Street Talk | January 2013 Issue

STREET TALK

REPORTING ON WHAT MATTERS TO PUBLIC WORKS

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

PUBLIC WORKS COLUMBIA

THE IMAGINE AUSTIN PLAN/ SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS/ CIVIL SERVICE/ THE 2012 BOND PROGRAM/ SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL/ THE FUTURE OF IH35 THE INNOVATION OFFICE/ CHANGING THE PIPELINE BUILDING GREENER/ OPERATIONS IN OMAHA ORANGE

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 1

JANUARY 2013

director’s message

BY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

Happy New Year Public Works!

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he end of the old year and beginning of the new provides the opportunity to be both reflective and resolute at the same time. This perspective is reinforced in my work environment as I sit down and contemplate the Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2012 and the Business Plan for FY14 at the same time. Sandwiched between these two bookends is the change that we are experiencing in the current fiscal year (FY13). I’d like to use this Director’s Message to spend some time talking about how these recent events will affect how we deliver services to the Austin community.

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This past year, the Council approved the Imagine Austin Plan as the comprehensive plan for the City. Unlike master plans that I’ve experienced in the past, Imagine Austin does not prescribe a detailed set of projects and actions that will produce a clearly defined result.

Instead, it provides a set of concepts and principles to be applied to all future work efforts consistent with overall community values. While these tenets will be used to justify capital investments, the means and methods by which progress against the plan have not been fully developed. Staff from PWD is involved in these discussions, and our role as the capital project delivery agency is ingrained in the planning effort.

In November, the voters authorized the City to issue over $300 million in bonds in support of a wide-ranging Capital Improvement Program. As stated above, PWD is the entity responsible for the delivery of most of these projects, so the approval of the bond program provides stability for the department over the next several years. Included in the $143 million for transportation projects was $11.7 million for construction of a new Service Center to replace the current facilities at Harold Court. The new Service Center may be at Harold Court or another location, but regardless of the location, the good news is that we are on our way to upgrading the facilities for our field crews.

Single Member Districts | This past election, Austin voters

Civil Service | The voters also approved a change to the City

The Imagine Austin Plan

approved a change to the City charter that will create geographic representation in the City Council.

The change establishes an eleven person Council, with a Mayor elected on a City-wide basis, and 10 Council Members elected to represent distinct geographic areas. From a Public Works perspective, I don’t believe the change in structure of City government will have major impacts on how we plan and execute work. We already schedule work to ensure equity of expenditures on a City-wide basis, and we’ve been identifying our capital projects by zip code for over two years. Our challenge will be to continue to relate expenditures to condition assessment, and show a “rolling balance” of capital and operating programs over a period of time.

The 2012 Bond Program |

Charter that adopts a Civil Service system for nonuniformed employees. Having worked in Civil Service environments in the past, I can tell you that the intent is to achieve greater consistency throughout the City on how personnel matters are addressed, including hiring, promotions, and disciplinary matters. The implementation of a new system on a City-wide basis is an enormous task for the Human Resources Department (HRD), and we will have to show patience as HRD comes forward with the breadth and timing of the implementation plan. However, I can tell you that the initiatives we’ve taken in PWD to address hiring and promotion, training, and career progression are consistent with the goals of a Civil Service system, so there is no reason to worry about or fear the changes. The City of Austin and your Public Works Department will continue to be “workplaces of choice” with safe, healthy, fair, and secure work environments.

PWD leadership will continue to do all it can to smooth out the bumps in the road, but we should all accept that change is not only inevitable, but also provides an opportunity for us to continually reshape and prepare ourselves for the future.

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Control your destiny or someone else will.

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In the words of Jack Welch, former Chief Executive Officer of General Electric

I’d like to continue this conversation with anyone who has a question or concern. Please call, e-mail, stop-in, or catch me around the Department.

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VOLUME 3

ISSUE 1

contents

JANUARY 2013

COVER STORY

THE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ Visionary, agile, efficient: Public Works prepares for Austin’s future.

The swimming pool at the recently opened North Austin Community Recreation Center (NACRC).

contents

VOLUME 3

contributors

ISSUE 1

JANUARY 2013

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief Shannon Wisner

shannon.wisner@austintexas.gov

Michelle Frith Chief Reporter michelle.frith@austintexas.gov

Contributing WriterS

Howard Lazarus

howard.lazarus@austintexas.gov

Lek Mateo

lek.mateo@austintexas.gov

Luciano Tamayo

luciano.tamayo@austintexas.gov

Denise Riad

denise.riad@austintexas.gov

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Chelsea Donahue

chelsea.donahue@austintexas.gov

Max Eby

max.eby@austintexas.gov

Peter Davis

peter.davis@austintexas.gov

Robin Field

robin.field@austintexas.gov

Doug Matthews

doug.matthews@austintexas.gov

design

Muraida Chief Graphic Designer: Alexa alexa.muraida@austintexas.gov

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COVER STORY: THE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

Shannon Wisner Director of Photography: shannon.wisner@austintexas.gov

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Visionary, agile, efficient: Public Works prepares for Austin’s future.

DRIVING IN SNOW AND ICE Central Texas is not known for cold winters, but snow and ice can arrive. Learn how you can be prepared!

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

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’!

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CHILD SAFETY MAPS SAFE ROUTES FOR PARENTS Child Safety adds to its team, and rounds out its Safe Routes to School Program.

DIRTY BUSINESS CIP Inspection learns the dirty side of the job.

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CHANGING THE PIPELINE AWU and Public Works Partner to install upgrades, and coordinate new projects.

QSMD EXPLORES THE ‘FULL SPECTRUM’ OF GREEN BUILDING This year’s Greenbuild conference, held in San Francisco, CA offers insight through workshops and tours.

OPERATIONS IN OMAHA ORANGE What Public Works is doing to increase the safety of our fleet on the Austin roadways.

The City of Austin partners with other agencies to determine the future of IH35.

columns CHANGE, INNOVATION AND PRIDE The City’s Chief Communications Officer serves up a little food for thought, discussing a new concept for harnessing your ideas.

GETTING BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS How employees can access services to deal with life issues.

IH-35… IT IS A-CHANGIN’

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

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safety zone

BY DENISE RIAD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Driving in Snow and Ice

Central Texas is not known for cold winters, but snow and ice can arrive. Learn how you can be prepared!

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he best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it. Don’t go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have done their work, and allow extra time to arrive safely. Prepare in advance by winterizing your vehicle before winter strikes. Schedule a maintenance check-up for the vehicle’s tires and tire pressure, battery, belts and hoses, radiator, oil, lights, brakes, exhaust system, heater/defroster, wipers and ignition system. Keep your gas tank sufficiently full - at least half a tank.

It’s important to note that rain, snow, and ice dramatically affect the braking distance of a vehicle. The driver’s capability to complete a smooth and safe stop is severely limited due to reduced tire traction. In order to stop safely, your vehicle’s wheels must maintain traction by remaining on contact with the road surface while rolling, referred to as “rolling traction.” The keys to safety are slower speeds, gentler stops and turns, and increased following distances. Drivers should reduce their speed to half the posted speed limit (or less!) under snowy road conditions. driving safely on icy roads

if your rear wheels skid...

if you get stuck...

Decrease your speed. You should allow at least 3x more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.

Take your foot off the accelerator.

Spinning your wheels will only dig you in deeper.

Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.

Turn on your lights to increase your visibility.

Keep your lights and windshield clean.

Use low gears, especially on hills.

Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.

Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, in wet conditions you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways.

Don’t pass snowplows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and the road in front of them is likely worse than the road behind.

Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left, etc.

If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle under control.

If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.

If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes, but apply steady pressure instead. You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal. if your front wheels skid...

Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral; don’t try to steer immediately.

As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return.

As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Put the transmission in “drive” or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

Turn wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.

Use a light touch on the gas, easing your car out.

Shovel snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.

Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.

Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner’s manual first — it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift from forward to reverse, and back again.

Each time you’re in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.

Sources: National Safety Council, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Washington State Government Information & Services, and SafeMotorist.com

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Child Safety Maps Safe Routes for Parents Fresh faces and new changes! Child Safety adds to its team, and rounds out its Safe Routes to School Program.

BY CHELSEA DONAHUE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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his fall has brought a lot of great changes to the Neighborhood Connectivity Division’s Child Safety Program! The addition of three new employees joining the program from Health and Human Services has enabled it to further expand its services to Austin’s schoolchildren and parents. Kristi Stillwell and Alex Ayala have joined the excellent team of Child Safety Trainers and are out in the schools instructing children in safe pedestrian and bicycling behavior each day. Dawn Rogers, the new Administrative Senior, has taken over the essential duties of timekeeping and distributing paychecks to the 230 Crossing Guards, processing mileage reimbursements, assisting Crossing Guard Supervisors, and doing the many assorted tasks that keep the program running smoothly!

With this expanded capacity, Child Safety has many new exciting projects in the works. The program will create Safe Routes to Schools maps for each of the 96 schools it services. This is being done in response to parent feedback at PTA coffees and Campus Advisory Committee meetings. Parents choosing active transportation for their children indicated a lower comfort level with a group assembly and travel model even with adult volunteers present. Parents’ preference is to have more control over when their children head to school or come back home.

The purpose of the maps is to empower families to make safe, informed decisions about routes when individual travel is chosen. The maps will highlight the safest roads and crossing guard locations within

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the walking radius of the school. These maps will also be useful in applying for grant funding for new pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects.

When the maps are distributed via e-blast to the parent population in the seven school districts currently served, the program anticipates that active transportation will rise. According to Child Safety Pedestrian Count Surveys, nearly 30% of children already walk or bike to school in Austin.

In the coming months staff will be in the field, walking each potential route, and finding the safest way from your neighborhood to your child’s school! During this fieldwork, the focus will be on checking for obstacles to pedestrian and bicycle safety and working to address po-

Did You Know?

The Child Safety Program supervises elementary schools not only in the Austin Independent School District, but also covers schools in Round Rock ISD, Manor ISD, Del Valle ISD, Eanes ISD, Pflugerville ISD, and Leander ISD. tential hazards.

Do you walk or bike with your children to school? Let us know which routes you use, and how they could be improved!

Email your comments to: chelsea.donahue@austintexas.gov.

divisions

BY LEK MATEO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Juanita Tovar, a dump truck driver with the Street and Bridge Divison’s Central Yard takes an exam during the Basic Soil Technology Training Oct. 12.

Dirty Business

CIP Inspection learns the dirty side of the job.

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he adage “a house is only as good as its foundation” rings true for all PWD employees who help deliver capital projects. Because of this, CIPID requires that all inspectors attend core training classes in the areas of asphalt, concrete, underground utilities, and roles and responsibilitie as part of their professional development. These courses are also offered to other City employees as part of the inspector trainee program developed to train and recruit potential inspectors.

In a recent basic soils technology class, students got their hands dirty while being instructed on the mechanics and behavior of the different types of soil commonly found in Central Texas. The class instruction included various engineering methods that are used to treat and manipulate soils that have high shear strength capable of breaking apart a metal pipe buried underground or heaving a reinforced concrete road above ground. Also covered were excavation safety (an important topic considering the unstable soils in the Austin area), and the various laboratory and fieldtesting methods to verify compaction requirements of the material.

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Instructor Freddie Alonzo, who has over 15-years of experience in materials testing and inspection, explained that the training gives the inspector the knowledge base to deal with various soil conditions they may encounter on their project and to learn the basics of soil terminology. “We need to start learning the basic inspection fundamentals and also know the engineering terminology and construction process so that they can relate to the engineers, contractors and materials testing technicians,” Alonzo said.

Alonzo stressed that it is very important to understand that inspectors are not expected to be engineers but should assist

Supervisor Pat Webre observes a mixer processing cement treated base on the Group 7 & 9 project.

the project team with constructing a quality, long-lasting product. Because the field of soil technology is so in depth, Alonzo hopes that inspectors continue their learning beyond his class. “The goal is to get them motivated to learn more about soils and to continue that path of learning to make them a better inspector.”

Inspector Stephyn Holland, a 40year veteran of the construction industry, has a unique background as a general contractor. Holland admitted that although he has a lifetime worth of construction experience under his belt, he doesn’t know everything about soils. This training, he says, gives him different viewpoints, methods and options to consider when working with the material.

Holland added, “The construction technology that we know and use on a daily basis is continually changing and no matter how long you’ve been in the business, there are still things to learn and new ways to do things.” He emphasized that because of this, the training is essential for experienced inspectors as well as those newer to the profession. “I think the City offers a great deal of training options for employees who do not have a lot of real work experience to help them progress in their field,” Holland said.

Inspector Rick Glosson (background) and a materials testing engineering technician discuss the result of a compaction test on cement treated flexible base for a street reconstruction project.

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guest column

BY DOUG MATTHEWS COPORATE COMMUNICATION

Change, Innovation and PRIDE The City’s Chief Communications Officer serves up a little food for thought, discussing a new concept for harnessing your ideas.

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here’s one thing we can count on when we work in local government – change is inevitable. Of course, there’s a wide spectrum of change that might affect our work. New bosses, new co-workers, new technology, and new Council priorities can be just a few of the factors. But it’s important that we realize that – in general – change is good. It’s a sign of evolution and progress as an organization, and can be a powerful driver for employee and organizational performance. That can only be true, though, if we take a step back and realize that the best way for us to weather change is to participate in it. Even better is to initiate it.

I share a simple bit of guidance to my team whenever I get the chance. It is one word that encapsulates how I expect the team to approach our work – THINK. It might sound too simple, but coming to work shouldn’t just be about doing work.

We should be thinking about our work, and how we might improve and innovate to make ourselves and the organization better. To me, it’s the first step in moving beyond being affected by change, and toward taking control of the change process.

A few months ago, I was lucky to be able to spend a day with a group of city innovators from around the country in Washington, DC. It was both humbling and energizing to hear about what some of these individuals were doing in their communities to improve civic life. What struck me most was the common theme in all of their stories – they all believed

that they had the power to change the way government worked, and by extension, the power to change the way that residents think about their local government.

So when the City Manager asked me to help organize an innovation program for the City of Austin earlier this year, I was excited at the prospect. As you’ve likely heard, Marc Ott strongly believes that good ideas can – and do – come from anywhere within the organization. How do we not only embrace ideas, but help develop and test them? Is there a way for us to create an “incubation” space for great ideas to improve the way we operate? How do we unite the collective brainpower of our City organization with the incredible resources we have in our local universities and private industries? Those are some of the questions we’re aiming to address as we develop the Innovation Office concept.

Each time we reflect on the PRIDE values, it’s an opportunity to ask ourselves how we’re contributing to them each day.

The “I” in PRIDE – Innovation and Sustainability – already exists in many ways throughout our organization. Our hope is that, by providing a “front door” for your innovative ideas, we might accelerate the innovation process, and perhaps discover some new things that can improve the way we serve our residents.

We’re still developing the concept, but you can expect to hear more early on in the coming year. To help move it forward, I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas. After all, the program will only be successful with your participation. So if you have some time, feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you think – douglas.matthews@austintexas.gov or give me a call at 512-974-2231.

Innovation in action! The City of Austin and the Austin Fire department partnered with Code for America to create a website and app called prepared.ly, which assists with wildfire preparedness.

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divisions

BY MAX EBY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Getting by with a Little Help from Our Friends

How employees can access services to deal with life issues.

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id you know you have a team of personal assistants waiting to help you?

Actually, you have your own 24-hour team of professional guides, counselors, researchers, and trainers just a mouse click or phone call away! Alliance Work Partners provides City employees and those living in the same household a wide variety of valuable services. When the goin’ gets tough, the tough enlist the help of a knowledgeable advisor! Alliance can provide the advisor who will help resolve a family or work crisis, work through marital issues, or suggest healthy ways to manage anger and stress. Alliance is also up for dealing with the challenging issue of substance abuse and will provide support. If a personal counselor is needed for any issue, Alliance provides five free and confidential sessions per episode and most need to attend less than five.

Just pick up the phone and connect with an expert at 800-343-3822 any time, day or night. You may also visit online http://www. alliancewp.com for more information. Alliance has many offerings that can help you and your family. A troubled teen may prefer to talk to someone outside the family and Alliance can provide just that person. The Teen Helpline can be reached 24 hours a day at 800-334-8336.

And if money issues are on your mind, cash in on three free financial counseling sessions!

In addition to a counselor, Alliance can serve as your personal 4-1-1 center! Their databases contain lots of information about child and elder care, adoption planning/education, consumer protection, travel resources, and academic services.

Finally, as we begin the holiday season please remember that Alliance can help if you feel unable to drive for any reason. The Safe Ride Home program allows you to call a cab to take you home up to 50 miles one-way - it’s easy! All you do is pay the cab fare and ask for a receipt from the cab company. Then, call Alliance to arrange reimbursement and they pick up the tab.

hot tip:

Consider attending the many training courses provided

by Alliance at City workplaces. Your Public Works Workforce Development Team has partnered with Alliance WP over the last 3 years to provide leadership courses on workplace communication and generational differences. Alliance delivered a spot-on performance each time and students rated the courses highly! Don’t hesitate to call for a complete topic list and contact your training representative to organize a free class for five or more employees.

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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.

F1 Bicycle Route gets Rave Reviews

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n day one of the Formula 1 races, Council Member Chris Riley, Bicycle Program Staff, Austin American Statesman Staff, folks from Bike Austin, and race-bound citizens gathered at City Hall for the inaugural Formula One group bicycle ride. The group left around 8:45am to embark on the 10-mile long ride, which led to Richard Moya Park – the location of the bike valet and bicyclist-

specific shuttle to the track. The bike valet, operated by the Bicycle Sport Shop, was complete with showers, friendly staff, and a secure place to park your bike – all for free!

The route was marked approximately every 1,000ft with signage to guide riders to the park. Preparing the route was no easy task, with the Street and Bridge Operations crews helping the NCD team to clear the route free of debris and install the signage.

“There was really a lot of work to do to get this route ready and Street and Bridge really stepped it up to help out,” Chad Crager of NCD said. When the riders from City Hall arrived around 9:45am, 200 or so bikes had already been stored– and this was still two days before race-day! Several media outlets picked up this story, all giving the route and amenities a round of applause. In total, approximately 1,300 riders utilized this service for

F1 weekend. Special thanks to Chad Crager, Nadia Barrera, and crews from Street and Bridge for preparing the successful route and working with our private partners to make it all happen!

City Staff Cuts the Ribbon, Opening Austin’s Newest Rec Center

On December 1st, 2012 The City of Austin, in partnership with the YMCA of Austin, opened the North Austin Community Recreation Center (NACRC), located at 1000 W. Rundberg Lane. The recreation center was designed to be a civic facility that will promote the core values of the YMCA: Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility.

Sitting on a beautiful 6.9-acre site, the facility will enhance the pedestrian connection between the Little Walnut Creek Library to the east and Quail Creek Park to the northwest. The building houses a natatorium, gymnasium, yoga and aerobics rooms, children’s area, and other exercise areas. Additionally, it provides meeting rooms, a teen room, a computer lab, and a community lounge, which is open for use by anyone in the community. The Recreation Center is also slated to receive LEED-Silver certification.

The Art in Public Places (AIPP) portion of the project will be an on-site communitymanaged garden. The intention is for the garden to serve as a learning center and demonstration for the cultivation of community gardens throughout the City of Austin. It will be a resource for residents to learn about planting, growing seasons, har-

vesting, canning, cooking and other sustainable living activities. A special shout-out goes to the PW Project Manager Mark Schruben for his hard work and dedication to this great project!

PWD Communications Team Keeps F1 Fans and Locals Abreast The Public Works communications team worked with fellow City PIOs, pulling a few all-nighters and weekend shifts to make sure information flowed consistently and accurately during the F1 event. The shifts worked were at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and at ABIA. Staff assisted with everything from handling media calls and preparing talking points to tweeting and posting the most recent information on the City’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. But the communications team weren’t the only Public Workers on duty during the F1 weekend! Street and Bridge had reps downtown and at the EOC to make sure they were on-hand in case extra support was needed. All in all, the event was a great success due to the phenomenal coordination between all City Departments, staff out at the track, the county, and many others. Go team!

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events

continued from pg. 13

coming soon:

The next project in the Central Business District, CBD Alleys, will be starting very soon. This project, expected to last just over one year, will involve several different alleys in the downtown area, which will affect many businesses and residents. Coordination of the project, traffic, parking and communication will be a real challenge. With the help of the Downtown Austin Alliance, Project Manager Tony Krauss and the project team will systematically work through each phase of the project, coordinating with stakeholders,

A Report Card You’ll Want to Read COMING SOON: The 2nd Annual Report for Public Works will be released in January 2013! Last year’s award-winning report established a best-practices way for us to present our yearly work to the public, to ourselves, and to other City departments.

Public Works continues to be a leader in service delivery, but not without the efforts of its dedicated employees. This year’s theme of sustainability in business practices largely focuses on you, the public worker. So, check it out online, or pick up a copy – and see how you did!

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contractors, and City staff to cause as little disruption as possible and to complete the project in a timely and efficient manner.

Austin is responding to the need for greater mobility, reduced dependence on oil and for improving our environment by investing in a new Transit-Oriented Development Project on East 5th Street. TransitOriented Development is a rapidly growing trend to create dense and walkable communities centered around a transit system.

These types of projects help to reduce the

need for automobiles, and therefore lower emissions. Work will begin with utility updates and paving on the south side of East 5th Street from IH35 to Waller Street, then flipping to the north side of the street. After a brief interruption for SxSW, utility updates and paving will begin on the north side of the street from Waller Street to Onion Street and then flip to the south side. The final phase will include planting of trees, landscaping and the final phase of asphalt lift.

divisions

BY LUCIANO TAMAYO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Changing the Pipeline AWU and Public Works partner to install upgrades and coordinate new projects. renewing austin

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t’s raining water projects in ESD! The launch of Renewing Austin, a five-year, $125 million Austin Water Utility program to upgrade water lines, has resurrected old projects and brought forth new projects.

Like many U.S. cities, Austin is faced with upgrading aging infrastructure. Austin is upholding its reputation for being a progressive leader in taking this proactive approach to maintaining a reliable water system.

The water utility currently services over 900,000 customers.

ESD designers are hard at work designing these projects, as Public Works is a partner to AWU in this endeavor. The water line upgrades are targeted at areas throughout the City with the greatest need for upgrading existing infrastructure. These areas were selected after reviewing historical data, conducting visual inspections, and testing the lines with special acoustic equipment that “listens” for leaks. Last year’s drought caused a record number of water leaks as aging pipes shifted in dry soils. By implementing this new program, the Water utility is leading the effort in water conservation and reliability in water services.

Austin is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. City Departments are tasked with ensuring the infrastructure and maintenance needs keep pace with our rapid growth. With so many projects in the pipeline, AWU will coordinate with Public Works to replace existing water lines when streets are under construction or any other utility work is being done or planned. This “dig once” philosophy will help streamline service delivery and minimize disruption to Austin residents.

Several of these waterline projects are being designed by the Engineering Services Division (ESD), one of which is the

Elroy Road Waterline Rehabilitation Phase 3 Project. This project is located behind the Formula One track, which the City of Austin has recently annexed. The project will connect to the proposed Elroy Road Waterline Rehabilitation Phase 2 Project at the intersection of Elroy Road and FM 812.

It will run west along FM 812 and go south along Maha Loop. The project will replace the very old existing 6” cast iron waterline with 16” PVC line and is approximated to be almost 7,000 linear feet of new waterline.

The preliminary construction cost estimate is almost $1.8M.

FM 812 is within the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) right-of-way

while Maha Loop (Burklund Farms) is within the Travis County right-of-way. ESD Design Team 2 coordinated with both TxDOT and Travis County to determine whether the preliminary waterline horizontal alignment has any conflict with any future plans the two agencies may have. The project is in its 30% design stage and heading to 60% after addressing comments from the Quality Assurance and Quality Control reviewers, internally and externally.

The project is being designed by Luciano Tamayo, with Bimal Adhikary, P.E. as the sealing engineer and managed by George Jackson, P.E. of Project Management Division.

divisions

BY PETER DAVIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

QSMD Explores the ‘Full Spectrum’ of Green Building This year’s Greenbuild conference, held in San Francisco, CA offers insight through workshops and tours.

Portola Valley Civic Center LEED Platinum

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reenbuild. I visited Austin back in 2002 for the very first Greenbuild conference, where 4,000 pioneers attended the nascent event with just 300 trade exhibits. Fast forward ten years and I am the Public Works LEED Project Manager and fortunate to go to this year’s Greenbuild in San Francisco. The international conference has grown to offer 3 days of inspiring speakers for 150 educational sessions, 2,000 exhibitors, networking opportunities, industry showcases, LEED workshops and tours of the region’s green buildings. What a great opportunity to mingle with 35,000 other building professionals from more than 120 countries - who agree that green building is right for our environment and right for business!

As the Sustainability Architect in QSMD, my role is to oversee CIP projects to assure they meet or exceed our City’s mandates for sustainability. LEED, the nationally accepted program for rating green buildings, promotes a comprehensive range of sustainable strategies to implement in building construction and operations. As a result of a 2007 City of Austin mandate, we can proudly say that our city has 17 LEED certified buildings and many more are registered with the program.

The first morning of the conference started a Code Summit, where panelists presented the new International Green Building Code as ready for adoption by municipalities and to operate alongside LEED. We should expect to see this being aired out in Austin to raise the bar for minimum permitted construction requirements.

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focus on nothing

My overall aim for the conference was to track the series of educational sessions focused on Zero! This is applied to building energy and water use, waste and carbon emissions. Net Zero Energy means to reduce energy consumption to the level that power needed to operate can be generated on site without relying on the utility grid. Imagine that! In Austin we would most likely be balancing energy efficient design with an array of solar panels. Austin already has long term goals for zero waste, zero carbon and zero energy capable houses.

“Second Only to Fresh Air is Natural Light” The interior environments where many of us spend much of our working lives have a history of issues that are subtly detrimental to our health and wellbeing. We are making these a priority

through sustainable practices and LEED requirements. One presenter stated that a new born child can carry 2,800 toxins passed on by its mother. Efficient control of the fresh air entering buildings ensures that toxicity and stagnant air do not build up, particularly as our buildings become tightly sealed from the outside. Fresh air control also ensures that the air conditioning systems work optimally and do not waste energy.

I feel strongly that natural light should be provided to everyone in a building, so the session “Natural Light for All” (in hospitals) appealed and began with a Florence Nightingale quote, “second only to fresh air is natural light”.

Growth of hospital buildings has resulted in very deep plans that do not get access to natural light. The session demonstrated that patients recover more quickly when they have access to outside views and daylight. Study results also indicated that staff retention, stress, errors, sick time, job expectation and productivity were all affected by access to daylight. This also goes for other organizations with a hierarchical approach to window access.

Field Trips Speaking of natural light, having spent three days indoors, it was time to see built examples and two super-sustainable government buildings on a walk-

“Living machine” at the Public Utilities Commission LEED Platinum

Public Utilities Commission Interactive Lobby display

Packard Foundation Headquarters LEED Platinum

Three other bay area facilities visited have followed the “2030 challenge” (planned for zero carbon emissions by 2030). Those include: Natural lighting at the Packard Foundation

ing tour (which of course guaranteed rain)! Both demonstrate green excellence via impressive lobby displays connected to smart building technology. The federal high rise is designed to reduce energy use by 50% over a similar building. Elevators serve every third floor as an energy saving feature to encourage stair use and add to occupant interaction. The San Francisco Utilities Commission Building features a “living machine” that processes the wastewater as a part of the landscape both in the lobby and outside the entry, then recirculates cleansed water back through the restroom flushing system. Combined with an underground storage tank, water use is 60% less than a comparable building. The building features a group of wind turbines that utilize the building façade to collect airflow.

All the tours seemed to have had a common theme in that buildings serve us better when they facilitate communal interaction and connections to the outside.

1

A small community of 4,000 that made the “green” approach the driver behind a civic center replacement.

This approach caused donations to increase dramatically to achieve net zero. The community is fully engaged in the facility and during the visit a group of 50 volunteers were doing routine maintenance on a creek previously hidden in a culvert.

2

A catholic high school science building was enthusiastically presented by the students who engaged us in their study of ongoing green efforts and sustainability.

They also explained the general student relationship with the building, which is the envy of other schools.

3

A non-profit foundation headquarters high performing building that is bright and naturally lit even on such a dull and rainy day.

2013 JANUARY STREET TALK

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columns

BY MICHELLE FRITH CHIEF REPORTER

How well do you know your neighbor?

T

he first words out of Sadie Lopez’s mouth when asked to describe herself are “I am a mother and a wife – I put family first”. It’s clear from our conversation that Sadie is all about family and being a good employee to Public Works.

Sadie is a native Austinite, the middle child of three. Her NEIGHBOR brother Joe now lives Sadie Lopez in Leander DIVISION and works at Workforce Street & Bridge Solutions in Austin and TITLE her sister, Administrative Senior Deanna, is a stay at home mom.

Sadie went to high school in Del Valle and while there participated in high school choir and particularly enjoyed performing in musicals like South Pacific. She also was in pep squad and really loved attending the football games but had to choose between that and Bible School at church – and chose Bible School.

After high school, she began working in retail sales at Foley’s where she worked for 17 years. She was a supervisor of ten people and really enjoyed working with clothing and also the customer service aspect. While at Foley’s she met Raymond, a dock supervisor. They hit it off and later married. “He is very friendly, easy to talk to

18 STREET TALK JANUARY 2013

Michelle Frith profiles two employees that work hard for PWD everyday who you may have never met! and is handsome too. We are real homebodies and enjoy watching movies, doing yard work and going to thrift stores.”

Raymond brought into their family his children from a previous marriage – Ray Jr. (now 43) and Brandis (now 30).

Ray Jr. is a trainer with Dell Computer and Brandis has her own home health care business. Later Ray and Sadie expanded

“

I LOVE it! Everyone gets along so well. It’s like working with family! Everyone helps everyone else. I especially like working with the field guys. They are so polite and helpful and just the greatest people. I hope to stay with Street and Bridge until retirement. I still haven’t mastered everything I wanted to, but hope to learn more each year.

- Sadie Lopez

”

their family with sons John and Daniel.

The children wanted to get into sports, so Sadie made another choice: leaving Foley’s for a job that would allow her to be available for her kids’ practices and games. She started with the City in 1997 in parking enforcement where she typically gave the most parking tickets. “This helped me to learn where every street is.

I met Mary Rodriguez there and worked for 10 years until they bought new ticket writers – they were too big and I got hurt.

I was put on light duty and came to OTC.” She joined Public Works six years ago and has been very happy since. “I LOVE it!

Everyone gets along so well. It’s like working with family! Everyone helps everyone else. I especially like working with the field guys. They are so polite and helpful and just the greatest people. I hope to stay with Street and Bridge until retirement. I still haven’t mastered everything I wanted to, but hope to learn more each year.” Sadie appreciates that her supervisor, Ron Koehn is there if she needs something and that he is so easygoing.

Ray is now a supervisor at Austin Water Utility, John (24) works for Public Works as an Administrative Associate and Daniel (18) attends ACC and works at Sears. Both young men are considering careers in criminal justice or business. Now married for 25 years, Sadie hopes that she and Ray will go on a cruise when they retire and will continue landscaping their beautiful backyard and playing with their dog, Little Bear.

Sadie says, “My goal was always to be a mother. My family inspires me to be a better and honest person. I tell my family every day that I love them and that I don’t want to do anything else. When I have grandchildren, I will stay home to take care of them.”

At the beginning of our conversation, Sadie told me, “I’m very shy until you get to know me.” I’m so glad I did.

columns

“

Now you wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but I could run like the wind blows. From that day on, if I was going somewhere, I was running!

R

”

oger Hickman personifies this quote. Raised in Denver, Colorado, Roger grew up in a perfect environment NEIGHBOR for his two favorite acRoger Hickman tivities – ice hockey and DIVISION running.

Engineering Services He is the only child TITLE of single Engineer C mom, Audrey Hickman, a secretary who now lives in Spring, Texas. She inspires him; despite a lack of resources, she had a lot of initiative and accomplishments. One day when he was 13 Roger decided to take a run. From that day on, if he was going somewhere, he was running! He joined his high school track team and qualified for the State meet in the 1600m (1 mile) in his Junior and Senior years. He was also on the State Cross Country team in his Senior year.

After high school, Roger attended Colorado State University where he earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering.

He went to work in Houston at a petrochemical company, and then chose to go to Texas Tech to earn an M.S. in Environmental Engineering. Corpus Christi was his next stop, working for a petrochemical consulting company. Interested in developing his career further, he moved to Austin, accepting a job with the Texas Railroad Commission to regulate surface mining of coal.

He earned his P.E. (Professional Engineer) certification and joined the City of Austin in 2003, first starting with Development Review and later joining the Public Works Department in 2006. He is now

- Tom Hanks, as Forest Gump an Engineer C and a Lead for Team 1. Team 1 consists of Roger, Jennifer Massie-Gore, Daniel Arredendo, Richard Frasier, Cuong Nguyen and Mike Lindsey. Together they design water lines, storm drains, roads, and other civil engineering projects. His favorite project to date? CBD Alleys. His least favorite? CBD Alleys. It presented challenges in terms of coordination, communication and a new type of pipe material – HDPE (high density polyethelyne) which is a flexible type of pipe that can snake around other utilities and can be fusion welded, creating a seamless pipe, potentially saving the City money in the long run.

Roger thinks one of the best changes to Public Works is the introduction of younger people with new ideas and a broad understanding of technology. He also feels that quality control, led by Gail Hamrick-Pigg and Cuong Tran, has led to a better product. “I love the atmosphere of collaboration. There is a great sense of teamwork that you won’t necessarily see in other offices.”

Roger still plays ice hockey at the Chaparral in a men’s league. Running, though, is his passion. Roger has trained with Gilbert Tuhabonye of Gilbert’s Gazelle’s for the last ten years.

Gilbert is another inspiration to Roger “He is a survivor of the terrible genocide in Rwanda and Burundi. He came to the U.S. with next to nothing but has an incredibly positive attitude and has built a good life for himself.”

Recently Roger qualified for the New York City Marathon.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy hit the city days before the race.

Roger Hickman

He waited to hear whether or not it was cancelled, then flew to New York. Two days before the race Roger checked in but moments later, received a message – it had been cancelled. Instead of getting upset, he enjoyed his real vacation.

Roger has been a Coach for PEII for about four years. He likes sharing running with people who are starting out, helping them find their sense of passion for the sport. “There’s a real community of friends, many keep coming back,” he says of the City’s PE Program. “There is a sense of serenity to go off on your own for a time and Austin has a great community of runners,” Roger says.

2013 JANUARY STREET TALK

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divisions

BY SHANNON WISNER EDITOR IN CHIEF

Operations in Omaha Orange What Public Works is doing to increase the safety of our fleet on the Austin roadways.

O

n a recent business trip to Anaheim, CA, Director Howard Lazarus was at a trade show when he noticed something. The operations trucks were painted a bright eye-catching orange. He had first seen this in action a couple years back in Cambridge, MA while visiting his daughter, and he remembers thinking, those trucks are very visible… we should be doing that. Upon Howard’s return from Anaheim, his desire to make the changes rekindled, he coordinated with Street and Bridge to see what could be done to make it happen. Representatives then went out to collect paint samples, tour a truck plant facility, and see what it would take to convert the PWD fleet.

So, Clayton Craig, Project Coordinator with Street and Bridge went on a tour of the Navastar International truck plant in Garland, TX in October 2012. He is pictured above in this article with the very first truck of our fleet in ‘Omaha Orange’.

He received a guided tour of the facility and got to witness first-hand what it takes to build one of the trucks that our crews use everyday to deliver service to our residents.

Clayton begins his explanation of the process by marking a horseshoe shape on the whiteboard. Pointing to the tip of the ‘U’ shape, he relays that the frame rail starts on the assembly line upside down so the workers can access it easily. The front end and rear axle parts are installed here. Then, the whole thing gets flipped over as it moves through the frame paint section, where two assembly line workers are in a ‘pit’ below the frame, and two other assembly line workers are on the top side, maximizing the painting efficiency.

After painting, the unit enters a heating area, then cooling area so the paint can cure quickly.

Each truck follows the last continuously through the assembly line, and they are each about 20-30 ft apart. Clayton says, “it takes about three hours for a unit to completely move

through the assembly line”. After the frame has cooled, it’s time for the brakes and engine to be placed. Clayton describes the fluid motion of the engine being set into the frame, and that each engine takes 3 hours to build before it ever enters the assembly line to be placed inside a unit.

One of the final stops of the tour, located in the center of the horseshoe, is the computerized spray-paint room. Clayton’s eyes widen when he talks about this part of the process. He points out, “This was the only part of the operation that was completely robotic. It was really amazing!”

There are 6 robotic arms that complete this task. Two are used to open the doors while the 4 others paint the whole cab.

So far, we have ordered 8-10 units for FY2012, and are expected to order around 15 for FY2013. When asked if we plan to paint units from our existing fleet, Howard Lazarus says, “I would like for us to paint them, and will be exploring that opportunity”. Howard believes that this will make our crews stand out and ultimately increase the safety of our operations workforce.

A few paint samples used to make the final decision.

“Omaha Orange” is at the far left.

The Times, They Are A-Changin’ Visionary, agile, efficient: Public Works prepares for Austin’s future.

BY MICHELLE FRITH CHIEF EDITOR

ob Dylan, an American singer-songwriter released an alB bum in 1964 titled The Times They Are a-Changin’. The lyrics of the title track gave voice to a unique period in our country’s history characterized by social and political upheaval. Over the last 30 years, Austin’s social, cultural and physical climates have continued gradual modifications, but now changes are rapidly picking up speed. Public Works will be instrumental in keeping the changes positive, both within our organization and in the transformation of the physical infrastructure of Austin. The following information from an interview with Director of Public Works, Howard Lazarus, illustrates an interesting paradigm shift from the usual way of doing business.

22 STREET TALK JANUARY 2013

Changes on the Outside austin’s metamorphosis Just a generation or two ago, Austin was a small city with a liberal attitude, somewhat overlooked by the rest of the major Texas cities and mostly overlooked by the rest of the nation and world. With several world-class universities in the immediate area, many students who came to Austin and Central Texas for a higher education began to stay. The economic makeup of the area began to change with the increasing number of high-tech companies springing up in Austin. In no time, our city became a hot spot for business development. According to the Austin Chamber of Commerce, the 1990’s brought a 48% increase in population and the City has been steadily growing 3.4% annually since the 2000 Census. The 2012 population for Austin and the surrounding area, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services, now stands at 1,818,740. New people have created new wealth, new ideas, new cultural and social changes, all of which has created a greater need for strong infrastructure.

roadways

Seaholm

Rio Grande

Public Works will lead the way for positive changes in our infrastructure. The brand we have been using for the last two years “Public Works Connects You All Around Austin” is more than just a slogan. It is our charge to help residents, business owners and visitors to Austin to be able to connect to the places and things that matter most to them via streets, trails, sidewalks, and public facilities. These improvements will affect generations to come.

Iconic updates to the physical landscape will include the new Central Library, the Boardwalk Trail, Waller Creek, and improvements to 3rd Street and 6th Street - making Austin ever more beautiful and increasing the quality of life for all. Great Streets will eventually be designed for all of our city’s commercial corridors; increasing the walkability, safety, and attractiveness of business districts.

Other roadway projects connecting us to the places that are integral to the quality of life of Austin include Pedernales, 5th Street, North and South Lamar, and Burnet Road. We have an opportunity with these major arteries to create additional multi-modal thoroughfares, offering Austinites more options for travel and decreasing the need for automobile traffic. The 5th Street project is a good example, being one of the first Transit Oriented Development Projects in construction in Austin.

Transit Oriented Development is a fast-growing trend to create dense and walkable communities centered around a transit system, reducing the need for automobiles and therefore lowering emissions that harm our air quality.

While designing these new thoroughfares, we must continue to consider materials that will help our environment and planet. Using alternate materials – including roller compacted concrete, warm-mix asphalt, reclaimed rubber, and also recycled glass for use under sidewalks – helps divert these materials from our landfills and will eventually lead to cost-savings. Additionally, Public Works is researching the possibility of creating our own asphalt from used tires – once again looking for a green and cost effective solution for our community.

Planning and collaborating with others can be accomplished in a smarter and more efficient way with new technologies. MAXIMO, an asset management database that tracks who is doing what type of work, and manages inventory (such as use by location, existing location, and supply level), can help us to be more efficient and cost-effective. The system achieves this, in part, by being adaptable to the changing conditions inherent in our work. Mobile devices will allow staff to manage inventory and work flow from the field, further increasing efficiencies and cost savings.

CIP projects need careful planning and collaboration with other City departments and other entities like gas or telephone companies. IMMPACT (Infrastructure Management, Mapping, Planning And Coordination Tool) is an ongoing project, and the first application at the City of Austin that shows CIP projects, permits, and planned special events (activities) together in a geospatial context. IMMPACT users can navigate activities by using a map, identify and resolve conflicts between activities, or set up individual queries for projects. By using IMMPACT and MAXIMO, departments can coordinate work with one another, keeping changes to a minimum and producing a quality job the first time. Through collaboration and cross-functional strategies and

open, clear, communication, we can reduce or eliminate the need to redo work, which causes unnecessary disruption and less than optimal use of taxpayer dollars.

Demands on Public Works and other city departments will increase with area annexations, like what recently occurred around the Circuit of the Americas, but our revenues will not proportionately increase. By using technology, planning in advance, and solidifying our working relationships, we can save money and develop and implement a better end product.

Finally, becoming more creative with the usages of our Right of Way and roadways is just smart business. By considering alternate usage of the space we have, we can increase mobility and safety, encourage walking and bicycling, and create a better environment.

Experiencing the Outdoors: Trails and Trees Projects that will enhance everyone’s outdoor experience will include the Lady Bird Lake Boardwalk, the 2nd Street Bridge, and many trail projects such as the North and South Walnut Creek Trails, the Austin to Manor Trail, the Boggy Creek and the Violet Crown Trail. These trails are used for exercise, transportation, enjoying nature, socializing, and for recreation by locals and out of town visitors alike. Public Works will begin enhancing our connection to nature by planting 1,000 trees per year to help combat climate change. The trees will help reduce our carbon footprint, reduce the urban heat island effect and prolong the life of pavement. We currently only have 30-35% of our potential tree canopy – That’s a lot of trees waiting to be planted!

Transportation Options: A Bikeable, Walkable City Congestion on the roads, urban density, and just plain smarts mean we need to think through how to make it safer to bike and to walk. In an effort to make Austin one of the most bicyclefriendly cities in the world, Public Works recently visited the Netherlands to study their bicycle systems, and was honored to later have the Dutch Cycling Embassy, including the Ambassador to the U.S. from the Royal Netherlands, come to Texas for a two-day “Think Bike Austin” workshop. The workshop focused on utilizing the right of way in the South Lamar Corridor to integrate separated bicycle, pedestrian and environmental facilities, as well as how to integrate a cycle track network in the urban core. With the sharp increase in apartment development along South Lamar, bicycle traffic is expected to rise in the corridor. There has also been a steady increase of bicycle traffic city-wide over the last several years, which is expected to continue well into the future.

A forward-thinking approach to bicycle infrastructure will hopefully lead us to fewer cars on the road and a healthier population.

Southern Walnut Creek Trail

Economic Development Formula One has kick-started other changes, including bringing more economic development opportunities to Austin. High profile companies such as Apple, Google and Visa Services are bringing new jobs and building new facilities here. Austin’s booming economy means increases in people and traffic. We will reach capacity on our roadways, which will increase the necessity of alternative options for transportation. Rail routes, better bicycle routes, and better buses and bus routes will all be in demand.

24 STREET TALK JANUARY 2013

Lance Armstrong Bikeway: East Austin Segment

These services work well in a dense City; and 30% or more of Austin’s urban core is within a 3-mile geographic area.

Relationships to Neighborhoods “Public Works Connects You All Around Austin” also means that we will focus more on forging better relationships with the residents of Austin. Through outreach efforts, we hope to continue to improve the dialogue between city staff and the public we serve. The ultimate goal is to nurture reciprocal relationships in which residents and business owners make suggestions or share

Kramer Trail

IMMPACT

coordination tool facilities The construction of a new facility to replace the current structures at Harold Court is being planned. By building an improved work facility and supplying necessary equipment, we can improve the quality of work life for our field crews. The introduction of safety orange to all Public Works vehicles will also help to keep our crews safer while on the job.

Quality of work life may improve for office staff as well with the further utilization of adaptable workspaces, telecommuting, job sharing programs, hoteling of space and alternative work schedules.

This will lead to retention of excellent, committed employees, and driving costs down even further.

information with us to help make improvements. At the same time, Public Works will communicate with neighborhoods in a respectful and helpful manner so that residents know and believe that our mission is to improve their quality of life. We will also continue to increase our involvement in Safe Routes to School to make transportation to and from school safer both by bicycle and on foot.

Changes on the Inside planning In order to reach our goals for changes on the outside, we need to make changes internally. Public Works will have a tighter control of funds, be more prudent and have better plans and efficiency. We had a goal of 80% or better of pavements in satisfactory or better condition, which was achieved five years ahead of schedule. The next challenge to Public Works is to achieve and sustain an 85-90% rate of satisfaction.

Future work will be strategized around an annual work plan, which is transformative in its very nature. Each budget year will begin with a fixed work plan, which will drive the contracts in place and help for strategizing staffing levels in each area. Capital Improvements, Construction Inspection, and Street Maintenance will continue to be the cornerstones of our work. Through centralized plans and decentralized execution, we become more and more flexible and agile, and continue to be more responsive to the needs of Austin citizens. It is importance to the public that the work gets done, and we should be working on all aspects of needed construction, repairs, and maintenance to finish the job the first time – instead of coming back repeatedly to the same neighborhood. This integration is consistent with the tenets of Imagine Austin.

Increasingly, we will be utilizing technology to do business electronically, including record keeping, reporting and time keeping. Hopefully this will lead to less time in the office and less wasted paper. Inspectors and PMs should be able to write reports while in the field instead of having to come back to the office, once again becoming more efficient in our work, saving time, money and causing less harm to the environment.

career development Public Works should be the workplace of choice and a source of pride for all employees. We can accomplish this by improving career opportunities within our department. We can provide resources for leadership and resources for a better work environment. It’s important that we all have interesting work and that we feel we are empowered to do the work with which we are tasked.

By investing in the career development of staff, we build a more skilled, adaptable and fluid workforce. Through training and skill development, Public Works employees will have more opportunities in their career progression. If everyone is able to do more things, then our crews can act independently, and crew leaders can be responsible for getting the job done with little supervision. Crew leaders will be given the opportunity to sharpen their skills with additional leadership and supervisor training.

The new Workforce Development team will be focusing on outlining career paths for the ten career families within the department.

The career family trees will be supported by a centralized training approach. Training categories will include Initial Entry, Recurring Training, Safety, Leadership Training, Extension Services (third party) or remote (internet) with some classes being taken on an employee’s own time.

The times, they are a-changing – and certainly for the better!

divisions

BY ROBIN FIELD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

IH-35…it is a-changin’ The City of Austin partners with other agencies to determine the future of IH-35.

S

ome Austinites might remember when IH-35 was not yet built through Austin and a lot of people may recall the addition of the “upper decks” in the 1970s.

What we can all remember is when IH-35 flowed a little better than it does today.

The City of Austin and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are currently partnering with other transportation agencies to find ways to improve IH-35 through the Austin metropolitan area. Public workshops and numerous stakeholder meetings have generated over 300 ideas for the future of the major corridor. The original projects limits were along IH-35 from William Cannon Drive to US 290 East. At the recommendation of the Texas Transportation Institute, the City received Rider 42 funds from the Texas Transportation Commission with the condition that the limits were expanded from SH 45 north to SH 45 south. “The level of agency participation is inspiring. All agencies realize that IH-35 is not one agency’s problem and we all need to work together to improve it. We continue to develop momentum and commitment to get these ideas on the ground,” says Project Manager Allison Dietzel.

The purpose of the IH-35 Corridor Development Program is to identify effective short-term (3-5 years) to mid-term (6-10 years) strategies that will improve mobility and connectivity for all modes of transportation along IH-35, including bicycles, pedestrian and transit. Goals of

26 STREET TALK JANUARY 2013

the Program include increasing mobility for people and goods through the capital area, improving transit and high occupancy vehicles options, reducing congestion, and improving safety and efficiency for all users, while protecting our air quality.

Consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff was signed on in August 2011 and began the tasks of collecting data such as traffic counts, reviewing crash reports, developing data maps and putting together a public outreach plan to capture comments for inclusion in the alternatives visioning. The first of many public stakeholder meetings took place within two months of the consultant’s notice to proceed. The ideas and suggestions from these meetings resulted in conceptual solutions to major intersections along IH-35. A design charette comprised of 50 engineers from various entities, even some from other states, worked to conceptualize more ideas taking into account safety, operational, environmental and aesthetic issues.

Parsons Brinckerhoff is working on the funding implementation plan. Funding may come from any combination of federal, state, and local agencies through existing and future funding and revenue resources. Low-cost solutions which can

The Austin skyline from IH-35 in 1957.

Douglass, Neal. Austin Skyline from I-35, Photograph, February 26, 1957; digital image, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/ metapth33446/ : accessed December 06, 2012), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt. edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Austin, Texas.

be funded soonest will likely receive a higher ranking when they are evaluated.

Some of conceptual solutions that will have the greatest impact for the investment are the improvements to the Stassney Lane, Cesar Chavez Street and 51st Street intersections with IH-35, just to name a few. Stassney Lane improvements would include new u-turns for the frontage roads to reduce traffic at the signals and auxiliary lanes to help when exiting and entering the interstate. Cesar Chavez Street’s proposal includes the addition of new collector distributor roads and the replacement of the current substandard bridge. Help for 51st Street entails the addition of a collector distributor bypass of 51st Street as well as a right-side entrance ramp from 51st Street to IH-35 before the frontage road. To find more detailed information about these and other major intersections, and to see videos about each, visit http://mobility35.org/solutions/.

The next steps of the Program will be to assess feasibility of the concepts to become potential projects, complete an implementation plan and funding strategy which will build upon the concepts generated through this process. TxDOT has initiated forming the implementation plan.

The next phase will further determine the most efficient method of developing and constructing the projects. TxDOT will begin some initial environmental studies this spring.

Reference http://www.mobility35.org

street talk extra

UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

awards & recognition

2013 ACEC Texas Engineering Excellence Awards

The Engineering Excellence Awards Competition has been held by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas since 1975 to honor and recognize outstanding achievements within the engineering community.

The distinguished panel of judges from around the state selected 10 Gold Medal and 6 Silver Medal winning projects from 30 entries based on uniqueness, originality, technical, value to the engineering profession, complexity and how successfully the project met the needs of the client.

Pat Webre

CaIwPaIrD ds upervisor Pat Webre led the charge for the CIPID team that raised $1,051.51 for the City of Austin’s Combined Charities Campaign Nov. 9 during the division fajitas sale! (pictured above)

(Left to Right) Supervisor Greg Weems, Inspector Rick Ramones, Bob Pilgrim and Lead Inspector Jim Evans received the division’s “Pat on the Back” award for sharing their knowledge with a participant of the division’s Inspector Trainee Program.

Water Treatment Plant No. 4 - Raw Water Intake

Gold Medal Winner, Special Projects category: South IH 35 Water/Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements Program

The following employees received awards during the division Awards and Recognition luncheon on Nov. 16.

S

Silver Medal Winner, Water and Wastewater category:

Just For Fun Inspector Jim Evans also received the division’s “Commitment to Excellence” award for his outstanding inspection work on the Little Shoal Creek Tunnel Realignment & Utility Relocation - Phase 1 project.

Supervisor Alexa Locklear received the division’s “Commitment to Excellence” award for her commendable supervisory work on the Waller Creek Tunnel project.

Keri gets her holiday started! The NCD team tries not to use paper plates and they were out of real plates when Keri came in for birthday pie. She elected to use the empty pie pan instead of a paper plate!

2013 JANUARY STREET TALK

27

milestones

continued from pg. 27

.R. S.Ta.A aw rds

Project Management Division Project Management Division 4th quarter S.T.A.R award recipients are:

Project Management Division S.T.A.R. of S.T.A.R. award recipients are:

service

service

darryl haba

For the care, competence and intelligence exhibited on a project in which the public was actively involved.

teamwork John wepryk

mark schruben

For his superb public interaction and interdepartmental coordination to complete the South Congress Improvement Project.

teamwork For sharing his experience on a previous project to help a fellow PM with an emergency change order and avoid further delay.

jon thompson

For his timely response to resident and business calls for the immediate return

achievement

achievement

jules parrish

cindy jordan

For significant savings Jules achieved on several ARR projects.

respect Dario Octaviano

For providing excellent leadership on the Green Water Treatment Plant Decommissioning Project, which received a Gold Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas for sustainable design.

respect For his valuable contribution to an Aviation Department project.

generosity

Co n grat u l at i o n s to Public Works for surpassing this year’s goal during the City of Austin Combined Charities Campaign! pwd coaccc changes lives You once again have demonstrated that Public Works is indeed the Department with a Heart. Final tallies for the 2012 Public Works campaign easily surpassed our goal of $30,000 with 68 pledges and events totaling $33,134.76! Our average gift was $531.29, the second highest level of giving of large departments, second only to Austin Energy. And we were the fifth overall highest contributors, behind Police, Fire, AWU and Austin Energy – all with significantly more employees than Public Works.

This amazing feat could not have been accomplished without our volunteers!

pwd steering committee chair james snow

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pwd department coordinators annie van zant floyd bermea michelle frith

David taylor

For his diligence on working through the many difficult issues related to the Boardwalk Project.

Street and Bridge Inspires Generosity Throughout the Year did you know...?

This year, the Street and Bridge Division donated oodles of gift cards and toys to the organization Any Baby

did you know...?

48% 35%

division team leaders (pmd) kalpana sutaria (PMD) allison dietzel (ESD) gail hamrick-pigg (cipid) stephyn holland (cipid) judy die (QSMD) jay ulary (NCD) Mike curtis (sbo) ali mendoza (sbo) johnny colvin (sbo) theodore johnson (sbo) wilma Reyes (SSD) rebecca zapata

of single mothers in Travis County with children under the age of five live in poverty? (American Community Survey) More than 35% of pregnant women in Travis County do not receive adequate prenatal care? (Texas Dept. of State Health Services)

Can. Any Baby Can is an organization that improves the lives of children by strengthening them and their families through education, therapy, and family support services.

Street and Bridge employees also have a long-standing tradition of donating canned food to The Capital Area Food Bank (they’ve been doing it for

congratu announc latory ements Jon Thompson and his wife, Kim, have some exciting news to share! Their first child, Charlotte Ann Thompson, was born on November 15th 2012 at 12:48pm, weighing in at 6lbs 11oz – Congratulations!

esd takes time to celebrate!

ESD held their annual division luncheon at the Oasis on October 25, 2012. It was great fun to be outside (and to take a break from work for awhile!) In addition, the ESD Thanksgiving Pot Luck was celebrated on November 15, 2012. This is to start the year of plenty (watch your weight, everyone!)

formula one After biking 10 miles to the F1 bicycle valet, Chad Crager and Shannon Wisner got to check out the action at the Formula One track!

about 17 years!) It started with the Utility Cuts team, but has since been expanded to the entire Street and Bridge division. The cans were donated on December 14th during their annual Holiday Luncheon. They gathered an estimated 1,800 cans of food to donate! There are plans in the works to do this again in the Spring! special shoutouts to the special events teams Fifth Annual City of Austin Employees Cook Off (with Fleet Services)

raised $966.50 Carlos Villalpando, Javier Perez, Joe Campos

Fajita Sale

raised $1,051.51 Pat Webre, Stephyn Holland, Kenneth Johnson, Valerie Dickens, Valerie Rockwell, Tony Lopez, Greg Weems, Alexa Locklear, Peter Morales, Simon Orta, Mary Alice Crus, Nannett Holweger, Peggy Howard, Greg Johnston, Lek Mateo, Patricia Wadsack

milestones

continued from pg. 29

sohuotut what it’s all about!

At the beginning of the school year, Child Safety Crossing Guard Karin Karst informed all the children and parents of the “left, right, left” before you cross the street rule. She told them she’d remind them every day so they would not forget. On Friday, November 2nd, a brother/sister team, Maeva and Austin (6 and 7 years old) came to her crossing alone. They live in a nearby neighborhood where they have to cross a small street to get to the main crosswalk, and their mom usually walks them to her crossing.

As Karin called out, “left, right, left!” to all, little Maeva stopped and told her, “Ms. Karin, you don’t have to remind us… we do this by ourselves without a guard being on the other street.” Karin was so happy and praised them, but told them that she will continue with the reminder for other children. This is a “Mission accomplished”!

street & bridge

projecgtement mana SHOUT OUT Shout out to Randy Harvey for doing a remarkable job with the Little Shoal Creek Relocation Project.

tales from the sixth This issue’s tales from the 6th is about a new day and time. I don’t consider myself to be ‘old’ by any stretch of the imagination, but I remember a time when folks would see a person passed out downtown and leave them alone. Well, as the theme for this month’s issue states… times are changing. A couple of months ago, I was working out on 6th street in the wee hours of the night, headed towards Congress. The weather was nice so I had my windows down. A couple of pedestrians to my right yelled out to me, “Look - that man is getting robbed!” I looked back to my left and sure enough, there was a man that I’ve seen (on numerous occasions) around 6th who was taking another man’s wallet from his pocket. I turned on my truck flashers and proceeded in his direction (kids, don’t try this at home). Startled by the lights, he dropped the wallet and ran off into an alley. I got out, picked up the wallet, and attempted to return it to the unconscious man. He was so intoxicated, he didn’t even lift his head as I

30 STREET TALK JANUARY 2013

explained to him that he had been robbed and I was going to leave his wallet right next to him on the railing he was slumped over. After my encounter with him, I went a block down the street and informed APD of the situation and they called an ambulance since he was non-responsive. Moral of this story is when partying downtown, please use the buddy system!

WHO’S

Not Pictured:

THAT?

Kenneth Chambers, SBO Ops Tech I Robert Currin, SBO Ops Tech I Joe Ellison, SBO Ops Tech I Daniel Haverlah, SSD GIS Analyst Sr. Megan Kovalcik, SBO Project Coordinator Bobby Roberson, SBO Supervisor Street & Drainage Maintenance Javier Zavala, SBO Ops Tech I

New Employee Breakfast

Featured in Previous issue: Julia Bateman, HR Advisor

cipid:

hr:

sbo:

sbo:

Wayne fant

louise madden

michael goertz

lupe gomez

Wayne is a new Inspector C, who is originally from Corpus Christi. He spent a year in college in corpus and has 38 years of utility construction experience in the Austin area. He enjoys photography and vacationing with friends. He also loves to roast coffee and is raising his adopted 4-year-old child.

Louise is a new Supervisor in the Human Resources Division and is originally from Cheswick, PA. She holds a BS in Business and HR. She worked in the private sector in accounting and HR for Verizon for 18+ years before they downsized. She was hired by the City 3 months later. Louise loves to run and is an avid marathon runner. She enjoys working in the yard and is #6 in a family of 10 children!

Michael, a Superintendent with Street and Bridge, graduated from Bastrop High. He worked for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad for 17 years. He started his own underground utility construction business in 1992 and began with the City of Austin in November 2009 with AWU. He then moved to Watershed, then Public Works in July 2012. He enjoys hunting, fishing, outdoor activities, and shooting guns.

Lupe is a Street and Bridge Concrete Maintenance Supervisor and is from the San Marcos/Martindale area. Lupe spent some time in the US Army Infantry and has 20 years of experience in construction in the private sector. He enjoys singing, golfing and fishing. He was also the lead singer for the Seguin, TX-based metal band Dizorderly Konduct for 6 months!

in every issue

WHERE IS SHUV-L-REDDY? Remember Carmen San Diego? Waldo? Well, Shuv wanted in on some of the action‌play our guessing game as he wanders around the city at various PWD-related sites...and beyond!

Where In The World Is Shuv-L-Reddy?

02 location 2

01

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 1 2013 JANUARY STREET TALK

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angin’ h -C A re A es im T e Th ixed Congress from 2012, m A little bit of ess from 1913. with a little bit of Congr

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:

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