Street Talk | November 2013 by Austin Public Works

Inside:

Staying Afloat in High Water Neighborhood Partnering Program New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resolutions Photo Collages with pictures provided by YOU!

director’s message BY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

elcome to the Street Talk Holiday Issue! As we race into December (note the extremely clever reference to F1), I hope everyone is planning on taking some time to celebrate with friends and family. A little “down time” will do all of us some good as we turn the corner into another year that will be packed with thrills, chills, and hopefully no spills.

As Public Works is truly a diverse place, I want to highlight that this year we are privileged to experience a rare celestial overlap of the lunisolar and Gregorian calendars that won’t occur for another 79,043 years – the pop-culture portmanteau neologism (had to look that up) known as Thanksgivukkah (you can find it on Wikipedia, so you know it’s for real). That’s right, the first day of the Jewish holiday of Chanukah and Thanksgiving occur on November 28th (there are some who prefer the term Chanksgiving, but it doesn’t seem to have the same panache). Now, while both holidays celebrate searches for religious freedoms (the Maccabees struggle in the 2nd century BC and the Pilgrims’ flight to the New World in 1620) there is a strange mixing of cultures involved. Traditional holiday dishes are being combined to create treats such as sweet-potato latkes with cranberry dressing, pumpkin kugels, and pecan pie rugelach. Mixing cultures is nothing new to Austin, but if you see a turkey with candles stuck in its tail, you’ll know what’s going on. Following last year’s popular rewrite of “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and a previous attempt at “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” I’d like to offer a new take on the holiday classic, “Winter Wonderland.” Happy holidays to all!

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Asphalt sprays, do you see it A lane-mile done, do believe it A beautiful sight We’re happy tonight Working in PW wonderland

Later on, PMs perspire With engineers they conspire To build unafraid ‘Cause the bills will be paid Working in PW wonderland

Gone away are the potholes We exceed all our work goals Traffic still flows As everyone knows Working in PW wonderland

On the river we can build a boardwalk And celebrate a ribbon cutting there And in the roadway there will be a birdhouse With NPP watching it with care

In the roadway we will place a sewer And have it watched by Inspector Gus When asked are we done yet, he’ll say “no sir” “You’ll have to meet the specs to work for us!”

If it snows, it’ll be thrilling. Cause you know we’ll still be milling We’ll frolic and play, the Public Works way Working in PW wonderland

VOLUME 3

ISSUE 6

contents

NOVEMBER 2013

COVER STORY

Professional Development at Your Fingertips Career Progression Program is unveiled, beginning with Street and Bridge.

Bicycles provided by the Sustainability Office for use during the SXSWEco event. Photo courtesy of Betsy Woldman.

2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

contributors EDITORIAL Editor in Chief

Shannon Wisner

Contributing WriterS

Michelle Frith

shannon.wisner@austintexas.gov michelle.frith@austintexas.gov

Howard Lazarus

howard.lazarus@austintexas.gov

Gerald Nation

gerald.nation@austintexas.gov

Sara Hartley

sara.hartley@austintexas.gov

Luciano Tamayo

luciano.tamayo@austintexas.gov

5 Staying Safe this Holiday Season

Lek Mateo

6 Staying Afloat in High Water

lek.mateo@austintexas.gov

Justin Golbabai

justin.golbabai@austintexas.gov

design

9 Honoring Heroes

Chief Graphic Designer:

0 NPP New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resolution Status Check!

Director of Photography: Shannon Wisner

2 Employee Profiles

6 All Around Austin

8 Career Progression: Professional Development at

your Fingertips

0 Guadalavaca Photo Collage

1 Milestones

04 STREET TALK novemBER 2013

Alexa Muraida

alexa.muraida@austintexas.gov

shannon.wisner@austintexas.gov

Staying Safe this Holiday Season Each year there are:

240

5,800

people per year were treated in hospital emergency rooms for falls, Including ladders, roofs, etc, while decorating.

4,000

injuries per year are associated with electric extension cords

50%

Common holiday fire causes:

are from tripping

13% Holiday decoration and Christmas tree fires result in twice the injuries and 5x the fatalities per fire, compared to other winter fires. Christmas, Christmas Eve, and New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day are the top

03 Days

of the year for candle fires

Deep Fried Turkey Dangers:

involve children under 5

4,300

fires occur on Thanksgiving causing 15 deaths and almost $27 million in property damage, many of them due to deep frying accidents.

Sources: Electrical Safety Foundation National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)

2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

17 SBO employees were called in to work in response to the October 13th storm, for a total of 21 employees.

During the Halloween flood event, Darain Anderson and Thomas (Tommy) Hernandez were dispatched to the Pinehurst Neighborhood to assist APD in setting up barricades. When they arrived, APD sent them to the north side of the sub-division. They drove into the pitch-

06 STREET TALK novemBER 2013

black area until the water was too high to drive any further. Tommy started to back-up when Darain spotted a signal that was being transmitted by a flashlight. They rolled the windows down in the truck and heard a cry for help. With no hesitation, the em-

ployees removed their boots, placed their wallets in the truck and went into the cold 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122; deep floodwaters. The first people they rescued were an elderly couple. Darain and Tommy had to hold on to each other to walk through the floodwaters to reach the couple, who were holding on to their mailbox to keep from being swept away. As soon as the elderly couple was safe on dry land, another lady approached them, asking the men to help her parents. She said that her parents couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t walk well and could not get out of the house. Tommy and Darain went back into the floodwaters, and entered the home to locate her parents. Darain carried the elderly lady to safety, came back and helped Tommy get the elderly man to a safe location. Then, they heard cries for help from a two-story house. Darain and Tommy had to walk in chest-high water to get to the house, and they found a family of four and their pet dog. The door could not be opened, because it was blocked by the floodwaters. Darain and Tommy then told the couple to go upstairs to a room with a window that faced the street. Darain climbed to the second floor using whatever footholds and handholds he could find, and the parents handed him their 3-yearold daughter. Darain climbed down and

gave the child to Tommy, who got the girl to safety. This effort was repeated with the 4-year-old son, the mother and the family dog. The father was too large for this type of rescue, so the ever-resourceful employees had him jump into the five ft. deep floodwaters. The man went under the water and Tommy and Darain immediately pulled him up and escorted him to safety. Their next rescue was a retired sheriff. When they entered the house the man asked them to please help him get his cat from behind the refrigerator. They moved the refrigerator and found the cat still alive. The man began to cry and thanked them for saving his cat. Both employees said this was a very emotional moment for everyone involved. They proceeded to get the man and his cat to safety. By the end of their efforts, they had rescued 10 people, 3 dogs and 2 cats. They only stopped when the Fire Department arrived and told them that they would take over the rescue operations. These two men did not hesitate in putting their own lives in danger to save other people. It is an honor to attempt to tell the story of these real-life heroes, Darain Anderson and Tommy Hernandez, two Public Works Street and Bridge Employees. 2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

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columns BY Lek Mateo, USA (Ret.) CONTRIBUTING WRITER

e live in a generation where the iPad and Internet is quickly replacing the history book and the heroes that our children know are now entertainers and sports figures. Very few Americans remember the events of World War II where approximately 16,500,000 American servicemen and women were called to duty to serve in Europe and Asia. An estimated 416,837 were killed or missing in combat and 683,846 were wounded in actions at Pearl Harbor and on distant battlefields such as Normandy, Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal and Midway. It has been over half a century since the Allies accepted the surrender of Japan aboard the deck of the American battleship USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, ending the war in the Pacific. Recently, fifteen Texas WWII veterans fell into ranks once more to make the trip to Washington D.C. to see the U.S. National World War II Memorial that was built in their honor some 65 years after the war ended. Allen Bergeron, Chairman of Honor Flight Austin, said World War II veterans are dying at the estimated rate of 900 per day and the non-profit organization’s goal is to try and fly as many veterans as they can from across the nation to Washington to see the memorial. Bergeron, a retired Marine, said that the World War II memorial was the last war memorial to be constructed and it was important that ev-

ery surviving service man and woman get to see the memorial that was built in their honor. I had the honor of escorting Mr. Robert Manning of Bryan, Texas who served with the U.S. Army 36th Infantry Division, a National Guard unit comprised of soldiers from Texas and Oklahoma that saw action in Italy. I was very proud to be in his company because I served in Iraq with the same unit that Mr. Manning helped forge during WWII. Manning quietly held back his emotions as he and the other veterans were given a heroes sendoff and welcome by family and total strangers during their two-day trip. The City of Austin Aviation Department police honor guard escorted the veterans to their plane while passengers in the terminal cheered. The airport fire department also gave a befitting water salute as they showered the plane with a spray of water from their highpressure hose mounted on their trucks as it taxied away from the terminal. The 95-year old cattle rancher from East Texas said that he was not used to this kind of special attention. Manning said he didn’t do anything special during the war,” I was just a mess sergeant,” he sheepishly said. He participated in the invasion of Salerno, Italy and saw over three years of service in Europe before returning back to Texas. The veterans spent the day visiting Arlington National Cemetery and other military

left to right) Allen Bergeron, veterans render a hand salute U.S. National World War II Memorial 1. (From 3.WWII Robert Manning and Lek Mateo at 2. in Washington D.C. to the flag during a ceremony in their the U.S. National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.

honor at the the U.S. National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C

service memorials before concluding their tour with a simple ceremony to honor their service and those they have served with at the WWII Memorial. I asked Manning on the flight home what he will remember most about his trip and he simply replied with a grin, “Receiving the T-patch.” Lt. Col. Juan Garcia, who is another Honor Flight volunteer, gave the arrowhead-shaped unit patch with the letter “T” in the center to Manning at the airport. For Manning, the T-patch represents the soldiers in his unit that he served with during the war. During the flight, he held it with reverence in his aged hands. Coincidentally, Garcia happens to be a fellow 36th Division soldier who served with me in Iraq and is now assigned with the National Guard Bureau in Washington. There is that common bond among military men and women who served together, especially those within the same unit. This Veteran’s Day, I will remember these Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen for their service, courage, and sacrifice; but most of all, I will remember the trip with our “Greatest Generation” because they gave us and the other nations across the world the freedom that we have today.

2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

New Year’s Resolutions often get a bad reputation. Every January 1st we vow that this year will be different, and by January 7th we’ve usually given up and will try again next year. However, not all New Year’s Resolutions have to end badly! Let’s check in with the Neighborhood Partnering Program on the status of its New Year‘s Resolutions from years past.

“To be a snazzy dresser.“ Patterson Park Pool House: New Year’s Resolution 2011. Resolution Status: Accomplished, 2012.

“To walk more!“ North Loop Right-Of-Way: New Year’s Resolution 2011. Resolution Status: Accomplished, 2012. 10 STREET TALK novemBER 2013

“To be party central.“ Brentwood Park: New Year’s Resolution 2011. Resolution Status: Accomplished, 2012.

divisions BY justin golbabai CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“To inspire a hit song.“ Huffstickler Green: New Year’s Resolution 2010. Resolution Status: Pending. The Counting Crows “paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” In 2012, we removed the parking lot and put up open space (hit song is still pending).

“No more chicken!“ St. Elmo Right-Of-Way: New Year’s Resolution 2010. Resolution Status: Mixed Results. Ironically while the 2011 St. Elmo pedestrian island decreased the games of chicken needed to cross the road, performance metrics indicate that the actual number of chickens crossing the road increased. Turns out, the answer to “Why did the chicken cross the road?” is “Because there was a safe crossing!”

2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

ulia Bateman is a study of poise. Her steady gaze and calm demeanor make conversation comfortable. Originally from San Antonio, Julia is the eldest child of four. Her sister Frances is an accountant in Houston, her brother Robert owns a comic book store in Houston, and Daryl is a nursing home administrator in San Antonio. After graduating from Ursuline Academy, a San Antonio Catholic school for girls, Julia followed her high school sweetheart, Paul, to the University of Neighbor Texas. They marJulia Bateman ried after a couple of semesters Division of college. She Human Resources left school and Paul became Title a C130 Pilot in the Air Force. HR Advisor They moved frequently and had two sons, Daniel and Christopher, born 18 months apart. Julia shares that these experiences helped her to become resilient. Later, she and Paul divorced. As a single mother, Julia worked to expand her career potential. She began work at AT&T as a fill in. While at AT&T, a manager told her that she would never become a manager herself. Instead of letting that statement define her, Julia got busy showing that manager just how wrong she was. A Dean at University of the Incarnate Word encouraged her to enroll at adult night college. She took that advice, earning a Bachelor’s degree in the Psychology of Work, and was selected as graduate of the year.

12 STREET TALK novemBER 2013

Accepting a permanent position at AT&T, Julia always asked questions, got to know people, and looked for every opportunity to train. AT&T underwent a merger and they asked Julia to move to Austin. She supported the region as an HR generalist, earned a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Ethics, and married her second husband, John. Meanwhile, AT&T continued to undergo numerous mergers. In 2007, she was asked to go to Pueblo, Colorado to develop and support the HR services of a new state of the art call center and lead the supervisor development program, meant to develop young leaders. All development, employee relations, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and more fell under Julia’s purview. Unfortunately during this time, Julia and John separated. She moved to San Antonio where she accepted a position as Program Manager for Leadership Development. AT&T asked her to move to Dallas, but Julia was tired of moving. She left AT&T to take a yearlong sabbatical and to spend time with her granddaughter, Reagan in Austin. Shortly after her return to Austin, Julia was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her resilience was now tested to its limits. John returned, telling Julia he wouldn’t let her go through the challenges ahead alone. Married 17 years now, John and Julia are stronger than ever. Their youngest son, Christo-

pher, is a Supervisor at the City of Austin Municipal Court over Parking Violations. He and his wife Morgan have a daughter, Reagan (4). Eldest son Daniel is a business process consultant for oil and gas companies. He is married to Lorena and they have two children, Elise (4) and Nathaniel (18 months). After winning her battle with breast cancer, Julia accepted a position with Verizon Wireless. The job required too much travel so Julia accepted a position with the City of Austin Public Works Department Human Resources last year. When asked what the experience with cancer taught her, Julia replies, “It taught me a sense of mortality and that we should be sure every day that we are doing the things that make us happy.” Diversity is Julia’s favorite part of her work. As an HR Advisor she can help employees become future leaders. “The best leaders are those who have the innate ability to bring themselves to anyone’s level and make anyone comfortable. People trust them; and trust is the key factor of leadership. Good leaders need to be willing to admit they don’t know everything and be willing to learn.” Julia seems to have learned quite a bit herself through overcoming adversity and finding resilience!

best leaders are those who have the innate ability to “ The bring themselves to anyone’s level and make anyone comfort-

able. People trust them; and trust is the key factor of leadership. Good leaders need to be willing to admit they don’t know everything and be willing to learn.

”

columns BY michelle frith CONTRIBUTING WRITER

red Cleveland is all business. He arrives, checks emails via his smartphone and takes a couple of calls before the interview begins. He then tells a story about his strong drive for excellence. Fred is an original Austinite. He is the youngest child of Sheila and Fred Cleveland Jr. Fred Jr. lives out of state but Fred III still maintains a good relationship with his father. Mom Sheila formerly spent several years as a mortgage broker and is now a clerk at the Travis County Courthouse. She has been married to Darrell Collins (a retiree from Kraft Foods) for many years and is also mother to Fred’s older sisters Yolanda, Neighbor a beautician and Fred Cleveland mother of three, and Nicole, a Division mother to four Street and Bridge children. Operations Fred played cornerback on Title the Reagan High Seal Coat II football team his Superintendent freshmen year, and later as a junior and senior he played free safety. He spent a brief time at LBJ, but returned to Reagan before graduation. He enjoyed playing sports and liked school, especially English courses. He married his high school sweetheart and they started a family with Fred IV – Caleb, who is now 18. Fred and his wife later had Tyler (12) and Chance (6). Caleb is at Grambling State University studying business management. The last weekend of September he played in the drum line at the Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Tyler loves sports and videogames and is a good student. Chance is a happy funloving little boy who currently practices karate. The younger boys now live with their mom in Round Rock. Fred’s first job was with Hoskins Electric as an apprentice. He left Hoskins to take a short-lived job with MCI and then was hired by the City’s Animal Shel-

ter to help take care of the animals. Fred later accepted a position with Austin Water Utility for over two years. Looking to move ahead, Fred returned to the shelter as an Animal Control Officer but shortly afterward found an even better opportunity when offered a position at AWU as a Senior Operator. Shortly after his return, he was promoted to Crew Leader where he remained for four years. In 2008, he was promoted to Supervisor in the Valves and Hydrants Division where he managed the logistics of projects prior to the actual construction. He remained a supervisor until March 2012 when he became a Superintendent in the Public Works Sealcoat II Division. Fred is extremely proud of the Seal Coat teams already surpassing their goal for the second year in a row of completing 360 lane miles, and is thankful to the engineering team who helped them with this achievement. Fred attributes the team’s great success to an increased emphasis on documentation, accountability and structure. He feels it is everyone’s responsibility to be thorough, to take initiative, to adhere to the City’s policies and procedures and to have passion about their work. He says, “The key to success is to ask for advice and feedback from supervisors or managers. The flip side is that the person being asked for that advice should be honest, talk to people in a positive way and give specifics. Supervisors should give their employees their draft SSPR two weeks in advance, but the individual also has a responsibility to come forward with documentation about their performance and suggestions about ways they would like to

learn more. It’s in the way you talk, think, and behave – and your attitude can inspire others. If you are moving up, you should think clearly about why you want that promotion. It may come with more money, but it also comes with increased responsibilities. Are you ready for that?” Fred is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Texas State University and enjoys small business management and marketing. “I see myself running my own business when I retire.” Fred dreams of opening a restaurant in Austin in the future. But in the meantime Fred is, of course, planning for excellence in his current career.

2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

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2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

events

Public Works builds our city’s future and celebrates our successes with PWD staff and events all around town. Got Culture? PWD celebrates completion of the AARC On September 28, the City celebrated the opening of the Asian American Resource Center (AARC). The festivities included an official ribbon cutting followed by live music, pan-Asian performances, and a community street festival. Project Manager David Kim Taylor oversaw construction of the new facility, which provides classrooms, a library/information center, an assembly hall, and exhibition and display spaces.

Engaging and Educating Students in Austin Corps 2013 This October, representatives from several City departments came together to present on a variety of topics to area high school students. This effort is part of the Austin Corps program to educate young adults about what the City does and give them an opportunity to see what City employees do day to day. Public Works Department’s Susan Garnett engaged students by discussing projects like the New Central Library and the Boardwalk Trail. The PWD segment was shared with the Planning Development and Review Department, Austin Transportation, the Contract Management Department, and the Office of Real Estate Services. Overall, the event was a success! We can’t wait to do it all again next year.

PWD Steals the Show at Cityworks Academy Recently, 34 Austinites taking part in the annual Cityworks Academy learned all about the “Department with a Heart” and got a first-hand look at some of the services we provide. The Academy, now in its fifth year, provides Austin residents with an inside look at City government and creates opportunities for them to get involved. During the Public Works session, which was held at the St. Elmo facility, Director Howard Lazarus kicked off the evening with an introductory overview of the department’s services and highlighted recent projects. Following this introduction, Program Manager Justin Golbabai discussed the award-winning Neighborhood Partnering Program and Project Coordinator Adrian Lipscombe discussed the launch of the Bike Share program in December. The evening ended with Street and Bridge Division Manager Molly Ritter and Utility Cuts Supervisor Michael Girod with crew member, Dametri Hubbard showcasing SBO’s cool interactive pervious pavement display.

16 STREET TALK novemBER 2013

events Guadalupe Street no Longer a “Drag” for Cyclists October 17th marked the official open date for Austin’s newest cycle track, which runs along the high-trafficked stretch of Guadalupe dubbed “The Drag”. Cyclists traveling southbound from 24th to MLK are now protected by a combination of delineator sticks, parked cars, pedestrian islands, and planters. By the time of printing, the cycle track will be painted a bright green to alert road users to watch for bicyclists. On the northbound side, the bicycle lane was widened and a painted buffer was added. Local non-profit Bike Austin partnered with the Bicycle Program to pass out educational brochures about the changes and install bicycle bells.

PWD and ATD Join Forces for NFBPA Event On October 10, Public Works and Transportation partnered to educate local-area high school students as part of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators Program (NFPBA). The students were taken to some interesting project sites – including the Waller Creek facility and the Capital Metro Red Line. For most of the kids, it was their first time riding a train!

Getting “Bike Curious” at SXSWeco The Bicycle Program had a good showing at this year’s SXSWeco conference on October 7-8. Nathan Wilkes joined a panel to discuss Dutch-style cycling in the U.S. and Adrian Lipscombe and Shannon Wisner were on hand to talk bike share. The bike share table was shared with the Sustainability Office, who received a grant this year to lend bicycles (bike share style) to the Eco conference attendees. As you can imagine, it was a big hit!

Street and Bridge Gets Interactive at Touch-aTruck The 3rd annual Touch-a-Truck event was held on Saturday, November 2 at Bridge Point Elementary School. Kids of all ages got to see (and get inside!) our Public Works vehicles, in addition to fire trucks, ambulances and the like!

Child Safety Walks it Out This year’s celebration of International Walk to School Day was a great success! The Child Safety Program was pleased to welcome about 200 children, along with parents, teachers, and community members, as they gathered in the early morning at Franklin Park for the walk to Rodriguez Elementary. AISD Physical Education Supervisor Michele Rusnak and the Rodriguez P.E. Teachers led them all in a great warm up before heading to school. Big thanks to the other departments who pitched in to make this event special – APD, Code Compliance, and Parks and Recreation were all there to support active transportation and join the walk.

2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

his month our Workforce Development Office (WDO) led the initial roll-out of our Career Progression Program. The program represents over three years of development effort, and fulfills a commitment we all made together – leadership and staff – to develop a talent management program that rewards self-investment and professional development. Although the initial rollout applies to our Street & Bridge Operations divisions, our intent is to apply the principles as applicable to all Public Workers. The approach and program are both fully consistent and compliant with City policies and the upcoming Civil Service system.

The Career Progression approach is a significant component of our department wide commitment to make Public Works a “workplace of choice.” We seek to recruit, develop, and retain a staff that aggressively pursues successful execution of our core missions, adds value to related City functions, self-invests in professional and skills growth, and understands and respects the “public trust” that has been placed in the department. We also seek to invest in our junior leadership, growing a strong yet compassionate cadre that will be the future leaders of a high-performing Public Works Department and a growing and prosperous City of Austin. The basic concept of Career Progression is that the skills required for each position within a career family are objectively established, and advancement is based upon demonstrated proficiency in these skills at increasingly higher lev-

18 STREET TALK novemBER 2013

els. Skill sets are developed by the senior staff within the career field, and include job-required technical abilities, organizational and administrative tasks (soft skills), safety performance, and overall “citizenship.” Selected skills will be evaluated annually, and promotion, retaining current standing, and potentially demotion will be based upon achievement and retention of critical skills. All Public Workers will receive career maps, and will know where they stand in meeting expectations as well as what opportunities exist for advancement within their current fields or by “crossing-over” to a related field. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will be recognized, and promotions to leadership positions will remain highly competitive. The example of the Street & Bridge Technician career field is provided within this article to demonstrate the mechanics of a career field.

While the WDO has been responsible for setting up the structure of the system, its basic operation is a function of the relationship between Public Workers and their supervisors. The career map will become part of the development plan contained in everyone’s Success Strategy Performance Review (SSPR) document, and it should form the basis of discussion during semi-annual reviews and coaching sessions. WDO and the Human Resources Office will provide training records management and training support through the “Public Workers University (PWU)” concept (see insert), but many of you may be called upon to be SMEs. The bottom line is that Career Progression places fate in your hands. Are you ready?

POSITION

REQUIREMENTS

Trainee (Temporary)

Driver’s License Street and Bridge Tech 1

GED Street and Bridge Tech 2

Commercial Driver’s License

Street and Bridge Tech 3

Crew Lead

Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Have additional questions about career progression?

This flowchart represents an example of a potential career path within the Street & Bridge Organization

Supervisor

Superintendent

Contact: Public Workers University

Division Manager

pwu@austintexas.gov (512) 974-7252

2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

STREET AND BRIDGE

Milling and overlay work progresses on Guadalupe and Lavaca. The overlay team ran two milling machines on Guadalupe simultaneously â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an extraordinary feat!

20 STREET TALK novemBER 2013

street talk extra

UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

awcaorgdnsi& tion re september 2013:

The following employees received awards during the cipid division meeting :

October 2013:

pat on the back

above & beyond

SIMON ORTA

travis miller

Received a “Pat on the Back” award for his attention to detail on as built condition plans.

Received a “Pat on the Back” award for his diligence in assisting customers.

above & beyond

Division manager award

Ken kirk

jim vickery

Received an “Above and Beyond” award for his resourcefulness, attention to detail and exemplary customer service during a possible environmental and structural disaster.

For his honesty, experience and perspective.

Division manager award

john bowman

above & beyond

peter morales

For his honesty, experience and perspective.

Received an “Above & Beyond” award for his diligence in assisting customers with a positive attitude.

Division manager award

valerie rockwell

commitment to excellence

For providing support to her internal customers.

lek mateo

Received an “Above & Beyond” award for the quality of his work, respectfulness to other employees, and for being courteous and knowledgeable.

15 years of service

mary alice cruz

CIP Inspector Kirkland Fordham stands proudly beside his daughter Talaya S. Fordham who graduated from naval recruit basic training at the Naval Station Great Lakes Illinois, on October 18, 2013. Tayala enlisted as a naval airman and will work on board an aircraft carrier as part of the flight deck crew. Talaya will continue her advanced naval aviation training at the Naval Air Station Pensacola located on the Gulf Coast in Pensacola, Florida before being assigned to a fleet unit. Congratulations to her and her proud family!

city earns national award for ‘driving digital government’ The City of Austin received the 2013 Digital Government Achievement Award from the Center for Digital Government and Government Technology magazine for the development and implementation of the Austin Infrastructure Management, Mapping, Planning and Coordination Tool (IMMPACT). IMMPACT won in the category of Driving Digital Government because it provides key coordination of information from several City operational departments for active projects and permits in a geographic interface. Since the implementation in 2012, IMMPACT has saved the City of Austin millions of dollars. Congratulations to the IMMPACT team!

ctm bryan thompson brad tatum sean mcclurkan

lee kinser charles purma logan pugh

pwd annie van zant danny haverlah

street & bridge: recognitions and highlights

“a road between fire, gas and caves” nominated for award

sealcoat

Some of you may remember “A Road between Fire, Gas and Caves” from the last issue of Street Talk. ESD is happy to announce that Davis-Deer Lane was nominated for a Groundwater Stewardship Award. The Engineer, Bimal Adikary, and the designer, Luciano Tamayo, are humbled and happy for this nomination/appreciation. They are proud to be a part of, and bring honor to, the Public Works Department.

Seal Coat Teams I & II met their goal of 360 lane miles this year, along with an additional 92 lane miles of crack seal. Great job!

overlay Overlay doesn’t get their name for nothing! They recently exceeded (or over-laid) their annual goal of milling and paving 105 lane miles by 8 miles, with a year-end total of 113 lane miles completed! These public workers placed a whopping 2,600 tons on Pleasant Valley from Oltorf to Riverside in one day alone, and completed the intersection of Riverside and Pleasant Valley in just three days! Just to give you an idea of the fantastic work they are doing, in 2011 the lane mile goal for this group was 75. It was then increased to 105 lane miles the following year, which they successfully exceeded as well. Next year the new goal will be 120 lane miles. At the rate these guys and gals, are going and the innovative procedures they have put in to play, we’re sure they’ll have no problem setting a new record.

2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

milestones

continued from pg. 21

cipid:

hro:

ood:

Terry O-Connor

Stacey spruell

justin golbabai

lucy bonee

Terry is a new CIPID Engineering Associate AKA “the training guy”. He grew up in Ohio, but has lived in Austin for 13 years. He has a BA in History from Xavier University in Cincinnati, a Technical Communication Certificate from ACC in 2013, and has previously worked with CIPID and PDR. He enjoys bicycling, cooking, yoga, bowling, golf, basketball, and listening to live music in Austin. He is the 4-time winner of chili cook-offs around the Austin area.

Stacey recently joined the Human Resources Office as a HR Supervisor. She was born in Oklahoma and raised in Houston, then moved to Austin in 1998. She studied at Texas Tech University, worked for Wells Fargo bank and has been with PW for 2 months now. She enjoys shopping, traveling, and spending time with her three children.

Justin manages the Neighborhood Partnering Program for Public Works. He is from Windsor, Connecticut. He received his bachelors in Economics and Sociology from Notre Dame and his MPA at the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk!) He started with the COA in 2007, worked in the Budget office, City Managers office, and Neighborhood Planning. He enjoys basketball and biking. In 2010, he won the Punniest of Show at the O’Henry Pun-off World Championships.

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courtney Black

robert “rob” grotty

tica chitrarachis

Courtney is a Public Information Specialist with the Office of the Director. She studied English at California State University, Chico and graduated in 2006 with her B.A. and a certificate in Literary Editing and Publishing. She has worked as a copy editor at a local music magazine, editor, Public Information Officer, and in Costa Rica as the External Relations Manager for Costa Rica Outward Bound. In 2012, she was offered a job with the City of Austin and has been here ever since! She loves being outdoors, swimming and enjoying nature. Snowboarding is one of her favorite hobbies, and she misses having Lake Tahoe so close to home. She also loves music and feels fortunate to live in the “Live Music Capitol of the World.” Traveling is one of her favorite things to do and she would like to do more of it!

Rob recently joined the Infrastructure Management team in Street and Bridge. Previously, Rob worked for the Texas Forest Service, where he developed and managed land stewardship programs funded and monitored by the USDA Forest Service. As a former PARD employee he conducted inspections of right-ofway vegetation and issued compliance requests to property owners, including serving as the NeighborWoods urban tree planting program coordinator. Rob will be working on developing and establishing a Tree & Vegetation Management Plan for the City’s Public Rights of Way. Rob is a proud father of a son who is now seven weeks old! He and his wife also have two dogs. For fun, Rob enjoys woodworking.

Lucy is the new Executive Assistant in the Director’s Office. She is originally from Sabinal, Texas and has some college credits from ACC. She recently decided that she is going back to school in the spring! Lucy has over 20 years of experience working for a Director, 12yrs plus with the City and 8 years in the private sector. Lucy loves to travel, shop, sew, read and write. She played the clarinet and a little piano in her younger days and is a single mom with two amazing kids that keep her busy!

not pictured: Enrique EscobarRuiz, Paulinda Mackie, Leonard Miller, Isaack Rodriguez, Mario Ruiz, Jamison Smith, David West, Michael Williams

Tica (pronounced “Teesha”) is a Project Coordinator with the Quality and Standards Management Division. She was born in Manhattan and then split her later formative years between Chicago and the S. Jersey/Philadelphia area. She’s lived in Austin for many years, so it’s her hometown now. She worked in publishing as an editor/project manager for a number of years, but later went back to graduate school to study Landscape Architecture. Tica went back to school because she was interested in how she could use design to shape the growing, urban environment in Austin. Tica enjoys listening to metal, racing her bike down hills, admiring other people’s dogs, and exploring all the new restaurants opening up in Austin

Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

22 STREET TALK novemBER 2013

City of Austin employees celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month at Fiesta Gardens. Employees were treated to performances by retired Austin Police Department detective Mark Gil — also known as “Police Ice,” recording artist Miranda Gil, and the McCallum High School Ballet Folklorico. Police Chief Art Acevedo was the event’s keynote speaker.

milestones KUDOS TO DIANE RICE & THE SIDEWALK CREW Diane,

kudos SIDEWALK TEAM HELPS OUT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT On October 23rd City and community leaders celebrated the opening of 40 new apartments just west of South Lamar Boulevard that are sustainable, affordable and accessible for people with disabilities. The Legacy, 1342 Lamar Square Drive, is completely occupied by low-income residents, including people with disabilities and five formerly homeless veterans. Special thanks to the PW Sidewalks team for improving sidewalks and providing an accessible walking route to the leasing office and bus stops on South Lamar.

I wanted to thank you and everyone else at Public Works that helped us with the sidewalk repairs at the Zaragoza Recreation Center. The work crews were very courteous and did an excellent job. With this being a voting location, we would not have been able to get this work completed in time for the elections without your help. Please pass along our gratitude to all involved. -Albert

promotions jennifer massie-gore Jennifer Massie-Gore, P.E. has been selected as the Team Leader for Design Team 3 in the Engineering Services Division. She joined the City in 2010 with ESD as an Engineer C on Design Team 1 and has successfully led many designs since. Some of her most notable projects are the South Congress Streetscape, One Texas Center Rain Gardens, ABIA Presidential Blvd Roadway Safety & Security Improvements, Springdale & 290 Water System Improvement, and the ABIA Landside Roadway Pavement Evaluation.

SEALCOAT TECH II CARL BURFORD, CHARLES STERLING AND JAVIER ZAVALA Carl Burford, Charles Sterling, and Javier Zavala have recently been promoted from Street & Bridge Technician I to Street & Bridge Technician II. These gentlemen have been with the department for over a year now and have brought with them much needed specialized experience for the future goals of the Seal Coat Division. These candidates have proven to be an excellent addition to the team. Congratulations!

Congratulations on your new position, Jennifer!

SUSAN COX

OVERLAY TECH II MICHAEL CASTRO AND LUIS LARA

Susan V. Cox has joined the Street and Bridge Operations Management Team. Ms. Cox will be leading the newly established Logistics and Facilities Division in the Street and Bridge Operations Program. The new division will be focusing on optimizing operational utilization of existing and proposed Public Works Department facilities, developing and implementing a comprehensive dispatch process, and investigating and establishing a more efficient Public Works Fleet.

Michael Castro and Luis Lara have been promoted to the position of Street and Bridge Tech II. Both Luis and Michael report to Overlay supervisor, Frank Reyes. With both having over ten years of experience in the construction field, they currently perform a variety of tasks and operate equipment essential to the Overlay Team’s success. They are hardworking individuals and Overlay is happy to have them as part of the team. Congratulations, Luis and Michael, for a job well done!

Congratulations to Susan and best wishes on her new adventure.

h t x i S e h t m o r f s e l Ta writt en by charl

PEER-TO--PEER KUDOS: LUCIANO TAMAYO I have worked with Luciano for about 2 years and found that he is very helpful, capable, efficient and knowledgeable. Some of the specific things he has done are: Getting the permit for the Davis Lane Project Providing support for me during the Davis Lane Project bid process. Provided great service in tracking and reviewing submittals and answering RFI’s. Taken the lead and handled several issues with Texas Gas and Austin Energy. Conducted construction meetings on the Davis Lane Project in my absence. On the Elroy Road water line Project he has been very efficient at getting the design done ahead of schedule, proactive in getting permission from property owners to cut their drive ways instead of boring under the driveways (this will save the City money), working with the County on determining what permitting we need to get from them, getting QSMD reviews completed and City permitting.

Working with Luciano has made my job much easier. His abilities and hard work gives me confidence that when I ask him to take care of an issue that he will get it done with speed and efficiency, and if there are issues I am not aware of he will point them out and take care of them without me having to tell him. I would rate his abilities as excellent and feel he should be recognized for his hard work and abilities. Thank you, George Jackson, PE

es fe lipa

Recently, the crew and I were doing work on 6th and San Jacinto when we noticed a young woman staggering in the middle of the road. Shortly after we noticed her, two men got on either side of her and put her arms around their shoulders. She had obviously drunk more than her limit, but didn’t appear to know who the men were who had approached her. The crew and I walked across the street and asked them if they needed any help. The young woman seemed to have a sense of relief once she saw us, but the two men replied, “No, we know her and we are going to take her to some friends down the block.” She immediately got away from them and came over to us. I began to ask her if she knew where she was or where she may have left her car. She replied, “I have no one, I am no one, no one wants me.” Her eyes began to roll into the back of her head, so we sat her down on the curb. By this time the two gentlemen proceeded to leave saying, “well it looks like you guys are going to take care of her.” I called 911 and we stayed with her until EMS arrived. They put her on a stretcher and asked her what she may have drank or taken and she couldn’t tell them. What she felt very confident in telling them was the answer to their next question… EMS Technician: Do you know how many dimes are in a dollar? Young lady: Do I know how many dimes are in a dollar?!?! EMS Technician: Yes, how many dimes are in a dollar? Young lady: Of course I know how many dimes are in a dollar (as she snickers)…25! Not too often do you get to intervene in a questionable situation and get a laugh in the process… Only on 6th Street!

2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

24 STREET TALK novemBER 2013

2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

in every issue

WHERE 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!

location 1

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

location 2

Answers from last issue: Location 1: Oklahoma City, OK Location 2: Highland Station Urban Trail Grand Opening (in the basket of a bike share bike!)

26 STREET TALK novemBER 2013

r of Events a d n e l Ca

continued

7 28 29 2

Hanukkah Begins (at sunset)

Thanksgiving Holiday

11 am to 12:30 pm

Accident Investigation Training for Supervisors

Thanksgiving Holiday

7:30 am to 3:30 pm

Safety Meeting

CDL/D&A Orientation

City Payday

Safety Meeting

0 0

Registration begins @ noon

8:30 am to 9:30 am One Texas Center-325 (PWD, ESD, PMD, QSSMD, NCD)

1 1

New Employee Safety Orientation

1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

LRC @ ABIA

11 am to 12:30 pm

Safety Meeting 8:00 am to 9:00 am Cheathem Facility (PWD SBO Pavement & Infrastructure SSD @ Cheathem)

Defensive Driving Class 8:30 am to 4:30pm

6 10

One Texas Center-325

City Payday

8 am to 9:00 am (ATD)

One Texas Center-325

8 am to 9:00 am Cheathem Facility (PWD SBO Utility & Structures)

8 am to 9:30 am

PE 2013- Quarter 4 Ends

Winter Begins Bike Share Official Launch

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City Payday Hanukkah Ends (at sunset)

Christmas Eve- City Holiday Christmas- City Holiday Kwanzaa Begins New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve

Safety Meeting 8:30 am to 9:30 am One Texas Center-325 (CID, HRO, OOD, SSD, Financial Services, Systems Engineering)

Safety Meeting 8 am to 9:00 am Cheathem Facility (PWD SBO District Maintenance IMG)

2013 NOVEMBER STREET TALK

Street Talk: Unwrapped

Happy Holidays to you and your family. - The Street Talk Team