Street Talk | Spring 2015

STREET TALK

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 1

REPORTING ON WHAT MATTERS TO PUBLIC WORKS

SPRING 2015

director’s message

BY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

Taking the Pulse of PWD Responding to and anticipting changes in the workplace.

What’s going on?

cartoon supplied by avature.net

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couple of months ago, my daughter Becky was visiting and we had settled into a nice booth at a local eatery for lunch. We were having a nice daughterDad conversation when my phone started to buzz, so I took it out of my pocket to take a look. Becky became quite disturbed that I was not giving her my full attention, so I turned the device off and we continued our discussion. While we were talking, Becky took her phone out and started texting a friend. Somewhat perplexed, I asked her why she got mad when I checked my phone, but it was fine for her to do so. She looked at me with a slight twinge of condescension, and said “Dad, that’s because my generation knows how to multitask.”

Now, I will admit that I am somewhat puzzled by this recent obsession with generational differences. Change has always been with us. My grandparents went from horses and carriages to the internal combustion engine to space travel. My parents went from the big bands and crooners to rock and roll and later, pop. As a boomer, I’ve gone from counting on my fingers and toes and using slide rules to having the power of the universe in my hand via the smart phone (OK, admittedly not a great example since many of you have caught me still using

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STREET TALK SPRING 2015

the old-fashioned “digital” technology.)

My point in this is that successful organizations have always been able to anticipate change and adapt rather than being dragged kicking and screaming into the future. Like every other employer, PWD is home to a multigenerational workforce.

Technology and its role in our daily lives is just the ‘tip of the iceberg” when it comes to addressing changes in the workplace. Generational perspectives affect how we view our jobs, the degree of workplace flexibility we desire and perhaps most

significantly, how we deliver services to the community.

One of the key tools we’ve used over the past several years to assess organizational health is the Listening to the Workforce (LTW) survey. I recently received the results from last year’s LTW, and want to share them with you. I’ll post the detailed results

by Division on PWD Central for you to look at, but I want to use space in this Director’s Message to explore directions and trends in the data.

THE TABLE BELOW SHOWS THE DEPARTMENT ROLL-UP

BY MAJOR AREA FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS: 2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2014 CITY

Participation

N/A

N/A

93

189

208

98

143

N/A

City uses results of LTW to make improvements in the workplace.

52%

50%

62%

60%

67%

67%

50%

43%

I feel well informed about events/workplace occurrences.

62%

61%

79%

73%

84%

86%

69%

69%

My department communicates the PRIDE values, most livable, and best managed in the US. Personnel Policies

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

69%

62%

60%

55%

56%

65%

67%

75%

66%

63%

63%

Employee Commitment

81%

82%

85%

79%

90%

85%

83%

81%

Department Ethics

61%

59%

71%

68%

76%

71%

59%

60%

Quality of Department Services

79%

81%

83%

83%

90%

83%

79%

77%

Safety

77%

78%

87%

82%

92%

88%

89%

80%

Pay and Benefits

56%

49%

48%

54%

72%

69%

67%

64%

Employee Recognition

56%

49%

48%

54%

59%

56%

47%

43%

Professional Development

N/A

N/A

N/A

68%

76%

73%

64%

63%

Performance Appraisal

N/A

N/A

N/A

59%

70%

64%

58%

56%

Department Performance Measures Sustainability Measures

N/A

N/A

N/A

46%

66%

60%

50%

52%

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

71%

67%

66%

64%

PARAMETER GENERAL CATEGORIES

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS ABOVE, HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS: Overall participation rebounded from a low last year. What is interesting is 98 percent of the respondents said that they had access to e-mail and the internet at work compared to 96 percent citywide, even though 36 percent of our respondents were from Street & Bridge.

That would lead us to believe that we are doing a better job of making computers accessible to our field personnel.

Although generational data is not available, we can use tenure with the City as a surrogate. Our respondents were generally more experienced and had longer tenure, leading to the belief that we got a greater response from our GenXers as opposed to our Millennials.

In general, I also think the slight slippage in all categories is related to changes in the structure of City government and uncertainty about the future. I remain confident that over the next several months our story will tell itself, and we will remain a “go to” department to get things done. We will also continue to be a workplace of choice in the City.

PWD is still at or above City averages in all categories, but approvals are a bit lower (this is also true for the City wide averages) and the favorable gap between our Department and the City has narrowed. I’m not really sure what’s driving the decrease in approval, but here are some areas on which I think we can focus: The largest drop-off was in the communications area. So, in addition to continuing with Street Talk, we’ve included a “Director’s Corner” on the recently launched PWD Central intranet site that is now on your desktops. Similar to a blog, I plan to use it as an additional tool to get information out and dialog with PWD employees.

The next largest decline was in the area of Department Ethics. Drilling down further into this area reveals that in several work places, Public Workers don’t feel that inappropriate conduct is handled properly. This may be attributable to the time when the LTW survey was taken – when we were short three HR team members and there were some pending investigations. Since that time, we have a new HR Manager and an almost full strength HR Office. Department leadership has also talked about how to make the results of disciplinary actions available as feedback so we all will know that unacceptable behavior is addressed fairly and equitably.

The third area showing a significant decline is Department Performance Measures. I think understanding of our success factors will be enhanced through the DASH feature on PWD Central, which will provide a dashboard report on our key metrics.

Through enhancements we’ve made in the budgeting process this year, Division Managers will be in a better position to track performance and relay that back to you.

Let me know if you agree, disagree, or have a different take on the data.

In addition to e-mail, direct contact, and telephone, you can post your thoughts on the Director’s Corner area of PWD Central. I promise to look at the posts daily.

Wow, maybe my generation can multitask after all!

2015 SPRING STREET TALK 03

contents

VOLUME 5

ISSUE 1

contributors

SPRING 2015

EDITORIAL

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Editor in Chief Courtney Black

courtney.black@austintexas.gov

Contributing Writers Howard Lazarus

howard.lazarus@austintexas.gov

Denise Riad

denise.riad@austintexas.gov

Luciano Tamayo

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luciano.tamayo@austintexas.gov

Susan Garnett

susan.garnett@austintexas.gov

Carolyn Perez

carolyn.perez@austintexas.gov

Justin Golbabai

justin.golbabai@austintexas.gov

Janet Wilson

janet.wilson@austintexas.gov

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18

features 14

COVER STORY: BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP IN THE WORKPLACE: Public workers discuss similarities, differences and how we work together towards a common goal.

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CITY OF AUSTIN’S NEIGHBORHOOD COST SHARE PROGRAM AWARDS PROJECT FUNDING TO SIX LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS These six projects represent a diverse and collaborative approach to undertaking City projects in conjunction with neighborhood goals.

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ALL AROUND AUSTIN

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MILESTONES

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Public Workers spent time in February and March 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.

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

STREET TALK SPRING 2015

divisions 05 07

PLANNING FOR SAFETY It’s important to learn the potential hazards of our job.

DAVIS/DEER REALIGNMENT PROJECT FROM BRODIE LANE TO CORRAN FERRY Whether by car, bicycle or on foot, navigating through South Austin just got easier.

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SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL DELIVERS LIFESAVING MESSAGES TO AUSTIN KIDS Curriculum designed to raise awareness of safe walking and cycling.

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MEET THE NEW HR TEAM AT PWD Get important phone numbers and contacts for the newest members of our team!

columns 12

Citywide News Get the latest on new policies, ordinances and information for City employees.

Sylba Everett

sylba.everett@austintexas.gov

Alex Bruton

alex.bruton@austintexas.gov

David Taylor

david.taylor@austintexas.gov

Robin Camp

robin.camp@austintexas.gov

Kathryn Potenza-Arnold

kathrynpotenza-arnold@austintexas.gov

Paul Martin

paul.martin@austintexas.gov

DESIGN Director of Visual Design Alexa Muraida

alexa.muraida@austintexas.gov

Director of Photography Carolyn Perez

carolyn.perez@austintexas.gov

safety zone

BY DENISE RIAD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Planning for Safety

It’s important to learn the potential hazards of our jobs

I

n life, we’re always planning for different events: getting married, buying a home, going on vacation and for retirement. Amid all of the big event planning in our lives, how much time do we spend on planning to work in a safe manner?

It’s important to learn the potential hazards of our jobs and what we can do to prevent our coworkers and ourselves from getting injured. This includes making sure we have the right tools for the job and that all safe guards are in place. A job “hazard analysis” would ensure this, but we still need to take it upon ourselves to work safely.

THE MULTINATIONAL COMPANY DUPONT HAS A PHILOSOPHY THAT WE SHOULD ALL ACT AS OUR OWN “SAFETY DIRECTORS” AND WE MUST BELIEVE THREE SAFETY PRINCIPLES: All injuries and occupational illnesses can be prevented.

Each employee has the responsibility to work safely.

Each employee should ask, “What must I do to keep from being hurt and from hurting others?”

YOUR BEST SAFETY TOOL It’s not just the hard hat, the gear, and the glove That bring you home safe to the people you love, The guard on the grinder, the chain on the hose, The safety-load binder, the foul weather clothes.

The latch on the load hook, the outrigger block, Emergency brakes and the standard wheel chock, The safety valve feature on high pressure tanks, The cave in protection on vertical banks.

The well-installed belt guards, the safety toe shoes, The fire extinguisher ready to use.

The safety belt that holds you inside of your car, The road signs of safety wherever you are.

These things are mere tools, like a carpenter’s plane, They won’t produce safety or minimize pain.

Your health and your safety depend upon you, On whether you think about things that you do.

So think before acting, make thinking, a rule, Make use of your brain--your best SAFETY tool.

Remember planning safety into a work day can prevent workplace injuries!

Source: www.memicsafety.com

Healthy Connections Proves Value beyond Measure Public worker credits program to saving life

BY COURTNEY BLACK EDITOR IN CHIEF

S

treet and Bridge Administrative Supervisor, Fred Garcia, recently had a life-changing experience affected, in part, by his participation in Healthy Connections.

Following an annual health examination, Fred was told that he should make a follow-up appointment with his doctor to further assess his health. Not long after, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. Fred comments, “I was a walking time bomb. I did not have chest pains or fatigue. Nonetheless, I owe it to the City of Austin for sponsoring this life saving program.” Health assessments are offered bi-annually by the City of Austin and are free to the employee. Monitoring one’s health early and often is important and, as Fred can attest, can save lives.

2015 SPRING STREET TALK 05

PWD CENTR AL

TO HELP YOU IN YOUR EXPLORATION AND USE OF PWD CENTRAL, HERE ARE A FEW HELPFUL HINTS: PWD Central launches in your default browser.

Works best in Internet Explorer or Chrome.

Please change your default browser to either Explorer or Chrome. If you have any questions please contact John Vallejo at 4-9720.

PWD Central just finished Phase 1 of its implementation and will be growing and adding new features each week.

The PWD Systems Engineering team created PWD Central for employees to quickly find information about PWD procedures, link quickly to useful tools, and to communicate easily with other PWD employees.

AT PWD CENTRAL YOU WILL FIND LINKS SUCH AS: Director’s Corner: An area for our Director to share his thoughts, answer questions or provide information about things going on in the Department or the City.

Electronic Time: Link to time entry system.

DASH: The new Data Analytics and Statistics Hub (DASH)! Here you will find reports, data, analysis and information for our department’s programs and services.

Safety Office: An area for our safety procedures, newsletters, reporting materials, and general Safety FAQs. Public Works University: This area provides information on Career Progression, PWD Training, and other interesting information.

YOUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT!

Street Talk: Links to an electronic copy of the most recent issue of the Department’s Bi-Monthly magazine.

PWD HR Connection: Links to our Human Resources Team SharePoint site.

APWA: Links the site used to manage our Department’s effort in our American Public Works Association Certification process.

Web Application Links: Links for commonly used City Systems such as eCAPRIS, Ecombs, IMMPACT, and AIMs.

Social: Link takes you to links for Twitter, The Department’s Flickr Account, City of Austin Social Media, Linkedin, Austin Monitor and the Yellow Pages.

City Links: Links to common City links: City Space, Austin Water’s SharePoint, and City Employee Directory, just to name a few.

Organizational Charts: Our current Department Organizational Chart, soon to be update with all organizational charts.

Public Works Standards: Links to our Department Procedures.

System User Sites: Links to a collection of SharePoint User Group Sites that currently exist on special subject matters.

PWD Central’s core purpose is to provide a place for you to go to find what you need to be successful in performing your job, answer a question, or a link to a tool you need. Please send any ideas, suggestions or issues to Jacque Driskell, or check the FAQ section help.

divisions

BY LUCIANO TAMAYO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Davis/Deer Realignment Project from Brodie Lane to Corran Ferry

BEFORE Davis at Goat Cave

AFTER

Whether by car, bicycle or on foot, navigating through South Austin just got easier.

I

f you have driven down Davis and Deer Lanes recently, you may have noticed that traveling through has become much easier thanks to Project Manager, Jessica Salinas, and the entire project team.

The Davis/Deer Realignment, completed in January, included more than 4,000 linear feet of arterial roadway, newly installed sidewalks and bicycle lanes on both sides of the street, two water quality detention/retention ponds, more than 3,000 linear feet of storm drainage work, landscaping elements and traffic signal work.

This project was very complex and required a lot of care due to its location within the Edwards Aquifer and Barton Springs Recharge Zones and the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan. It is also located near several federally monitored caves and crosses over the Magellan high-pressurized gas lines. Public and private entities were very involved in the entire process of the Davis/Deer Realignment Project, which often led to design changes, traffic con-

trol plans and in some cases, changes to the overall project scope.

Once construction began, the project team was presented with various other challenges as well. They discovered underground voids, undocumented pipelines, underground utility conflicts, as well as sulphate in major portions of the project.

The project team did a tremendous job in coping with all the challenges they faced and kept on top of everything so that quick design decisions could be made – from entire pavement design changes, alternate designs of utilities, permitting revisions and corrections, to coordination and creation of traffic control plans. Even though the task at times felt overwhelming, the team worked tirelessly to keep the project moving.

A BIG THANK YOU GOES OUT TO THE PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT. Bimal Adhikary and Luciano Tamayo, ESD - Project designers

BEFORE Davis beside Deerfield Apartment

AFTER

BEFORE Davis at Brodie Intersection

Jessica Salinas, PMD – Project Manager David West, CID – Project Inspector Smith Contracting Company, Contractor

AFTER

2015 SPRING STREET TALK 07

division

City of Austin’s Neighborhood Cost Share Program Awards Project Funding to Six Local Neighborhood Projects These six projects represent a diverse and collaborative approach to undertaking City projects in conjunction with neighborhood goals.

T

he Neighborhood Partnering Program has approved and awarded funding for six new community-initiated projects through the most recent application round of the Neighborhood Cost Share Program. This program assists neighborhood groups willing to share project costs with the City in developing, resourcing, and executing small to medium-sized improvement projects in the City’s right-of-way or on City-owned property.

The awarded community groups initiated and provided the vision for the projects and demonstrated their willingness to cost-share with the City through cash matches, volunteer hours, and in-kind professional services in an amount valued at approximately $181,000. The City leveraged a combined $599,000 from the Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Transportation, and Watershed Protection Departments to fund these six projects valued at approximately $780,000 – a four to one cost-share ratio.

These six projects represent a diverse and collaborative approach to undertaking City projects in conjunction with neighborhood goals. The Neighborhood Partnering Program is excited to support these projects and see them come to fruition.

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STREET TALK SPRING 2015

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING NEIGHBORHOODS FOR THEIR SELECTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SPRING 2015 NEIGHBORHOOD COST SHARE PROGRAM: Austin’s Baseball Legacy Project at Historic Downs Field (Austin’s African American Cultural Heritage District and the Rosewood Neighborhood Plan Contact Team):

1

Located at Downs-Mabson Field, the Austin’s Baseball Legacy Project will create a new park entryway, landscape a wildlife habitat, and build a mosaic mural to commemorate the African-American baseball history at Downs Field. The City will be building a large cinderblock wall for the mural (approximately 10 feet x 64 feet) at the corner of E. 12th Street and Alexander Avenue, a decorative composite fence, and entryway with lighting. The community will be providing professional landscaped design and stamped design drawings for all the project elements, painting the fence, landscaping the entrance area around the new fence to be a Wildlife Habitat, maintaining the landscaping element, and will be providing a cash match. Once the mural wall is installed the Friends of Downs Field will fund an artist, purchase the supplies for the mosaic, and assemble a mosaic mural commemorating the African American history of the field.

division 2

BY JUSTIN GOLBABAI CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Located on Country Club Creek Trail at the northeast end of Elmont Drive, the Country Club Creek Trail Improvements will resurface a portion of the Trail between Elmont Drive and Guerrero Park with high quality crushed decomposed granite road base. The City will be providing and compacting the materials, as well as cutting and filling as necessary. The community will be providing volunteer hours to spread materials, maintaining the trail, and providing a cash match.

Country Club Creek Trail Improvements (South East Trails and Greenways Alliance)

3 Located on EM Franklin Avenue between East Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Manor Road, the EM Franklin Green Street Project will turn a 44 foot wide street into a green street that incorporates traffic calming, rain gardens, street trees, street art, bicycle lanes and a sidewalk. The City will install 7 staggered chicanes that also serve as rain gardens, six median islands angled to slow traffic, a sidewalk, and bicycle lanes. The community will provide the initial drawings for the design, a donation of 30 trees and 400 potted plants for the green spaces, paint and labor to paint the street art, labor to initially plant and maintain the green spaces, and a cash match.

EM Franklin Green Street (JJ Seabrook Neighborhood Association)

4 Lighting the Shoal Creek Trail: West 12th Street and Lamar Boulevard Bridges (Shoal Creek Conservancy):

Located on the Shoal Creek Trail under the West 12th Street and Lamar Boulevard Bridges, the Lighting the Shoal Creek Trail project will install solar powered lighting along the Shoal Creek Trail under the W. 12th Street and Lamar Boulevard bridges.

ADA-compliant curb ramps and bulb outs will also be provided as part of this project. The City will install and maintain the lights, while the community will be providing volunteer work improving the trail around the bridges and a cash match provided by the Downtown Austin Neighborhood Alliance.

Since its inception in 2009, the Neighborhood Partnering Program has awarded funding to 23 projects throughout the City of Austin, supporting the implementation of the vision and actions of Imagine Austin.

Applications for spring funding will be accepted through June 1, 2015.

Wilshire Wood Historic Marker Preservation (Wilshire/Delwood 1 Neighborhood Association)

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Located at the southeast corner of the railroad tracks and Wilshire Boulevard, the Wilshire Wood Historic Marker Preservation project will move and restore the historic subdivision marker at the entrance to the Wilshire Woods neighborhood and install 15 linear feet of curb. The marker is currently located in Capital Metro Right-of-Way, where erosion has caused shifting and stones to start falling out. The proposed project is to reconstruct the sign, using original materials, as close as possible to the original location. The City will provide a concrete slab for the marker to rest on and install the curb. The community will be hiring the mason to disassemble, move, restore, and reassemble the marker in the new location. The neighborhood association will also contribute volunteer hours, pay the flagger fees for Capital Metro and contribute a cash match for the project.

Murchison Pool Improvements (Northwest Austin Civic Association Parks Committee): Located at Murchison Pool on North Hills Drive, the Murchison Pool Improvement project will install a pavilion, shade structure, 8 picnic tables, replace 5 benches, and an ADA compliant curb ramp for the pool area. The City will install each of these elements, while the community will be providing a cash match, donating 50 plants from the neighborhood garden, and provide volunteer hours for facility clean-up, vine and invasive plant removal, and furniture installation.

2015 SPRING STREET TALK 09

6

divisions

BY CAROLYN PEREZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Safe Routes to School Delivers Lifesaving Messages to Austin Kids

Above: Rhonda Bollick and Alex Richardson play a game with 3rd graders at Summitt Elementary

Curriculum designed to raise awareness of safe walking and cycling

E

ver wonder how to get several dozen elementary age kids to pay attention? As any veteran teacher can tell you, play a game!

PWD’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program staff members do just that when they visit area elementary schools to train kids in safe street crossing, bicycle safety, and safe bus riding fundamentals. Designed to be as kidfriendly as possible, the training modules turn potentially dry topics into fun, interactive games that capture kids’ attention. At a recent session held at Summitt Elementary in northwest Austin, the SRTS trainer team shared important information on safe crosswalk and bicycling procedures with two third grade classes. The kids played a game called “Safety Wars” and had fun competing to see who could answer safety-related questions the quickest.

They no doubt left with valuable knowledge that can help keep them safe while walking or bicycling. Five Community Service Division staff members are currently assigned to the program. They include Rhonda Bollick, Claudia Padgett, Alex Richardson, Leticia Richardson, and Imelda Stoebner.

10 STREET TALK SPRING 2015

The Safe Routes to School program currently serves 96 elementary schools located within Austin city limits. Last year, the program provided training to more than 49,627 students.

divisions

BY JANET WILSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Public Works Department Human Resources Staff Get important phone numbers and contacts for the newest members of our team!

A QUICK LOOK

INTO HUMAN RESOURCES

[MEET THE TEAM] Human Resources Manager Shelly Sheppard Human Resources Manager shelly.sheppard@austintexas.gov Office: (512) 974-2353 Cell: (512) 796-8258 Fax: (512) 974-2391

Employee Relations Eliza Adcox Human Resources Advisor eliza.adcox@austintexas.gov Office: (512) 974-7624 Nika Brogan Human Resources Advisor nika.brogan@austintexas.gov Office: (512) 974-7176

Office Administration Janet Wilson Administrative Specialist janet.wilson@austintexas.gov Office: (512) 974-7041

From left to right, top row: Janet Wilson, Shelly Sheppard, Eliza Adcox, Nika Brogan, Rita Mata From left to right, bottom row: Luisa Lopez, Doron Silberstein, Anita Mata

Employment and Compensation

Timekeeping

Luisa Lopez Human Resources Advisor luisa.lopez@austintexas.gov Office: (512) 974-9137

Anita Mata Administrative Senior Anita.mata@austintexas.gov Office: (512) 974-8759

Doron Silberstein Human Resources Advisor doron.silberstein@austintexas.gov Office: (512) 974-7033

2015 SPRING STREET TALK 11

District 1 Ora Houston

District 2 Delia Garza

District 3 Sabino "Pio" Renteria

District 4 Gregorio "Greg" Casar

District 5 Ann Kitchen

District 6 Don Zimmerman

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District 7 Leslie Pool

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1 10 4 9

3

8 5

12 STREET TALK SPRING 2015

1

2

District 8 Ellen Troxclair

District 9 Kathie Tovo

District 10 Sheri Gallo

citywide news

City’s New Municipal Civil Service Rules City transitions from at-will employer to just-cause.

BY SYLBA EVERETT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I

n November of 2012 voters passed an ordinance to amend our City Charter. That amendment moved the City from an at-will employer to a Municipal Civil Service employer with just-cause protections for City employees. Over the last two years the City engaged in a collaborative effort to craft the Municipal Civil Service Rules. The City consulted with other Municipal Civil Service cities across the country to learn from their experiences and met with City staff from all levels to hear their needs and preferences.

In 2014 Council approved the rules and appointed a five-member commission to hear employee appeals and make decisions in the case of City employees who are denied a promotion, discharged, demoted, suspended or put on disciplinary probation. These rules also direct how certain human resource processes must work, such as hiring, reduction in force, discipline and appeals. If you want to learn more about these rules and how they apply, you can visit the following website to check out an overview and video created by the City: http://cityspace.ci.austin.tx.us/departments/hrm/admin

News around the City New Hands-Free Ordinance in Effect AVOID FINES Hands-Free in effect January 1, 2015 -- A new City of Austin ordinance prohibits the use of all electronic hand-held devices while operating a vehicle or bicycle.

To avoid fines up to $500, put your phone away or consider using a hands-free system such as Bluetooth or headphones, or an affixed GPS system.

2015 SPRING STREET TALK 13

BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP IN THE WORKPLACE 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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STREET TALK SPRING 2015

feature

BY COURTNEY BLACK EDITOR IN CHIEF

W

ith a combined staff of over 800 employees, our Public Works Department is teeming with diversity, and with that diversity comes a unique workforce from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and generations. This leads to a workforce rich with different skillsets and specialties. Of course, it also means finding a common ground for us all to communicate and work together harmoniously, which can have its share of challenges.

At present, four generations work side-byside in today’s workplace. While the exact age range and titles vary, generally there are the Veterans (“traditionalists,” age 68+), Baby Boomers (age 4967), Generation Xers (age 34-48) and Millennials (age 13-33). Generations are generally defined by historical periods shaped by the economic, social and political implications. Each generation, therefore, has distinct characteristics that are often reflected by how we interact and approach our work.

Author Marion White wrote the essay, “Re-

thinking Generation Gaps in the Workplace: Focus on Shared Values,” to identify, address and dispel stereotypes about respective generations and talk about what it means to work with those of varying backgrounds. More importantly, she also discusses common grounds that many people, regardless of generation, can agree upon.

White asks, “Have we been so intent emphasizing the differences in the generations that we’ve been blind to our commonalities? Have we unwittingly become victims of stereotyping? Is the gen-

eration gap really that wide?” I think this is a great question as we begin to look at ourselves and assess whether or not we believe stereotypes because we’ve been taught they exist or if there really is a tangible divide that we need to work to bridge. My belief is that we fall somewhere in between and that there exists a bit of truth both in the common generalizations and the idea that we’ve come to expect and accept them.

I ASKED SEVERAL COLLEAGUES FROM DIFFERENT GENERATIONS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE PERCEIVED GENERATION GAP IN THE WORKPLACE, COMMON STEREOTYPES AND WAYS TO REACH A COMMON GROUND.

ALEX BRUTON Millennial What do you find to be the biggest obstacle/biggest benefit to working with colleagues of other generations?

It’s almost cliché at this point, but communication is one of the biggest obstacles. Colleagues from younger generations would rather text or send a quick instant message. Older generations prefer talking in person or over the phone.

One of the biggest benefits is always the different ways people from different generations approach solving problems. There’s such a vast pool of experience and knowledge that makes working collaboratively an opportunity to both learn and share what you know.

What are some tactics you employ to overcome generational differences?

Listening and being flexible. I think we all just want to be valued for what we bring to the workplace and have our opinions and ideas be treated equally. It’s also important to be willing to adapt on both ends of the generational spectrum.

What have you learned from the generation gap (about yourself, about others, about your profession)?

I’ve learned that the generation gap isn’t that big of a deal. It’s more about the culture of your workplace than the age of your colleagues. It’s easy to find common ground when you work in an environment that encourages respect and doing the best job possible. We’re lucky to have a great culture at Public Works that supports people no matter how young or old they are.

DAVID TAYLOR Baby Boomer What are some tactics you employee to overcome generational differences?

Actively listen (rephrase, ask questions, repeat). Try to appreciate personal perspective, motivation and work-style.

What have you learned from the generation gap (about yourself, about others, about your profession)? Everyone works, lives and plays in different ways but often with similar motivations.

What advice do you have for your colleagues or those of other generations?

If you don’t have a child get involved in one’s life; guaranteed to open your mind.

Continued on pg. 16

2015 SPRING STREET TALK 15

feature

continued from pg. 15

CAROLYN PEREZ Generation X What is a valuable lesson you have learned working with a colleague of another generation?

From working with older Baby Boomers and Veterans, I learned to be pragmatic and calmly handle challenges that come up. Older generations have a long-term perspective and have seen everything from war to scarcity. They don’t sweat the small stuff as much.

What advice do you have for younger generations entering the workforce?

When starting out in a career, be aware that anything you post on social media is in the public realm and can be damaging to your reputation and your organization. Social media can be a fun way to connect with others, but never post anything you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see.

Do you think we give too much credit to generalizations about the “gap” and associated stereotypes?

I don’t think we can neatly label and package everyone into little compartments. The minute you do that, someone will come along and completely blow your generalization out the water. Keep an open mind! There are tech savvy older workers and younger workers who aren’t addicted to their smart phones.

KATHRYN POTENZA-ARNOLD Millennial What do you find to be the biggest obstacle/biggest benefit to working with colleagues of other generations?

The biggest benefit is the trove of wisdom and experience we can draw on, especially when us younger people have not had the opportunity to experience enough yet ourselves. The biggest obstacle I’ve noticed is the gap when it comes to new technology. While of course there are exceptions, many people of the older generations seem intimidated by social media, applications, and new technology in general. It’s understandable since these new technologies come with a whole new set of social rules, and are less intuitive to use for people who didn’t grow up with video games, iPods, and computers, but it can be an obstacle now that many of these new technologies are becoming the norm and changing the way we do business.

What are some generational stereotypes that you’ve heard or experienced?

Some generalizations I’ve noticed are that Millennials are entitled, lazy, and live our lives way too ‘fast.’

For baby boomers, it’s too set-in-their-ways, less tolerant, and naïve, especially when it comes to government and technology. Do I think these are true - absolutely not. The generation gap can cause some issues, but I feel like every generation since the dawn of time has been saying ‘we did it better’ or ‘we will do it better.’ The same adjectives have always been used to describe the gaps in generations, and the current ones are no different.

What have you learned from the generation gap (about yourself, about others, about your profession)?

The generation gap has taught me to respect others’ opinions and that we are not so different after all.

Everyone ultimately wants their voice to be heard and to be valued, and I find we are much stronger when we recognize the things we excel and do not excel at, and work together as a team to accomplish our goals…We must work together and utilize our differences to bridge that ‘perspective gap’ in order to get things done, especially in such a forward-thinking department like Public Works, because how can we improve our city if we do not understand each other and our needs?

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ROBIN CAMP Baby Boomer When you think of the generation gap, what are some generalizations made about millennials/baby boomers/etc.?

I guess considering the Boomers are the parents of the Millennials, the Boomers had a sort of self-indulgent and wild youth…Now, the Boomers are “helicopter parents” and try to protect their kids to the point of an inability to detach. However, these two generations also share many things. For instance, with constant reruns, kids see the same TV shows as their parents did. The difference between the Greatest Generation and the Boomer generation is much wider than the distance between the Boomers and the Millennials.

What are some tactics you employee to overcome generational differences?

I try to remember that younger people may not know my references and try to be clear about outcomes.

What have you learned from the generation gap (about yourself, about others, about your profession)? In trying to adjust to the changes in Austin in general, I remind myself that when I arrived, the older generation was probably feeling like we were overrunning them, and their institutions. It’s a cycle of life.

PAUL MARTIN Baby Boomer What do you think are some differences in the current workplace compared to when you were just starting your career?

There is more safety now. Safety was not as much of a priority in previous generations. Being more mindful of safety helps our crews not get injured. Formalized training is also more important now than it was in previous generations. We have the simulators for equipment, subject matter expert training, OSHA training, etc.

What are some benefits of working with those outside of your generation?

You can pick up pointers from both the younger and older generations. You combine this with the knowledge that you already have, and there is no telling how far you can go!

What are some specific strengths of younger versus older generations?

The younger generations are generally more advanced because of the technology we have today and the computer technology as well. Older generations, we can learn from their knowledge and experience. Many have very tactile, on-the-job experience that is very useful.

In talking to PWD staff, it became overwhelmingly clear that we all foster a desire for understanding, communication and common ground. Ben Rosen, PhD argues that “the starting point for bridging any possible generation gap is to build on the similarities.” We are all quite different, but we also share much in terms of motivation.

TO ILLUSTRATE THIS CONCEPT, ROSEN CONDUCTED RESEARCH TO FIND WHAT THREE GENERATIONS (BABY BOOMERS, GENERATION XERS AND MILLENNIALS) HAVE IN COMMON. HE FOUND THAT ALL THREE EXPECT THE FOLLOWING FROM THEIR EMPLOYERS:

1 To work on challenging projects 2 Competitive compensation 3 Opportunities for advancement, and chances to learn and grow in their jobs 4 To be fairly treated 5 Work-life balance While we may approach work differently, the idea that we are all looking to be fulfilled and rewarded in our positions is something that we can grasp. I think what’s also important to note is that this remains true across the board. Whether we’re talking about upper management or a recent graduate just starting his or her career, we all have this in common.

So, the next time you make a generalization about someone – challenge it. The next time someone makes a generalization about you – prove them wrong. The next time you’re faced with learning something new – embrace it! The Public Works Department is such a unique and interesting crew with a ton of interesting skills to share. In 2015, let’s learn from one another and see what we can do!

2015 SPRING STREET TALK 17

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events

Auditorium Shores Improvements to wrap up as event season begins

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.

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In November, PWD reached a significant milestone with the completion of Water Treatment Plant #4. The new plant, which has a current capacity of 50 million gallons per day (MGD) and an ultimate build-out capacity of 300 MGD, will improve water service to the northwest quadrant of the city and provide redundant capacity in the event of required maintenance of the two existing aging plants. It also reduces energy consumption due to its higher elevation and provides the lowest elevation intake in Lake Travis. The Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method was used to provide consistent oversight and coordinated delivery of the intake structure, treatment plant facilities and finished water transmission main. The project was completed within 1.4 percent of the original budget.

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Commissioning and Start Up of WTP4

It’s a sunny day on Rainey Street

If you’ve taken a walk down Rainey Street lately, you may have noticed that walking in particular has become much safer and easier in the district – thanks to Public Works Proj-

ect Manager, Mark Schruben.

Due to the difficult grade changes along Rainey Street, the unique history, and the need to coordinate with the numerous developments going on at the same time in the area, Mark decided that field engineering would prove to be a more cost effective approach. With the help of a consultant and an IDIQ contract, Mark was also able to save a lot of time by eliminating surveying, design, permitting, and bid and award phases.

The first phase of improvements along Rainey Street began with the installation of speed cushions in March 2014, along with the repaving and restriping of the road.

Subsequent improvements began in October 2014 and will continue in phases through 2016.

The overall scope of this project includes the installation of sidewalk/pedestrian facilities along Rainey from Driskill to River Street, the south side of Cummings Street and the east side of East Avenue from Cummings to River Street, added ADA accessible parking, bicycle facilities and improved street lighting to mitigate potential hazards for pedestrians in the Rainey Street District.

Special thanks goes out to Mark, Street and Bridge crews and ATD for helping to make this project successful.

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STREET TALK SPRING 2015

Construction improvements at Auditorium Shores began in January 2014 through funding provided by C3 Presents (C3), the organizer of the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

The Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), in partnership with the Austin Parks Foundation have been working on an enhanced set of improvements that bring a renewed focus on this facility as a great urban park that can sustainably accommodate patrons, special events and community gatherings.

Once construction wraps up in April, this event space will have enhanced recreation opportunities including a newly designed and developed off-leash area, realignment of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail, and irrigation and new turf grass for the East and West Lawns. Project improvements will also include a riparian restoration of the shoreline buffer along Lady Bird Lake that will establish a new Grow Zone to arrest on-going shoreline erosion and enhance bio filtration.

Bob Egan is the project manager for this project.

41 Update on the Waller Creek Tunnel Project The Waller Creek Tunnel was originally scheduled to be “flood ready” by the end of 2014, but is now running a few months behind schedule and will likely open sometime this spring. Heavy rains flooded the outlet construction site this fall and put the project one to two months behind schedule.

Additionally, PWD’s project team, during regular quality assurance inspections, noticed indentations in the tunnel’s concrete lining that need be repaired and smoothed over before it can be flooded. The concrete issues happened when concrete was pumped between excavated earth and wooden forms to form the tunnel. The contractor’s crews have been chipping out and replacing patches of concrete to reinforce it and ensure it can withstand the force of a 100-year flood.

Last year, it was discovered that the inlet structure in Waterloo Park, which will channel flood waters into the tunnel and house a debris removal system, was sixteen feet taller than required to be in a protected Capitol Corridor view.

The Joint Venture of Espey Consultants and Kellogg Brown and Root (JV) are currently redesigning parts of the structure at no cost to the city. The City and the JV are still negotiating who will pay to rebuild the structure. The new design will be reduced in height, but will maintain roughly the same footprint. The main difference between the old design and the new design is that debris will need to be removed manually rather than via a fully automated system. The intake structure, along with two creekside outlets, is expected to be complete by the end of 2015.

Once all Waller subprojects and site restoration work are complete, the Waller Creek Conservancy https://www. wallercreek.org/vision/ has an ambitious plan to redevelop the entire Waller Creek District into a chain of green spaces that run from Waterloo Park to Lady Bird Lake.

5 MoPac Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridges Construction Project Update Construction of the MoPac Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridge is moving along! Construction of the 14-foot-wide, 1,045-foot-long MoPac Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridge began in February 2014. The bridge is being built adjacent to MoPac and spans the Barton Creek Greenbelt at MoPac. A second bridge will be built that will span Loop 360. This entire project is expected to be complete by December 2015.

PHASE 1: BARTON CREEK SEGMENT The Barton Creek segment extends from the Mopac Northbound Turnaround Bridge to just north of Barton Creek with retaining wall work on the Mopac Southbound Turnaround.

Current Status: Due to unexpected subsurface soil conditions, the proposed foundation system required a redesign, which was completed in October 2014. The City and TxDOT are now working with the contractor to determine any impacts to the project schedule. It is expected that micropile testing will commence in early 2015 with the installation of production piles to follow shortly after.

THE FOLLOWING IS A TIMELINE OF CONSTRUCTION EVENTS DURING THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2014: August 2014 | Construction activity included the drainage system for the bike path, drop inlets, culverts and reinforced concrete pipes built to completion.

September 2014 | Construction associated directly with the bridge began. Excavation work in preparation for the foundation installation was completed. Efforts associated with drainage continued as the existing culvert beneath the Southbound Turnaround was extended. The newly lengthened culvert now reaches from the edge of the existing Southbound Turnaround to the proposed edge of what will be the adjacent bike path.

PHASE 2: 360 SEGMENT The 360 segment extends from the termination of the north end of the Barton Creek segment to the Northbound Mopac Frontage Road north of Loop 360.

Current Status: Utility relocations for the Loop 360 segment have been completed. The construction contract for this segment was awarded in December 2014 and the contractor will begin construction in January 2015. to the project schedule. It is expected that micropile testing will commence in early 2015 with the installation of production piles to follow shortly after.

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THE FOLLOWING IS A TIMELINE OF CONSTRUCTION EVENTS DURING THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2014: August 2014 | A construction contract was awarded to Austin Filter Systems, Inc. for the Northern extension of the bike path as it crosses Loop 360 from Barton Creek north to Tuscan Terrace.

September 2014 | The relocation of utilities associated with Austin Energy was completed.

October 2014 | Utility relocation associated with AT&T was completed.

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October 2014 | Construction of retaining walls along the east side of the Southbound Turnaround began. Construction for walls along the west side of the northbound turnaround also began. Footing work for walls near detention basin #1 has been completed.

FUN FACT A ‘micropile’ is a small diameter concrete pile that is installed at a shallow depth into the ground. Micropiles are designed to support loads in excess of 200 tons. When complete, there will be 153 micropiles installed that support the MoPac Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridges.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT AWARD WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPT. AWARD OF MERIT Roxanne Cook, Project Management Division Manager, recently received the Watershed Protection Department’s Award of Merit for “preserving to enact an effective watershed ordinance.” Roxanne worked with Matt Holland and his team to help draft language and criteria regarding the new ordinance. Way to go, Roxanne!

Milestones 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’!

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING WELCOMES NEW EMPLOYEE + TEAM MEMBER Business Systems Engineering Office would like to welcome Cynthia Manor to their team. Cynthia began her career with the City in an administrative support capacity and eventually worked her way in to computer support. She has worked in various departments over the years, including PARD, AWU, HRD and the City Clerk’s Office. Cynthia graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and continued to study graphics and web design at Austin Community College, which eventually led her to her current position as Business Systems Analyst at Public Works. As of October 2014, Cynthia has completed twenty years of service with the City of Austin. Welcome aboard!

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES AWARDS + RECOGNITION YEARS OF SERVICE

Lek Matep, 15 Years of Service as of February 7, 2015.

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STREET TALK SPRING 2015

ABOVE + BEYOND AWARD Felicia Teague received the Above & Beyond Award taking the initiative to go through all of the project files at the St. Elmo office and making a list of each item needed close out these projects. With the inspectors working in the field 90% of the day, her efforts have made their jobs much easier by helping them keep track of items they were missing. This has increased the amount of projects inspectors and supervisors have been able to close out, and has allowed the inspectors to work more efficiently on their projects.

Greg Weems rwas given the Above & Beyond Award because of his prompt response to a resident who sent a message late at night out of frustration and anger with the City of Austin regarding work in their neighborhood. He researched the problem and met with the resident the very next morning. By 11:00 a.m. the next day, Greg sent a summary email to the project manager who thanked and praised him for a job well done!

street talk extra UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

TALES FROM THE SIXTH

R

ecently, when the night crews were pulling up to a job site on 6th Street, something very bizarre occurred. A citizen who was clearly inebriated jumped in the back seat of the crew cab. Yes, you read correctly. A citizen jumped in the back seat of the crew cab! The crew member who told me this story asked to remain anonymous, so I’ll just refer to him as “Jermaine.” Jermaine was in complete and utter shock to look in the back seat and see a young lady sitting there as if she was in a taxi waiting for a ride.

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED NEXT: Jermaine: Ma’am, are you alright?

Young lady: Never better!

Jermaine: Well, you can’t be in here and I am going to have to politely ask you to leave.

Young lady: Are you serious? What’s the big deal? I need a ride home!

Jermaine: I can’t give you a ride home in this vehicle, and again I have to ask you to exit before I call the authorities.

Young lady: Never in my life did I think that I would be discriminated against! It’s not because I’m white, is it?

Jermaine: No ma’am, that’s not it at all.

Young lady: Well what could it be? You have your lights on, so I jumped in for a ride. Don’t you get paid to take people home?

Jermaine: No ma’am. I get paid to clean and maintain sidewalks. This is not a cab; it is a City of Austin vehicle. If you get out, I’ll show you all of the decals on the doors to prove it.

Young lady and Jermaine exit the vehicle and Jermaine secretly locks the doors.

Jermaine: You see right there it says “City of Austin Street and Bridge.”

Young lady: I thought this thing was a little big to be a cab, but then I thought to myself, “the light is on and I need a ride.” Can I be that drunk?

Jermaine: Is that a rhetorical question, ma’am?

ENGINEERING SERVICES CORNER GOODBYE FAREWELL

FAMILY ADDITION

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES

Richard Fraser,

Roger Hickman and his wife Kasey are proud and first time parents to a baby boy, Gibson.

Gibson was born last Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 12:43 A.M. He weighs 7 pounds and 10 ounces and 22 inches in length. Congratulations!

ESD would like to congratulate Aaron Hanna and Jothika Thivakaran for recently passing the Texas Board of Professional Engineers. Aaron has been with ESD for seven years now, and Jothika joined us from WPD in November of last year.

had just retired last January 2015. He said he will be moving to Colorado and will enjoy the cold weather up there and the skiing. We wish you the best Richard!

We now have two additional professional engineers to add to our talented work group.

2015 SPRING STREET TALK 21

calendar

April Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday 0

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Friday

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Saturday

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Texas Young Composers Concert April Fools Day

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West End First Thursday

First Thursday on South Congress

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8

Nerd Nite PE QUARTER 2 classes begin

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Easter Hill Country Tour

Passover Begins [at sunset]

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9

Sunday

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0

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5

Run to the Sun

1

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Sunday $ PAY DAY

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Passover Ends [at sunset]

Run to the Sun

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Easter

Austin International Poetry Festival

Safety Meeting 8:00-9:00 AM St. Elmo

Safety Meeting 8:30-9:30 AM OTC-325

Mighty Texas Dog Walk

Cactus & Succulent Show & Sale

Fusebox Festival Safety Meeting 8:00-9:00 AM St. Elmo

Funky Chicken Coop Tour

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1

Capitol 10K

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2

East Austin Urban Farm Tour

Austin Autism Bike Ride

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Record Store Day

Safety Meeting 8:30-9:30 AM OTC-325

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Live Fire!

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Third Thursday at Blanton Museum

Lonestar Rod + Kustom Round Up

Old Settler’s Music Festival

Austin Reggae Festival

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2

Cine las Americas

3

2

Moontower Comedy + Oddity Festival

2

7

2

8

Austin Food + Wine Festival

Austin Fashion Week

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Art City Austin Eeyore’s Birthday Party Louisiana Swamp Thing and Crawfish Festival

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Sunday

Earth Day Safety Meeting 8:00-9:00 AM St. Elmo

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Sunday

$ PAY DAY

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0 Sunday

Safety Meeting 8:30-9:30 AM OTC-325

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STREET TALK SPRING 2015

Shakespeare in the Park

calendar

MAY Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

Friday

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Free Comic Book Day Worlds Biggest Disc Golf Weekend Pecan Street Festival

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Sunday Corporate Battle of the Bands * No Pants Day

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Shakespeare in the Park West End First Thursday

First Thursday on South Congress

Cinco de Mayo

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0 Rookie Triathlon

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Austin Psych Fest $ PAY DAY City Olympics Krieg Field

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Sunday Mother’s Day

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Pachanga Latino Music Festival Mini Maker Faire Ney Day

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6

Sunday Shakespeare in the Park

Nerd Nite

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UT Commencement Fiesta Amistad Texas Tax-Free Appliance Weekend

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Bike to Work Day

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Sunday Shakespeare in the Park

2

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2

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$ PAY DAY

8

2

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Austin Jazz Festival

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Fight for Air Climb

Capital of Texas Triathlon OFFICE CLOSED Memorial Day

You can find further details about Austin Events from austin.bigweekendcalendars.com

Sunday Ballet under the Stars

Deadline to file claim for FLEXTRA Health Care Expenses

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2015 SPRING STREET TALK 23

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