Street Talk | March 2012 Issue

STREET TALK VOLUME 2 ISSUE 2

REPORTING ON WHAT MATTERS TO PUBLIC WORKS

inside: Feature

What does it mean to be a ‘hero’?

We asked, you answered… and it turns out that you don’t need the super powers of your favorite comic book character to be considered a ‘hero’.

PWd roes e h r e p u s Asphalt!

Kick

MARCH 2012

director’s message

BY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

STREET TALK EDITORIAL Editor in Chief: Chief Reporter:

Sara Hartley

sara.hartley@austintexas.gov

Michelle Frith

michelle.frith@austintexas.gov

Contributing Writers: Howard Lazarus

howard.lazarus@austintexas.gov

Sharon Warren

sharon.warren@austintexas.gov

Vera Labriola

vera.labriola@austintexas.gov

Profiles in Courage

I

Sara Krause

sara.krause@austintexas.gov

Luciano Tamayo

luciano.tamayo@austintexas.gov

Gerald Nation

gerald.nation@austintexas.gov

Dianna Robles

dianna.robles@austintexas.gov

Clayton Craig

clayton.craig@austintexas.gov

Palmer Buck

palmer.buck@austintexas.gov

Julie Richey

n 1955, Senator John F Kennedy collaborated on and published the book Profiles in Courage. The book, which was required reading when I was in junior high school (which was what middle school was called back in the Dark Ages), described acts of bravery and integrity by eight United States Senators throughout the Senate’s history.

These were acts of moral courage - doing the right thing in the face of sometimes overwhelming peer and social pressures.

While the challenges most of us face on a daily basis seldom rise to the level of public prominence detailed in Senator Kennedy’s book, they nevertheless have real and lasting impacts on the people around us.

This month’s issue of Street Talk focuses on our Public Works heroes, our coworkers who have exhibited extraordinary courage in the course of conducting day-to-day business. As you read through their stories, ask yourself, “What makes a hero? What are the common threads that bind these actions together? Would I have done the same thing if faced with the same circumstances? How is Public Works a better place as a result of their actions?” The comedian Woody Allen

“

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is credited as the source of the quotation, “90% of success in life is showing up.” If true, what makes up the remaining 10%: perseverance, motivation, dedication, compassion?

The concepts of heroism and leadership are tied closely together. Heroes and leaders both influence others through the power of the personal examples they set.

Whether or not you are in a formal position of leadership, you do set the tone for your work group by the outlook you bring with you everyday. You also influence perceptions by the ways you look, talk, and interact with the public, other agencies, and your coworkers. I am sure that when each of us gets out of bed in the morning with the full potential of -Woody Allen the day still ahead of us, none of us makes a conscious decision that we want to be unhappy. However, we sometimes find that by mid-afternoon something has soured our outlook. When you find yourself down and out, ask yourself where were the points where I could have taken a positive step and changed the course of the day? How could I have shown the heroism and lead-

”

concept development & planning

Eva Moore

eva.moore@austintexas.gov

Max Eby

max.eby@austintexas.gov

design Chief Graphic Designer: Alexa Muraida

alexa.muraida@austintexas.gov

Director of Photography: Shannon Wisner

shannon.wisner@austintexas.gov

ership to keep an upbeat attitude, not just for me but for my fellow Public Workers and citizens as well?

Over the coming months, we as a department are going to invest significantly in leader development, not only at the first line supervisor level but also throughout the supervisory chain. While much of the training will be focused on providing skills like communications, organizational knowledge, counseling, and coaching, we will also address the personal characteristics that contribute to the model of the strong, compassionate leaders who will sustain a supportive and positive environment in Public Works. For the training to be effective, we’ll need you to be brave enough to open up and engage, and set the example for your peers. In other words, we’ll need you to be a hero!

cityspace.austintexas.gov/departments/pwd VOLUME 2

ISSUE 2

contents MARCH 2012

COVER STORY

PWD Superheroes Kick Asphalt!

What does it mean to be a ‘hero’?

We asked, you answered… and it turns out that you don’t need the super powers of your favorite comic book character to be considered a ‘hero’.

Downtown Water Tunnel

2012 MARCH STREET TALK

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contents

cityspace.austintexas.gov/departments/pwd VOLUME 2

ISSUE 2

MARCH 2012

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pwd superheroes kick asphalt!

What does it mean to be a ‘hero’? We asked, you answered… and it turns out that you don’t need the super powers of your favorite comic book character to be considered a ‘hero’.

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ALL AROUND AUSTIN Public Workers spent time in January and February 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.

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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’!

SBO: HEROES THROUGH THE STORM

Public Workers assist public safety crews and our citizens after a destructive tornado strikes.

CIPID: BEHIND THE SCENES Here, you’ll get to step into your muckers, strap on a head lamp and meet the CIP Inspection Division’s Tunnel group.

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HR: ESTABLISHING BASE PAY Ever wonder exactly how your pay is calculated? Here you will discover the inner workings of the zoning system and find out some results from the ‘Listening to the Workforce’ survey.

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NEW PAVING EQUIPMENT ARRIVES AT STREET AND BRIDGE Change is in the air… and more importantly, on the road over at the SBO Pavement Operations Division. Find out the details surrounding this new state-of-the-art machinery.

MILESTONES

divisions 2

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NPP: DEVELOPING COMMUNITY HEROES How NCD’s Neighborhood Partnering Program is helping to turn our citizen’s dreams into reality.

PMD: SHARING THE SUCCESS OF THE 32ND STREET PROJECT 32nd Street had some inherent challenges to overcome. Read about how the project team, with the help of our communications consultant, took on the task with great result!

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THE SAFETY ZONE

How safe are you staying on the job?

Tips on how you can make improvements on the job and in your daily life!

THE DIVERSITY COUNCIL: The Diversity council wants to hear from you. Check out the new system they devised to channel your ideas straight to the source!

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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GUEST COLUMN: How Public Works and other City departments are trying to make Austin the most livable city!

This Month: the Austin Fire Department (AFD)

safety zone

BY SHARON WARREN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

What makes a Safety Hero?

Are you going to heroic lengths to make sure you and your co-workers stay safe?

A

Safety Hero is someone that is an advocate for safety, someone that will go the extra step above and beyond - on safety issues.

They will make sure that hazards are reported and corrected; they will assist others in making sure they have what they need in every safety aspect, and they will find opportunities to learn more about safety.

Safety Meetings are mandatory and you will be rated on your attendance on your SSPR, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also think outside of the box about how to learn more about safety, and have a positive effect on others at the work site.

Every month there is safety training hosted by the Employee Safety Association on a variety of health and safety topics. A safety hero attends these because they know it is important, not just because they are required. You could even suggest a particular topic that you would like presented. (Please contact the safety office with your suggestions!)

Another way to be involved is the Annual Safety Conference, set for May 31, 2012. At the conference, you will be able to choose from 30 different safety presentations, and visit 50+ exhibitors.

Be a safety hero and a safety leader anywhere you are, whether in the office or out in the field! Assist in changing the safety culture of the department by taking ownership of your own safety, and being a team player in all aspects of safety.

And always be thinking - “Do I have what it takes to be a Safety Hero?!”

Save the Date!

Annual Safety Conference May 31, 2012

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events BY shannon wisner CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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.

public works connects you all around austin

The new Annual Report showcases our achievements with style

I

n order to provide accountability for our operations and to meet our City’s reporting requirements, PWD released an Annual Report covering fiscal year 2011; ranging from October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011. The report is organized by our diverse programs and broken up into three funds under which we operate; the Capital Projects Management Fund, the Child Safety Fund, and the Transportation Fund.

Enclosed are informative and eye-catching graphics highlighting how monies in these funds are used and how our programs fall into each respective fund. The report also showcases some impressive statistics about PWD and its programs while pictorially illustrating many of our projects for a visual reference of our accomplishments. If you haven’t had a chance to view the annual report, it can be found by clicking the icon on our main page located here: http://www. austintexas.gov/department/public-works.

2011 Annual Report

of funds and programs

The Bicycle Ambassador Program aims to fuse roadway relationships

great infrastructure that is in place in our city. These ambassadors will volunteer in community outreach, school education, and law enforcement – they will even be able to

The driver-cyclist relationship can write warnings when it comes to breaking sometimes be a delicate one, which is one bike laws! Sara Krause recently spoke about of the reasons PWD’s Neighborhood Con- the program on KVUE, stating, “Whether it’s nectivity Division is heading up a Bicycle someone who drives a car or rides a bike, we Ambassador Program. As one of the most all have rights and responsibilities on the bicycle-friendly cities in the nation, this pro- roadway. Sometimes there’s friction, unforgram will aim to encourage the use of the tunately, but we think things are in a really

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good place for Austin right now, and we’re looking forward to continuing that positive trend.” The NCD-housed program will be looking for a dozen dedicated volunteers to serve for one-year terms, and represents a great way that PWD is helping to showcase heroes in our community.

Child Safety’s BOW WOW program gains momentum

Adriana Vasquez of Widen Elementary School poses for a picture after winning a bike!

PWD gets ‘tickets to the gun show’ at the PARD CARD grand opening On January 13th, Givens Recreation Center rolled out the red carpet to welcome PWD employees to the center to debut the new state-of-the-art weight room facilities.

Healthy Connections was in attendance as

gram awarded one girl’s bike and one boy’s bike, plus a helmet and lamp for each bike!

They also awarded 10 pedometers for students who walked or biked to school for four Wednesdays. The drawing for the awards is

The Bike on Wednesday, Walk on held at the school’s assembly the week after Wednesday (BOW WOW) program has gone the last Wednesday of the initiative. This has so well this year that the Child Safety Pro- proved to be a very popular and fun way gram has booked 13 elementary schools to encourage active transportation for stufor the 2012 – 2013 school year! They have dents! had the opportunity to sponsor BOW WOW at various Elementary Schools including Campbell, Galindo, Gullett, Odom, Barbara Jordan, St. Elmo, Sunset Valley, Widen, and Williams. Still to come are Allison Elementary in March and Sanchez Elementary in April. At each of these campuses, the Child Safety Pro-

well to hand out information about getting fit. Nourishing refreshments were provided as well as on-site registration, tours, and door prizes! PWD and ATD employees who sign up will receive a PARD CARD, and then they can hit one of the five participating Rec Center gyms nearest them during the center’s normal operating hours! For more information, contact the Human Resources office.

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RIDES WILL: Be for all experience levels including complete beginners.

Stay together and make occasional stops to regroup if necessary.

Be open to all City of Austin employees.

Required: Bikes should be in good mechanical condition, ready to ride. (Skinny tires not recommended.)

Helmets are mandatory for all riders.

FREE Austin Bike Map to all who attend.

WHERE:

Lady Bird LakeHike and Bike Trail

meet near parking lot on the west side of the RBJ building (15 Waller St.) at 12 PM (noon)

If you are interested, please contact: Doug Ballew Doug.ballew@austintexas.gov Or 512-972-5120

divisions BY dianna robles CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Listening to the Workforce: Establishing Base Pay

The Human Resources Division sheds a little light on how your pay is determined using the zoning system.

D

id you hear… the Public Works Department had over 175 employees complete the annual Listening to the Workforce (LTW) Survey for 2011? The survey provides an opportunity for employees to voice their opinions on communications, ethics, safety, pay and benefits, and training opportunities offered by the City and the Department. Survey results for Public Works doubled from 93 responses received in 2010 to 189 in 2011!

In view of the LTW results, over 80% of the respondents have a strong commitment to the City of Austin as an employer and 83% of the department employees feel Public Works provides quality services. While the Department fares better than the City in the areas of Safety and Employee Recognition, there are a few areas the Department Management Team

In addition, the salary range is segmented into Zones as follows: zone I (entry)

Between 0 and 4 years of relevant experience above minimum qualifications.

zone II (Intermediate) zone III (Advanced) Zone IV (Accomplished)

Between 4+ and 7 years of relevant experience above minimum qualifications.

For additional information about base pay, you may contact the Human Resources Office at 512-974-7041.

10+ years of relevant experience above minimum qualifications (Zone IV is also known as the midpoint).

Rates of pay are based on an individual’s educational credentials and years of relevant work experience above and beyond the minimum qualifications of the position. Each job title has established education and years of relevant experience required. The “zoning process” is determined by identifying the “zone” an individual qualifies for based on the number of relevant years of experience above minimum qualifications.

would like to focus on further. For this issue, we will discuss the category of Pay & Benefits, specifically, the City’s process for Establishing Base Pay (or hourly rates).

Establishing hourly rates for employees most commonly occurs as a result of a

example John Doe is promoted through to an Administrative Specialist. Mr. Doe has 16 years of relevant experience and a High School Diploma.

Minimum Qualifications for an Administrative Specialist: Graduation from an accredited four year college or university with major coursework in Business or Public Administration or related field, plus four (4) years of experience in a professional/administrative capacity. Any combination of education and/or work experience will substitute for minimum qualifications.

Between 7+ and 10 years of relevant experience above minimum qualifications.

job title:

competitive hire & selection process, but can also occur as a result of a promotion or reclassification. Positions in the City of Austin typically have an associated salary range with defined minimum, midpoint and maximum hourly rates.

zone I (0-4 years experience)

zone II (4-7 years experience)

zone III (7-10 years experience)

$15.01

$16.26

$17.51

Administrative Specialist

zone calculation: John Doe, Administrative Specialist

education

zone IV (10+ years experience) $18.76

max $23.64

total experience/

(subtraction, if experience in lieu of education)

education ( beyond minimum qualifications)

4.00 years of experience Required (subtraction) 4.00

8.00

years/months related experience: 16.00 zone qualified (circle):

zone I (0-4)

zone II (4-7)

zone III (7-10)

zone IV (10+)

Employee pay is established respective of the zone for which he or she qualifies for. In this case the employee pay rate falls in Zone III which is $17.51 up to $18.75. Other considerations may be made by the hiring manager when establishing base pay to include internal equity or pay compression between the employee and supervisor of the position. For promotions, in the event the employee is at a higher rate than the zone he/she qualifies for, any increase will be limited to no more than 5%. Also, no employee will be placed below the minimum or beyond the maximum of the pay grade.

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divisions

BY VERA LABRIOLA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CIP Inspection: Behind the Scenes

When it comes to rehabilitating old infrastructure, CIPID has experts on the job, making sure it is done right!

From left to right: Patti Moreno, Jess Knox, Alexa Locklear, Kevin Jones, Valerie Dickens, Tony Lopez, Chip Hirsch, and Sidney Hanson

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lexa Locklear’s group is busy with the Waller Creek Tunnel and several other projects. They are one of the Rio Grande groups overseen by the Field Engineer Valerie Dickens. Even though this group’s specialty is tunnel inspection, Alexa often says that she has the best inspectors in the division who can tackle any kind of inspection work. Some of the projects this group inspects are quite complex and to get things done, CIP inspectors need to work with other divisions within Public Works and with departments like Austin Transportation, Watershed Protection, Small and Minority Business Resources, or Austin Water Utility. Alexa specifically mentioned Ayman Benyamin of Austin Water Utility and Jon Thompson of Project Management Division, who have been helping her group to get the job done. To be able to inspect tunnels, the inspectors have to have some knowledge of geology, attend the Confined Space Training, and use respirators. Since there is limited space,

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they can’t be claustrophobic or afraid of the dark. The environment is damp and muddy, so rubber steel toe boots are a must. However, according to the Lead Inspector Kevin Jones, working in a tunnel has some advantages—it does not rain there and it does not get too hot, so there is no need to worry about the weather.

The Supervisor, Alexa Locklear, is strong on anything related to soils due to her background in geotechnical testing.

She came to CIPID in 1999 as an inspector and worked her way up to a supervisory position. As an inspector, she was able to handle even the most complex projects, like the South 1st Street Reconstruction. Alexa is the kind of leader with a big heart—engaged in her community—the type of person that never stops. She helps with fundraisers and gets involved in animal rescue. On top of that, she is also the president of the Dale Volunteer Fire Department. Alexa likes to be around people and is always ready to help

wherever needed. To be environmentally responsible, she commutes to work in her small hybrid car. Even though she is really busy, she still finds time for her two kids, three dogs, and several other animals. When she does get some free time, she likes to hunt or deep sea fish. How is that for a hero?

The Lead Inspector, Kevin Jones, is the backbone of this group. According to his supervisor Alexa, Kevin keeps everybody in line (including her) and if it wasn’t for him, things would not get done. He is a retired veteran; for 20 years, he served as a Bridge Specialist for the Army Combat Engineers.

How does one build bridges in combat zones?

“Really fast,” says Kevin.

He inspects the Waller Creek Tunnel Project, a 5,600 ft diversion tunnel that will relieve storm water overflow from Waller Creek. He describes himself as a family guy who loves to have fun with his eight grandchildren. He also enjoys working with cars and loves woodwork—he can even make big pieces of furniture!

Sidney Hanson, a Vietnam War veteran, is currently finishing his work on the Downtown Tunnel and, at the same time, works as a night inspector at the Waller Creek Tunnel Project. He has been in the construction business all his life and has over 35 years of construction experience. He worked for underground utilities, paving, and tunneling companies. Sidney used to be on a Mopar Racing team and still likes restoring classic muscle cars, especially Chrysler. He is known for his big heart and caring personality. Sidney loves antiques and has an interest in farming.

Patti Moreno came to CIPID from TxDOT and besides roadway inspec-

from bridge construction and has done some surveying work as well. Patti has inspected the Bull Creek Low Water Crossing, the Waller Creek Pedestrian Bridge, and the Blunn Creek Longbow Storm Drain Improvements Project. Her newest project is Miscellaneous Waterline Improvements 2009-2010. Besides being a CIP Inspector, she is also a dog trainer and participates in animal rescue. Patti likes to go to the gym anytime she gets a chance, loves to play softball, and enjoys spending time with her husband and five pit bulls that, as she says, are her heart.

Ernest “Chip� Hirsch, currently working on the Tillery Strom Drain Outfall Stabilization Project, is an inspector known to be able to please even the most demanding clients. He has been with our division for about seven years and in the past he has worked as an inspector for the City of Houston. Chip was also employed by some private engineering companies and has 25 years of experience

in the rehabilitation of sewer systems in numerous municipal utility districts in the southern U.S. Chip, often teased for his love of peanut butter, is an outdoorsman. He adores his four grandkids and loves to take them fishing, camping, and boating. He owns a cabin in East Texas and goes there any time he gets a chance.

Tony Lopez has an extensive background in concrete inspection. Before coming to the City of Austin, he worked for ten years as a yard foreman for Gifford-Hill Pipe Division and he also did construction materials testing for another ten years. At this time, he juggles four projects: Manchaca Water line, SH 71 West Water Line Relocation, Pfluger Bridge Extension, and William Cannon Bridge over Onion Creek Phase 2. These projects consist of testing and inspecting concrete, soils, asphalt, rebar, water, and wastewater, as well as pier drilling and environmental and traffic control observation. Together with his wife, Tony has participated

in the Tour de Cure from San Antonio to Austin to raise funds for diabetes research.

He also likes spending time with his family, especially his first granddaughter.

Jess Knox started in our division a long time ago and came back in 2010. He has been inspecting projects for municipal organizations for over fourteen years.

Besides the City of Austin, he previously worked as an inspector for the City of Bryan. Jess is the inspector on the Rio Grande from MLK to 24th Street Reconstruction and Utility Adjustments Project. This project involves streetscape improvements, so with new sidewalks, citizens will also get to enjoy new trees and benches. Jess, fond of country life, enjoys taking care of his livestock, horseback riding, team roping, and he is an avid hunter as well. He is a family person and loves spending time with his wife, son, and his three month old baby girl. When time allows, Jess likes getting together with his dad and three brothers.

A rarely-seen view from inside the Waller Creek Tunnel.

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PWD s e o r e h r e p u S ck Asphalt!

Ki

What does it mean to be a 'hero'? We asked, you answered... and it turns out that you don't need the super powers of your favorite comic book character to be considered a 'hero'.

W

e all have at least one, many of us have multiple. They are all around us, rarely revealing their true powers, so they may go unrecognized. You see them on television; you hear about them on the news and talk about them over lunch with your friends. A select few are featured in internet stories, but millions walk quietly among us, never expecting praise or recognition, and would likely be surprised to know that they belong in this category. You may even belong to this group, and not even know it. Heroes.

What makes a hero?

Some of the more well-known heroes might include people like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Jane Goodall, Abraham Lincoln, and more.

Other heroes that are known world-wide are nameless. Robin Camp, Project Manager, remembers one in particular whose image is seared into the minds of so many who witnessed the events on Tiananmen Square unfold on television on June 5, 1989. “This incident occurred while I was

in Architecture School. That summer, I was in residence at the Winedale Program in Round Top, Texas. We were in a bunkhouse out in the country, measuring and documenting the Cotton Gin in Burton, TX. Our TV barely picked up any picture, mostly just grainy snow; and we worked from sunrise until dark on our project. This was the only news that broke through our retreat. It is still a moving image of bravery.”

“Tank Man” taken by Jeff Widener of the Associated Press, June 5, 1989.

Beginning in April, 1989, largely student-run demonstrations for continued economic reform, freedom of the press and liberalization of the People’s Republic of China were occurring. Mass gatherings and protests were non-violent until June 4.

As the People’s Liberation Army proceeded through the City to Tiananmen Square, they fired through the crowds of civilian protestors. The next day a single man stood directly in the path of approaching tanks in silent, non-violent protest. He held two shopping bags, one in each hand.

The tanks stopped and the man gestured to the tanks with his bags.

The lead tank tried to go around the man and not crush him but he repeatedly stepped in front of the tanks to stop their progress. Eventually the tanks stopped their engines.

You don’t have to stand in front of approaching tanks to be a hero, though!

ESD employee Luciano Tamayo gathered some thoughts from his division. They view a hero this way: “A real hero or a great leader has respect, honesty, humility, and sincerity to others and to themselves.

They put others before themselves and don’t take credit for other’s work.

They know how to listen and do unselfish acts for others. They don’t play games; they act on what they say, are reliable and accept the truth.

They are leaders you can rely on to lead and teach by example. A good leader is one who can encourage others to voluntarily do the right thing.”

You, I and everyone has the capacity to be a hero or leader. What it takes is the willingness to do what is required and the heart that will 2012 MARCH STREET TALK

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inspire you to finish the task. Byrt Reza of ESD recently volunteered at his son Aidan’s school, Primrose of Shady Hollow, during their “Transportation Week”. Using a display board as his main tool, he discussed the step-by-step process of how a PWD Engineer performs their job in relation to transportation projects. Byrt discussed all aspects, from acquiring the raw survey data, to verifying the data, researching, designing, meeting with stakeholders, estimating costs, constructing, etc… in kid’s terms, of course! Byrt was delighted to observe the faces of those little kids in awe of the presentation. By volunteering his time, Byrt was a hero and inspiration to his son, as well as his son’s other classmates.

Often, heroes are leaders in the more traditional, formal sense. Leadership is shown in many varying aspects, whether it is in war or peace, religion or politics, building or destruction. In this writer’s eye, the best qualities a leader can possess, along with many others, are “the ability to communicate with, understand and respect those of whom he is to lead.”

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BYrt reza gives a presentation at his son aidan’s school at primose of shady hollow during their “transportation week”.

respect those of whom he is to lead.”

Many employees see Public Works’ institutional leaders as heroes. While being a “hero” is usually seen as something you are or not, being a good leader takes some development. Leaders with Heart include our supervisors. Public Works realizes the importance of having a strong yet caring supervisor guiding each workgroup to success. In short, line-level supervisors make or break an organization! In the hustle and bustle of daily work tasks, it’s easy to slide supervisor training onto the back burner.

Everyday heroes at work include those who are looking out for each other and go the extra mile. Sharon Warren considers the idea of a ‘Safety Hero’. “A Safety Hero is someone that is an advocate for safety, someone that will go the extra step, above and beyond, on safety issues. They will make sure that hazards are reported and corrected; they will assist others in making sure they have what they need in the safety aspect. They think outside the box, and will have a positive affect on safety at the work site. Be a safety hero and a safety leader anywhere you are, whether in the office or out in the field! Assist in changing the safety culture of the department by taking ownership of your own safety, and being a team player in all aspects of safety.”

Esther Crawford in Street and Bridge says, “Sometimes we are heroes and don’t even realize it. A hero is someone who leads by example, whether it is an adult, teenager, or child.

A hero is someone who always seems to put others before themselves, and no matter how hard a decision or situation may be. Heroes will take themselves out of the box and analyze a problem from all angles to present a positive outcome. We aren’t able to please all people all the time, or have a solution to every problem, misunderstanding, or debate, but somehow

when dealing with heroes, the end result comes out to ‘never making a permanent decision for a temporary problem.’”

Heroes are close to home too. It doesn’t take long to think about people in your life who you look up to for so many reasons – and who show incredible strength and courage. Kit Johnson, PWD Architect says, “A hero is somebody who does the right thing regardless of the cost; be it physical, emotional, financial or political harm. Real heroes fear just like the rest of us, but they muster the character to rise above their fear and do what needs to be done. I think about the guys on the United Airlines flight that attempted to take control and purposely crashed the plane to save others during the attacks of September 11, or my son who befriends the one kid no one else will play with.

Rosa Parks was born 99 years ago.

This little lady had nothing to gain in refusing to stand up and move,

yet her small action prompted a generation to stand up against racial inequality.

That’s a hero. My wife is the biggest hero I personally know. From pushing out babies to confronting friends with truth, I’ve seen her fear, and I I’ve seen her push past her fear and do what has to be done.“ Public Works also continues to develop heroes internally. Sara Hartley shares that in February, supervisors will break away from their daily routines and attend one of three seminars at the Mexican American Cultural Center. For this event, Public Works is proud to welcome Dr. Troy L. Coleman, Ph.D. to Austin for his Mastering Leadership Effectiveness Seminar. Dr. Coleman will provide helpful information for supervisors and create a forum to learn from one another. By the time you read this Street Talk, supervisors will have attended their sessions.

We hope to bring you pictures and “lessons learned” reports for the next edition.

Stop for a moment and look at a person near you. That person is probably a hero to someone in his or her life.

We each have greatness within us. Do you think you might be a hero to someone else?

Who is a hero to you?

divisions BY sara krause CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Neighborhood Partnering Program: Developing Community Heroes

From the application process, to award and construction, NPP is helping to bring the big dreams of our community members to fruition.

P

erhaps no other program better exemplifies the everyday heroes in our City than the Neighborhood Partnering Program. This cost-sharing program allows communities to identify problems and priorities in the context of their solutions: a project proposal to the City.

Through a willingness to contribute to the project, community groups can seek City funding in what is essentially a city grant program. NPP is unique in that it finds heroes among all of us: community member’s ideas, City staff wanting to provide solutions, or City staff with their own ideas. In each case, it is the motivation to problem solve, improve, or assist that brings out the hero.

Created by the Austin City Council, the program is intended to build neighborhood-scale projects through a community-initiated application process.

There are two types of partnerships: one in which the applicants apply for matching grants (Neighborhood Cost Share or NCSP), and a Grant Assistance Program in which the applicants apply for matching funds for external grant opportunities (GAP). In either case, the City stretches its own resources by leveraging those that the community is willing to put in: be it sweat-equity that off-sets maintenance and labor costs, or in-kind professional services, materials, or donated professional services.

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Quick Overview How the process works

application and award

Letter of Intent

Staff Review for Basic Eligibility

Application

Eligible Projects Invited to Apply

COA Staff Scoring

Executive Committee Review & Award

One of the most frequently asked questions from City staff is “who maintains these projects?” The answer is: the applicants. Community interest in participating in these projects has been tremendous; and the opportunity to turn that interest into real, sustainable infrastructure has been created by NPP!

Community Drive and Community Building: NPP heroes in action.

Story: Along the state While the project maximum of $150,000 may not seem like a lot in the context of a Public Works initiative, it’s an amount that can have a substantial impact in a local community. The story of NPP is best told through its projects, and the people that initiate them

Cemetery Fence, there is a well-worn social path between businesses on the North Loop. The Northfield Neighborhood Association has previously beautified the path with trees; however, it desires a sidewalk to connect the two adjacent business complexes.

Problem:

The City ranks the sidewalk as a ‘medium’ priority, and does not have funding to do the project.

Solution:

A neighborhood champion proposed NPP to her association. They have agreed to costshare with the City to install the sidewalk through NPP.

Story:

The City of Austin obtained a FEMA grant to remove and demolish homes in a floodplain area in the Cherry Creek Neighborhood near Westgate and Stassney.

Problem:

This small community lost 21 of its neighbors in the process, and gained a large open space with no planned uses.

Solution:

WPD project Manager Jorge Morales recognized an opportunity in the neighbors themselves. He saw that they wanted to make something good out of their new environment, and were not only willing, but wanted to work for it. Jorge referred them to the Neighborhood Partnering Program.

The community obtained donated services from a landscape architect and has proposed a great design.

Cherry Creek Community meeting. The area has no neighborhood association. 51 residents showed up to learn about NPP.

2012 MARCH STREET TALK

17

columns

BY MICHELLE FRITH CHIEF REPORTER

How Well Do You Know Your Neighbor?

Michelle Frith profiles two employees that work hard for PWD everyday who you may have never met!

“I

don’t have much to say” was the response to a request for an interview with Division Manager Gerald Nation. By the end of the interview, it was extremely hard to know how to keep his story to one page!

GerNEIGHBOR ald is a laidback man Gerald Nation with quite a story to DIVISION tell. He was Street and Bridge raised in Operations the country outside TITLE of Garland, Division Manager Texas with his sister Diane. His dad, a WWII Marine, and his mom were loving parents and his mother had a great sense of humor, both traits which were clearly passed on to Gerald.

Gerald reminisces about being a fifth generation Texan. He recalled the day his high-school Algebra class was told President Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas. The Civil Rights movement and integration of schools took place in this same period, but it really had “little impact because our daily lives were already inte-

18 STREET TALK MARCH 2012

grated and everyone was friendly”.

Gerald’s great-great aunt was Carrie Nation, a late 1800’s radical suffragette and supporter of the temperance movement. She is most commonly known for promoting her viewpoint through entering an alcohol-serving establishment and attacking the bar with a hatchet!

Gerald met his wife Ginny on a blind date. He describes her as his very best friend and better half. “She is the funniest woman I have ever met. We are inseparable.” His respect and deep love for Ginny are pervasive in our conversation. She refers to him as “Yuk-Yuk boy” and he calls her “Slick”. The pair has been married for 35 years and has raised two sons. Aaron is a federal marshal in Oklahoma City who served in Desert Storm and John is an attorney and marathoner who is married and lives in Houston. Aaron has a son AJ, who is 7 years old. After their children left home, Gerald and Ginny found that they had grown apart as so many couples do.

Instead of separating, they decided to date each other again – and their marriage is now stronger than ever!

Gerald began working for General Telephone in 1968 as a cable splicer’s helper and promoted through the ranks to become a Service Facility Manager. In 1985, Gerald left GTE and joined Northern Telecom as Director of Sales and Marketing. He held other positions including Director of Engineering and Director of Training and Development. His 15 years at Nortel required constant international travel. His Division of Nortel was sold to

Global Knowledge, where Gerald became an executive Vice-President. Gerald also simultaneously owned a construction business. He was laid-off from GK in 2005 and his construction business went under during the housing crisis of 2007 and 2008. He was hired at AWU in 2009 and joined Public Works in November 2010.

Gerald feels this job has changed his life. “I am very impressed with Howard’s and Robert’s vision in trying new things and getting our four SBO divisions to work together. I’m the luckiest manager in the City! Our employees work hard and the direction we are going is fantastic!

We were working in silos and now we’re migrating to one cross-functional group with multi-talents and increased efficiencies. I can honestly say there is not one single person I have met in Public Works that I don’t like”.

Success came because “I worked and studied harder than others. I never refused a work challenge.” He advises others to “work hard, follow the rules and when you get an opportunity to learn anything, TAKE IT!” Gerald said that he has made and lost a fortune. What did he learn? “I learned what was really important in this short life. I learned family is the foundation and laughter is the key to getting through the day”.

Gerald and Ginny are looking forward to retirement someday and intend to travel the U.S. in a motor home. Gerald’s story of the ability to create a wonderful life despite hardship is an American story.

And he thought he had “Nothing much to say”…PLEASE!

Gerald Nation

S

hannon Wisner’s smile is always bright, always quick, and always genuine. She laughs a lot, and makes you want to get to know her better. Shannon is an integral part of the Public Works Office of the Director (OOD) and her story is as surprising and fun as her smile.

Shannon says she “grew up everywhere”; her father worked in the hotel industry and transferred around the country, sparking a great love of travel and natural curiosity. Not NEIGHBOR surprisingly, Shannon Wisner Shannon has a bag packed DIVISION at all times!

She is the elOffice of the Director dest of two.

Her youngTITLE er brother Program Coordinator Kevin works at the Gap and is very independent. Shannon’s “touchstone is Austin” - she just seems to keep ending up here. She received a degree in Photography and a minor Anthropology at Texas State University. Since her family is so spread out, Shannon considers her core group of friends her ‘family’ in Austin.

Among her favorite travels Shannon recounts an amazing story about spending three weeks in the Lacandon Forest in the Chiapas Province of Mexico. Arriving accidentally two days early in Tabasco, Mexico, she was on her own in the city.

She kept her cool, met her guide at the appointed time and the trip went on as planned, to the great relief of her mom!

Shannon studied primates for a Behavioral Ecology credit and Maya Religious studies while there. She stayed with a Mayan family in a very remote part of the forest and got to “hang out with howler monkeys”.

Not much different than her current job!

Love of travel has taken Shannon many places, including Rome, Venice and Florence to study Photography and Art History. She was also able to attend one semester at Flagstaff, Arizona in a National Student Exchange program and traveled all throughout Thailand for a photography

Shannon Wisner

course.

Most recently, Shannon chose to go to Prague, Czech Republic to teach English to students of all ages. Living in Prague allowed her to travel to France, Italy, Austria, Germany, and Slovakia, among others. While there, she talked with the older generation about what it was like to live in a Communist country. Culturally the Czechs are different from Americans in that while being very polite, they don’t often engage in small talk. She believes that one of the best parts of the country is the public transportation system. She lived in the Žižkov area where trams leave every 3-4 minutes. Travel is also sped up with the usage of subways, trains and buses. During the Communist era, the state wanted to move people quickly and efficiently, so they built a great public transportation system. There were obvious negatives as well, like a high level of paranoia, inadequate food, lack of information and being pushed to join the Communist Party. This experience has helped Shannon to really appreciate the freedoms and privileges of our country.

Shannon returned to Austin and joined Public Works in October, 2010 to quickly become an invaluable employee helping with Recommendations for Council Action (RCA’s) and working on communication aspects of the Office of the Director like Citizen Assistance Forms, Public Information Requests, department photography, assisting at events and more. She says, “I really like how diverse our organization is and I really enjoy establishing positive relationships and being able to help people. Best of all is that the Office of the Direc-

tor is a fun, laid-back but hard-working group. We’re small but we’re really good and work closely together.” She adds, “It’s sometimes uncomfortable that some people perceive the OOD staff as ‘stuckup’ or ‘intense’, but everyone is really genuine and concerned about the public. We all work really hard and each member of the team has their own unique sense of humor.”

Shannon’s biggest interests are current events and comparing and contrasting diverse cultures. She feels that it should be mandatory for every person to be able to travel to fully understand that we are not the center of the world. Texas in particular stands out to Shannon for the “huge pride, almost like being its own country”. Shannon’s view of the world is much larger than what she can see through a photo lens. Maybe that’s what makes her smile so brightly.

divisions

BY Julie Richey CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Success of the 32nd Street Reconstruction Project is Shared By All Despite the many issues that this busy street presented, the project team took the challenge head-on with a fantastic outcome.

I

n October 2010, Public Works began work on the 32nd Street Reconstruction Project. The project, from Duval Street to Red River Street in Central Austin, included upgrades and replacements to water, wastewater, and storm drain systems, full reconstruction of the roadway, completion and upgrades to the sidewalks, and mobility improvements like a dedicated left turn lane at Red River and bike lanes along the entire project.

Led by Project Manager Rohini Kumarage, and with the help of City community outreach consultant Concept Development, & Planning, the project team started working much sooner than the construction start! The team contacted neighborhood associations, businesses, and residents in the area to inform them of the project plans and to gather feedback on how to reduce the project’s impact on them. Rohini also incorporated a very robust outreach plan to keep the neighborhood

20 STREET TALK MARCH 2012

informed throughout the project. In the sixteen months on the project, the team sent over 30 status updates via email, and logged over 460 individual or group communication instances with neighbors!

One neighbor, Mr. Tim Eakin (when requesting that a street name plaque be

late 1800s. The name changed to Liberty Street after WWII, and the plaque was embedded in the curb to identify its original name. Other curb plaques on the cross streets were found and saved to be reaffixed upon completion of the project. This is one of those great opportunities PWD

So how do we know that this team was “heroic?” The residents tell us how they feel about the project now that it is complete:

“

Thank you so very much for all you did to complete this project. The crew was superb!! They did a remarkable job to fix and repair this old, complex, torn up street. They worked long and exhausting hours in the worst heat wave in history. I am grateful for all the time and effort that was given for months and handled with kid-glove treatment. Staff bent over backwards to accommodate us. Gracias.

”

-Linda Guerrero, Austin Resident

preserved), let the team know that Liberty got to be a neighborhood (history) hero!

Much more needed to be accomStreet used to be named Sidon Street for a gentleman who purchased the land in the modated for neighbors. There is both an

elementary school and a major hospital in one block, and within the project limits there is a graduate school campus, residential homes, and commercial buildings, all of which had conflicting preferences for work hours and driveway access. Throw in the school traffic twice a day, heavy UT student traffic, an environmentally sensitive creek, ambulances, cyclists and pedestrians - all on a two-lane road - well, you’ve got some serious issues to contend with here!

Inevitably utility conflicts and temperamental nature of utility infrastructure that is 70+ years old equaled some unexpected and unavoidable delays, as did addition of project scope, prompting understandable frustration from the residents and businesses. But through it all, Rohini’s leadership, along with CIP Inspector Albert Ramirez handling so many tasks and details, made for a couple of PWD heroes. Frequent communications to the neighbors by CD&P, and the exceptional problem solving of both McLean Construction (contractor) and LOC (design engineer) also meant the project came through successfully and with more improvements than originally planned! The new street and utilities were substantially complete and open by Christmas 2011.

All that remained was to replace landscaping within the right-of-way, which was delayed due to the drought and City water restrictions. But… the unfortunate drought conditions have actually yielded some more “heroic” thought. While contemplating logistics of closing out the job without the landscaping, and after visiting with neighbors about it, Rohini saw an opportunity for the City to develop a plan to plant drought tolerant vegetation in the right-of-way which can

withstand drought and also set a great example for sustainable plantings along our community streets. She set the wheels in motion and began visiting with the other departments within the City and simultaneously surveyed the property owners along the project for their feedback and preference. Overwhelmingly the residents have said “YES!” The team is currently putting to-

gether landscape designs for the rightof-way at those properties whose owners expressed interest in this opportunity.

Plans will be shared with property owners, and with cooperation from the weather, we hope to have drought tolerant landscaping in this spring - perhaps creating a new sustainable element in street reconstruction planning and design!

divisions

BY Clayton Craig CONTRIBUTING WRITER

New Paving Equipment Arrives at Street and Bridge

Change is in the air… and more importantly, on the road over at the Street and Bridge Pavement Operations Division.

J

anuary 31, 2012 marked a distinct change over at the Harold Court facility. The unveiling of the new asphalt paving machine that was funded in the Fiscal Year 2012 Budget replaced their antiquated 12-year-old paving machine. The crew was getting trained that day and seemed excited by the anticipation of the new equipment.

The crew will be able to take advantage of the machine’s increased reliability and enhanced leveling controls.

The new machine was assembled at Vogele’s Ludwigshafen, Germany, which is a new state-of-the-art factory, and anyone who has visited Germany will agree that they definitely have their roadways down to

a science! The Vogele Vision Model 5200-2 is a 10-foot rubber track paver that is well equipped with a Carlson electrically heated screed, automatic lubrication system, sonic dual grade and slope controls and xenon lights that include a balloon light kit for night time paving. The Vision machines come with ErgoPlus – an innovative and easy to learn operating concept that provides for ergonomic working conditions and safety at work. Three days of training were conducted by the vendor, Cooper Equipment and the Manufactures’ Regional Representative.

The new paving machine made its maiden voyage over near Gunter and

Abate street. The crew members relayed that the process was slow-going, but they were getting the hang of it. The machine has electronic controls, and some were concerned that they wouldn’t be able to modify in the same way that was allowed by the old machine, but the trainer explained that modification was possible.

Also, as part of the ongoing street resurfacing program, the Pavement Operations Division has also received a small asphalt milling machine. The Wirtgen W 60 cold milling machine has a maximum milling width of 24 inches and a maximum depth of 12 inches. It will be used for cutting trenches of different widths and depths, asphalt tie-in jobs, partial pavement repairs, etc, that are currently performed by jack hammers. Training was conducted on January 10, and the machine is expected be in full service by the end of March.

Both units continue the City‘s commitments to providing a high quality and cost efficient street resurfacing product.

WELCOME TO WELLNESS...

You can find the Health Assessment Welcome Kit on the Health Assessment section of our website at http://cityspace.ci.austin.tx.us/services/healthyconnections

The welcome kit contains everything you need to get started: 1. Health Assessment Schedule 2. Screening sign-up instructions and What to Bring.

3. Completing the Online Health Assessment 4. How to earn ADL 5. Other information about HealthyConnections. If you have questions, please reach out to HealthyConnections staff members: Contact us:

HealthyConnections@austintexas.gov Or call 974-3284 and ask to speak with a Wellness Consultant

DATE

TIME

LOCATION

Wednesday January 18

7:30 am – 1:00 pm

Thursday January 19

7:00 am – 1:00 pm

Tuesday February 14

6:00 am – 12:00 pm

Tuesday February 14

5:30 am – 9:00 am and 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Wednesday February 15 Parking is limited at this event

5:30 am – 9:00 am and 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Glen Bell Service Center Tom Medders Training Room 3907 S. Industrial Drive Kramer Lane Service Center Building E Break Room 2526 Kramer Lane Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Facility Administration Building Auditorium 2210 South FM 973 Kenneth Gardner Service Center Auditorium Room 105 4108 Todd Lane Kenneth Gardner Service Center Auditorium Room 105 4108 Todd Lane

Thursday February 16

6:00 am – 3:30 pm

Wednesday March 7

6:30 am – 12:00 pm

Thursday March 8

6:30 am – 3:00 pm

Tuesday March 13

7:30 am – 1:00 pm

Wednesday April 18

7:00 am – 4:00 pm

Parking is limited at this event

Rutherford Campus Building 1 Cafeteria 1520 Rutherford Lane St. Elmo Street and Bridge Large Conference Room 4411 Meinardus Learning and Research Center (LRC) 2800 Spirit of Texas Drive Waller Creek Center Room 104 625 E 10th Street Palmer Events Center 900 Barton Springs Road

Read through the kit for detailed Additional events will be scheduled for May to December information and then sign-up for the Health Screening event that works best for you. To register, go to http://www.onsitehd.com/scheduler and log in using the username wellnesschoices and the password healthyaustin (details are in the Welcome Kit).

Please remember to always receive your supervisor/ manager’s approval before attending any training, special event, or wellness screening.

guest column

BY SARA HARTLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF

True Heroes, Great Partners!

They go speeeding down our streets every day to assist people in need, and PWD is there to help where we can!

O

n a sunny February day, Shannon fire pole upside down, we dressed Shannon up in Wisner and I loaded up with Bat- full gear and made her run. It seemed appropriate talion Chief of Special Operations Palmer at the time! When in Rome…

Buck to go on a ride with the Austin Fire Department. Along the way we learned a ton about their operations, got to play on some equipment - and even saw a camel!

(Yes. You read that right - a camel.)

We wanted to tag along on what is commonly referred to in the public safety departments as a “ride-out.” And ride out we did - with sirens wailing and lights flashing, we got to respond to a few calls that afternoon. Luckily, there were no major incidents, but we had a great time understanding more about how they work their calls.

We visited two awesome stations.

Station 1 is the original Austin downtown station. Special Operations have some of their equipment and staff there, like the swift water rescue boats that save people from the lake or flood waters. After seeing an impressive firefighter come down the

24 STREET TALK MARCH 2012

Then we headed out on calls for a while, talked with Palmer about how our two departments work together, and seriously saw a camel (Bactrian, not dromedary) at the intersection of 24th and Lamar.

We were NOT expecting that to be the most exciting part of the ride-out!

It may not seem to folks that we have a lot in common with the fire department, or have much reason to partner with them, but out in the field it is a different story.

With the recent tornado, PWD got the chance to work with AFD in a very real way.

Often we come in after the disaster to assist in the recovery for citizens. Sometimes that means clearing the way for firefighters to finish their jobs, and sometimes it is restoring the damaged streets and cleaning up the right-ofway so that life can return to normal for our neighborhoods after a storm.

Palmer had this to say about our crews, “They were great right after that recent storm. The tornado really piled up the debris and damage along that mile stretch. Your guys were out there cleaning up as soon as they could. It really helps us to do our jobs.”

There are other ways we help make sure that AFD makes it safely and quickly to calls. One is how we maintain our roadways. Street and Bridge Operations is working to keep our roads in good condition; not just for a nice ride for cars, but so that our public safety groups can safely make it along the route without running into harm. We also communicate closely with them regarding construction and road closures that could affect their routes from the stations to an emergency.

Palmer knew about several of our projects and how they affect operations.

He is even working on a project to make sure the fire department knows where certain new (and old) infrastructure is within the city, like tunnels. Being able to follow our projects and map what our assets are is important in their emergency operations.

I won’t lie - it wasn’t just about gathering information on a fellow department. Although we learned a lot, the fun of whizzing through traffic and playing on rigs, learning what a “TIC” is, and getting an awesome home-cooked fajita meal at the end of day with the firefighters from Station 14 - well that was way more fun than these reporters should have on the job!

Palmer Buck leads the way as we tour Fire Station 1.

What I look like through the use of a Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC).

2012 MARCH STREET TALK

25

divisions

BY GERALD NATION CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Heroes through the Storm

Public Workers assist public safety crews and our citizens after a destructive tornado strikes.

Road was damaged to ture Management was on-site to provide the point of closing one- engineering direction, and the districts half of the bridge for two provided assistance to the concrete crew days while Street and to complete the repair.

Bridge crews performed The tornado had also left a big trail of repairs. The damage was debris on Commercial Road. This required unique in this instance. two stages of clean-up. First, a crew was The creek that runs under dispatched to pick up the debris, which the bridge had risen to a included everything from tree limbs to AC level that washed out the units. After the road was cleared of large support of the gabions debris, a street cleaning machine furthat supported the abut- nished by Overlay was used to finish the ment on the northwest clean-up. This clean-up allowed APD to side of the bridge. All of open the street. the gabions supporting Some guard-rails were damaged near drainage areas.

The on-call crews and the maintethe abutment fell into the nance personnel worked diligently to corcreek leaving the com- rect all of the issues in a timely manner. As uring the night of January 24, a pacted soil under the bridge exposed. The usual, the employees of Street and Bridge big storm hit the Austin area. The flowing water washed away the soil under Operations repaired the damage caused citizen reports began coming in the asphalt on the side of the roadway. by the storm with minimum impact to our at 2:30 am, and on-call staff began work- The SBO crews had to remove the soil that customers – true teamwork to help out ing each call as it was reported. Around had caved in approximately 18 feet be- our citizens in an emergency!

3:45 am, Johnny Colvin reported that a low, allowing the crew to lotornado had caused damage on Commer- cate rock that would provide cial Road. Johnny got to work, picking up a base for the new gabions.

The crews placed new barricades and working with the Austin Police and Fire Departments to close the gabions using the rock floor as the base and the old garoad to traffic.

After the sun rose and the public be- bions as support to keep gan their daily routines, the calls related to the new gabions from slipthe storm began to really increase. There ping while they were being were numerous potholes created by the installed. After they were water flow, tree limbs were down in the placed, concrete was poured ROW throughout Austin, several drain- over the gabions to make age systems were blocked and had to be the structure supporting the cleared, some guardrails were damaged abutment both stable and or dislodged, and sink-holes had opened. reliable. Brad Kirk and his The high volume of water in Shoal Creek washed In addition to these minor ROW issues, the concrete crew took the lead out the rock wall on the mobility trail. in this difficult work. Pirouz storm also caused some major damage.

The bridge to the EOC on Old Manor Moin from SBO Infrastruc-

D

26 STREET TALK MARCH 2012

milestones

street talk extra

UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

WHO’S

THAT?

Street and Bridge Continues to ‘Make it Happen’

BY SHANNON WISNER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

eSD:

John Thompson Recently joined ESD in December 12, 2011 as a temporary employee. He will be the new ESD CADD Manager who will assist engineers and designers with any CADD design issues. Prior to his employment with ESD, John worked with Bentley for 5 years and he is an expert both in Microstation and GeoPak. He was born and raised in Houston, Texas and has been living in Austin for 15 years. Welcome aboard John!

sbo:

Frank Reyes Was born in Bastrop, Texas and graduated from Del Valle High School in 1989.

He worked for 3 years with Asphalt Paving Co. as an Apprentice and learned basic machinery mechanics, and the basics of street paving. He joined the Street and Bridge Division the summer after his graduation and enjoyed 5 years with the City before leaving to pursue the goal of starting his own business. He was successful in this Venture for 17 plus years, and now feels truly blessed to become part of the Public Works Department once again. He became a full time permanent employee this past December, working with the Overlay crew, and feels that he has found a great team to be a part of.

He feels that his team always does their best to do the job right and with pride. He has been married for 24 years and has 3 girls. He also enjoys running, because it keeps him in shape to keep up with his kids, and his work.

sbo: Veena C. Prabhakar Is the newest member to Public Works’ Infrastructure Management Division within Street & Bridge Operations. Veena is the Pavement Management Engineer responsible for maintaining the City’s Pavement Management Information System. She started with the City today on November 28th and will office at St. Elmo. Veena brings with her 11 years of experience related to pavement engineering, including structural and condition evaluations, remaining life evaluations and pavement design.

She has worked on structural evaluations and design projects pertinent to highways, airfields, and port facilities and has experience with implementing pavement design procedures.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from BMS College of Engineering, India and a Masters in Pavement and Materials Engineering from Texas A&M.

HRO:

Alexandra “Alex” Bolton (Not related to Michael) Is a Human Resources Advisor. She is a second generation Austinite, University of Texas grad, and loves her city! She has a degree in English and Psychology and has over 7 years of Human Resources and Staffing experience.

She enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures and actually started her HR career with an International Staffing Agency. She loves helping people and looks forward to a long career with the City of Austin. A fun fact about Alex is that she loves music. You might see her out on the town at live music events or singing her heart out at karaoke!

sbO:

Esther Crawford Is originally from Austin and attended Reagan High and WR. Robbins. She has worked at various jobs, including Veolia Transportation for 7 years and as a subcontractor for Capital Metro. She operated a bus, worked as a dispatcher and as a maintenance clerk. Last summer she attended a job fair, applied and became a temporary employee in PWD Human Resources, working on records management. She then found a temporary truck driver position in overlay and was hired as a Class B on July 5. Public Works gained a major asset when Esther was hired as a permanent employee on November 6, 2011! Esther is currently a junior at National American University studying to earn a degree in Organizational Leadership and has a great love for learning anything and everything.

ssd: Alicia Jackson Is an Accountant Associate in the Shared Services Division working on accounts for Street and Bridge. She has a degree in Business with a minor in Computer Science. In the course of her career, she has gained over 15 to 20 years experience working in the Accounting and Finance industry. Prior to joining the Public Works Department, she worked for the City of Austin for 9 ½ to 10 Years. For fun, she enjoys meeting new people, traveling, movies, dinner, bowling, plays, live music, and reading. She also enjoys attending church and occasionally going out dancing.

The positive attitude and getit-done mentality of our Street and Bridge Division never ceases to amaze me. Recently, I received an email from a very distressed employee in Neighborhood Housing who was at her wits end with a request that had been passed off through various departments. The request was for maintenance of the lighted archway on east 11th street, which was originally supposed to be maintained by an outside entity. This agreement no longer exists, and the structure still stands, in need of some serious TLC. I sent the request to David Magana on February 8th and received a response literally within an hour saying that this was within our purview. He relayed that he and Sam West would collaborate to get the work scheduled. The next day, Lawrence Alvarez had assessed the needs of the structure. A few days later, Chris Meyer had worked with the property owners who were responsible for the Live Oak trees near the archway, and they agreed to prune the trees before the end of the month. By February 16th, Gerald Nation sent the word that crews were scheduled to repair, clean, and paint the arch by March 9th in time for South by Southwest.

I would like to sincerely thank all who are mentioned here, as well as the division as a whole for working together so effectively. It’s situations like these that make me proud to work in an organization that values a say ‘yes’ attitude - and continues to disprove the bureaucratic stereotype.

2012 MARCH STREET TALK

27

milestones

continued from pg. 27

aewcaorgdnsi&tion r Engineer of the year!

Val Rockwell

congratula graduate tions

For her commendable work and dedication.

Charles Felipa, of the Street and Bridge Divi-

‘Pat on the Back’ award

howard lazarus The American Society of Civil Engineers awarded Howard Lazarus this prestigious award at their annual banquet February 24, 2012.

The PWD Executive Team and Howard’s peers got to cheer him on and hear a great speech in which he credited those who work in Public Works for making him look good. Aww - gee thanks, Howard!

sion’s Sidewalk Cleaning Crew, recently received his Bachelors in Business Management – congratulations Charles!

Charles is a military intelligence veteran, and a military brat who graduated high school in Germany. Look for him to be profiled in a future issue!

2012 field award winners Texas Public Works Association (TPWA) Winners

1

Field Excellence Award Nathan wilkes Engineer Associate “C”

28 STREET TALK MARCH 2012

2

In-House Project of the Year (Transportation) Congress Avenue Overlay & Transportation Project

3

in-house project of the year (Disaster or Emergency

Construction/ Repair)

Dalton Lane Bridge Repair

Milestones Construction Spanish

check th is out!

Looking to Hone Your Spanish Skills?

Spanish Customer Care, taught by Max Eby and Susan Garnett, was designed as a crash course for Public Workers who want to be able to get by in Spanish. From complete beginners who have never studied Spanish to those with a basic level of Spanish, this course provides students with basic words and phrases needed to survive everyday situations on the job. And not only do Public Workers take advantage of this class, City employees

Anyone can take this course, so sign up today on TRAIN!

sohuot ut ESD shout out michael nguyen

ESD has been in need of a CADD Manager for quite some time, and as a result, design software issues needed to be addressed. Heroically, Michael Nguyen volunteered to step in and resolve whatever CADD issues arose. He recently installed the new Microstation version 8i, (Select Series 2) in all ESD CADD computers. This also includes deleting the older version, running the batch files, and installing/ updating the Iplot Organizer that will support the new Microstation version and Geopak. To date, he is still addressing some glitches from this new CADD software and also coordinating with CTM to make the server works smoothly and cor-

from ARR, CMD and WPD have joined in on the learning experience. Anyone can take this course, so sign up today on TRAIN! ¡Esperemos verle pronto!

rectly with the new migration. Thanks for campus. She ensures the safety of the stubeing such a great team player, Michael! dents crossing Kramer behind our school.

She goes above and beyond to ensure child safety, reminding all students each child safety shout outs time they approach the street to look left and right before they cross. She does not aurelia Aurelia Pardo, Child Safe- remind them just because she is supposed pardo ty Program South Central to; she actually monitors the children and Crossing Guard Supervisor, jokes with them if she does not see their called 311 before the Christmas Holidays heads moving. She reminds students each to report a gas smell at the intersection of time not to follow her out as she stops St. Elmo and South 2nd. The Fire Depart- traffic. She blows her whistle each time, ment came to the site and said they could holds the stop sign visibly and follows the not do anything that day, but on January laws. She encourages students to walk on 12, 2012 Texas Gas responded by digging the sidewalk, not near the street and alerts up and replacing the gas line at that inter- a teacher on duty if she witnesses any stusection. They stated that they would have dents engaged in unsafe activities. She ofthe intersection cleared of equipment ten communicates with parents herself or during drop-off and release times and asks a bilingual teacher to translate so she will also replace the gas line under the St. can get her message to all parents. Not Elmo’s teacher’s parking lot. Aurelia will only does she do her job professionally, receive a Child Safety ‘Caught you Caring’ she also goes out of her way to talk to the Award for her actions! Great job Aurelia! kids and get to know them. This relationship with the students and their parents The teachers of McBee Ele- creates one of respect where all parties garnett mentary would like to com- feel safer. hopson mend Garnett Hopson on her job as a Child Safety Supervisor at our 2012 MARCH STREET TALK

29

milestones

continued from pg. 29

Just Joshin’ with Shuv

F

or the last issue’s Where is Shuv L. Reddy, we received a reply that we just couldn’t resist giving an ‘honorable mention’ award to! To the delight of the Street Talk team, pavement Engineer Ron Koehn submitted this little tidbit of hilarity:

1

Location 1: Mr. Reddy is at...

Machu Picchu in the Cusco Region of Peru: The project is a hillside stabilization and erosion control terrace that is in the Urubamba River watershed.

The terrace project was built about 1450 AD using dry stacked cut limestone placed similar to those along Waller Creek south of Cesar Chavez.

Mr. Reddy is doing a 562 year warranty check inspection, and probably found minor structural damage that could be related to the original construction. However, he also most likely found that the contractor is out of business and the bonding company says the project bond has expired and that most of the defects are due to lack of required maintenance from 1500 to 1915. Mr. Reddy thinks that repairs most likely will be assigned to Street & Bridge South District.

2

Wear Red Day Walk

Shannon Wisner, Michelle Frith, Jeannette Gilpin, Susan Garnett, and Alexa Muraida participate by wearing red for the ‘Go Red for Women’ event. The American Heart Association partners with COA’s Healthy Connections to sponsor a discussion on women’s heart health. Following the discussion, participants walk from City Hall and around Lady Bird Lake to help raise awareness.

30 STREET TALK MARCH 2012

Location 2: Mr. Reddy is at...

City Hall lobby at Christmas 2012. The project is an un-permitted residential construction site. Mr. Reddy is inspecting the development’s fence encroachment into the public street ROW.

divisions

BY Eva Moore CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A Diverse Future for our City The Diversity Council wants to hear your ideas, so they conjured up a clever way to make sure your voice gets heard.

W

hen the Public Works and Transportation Department’s Diversity Council holds meetings now, the topics are quite diverse themselves. That’s because right now the Diversity Council is planning for the future. The developing stages that are happening showcase the diverse ideas of the group; and ways to bring out the diversity of our workforce for the future. While making all of the plans for events like a 5k diversity team run, a school outreach initiative, a job shadow program, etc…we had a thought. We have showcased how we as a Council are thinking outside of the box to bring everyone together, but now we want to know - what does diversity mean to YOU? One important way of listening to what the workforce has on their minds is through our newly placed comment boxes. Over a dozen have been placed at multiple City of Austin campuses. At nearly every Public Works and/or Transportation floor and facility there is a comment box, waiting for your questions or comments.

We also created email accounts to better capture what you are thinking and feeling.

As with every new initiative, the results are small right now – so we need your help.

What we also discovered is that we have opened the door to diversity and great things are coming out, but we need more

input. What does diversity mean to you? How do you show diversity in your work life? Is there anything you would like to see the Diversity council address?

One of the great responses that have come in so far is from Torch Acosta with Engineering Services.

He had this to say about what diversity means to him. “My connotation of diversity is living and working with people from every ethno-socioeconomic background in a collaborative and harmonious manner.

Consequently, I think inclusion is harnessing diversity’s positive powerful effects to achieve social success.”

Additionally, as the word has gotten out, more and more employees are becoming interested and wonder how they can become a member of the council. At this time, the current term for members is not up, but attending a meeting is always an option as we have an open door policy. If an employee has out for comment boxes at each Field Ofan interest in seeing the inner-workings fice, department break rooms, and variof the Diversity Council, a request can be ous floors at OTC. Please drop us a line, sent to sit in on an upcomMy connotation of diversity is living and ing meeting.

We welcome working with people from every ethno-sociovisitors to economic background in a collaborative and our monthly harmonious manner. Consequently, I think meetings, beinclusion is harnessing diversity’s positive cause input is key to making powerful effects to achieve social success. this a success.

O n c e again, we need to hear from employees on what share your thoughts and concerns. Help diversity means to them to better do our us know what you think and want for dijob on the Council for you. Be on the look- versity in our department!

“

”

2012 MARCH STREET TALK

31

in every issue

where is shuv-l-reddy?

Where In The World Is Shuv-L-Reddy?

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

Can you correctly identify both project site locations that Shuv-L-Reddy has visited? Write in to: streettalk@ austintexas.gov for a chance to WIN A PRIZE! location 1

Answers from last issue: Location 1: Shuv L Reddy in Macchu Piccu, Peru Location 2: City Hall Christmas display

location 2

CONGRATULATIONS: Alison Von Stein for being the first to guess last issue’s locations correctly!

2012 MARCH STREET TALK 33

events calendar 2012 march Monday

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

0

2

0

It’s My Park Day!

Defensive Driving

Sunday

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

First Thursday Austin City Council Meeting

5

6

0

0

Vehicle Safety ROAD-E-O

7

0

Health Screening 6:30 AM-12 PM Cheathem Facility Large Conference Room

Zilker Kite Festival

2

1

Professional Truck Driver Defensive Driving Class 8-4 PM Cheathem Facility

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

3

1

Health Screening 7:30 AM-1:30 PM Waller Creek Center 620 E.10th Street, Rm. 104

9

0

1

2

4

0

$ PAY DAY

9

8

0

0

Health Screening

Back Parking Lot of Kreig Field

4

1

6:30 AM-3 PM Learning & Research 2800 Spirit of Texas Dr.

Austin City Council Meeting

South by Southwest (begins)

5

6

1

South by Southwest

3

0

1

0

1

Sunday

1

1

Daylight Savings Time (begins)

7

1

Sunday

Diversity Council Meeting

8

1

1:30 PM OTC, Conference Rm. 1000

South by Southwest (ends)

$ PAY DAY

1

2

3

2

2

2

4

2

Sunday

6

2

Work Zone Traffic Control Refresher 8:30 AM- 3:30 PM Cheathem Facility Large Conference Room

Capitol 10K

Work Zone Traffic Control Refresher (same as 03/26)

7

2

5

2

Austin City Council Meeting

First Day of Spring

8

2

9

0

2

3

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

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

34 STREET TALK MARCH 2012

$ PAY DAY

1

3

april

Sunday

1

0 April Fool’s Day

Monday

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

2

4

3

0

Safety Plus Meeting (SBO Pavement & Infrastructure) Safety Plus Meeting (PMD/ESD/NCD/QSMD) 8:30-9:30 AM OTC-325

9

0

0

1

Safety Plus Meeting (CIPID/HRO/SSD/Financial Services, OOD, Systems Engineering) class 8:30-9:30 AM OTC-325

class 8-9 AM Cheathem Facility

8

1

1

2

3

1

1

8 AM- 12 PM OTC- 325

Austin City Council Meeting

5

1 $ PAY DAY

9

Sunday

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

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

Safety Plus Meeting (ATD) 8 AM-9 AM OTC-325

Earth Day!

5

2

6

7

2

2

8

2

Sunday

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

Yoga in the Park (FREE)

2

2

Yoga in the Park (FREE)

4

2

2

900 Barton Springs Road

2

1

0

1

7 AM-4 PM

3

4

1

Passover (ends at sunset)

Sunday

CPR

Computer Ergonomics Palmer Events Center

2

8

0

Passover (begins at sunset) Good Friday

Health Screening

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

0

Sunday

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

1

7

0

Defensive Driving

1

Safety Plus Meeting (SBO District Maintenance) class 8-9 AM Cheathem Facility Diversity Council Mtg. 8:30 AM Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant (S.Lamar) Yoga in the Park (FREE)

Saturday

6

0

Austin City Council Meeting First Thursday

Yoga in the Park (FREE)

7

6

1

5

0

0

Friday

Austin City Council Meeting

$ PAY DAY

9

2

0

3

Early Voting Begins

2012 MARCH STREET TALK 35

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