Street Talk | December 2012 Issue

STREET TALK

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1

REPORTING ON WHAT MATTERS TO PUBLIC WORKS

DECEMBER 2010

inside:

Top Dogs:

Public Works employees and projects are award-winning in 2010

Backlog Buster: Catch up on what we’ve been doing around the Public Works Department this year

Who’s Who: Take an in depth look at some fellow Public Workers

The

Public Works

Year in

Review

director’s message

BY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

STREET TALK

A Year in Review

G

reetings fellow Public Workers.

I’d like to welcome you back to Street Talk, which has undergone a significant makeover. As you can see, we’ve gone to a magazine format and we will switch to bi-monthly issues, allowing our reporters and editors to pursue items in greater depth. This expanded Street Talk will provide more opportunities to feature the projects, people, and places that shape the character of Public Works and provide insight about issues within the department. We will again provide printed versions in addition to the electronic format as many of us enjoy having a hard copy to hold and to share. I want to thank Sara Hartley, Alexa Muraida, Michelle Frith, and Shannon Wisner on their hard work and creativity in reviving Street Talk as an important component of our communications portfolio. As it is the “Year in Review” Issue, let’s review a few important 2010 highlights.

On November 2nd, the voters of Austin approved a $90M bond proposition to provide funds for mobility-related projects.

Sponsorship of these projects will be split between the Transportation Department and Public Works. PWD will manage the majority of these projects and the scope of work encompasses vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, and transit modes. This 2010 bond is most likely the first installment of a widening percentage of transportationrelated projects we manage as we look to the future in Capital delivery.

Street improvements are also receiving an additional $1M in the current

02 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief: Sara Hartley

sara.hartley@ci.austin.tx.us

fiscal year for paving projects, resurfacing, utility cuts, and concrete projects. We also will receive a large infusion of equipment this year, including new and replacement items for Street & Bridge Operations; and greening of the vehicles used by Engineering Services, Project Management, and Construction Inspection.

This fall saw Street & Bridge operations become reorganized into four divisions to facilitate control and oversight with four new Division Managers who will oversee operations. The smaller operational units will help us plan and execute work and make better use of our staff, equipment, and material resources. See the article on page 8 for the details of the reorganization.

We are all excited about the benefits that these changes will bring, and encourage your support for Division Managers David, Molly, Gerald, and Brian.

Finally, with December upon us, I’d like to reflect a bit on the past year. It has been another remarkable twelve months for Public Works, with many organizational and individual achievements.

Our strength remains the vitality, commitment, and diversity of our staff. We have the opportunity each and every day to positively impact the quality of life for the entire Austin community, and we do so in a manner that exemplifies our “Department with a Heart” philosophy, thanks to you.

Happy holidays to all, and best wishes for continued health, happiness, and success in the New Year!

Contributing Writers: Howard Lazarus

howard.lazarus@ci.austin.tx.us

Michelle Frith

michelle.frith@ci.austin.tx.us

Vera Labriola

vera.labriola@ci.austin.tx.us

Alison Von Stein

alison.von-stein@ci.austin.tx.us

Luciano Tamayo

luciano.tamayo@ci.austin.tx.us

Howard Hendrickson

howard.hendrickson@ci.austin.tx.us

Shannon Wisner

shannon.wisner@ci.austin.tx.us

DESIGN Chief Graphic Designer: Alexa Muraida

alexa.muraida@ci.austin.tx.us

Director of Photography: Shannon Wisner

shannon.wisner@ci.austin.tx.us

THIS MONTH’S GIVEAWAY STUMP THE CHUMP! Do you like trivia and prizes? Then this is your corner! Each issue, Howard has a different bit (or two) of trivia to throw out there…see if you can get it first and win a prize!

This month’s question: In Austin’s History – How many Public Works Directors have there been?

Email: Shannon.Wisner@ci.austin.tx.us with your answers!

cityspace.ci.austin.tx.us/departments/pwd VOLUME 1

ISSUE 1

contents DECEMBER2010

COVER STORY

Public Works Department Year in Review

From Accelerate Austin to employee recognition, we celebrate a busy and fruitful year.

2010 DECEMBER STREET TALK

03

contents

cityspace.ci.austin.tx.us/departments/pwd VOLUME 1

ISSUE 1

DECEMBER2010

14

16

08 features

divisions

1

0

3

ACCELERATE AUSTIN MOVES PWD DOWN THE ROAD

8

0

TALKING UP TEXAS

8

1

Austin PWD employees go out and about to speak at conferences – from local forums to the National stage.

1

1

COACCC 2010 PWD GIVES GENEROUSLY

4

1

As the organization grows and changes, new Division Managers look forward to a bright future in 2011and beyond.

A look back at the work done for the year from our 2006 Bond Street Reconstruction Projects.

1

STREET AND BRIDGE REORGANIZES

11 13 columns

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

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

6

0

2010 was a big year for Project Delivery, with many 2006 Bond Projects in construction and more around the corner.

6

1

Public Works employees demonstrate the “Department with a Heart” philosophy with the 2010 campaign.

THE SAFETY ZONE How safe were YOU on the job this year?

Check out these tips and see where you can make improvements.

NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIVITY This year saw an expansion of programs, a big move, awards, and much more for this budding division.

IN EVERY ISSUE...

WHERE IN THE WORLD 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!

04 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR?

THE HOT LIST

Who’s coming and who’s going?

Awards-watch and little bits of good gossip…follow our Hot List in every issue to know what is going on with your fellow Public Workers.

HAPPENINGS

Coming In Our Next Issue YOU tell US what’s happening around Public Works. We will be adding an events page that you can help us fill in with your division’s calendars. Email us at: streettalk@ci.austin.tx.us

City Hall

safety zone

BY HOWARD HENDRICKSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Distracted Driving

In the car, we all should go beyond thinking of just ourselves.

T

oday our lives are busier than ever so we try to overcompensate through multi-tasking. Doing other tasks while driving may appear to be efficient use of our precious time, but the distractions take our attention away from driving, increase the risk of a collision, and cause risk to other people on the road.

According to the National Safety

Council, distracted driving is estimated to be a factor in 25 to 30 percent of all traffic collisions, which is 4,000 or more crashes a day. While taking one’s eyes off the road presents obvious risks, activities that take a driver’s mind away from driving are just as risky. Research suggests that distracted driving increases the risk of rear-end and single-vehicle collisions.

Engaging in other tasks while driving competes with the full attention and skills you need for driving, reduces your driving performance, and increases the risk of a collision.

So, what are the distractions? Anything at all that takes our hands off the steering wheel, and takes our mind or eyes off the road.

HOW DO YOU KNOW? HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING WHILE BEING DISTRACTED? You find yourself doing several things at once while driving.

You find your conversation with a passenger being interrupted by honks from other vehicles.

You slam on your brakes because you did not see traffic slow down or stop ahead.

You miss your exit or find yourself in the wrong lane on a regular basis.

You find yourself having multiple near misses or close calls.

While driving, you are talking on the phone (with or without a hands free device. )

CELL PHONES IN SCHOOL ZONES? IT’S NOT JUST DISTRACTED DRIVING – IT’S ILLEGAL.

R

ecently Child Safety Program Coordinator, Chris Moore got fed up with the stories of non-compliance she heard from her crossing guards about people driving through school zones talking or texting on their phones. She decided that it was time to take things to the next level – so she got the Austin Police Department involved. APD was

06 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

more than happy to oblidge. Starting thing we are thinking about while driving with over 20 tickets issued in one morning in school zones. We bet that APD will back at Cassis Elementary, APD began a sting her up on that. operation at 46 different school zones in Austin over the next several months.

Thinking you just have to make that call right now? Think again – there just may be an officer waiting to issue that ticket.

Chris says that our kids should be the only

safety calendar

Public Works Safety Team Safety Training Calendar (To schedule a class, call 974-7231/7059.)

JANUARY 2011 Monday

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Defensive Driving Class

6

0

8:00 AM to 4:00 PM One Texas Center 3rd Floor Training Room

Friday

7

0

Work Zone Traffic Control Refresher (TEEX) 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM Cheatham Building Large Conference Room

0

1

1

1

2

1

CPR/ First Aid/ AED

3

1

8:00 AM to 3:00 PM One Texas Center 3rd Floor Training Room

4

1

Flagging in the Work Zone (TEEX)

12:30 AM to 4:30 PM Cheatham Buliding Large Conference Room

Professional Truck Driver Defensive Driving Class 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Learning Resource Center

7

1 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

Roadway Safety

8

1

8:00 AM to 11:30 PM Cheatham Buliding Large Conference Room

9

0

1

2

1

2

VCRB/VCRC

4

2 Defensive Driving Class

8:00 AM to 4:00 PM One Texas Center 3rd Floor Training Room

5

2

Work Zone Traffic Control Day One (TEEX) 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Cheatham Building Large Conference Room

6

7

2

Work Zone Traffic Control Day Two (TEEX) 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Cheatham Building Large Conference Room

2

Ergonomics for Computer Users

8

2

8:00 AM to 9:30 AM One Texas Center Room 500

New Employee Safety Orientation

8:00 AM to 12:00 PM Learning Resource Center

1

3

2010 DECEMBER STREET TALK

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divisions

BY SARA HARTLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF

Street and Bridge Reorganizes As the organization grows and changes, new Division Managers look forward to a bright future in 2010 and beyond.

O

perations in the Public Works Department has never been an easy job, but as our city grows, so does the need for additional roadways and their maintenance. More than ever, people want to see their streets kept in pristine condition, as additional traffic wears and tears them down.

As our scope of work continues to grow in Street and Bridge Operations (SBO), some vital changes were made to the organization this year. Most importantly, the overall division has been widened into four divisions of working operations and maintenance.

With new divisions comes new Division Managers. SBO welcomed Molly Ritter and Gerald Nation to the Public Works team.

Molly comes to us from Planning and Development Review, and Gerald joins us from Austin Water Utility. Taking on an Acting Division Manager capacity is Brian Works, from Pavement Operations.

The breakdown will go something like this: David Magana will retain management of the engineering and planning functions, will lead the Overlay and Seal Coat sections. sight, the hope is to truly create efficiency Molly Ritter will oversee the Concrete and With four Managers leading very dis- and a high quality of work throughout the Utilities Division, and Gerald Nation will pro- tinct work groups, and coordinating these Division. vide leadership for the Districts. Brian Works respective groups with a high level of over-

08 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

A QUICK LOOK

INTO OUR STREET AND BRIDGE OPERATIONS PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Howard Lazarus, P.E. Director

OPERATIONS Robert Hinojosa, P.E. Assistant Director

PAVEMENT OPERATIONS DIVISON

DISTRICT MAINTENANCE DIVISION Gerald Nation Division Manager

UTILITIES & STRUCTURES DIVISION

Molly Ritter Division Manager

INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT DIVISION

MILL & OVERLAY

NORTH DISTRICT

MINOR CONCRETE CONTRUCTION & REPAIRS

INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT GROUP

SEAL COAT TEAM 1

CENTRAL DISTRICT

UTILITY CUT EXCAVATION & REPAIR (ASPHALT SECTION)

SPECIAL PROJECTS

SEAL COAT TEAM 2

SOUTH DISTRICT

UTILITY CUT EXCAVATION & REPAIR (CONCRETE SECTION)

Brian Works Acting Division Manager

David Maga単a, P.E. Managing Engineer

2010 DECEMBER STREET TALK

09

features

BY SARA HARTLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF

Talking Up Texas Austin PWD employees go out and about to speak at conferencesfrom local forums to national conferences.

F

rom association conferences to local and national awards ceremonies, Public Workers from the City of Austin were spotted around the US in 2010.

First came the award from the local chapter of Women in Transportation, who wanted to honor Annick Beaudet and the Bicycle Program’s unique initiative to study different types of bicycle facilities with the UT center for (CTU). Then came the news a few months later that they had won the National Award. She and Howard promptly headed out to accept the award in Washington, D.C. This is just one of the many good things happening around Public Works this year. Thanks to the hard work and innovative thinking of our Public Workers, we have been able to highlight our achievements across the community, state, and nation.

Jules Parrish wrapped up the Vara Daniels Archeological site dig in Zilker Park in 2009, but the awards just kept coming through this year. She was able to be there in person at the State Capital to

10 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

“We should always be striving to go accept the Texas Historical Commission’s Award of Merit in Archeological Preserva- out there and talk about the excellent tion for her excellent management of the work we do here in the City of Austin,” says Howard. “We can and should be a leading Vara Daniel’s Site Investigations.

Our Director, Howard Lazarus, has example in the industry.”

“The experience was a great personal been able to spread the good word about what Public Workers are doing through- growth opportunity,” says David Smytheout the community by being a key note Macaulay, who has spoken before, but not speaker at several engineering associa- at a national level conference. “I appreciate being able to develop my skills while tions around Austin.

And in August, four staff members at the same time, show off a little of the joined the national stage when they were hard work we do here.”

Howard followed-up by expressing chosen to be speakers at the American Public Works We should always be striving to go A s s o c i a t i o n ’s out there and talk about the excellent National Conference.

Keri work we do here in the City of Austin.

Juarez and David -Howard Lazarus, Director, Public Works Department Smythe-Macaulay spoke of our excellent Project Manage- encouragement for those who would like ment Division, and Howard Lazarus and to find venues to write or speak about the Sara Hartley discussed the importance work we do and the expertise we have. He of communication with the community vows that there will be a way to send peothrough their program, “Your Department ple to speak any time they are selected. with a Heart: Communications in a Politically Savvy Community.”

“

”

special report

BY MICHELLE FRITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

City of Austin Combined Charities Campaign

Public Works employees demonstrate the “Department with a Heart” philosophy.

T

his year’s City of Austin Combined and to make the process easier for em- hosted a breakfast that raised $205.47, Charities Campaign (CoACCC) ployees. Forty-eight employees pledged organized by Kate Montgomery and the proved once again that Public Works em- $26,640 through payroll pledges, and SBO Crew. Breakfast was delicious and ployees are the backbone of the Depart- there were two one-time gifts totaling certainly welcomed by everyone. ment with a Heart. Starting in the sum- $420.

Construction Inspection held a Fajita mer, Assistant Director James Snow was Special events played a large role in Lunch which raised $1,038.21 and was led asked to head the CoACCC Public Works raising funds, including an Office of the by Pat Webre. People stood in line all the team by being on the way into the building steering committee to get some of this for the City’s overdelicious food! Conall campaign. Alexa gratulations to them Muraida, the departfor raising the most ment’s graphic artist, money in the events designed an incredthis year! ible CoACCC logo,

Engineering reflecting Austin’s Services once again love of music and held their CoACCC for their community.

BBQ Cook off, orgaThis logo was utilized nized by Carlos Vilthroughout the camlapando and Delia paign as the symbol Uballe. They raised of giving for all City $703 and had a blast of Austin employees. cooking and listening James invited Annie Van Zant, Project Co- Director Field Day & Pie Throw at One Tex- to four different bands who donated their ordinator in the Systems Engineering Di- as Center which raised $197.00, and was talents to make this event a huge success vision and later Michelle Frith, Outreach organized by Annie Van Zant and Michelle – including our own Kevin Sweat and the and Marketing Coordinator, to be depart- Frith. The pie throw was retribution for Sweat Brothers. It is always one of the ment coordinators for the campaign. the notorious Kickin’ Asphalt Gang (aka most fun events of CoACCC! PWD kicked off this year’s campaign the Office of the Director executive team), Project Management and Engineeron October 1, 2010, with a goal of raising Howard Lazarus, James Snow, Keri Juarez, ing Services also joined efforts to host a $35,000 through pledges, gifts, and spe- and Robert Hinojosa. Each of the gang bake sale which raised $33 and was hostcial events. This campaign saw the first members were pied not once, but three ed by Delia Uballe and Michelle Frith. The use of an online CoACCC pledge form; times each. Kudos to the gang for going donated baked goods went faster than with the purpose being to keep all pledg- out in style! hotcakes! es completely confidential, use less paper, Street and Bridge Operations (SBO) The Office of the Director hosted 2010 DECEMBER STREET TALK

11

continued

from pg.11

PWD COORDINATORS another Halloween themed event at the end of the month. The Costume Contest and Pumpkin Carving Contest raised $234.10. There were a good number of creative entries in the costume contest and the winner was “Hawkman” (Nico Hauwert from Watershed Protection.) The pumpkin with the most votes was the City Shield pumpkin carved by Michelle Meadow of Planning and Development Review.

Nico and Michelle both won a free car detailing certificate worth $100 each from Austin Collision Solution.

And finally, we don’t want to forget the very important ‘special event’ in January for relief for Haiti after the earthquake, which raised $1,245.00.

We are proud to say that Public Works raised almost $31,000 for non-profits in Austin and around the world.

With all said and done, we’d like to hear back from you about what you liked about the campaign, and what you think we could do to improve next year. Please email or call Annie Van Zant (ext. 2825) or Michelle Frith (ext. 2436) and give us suggestions for improvement or let us know if you’d like to be involved in next year’s campaign.

We’re beginning to plan for the 2011 campaign in January and want to reflect the great ideas and generous hearts of our co-workers, so all suggestions are welcome. Thanks for your participation!

ANNIE VAN ZANT Project Coordinator, Systems Engineering Division

MICHELLE FRITH Senior Public Information Specialist, Office of the Director

PWD TEAM LEADERS DELIA UBALLE Administrative Specialist, Project Management Division (PMD)

CARLOS VILLALPANDO Engineer Associate, Engineering Services Division

KENNETH JOHNSON Inspector, CIP Inspection Division (CID)

PAT WEBRE Inspector Supervisor CIP Inspection Division (CID)

DIANE RICE Project Manager Neighborhood Connectivity Division(NCD)

FERNANDO ORTEGON CID Fajita Lunch

Street Operations Superintendent Street & Bridge (S&B)

KATE MONTGOMERY Administrative Specialist Street & Bridge (S&B)

BRAD KIRK Superintendent, Street and Drainage Operations, Street & Bridge (S&B)

REBECCA ZAPATA Aministrative Specialist Human Resources (HR) Howard Lazarus, Director, takes a pie to the face

12 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

DOROTHY CALLAHAN Administrative Associate Shared Services Division (SSD)

features

BY SARA HARTLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF

Accelerate Austin Moves PWD Down The Road

A look back at the work done for the year for our 2006 Bond Street Reconstruction Projects.

A

Accelerate Austin kicked into high gear in 2010, keeping project managers and contractors extra busy despite an economic downturn.

In 2009, City Officials kicked off “Accelerate Austin,” a program to push forward the street reconstruction projects associated with the 2006 Bond Program.

The goal was to get contractors working as soon as possible, creating our own local stimulus in the construction industry.

This allowed us to take advantage of lower bids, materials costs, and abundance of the local construction labor pool.

Fast forward to 2010 and the program comes to its true fruition. All around Austin, street reconstruction groups have been bidding out, starting construction, Currently Public Works has eight Acand finishing up in neighborhoods and celerate Austin projects in construction, business districts alike. with seven more in the bid process with plans to begin construction soon into the New Year. While some of these are very high profile projects (such as East Seventh Street and Brazos Street downtown), many others are important and integral collector streets and neighborhoods that are happy to finally have true improvements heading to their roadways.

East 7th Street Reconstruction

And with eleven more projects in the design phase now, the projects just keep coming. 2011 looks to be just as busy as 2010, and that doesn’t even account for the 2010 Mobility Bond Projects that will begin soon.

Dennis Crabill and his team have taken on quite a challenge in moving these projects forward. Randy Harvey, Rohini Kumarage, Shirin Helmi, Richard Duane, Demira Wyatt, Jessica Salinas, Clay Harris, and Rick Colbrunn are all dedicated to seeing that the street reconstructions keep moving efficiently and smoothly.

New resources such as Envista help them coordinate the work for the least amount of conflict or impact, and a team of internal communications staff and external consultants keep the community informed of project progress and issues in construction.

2010 DECEMBER STREET TALK

13

columns

BY MICHELLE FRITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

How Well Do You Know Your Neighbor?

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

E

li Mendoza is a soft-spoken young man man who came to work for the City of Austin just over four years ago from Travis County. He worked as a heavy equipment operator and always wanted to work for the City of Austin for better pay and more stability for his eight year old son, “little Eli.” Eli began his career in Street and Bridge (SBO) in the Central District doing concrete work for over a year, then transferred to St. Elmo as a truck driver in order to be closer to his son’s NEIGHBOR school.

He Eli Mendoza took advantage of learnDIVISION ing about Street & Bridge how the machinery worked in TITLE S&B and took Truck Driver the initiative to learn Equipment Operations with his supervisor’s blessing. He went back to school to begin earning a degree in Building Construction Technology and Applied Science and is putting in overtime to help pay the bills.

Eli is a very involved single dad and wants to be available for all of little Eli’s sports – football, soccer and boxing. He’s had to weigh being available for all of little Eli’s needs against finishing his degree, so for now he has chosen to take all the training that the City offers and move forward in his career. His face beams when he discusses networking with other City employees and the realization that getting to know other people can help him succeed

14 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

and achieve his dreams. Networking has also helped Eli understand how the City works, how his job fits in to the scheme of the Public Works operations, and how he individually can help the citizens of Austin with his knowledge and experience.

Part of what Eli does to give back is by working on the Public Works Diversity Committee. He wants to learn as much as he can, because coworkers come to him to discuss diversity, and he enjoys being able to share the lessons he has learned.

He says: …in order to be a good leader, you must first be a good follower – follow in another’s footsteps and adopt behaviors that you admire. Leadership begins by being an example – being positive, grounded, enthusiastic, and professional at all times.

His efforts have even been recognized by his coworkers. Both Larry Williams and Gregory Jenkins mentioned Eli’s good attitude to Supervisor Kenneth Johnson and now he is being supported in his journey - learning more and going for his dream.

Being raised by his grandparents has

be in CIP one day or to be a Street and Bridge Division Manager. His passion is to resolve conflicts, give advice, and to be a counselor or coach to others. He feels that he has very supportive supervisors

order to be a good leader, you must first “beIna good follower – follow in another’s footsteps and adopt behaviors that you admire. ” -Eli Mendoza, Truck Driver, Street & Bridge

helped Eli realize that his best goal is to be a great dad and to set an example by continuing his education. He is doing this by taking one class at a time and through online learning. Eli also sets a healthy example for his little boy by exercising and watching what he eats. He hopes to

and has learned that leadership is not an ideal, but it’s a “24 hour thing.” It’s about getting the job done.

Needless to say, little Eli has a great role model to look up to.

D

orothy Callahan (or ‘Dottie’ as she is known to some) is a very quiet, unassuming young woman with a shy smile who works behind the scenes to make Public Works hum along. She’s been a stay-at-home mom for most of her adult life, but recently found herself a single mother of sons Devin, 16 and Ryan, 12.

She worked for a while in insurance claims and was referred this year to a position in the City as a mail runner.

NEIGHBOR Her job enDorothy Callahan tails driving ‘Dottie’ from site to site, picking DIVISION up interofShared Services fice memorandums, picking up TITLE checks at the Administrative Associate Controller ’s Office, and distributing them to Accounts Payable so that the vendors get paid on time. Dottie strives to ensure that everyone gets their mail on time daily so that projects don’t get delayed.

It’s been difficult for Dottie to transition into full time work, but with encouragement from friends and co-workers she is finding this task easier. Recently, she’s been entering invoices and working

Hall.

Dottie is diligently working on rebuilding her life, being positive, and looking forward to a sunny future. She is achieving this through healthy relationships and building on her spirituality.

Dottie has attended classes in Behavioral Science at Concordia College and wants to inspire her sons to achieve their goals.

Her oldest son, Devin, is participating in College Forward and her youngest, Ryan, gives encouragement by letting her know how proud he is of her.

Dottie says she feels good about her job in Public Works and believes that management really wants the best for all of the employees. She feels especially grateful to James Snow for giving her an opportunity when many others might not have. She wants others to know that when times are tough, they can always hope that they meet someone with a heart like James’. Dottie’s smile gives us all a reason to reflect that a good attitude,

with timesheets and is finding this variety very enjoyable and stimulating. Dottie particularly enjoys records management and document research. She picks up timesheets from CIP, PM, ES, and the Rio Grande site, then I like the feeling of being part of scans them and backs them up. She likes the a team... feeling of being part of -Dorothy Callahan, Shared Services, Administrative Associate a team and has a goal of working in administration or Support Services with the City. some perseverance, and a little help from Her biggest long-term goal is to someday someone with a good heart can make all hold an administrative position at City the difference in the world.

“

”

DIRECTOR FOR A DAY

BY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

Over the past several months, we’ve initiated an informal Director for a Day program. The general rules are that upon invitation from someone in your work group, I will spend a day working with a field crew, and in exchange my host will spend the next day following my schedule.

Traditionally we have chosen a Wednesday morning as well as a Thursday morning with a Council Meeting. This has allowed us the ability to see each other’s work days with more clarity.

We’ve now done it three times now.

The lucky “victims” have been: Bardo Men-

doza and the Central District, Frank Deroo and the Concrete Section, and Paul Martin and Overlay.

I know I’ve certainly enjoyed a good, hard day’s labor and getting to spend time in the field, and the feedback I’ve received is that the guys have enjoyed putting on a tie and seeing what goes on outside of their work sections (OK, so maybe not the tie part…).

I look forward to continuing this program, and hope to receive more invitations to spend the day with you soon.

Please contact me with suggestions for yourself, or even someone else you think

might be interested but a bit shy about asking.

I consider myself lucky to work with the greatest staff in the City – and this has really allowed me to experience that upclose and personally. Thank you!

2010 DECEMBER STREET TALK

15

divisions

BY SARA HARTLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF

Dean Keeton bicycle lanes

Neighborhood Connectivity 2010 saw expansion of the programs, a big move, awards, and much more for this budding division.

T

he past year for the Neighborhood Connectivity Division has been quite eventful with numerous awards, a move, and many new programs to work on with additional federal dollars.

Amidst a year marked with some controversy on Nueces Street, the bicycle program manuevered well and charged forward with miles of bike lanes and a study with The UT center for Transportation Research on innovative bicycle facilities.

Other innovative pilot programs were installed, such as road diets on roadways like Steck Avenue from Shoal Creek to Burnet, and Kramer Lane from Braker lane to Lamar.

In August, they received news that the State had awarded our program a million dollar grant to fund additional public outreach and education efforts, and some additional facilities.

The year will wrap up with the completion of the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge Extension. This project has been sponsored by the Neighborhood Connectivity Division and will be an integral and beautiful pathway

16 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

from the north and south business and residential districts along Lamar Boulevard. See more at the website: www.ci.austin.tx.us/ publicworks/pfluger.

The Child safety program has expanded their programs and become very involved in the no cell-phone zones (see distracted driving on page 6). A new free activity book for kids is available on the Child Safety program’s website to increase roadsafety awareness. They were also instrumental in getting a critical facility put into place in FM 1826 at Gorzycki Middle School.

The pedestrian program partnered early on with Neighborhood Housing and Community Development to use stimulus dollars to build long-needed sidewalks along East Austin streets. A news conference was held this summer to announce the use of the funds and the jobs it created. The Austin voters chose to approve more bond dollars to go toward sidewalks and pedestrian mobility projects when Proposition One was placed on the November ballot. This should mean more gaps closed in the net-

work of much needed sidewalks.

In early 2010, NCD began working on the Neighborhood Partnering Program. This was the first effort to formalize a process and budget for Neighborhoods to apply for City dollars to work on neighborhood-level projects, pledging to match with either money or their own “sweat equity.” The program has kicked off this fiscal year with a small budget and growing word of mouth about what is offered.

The division was no stranger to the award circuit, earning the local and then national award from the Women in Transportation for the CTR study.

In August, the Division moved from offices spread around a few floors in OTC to a single office suite on the 7th floor. Having all of the pieces in place has allowed them to work more closely together, creating a seamless Division from what used to be more disparate programs.

street talk extra

UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

Hot List

CID:

New employees, S.T.A.R.S sightings, award winners and fond farewells. It’s all here in the Hot List!

WELCOME NEW INSPECTORS! RAMIRO HERNANDEZ

Ramiro Hernandez was born and raised in the town of Burnet, TX and has three brothers and two sisters. He moved to Austin ten years ago and has worked for various engineering firms.

Ramiro is married and has a daughter, Gabriella, who will turn three in December. He loves working out, playing golf, and watching football.

BILL MASON AND JESS KNOX

Two Inspectors have found their way back to CIPCID. Bill Mason comes back to us after owning a convenience store in the Fort Worth area. He had 13 previous years of experience at Public Works, and additional experience in land surveying and materials testing in Austin.

Jess comes back to us after eight years away. He moved to College Station and worked as an Engineering Inspector for the City of Bryan. We are glad to have Jess and Bill working with us again!

KENNETH (KJ) JOHNSON

KJ was born and raised in Austin, TX and started with the City of Austin in 1991 when he participated in the Austin Energy Youth Program. In 1996, he started work for Solid Waste Department. He has been with the Public Works Department since 2005. In August of 2010, he transferred to inspection from Street & Bridge Division, where he worked as a Maintenance Assistant. KJ participated in our Inspector Trainee Program. We hope he will enjoy working with us!

SIDNEY HANSON

We are very pleased to announce that CIP Inspection Division has a new Inspector C, Sidney Hanson. He started his job with the CIP Inspection Division on May 10, 2010. Sidney was born in Dallas and attended McCallum High School in Austin. After finishing high school, he worked for three years in Austin and then moved back to Dallas. He has 23 years of experience working as a contractor’s foreman on CIP projects in Dallas. Sidney works out of the St. Elmo Field Office under the supervision of Pat Webre. In his free time, he enjoys restoring old cars. We hope he will enjoy working with us.

RICK RAMOS

Rick has a degree in Business Management from Concordia University.

He brings experience from the public sector as well as the corporate environment. He was the Division Real Estate and Construction Manager for the Circle K Corporation and also worked with the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (now TCEQ). Most recently, Rick and his wife owned a construction company involved in projects with an emphasis on concrete foundations and flatwork. Rick lives in Garfield, Texas. He has been assigned to the Rio Grande Field Office. We hope he will enjoy working with us!

2010 DECEMBER STREET TALK

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from pg.17

PMD:

Fond Farewells: ARTHUR SAMPSON

CECIL MEYER

DEMIRA S. WYATT

After more than 25 years with the City, Arthur Sampson retired from Public Works in November. Arthur hopes to continue his public service in various ways, maybe even another shot at public office!

He will come back part time to assist with Downtown Operations coordination with Street and Bridge Operations. We wish him all the luck in the world in his new endeavors!

After 26 years with the City of Austin working on Capital Projects, Cecil will be retiring this December. What a great early Christmas present! Not only has Cecil worked on projects, but he will go down as a Word Wizard King as far as Street Talk is concerned!

NEW PROJECT MANAGER The Project Management Division is pleased to announce that Demira S. Wyatt has accepted a Project Manager position. Demira has been working as a temporary Project Manager for the past several months and has done an excellent job. Prior to joining the City of Austin, Demira spent several years with the Virginia Department of Transportation working on various road and transportation projects. Please join us in congratulating Demira on her new position!

S.T.A.R. Awards

OOD:

Service, Teamwork, Achievement and Respect in PMD.

TINA LOPEZ

Alison von Stein- Service For her high level of customer service to ABIA on the 2010 Security Upgrade Project Gary Jackson- Teamwork For his effective stakeholder coordination on the Waller Creek Tunnel Project l Margot Massey- Achievement For her responsiveness and support to the division on Capital Project Delivery procedures Tony Krauss- Respect In recognition of his efforts to reduce organizational barriers by voluntarily assisting co-workers, as well as his work to foster a collaborative work environment among colleagues.

WELCOME BABY JAVIER! Tina Lopez returned to the Office of Director after some time off with her new baby boy, Javier. The baby boy is beautiful and happy – and Mom Tina is glowing! Congratulations! We can’t wait until she can bring him up for a visit!

SHANNON WISNER

In October, the Office of the Director brought Shannon on board as an administrative specialist to help out while Tina Lopez had her new bundle of joy. Shannon will be staying through the next Office of Director maternity leave when Susan Garnett has her baby in March. (Something is in the water around here!) Shannon came to us from a year of teaching English in Prague, Czech Republic. Along with various administrative and communications roles she has quickly become our departmental photographer. She has a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts (Photography) and has become our go-to for all things random around the Director’s Office!

18 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

The award winners for the 3rd quarter are:

The award winners for the 4th quarter are:

Darryl Haba- Service For his efforts to successfully manage the first COA stimulus-funded project to completion. He completed the 2010 Street Overlay Project ahead of schedule.

Dennis Crabill- Teamwork For his responsiveness in managing the politically challenging Barton Springs. By

Pass Project David Smythe-Macauley - Achievement For his participation in the 2010 APWA International Workshop entitled “Developing a Project Management Office” Jules Parrish- Respect In recognition of her receipt of the 2010 “Award of Merit” from the Texas Historical Commission, for “efficient management of the Vara Daniel Site Investigations” on the Zilker Park Archeological Project.

In addition, STAR of the STAR awards were announced. These are the best awardees from each category for the whole year. Here are the recipients: Alison von Stein- Service For customer service to ABIA on the 2010 Security Upgrade Project Gary Jackson- Teamwork For his work on the Waller Creek Tunnel Project Robert Pirtle- Achievement For the Water Treatment Plant #4 Testing Services RFQ Rick Colbrunn- Respect For being a mentor to project managers.

street talk extra

UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

CID Awards:

PAT ON THE BACK AWARDS

11

/2010

BRETT CLEMONS

Brett Clemons received the Pat on the Back Award for numerous comments on his professionalism and positive attitude when dealing with the citizens of Austin. His professional way of handling questions and communication with the citizens on his projects was praised by his Project Manager and Design Engineer.

TRAVIS MILLER

Travis Miller was presented the Pat on the Back Award for dedication to the public service. In pouring rain, he responded to a complaint about street flooding in the South Congress area. This was not related to a CIP project but he did not hesitate to take care of the problem.

10

clay Transmission Main Project in a short amount of time. He was praised by his Project Manager who said, “It is probably not said enough, but we just processed the final pay estimate for this project and I would like to acknowledge that Kevin Jones did an excellent job. All of his documents were submitted on time and I’m impressed with the fact that the final pay matched (to the penny) the remaining balance due. He can inspect my projects any day.” Congratulations Kevin!

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/2010

SCOTT EGBERT

/2010

CARLOS LOPEZ AND FREDDIE ALONZO

A ‘Pat on the Back’ was also awarded to Carlos Lopez and Freddie Alonzo.

They work together on two extensive and demanding projects on East 7th Street. At one of the meetings, the business owners expressed how much they appreciated Freddie and Carlos. They agreed that at all times, they see one or the other on the jobsite. They were glad to have them and felt that they could approach Carlos or Freddie with any issue.

06

KEVIN JONES

/2010

RIP HIRSCH

Kevin Jones was presented a Pat on the Back Award for an excellent job closing the Loop 360—Allen/Bar-

Scott Egbert who was presented the Pat on the Back Award, has been praised by his Project Manager for his work on the North Shields Water Rehab Project. Scott has also helped by filling in as a back-up on the South I-35 Segment 2/5, 48-inch Water Transmission Main Project. He volunteered on short notice to cover a 12hour shift from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. for approximately three weeks. He also volunteered to assist other inspectors on their projects and still managed his own heavy workload.

A ‘Pat on the Back’ was presented to Rip Hirsch, who works on the project at Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant. This project, when finished, will 2010 DECEMBER STREET TALK

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from pg.19

significantly improve the lives of citizens in the service area of the Austin Wasterwater Treatment Plant and the residents in the Colorado River Watershed. It is one of the largest “green” projects in the City of Austin. Rip is doing a great job working with the clients, contractor, and the operating wastewater facility. At the same time, he is working on closing several other projects – and due to his great time management skills, he has been able to keep all parties happy.

Travis Miller has been nominated for this award by an employee who appreciated all the help he offered when a new inspector started working for the City of Austin. Travis helped with procedures, necessary documentation, and made the new employee feel welcome.

NANNETT HOLWEGER AND VERA LABRIOLA

SAFE DRIVER AWARD Pat Webre received the Safe Driver Award for two years of driving without a preventable collision, John Rich for three years, and Tony Host for five years.

Congratulations!

ALEXA LOCKLEAR

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/2010

The Division Manager’s award was presented to the employees who reNannett Holweger and Vera Labceived Kudos from the CIPID’s customriola were awarded for the continued exers in the Annual Customer Satisfaction cellent customer service they have been Survey: providing under challenging working conditions.

Alexa Locklear has been awarded for her excellent customer service. The nomination came from an inspector who works for a different group. Alexa has always been willing to help the inpectors with construction issues on projects where she was not the main supervisor, and she did not stop working until the problems were resolved and all parties were satisfied.

TRAVIS MILLER

DIVISION MANAGER’S AWARDS

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/2010

The Division Manager, Patricia Pictured: Peter Morales, Valerie Wadsack, thanked the employees who Dickens, Lek Mateo, Patti Moreno, Scott helped with the COACC Fajita Fundraiser.

Egbert, Chip Hirsch, Jim Evans, Simon Orta, Pat Webre, and Tony Lopez.

Not Pictured: Jeff Jewett, Philip Preslar, Travis Miller, Kevin Jones, and Alexa Locklear

ABOVE AND BEYOND AWARD TERRY O’CONOR

10

/2010

Lek Mateo, Valerie Dickens, and Phillip Preslar were recognized by Patricia Wadsack, the CIPID Division Manager, for leading by example.

20 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

Terry O’Conor was presented with the Above and Beyond Award for the great customer service on the ongoing AWU Wastewater Collection Services Spot Repair Program. He always demontstrates flexibility, sound judgment, patience, and dedication. He has been working tirelessly with the contractor on resolving problems as well as providing

management services during emergencies, routine repairs, and unique wastewater repair and reconstruction projects.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU PEGGY YBANEZ

CIP Inspection wants to thank Peggy Ybanez, from Shared Services.

She has always been very professional, efficient, and responsive to our requests.

With the changes in the COA purchasing policies, making larger purchases became more difficult and the process became longer and more complicated.

In this fiscal year, the bids for inspector uniforms had to be solicited several times before orders could be placed. This significantly added to Peggy’s workload.

CIP Inspection appreciates her hard work, patience, dedication, and the extra time she had to put in to help us get what we need.

Local Artisit, Art Randle, Brazos Street, July 2010

2010 DECEMBER STREET TALK

21

AWARD WINNING PROJECTS

Project Spotlight n a year where cities across the country are reeling Iin budgets and cutting projects, Austin has been lucky

to be thriving. Evidence of the “Keep Austin Working” idea is all around town, and is illustrated by the following pages, which highlights projects that are turning up dirt, going up, or just beginning to cut the ribbons…

BY SHANNON WISNER CONTRIBUTING WRITER SARA HARTLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF

project spotlight THE NORTHWEST RECREATION CENTER

The Northwest Recreation Center, located on Northland Drive, is currently in the construction phase of the renovation. The project includes adding 8,000 square feet on the ground floor, removing the roof access and earth berms, and improving drainage. New modern amenities will also be installed to accommodate the needs of the Northwest Austin community. The center is currently closed for renovation from March 2010 and is expected to last approximately 15 months.

NORTHWEST RECREATION PROJECT SPECS: Construction Dates:

March 2010-May 2011 Estimated Cost:

$2 Million Project Sponsor:

Parks and Recreation Dept.

Project Manager:

Burton Jones

TWIN OAKS LIBRARY

The Twin Oaks Library, located in south Austin at 1800 5th street, was built at the site of the former South Austin Post Office. The Library interior design scheme, created by Austin-based Laurie Smith Design Associates, earned a First Place Commercial Interior Design Award for Sustainable Design. The library features a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) template that incorporates recycled bricks for the exterior, recyclable carpeting and furniture fabrics, and a sophisticated lighting system that

The Northwest Recreation Center

automatically dims when there is sufficient daylight. The structure also has a rainwater harvesting system. More than one-third of the surrounding community is Hispanic and many of the branch’s patrons speak Spanish as their primary language. There are six elementary schools in the Twin Oaks area, as well as two middle schools and one high school. As a result, the branch’s collections and services are closely geared toward the interest of young people.

TWIN OAKS PROJECT SPECS: Construction Dates:

January 2008 August 21st, 2010 Cost:

$6.6 Million Project Sponsor:

Austin Public Library Project Manager:

Cynthia Jordan

David Taylor

Twin Oaks Library

24 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

Twin Oaks Library

MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER

Added to the already expansive and visually stimulating Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) is an 8,240 square foot wing. This new addition has been installed with three classrooms where they offer courses like Digital Photography and Spanish as well as a classroom for children that will be operational sometime at the beginning of the year. In addition to the new classrooms, the first floor of the new wing boasts a black box theater, complete with an audio visual and dressing room.

The theater is currently being used for rehearsals of ‘La Pastorella,’ a traditional Christmas play.

MACC PROJECT SPECS: Construction Dates:

March 23, 2009 -January 30, 2010 Cost:

$2.7 Million Project Sponsor:

Parks and Recreation Project Manager:

David Smythe-Macaulay

The Animal Services Center

THE ANIMAL SERVICES CENTER

The Animal Services Center, located on Levander Loop near Airport Boulevard, is currently in construction and will replace the Town Lake Animal Center.

“Building a Humane Community Together” is the theme for the 41,450 square foot center. The Center will improve and expand shelter and prevention programs, provide comfortable kennel and yard space for the animals, and create additional clinic space for veterinarians. The new building will also have group rooms that will provide natural light and fresh air for the animals. Existing trees on the site of the structure will be utilized to provide shade for the kennel buildings. The new facility is designed to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental silver rating designation (LEED) from the U.S. Green Building Council. Solar panels will

cover the roof of the new Center so that water can be heated by the sun and reused bricks from campus buildings previously demolished will be used to build the new facility.

ANIMAL SERVICES CENTER PROJECT SPECS: Construction Dates:

May 7th, 2010-Fall 2011 Estimated cost:

$11 Million Project Sponsor:

Health and Human Services

Department Project Manager:

Kalpana Sutaria

The Mexican American Cultural Center

2010 DECEMBER STREET TALK

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from pg.25

PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CAMPUS

This year saw the renovation and expansion of the current multi-use training facility for the public safety departments on Shaw Lane. The new campus will provide additional facility space, classrooms, and exterior training spaces for the training of police officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel. The current facility had become inadequate for the academy classes and in-service training of officers, firefighters, and paramedics.

Public Safety Training Campus

PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CAMPUS PROJECT SPECS: Construction:

October 2009–

December 2010 Cost:

$19 million Project Sponsor:

APD, EMS, AFD Project Managers:

Rosy Farina-Strauss

I-35 MAKEOVER PROJECT

Significant improvements are being made to the parking lots and sidewalks under IH-35 between 6th and 8th Streets.

The project looks to provide a better pedestrian transition under IH-35, with added safety and structural improvements.

Public art in the way of “stitches” with lighting and new landscaping should create a more attractive gateway between downtown and East Austin.

1-35 MAKEOVER PROJECT SPECS: Construction Dates:

June 2010 – March 2011 Cost:

$2.2 Million Project Sponsor:

PWD Project Manager:

Burton Jones

Twin Oaks Library

26 STREET TALK DECEMBER 2010

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!

NEED A LITTLE HELP? Can you correctly identify both project site locations that Shuv-L-Reddy has visited? write in to: shannon. wisner@ci.austin.tx.us for a chance to WIN A PRIZE! LOCATION 1

LOCATION 2

2010 DECEMBER STREET TALK

27

STREET TALK WANTS YOU TO TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT!

WRITE IN TO US WITH YOUR SUGGESTIONS REGARDING:

Hot List

NOMINATIONS

SARA HARTLEY Sara.hartley@ci.austin.tx.us

WRITING A GUEST COLUMN

SHANNON WISNER Shannon.wisner@ci.austin.tx.us

PHOTO CONTRIBUTION

ALEXA MURAIDA Alexa.muraida@ci.austin.tx.us

SPECIAL EVENTS GOING ON IN YOUR DIVISION ...AND ANYTHING ELSE WE MAY HAVE MISSED

MICHELLE FRITH Michelle.frith@ci.austin.tx.us