Street Talk | May 2011 Issue

STREET TALK VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3

REPORTING ON WHAT MATTERS TO PUBLIC WORKS

MAY 2011

The Green Issue

director’s message

BY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

STREET TALK

When Did Green Become Good?

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hen did Green become good?

When I was younger and less experienced in the ways of the world (i.e., a greenhorn), the color green was associated with many things that were less than desirable. Sick people were “green around the gills.” Food was bad when it was green, either because it wasn’t ripe (green bananas) or because it had resided in the refrigerator a bit too long (How could you tell when green jello went bad?). Even worse, green was the color of those vile vegetables (asparagus, brussel sprouts, and English peas -- yuk) which I spent most of my teenage years trying to avoid. Green was the color of wild emotion like jealousy: “It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock,” greed: “It is pure green, greed,” and just all out evil: “Green-Eyed Devil.”

Atomic accidents were going to give us all a green glow in the dark. The pure badness of green extended beyond our world, as we were always threatened with invasion by hordes of “little green men” from outer space. As a color, green’s reputation was so horrific it led famous 20th century philosopher K.T. Frog to write a ballad, “It’s Not Easy Being Green!”

Please understand my bewilderment, as the world has been turned upside down.

Green is now good? Like Rip Van Winkle, I ask “Wha’ happened?” The next thing you’re going to tell me is that the Cubs have won the World Series (OK, no need to go radical – there are some constants in the universe)! You mean being green is now

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better than being true blue, mellow yellow, or even pretty in pink? Of course green always could claim it was better dead than red, but that’s a whole other discussion...

So, here we are: “going green” has become essential to our Public Works business model. We have a Departmental Climate Protection Plan that many of you worked on (thank you again), that incorporates sustainable practices into our core enterprises. Recycling, reuse, conservation, and emissions reduction are part of the way we do business. All of our building projects must be LEED certified, and we’re looking at ways to develop similar requirements for our infrastructure work.

Many of our designs now include innovative “green streets” concepts.

Our Street and Bridge Operations are incorporating greater use of recycled materials, warm-mix asphalt, and concrete pavements. We’re using recovered crushed glass for bedding under sidewalks and parking lots. We are actively converting our vehicle fleet to more fuel efficient models.

We’ve greatly expanded bicycle and pedestrian mobility, and are working with several City agencies to offer more multimodal transportation options to Austinites of all ages. Even our Child Safety Program is promoting the connection between sustainability and health through the “BOW-WOW” (Bike on Wednesday, Walk on Wednesday) initiative for elementary through high school kids. Sustainability is no longer something we add-on to proj-

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief: Sara Hartley

sara.hartley@ci.austin.tx.us

Chief Reporter:

Michelle Frith

michelle.frith@ci.austin.tx.us

Contributing Writers: Howard Lazarus

howard.lazarus@ci.austin.tx.us

Kevin Sweat

kevin.sweat@ci.austin.tx.us

Vera Labriola

vera.labriola@ci.austin.tx.us

Sara Krause

sara.krause@ci.austin.tx.us

Luciano Tamayo

luciano.tamayo@ci.austin.tx.us

Gerald Nation

gerald.nation@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

ects – it is the reason we do projects.

With all of the above being said, welcome to the “Green” issue of Street Talk! We hope it gives you a glimpse of the many ways Public Works continues to build a better Austin, one which will preserve and sustain a high quality of life for all of us for many years to come. Public Works is now not only Your Department with a Heart, but also an efficiently-operating-environmentally-focused-lean-green-working-machine. After all, green is now good!

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

ISSUE 3

contents MAY 2011

COVER STORY

The Green Issue April is known for being Earth Month and full of green initiatives. Here we highlight what Public Works is doing to be sustainable and green.

Photo: The “Glass Lot” at the Mexican-American Cultural Center.

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contents

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

ISSUE3

MAY 2011

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16 features

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ALL AROUND AUSTIN

Public Workers spent time in April at conferences, grand openings and ground breakings. See what’s been happening and what is coming up next.

CONSTRUCTING FACILITIES: LEED CERTIFIED - PWD DRIVEN

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SHARED SERVICES: KEEPING TIME

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In an effort of efficiency and sustainable green practices – the PWD department pilots electronic timekeeping.

HRO FIELD TRIPPIN’

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HRO staff visits Street and Bridge on site to find out first hand how SBO business gets done!

ESD: SURVEYING THE LANDSCAPE

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CIPID: TRAINING PROGRAM HELPS EMPLOYEES EVOLVE CIPID uses their expertise to help train staff from other divisions, in hopes of cross training and creating future inspectors.

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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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!

GUEST COLUMN: THE GREEN MACHINE How Solid Waste Services is reconfiguring, renaming, reorganizing and rethinking what we throw away.

A hearty group of ESD staff brave the weather to “get schooled” on surveying.

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Lots of activities swirl around May – but one of the most fun for PWD is Bike Month. See what’s happening for 2011 and see how you can use your bicycle easily to get greener.

Public Works and its employees emerge as champions in building the City’s infrastructure sustainably.

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NCD “GEARS UP” FOR BIKE MONTH AND GOING GREEN

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GUEST COLUMN: GREEN STREETS How Public Works and other City departments are trying to make streets more livable, sustainable and earth friendly.

10 Green Steps...

Small Changes

with BIG Results Being green doesn’t have to take a lot of effort. Below are TEN ways you can start helping our planet.

BRING YOUR OWN CUP.

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Think of all the waste you’ll be keeping out of a landfill! And some places will even give you a discount if you bring your own cup. Don’t forget to use filtered water instead of bottled water. Millions of tons of oil-derived plastics, mostly polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are used to make the water bottles, most of which are not recycled. Each year, about 2 million tons of PET bottles end up in landfills in the United States.

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MAINTAIN YOUR VEHICLE. USE REUSABLE BAGS WHEN SHOPPING. Check your tires. Low tire pressure increases road friction and can waste Less than 5% of plastic bags are ever up to 5% of a tank of gas. And get recycled! How many plastic bags do a tune-up. A poorly tuned engine you think your family has used this wastes 10-20% of the fuel it uses. A month? vehicle in bad repair can produce 28 times as much pollution as one that’s ADJUST YOUR in good repair.

THERMOSTAT. GO FLUORESCENT.

Keep thermostats at or above 78 degrees in the summer and at or below 68 in the winter. Get a free programSwitch to compact fluorescent light mable thermostat from Austin Energy bulbs. They use 75% less energy and at: austinenergy.com/go/thermostat. last about 7 years.

MAKE YOUR OWN LOWUSE AN ELECTRIC OR USE LESS PAPER. COST, EFFECTIVE, NONPUSH LAWNMOWER. TOXIC CLEANING Avoid printing emails and make douPRODUCTS. Mowing with a gas-powered mower ble-sided copies when you can. for just one hour can produce as much All you need are a few simple ingredipollution as driving your car 100 miles.

WASH CLOTHES IN COLD ents like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap. Find out how at: http:// WATER. www.ecocycle.org/hazwaste/recipes.

WALK OR BIKE TO cfm As much as 85% of the energy used to WORK. machine wash clothes is used in heatSave the planet, lose some pounds. ing the water.

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guest column

BY KEVIN SWEAT GUEST COLUMNIST

Green Streets:

How Public Works and other City departments are trying to make streets more livable, sustainable and earth friendly.

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ost of the public right-of-way is covered with impervious materials like asphalt and concrete. In the past, we built storm drain inlets and pipes to capture rainwater and move it away from roads and sidewalks as quickly and efficiently as possible. The piped water floods creeks and causes erosion. It also carries pollutants like petroleum by-products, pesticides and excess fertilizers.

For new roads, we are required to construct detention ponds and water quality ponds to slow down runoff and filter pollutants. However, these structures require a lot of land; and in developed cities like Austin, land can be very expensive. Also, most of the central city was developed before detention or water quality was required. That means it is almost impossible to retrofit old streets with new, large-scale detention and water-quality ponds

The Concept: “Green Streets” is a term used to describe a new approach to Stormwater management. The concept of Green Streets is to construct lots of smaller water quality/ detention features in the existing right-ofway. The smaller features require less land and can fit inside the space the city already owns (our right-of-way). These features can take many different shapes or styles. Three common Green Streets applications are curb extensions, street planters, and rain gardens.

urban heat-island effect.

Another huge benefit of Green Streets is that it reduces the need for irrigation. If we can use runoff to water our trees and plants, we don’t need to use as much expensive tap water from city treatment plants. Water is becoming more and more of a valuable resource, so it makes sense to capture it and put it to good use.

Green Streets features can be used in combination with other street features. The most common example is traffic calming.

Curb extensions can be installed in residen- and Public Works to ensure proper maintetial areas with speeding problems, and they nance of Green Streets features. are proven to help reduce speeding.

Another huge challenge of Green Streets is protecting the valuable street The Challenges: pavement and sidewalks from water damThe biggest challenge Green Streets age. The Public Works Department already presents is maintenance. The City already spends millions of dollars every year to has thousands of trees and landscaped ar- maintain the city’s roadways. It is important eas to maintain. Adding more trees and that Green Streets features are designed and landscaping will increase the burden on the constructed to keep unwanted water out of people who have to maintain street trees the street subgrade, where it can cause damand plants. Green Street features also tend age to the pavement and reduce the life of the road.

The Engineering Services Division is working with other municipalities to develop water barrier details that keep rainwater from infiltrating under the roadway structure. These water barriers are designed to ensure that water stays in the Green Streets features and does not migrate under the road, where it could cause damage to the pavement or sidewalks.

The Benefits: Green Streets applications capture rainwater runoff and use it to water plants.

This reduces the amount of water running directly to creeks and can help reduce flooding. The plants also help remove pollution by capturing and breaking down harmful chemicals. Trees and plants in green streets applications provide shade and reduce the

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Green Streets in Austin: to collect litter after storms, and someone needs to clean them out.

Public Works recently committed to maintaining vegetation in the right-of-way, which was previously under the Parks and Recreation Department. There will need to be close collaboration between Watershed

Austin has been installing Green Streets features in public facilities like libraries and parking lots for years. Now, the Public Works Department is teaming with other departments like Transportation, Parks and Recreation, Planning, and the Watershed Protection Department to install Green Streets features in public roads and parks.

division

BY LUCIANO TAMAYO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Engineering Services Division Surveyors Brave the Snow!

Survey Team attempts Attendance at TSPS 2011 Survey Symposium in San Marcos

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hile we talk about climate change for the green issue of Street Talk – it was only a couple of months ago that the ESD Survey Team got caught out in the snow! The group of John Moore, R.P.L.S., Mary Hawkins, R.P.L.S., Clark Daniel, R.P.L.S., Torch Acosta, David Brown and Joe Campos were all scheduled to attend the Texas Society of Professional Surveyors (TSPS) 2011 Symposium held in San Marcos on February 4-5, 2011. They were all looking forward to attending the professional and paraprofessional development classes related to surveying that were offered, and Clark Daniel, R.P.L.S., was also serving as co-speaker of a course being beta tested entitled Survey Math 301.

Well…that was the original schedule until the arrival of ice and snow on that Friday. The weather caused the closure of

most central Texas businesses, schools and universities from San Antonio to Temple.

Most would have thought that these hindrances would stop the symposium from pushing on as planned, but not these surveyors! It went forward as scheduled.

Mary Hawkins was the only staff member who was able to make it to San Marcos on that snowy Friday morning for a course on Professional Ethics. Her desire in making it to San Marcos that Friday morning can only be the result of fearlessness, great determination or just plain craziness! John Moore tried to drive along IH35 for about 15 minutes before he realized he couldn’t make it through and decided to return home. But, by Friday afternoon the weather was improving and Clark Daniel was able to attend the Field Guide Identification of Common Texas Trees.

Other team members made it through for Saturday morning’s courses, including David Brown and Joe Campos, who both took the course CST Exam Prep.

Later that afternoon David also had the chance to take Survey Math 201. Now who wouldn’t want to take some math classes on a Saturday!

John, Clark, and Mary took An Expedition through the Act and Rules, which is a new requirement for RPLS license renewal this year. By that afternoon John attended and observed Clark, who presented along with and Dave Klotz, R.P.L.S., their new course in Survey Math 301. Congratulations to the team for braving it out in the crazy weather and showing how hard working the City of Austin Public Works staff can be!

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divisions

BY GERALD NATION CONTRIBUTING WRITER

HRO Field Trippin’

Staff visits Street and Bridge on site to find out first hand how SBO business gets done!

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he Human Resources Office of Public Works has really taken the initiative to familiarize themselves with job duties that are performed in the field operations.

Melissa Pool, Max Eby, Louise Madden, and Anna Ingram recently spent most of a day working with the Districts on operations. During their time with the Districts, HR gave a presentation to the organization, operated a backhoe, and observed a crew repairing a street. A full day’s work!

Unfortunately most of the orga-

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Melissa, Louise and Anna observe. Johnny is ready to answer questions.

nization interfaces with HR only when there is a change or an issue. The employees do not have many opportunities to interact with HR in a normal working environment. By HR personnel taking time from their extremely busy schedules to gain an understanding of what is done in the field, the department realizes numerous benefits. It not only gives HR that hands on comprehension, but it also shows our employees that HR cares and desires to understand the work they do.

HR began the day by presenting a new overview of the Career Progression Process to be implemented within the Street & Bridge Operations over the next few months. As part of this process, HR decided to perform field audits as a way to better understand the work and observe how each job connects within the organization. This information was well received by the district employees. After the all-hands meeting was concluded, the HR team was taken to Govalle WTP excavation area where they were each

Melissa’s behind the wheel of the back hoe- Look Out!

Max supervises the action!

The Whole Gang- Standing in awe of the big equipment?

The crews put in all the hard work.

afforded the opportunity to operate a backhoe.

Prior to operating the backhoe, the HR team was given safety instructions. The team was then given operating procedures. One by one the members of the team climbed in to the backhoe and with guidance excavated a trench.

This type of interaction between HR and the field organization demonstrates that the HR group takes the extra step to understand the field portion of the business and the effort is very appreciated by the field operations organization. We are very lucky to have an HR Office that will expend the extra effort to provide better services. What a great partnership for Public Works!

Wouldn’t we all like to drive one?

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BY SARA HARTLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF

Keeping Time In an effort of efficiency and environmental impact, the Public Works Department explores electronic timekeeping.

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ublic Works is no stranger to trying something new and innovative.

Our employees are constantly coming up with new ways to do things better. It is part of our departmental pride!

Systems Engineering took that concept to heart and began putting together a pilot software program to do our timekeeping electronically. While the City still uses the paper system, PWD is slowly phasing theirs out. By doing this, we are moving toward the environmentally conscious, more efficient way of doing business. And so far? Very good! A collaboration of dedicated employees are making this vision a reality.

Currently, the first phase has been to test the system with smaller groups who do not have to task order their time to projects. This means all of Shared Services, the Director’s Office, and the Human Resource Office. With very few bumps in the road, the employees have taken to the process with open arms!

THE CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE WHO GIVE GUIDANCE: Jeffrey Travillion James Snow

Dianna Robles

THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM HR TO KEEP THE PROCESS CORRECT: Kris Umlauf

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Debbie Wilms

By eliminating the paper timesheets, we are saving both resources and time, two of our most precious commodities.

And now we are narrowing the workload even more by having the Leave Request Forms online as well. It’s one stop “green” shopping!

What does the future hold?

The next steps for the timekeeping system are to roll it out to the rest of Public Works, so there can be a testing of how it will work with those who task order their time.

Field crews will learn how to use the system soon, too. Through these steps, the vision is to make it a department-wide practice, and then who knows? Maybe we conquer the whole city!

THE TIMEKEEPERS WHO KEEP ALL THAT TIME ON TRACK: Anita Mata Fred Garcia

Chris Bazzle

AND OF COURSE THE PROGRAMMER TO MAKE IT ALL COME TO LIFE: Randy Farthing

division

BY VERA LABRIOLA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CIP Inspection Division: Creating Opportunities

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he Inspector Trainee Program was designed to obtain a highly trained, skilled, and motivated inspector workforce from within the Public Works Department.

While employed by other divisions in this department, the trainees have an opportunity to get on-the-job inspector training and become knowledgeable in interpreting plans and specifications, construction materials, and methods of all phases of the construction. Trainees attend six core inspector classes taught by the inspection supervisors and have a chance to shadow one of the inspectors for a half a day on a weekly basis.

This hands-on experience does not guarantee a position with CIP Inspection Division, but gives the trainees valuable information about the actual duties and responsibilities of a CIP Inspector.

The program started in 2007 and has been very successful and has generated great interest from the Street & Bridge employees. Because the program became so popular, candidates have to go through a selection process that includes an interview.

Over the years, the program supplied a good

pool of candidates for inspector positions.

CIPID has already recruited three very good inspectors through the Inspector Trainee Program! Our former trainees, Carlos Lopez, Larry Williams, and Kenneth Johnson, became valuable members of our inspection team.

We anticipate another selection process in the summer of 2012.

So now Meet the new Inspector Trainees!

David Williams, Derrick Dillard, Corey Jackson, and Shon Johnson from the Street & Bridge Division were selected for participation in the CIP Inspection’s Inspector Trainee Program. The new trainees will be starting their training over the course of the next six months. Congratulations!

Also - Did you know? . . . that our inspection supervisors oversee more than just their 6-7 inspectors?

Each supervisor is also assigned 1-2 temporary inspectors, one inspector trainee, and

a rotation list inspector. We have four engineering consultant firms under contract to provide us with inspection services to supplement our workforce at the times of increased workload.

And in addition to all of that, CIP Inspection Strives to Get Greener!

CIP Inspectors strive to provide quality inspection services for all types of projects while minimizing the impact on the environment. The positive TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) report on the Westgate Extension from Cohoba to Cameron Loop Project illustrates CIP Inspectors’ contribution to the protection of the environment. You will also see more CIP Inspectors driving the Ford Escape Hybrids on our projects as we are replacing our older Ford F-150 pickup trucks.

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safety zone

BY SARA HARTLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF

No kidding around when it comes to Child Safety

Although you will often see them laughing and smiling about their jobs, the Child Safety team shows it is serious business keeping Austin’s children safe. They help Austin Police with cell phone ban stings and help children themselves stay safe on their bikes around their neighborhood.

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ith a solid partnership from our Child Safety Program Coordinator, Chris Moore - the Austin Police Department (APD) launched a citywide school zone initiative on April 5, 2011. The campaign focuses on prohibiting cell phone use in school zones, speeding in school zones, passing school buses, and disregarding crossing guards and will run through Thursday, May 26, 2011.

The Child Safety Program teamed up with APD on a press conference to announce the police sting on distracted driving recently at Pecan Springs Elementary school. Chris Moore gave a short speech about the crossing guard concerns and Lieutenant Ely Reyes with APD Highway Enforcement Command addressed how the process would work: The Highway Enforcement Command will provide two motorcycle officers to each region for enforcement. The spotter will radio the violations to the motor officers who in turn will issue citations to the violators. Spotters will ensure that they give detailed vehicle information and detailed information about the cell phone use.

Targeted during this sting campaign are drivers talking on their cell phone in a school zone and drivers speeding or disobeying a crossing guard. Over 1300 “cell phone in a school zone” tickets have been written so far this school year and over 4,800 speeding in a school zone tickets were written.

An innovative option in the program is that drivers will be given a chance for deferred prosecution if they work two shifts with a crossing guard or make a PTRA presentation. If they are high school or college students they may also write a paper on the dangers of distracted driving or speeding in a school zone.

And the Child Safety Staff knows it is not just in school zones that kids are in danger. That is why they partner with the Safe Routes to School Program to provide bicycle safety to training children in AISD, frequently holding “Bike Rodeos.” The program promotes safe bicycling and helmet usage to kids so their parents can feel better about letting them ride around the neighborhood and to school. A recent Bike Rodeo was held at Oak Springs Elementary, and while kids may just think they are having fun, they are also learning critical safety skills!

With Bike to School Day coming up May 6th – it is perfect timing. We should all remember that safety isn’t always about work safety; we have opportunities around us to stay safe for ourselves, the ones we love, and those all around us!

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features

BY SARA KRAUSE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Biking Austin Put the Fun Factor into being Green this Bike Month. Starting with short trips to make a big difference.

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ately we’ve been watching gas prices rise dramatically; sometimes fueling up from one day to the next has a five cent-per-gallon consequence. Two things are certain: those price increases are real, and they directly affect your wallet. You may have even found yourself combining errands or holding off on weekend travel plans. As gas prices increase and we seek fuel economy, we become more aware of the environmental consequences of our driving habits.

A lot of emphasis is placed on the concept of ditching your car in favor of other options when traveling to work.

That idea is excellent, and more people are turning to those options every day.

However, reducing car trips is not always just about choosing a different transportation option for work. Have you ever thought about the simple difference you can make just by choosing to bike or walk to destinations near your home or office?

Short trips add up, and being green happens one mile at a time. By starting with short trips, you can build your confidence using Austin’s great bicycle and pedestrian networks. And what better time to start than May – gorgeous weather and BIKE MONTH!

Start with one trip.

“The first time I ever rode my bike through the teller line at the banks, I was greeted with exuberant smiles and waves by the employees. It makes a fun trip even more enjoyable to connect with people and feel like you know them.” says NCD program coordinator Sara Krause. “If you make one trip, no matter how short, you’ll make a difference, and soon you’ll want to make more of those trips!”

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Chad Crager, NCD Project Manager and Family on bike.

Walking or biking is often the more parking near business entrances.

For trips from the office, take advanconvenient way to access community pools, parks, and local businesses during tage of City Cycle: a free program offered busy times. By leaving the car at home, to City employees that allows you to use you can use different, sometimes faster, routes to “Voting is one of the things that connect you to is made really easy for me by using a your destination bike to get to my polling location. Usu(such as a trail or path)--avoiding ally parking is very full on election day traffic and exposwith cars idling and waiting for spacing you to the es. I just swing in, lock my bike at the amenities of your own community. front bike rack, and get in line! It saves In addition, you a lot of time and frustration. ” almost always get “Rock Star Park-Nadia Barrera, Project Coordinator,

ing” when you go by bike: convePublic Works. nient and plentiful

a City-owned bicycle for trips during the work day.

If you want to try taking a trip to work, but are concerned about the distance, consider using a mix of bicycle and bus or rail. Capital Metro buses are outfitted with easy-to-use bike racks, and MetroRail has bicycle racks inside the cars.

Green means Green.

Over 72% of Austinites lived more than 15 miles from their work place in 2004. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the typical American car averaged about 25 miles per gallon that same year. Of course, your car might get better or worse gas mileage, but if you sit in traffic, or if you idle, your average miles per gallon drops to zero.

Add that up: at current gas prices of $3.65/gallon, the average Austinite is paying about $4/day to commute to work and home. That number doesn’t even include trips taken outside of your normal commute: the Federal Highway Administration says the average person drives

ing or walking shorter trips, CALORIES: THE BETTER FUEL you’ll probably discover a few TO BURN. things: conveThe average-sized person can burn nience, enjoyment, and the 300-500 calories per hour by bicycling, feeling of vitalor 300 calories during a brisk walk. If ity when you’ve you maintain a good diet, running erarrived at your destination. rands seven hours per week can cause Chances are, you a weight loss of one pound a week! are interested in doing more and longer distance trips by bicycle.

That opens up a around 15,000 miles per year. Averag- lot of “how to” questions for the average ing five miles a day using other options person. NCD has a wealth of resources, adds up to saving nearly 2,000 miles on including a newly updated bicycle map. your odometer per year. That’s less fuel, Staff are also available for brown bag less maintenance, more health, and more lunches on the “how-to’s” of bicycle commuting. Call us at 974-7182, or email sara. green (as in money)! krause@ci.austin.tx.us to find out more.

Expanding your trips.

After you’ve experimented with bik-

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Photo: Sanitary Division of the Public Works Department, 1937.

The Green

Machine Going from the early days of the City of Austin Sanitary Division to the Solid Waste Services has an interesting path. Join us for a look at going from “garbage” to “green” over the past century in a guest history of the folks who keep us clean and Green…and Dare us to “go ZERO”.

BY SHANNON WISNER DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY SARA HARTLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF

Street sweepers are an integral part of litter abatement and keeping our streets spic and span. We still rely on them today, even in our own seal coat operations. Can you imagine how exciting this brand new equipment must have been when it was delivered in 1938? Well – the crepe paper on the equipment tells all…

As time moves on – there are more tasks to take on! This “Clean Up, Paint Up, Fix Up” campaign must have been an excellent predecessor to Keep Austin Beautiful. The Sanitary Division shows it wasn’t always about garbage collection – even in the 1950’s.

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Can you believe that even in 1982, the City was talking about the importance of composting? Composting is a very effvective way of managing household waste and can produce stunning results in your garden!

SWS Gets Progressive: Zero Waste Reality Show Debuts on Earth Day Four families. Five weeks. One goal: reduce household trash to zero. You can watch their progress in a new reality TV show called Dare to Go Zero! It debuted on Earth Day and is produced by the City of Austin Channel 6.

40 years later we see a new outlook on waste. A pilot program for two neighborhoods in 1982 meant that perhaps we wouldn’t have to collect so much trash for the landfill. Not quite the single stream recycling you see all over Austin today!

Zero Waste is a philosophy that goes beyond recycling to focus first on reducing trash and reusing products and then recycling and composting the rest. Zero Waste works to redesign the system to mimic natural systems, recognizing that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure and everything is a resource for something or someone else.

Dare to Go Zero is the first Zero Waste reality show in the U.S. and is designed to educate Austin residents about how to reduce waste in their homes. The City is working toward a Zero Waste goal (passed in 2009) to reduce the amount of waste sent to area landfills by 90 percent by 2040.

The four Austin families try to go Zero Waste while being documented on camera. Weekly “dares” will test the families’ recycling and waste reduction knowledge. They can win weekly, and the ultimate prize is a Sustainable Home Improvement Package worth more than $2,000. Their trash will be weighed Biggest Loser-style, and the family with the highest percentage of “waste loss” by the end of the series will be the winner. Episodes air Fridays at 7 p.m. on the City of Austin government access channel and on austinrecycles.com.

And here we are, another quarter century later, so far beyond a pilot program!

Going from garbage collection to Zero Waste is a huge jump, and is being tackled by leaps and bounds in the soon-to-be-renamed Solid Waste Services Department.

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What you can see at 64 Rainey Street is a pilot project to evaluate a “green” product that can reduce the cost of construction up to 1/2, compared to concrete paving. The Public Works Department Street and Bridge Operations worked closely with engineers and inspectors to install this new green paving alternative, nicknamed the “Glass Lot”. The product being tested is “VIA Pervious Paving System,” referred to as “Grid.” The product is a literal grid that is made from recycled plastic.

The

advantages according to the distributor are:

It surpasses 115,000 pounds in compression testing

It eliminates the need for soil stabilization

It eliminates storm drain construction

It is a permanent solution

It is water permeable

It is easily formed for irregular shapes

After considering the manufacturer’s specifications and installation requirements, it was determined there are other savings to be had through use of recycled materials that would meet all requirements. Using recycled crushed glass would substitute for the sand and recycled crushed concrete would substitute for the rock.

Grass Sod Recycled Soil

plastic

Grid

Recycled Crushed Glass

Recycled Crushed Concrete Recycled Crushed Glass Soil

For more information: Gerald Nation, Division Manager, Public Works Street and Bridge Operations, (512) 236-1927

Street & Bridge Team

The

team at

helped

Make

Street

and

Bridge Operations

all this happen:

The engineers developed site plans and drawings, and inspectors went to site to stake the area and test all stages of installation.

After the site was graded to the engineer’s specifications and was approved by the inspectors, the installation of the “glass lot” began.

The crews removed soil to a depth of 16”. The amount of soil was removed and hauled off, equated to approximately 360 cubic yards of soil.

Crushed glass was spread across the lot at a depth of six inches.

The first items to be installed were four perforated pipes that were covered in a filter material. These pipes would be used to allow water to drain through the installation and flow to a test location.

The water will be tested to determine if there is any impact to the environment, which is not a normal step.

The installation of the pipes was inspected, then a brick basin was built around them.

They drain into the city’s drainage system to prevent water from accumulating and creating stagnation, eliminating a possible mosquito problem at the site.

The next layer installed consisted of ten inches of recycled crushed concrete.

A second layer of crushed glass was installed at a depth of two inches.

The recycled plastic “Grid” was delivered in four ft. by four ft. sections. These sections were installed to cover the 7,400 square ft. lot The Grid was filled with a combination of crushed glass and top soil.

The entire grid was covered in grass sod. A variation can be placing crushed concrete into the grid creating a rock-type surface.

Additional benefits include using recycled glass from the City’s recycling facility. This gives us a built-in use for our recycled glass and we no longer pay a contractor to dispose of the recycled glass.

features

BY SARA HARTLEY EDITOR IN CHIEF

All Around Austin

Public Works Department builds our city’s future

O

bike rack for their business, the exciting developments in “green” parking lots and of course, how Public Works is all around Austin helping businesses everywhere!

At the Go Green Conference, Alexa Muraida, Annick Beaudet, Pete Dahlberg, REACHING OUT Nadia Barrera, Sara Krause, Shannon Wis In April, the communications team ner, and Sara Hartley helped show off went on a bit of a “road show,” visiting the some of the most sustainable ways busiGo Green Conference and the Getting Connected conference to highlight how Public Works can help and be a strong partner in the worlds of sustainability and small business!

“Getting Connected” is a small business information fair put on by the City’s Small Business Development Program.

More than 500 people attended this event to learn about resources available to their small businesses. Public Works’ employees Shannon Wisner and Michelle Frith shared information with dozens of entrepreneurs on how their businesses can be more bike friendly, how to get a free Go Green Conference nce again the Public Works Department has been all over Austin; sharing our expertise, breaking ground, and celebrating a project well done.

Waller Creek Groundbreaking

nesses can operate in Austin. Again, they showed how businesses can get free bike racks, teach their employees to ride to work, and how they may eventually be able to build green parking structures for their business and receive credits. Experts in these areas from PWD were available for conference attendees to mingle with in the City of Austin GreenCity Booth.

Go Green Conference

2011 MAY STREET TALK

21

continued

from pg.21

BREAKING GROUND

With a few tosses of dirt, City officials and community leaders kicked off construction of the long-anticipated Waller Creek Tunnel Project at a groundbreaking ceremony on April 8, 2011. The tunnel project has been discussed for nearly 30 years, but it was not until 2007 that the City and Travis County created a tax increment financing district to pay for the project. In February 2011, Council approved a $49.5 million construction contract to build the main tunnel segment and one of three inlets planned for the project.

The chronic threat of flooding and erosion, together with the cost and regulatory headaches associated with trying to develop properties in a flood plain, have severely stunted the economic potential of the 28 acres located in the lower creek reaches. Currently, areas along the creek have taken on a neglected character, and vagrancy remains a problem.

Construction will begin when the tunneling contractor excavates a 30-foot wide, 70-feet deep entrance shaft between Fourth and Fifth Streets, just west of IH-35. The shaft will allow crews to position road headers that will be used to bore through limestone in two directions

Waller Creek Groundbreaking

until the tunnel reaches Waterloo Park and Lady Bird Lake where it will connect to an inlet structure and an outlet lagoon.

The final stage will be to line the tunnel with cast in place concrete. With a variable diameter of 20.5 to 26.5 ft., the tunnel is the widest ever constructed in Travis County.

Along with improving public safety and the health of the creek, the project is expected to serve as a catalyst for revitalizing the lower Waller Creek corridor.

Once the risk of flooding is reduced, future plans call for improving adjacent parks and open space, and enhancing pedestrian and bicycle connections between Lady

Sand Beach Park Grand Opening

22 STREET TALK MAY 2011

Bird Lake, the University of Texas, and East Austin.

The overall project cost is $144 million, a figure that includes land acquisition, engineering, and project management expenses along with construction costs. The main segment, along with the inlet structure and outlet lagoon subprojects, is expected to be complete by the end of 2014. Gary Jackson serves as the Project Manager.

CELEBRATING A GRAND OPENING New, improved, and expanded fa In an evening ceremony, City of Austin officials from several departments cilities increase the capacity for the many joined community members April 13 in cyclists and trail users to safely cross the celebrating the grand opening of new fa- river while enjoying the aesthetics of their cilities at the Sand Beach Park, featuring surroundings. This helps to meet the goal the much awaited Pfluger Bicycle and Pe- of being a more walkable city.

“We are so pleased to see that all destrian Extension, the “Open Room Aus- tin” Art in Public Places, and the environ- of these elements have come together mentally progressive biofiltration pond to create an open and inviting space for the public to ride, walk, or simply roam adjacent to the bridge.

This parkland brings together the around in a green space downtown,” said culmination of multiple projects from Council Member Chris Riley. “It is a haven various partners – both public and pri- for those wanting to spend time outdoors vate entities. The Gables Residential de- in an urban environment, and it helps velopment company partnered with the people travel through alternative modes City to do infrastructure and landscaping to their favorite shopping on either side of throughout the area and the Trail Founda- the river.” tion pitched in to see that landscape improvements were made below the helix of the Pfluger Bridge.

Sand Beach Park Grand Opening

IMPROVEMENTS AT SAND BEACH PARK INCLUDE: Watershed Protection Department Bio-filtration Pond Art in Public Places “Open Room Austin” Public Works Department Pfluger Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge Extension Gables Development Landscaping throughout the park

Pfluger Bridge Extension

2011 MAY STREET TALK

23

LEED Certified Since 1992 the City has been recognized for its green building efforts. Public Works has emerged as one of its greatest champions and leaders in building the City’s infrastructure as “green” as we can.

MICHELLE FRITH CHIEF REPORTER

features

BY MICHELLE FRITH CHIEF REPORTER

Constructing Facilities: LEED Certified- PWD Driven

Public Works and it’s employees emerge as champions in building the City’s infrastructure sustainably.

Y

Green Building Program as one of twelve exemplary local environmental initiatives – and the only recipient in the United States! In 1998 the newly formed United States Green Building Council (USGBC) held their first LEED Conference in Austin, hosted by Austin Energy’s Green Building Program. USGBC LEED Certification was also offered for the first time in 1998.

Buildings seeking LEED Certification are reviewed for accreditation by a consensus-based volunteer committee of experts in building and construction industry. Guidelines include a spectrum of different types of buildings, including commercial, multi-family or residential A solid footing in Austin for and in different stages of their lives, from retrofitting existing structures to new Green Building building. The ratings system takes in to In 1992, the U.N. Earth Summit in Rio account many factors, including climate, de Janeiro recognized the City of Austin’s energy efficiency, materials, water, duraou may have heard before that all City facilities being constructed are required to be LEED certified. What is LEED, and how did this mandate come about?

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally-recognized certification that through a third-party, verifies that a building or structure was built or designed to “green building” standards. This means to improve energy savings, water efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions, improve indoor environmental quality and promote sensitivity to the impact of these resources to our environment.

bility and the health and safety of building occupants. Ratings are given on a range of one to five stars on ecological integrity.

A Public Works Pioneer This movement to make buildings environmentally friendly, to save water and conserve energy captured the imaginations of many of the architects, engineers and project managers in Austin, and the seeds were planted for Austin to go green.

One of the pioneers in the City’s LEED efforts is Kalpana Sutaria. As a Public Works project manager, Kalpana was assigned the Carver Museum and Library in 1997. Even though LEED standards were not budgeted for the project, Kalpana was determined to show that the project could be built to green standards and could obtain low cost LEED credits. By starting from the very beginning with this goal in mind, she was able to bring the project to fruition in 2002 under budget and on time, obtaining a LEED certification for both facilities.

The support needed to push forward

Animal Services Center

26 STREET TALK MAY 2011

In June of 2000, City Council passed a resolution (00608-43) that required the new City Hall and other projects approved in 1998 Bond package to achieve LEED-Silver rating without requiring additional appropriations from Council. It also directed the staff to evaluate existing buildings to improve indoor environmental quality and energy conservation. Some of the 1998 projects were LEED certified but others were exempted due to costs.

LEED certified but others were exempted due to costs.

In 2004-2005 Mayor Will Wynn championed requirements that all 2006 Bond projects should also be LEED certified or at the very least sustainable. A team of City employees including Kalpana, Richard Morgan, Matt Watson (Special Assistant to Mayor Wynn) and others devised the LEED criteria for City buildings including construction cost, and project scope in LEED categories. In November of 2007, the Austin City Council passed the comprehensive Municipal Buildings LEED Resolution (20071129-045). It addressed LEED certification criteria, baseline sustainability criteria for non-LEED construction and developing protocols for achieving the highest optimal levels of sustainability in existing buildings. Because of the resolution, the Interdepartmental Sustainability Working Group (ISWG) was formed and led by Public Works’ Acting Director Joe Ramos and Assistant Director Sam Angoori. Since that time, all project managers are trained on resolution requirements and ECapris tracking system for project approval.

Building Great Examples A LEED project reduces environmental impacts of building construction.

Buildings consume 39% of the total energy and 74% of total electricity used in the US. Some of the LEED projects are: City Hall (Gold Certified), Combined Transportation, Communications and Emergency Center, Carver Museum and Cultural Center, Carver Branch Library, Gus Garcia Recreation Center, Circle C Fire/EMS Station, Sand Hill Control/Administration Building and the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH). According to the USGBC, as of December, 2008 government owned or occupied buildings make up 26% of LEED projects.

An excellent example of a new sustainable City project is the new Animal Services facility to be located at the campus of Health and Human Services Department replacing the Town Lake Animal Shelter. The new Center will be

Pfluger Bridge Extension Animal Services Center

LEED-Silver facility and is designed to take advantage of the beautiful site with large existing trees.

The Animal Services Center will have features like: pervious pavers and vegetative filter strips to clean and filtrate stormwater, protection of habitat by reduction of soil disturbance, bicycle parking and showers, electric vehicle charging stations, diverting construction waste from landfills, biodiesel fuel for construction equipment, light color roofs and parking surfaces to reduce urban heat island effect, efficient landscaping, water conserving toilet and lavatory fixtures, HVAC system to conserve energy, solar panels for electricity and hot water, regional materials with recycled content, materials with low VOC, and thermal comfort and daylight for employees. Positive environmental impacts of all features are likely to be equivalent to planting of roughly 60,000 seedlings. A seedling means carbon se-

Animal Services Center

questered by a tree seedling grown over 10 years according to the EPA. Among other projects in development is the new Central Library, expected to be complete in 2013 and hoping to obtain Gold Certification. ISWG has approved LEED/sustainability forms for 20 new projects and 13 projects underway will achieve either LEED Gold or LEED Silver certification. By designing and constructing facilities to LEED standards or using sustainable practices, we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide thrown into the atmosphere which is a major green house gas contributing to warming of the planet. The City of Austin is committed to doing its part in helping our planet, and Public Works is stepping up to be good stewards of our community and our environment.

2011 MAY STREET TALK

27

continued

from pg.27

It’s a Natural Thing

S

erenity is the thought that springs to mind when one talks with Kalpana Sutaria. Her calm demeanor permeates the space you are in and brings a soothing effect to your thoughts. While talking with her about her career, her goals and personal life all distractions seemed to disappear.

Kalpana is a Supervisor in the Project Management Division of Public Works and has been with the City for 21 years.

As a child in India, Kalpana took notice of all the ways that buildings were constructed for maximum efficiency. Temperatures in India can be very high and most buildings do not have air conditioning, so it’s important to build homes and other buildings that are cooled by passive climate systems. The building’s orientation, ventilation, insulation and materials are all factors that affect the temperature in the buildings. Kalpana’s thesis for her Bachelor’s degree, earned in India, was on “Response to Climate”. She then came to the University of Texas at Austin to study for her Masters of Architecture degree and studied under Dr. Arumi.

After graduation, Kalpana worked in private firms and had an opportunity to work on Fire Station #17 and became interested in the construction of public buildings. She joined the Public Works Department in 1989. She learned about Austin Energy’s Green Building Program (AEGB) and Public Works and AEGB started collaborating to create Sustainability Specifications for use in City of Austin projects with an emphasis on green building. Kalpana credits part of the success of green building to tremendous support from Director Howard Lazarus and Assistant Director Keri Juarez. Kalpana and others are currently working on initiatives like construction equipment emissions re-

28 STREET TALK MAY 2011

duction specifications, sustainable concrete guidelines and innovations in infrastructure projects.

Kalpana met her husband Swadesh at the University of Texas in a social group for Indian students.

Swadesh is now a professor at UT and is a physicist. Kalpana smiles proudly when she describes her husband, saying “he reads all the time and he is so brilliant.”

Swadesh and Kalpana have been in an “excellent marriage” for 30 years. Kalpana beams when she describes her two stepsons; Romi, 38, who works for Microsoft and Rahul, 40, a Ph.D. in Physics and soon to be Ph.D. in Sociology. The entire family is very involved and outspoken about social issues.

Kalpana’s latest inspiration is to work on a project about how to convey the concepts of global warming science to common people. Her sense of urgency was heightened when she read a book Storms of my Grandchildren by James Hansen.

The book speaks out about the condition of our planet, the differences in how our planet will look if rapid change does not occur, and the action we can take to ensure future generations a planet they can inhabit. Kalpana feels a personal sense of responsibility that all architects, engineers, and contractors should do a better job with sustainable design practices to reduce carbon emissions. Kalpana’s project will be an illustrative format using artwork and verbal descriptions. She realizes that it will be a tremendous undertak-

ing to document the work and to make it credible, but she is determined to help not just her family, but everyone’s grandchildren. “This is the biggest issue of our time and people in the U.S. have the power to change it.” Kalpana is now on the board of the local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and is working on how to reach out to smaller local cities.

When asked what she likes about working for Public Works, Kalpana’s smile lights up the room. “It’s the ability to work with the citizens and see their faces when the project is done. So far my favorite was the Pfluger Bridge, which will have a 10th anniversary soon. The joy on people’s faces was wonderful and that project touches the lives of everyone in Austin. It adds to the quality of life.”

Kalpana’s deep compassion and love for the earth and for our future generations is a natural inspiration for us all.

Kalpana Sutaria

street talk extra

UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

Hot List

WHO’S

THAT? ESD: XIAOQIN ZHANG

Joined ESD in February, 2011 as an Engineer C for ESD Design Team 4. She prefers to be called “Ella” and has B.S. and M.S. in Geosciences in China and M.E. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University. She was employed previously by Murfee Engineering co. as a Senior Engineer.

NCD: SARA KRAUSE

Program Coordinator for Outreach

NEIL KOPPER

Engineer for the Bicycle Program

JOHN EASTMAN

Engineer for the Neighborhood Partnering Program and Pedestrian Program

Promotions

New CIPID Inspection And SBO Supervisors PHILLIP PRESLAR Has been with the City of Austin since 1994 and with the CIP Inspection Division since October 1995. His background in surveying is a valuable asset to the CIP Iinspection since these skills are so important for an inspector. Phillip is NICET (National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies) certified in Highway Construction at Level II, and Water and Sewer Lines at Level II. He is infamous for his devilish sense of humor.

GREG WEEMS Started with this division in May 2000 and came to the City of Austin with a lot of experience in materials testing (soil and structural). Greg has NICET (National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies) Water and Sewer Lines Certification at Level III and Highway Construction at Level II. He has been the leading Skill Based Pay Program mentor.

Both, Phillip and Greg participated in the Division’s Lead Inspector Program and have worked as Lead Inspectors since 2008.

LUIS SOTO

Superintendent of Street and Drainage Operations, located at St. Elmo facility and will head up the South District.

JOHNNY COLVIN

Street and Drainage Operations Supervisor, located also at St. Elmo and will supervise the South District operations.

MIKE COLLIER

Has accepted the position of Supervisor of Street and Drainage Operations, located at Manor Road, overseeing the Central District operations.

SBO: CHRIS MEYER

Is the new Forester with Street and Bridge and comes to us from Houston, Texas where he worked for the past 6 years as a superintendent for the Forestry Division of the Parks and Recreation Department. Chris likes to spend his time outside of work traveling and camping with his wife as well as woodworking and canoeing Texas rivers and streams.

JOE HERNANDEZ

CLAY RIVERS

STEPHEN ROBLES

Has accepted the position of Supervisor for Overlay. Joe comes to us with over 10 years of road construction experience. Most recently Joe worked for Casanova Construction and Solid Waste Services.

Has accepted the position of Utility Cuts Superintendent. Clay most recently worked for Austin Water Utility as a supervisor and comes to us with over 10 years experience directly related to utility work. Clay has several years experience managing work groups and increasing efficiency within the program areas.

Has accepted the position of Overlay Superintendent. Stephen has 25 years Construction management experience, worked as Construction Supervisor for City of San Antonio 11 years, and most recently was project manager/Superintendent with Harvey Cleary.

2011 MAY STREET TALK

29

hot list continued

from pg. 29

Child Safety Team Rocks the Rodeo!

No, not the kind you are thinking of…no horses were involved (or cars for those of you thinking of our PWD Safety Road-e-o)!

This is the Bike Rodeo hosted by the Safe Routes to School Program with Health & Human Services Department and staffed by our awesome Child Safety Team, as mentioned in the Safety Zone article (pg 13). And our staff enjoys helping the kiddos out there learn how to stay safe on their bikes.

Photo: From left to right: Christi Shores, Debbie Guinn, Esperanza Schiele, Marisela Zapata, Aurelia Pardo, Treneice Wallace, Rhonda Bolick, Leticia Richardson

LAST MONTHS: DIRECTOR’S CHALLENGE TOP FINISHERS! These guys did even MORE than their 30 miles in 30 Days Challenge! Congratulations to all who participated!

SANTINA REICHOW KALAPANA SUTARIA CHRIS MOORE MAX EBY

30 STREET TALK MAY 2011

30

MILES IN 30 DAYS

CONGRATULATIONS!

Diversity Council signs the first charter of its kind at the City of Austin On April 21, the Public Works and Transportation Department Directors, along with the joint department Diversity Council members, held a ceremony for the official signing of our Diversity Council Charter. This Charter outlines the goals, roles, expectations and responsibilities of the council. This signing is the final milestone in the Council’s formation and marks the first step on the path to achieving our goals for a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Photo: SEATED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Rohini Kumarage, Alexa Muraida, Dianna M. Robles, SPHR, Floyd B. Bermea, SPHR, CM STANDING LEFT TO RIGHT: Kenneth Johnson, Jr., Simon Orta, James Snow, PMP, CCC, Dario Octaviano, Jerry Carden, Diane Rice, Eli Mendoza, Tyleah McGuire, P.E., Eva Moore, Howard Lazarus, P.E., Rob Spillar, P.E. , Caleb Gutshall

LEAPS Graduates celebrating their accomplishment After eight months of training in Leadership and Public Service, five Public Works Employees will be graduating from LEAPS. Wale Odufuye (ESD), Dario Octaviano (PMD), Paul Martin (S&B), Carlos Villalpando (ESD) and Michelle Frith (OOD) will receive graduation certificates at a ceremony on May 6 at City Hall. Derrick Dillard (S&B) currently serves on the 2010/2011 LEAPS Board. The leadership enhancement series includes group public service projects and personal and professional growth. To find out more or to apply, visit http://cityspace.ci.austin.tx.us/departments/hrm/ organization-development/leaps.

2011 MAY STREET TALK

31

hot list continued

BABY

from pg. 31

NEWS

IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR...

The staff of ESD have seen a lot of new editions to their families in the past year and with more to come in 2011, they are earning the title of the most (re)productive division!

LET’S CONGRATULATE THESE PARENTS FOR THEIR NEW BUNDLES OF JOY: Daniel Arredondo – baby girl born in February 19, 2011 Kristen Mckenna – baby girl born in May 30, 2010 Carlos Garcia – baby girl born in September 16, 2010 Rustin Roussell – baby girl born in October 2010 Gabriel Stan – baby boy born in January 24, 2011 Fredrick Reza – baby boy born in April 17, 2011 Cuong Nguyen – baby coming in July 2011 And with all of these kids, you have to have to find ways to feed and entertain, right? Well, that is what ESD did recently for their Division Pot Luck.

The ESD Family Affair Pot Luck was held March 16, 2011. Everyone there was able to enjoy the food, socializing, and playing with all those adorable kids!

CIP CELEBRATES THEIR SUCCESSES DIRECTOR FOR A DAY Know someone who would make a WITH MONTHLY AWARDS great Director for a Day? Contact Dianna Robles.

And the winners are...

Above and Beyond Awards Simon Orta— Prompt response to the street failure on Cesar Chavez and Mildred Street. Simon arrived at the site within minutes to help coordinate repair efforts and his professionalism in handling the media was greatly appreciated.

Judy Die— Clean TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) report on the Westgate Extension from Cohoba to Cameron Loop Project was proof of Judy’s excellent inspection and personnel manage-

32 STREET TALK MAY 2011

ment skills.

Mary Cruz— Help with rearranging office space at the St. Elmo field office, which has been restructured to include an additional supervisor and inspection staff. She did an excellent job of reestablishing files and making the new staff feel welcome.

March saw a new Director for Public Works… well at least for a day or two! Howard Lazarus and James Allen spent some quality time together out in the field with the Seal Coat I Crew and at City Council for the March 24 meeting. (that meant wearing a tie!)

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!

T

here’s something interesting about men with tough exteriors.

When you spend some time getting to know them, they are often sentimental, gentle and caring men on the inside. Derrick Dillard is a no-nonsense kind of guy who works in Public Works Street and Bridge as a Senior Lead. He also has a deep love and sense of responsibility to his sons, family, and his community.

Derrick was born into a large family and was raised in NEIGHBOR Austin. His Derrick Dillard nickname is “Twin,” as he DIVISION has an idenStreet & Bridge tical twin brother, Eric, who is nickTITLE named “CuSenior Lead ate” which is Spanish for “twin.” Amazingly, there are nine sets of twins in his extended family! Derrick grew up in the St. John area, later moving into east Austin. He attended LBJ High School where he played defense tackle and free safety for the LBJ High football team. He graduated from McCallum High School in 1993, just after his oldest son Tevin was born.

To provide the best for Tevin as a single father, Derrick started his career at IBM putting together computer motherboards and later he went to work on a loading dock for a trucking company. He came to the City as a temporary employee at Street & Bridge in 1997, supervised by David Castille and Brian Works. After a brief stint in

Storm Water he became a permanent employee and joined Street and Bridge in 1998.

Derrick notes that he was always encouraged by experienced co-workers Leon Wade and Otis Thompson to get his CDL License and to continue learning new skills to move up. He laughs when he describes the first time he was on Seal Coat 2 and how excited and nervous he was to back up the truck and pour the gravel into the chipspreader the first time. Natural skills in being able to know how to use the chipspreader on curves, watching power lines and backing up safely helped Derrick in his job for two more years.

He then applied and received a position as Operator I which he did for ten years. Derrick earned his current Senior Lead position in 2008.

As Derrick continued working in Public Works, his younger son, Derrick Jr. was born. Tevin is now 18, and Derrick Jr. is 7 years old. With help and support from Derrick’s family, and es-

pecially from his sister and mother, both sons are being raised in a busy and loving home, headed up by a proud dad. Tevin is in his junior year and plays football for Manor High and is into power lifting.

2011 MAY STREET TALK

33

continued

from pg. 33

He wants to go to college and is being lems in the departments started clearing strongly encouraged by Derrick to go any- up around 2009 and attributes these posiwhere he chooses. Tevin is getting a lot of tive changes to a commitment from Huexposure as a full back this year, so odds man Resources and upper management are in his favor for athletic scholarships. to “do the right thing.” He feels unprofesBaseball, especially batting, is Derrick Jr’s sional behavior that used to be tolerated passion. Pride shines in the eyes of little is no longer allowed and that rebuilding Derrick’s father when he talks of his son’s trust in the division is critical at all levels. armfuls of trophies.

Additionally, Marc Ott is a man that Der Because of his sons’ love of sports, rick believes is doing a marvelous job with Derrick enjoys being a kids’ sports coach. keeping the City’s budget under control, He’s coached one season of football and especially in this economy. is starting his third season coaching base- “Walking the talk” is key to being a ball. It’s very rewarding to be a role model good role model for Tevin and Derrick Jr. for other kids – he beams when he talks Learning new equipment, gaining new about walking into Wal-Mart and hear- skills to teach others, and encouraging ing children’s voices shouting out “Hey, the next generation of Public Works emCoach!” He instills in the children a sense ployees, just as he was encouraged, is a of responsibility, not just of being good priority for him. Being open-minded, athletes, but being excellent student and listening to suggestions and putting it all conscientious family members. Derrick together are each hallmarks of a successadditionally sings in the male chorus at St. ful organization, a successful family and Paul Baptist Church. successful community.

When asked about the changes he’s LEAPS (Leadership in Education and seen in Public Works in the last thirteen Public Service) has been integral to Deryears, Derrick is quick to point out that rick’s commitment to better himself and most supervisors and superintendents Public Works. LEAPS is an eight month proare pretty good. He’s noticed that prob- gram that trains City employees in com-

Y

ou hear from your parents, from society and from your faith to be a good person, to do right in the world and to serve humanity unselfishly. We each do our part to better our families, our neighborhoods and in some cases, our planet.

One person in Public NEIGHBOR Works who John Bowman goes well beyond what DIVISION most of us Construction Inspection could do in a lifetime in TITLE serving his fellow man.

Inspector 4 John Bowman, originally from Rosenberg, Texas, volunteered for the draft near the end of the Vietnam War and was stationed in Nurenberg, Germany. While in Germany, he mar-

34 STREET TALK MAY 2011

ried his high school sweetheart, Connie, to whom he has been married for nearly 38 years. He earned an Associates Degree from Wharton County Junior College and a Bachelor of Science in Technology from then Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State). He has been working for the City of Austin in the Construction Inspection Division and is currently an Inspector C working on Water Treatment Plant 4. John first gave me a tour of the massive construction site and explained each portion of the construction. Pride shines in his eyes as he describes the function of the plant and the great strides that have been taken in the construction to provide safe, reliable high quality drinking water to the citizens of Austin and to ensure enough water for future Austinites.

When asked how long he has been working with the City, John laughs and says, “Oh, off and on I guess about a total

munication, diversity, motivation, team building and leadership for their professional as well as personal lives. LEAPS has taught him how to interact with different people and learn the responsibility of being a leader at home, at church, at his job and with his children. He encourages everyone in the City to apply to take the LEAPS program to learn the principles and skills he was taught. He also feels the City should be more proactive when hiring to strongly consider existing employees who have been through programs like LEAPS, Supervisor’s Academy or Leadership Academy. Derrick is currently a LEAPS Board Member and is enrolled in Supervisor Academy. His next step in walking the talk is to apply for Supervisor or for CIPID, since he was also recently selected for CIPID training. Derrick ends our conversation by saying “Don’t give up. Strive for what you believe in, not only at work, but in your everyday life.” Walking the talk, running a home and taking a LEAP of faith makes this tough guy an extremely complex and likeable person.

of 7-8 years”. Most people can tell you the number of months they have been working with the City, but I soon found out why John is different. Up until 2001, he and his family (John, Connie, daughter Sadie, now 31 and son John David, now 28) volunteered together on projects in Mexico and Honduras. Then, things changed. He explained that just after the September 11 attacks on our country he was asked to go to Afghanistan to work for six months by “Samaritan’s Purse”, a Christian non-profit organization committed to international disaster relief. He worked as the Construction Coordinator alongside 20-25 other expatriates and about 500 local Afghani’s helping to build three schools, a hospital and a clinic from April through September 2002 for the local community. When he returned from Afghanistan he applied and was hired by the City of Austin.

In July, 2003, Samaritan’s Purse re-

quested John to help again, this time in Iraq. John says he was surprised at the level of support he received from Public Works management to take the leave of absence to make the trip. While there for just three months, John’s mission was to help refurbish some medical clinics. The area became too dangerous and John returned to Austin. He returned to his position at Public Works after the trip and began his routine again. Less than a year later, John was called again this time to Sudan for a project to build schools, where John lived in a mud hut for 6 months. John is clear to point out that “schools” in the Sudan are not what we would think of as schools, but rather are one room buildings where children can learn. Three were completed of the 10 or so slated, but the rainy season began, which kept any progress from being made. From there John went to Chad to help deliver materials to the Darfur refugees in camps on the border with Sudan. John gets choked up when he tells of the children who have no personal belongings, no toys. He shows photos of a child with a flower that she holds to her nose in Afghanistan, and another little girl in Darfur who clings to a steel bolt – her only belonging. Sadness and pain surround the photos of the children in the camp, as John explains that he isn’t sure which, if any of these children remain alive. On his return he was rehired by the City of Austin.

The United States underwent another disaster in August, 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, devastating several of Texas’ neighboring states.

Connie and Sadie were called to help on the Coast, and soon John’s assistance was requested and again he left the City of Austin. They lived and worked in Kiln, Mississippi delivering supplies and helping rebuild homes in the area, with the help of more than 3,000 volunteers. As the Director of Operations for that project location, John was able to work with the community and local churches to de-

termine necessary supplies for rebuilding and get those supplies delivered and helped to ensure the community’s needs were met. John and his family stayed in Kiln for 18 months.

From April 2007-2008, John and Connie went to El Salvador to work with Samaritan’s Purse overseeing ongoing medical, microenterprise and relief projects., In 2008 John went to Russia to plan the renovation of a rehabilitation facility.

Not all , but most projects John and his family have been involved with are sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse. John and his family are willing go wherever there is a need. Asked about current relief projects, John shared that Connie and John David had gone to Haiti after the January, 2010 earthquake. Connie returned home, but John David is still helping to build more than 13,000 shelters there. John David met his future wife in Haiti in a cholera clinic, and the two of them helped to directly save an injured child’s life, cementing their future together.

John has not been a City employee during his travels, yet when he returns to Austin and a position opens, he has been rehired. John feels that it is “a real blessing to be a part of something of this

magnitude” when referring to his work on the Water Treatment Plant 4. He says that the project is challenging and that he’s learning something ever day. “It’s almost like it’s alive; it ebbs and flows. Drawings are rigid but seeing it in real life shows its movement and growth. The project allows me to see the structure of the drawings and the ‘life’ of the project, putting those two perspectives together”. John also notes that he realizes anyone is lucky to have a job in this economy and especially one as great as his is. When asked what inspires him the most, John uses one of his favorite quotes “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.” Since our interview, the March 11 earthquake and resulting tsunami in Sendai, Japan took the lives of an estimated 1,600 people. Connie has flown to Sendai to offer help. John has declined an assignment due to his dedication to the Water Treatment Plant 4 project. John Bowman and his family have real heart. Let’s hope that in the future their hearts aren’t broken quite as often as they have been in the last ten years.

2011 MAY STREET TALK

35

Holger Boehm

H

olger H. Boehm, of Engineering Services Division, passed away suddenly at his home April 6, 2011. He is survived by his wife and daughter, Karen and Stephanie, mother, Martha Baltzer and faithful dog, Jazz. Holger was a kind, loving person who was passionate in all things he believed in. He was warm and gentle and will be greatly missed.

Holger was a Navy officer in the US Navy Active Military Service in 1979. He graduated at the Navy Nuclear Power School in 1980 and worked as supervisor of the naval nuclear propulsion/ power plant operations and engine-room. He sailed all over the western Pacific, and earned three medals for his service. He was discharged in 1985.

He went back to school and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1990. In his senior year in school, he passed the Engineer-In-Training (EIT) test administered by Texas Board of Professional Engineers (TBPE). He was also the Treasurer for the Society of Au- tomobile Engineers (S.A.E.), University of

Texas Branch (1988 -1989). After gradua tion, he worked as a Power Plant Operator at the University of Texas at Austin. He also worked at APG Lime Company in New Braunfels, Texas as an Assistant Plant En-

gineer.

In 1994, he joined the City of Austin Water & Wastewater Department (now AWU). He was responsible for CADD util- ity design and utility coordination. After three years with the Water & Wastewa- ter Department, he transferred to Public Works, Engineering Services Division as

an Engineering Associate B and promoted

eventually to Graduate Engineer B. In conversation, Holger expressed his love for his job as a public servant. He

36 STREET TALK MAY 2011

attributed every design he completed, or did as part of a design team, as a contribution back to the community. He derived great joy and satisfaction from seeing his design projects built.

Holger had a special type of character. He had many friends in various City departments. He loved to collect fighter jets, war ships, and rockets. He and Jim Welsh organized the “rocket launches� for the (ESD) division over the past couple of years.

Holger in front of one of his favorite projects: Dittmar Roadway Improvements

IN THE LAST 15 YEARS WITH ESD, HOLGER PARTICIPATED ON THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS: Todd Lane Roadway Improvements Howard Lane & Metric Boulevard Pressure Reducing Valve AWU/TxDOT SH71& Riverside WL & WWL Relocation The 2222/ Bull Creek Tx DOT WL & WWL Relocation Project Ladera Norte Waterline Repair 33rd Street Waterline Replacement Dittmar Road Waterline Relocation and Roadway Improvements

ACWP Colony Creek WW Improvements Kinney Avenue Waste water Improvements Various Downtown Alleys Reconstruction Waterlines & Wastewater upgrades Various Sidewalk Improvements 2222/Koenig Lane W/WW Relocations TSM Burnet/N. Loop & Lamar/N. Loop Intersection Improvements Bee Creek Waterline Repair

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@ ci.austin.tx.us for a chance to WIN A PRIZE! LOCATION 1

LOCATION 2

Answers from last issue: Location 1: Gus Garcia Recreation Center Location 2: Public Safety Training Facility 2011 MAY STREET TALK 37

events calendar 2011 MAY

Monday

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

2

0

3

0

4

5

0

0

Friday

Saturday

6

7

0

0

Pecan Street Festival Gardens on Tour

Sunday

Cinco de Mayo

8

0

Mother’s Day Pecan Street Festival Gardens on Tour

9

0

0

1

1

1

2

1

3

1

4

1 Election Day

Sunday

5

1

6

1

7

1

8

1

9

1

Public Works Awards & Recognition Breakfast

0

2

Bike to Work Day! CIPID Division Mtg.

1

2

UT Commencement

Sunday

2

2

National Public Works Week Bike to Work Week

3

2

4

2

5

2

6

2

7

2

Texas Tax Free Weekend

8

2

Austin Wine and Music Festival

Sunday Texas Tax Free Weekend

0

3

Memorial Day City Holiday

38 STREET TALK MAY 2011

9

2

Austin Wine and Music Festival

June

Monday

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

1

0

2

0

Friday

Saturday

3

4

0

0

Ballet Under the Stars (free)

Sunday

5

0

6

7

0

0

8

0

9

0

1

0

1

1

Republic of Texas Biker Rally

Sunday

2

1

3

4

1

1

5

1

6

1

7

1

CIPID Division Mtg.

Flag Day

8

1

Juneteenth Celebration @ Carver Musuem

Sunday Father’s Day Juneteenth

0

1

2

2

2

2

3

2

7

5

2

Keep Austin Weird Fest and 5K

Sunday

June Solstice

2

4

2

9

1

6

2

8

2

9

2

0

3

2011 MAY STREET TALK 39

Hey You! Don’t throw away that good idea!

RECYCLE IT HERE- IN THE NEXT STREET TALK! WRITE IN TO US WITH YOUR SUGGESTIONS REGARDING:

Hot List

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@ci.austin.tx.us