride to school each day for a month in a group with APD officers. During this time, students will learn appropriate bicycle safety skills, forge positive relationships with police officers, and develop a lasting, healthy habit of active transportation. After the first month, children will continue to be escorted on their daily rides by Child Safety staff.

Bike Trains or Walking School Buses (groups of students walking or biking with adult chaperones) not only encourage more students to participate in active transportation, but they also address parents’ safety concerns. While APD analyses show the streets adjacent to the North Acres Bridge location actually have seen a decrease in crime in past years, opposition to the construction of the bridge stemmed from community members’ fears of crime from the Rundberg area spilling into their neighborhood.

The crime in the Rundberg neighborhood is certainly a legitimate concern to the

community, but these concerns should not prevent students and citizens from choosing active transportation through this corridor. APD has been extremely active in the area, with increased enforcement and outreach as part of the Restore Rundberg mission to reduce crime and improve quality of life in the area. APD crime data shows that peak crime activity in the area occurs at night (6 – 9 pm and 12 – 3 am), not at times when children would be present on their way to or from school. Even the design of the bridge was engineered to deter crime, including illumination and abutments that block access beneath the bridge.

The North Acres Bridge presents a great opportunity for a more equitable, connected Austin. North Acres Park, a valued neighborhood resource, will now be accessible to a much larger population; a critical bike route will be complete; and more students will have the opportunity to choose to get to school in an active, healthy way. We can’t wait to enjoy this connection when the bridge is complete early next year!

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BY MOLLY RITTER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Building the Road to the Future on a Solid Foundation Public Works takes the lead on building the sustainable foundation that will support the road to the future.

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s the City inches closer to the Sustainability and Zero-Waste goals of the Austin City Council, Street and Bridge Operations (SBO) is leading the charge to make Austin the most livable city in the country. The long-term maintenance responsibility has environmental, economic and social dimensions. The focus of Public Works Operations encompasses the concept of stewardship and the responsible management of resource use. Street and Bridge is working to use recycled materials in an effort to preserve the natural environment, reduce waste and provide a cost-effective material for maintaining the transportation network in the City of Austin. Currently there are nine programs utilizing sustainable philosophies to conduct daily business and several more are awaiting approval.

Recycled Asphalt

recycled bricks

Last year SBO recycled over 18,000 tons of asphalt milled from Austin roads. This material is delivered back to the asphalt plant, then introduced and mixed with virgin materials. This practice reduces quarrying, mining and oil consumption. Asphalt recycling also reduces our consumption of scarce natural resources such as aggregate and asphalt and simultaneously diverts materials from Austin landfills. With the recent purchase of a Bobcat attachment for the utility excavation crew, the amount of material being recycled continues to increase.

Historic bricks removed from Congress and E. Dale Fisher, Supervisor with Street and Bridge, 6th Street projects are stored at PWD facilities took the initiative to coordinate the placement and then used again for new construction and of dumpsters at PWD City maintenance yards maintenance needs associated with down- for daily operations. Materials that are collecttown infrastructure. ed during activities are sorted and then placed into different bins according to the material reclaimed water types such as steel, wood and aluminum. This Last year, SBO reclaimed more than 60,000 prevents all materials from going into a single gallons of water with our sidewalk washing dumpster and being disposed of at a landfill. operations that occur downtown on a nightly basis. This water is reclaimed using specialized equipment and prevents contaminants from Recycled trap rock entering the vulnerable watershed. The Pub- Upon completion of an Austin roadway receivlic Works Department (PWD) has also taken ing a seal coat (thin asphalt emulsion surface advantage of using reclaimed water for tree treatment covered with aggregate, used to and vegetation maintenance, production of waterproof the existing street surface and to concrete using volumetric trucks, surface lu- increase skid resistance) street sweepers are brication for street sawing and the cleaning of used to collect the unset rock. This rock is equipment. Tyler Steinbarger, Project Coor- cleaned and used again in future seal coats. dinator with Street and Bridge, has become a leader in sustainability efforts. Most recently, he has coordinated the use of a new reclaimed Austin Water Utility (AWU) water station located in route to the new Dalton Lane facility. The use of this facility will allow reclaimed water to be used for 75% of work done that requires the use of water. Tyler is also coordinating with AWU to have access to reclaimed water at the Dalton facility.

Recycled concrete Last year SBO recycled over 11,000 tons of concrete from Austin roads, bridges, sidewalks and curb/gutter. This material is used again as the dry aggregate for new concrete. Other uses include sub-base for road and sidewalk reconstruction, riprap for erosion control and gravel substitution.

recycling bins

pervious concrete

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This is a special type of concrete with a high porosity used for concrete flatwork applications that allows water from precipitation and other sources to pass directly through, thereby reducing the runoff from a site and allowing groundwater recharge. Pervious concrete is traditionally used in parking areas, areas with light traffic, residential streets and pedestrian walkways. This product has been utilized in several Capital Improvement Projects.

Recycled Asphalt

CONCRETE LIFTING AND SAW CUTTING Slabjacking, or “mudjacking” as it is commonly called, is a cost-effective alternative to replacing sunken concrete. The process includes lifting the concrete by drilling small holes through the flatwork and pumping liquid cement grout underneath the flatwork under hydraulic pressure.

As the mixture flows beneath the surface, voids and depressions are filled and the slab is raised to achieve the desired height. Concrete lifting is the alternative to costly replacement. In the event that the flatwork has pushed up due to a tree root or other cause, concrete sawing can be utilized to level and repair the hazard without harming the tree or replacing costly concrete.

reclaimed water

The “Bottom Line” and the Road to the Future Asphalt pavement is America’s most recycled product. Every year, around 70 million tons of asphalt pavement material is reclaimed and more than 99 percent of that total is reused or recycled. Concrete recycling is becoming an increasingly popular way to utilize aggregate left behind when structures or roadways are demolished. In the past, rubble was disposed of in landfills, but concrete recycling allows reuse while also keeping construction costs down. Concrete and asphalt are two of the largest and most expensive materials that Street and Bridge uses, stores and purchases on an annual basis.

Future sustainable activities that Street and Bridge wishes to implement include using a crusher to process excess asphalt and concrete that is currently taken to the landfill or recycled elsewhere. Clayton Craig, Street and Bridge Project Coordinator and equipment guru, is actively working to gain new equipment to continue paving the future for Public Works intelligently and sustainably.

recycled bricks reclamite Provides a simple, one-step early method for asphalt preservation by restoring plasticity and durability of the asphalt pavement. Used on newly constructed pavements, it will improve the durability characteristics of the mix.

On older pavements, reclamite will reverse the effects of aging due to environmental damage from sunlight and water intrusion. This prolongs the life cycle of the pavement and prevents new material from needing to be placed because of road quality condition. Darren Duncan, Engineer with Street and Bridge, worked this year to obtain a contract for the use of reclamite so SBO can begin utilizing it when districts do alley maintenance.

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BY CARMEN MORGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A New Speedy Transit System for Austin

Construction inspectors collaborate with Capital Metro on MetroRapid project.

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ou may have heard the buzz around town about an exciting new project coming to Austin called MetroRapid and that it could provide more efficient bus service for our city. But what exactly is MetroRapid and what areas will it serve? This new type of transit will be a timely and convenient service that will help ease up some of Austin’s busiest corridors. In 2014, Capital Metro will introduce the service, which will serve the following corridors prone to congestion: North Lamar/South Congress and Burnet/ South Lamar.

So, what exactly does MetroRapid consist of? There will be a total of 76 MetroRapid stations throughout the above-mentioned corridors that will be spaced approximately one mile apart. These routes will be in close proximity to local bus routes and MetroRail stations for easy connections.

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You might be wondering how large the MetroRapid vehicles are – will they be like a regular city bus? Each MetroRapid vehicle will actually be much larger than your standard run-of-the-mill bus. It will carry 65-100 passengers at a time!

Most traditional city buses carry only 30-50 people. Getting more people moved more efficiently means fewer people in singleoccupant vehicles, which in turn

means alleviating traffic congestion and helping our environment. Building these new stops will also help save taxpayer money and prolong the life of our city streets.

Some additional features of the service include boarding from all doors, digital station displays with real-time vehicle arrival information, a transit-priority lane through downtown and sleek vehicles equipped with signal priority technology that keeps lights green until the vehicles pass through intersections.

According to Capital Metro, this service will provide more than 21,000 trips every day when both routes are running, which will serve almost 25 percent of their service area. During peak periods, MetroRapid will run every 10 minutes and between 12-20 minutes at other times of day.

On weekends, service will run every 20-30 minutes.

You may be thinking, “MetroRapid sounds exciting, but how does Public Works tie into this?” Capital Metro approached our Construction Inspection Division and asked for an inspector to be present while they construct the new bus stops. Enter Inspector Rick Ramones.

Rick Ramones is an Inspector who has been with the City for three years. Rick’s expertise is in concrete and he has experience performing contract work for the City of Austin, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other private companies. He also owned a construction business for 10 years – he’s definitely the man for the job!

The construction of the MetroRail stations will be completed in phases. Phase one construction for the North Lamar/South Congress corridor began in September 2012 and will be completed in early 2014. This phase includes the construction of forty stations. Phase two, with thirtytwo stations, will begin this summer and should be completed in late 2014. This phase serves the Burnet/South Lamar corridor.

For each station, the crews will remove sections of the roadway and pour a new concrete pad that is 12’ wide and 60’ long to reinforce and fortify the streets to accommodate the larger buses. Each station will also boast a 8’x16’ canopy with lighting, a digital message board showing the next vehicle arrival time and additional signage and site furnishings including benches, a leaning rail and a trash can.

You can stay tuned for updates on this exciting project by visiting Capital Metro’s website at www.capmetro. org/metrorapid. You can also email metrorapid@capmetro. org to sign up for notifications and updates about the project delivered right to your inbox. All aboard!

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BY LUCIANO TAMAYO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A Bridge to the Future As the New Central Library and Seaholm District begin to form, the Second Street Bridge Project is underway.

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urrently, the area that was home to the Seaholm Power Plant and Green Water Treatment Plant is nothing spectacular, but before long, the area will be redeveloped and transformed into a popular Austin destination. Before this redevelopment can occur, there comes a need for preparing the site, including engineering and design of the drainage and transportation features.

Second Street is also in the midst of renovation and is being designed as a ‘Festival Street’, which will extend the pedestrian-dominant realm of the Seaholm Plaza to Shoal Creek. The project is being done in conjunction with the New Central Library and includes streambank stabilization at Shoal Creek and erosion mitigation, as well as other enhancements to the trail. The area will boast Great Street components such as sidewalks, street furnishings, trees, benches, and other elements that will make the area attractive to pedestrians.

The Public Works Departments’ Engineering Services Division (ESD) is leading the charge, diligently working on many aspects of the project, including:

THE SECOND STREET BRIDGE The proposed Second Street Bridge will join both major redevelopment projects. It will be a single-span bridge from the proposed Second Street road extension over Shoal Creek to the proposed West Avenue extension. It will be apThe completed Shoal Creek streambank stabilization and decommisproximately 200 to 250 sioned Green Water Treatment Plant. This view is looking north/upstream feet long and 44 feet from Cesar Chavez (the southern end of the project limit). wide, and will be designed to fit two vehicle lanes with sidewalks on both sides. The bridge will accommodate OTHER FEATURES several utilities crossing Shoal Creek, inTrammel Development will develop the cluding chilled-water lines, electric lines, block between Cesar Chavez on the south, telecom cables, water, wastewater, storm San Antonio on the east, Third Street on the drainage, etc. in an aesthetically pleasing north and Shoal Creek on the west. They will way. construct the Second Street road extension

DRAINAGE ELEMENTS [1] The Second Street Bridge over Shoal Creek

[2] Streambank stabilization at Shoal Creek [3] Drainage elements and rain gardens [4] Improvements to the Shoal Creek Hike & Bike Trail

[5] Improvements to the Lance Armstrong Bikeway [6] Removal of abandoned infrastructure

Because the new proposed streets will add impervious pavement to the area, stormwater runoff will be directed to four proposed rain gardens for water purification. For larger storm events, the rain gardens will include overflow inlets that direct water to an underground storm drain system, ending at Shoal Creek.

TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENTS West Second Street is designated as a collector street. The proposed roadway provides two 12-foot wide travel lanes on concrete pavement. A minimum of 18-footwide sidewalks will be provided along both sides of the roadway, and a 10-foot separated sidewalk will be provided along the Second Street Bridge. There will also be improvements made to the Lance Armstrong Bikeway.

from San Antonio almost to Shoal Creek.

The Seaholm Development will build the West Avenue Extension from third Street to Cesar Chavez.

The project is currently in the permitting stage. The whole development area, including the New Central Library will cost $120 million; the ESD portion will be constructed for approximately $20 million. The project is estimated to be complete in 2016.

The project designers included ESD Design Team 2, which is headed by Kevin Sweat, P.E., Bimal Adhikary, P.E., and Shirin Helmi, P.E. The remaining members of Design Team 2 also made contributions to the project. The project will be managed by Cindy Jordan.

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BY SHANNON WISNER EDITOR IN CHIEF

Bikes and Equity

Public Works facilitates conversation on barriers to bicycling.

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drian Lipscombe, Bike Share Project Coordinator, begins her discussion on Bikes and Equity by asking a simple question. “How do you feel when you’re riding a bike?” This question incites many answers. Some say, “I feel free.” Other feelings that come up include, “happy, childlike.” Others say, “exposed, afraid.”

Though treated as a presentation icebreaker, answers to this and other questions are key to Ms. Lipscombe’s research on how race and ethnicity play into barriers and misconceptions about bicycling.

Ms. Lipscombe is African American.

She began her carreer in the bicycling world in San Antonio on their Bike Share system, and when she first started riding, she remembers being asked questions when seen riding her bike such as, “where is your car?” or, “do you need a ride?”

This sparked an interest and desire in her to study how these misconceptions, such as “African Americans don’t ride bikes”, are formed. She approaches the subject from both a planning and research perspective.

In terms of City planning, Adrian believes we need to start a conversation.

Some key thoughts would be to address what is and what is not working. How do we address these issues and what can we learn?

From a research perspective, Adrian believes that there needs to be more focus groups conducted. She sees a need

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for investigation into African American’s perception of safety of traveling in types of transportation options, and on car ownership being an African American’s American Dream: independence, freedom, control, privilege, and anonymity.

She’s been asking questions and getting some very valuable input. Here are some snippets of what she has seen in conversation with African American community members in Austin: “I have seen sometimes overnight, [bike] lanes go in and blacks go out…” “Blacks don’t have many choices in how they get around.” “I recall being a kid… 13 or 14; to be independent, go places on my own, I felt very confident.”

Adrian sees a need for education in the minority population for exposure to bicycling. She says, “We’re all humans and we all want to fit in. When you see people who look like you doing something, it sparks your interest.” This is one of the reasons she helped found the Major Taylor Club of Austin.

Major Taylor Austin honors the legacy of Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor, who in 1899 became the first African American

champion in cycling history and arguably one of the cycling world’s greatest sportsmen. The mission of the organization is to “inspire a love of cycling in minority communities, as a healthy alternative mode of transportation, a competitive sport, a way of staying fit and as a way of building community through subculture.” Major Taylor Austin is open to all races, ages and skill levels and has helped immensely to promote cycling to minority communities in the Austin area.

Adrian does not expect to fix these issues overnight, but hopes that by facilitating these types of conversations, we can begin to create a change in perceived and real barriers to cycling.

July 9

8 am to noon Sign up for the Seton Class, which will be offered at the St. Elmo location in July. Call 512-324-1891 (Choose Option 2). Check with your supervisor about attending this class on work time. You must be in a City medical plan to participate.

After successful completion of the Seton class, you can enroll in an ongoing program that involves meeting quarterly with a Randalls pharmacist. The pharmacist provides support for a healthy lifestyle and consultation on your medication and lab results. All care received through the program is coordinated with your doctor.

July 23

8 am to noon For insulin dependent participants only:

July 16

8 am to 10am

Meet with the pharmacist quarterly and you can receive all of your diabetes medication and supplies, including insulin, at NO CHARGE (no copay)!

Sheree Bailey HealthyConnections 974-9777

events

Public Works Connects You...

All Around Austin!

Public Works builds our city’s future and celebrates our successes with PWD staff and events all around town. austin media reps tour boardwalk project by boat

I

n recognition of National Public Works Week, the PWD Communication Team invited local media representatives to tour the Boardwalk Trail Project by boat.

Journalists from print media such as the Austin American-Statesman, together with reporters and cameramen from KXAN, KVUE, KEYE, YNN, Univision and KUT, got an up-close look at construction progress from the deck of an electric riverboat. One of the City’s most eagerly anticipated projects, the Boardwalk is difficult to see and photograph from anywhere on land. When complete, it will provide a link in the Butler Hike and Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake from the International Shores Park

14 STREET TALK JULY 2013

off Lakeshore Boulevard to the AmericanStatesman parking lot.

As the riverboat sidled up to the barges that transport equipment and personnel across the Lady Bird Lake, Project Manager David Taylor pointed out interesting features of the project and answered questions about the unique construction challenges associated with building an overwater structure. Following the tour, David provided several on camera interviews.

“The tour offered a great opportunity to highlight the work that our department does to enhance the quality of life in Austin…well maintained streets, clean water, functioning utilities, and recreation amenities such as the Boardwalk Trail all happen because of Public Works,” commented Director Howard Lazarus, who, along with Assistant Directors Keri Juarez and Robert Hinojosa, went along for the ride.

Public Works Department Co-Hosts Bicycle Equity Summit

In May, staff members from the Neighborhood Connectivity Division (NCD) conducted a leadership summit to discuss green lanes and equity. During the three-day event, transportation professionals, policymakers, and community leaders from Chicago, Memphis, Portland, San Francisco and Washington DC discussed ways to promote bicycling and build support for green lanes in lowincome neighborhoods and ethnically diverse communities.

Green lanes are dedicated, inviting bicycle lanes that are protected from cars and separated from sidewalks. The issues surrounding equity in bicycle transportation are complex and include gentrification of older neighborhoods, economic barriers, lack of infrastructure and cultural barriers against bicycling in communities of low socio-economic standing. Additionally, some proposals to install better bike lanes in low-income neighborhoods and historically underserved communities have met resistance, with residents perceiving that bike lanes are not needed, take away parking spaces and worsen traffic congestion.

On the second day of the summit, participants took to the streets as NCD staff members led a bicycle tour of East Austin to showcase some of PWD’s recent bicycle infrastructure projects.

By sharing experiences and lessons

learned, participants gained a deeper understanding of the issues and learned best practices that can be immediately used in planning and public outreach efforts.

Citizens walk, play, and roll at viva streets

The second annual Viva Streets! celebration took place on the same stretch of Sixth Street as last year. Viva Streets! is an open street event that closes the roadway to motor vehicles and opens the space up to people. The street became a playground as Austinites tried new sports (cross-fit, hula-hooping and rock climbing, to name a few), enjoyed local fare, and watched tango and traditional Chinese dancing.

The “Your ATX” booths under IH-35 were comprised of all the City of Austin Departments. The Fire Department brought a fire truck for kids to tour, the Watershed Department had a wheelbarrow relay and the Health and Human Services and Public Works Department partnered to put on a bike rodeo complete with loaner bikes from the Bicycle Sport Shop. A fun time was had by all who attended. If you didn’t get a chance to attend Viva Streets! this year, come try it next year. Perhaps you’ll discover a new hobby or sport you’d like to pursue.

2013 JULY STREET TALK

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events

continued from pg. 15

City Breaks Ground on New Central Library and Shoal Creek Improvements Projects

Public Works Gets Hacked

The ATX Hack for Civic Change event took place at St. Edwards University June 1-2. The event, sponsored by Open ATX, offered an opportunity for local developers and web programmers to create useful web applications and solutions for governmental use.

Public Works brought the following proposals to the hackers: [1] Creation of a location suggesting tool

where citizens could choose where they would like a Bike Share kiosk to be located

[2] A data opportunity to help us create an interactive bicycle map

[3] An application based on our street conditions information

The location suggesting tool and the bicycle map data were chosen as projects.

The Hackathon was a great beginning to these projects and the team is still working on finishing them up. If you’d like more information on how you can get involved with data, Open ATX, or local developers, contact shannon.wisner@austintexas.gov.

16 STREET TALK JULY 2013

On May 30, the City officially broke ground on construction of the New Central Library and related improvements with a groundbreaking ceremony at the site, 710 W. Cesar Chavez St., just east of the Seaholm redevelopment. The City seal cookies were a crowd favorite and a balloon artist made balloon creations that were beyond impressive! The event featured City Council members and officials as well as comments from the Library Director, Brenda Branch.

The $120 million library project resulted from a voter-approved 2006 bond referendum. The 198,000-squarefoot, six-story library will replace the 110,000-square-foot Faulk Central Library at 800 Guadalupe St. that was built in 1979. The Faulk library is being considered for expansion of the Austin History Center.

The New Central Library will feature flexible spaces designed to meet evolving information and technological needs. Elements such as a grand reading room and porches overlooking Shoal Creek and Lady

Bird lake, children and teen areas, a 350-seat special events center, special areas to highlight the city’s emerging culture and arts scene, a bike corral, a rooftop garden and a café will help create a uniquely Austin public gathering space in the heart of downtown.

The New Central Library will be required to achieve at least Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Sustainable elements include a vast rooftop array of solar panels to provide the building with electrical power, a rainwater harvesting system for all landscape irrigation system as well as for restroom plumbing fixtures, a green roof and charging stations for electric cars.

PMD’s Cindy Jordan and Jose Ibarra will manage both the library construction and adjacent Shoal Creek improvements. Both projects are expected to be complete in 2016.

Bicycle Program Celebrates Bike to Work Day with Breakfast and a Ribbon Cutting

On May 17th, the Bicycle Program hosted a breakfast station and ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate Bike to Work Day and the completion of bicycle improvements to Barton Springs Road. Beginning at 7:00 a.m., Bicycle Program employees provided coffee and breakfast to hungry visitors biking in to work. Over 125 citizens were in attendance. Council Members Riley and Martinez, Public Works Director Howard Lazarus, Project Manager Chad Crager, Bicycle Program Manager Annick Beaudet, and Travis County Commissioner Sarah Eckhart cut the ribbon.

Then, participants were led on an inaugural ride down Austin’s newest protected bike lane.

Barton Springs Road, a major east/ west route in Austin, previously lacked bicy-

cle facilities making it a barrier to bicyclists.

The project, which was constructed for approximately $750k using 2010 Mobility Bond Funding, features a westbound off-street path and an eastbound widened buffered bicycle lane – both are also called “green lanes.”

With the completion of the protected bike lane, Barton Springs is now considered a “complete street” –designed to serve motor vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

The new lane has greatly improved connections to the Butler Trail, as well as providing a much-needed route connector to local attractions such as the beloved Barton Springs Pool, the Palmer Events Center, Auditorium Shores and the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge.

2013 JULY STREET TALK

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events

continued from pg. 17

Children of Public Works and Transportation EMPLOYEES get a Special Surprise

This year’s Take Your Child To Work Day was yet another success with over 90 kids participating in the event. The event began at One Texas Center where children participated in hands-on demonstrations on Fire Safety, CPR, Bike Safety, Resume Writing, ‘What the Future Holds’ and a special guest appearance by Assistant Director, James Snow. The kids concluded the upstairs activities with writing a very special thank you note to our Director, Howard Lazarus.

After the events at One Texas Center, the children gathered outside to see some of the hard work that their parents do each and every day! Austin Transportation Department’s-Signs and Markings crew gave a demonstration of how stripes were made followed by a demonstration of how a sign was installed.

Then, our Street and Bridge Division demonstrated how potholes are filled. The event was highly interactive and children were able to ride in

18 STREET TALK JULY 2013

the trucks and scrape the asphalt.

Afterward, the children walked over to City Hall where the Crossing Guard group was able to practice safe walking across the street. Once at City Hall, Mary Priddy with the Sustainability team took the kids on a tour of City Hall, which included showing them the Council Chambers. Mayor Lee Leffingwell even took time out of his busy schedule to do a meet and greet with all the children.

For lunch, the children were able to sit down and have pizza, and were treated to a special surprise! Dillion Havins from America’s Got Talent performed a rocking blues set for 30-minutes while the kids ate their pizza. Dillion made it to the second round on America’s Got Talent and currently performs around the Central Texas area.

Special thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put this together and we are looking forward to next year!

divisions

BY JUSTIN GOLBABAI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Empowering Neighborhoods, Building Community Public Works’ Neighborhood Partnering Program shows the department’s ‘heart’ by enabling Austin’s best asset – its citizens.

I

n Bowling Alone, Harvard professor Robert Putnam describes how over the past four decades, significant declines in political, civic, and social participation have caused Americans to be increasingly disconnected from and less trusting of one another. Putnam cites this drop in participation is due to pressures of time and money, commuting times, sprawl, the role of television, electronic and generational changes. Given this, City Council’s decision to initiate the Neighborhood Partnering Program (NPP) in 2010 is more important now than ever.

There are several elements to the Neighborhood Partnering Program that make it particularly good at being equitable by driving its mission of “Empowering Neighborhoods, Building Community.” The first is the location and size of its projects. All NPP projects must be on City-owned property or right-of-way.

Since this is land that is accessible and shared by all, public spaces provide the ideal setting to work collaboratively and transparently with the public.

In Austin, we are fortunate to live in a city of creative and talented citizens that are passionate about how these public spaces are

designed, how and when they’re constructed a community throughout the project stages and how these spaces are maintained - even of visioning, design, construction and mainteto the point of offering to take on some of nance.

Another important and practical elethese tasks themselves! The program seeks to find ways for Public Works to leverage this tal- ment of the program is its unique funding ent and energy in order to build and maintain structure. In 2012, the program was allocated $1.2 million under the 2012 Bond. In order to better projects and better relationships.

The scale of the projects also helps in better leverage these funds, the Neighborthe community-building process. The pro- hood Partnering Program requires a cost share gram focuses on small and medium-sized commitment from the community. Members projects (less than $150,000) that tend to fall of the community must demonstrate their in between a 311 call for service and a named commitment to the project and a willingness bond item. This scale of project is concrete to “put their own skin in the game.” To ensure and tangible enough to engage and empower that the NPP is accessible to all, sharing costs can take many forms. Examples of past cost share matches include:

[1] A cash match for the median island on St. Elmo.

[2] Volunteer hours and a grant from the Austin Parks Foundation to create a mosaic in Patterson Park.

[3] In-kind services to install a wildlife habitat, additional landscaping and vegetable garden at Fire Station #16 in Crestview.

2013 JULY STREET TALK

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columns

BY MICHELLE FRITH CHIEF REPORTER

How well do you know your neighbor?

I

f you want to see the future of Austin, one only has to have a conversation with one of the inspired men or women in their twenties. A recent meeting over a cup of coffee with Emily Duda, Administrative Assistant in the Quality and Standards Management Division (QSMD), was a testament to the brilliant future ahead for our already remarkable city.

E m i l y was born and NEIGHBOR raised in WarEmily Duda ren, Ohio, near the larger city DIVISION of Youngstown, Administrative and is the eldest Assistant I of two children.

She and her TITLE brother QuenQSMD tin’s parents both worked at Youngstown State University and were forward-thinking. In an era before it became commonplace, their father Joseph, a biologist, chose to stay at home to raise their children while their mother Karen taught at the university. Karen started out in the Business Department but later became a pioneer in the field of Computer Science during the birth of the internet, rising to become the chair of her department.

Then, when the closure of the steel mills and auto plants devastated the local economy, putting thousands out of

20 STREET TALK JULY 2013

Michelle Frith profiles two employees that work hard for PWD everyday who you may have never met! work, Emily’s parents made many sacrifices to enroll their children in parochial schools to further their education. During this time, factories were abandoned and workers lost their jobs, forcing those workers to find other means of employment. Witnessing this devastation, Emily’s parents strongly encouraged both her and her brother to attend college.

Karen guided her daughter to where she could receive the most funding for her education and Emily was able to get a full scholarship to the University of Oklahoma. She obtained dual degrees in English and Geography. In her sophomore year, Emily was devastated when Karen succumbed to cancer. The loss has had an incredible impact on Emily who has a deep love and admiration for her inspiring mother.

Emily came to Austin in 2009 to attend UT and received her master’s degree in Geography in 2011. She entered UT with the goal of becoming a professor, but later chose to change careers and began working for a real estate start up.

Shortly after, she joined the City of Austin as a part-time employee at the Northwest Recreation Center.

In March 2013, Emily joined QSMD. She is currently working with City Architect, Kit Johnson, on an educational program on New Urbanism. New Urbanism is a planning concept that creates walkable living spaces where homes and businesses are clustered together, reducing sprawl and congestion. Emily would like to be more involved in Imagine Aus-

tin and is excited to attend the upcoming Esri conference. She hopes to become more involved with GIS/Geography-related projects and she feels she can contribute to making Austin a better place to live. Her dedication to improve the lives of Austinites through better quality standards and better urban design is remarkable.

Emily is inspired by seeing movement forward, and by helping places to be better and more vibrant. When asked to share her views on the Austinites who are worried about the loss of the “old Austin”, Emily feels that we can link older traditions and culture with the future, including more people, while keeping Austin’s strong sense of neighborhood.

Playing video and board games online with her friends around the country is a passion of Emily’s. She is a tried and true Steeler’s fan who loves watching football. In between, Emily can be found surrounded by her vast collection of books. One of her favorite stores is The Bookcase Store where she has bought several bookcases, packing each to the brim.

When asked about her vision for Austin, Emily says, “A better city improves the lives of its inhabitants… I want to leave things better than the way I found them, either through small or large differences. That’s why I like working for QSMD.” The future of Austin is clearly positive if Emily Duda is an example of the next generation of leaders.

columns

J

uly is the month we celebrate the United States and the many inhabitants who have made the country as great as it is today. Talking with Ignacio “Nacho” Araujo, Crew Lead in Asphalt in the North District, you get a sense of the hard work and determination that has helped our country to be the greatest in the world.

Nacho is the third of nine NEIGHBOR children, with Ignacio “Nacho” Araujo four brothers and four sisters.

DIVISION The family is from Zacatecas Street & Bridge in central Mexico and was alTITLE ways rowdy and Crew Lead having fun. Nacho’s dad was in construction and would come into the U.S. for work while his mom stayed at home looking after their children. Nacho played soccer in school and loves sports.

The family moved to Round Rock in 1992, leaving behind only the oldest sister who was married.

Nacho began working at the 620 Café, first washing dishes and moving up to cook. He worked at the café for three years and while there was introduced to Susie by his cousin. A year later, he and Susie were married. Tired of working weekends, Nacho struck out into the construction industry. He worked three years for a private construction company driving a hauling truck from one end of the construction site to the other. It became too tedious for him, so he decided to work for Capital Construction driving a bobcat truck. He started as a helper and ended up as the working foreman.

After eleven years working for Capital Construction, the economy dipped.

The family’s work benefits were being reduced and Nacho was driving to San Antonio and Kerrville for work. It became too hard for the family, so Nacho came to work for the City of Austin, joining Public Works in December 2008. He started

at the Manor facility and later became a truck driver. He has been a Crew Lead now for two years and feels the crew is made up of good guys who work hard at doing a good job. Nacho loves working for the City. “The benefits are great! I get paid time off, sick leave, job security and the insurance is really nice!”

Nacho and Susie have been married for 17 years this month and have two children. Susie has worked at Velocity Credit Union for 16 years as a teller. Nacho describes her as “a good person and a good mother”. Kiara, their daughter, is 10 and loves animals, including her German Shepard, Eddie. She also likes science and is a good student. She is like her mom in that she is quiet until she gets to know you. Kiara has just finished 5th grade and plays defense in soccer and has been in Girl Scouts for four years.

Mario Isaac is six and he just finished kindergarten. He played t-ball for a year and now plays soccer. Both children are kept away from the television as much as possible, but do enjoy video games occasionally. Nacho and Susie love to go camping with their family at various local lakes.

They take their fishing boat, camping and fishing a couple of weekends each month.

When asked what he thought of the upcoming GED requirements, Nacho brightened up and said, “I earned my GED last week!” He spent eight months attending school in the evenings and his formal graduation will be in August.

Nacho says of the experience, “More opportunities will be there. If you want to move up, it’s on you to do it. Since I graduated, I miss taking classes and I’m thinking I will take some more classes at ACC.

This world is moving forward. You need to move, or get left behind!”

A man who is not afraid of meeting challenges, Ignacio “Nacho” Araujo is a prime example of the men and women who continue to make our country one of the greatest!

2013 JULY STREET TALK 21

divisions

BY ROBIN FIELD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

East 5th Street: Transformed Another Great Street Project takes shape on the East Side.

A

t first glance, the Group 7 (East 5th Street from IH-35 to Onion Street project) appears to be your typical street reconstruction project. Some characteristics are the usual: installation of 4,000 linear feet of water line, 665 linear feet of wastewater line, 2,848 feet of storm sewer and full-depth street reconstruction. But look a little harder and you will discover that these are just the details. As project manager Clay Harris explains, “This project is unique because it will upgrade services adjacent to many exciting new developments as well as the Capital Metro Plaza Saltillo commuter rail station, one of Austin’s transit-oriented development areas.”

This seven-block stretch of East 5th Street will see curbs, gutter and sidewalks for the first time. Sidewalks on the south side of East 5th Street will be 10-feet wide, except for one section where space doesn’t allow, and the north side will get sidewalks varying between 5 and 10 feet in width.

Other amenities include new street lighting, bicycle racks, pedestrian benches, and garbage receptacles – all meeting Great Streets standards.

The landscaping on E 5th Street will also be top notch. Trees you will soon see in the area are Mexican Sycamore and Cedar Elm, and shrubs will include pink skullcap, guara, bamboo, and a local favorite, liriope.

As Austin remains in Stage 2 drought conditions, a sustainable approach to irrigation is key. Irrigation bubblers installed within the drip lines of the trees will effectively maintain the landscaping while complying with the City’s current watering restrictions.

Residents and area stakeholders are also looking forward to the upgrades planned for this area. One stakeholder in particular wrote in to let Clay know there have been few complaints about dust or noise and adds, “The project appears to be moving along on schedule and is going to

look spectacular.”

A private project in the area includes a vertical mixed-use development named Corazon. Vertical mixed-use refers to a building containing a mix of residential and commercial uses. Adjacent to this development in the 1000 block of East 5th Street is new park space. This space, Velasquez Plaza, is being developed along the vacated portion of the Medina Street right-of-way between 5th Street and the alley. The Plaza will provide north-south access and will serve as one of the stops along the Tejano Trail of Music, an Arts in Public Places project, that consists of a walking trail featuring the work of Austin area artists to celebrate local Tejano musicians.

The excitement surrounding the project has even reached Clay. “I’m happy to be part of a project that will provide a comprehensive roadway for safe, efficient, and convenient ways to travel by foot, bicycle, transit or car,” he says.

The East 5th Street project is funded with the Accelerate Austin Program 2006 Bond and 2010 Bond funds. Construction is scheduled to be complete in the spring of 2014. BRH-Garver Construction, LP is the contractor.

What is Transit-Oriented Development?

Transit-Oriented Development, or TOD, is the intentional mixing of land use and transit by creating compact, walkable, mixed-use communities within walking distance of a transit stop or station. In the case of the East 5th Street project, the Plaza Saltillo station at 5th and Comal Streets. The goal of a TOD is to bring together people, jobs, and services in such a way to make it efficient, safe, and convenient to travel on foot or by bicycle, transit, or car. TOD is an opportunity for Austin to carefully coordinate transit and development for the benefit of the entire city. As Austin looks ahead to the next 20 years with the help of its comprehensive plan, Imagine Austin, Transit Oriented Development is one tool for growing as a compact and connected city.

What are great streets?

The Great Streets Development Program is a mechanism used to improve the quality of downtown streets and sidewalks, aiming ultimately to transform public right-of-ways into great public spaces. A few Great Streets standards that highlight the major urban design and landscaping components of the Great Streets plan are street widths; sidewalk widths; street light placements; tree spacing; and bench, bike rack and trash receptacle placement.

What is imagine austin?

22 STREET TALK JULY 2013

The Imagine Austin plan is the 30-year plan for the city based on Austin’s greatest asset – its residents. The plan was adopted by City Council and serves as the vision for how the city can grow in a compact, connected and sustainable way.

Unlike a typical municipal comprehensive plan, Imagine Austin covers quality of life issues beyond land use, like investing in our creative economy and advancing healthy, affordable living.

divisions

BY LOUISE MADDEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Human Resources Office Takes a Look at How They Serve YOU!

R

Making some organizational changes helps HRO serve Public Works and Transportation more efficiently.

ecently the Human Resources Office realigned staff and the services they provide in order to provide even more timely and efficient service to the divisions in the Public Works and Transportation Departments. The goal of the Human Resources division is to develop our HR staff and transform them into Subject Matter Experts. This not only provides them developmental growth, it provides you with a single point of contact (SPOC) for services. The ‘single point of contact’ philosophy will enhance the Human Resources services we deliver while helping staff to understand your needs, your programs and your business processes as well as you do.

Through cross-training, hands-on training, and classroom training, the Human Resources staff are your business partners committed to working closely with each division. We are working to solve problems and develop employee engagement, helping you with all of your people-related issues. The Human Resources Office is not only streamlining transactional work, they are focusing on strategic work, improving customer service and maintaining flexibility to adapt to the changes occurring within the broader enterprise.

THE TEAM Human Resources Manager Robin Murray, PHR, 512-974-7039 Human Resources Supervisor Louise Madden, 512-974-5636 Human Resources Specialist Rita Mata, 512-974-8754 Workers Compensation, ADA, and return to work programs for all of ATD and PWD Administrative Support Rebecca Zapata, 512-974-7041 or 4-7231 Bus passes, new hire training coordinator, schedules NEO/NESO training for ATD and PWD, public information requests Human Resources Advisors Julia Bateman, Austin Transportation SPOC 512-974-9137 Alexandra Bolton, Street and Bridge Operations SPOC, 512-974-7176 Diane Kerlin, OOD/Shared Services/NCD SPOC, 512-974-7176 Debbie Willms, CIP/ESD/PMD/QSMD SPOC, 512-974-7247

Here is a list of all the services provided under each SPOC, and a listing of the contacts. Moving forward, you can contact your divisional HR SPOC for all issues related to your division!

[1] Classification and compensation [2] Civil Service [3] Employee engagement surveys [4] Employee relations/grievances/EEO [5] FMLA [6] Focus Groups [7] Investigations- ER

[9] Recruiting [10] SSPR, including compliance with reporting procedures, deadlines, and submitting department summary reports

[11] Supervisor/manager training and development

[8] New hire paperwork 2013 JULY STREET TALK

23

Public Workers contemplate the foot trails left by our ancestors, and the impressions they’ve made on the road to our future.

BY MICHELLE FRITH CHIEF REPORTER

24 STREET TALK JULY 2013

“ “

Her name was Grandma?

”

I don’t know her real name. She was just ‘Grandma’. All I remember is seeing her sitting on the hill wrapped in an Indian blanket, watching the sunset and smoking a cigar.

T

”

his conversation, sparked by a college assignment, led to a multi-year research project for my retired father. The cigar-smoking woman was his paternal grandmother, Sara Bird, likely a member of the Cherokee nation.

My father continued digging and uncovered incredible tales of ancestry.

Branches and leaves originating from England and Ireland stretched across the sea and were brought to shore by early settlers. They moved down the east coast from New England to become some of the first European families of Tennessee.

Later they traveled west for the 1889 Oklahoma Land Rush where, undoubtedly, Sara Bird entered the picture. A photo of Mattie Orr, a twin from Ireland in search of a better life, revealed the origin of my own face. Bledsoe Creek State Park in Sumner County, Tennessee still connects the past to our current lives. My maiden name is Bledsoe and my son’s first name, passed through eight generations, is Sumner.

Discovering our family history gave me deeper roots and an appreciation of a family culture woven by a strong work ethic, stubborn determination and fierce family bonds. From a humble background I was raised to value education above all else and was the first in my family to graduate from college. I have instilled these values in my own son.

Each new generation dilutes history, but our cumulative past greatly affects our present and will shape our futures. Stories abound of those whose family histories have brought richness to their current lives and to the lives of our community. “Minor” events can be life-changing and historical events that we are witness to can and will change the future for generations to come. The pebbles and boulders we pass on the paths paved today will influence the way we and our children live, play and work.

Susan Garnett, Program Coordinator Susan’s family background is surprisingly diverse. Her mother’s side of the family is part Apache and her maternal grandmother was 2/3 Cherokee.

Her father’s side of the family is also partially Cherokee. Some ancestors came from England and both sides of the family once lived in Virginia. Some of her mother’s ancestors were plantation owners and moonshiners!

Strong women are a large part

of Susan’s family culture and history. Her grandmother divorced in the 1940’s, which was considered quite scandalous. Raising three children, buying her own house and surviving the Great Depression was remarkable. Her paternal grandfather, Ignacious Gianelloni (also known as Nacho), second generation from Sicily was raised in Cuba. When Fidel Castro came

to power, Nacho, an aeronautical engineer, was exiled to the U.S. and forced at gunpoint to board a plane. He met Susan’s grandmother in Virginia and fell madly in love. Each had three children and the large family moved to Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico in 1960.

The couple lived an opulent lifestyle and had many friends who visited

feature

continued from pg. 25

their home, including prime ministers and Hollywood celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor. The changes were not all positive however. Susan’s father was used to attention from his mother, but once they moved to Cuernavaca when he was 5, nannies took over the rearing of the children.

To ensure his children did not take advantage of their station in life, Nacho sent his sons to the prestigious Cristobol Colón Military School. At 20, Susan’s father returned to the United States and met her mother. Susan’s father was determined to teach his children to work hard for what they wanted. This has instilled confidence in Susan and influences the way she raises her own daughters, helping them to understand that they are not entitled to anything and to value relationships over material objects.

Susan feels that Austin’s tradition of being non-traditional is changing.

The soul of Austin is not being weird, but being true to who you are.

ing community of white people. “The first year, we spent time just looking at each other and being apprehensive. There was an atmosphere of us against them.” Integration had come to the community. Although it was hard, the football team he played on learned to trust each other when they began winning.

Wanting to be a part of positive change, Robert became involved in the Civil Rights Movement as a junior.

The people of Yantley petitioned the mayor of neighboring Butler to hire blacks as city employees, but they were denied. The residents of Yantley boycotted the Butler businesses from May through September. Robert picketed in front of the courthouse with his friends. “Some of the older folks there had experienced Jim Crow and the KKK. We hadn’t experienced it, so weren’t as afraid. But one thing changed my mind. My grandfather demanded respect from all of us.

Then, a white man came to our home and called my grandfather ‘boy’. That really messed with my mind.”

Robert Traylor - Tech II, With no progress being made, the South District, Special Southern Christian Leadership Conference was asked to organize protests.

Projects In September 1971, 200-300 kids, inA strong handshake, perfect pos- cluding Robert, marched singing freeture, and direct eye contact. A humble dom songs till police broke it up using man of quiet dignity has a story of his- sticks, dogs and teargas. The older children were handcuffed and jailed; tory, of courage and of hope.

Robert Moses Traylor was raised the younger children were marched with his five brothers and sister in to the National Guard Armory and put Yantley, Alabama by his grandparents behind a fence.

The next day, the girls marched Lucille and Beval Dubose. Beval, a and they were jailed. The following sharecropper and truck driver taught morning the parents marched and his grandsons to always stand straight were jailed as well. Ralph Abernathy and “look like you’re worth something”. came to lead a huge march. All protesTimes were different in the 1960s in tors were jailed.

Cells for miles around rural Alabama. Robert attended an were full.

Pressure came from the naall-black elementary school. In 1967, tional media and the fact that the reas he entered 10th grade, he was gion could not afford to feed everyone sent to school in Butler, a neighbor-

26 STREET TALK JULY 2013

who was jailed. Only Mr. Abernathy was released. At the end of the week the largest rally took place. Peacefully protesting with a sit-in, one man frustrated with the streets being blocked, barreled through the lines in his car, killing 15-year-old Margaret Knox. The murder finally convinced the Mayor to change hiring policies in Butler.

Robert won five scholarship offers, but his love of reading led him to want to see the world. He joined the army in 1974. In Japan, workers were protesting their work conditions and Robert was shocked to be “on the other side of the line”. In 1979 he joined the boxing team, became the post champion in a matter of weeks and was sent to Germany. He remained on the boxing team until 1989, was a Golden Gloves champ and was coached by Olympic boxing coach Kenny Adams.

more flexible. The management team will have to accommodate the changing workweek with flexible hours for commuting and utilizing telecommuting practices wisely.

Relationships with the community will also change. We will continue excellence in collaboration and may begin crowdsourcing for ideas, utilizing community development applications and make data and information more accessible to the public.

Hard work, determination and love of family are deeply embedded in the people at every level in Public Works. In the 1920s and 1930s, the family of Howard’s mother immigrated from Russia and Austria to New York to escape the Nazis. Driven to succeed on his own merit, Howard attended a military academy and was the first member of his family to graduate college.

Due to his history, Howard has strong faith in fairness and equity, believing in advancement based on merit.

Three generations after coming to America, Howard’s family celebrates their journey. His daughter entered Harvard University based solely on her achievement and recently graduated.

“Commit to yourself and work; you will be able to be successful. I earned everything I have. This should be a part of Public Work’s culture. The only impediment is fear of failure. Every generation should make at least one step forward and improve the lives for the next generation.”

Photo courtesy of Victor Ovalle, PARD

Future challenges for a densely populated urban core will include how and where we will complete work in a congested area, how to accomplish growth Just as Robert was about to leave without compromising the charthe Army to box professionally in Veacter of Austin and how to keep gas, he found out he was going to be a the city affordable. We must ask father. He then married and moved to what the qualities of life we don’t Austin, Texas. His children now grown, want to lose are and how do we Robert now coaches boxing for free at plan for the time when Austin’s Arciniega Boxing Gym in Lockhart. “I’d economy and popularity decline? do it all the same way,” Robert reflects With high competition for the on his past. “I’m proud of where I am. I right-of-way, we must be more believe in this: ‘be careful what you do, creative and adaptable. Additionpeople will follow. Be careful what you ally we must take care to protect say, people will listen. Words are powtreasures like Barton Springs, the erful, and become flesh.’”

Veloway and Zilker Park.

Solar panels in the roadways, different types of vehicles, a distributed energy system and Howard Lazarus – building codes to conserve more Director, Public Works water will aid in our quest to be more environmentally conscious.

In 1803, Thomas Jefferson pur- We will need high speed commuter chased the Louisiana Territory from rail and may even see an integrated France. To work out the details of the corridor from San Antonio to Austin to boundaries, Meriwether Lewis and ease traffic congestion. Future design William Clark led an expeditionary work will be focused on resiliency and group called the Corps of Discovery climate change. into the new territory. The men were Technology has become a bigger public service engineers whose job part of the Public Works Department it was to develop resources through- and will be vertically integrated. Work out the country. Later, a small group orders from a crew leader will affect of Anglo-Americans founded the first the project manager’s plan, which will permanent settlement of Waterloo directly affect forecasting. Therefore, on the banks of the Colorado River in the data input on a mobile device by 1837. Waterloo, the capital of the Re- a crew lead will influence the five-year public of Texas, later became Austin. capital budget. Embracing technolTime has brought many changes ogy and achieving higher standards of to Austin. Now the 11th largest city education for our employees is vital to in the United States, Austin is cultur- achieving success. ally and ethnically diverse. The area’s Both telecommuting and “hopopulation has increased dramatically teling” desks save money, space and and is projected to continue growing staffing needs. Repurposing and reexponentially. Approximately 70 peo- ducing the number of meetings creple are moving to our area every day. ates a more adept work force. To at70% of students in school are now His- tract quality people, we must be more panic and Austin has the fastest grow- tech savvy, multilingual, diverse, fit, ing Asian population in the U.S. Sig- healthy and offer more flexible hours. nificant to our growth is the warm and Traditional boundaries between work welcoming environment supportive and home are fading and calendars are of people of different perspectives.

AU S T I N I S D a n d t h e C I T Y o f AU S T I N

BACK TO School

os

BASH! FOR AISD STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

24

AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER 500 E. Cesar Chavez St.

Information about AISD programs and Community services Free immunizations by Seton (must have shot records) Free backpacks and school supplies (children must be present to receive a backpack while supplies last) Free bus shuttles from various locations Door prizes and more!

WWW.AUSTINISD.ORG/BASH

s

FROM 9 A.M. TO NOON

divisions

BY GERALD NATION CONTRIBUTING WRITER

President Obama Visits Austin Public Works Aids in Safety Measures

O

n the rainy afternoon of May 9th, Street and Bridge trucks sat bumper to bumper on East 8th Street eagerly awaiting the call. Once it was received, they separated and the Presidential motorcade escorting President Obama drove between the vehicles. Witnessing this event were the Secret Service, the Austin Police Department (APD) and the Street and Bridge Operations (SBO) employees. All other spectators had been moved one block from this area. Once the President’s motorcade passed, the two SBO trucks were repositioned bumper to bumper. This truck positioning prevented terrorists from driving a vehicle into the area with a bomb aboard.

When the President’s visit was finished, the two SBO trucks again separated to allow the motorcade to pass.

For the second consecutive year, Public Works was requested to assist in providing security for President Obama’s visit to Austin, Texas. The President was scheduled to visit the Manor New Tech High School and Applied Materials. What was not released to the public was that President Obama was also scheduled to attend a meeting at the Omni Hotel on East 8th Street in downtown Austin. APD contacted Gerald Nation at Public Works and requested that SBO provide assistance in making the area secure from terrorist activity. They were tasked with establishing a blockade on every road around the Omni Hotel. Not only did the effort require the logistics be completed prior to the visit, but also the President’s “off public schedule” itinerary had to be kept secret.

In order to comply with this request, Public Works staged all equipment and personnel at another location until they were called to action.

There were numerous items that had to be completed in order to comply with Secret Service requirements. First off, twenty employees had to be identified that would participate in the activity. Information for each employee involved in the security de-

Thank you to the following staff members for helping to make this happen! gerald nation fernando ortegon michael goertz ron garcia michael estrada

gerald blocker donald ross dion garcia adam saucedo quintin leday

tail included name, social security number, driver license number and the assigned vehicle. This information was provided to APD for Secret Service use.

The requested vehicles were dump trucks that could be filled with a minimum of 10 cubic yards of dolomite, sand or asphalt. The trucks were to be used as blockades to prevent terrorists from driving a vehicle into the area. Not only were 34,000 lb. loads required in the trucks, the way each truck was positioned was predetermined to provide maximum resistance if rammed by a high speed vehicle.

The trucks were positioned in a manner to cause a ramming vehicle to be forced away from the Omni Hotel.

Prior to the President’s arrival, each vehicle was thoroughly searched by both the secret service and a dog trained to locate bombs. Hoods were opened and loads were checked, including, compartments, computer cases and bags.

Approximately 45 minutes before the President arrived, each driver was told to turn off the engine of the vehicle, leave the keys in the ignition, exit the cab and stand next to the vehicle until the secret service allowed them to return to the cab.

This would not have been a problem ex-

luis vizcarra ignacio araujo wilma reyes jeremy Mosley lewis wilkerson

charles hernandez juanita tovar robert franklin rusty tello johnny colvin

cept it had begun to rain. At least it wasn’t cold! This was completely different from the direction given last year, where SBO employees were directed to stay in their vehicles and keep their engines running while the President was present.

When the President’s motorcade arrived it was a very exciting moment. There were three limousines, numerous black SUVs, an ambulance, vans with press personnel, a black truck with radar, and numerous police motorcycles.

The unique thing was there was very little tint on the windows of the President’s limousine and we were able to catch a glimpse of Obama himself. He actually took a moment and gave us a little wave!

Afterward, the employees were allowed to return to the cabs of their respective vehicle and after 15 minutes, SBO was given the all clear from the secret service. With the assistance of the APD, SBO began moving the vehicles to open the closed streets.

We are all grateful that it was an uneventful experience. No bombs, no riots, no verbal assaults and no physical assaults. We were proud to represent the City of Austin, Public Works Street and Bridge organization.

2013 JULY STREET TALK

29

columns

BY Pete Valdez, Community Court CON

Combating Crime Creatively Austin’s Community Court takes a collaborative approach, seeking multi-faceted solutions to address frequent offenders.

C

ommunity courts are neighborhood-focused courts that attempt to harness the power of the justice system to address local problems. They can take many forms, but all focus on creative partnerships and problem solving. They strive to create new relationships, both within the justice system and with outside stakeholders such as residents, merchants, churches and schools, and they test new and aggressive approaches to public safety rather than merely responding to crime after it has occurred.

The first community court in the United States was called the Midtown Community Court, launched in 1993 in New York City. Several dozen community courts, inspired by the Midtown model, are in operation or planning around the country; international interest in community courts is also increasing.

In October 1999, the City of Austin established the Downtown Austin Com-

30 STREET TALK JULY 2013

munity Court (DACC)- the first community court in Texas and the seventh in the nation.

DACC provides defendants who commit class C misdemeanors that are considered public nuisance/quality of life offenses with the means and encouragement to discontinue their criminal behavior through rehabilitation and community service restitution for the harm caused to the community.

The Court, annually processing an av-

erage of 8,000 to 10,000 cases since its inception, has focused its efforts on engaging repeat offenders who require intensive case management services and rehabilitation. In fiscal year 2009, DACC identified a targeted group of individuals designated as frequent offenders. A frequent offender at DACC is an individual who has had more than 25 legal cases with the court and has had at least one active case in the last two years. These individuals have been classified as “Tier 1” offenders.

The Community Court serves four tiers of offenders. Tier 1 consists of “frequent offenders,” tier 2 consists of individuals with 15-24 cases who are positioned to become frequent offenders without appropriate intervention, tier 3 consists of individuals with 2-14 cases and tier 4 consists of one-time offenders.

In collaboration with other community efforts, such as the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition’s 100 Homes Project, and the City of Austin’s continued effort to secure 350 units of Permanent Supportive Housing units, DACC’s case managers have engaged and connected repeat offenders dealing with substance abuse, mental health and medical issues, to rehabilitative services.

In fiscal year 2012, the court collaborated with Caritas, Foundation Communi-

ONTRIBUTING WRITER

ties and the Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA) and housed 20 of the court’s frequent offenders. Currently, the court is participating in a partnership with the City of Austin’s Health and Human Services Department (HHSD), giving the court access to their Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)/Rapid Rehousing Program, focusing on identifying and serving frequent users of DACC, Front Steps at the ARCH and the COA Health and Human Services Division Communicable Disease Unit (CDU).

The same grant-funded partnership also provided the court with two case managers, supplementing two city-funded case managers that will work on housing and outreach activities, focused on proactively engaging the court’s repeat offender population and connecting them to services that can provide long-term and permanent stability, as well as linking individuals to services before they are charged with additional criminal charges.

Continued collaboration with Travis County Criminal Justice Planning (CJP) and Austin Travis County Integral Care (ATCIC) has allowed the Community Court to directly refer clients to Road to Recovery, an intensive 180-day substance abuse treatment program. Through this collaboration, Road to Recovery has the capacity to treat 40 individuals annually, providing clients with intensive residential substance abuse treatment, connection to mental and physical healthcare, and an array of other intensive support services. DACC also added additional transitional housing units as part of their continuum of services, so that homeless clients, both male and female, have access to temporary housing after treatment while permanent housing is identified.

DACC is faced with many challenges in their work with the homeless community, especially when working with individuals who have extensive criminal histories; a barrier to housing that many DACC clients

regularly encounter. DACC’s current rehabilitation funds will likely be depleted before the end of the current fiscal year, making it more difficult to assist repeat offenders in becoming “housing ready.” Many housing providers require additional steps be taken before an individual can apply for a unit within their housing complex, such as entry into a substance abuse treatment program and obtaining documents such as an ID, Social Security card and birth certificate.

DACC is also tasked with assisting homeless individuals with items such as renter’s fees, security deposits, last-month’s rent, utility deposits or payments, moving costs, emergency rental payments and hotel vouchers. In fiscal year 2013, the court will have limited access to shared funds for these items through the Health and Human Services Department’s ESG Rapid Rehousing grant partnership.

2013 JULY STREET TALK

31

Milestones Getting the GED

Two Street and Bridge employees have completed their GEDs! Please join us in congratulating the following individuals on this wonderful accomplishment:

[1]

Ignacio (Nacho) araujo

[2]

carlos deloera

Outstanding Service to the Citizen Award: overlay crew

The Overlay crew received an award for ‘Outstanding Service to the Citizen’. This includes working above expectations, taking on more work and initiating working under difficult conditions in addition to completing normal service plan operations.

Overlay was able to take on a parking

lot project for the Hornsby Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant. This project took two days to complete, one day to prep and one day to pave. This project generates approximately $40,000 for the City of Austin General Fund and is an example of how Overlay has become very diverse in its operations.

awardees: Mike Fisher Felipe Rodriguez Larry Butler Michael Castro Kenneth Centers Kenneth Chambers Esther Crawford Jacob Diden Aaron Earls John Ford David Freudenberg Joe Hernandez Troy Jackson Gregory Jenkins Frank Kee Luis Lara Frank Lopez Paul Martin Jermey Mosley Frank Reyes Steve Robles Ortegon Arturo Henry Tello Ronnie Walker Lewis Wilkerson James Williams

Street and Bridge Employee Gets the Degree Esther Crawford recently received her Associates of Applied Science & Management Degree and will soon be receiving her Bachelor of Organizational Leadership Degree from the National American University (Austin campus).

She first began her career here at the City in a temporary position in Human Resources. She worked her way up to a full-

time regular employee as a truck driver for the Street and Bridge Operations. She is currently a Tech II and will continue to shine as she focuses on her interpersonal communication, organizational and critical thinking skills. She is working her way up to becoming a part of the Management team for Public Works.

Esther is a hard worker who never fails to assist other employees. She takes the time to help employees with submitting applications and even prepares resumes for them. She does this on her own time before and after work. Her attitude is great and she is a joy to be around and her sense of humor is one of a kind. She is simply one employee who can be relied on to complete any task asked of her.

32 STREET TALK JULY 2013

”

- Superintendent, Steve Robles

street talk extra

UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

public works’ ‘the jerk’ does it again!

The City earned a TAMI second place Silver Star award for its Public Service Announcement (Population 100,000 and greater) for Public Works’ “The Jerk” about road rage.

The TAMI Awards is the leading recognition program in Texas honoring excellence for municipal communication strategies. The award is presented by the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO), which includes members from municipal, county and other related agencies and organizations.

awcaorgdnsi& tion re The following employees received awards during the cipid division meeting: above and beyond

patti moreno

5 years of service

30 years of service

john bowman

pat webre commitment to excellence award

peggy howard

John Grayson, Amateur Comedian.

2013 Child Safety Guard Recognition Luncheon

Each May, as the school year winds to a close, the Child Safety Program has the pleasure of honoring our dedicated crossing guards with a luncheon. Our team of over 220 crossing guards gathers at the Cantu PanAmerican Recreational Center to celebrate another safe, successful year and recognize outstanding employees.

At this year’s event, held May 17, we enjoyed a fajita lunch and a camping theme, creatively decorated by Rhonda Bolick and her team of safety trainers. After a brief speech from Howard delivering the happy news of an

upcoming raise for crossing guards, we said a heartfelt goodbye to retiring longtime supervisor – and amateur comedian - John Grayson.

Dozens of crossing guards were presented with Perfect Attendance certificates and “Caught You Caring” awards for excellent customer service. Awards were also presented to our Supervisor Assistant of the Year Debbie Guinn, Supervisor of the Year Esperanza Schiele and Crossing Guard of the Year Jim Garcia. It was a successful event, filled with “Happy Camper” crossing guards eager to return to work after summer vacation.

Setting the stage for the camping theme.

Listening to the awards presentation after lunch.

2013 JULY STREET TALK

33

milestones

continued from pg. 33

Public Works Wins Big at CORE Awards Breakfast

The annual CORE Awards Breakfast took place at the Dove Springs Recreation Center on Wednesday, May 29th. Breakfast was served and presentations began at 8:00 a.m. The event was a great success with the shorter program and excellent gift for employees. Special thanks to everyone who helped make this event one to remember and congratulations to all the awardees!

Lookin’ sharp

for ‘Director for a Day’ The newest ‘Director for a Day’ was Robert Traylor. After taking Howard to his Street and Bridge worksite, Robert accompanied Howard to a Council Meeting. Would YOU like to be Director for a Day? Contact lucy.bonee@austintexas.gov

cipid:

Karen Maggio’s daughter gave birth to a beautiful little girl on April 30th, 2013. Lily weighed 7 lbs 15 oz, was 21 inches, and was born with tons of hair!

Congratulations!

BABY NEWS!

KAREN MAGGIO

34 STREET TALK JULY 2013

Engineering Services Division

promotions

Congratulations to the following ESD employees who were PROMOTED!

JOHN THOMPSON

JUAN “JOHNNY” GOMEZ

miCHAEL NGUYEN

John Thompson has accepted a permanent Project Coordinator position with the Engineering Services Division (ESD). John has been serving as ESD CAD Manager for over a year as a temporary employee, and has done an outstanding job juggling those duties while also remaining productive in project design.

Juan “Johnny” Gomez has recently received a promotion to Engineering Associate A. We’d like to congratulate Johnny on his hard work and achievement!

Michael Nguyen has also accepted a promotion to Project Coordinator in ESD. Michael has been an integral contributor to ESD both as a designer and providing CAD and network support for the past several years.

congratulations to jose ibarra on becoming a professional engineer!

In the words of Howard, “When my daughter was looking at what it took to become a registered engineer, she said, ‘If I knew it was that hard I could have become a doctor instead.’ I told her that the difference between doctors and engineers is that when doctors make a mistake, they only kill one person, but when engineers make a mistake, we can kill thousands.’ While said in jest, the truth is that as design professionals we hold a sacred public trust in our hands. I know that [Jose] will always respect that responsibility while helping to build the Austin of tomorrow.”

Howard Lazarus accepting his award with Governor Rick Perry. Howard was selected as one of America’s Top Ten Public Works Leaders for 2013. Congratulations, Howard!

2013 JULY STREET TALK

35

milestones

continued from pg. 35

S KUnDeO cor r

Dear Mr. Nation,

I recently had a COA street crew working on the street by my house, and I wanted to take a moment to write to you about my experience. I had asked the supervisor of the group for his supervisor’s name because I wanted to thank you and let you know how having the crew here enhanced my perception of our City at work.

I had some kind of pavement failure going on that resulted in a lot of the asphalt near the curb line being washed away, leaving holes, some kind of deep, between the concrete curb and the street. I called 311 about this, and someone was at my door that same day with a temporary fix. But it’s what happened later that really impressed me. I called back to follow up about when a permanent fix might be done, and within a day, there was a crew here to fix the problem. And although I called about my own curb, the workers noticed that the problem was happening at my neighbor’s home as well, and they fixed that too.

I was outside talking with the workers, and was very impressed with everyone from the main supervisor, Johnny Colvin, to the team leader, Rocky Hernandez, as well as each and every worker, and I wish I could tell you all their names because I think they all deserve to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to working with citizens to resolve problems.

Johnny and Rocky both were willing to take the time to talk with me about what was going on, how the problem would be fixed, time frames, etc. and they were true to their word and got it done. Each and every person involved was hard working and friendly.

Getting to know this group a little bit made me proud to live here in a city where the employees seem to truly care about the citizens they work with and I am now telling all my friends about my great experience and how the 311 system works and that perhaps City bureaucracy and problems inherent in a city of our size that we hear so much about, may be a thing of the past.

My congratulations to you for fostering a work environment where your employees are happy in their work, and out on the streets making the citizens happy too. I hope you will pass this along to others as well, and let them know how much I appreciate you all!

I wanted to give thanks to the gentlemen who were completing the landscaping on Great Northern Boulevard on Monday, June 17th. There were at least 4 men on the crew, and they were using a mower and multiple loud pieces of equipment to tame the brush between the road and Mopac. I was running with my 14-month old daughter in a running stroller. The crew was divided, but each of them stopped their noisy devices and very kindly let us run by without disturbing my daughter. It was so very nice of them to take the time to let her continue to sleep and avoid extra fumes or debris. I have had this experience with many City employees, and I am very grateful. Please thank these gentlemen for doing a very nice job (we were out running again today, and it looks great) and for being so conscientious to us. We really appreciate it!

Yours truly,

Beth

Thank you again,

Kathy

h t 6 e h t m o r f Tales

a Sr.

ip By: Charles Fel

Only on 6th...

From time to time in your life you may encounter a moment that makes you say, “you don’t see that every day.” Well, on 6th street, that’s a weekly occurrence. The crew was downtown in the midnight hours working on a block when I noticed a young woman approach an employee. I then noticed the employee; let’s just call him “Jerimiah,” pointing the woman in my direction.

This is what she had to say…

36 STREET TALK JULY 2013

Woman: I was wondering if the City is hiring.

Me: Yes, the City is always hiring, but this particular crew has no open positions.

Woman: Does the City hire felons?

Me: There are plenty of jobs posted on the City of Austin website that do not require a background check, so the short answer is yes.

Woman: Oh, okay good because I had me a good job and then I found out one of my co-workers was cheating on his wife so I told her. He told my boss that I was interfering in his personal business, and my boss wrote me up. I was upset so I threat-

ened his life. Long story short, my boss fired me and called the cops on me for terroristic threats… now I have a record.

Me: Yeah that sounds unfortunate.

Woman: Yeah it is…now I’m out on these streets bouncing around. I always have folks trying to test me or rob me, but they know who I am now.

Me: Oh yeah?

Woman: Yeah! The cops roll 10 deep when they come lookin’ for me! And I’m not allowed to carry weapons so I use my hairbrush to crack skulls with.

When APD approaches me I say “what it’s just a hair brush” *brushing her hair* Me: Sounds like you got your work cut out for you *stepping back* Woman: Well, anyway I need to get outta here I’m hungry! All I’ve had is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich all day! You take care.

Me: Yes ma’am…you too.

in every issue

WHERE IS SHUV-L-REDDY?

Where In The World Is Shuv-L-Reddy?

Remember Carmen San Diego? Waldo? Well, Shuv wanted in on some of the action…play our guessing game as he wanders around the city at various PWD-related sites...and beyond!

Can you correctly identify both project site locations that Shuv-L-Reddy has visited? Write in to: streettalk@austintexas.gov for a chance to WIN A PRIZE! location 2

location 1

ANSWERS FROM LAST ISSUE: Location 1: Earth Day 2013 Location 2: The City Ethics Bowl

events calendar 2013 JULy Monday

Tuesday

2

1

0

0

OSHA 30 7:45 AM to 3:45 PM Cheatham Facility

Wednesday Thursday

Friday

4

0

3

CITY HOLIDAY 4th of July

class 1-5 PM LRC@ABIA

8

9

0

6

0

Sunday

New Employee Safety Orientation (NESO)

0

5

0

0

Saturday

0

2

1

1

7

0

$ PAY DAY

1

1

3

1

Sunday

4

Defensive Driving

1

class 8:30 AM-4:30 PM OTC-325

6

5

1

1

7 CPR 8 AM-12:00 PM OTC-325

class 1-5 PM LRC@ABIA

2

3

2

1

1

0

2

Sunday

New Employee Safety Orientation

2

9

8

1

4

2

5

2

6

2

7

2

Sunday ROAD-E-O 7:30 AM-12:00 PM

9

2

0

3

New Employee Safety Orientation

class 1-5 PM LRC@ABIA

Night Road Work Planning & Implementation

Night Road Work Planning & Implementation

8 AM- 5 PM Cheathem Facility

8 AM- 5 PM Cheathem Facility

38 STREET TALK JULY 2013

1

2 $ PAY DAY

ROAD-E-O 7:30 AM-12:00 PM

ROAD-E-O 7:30 AM-12:00 PM

8

2

AUGUST

Safety Plus Topic: Pandemic Flu & Business Continuity

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

Friday

1

0

0

2

Saturday

3

0

Sunday

4

0 $ PAY DAY

5

0

6

0

Safety Meeting (PWD/PMD/CID)

7

0

8

9

0

0

8:30-9:30 AM OTC-325

Night Road Work Planning & Implementation

Night Road Work Planning & Implementation

8 AM- 5 PM Cheathem Facility

8 AM- 5 PM Cheathem Facility

2

1

Safety Plus Meeting (SBO Pavement & Infrastructure) class 8-9 AM Cheathem Facility

3

1

Night Road Work Planning & Implementation

Sunday

1

1

Defensive Driving class 8:30 AM-4:30 PM OTC-325

6

5

1

1

8 AM- 5 PM Cheathem Facility

Night Road Work Planning & Implementation

New Employee Safety Orientation class 1-5 PM, LRC@ABIA

8 AM- 5 PM Cheathem Facility

Safety Meeting

8:30-9:30 AM, OTC-325

9

1 Night Road Work Planning & Implementation 8 AM- 5 PM Cheathem Facility

0

6

1

2

class 8:30-9:30 AM 105 Riverside Room 200

Safety Meeting (PWD SBO Utility & Structures) class 8-9 AM Cheathem Facility

Night Road Work Planning & Implementation

8

1 $ PAY DAY

3

2

2

2

7

2

5

2

Defensive Driving

8 AM- 5 PM Cheathem Facility

8

2

Safety Meeting (PWD SBO Utility & Structures) class 8-9 AM Cheathem Facility

Night Road Work Planning & Implementation

New Employee Safety Orientation class 1-5 PM, LRC@ABIA

Defensive Driving

8 AM- 5 PM Cheathem Facility

8 AM- 9 AM, OTC-325 3 PM-4 PM, OTC-325

class 8:30 AM-4:30 PM OTC-325

Safety Meeting (ATD)

4

2

Sunday

class 8:30 AM-4:30 PM OTC-325

Night Road Work Planning & Implementation

7

1

Sunday

Safety Plus Meeting (SBO District Maintenance, IMG) class 8-9 AM Cheathem Facility

2

Computer Ergonomics

8 AM- 5 PM Cheathem Facility

2

4

1

0

1

9

0

2

3

Sunday $ PAY DAY

2013 JULY STREET TALK

39

Write in to us with your suggestions regarding:

Milestones

nominations

writing a guest column photo contribution special events going on in your division employee PROFILE NOMINATIONS ...and anything else we may have missed or you want people to know about

CONTACT US:

streettalk@austintexas.gov