Street Talk | Spring 2015

SPRING 2015REPORTING ON WHAT MATTERS TO PUBLIC WORKSVOLUME 5 ISSUE 1

STREET TALK

What’s going on?

02 STREET TALK SPRING 2015

director’s messageBY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

A couple of months ago, my daughter Becky was visiting and we had settled into a nice booth at a local eatery for lunch. We were having a nice daughter-Dad conversation when my phone started to buzz, so I took it out of my pocket to take a look. Becky became quite disturbed that I was not giving her my

full attention, so I turned the device off and we continued our discussion. While we were talking, Becky took her phone out and started texting a friend. Somewhat perplexed, I asked her why she got mad when I checked my phone, but it was fine for her to do so. She looked at me with a slight twinge of condescension, and said “Dad, that’s because my generation knows how to multitask.”

Taking the Pulse of PWDResponding to and anticipting changes in the workplace.

Now, I will admit that I am somewhat puzzled by this recent obsession with generational dif-ferences. Change has always been with us. My grandparents went from horses and carriages to the internal combustion engine to space travel. My par-ents went from the big bands and crooners to rock and roll and later, pop. As a boomer, I’ve gone from counting on my fingers and toes and using slide rules to having the power of the universe in my hand via the smart phone (OK, admittedly not a great ex-ample since many of you have caught me still using

the old-fashioned “digital” technology.)My point in this is that successful organiza-

tions have always been able to anticipate change and adapt rather than being dragged kicking and screaming into the future. Like every other employ-er, PWD is home to a multigenerational workforce. Technology and its role in our daily lives is just the ‘tip of the iceberg” when it comes to addressing changes in the workplace. Generational perspec-tives affect how we view our jobs, the degree of workplace flexibility we desire and perhaps most

significantly, how we deliver services to the com-munity.

One of the key tools we’ve used over the past several years to assess organizational health is the Listening to the Workforce (LTW) survey. I recently received the results from last year’s LTW, and want to share them with you. I’ll post the detailed results by Division on PWD Central for you to look at, but I want to use space in this Director’s Message to ex-plore directions and trends in the data.

cartoon supplied by avature.net

THE TABLE BELOW SHOWS THE DEPARTMENT ROLL-UP BY MAJOR AREA FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS:

PARAMETER 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2014 CITY

GENERAL CATEGORIES Participation N/A N/A 93 189 208 98 143 N/A City uses results of LTW to make improvements in the workplace.

52% 50% 62% 60% 67% 67% 50% 43%

I feel well informed about events/workplace occurrences.

62% 61% 79% 73% 84% 86% 69% 69%

My department communicates the PRIDE values, most livable, and best managed in the US.

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 69% 62% 60%

Personnel Policies 55% 56% 65% 67% 75% 66% 63% 63% Employee Commitment 81% 82% 85% 79% 90% 85% 83% 81% Department Ethics 61% 59% 71% 68% 76% 71% 59% 60% Quality of Department Services 79% 81% 83% 83% 90% 83% 79% 77% Safety 77% 78% 87% 82% 92% 88% 89% 80% Pay and Benefits 56% 49% 48% 54% 72% 69% 67% 64% Employee Recognition 56% 49% 48% 54% 59% 56% 47% 43% Professional Development N/A N/A N/A 68% 76% 73% 64% 63% Performance Appraisal N/A N/A N/A 59% 70% 64% 58% 56% Department Performance Measures

N/A N/A N/A 46% 66% 60% 50% 52% Sustainability Measures N/A N/A N/A N/A 71% 67% 66% 64%

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS ABOVE, HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS:

Overall participation rebounded from a low last year. What is interesting is 98 percent of the respondents said that they had access to e-mail and the internet at work compared to 96 percent citywide, even though 36 percent of our respondents were from Street & Bridge. That would lead us to believe that we are doing a better job of making computers accessible to our field personnel.

Although generational data is not available, we can use tenure with the City as a surrogate. Our respondents were generally more experienced and had longer tenure, leading to the belief that we got a greater response from our Gen-Xers as opposed to our Millennials.

PWD is still at or above City averages in all cate-gories, but approvals are a bit lower (this is also true for the City wide averages) and the favor-able gap between our Department and the City has narrowed. I’m not really sure what’s driving the decrease in approval, but here are some ar-eas on which I think we can focus:

The largest drop-off was in the com-munications area. So, in addition to continuing with Street Talk, we’ve included a “Director’s Corner” on the recently launched PWD Central intranet site that is now on your desk-tops. Similar to a blog, I plan to use it as an additional tool to get informa-tion out and dialog with PWD employ-ees.

The next largest decline was in the area of Department Ethics. Drilling down further into this area reveals that in several work places, Public Workers don’t feel that inappropri-ate conduct is handled properly. This may be attributable to the time when the LTW survey was taken – when we were short three HR team members and there were some pending inves-tigations. Since that time, we have a new HR Manager and an almost full strength HR Office. Department leadership has also talked about how to make the results of disciplinary ac-tions available as feedback so we all will know that unacceptable behavior is addressed fairly and equitably.

The third area showing a significant decline is Department Performance Measures. I think understanding of our success factors will be enhanced through the DASH feature on PWD Central, which will provide a dash-board report on our key metrics. Through enhancements we’ve made in the budgeting process this year, Division Managers will be in a better position to track performance and re-lay that back to you.

In general, I also think the slight slippage in all categories is related to changes in the structure of City government and uncertainty about the future. I remain confident that over the next several months our story will tell itself, and we will remain a “go to” department to get things done. We will also continue to be a workplace of choice in the City.

Let me know if you agree, disagree, or have a different take on the data. In addition to e-mail, direct contact, and telephone, you can post your thoughts on the Director’s Corner area of PWD Central. I promise to look at the posts daily. Wow, maybe my generation can multitask after all!

2015 SPRING STREET TALK 03


Howard [email protected]

Whether by car, bicycle or on foot, navigating through South Austin just got easier.

contentsSPRING 2015

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 1 contributors

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ALL AROUND AUSTIN

PLANNING FOR SAFETY

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

It’s important to learn the potential hazards of our job.

CITY OF AUSTIN’S NEIGHBORHOOD COST SHARE PROGRAM AWARDS PROJECT FUNDING TO SIX LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTSThese six projects represent a diverse and collaborative approach to undertaking City projects in conjunction with neighborhood goals.

Citywide NewsGet the latest on new policies, ordinances and information for City employees.

MILESTONESWhat Public Workers are doing out there to achieve, foster community, impress co-workers and citizens alike, and show we re-ally are the ‘Department with a Heart’!

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL DELIVERS LIFESAVING MESSAGES TO AUSTIN KIDSCurriculum designed to raise awareness of safe walking and cycling.

MEET THE NEW HR TEAM AT PWD Get important phone numbers and contacts for the newest members of our team!

COVER STORY: BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP IN THE WORKPLACE:

14Public workers discuss similarities, differ-ences and how we work together towards a common goal.

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07 DAVIS/DEER REALIGNMENT PROJECT FROM BRODIE LANE TO CORRAN FERRY

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Denise [email protected]

Luciano [email protected]

Susan [email protected]

Alexa [email protected]

Carolyn [email protected]

Courtney [email protected]

Carolyn [email protected]

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Justin [email protected]

DESIGNDirector of Visual Design

Director of Photography

Contributing Writers

Editor in ChiefEDITORIAL

Janet [email protected]

Sylba [email protected]

Alex [email protected]

David [email protected]

Robin [email protected]

Kathryn [email protected]

Paul [email protected]

safety zoneBY DENISE RIAD CONTRIBUTING WRITER


Planning for SafetyIt’s important to learn the potential hazards of our jobs

n life, we’re always planning for different events: getting married, buying a home, going

on vacation and for retirement. Amid all of the big event planning in our lives, how much time do we spend on planning to work in a safe manner?

IIt’s important to learn the potential hazards

of our jobs and what we can do to prevent our co-workers and ourselves from getting injured. This includes making sure we have the right tools for the job and that all safe guards are in place. A job “haz-ard analysis” would ensure this, but we still need to take it upon ourselves to work safely.

THE MULTINATIONAL COMPANY DUPONT HAS A PHILOSOPHY THAT WE SHOULD ALL ACT AS OUR OWN “SAFETY DIRECTORS” AND WE MUST BELIEVE THREE SAFETY PRINCIPLES:

All injuries and occupational illnesses can be prevented.

It’s not just the hard hat, the gear, and the gloveThat bring you home safe to the people you love,The guard on the grinder, the chain on the hose,The safety-load binder, the foul weather clothes.The latch on the load hook, the outrigger block,Emergency brakes and the standard wheel chock,The safety valve feature on high pressure tanks,The cave in protection on vertical banks.The well-installed belt guards, the safety toe shoes,The fire extinguisher ready to use.The safety belt that holds you inside of your car,The road signs of safety wherever you are.These things are mere tools, like a carpenter’s plane,They won’t produce safety or minimize pain.Your health and your safety depend upon you,On whether you think about things that you do.So think before acting, make thinking, a rule,Make use of your brain--your best SAFETY tool.Remember planning safety into a work day canprevent workplace injuries!

Source: www.memicsafety.com

YOUR BEST SAFETY TOOL

Each employee has the responsibility to work safely.

Each employee should ask, “What must I do to keep from being hurt and from hurting others?”

Healthy Connections Proves Value beyond MeasurePublic worker credits program to saving life

treet and Bridge Administrative Supervisor, Fred Garcia, recently had a life-changing experience affected, in part, by his participation in Healthy Connections. Following an annual health examination, Fred was told that he should make a follow-up appointment with his doctor to further assess his health. Not long

after, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery. Fred comments, “I was a walking time bomb. I did not have chest pains or fatigue. Nonetheless, I owe it to the City of Austin for sponsoring this life saving program.” Health assessments are offered bi-annually by the City of Austin and are free to the employee. Monitoring one’s health early and often is important and, as Fred can attest, can save lives.

SBY COURTNEY BLACK EDITOR IN CHIEF

PWD CENTR AL

The PWD Systems Engineering team created PWD Central for employees to quickly find information about PWD procedures, link quickly to useful tools, and to communicate easily with other PWD employees.

AT PWD CENTRAL YOU WILL FIND LINKS SUCH AS:

Director’s Corner: An area for our Director to share his thoughts, answer questions or provide information about things going on in the Department or the City.

Electronic Time: Link to time entry sys-tem.

DASH: The new Data Analytics and Statis-tics Hub (DASH)! Here you will find reports, data, analysis and information for our de-partment’s programs and services.

Safety Office: An area for our safety pro-cedures, newsletters, reporting materials, and general Safety FAQs.

Public Works University: This area pro-vides information on Career Progression, PWD Training, and other interesting infor-mation.

Street Talk: Links to an electronic copy of the most recent issue of the Department’s Bi-Monthly magazine.

PWD HR Connection: Links to our Human Resources Team SharePoint site.

APWA: Links the site used to manage our Department’s effort in our American Public Works Association Certification process.

Web Application Links: Links for com-monly used City Systems such as eCAPRIS, Ecombs, IMMPACT, and AIMs.

Public Works Standards: Links to our De-partment Procedures.

System User Sites: Links to a collection of SharePoint User Group Sites that currently exist on special subject matters.

Social: Link takes you to links for Twitter, The Department’s Flickr Account, City of Austin Social Media, Linkedin, Austin Moni-tor and the Yellow Pages.

City Links: Links to common City links: City Space, Austin Water’s SharePoint, and City Employee Directory, just to name a few.

Organizational Charts: Our current De-partment Organizational Chart, soon to be update with all organizational charts.

TO HELP YOU IN YOUR EXPLORATION AND USE OF PWD CENTRAL, HERE ARE A FEW HELP-FUL HINTS:

PWD Central launches in your default browser.

Works best in Internet Explorer or Chrome.

Please change your default browser to either Explorer or Chrome. If you have any ques-tions please contact John Valle-jo at 4-9720.

PWD Central just finished Phase 1 of its implementation and will be growing and adding new fea-tures each week.

YOUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT!

PWD Central’s core purpose is to provide a place for you to go to find what you need to be successful in performing your job, answer a question, or a link to a tool you need. Please send any ideas, suggestions or issues to Jacque Driskell, or check the FAQ section help.

Davis/Deer Realignment Project from Brodie Lane to Corran FerryWhether by car, bicycle or on foot, navigating through South Austin just got easier.

BY LUCIANO TAMAYO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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The Davis/Deer Realignment, completed in January, included more than 4,000 linear feet of arterial roadway, newly installed sidewalks and bicycle lanes on both sides of the street, two water quality detention/retention ponds, more than 3,000 linear feet of storm drainage work, landscaping elements and traffic signal work.

This project was very complex and re-quired a lot of care due to its location within the Edwards Aquifer and Barton Springs Recharge Zones and the Balcones Canyonlands Conser-vation Plan. It is also located near several fed-erally monitored caves and crosses over the Magellan high-pressurized gas lines. Public and private entities were very involved in the entire process of the Davis/Deer Realignment Project, which often led to design changes, traffic con-

trol plans and in some cases, changes to the overall project scope.

Once construction began, the project team was presented with various other chal-lenges as well. They discovered underground voids, undocumented pipelines, under-ground utility conflicts, as well as sulphate in major portions of the project.

The project team did a tremendous job in coping with all the challenges they faced and kept on top of everything so that quick design decisions could be made – from entire pavement design changes, alternate designs of utilities, permitting revisions and correc-tions, to coordination and creation of traffic control plans. Even though the task at times felt overwhelming, the team worked tirelessly to keep the project moving.

f you have driven down Davis and Deer Lanes recently, you may have noticed that traveling through has become much easier thanks to Project Manager, Jessica Salinas, and the entire

project team.I


A BIG THANK YOU GOES OUT TO THE PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT.

Bimal Adhikary and Luciano Tamayo, ESD - Project designers

Jessica Salinas, PMD – Project Manager

David West, CID – Project Inspector

Smith Contracting Company, Contractor

Davis at Goat Cave

BEFORE

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Davis beside Deerfield Apartment

BEFORE

AFTER

Davis at Brodie Intersection

AFTER

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City of Austin’s Neighborhood Cost Share Program Awards Project Funding to Six Local Neighborhood ProjectsThese six projects represent a diverse and collaborative approach to undertaking City projects in conjunction with neighborhood goals.

he Neighborhood Partnering Program has approved and awarded funding for six new

community-initiated projects through the most re-cent application round of the Neighborhood Cost Share Program. This program assists neighborhood groups willing to share project costs with the City in developing, resourcing, and executing small to medium-sized improvement projects in the City’s right-of-way or on City-owned property.

The awarded community groups initiated and provided the vision for the projects and dem-onstrated their willingness to cost-share with the City through cash matches, volunteer hours, and in-kind professional services in an amount valued at approximately $181,000. The City leveraged a combined $599,000 from the Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Transportation, and Watershed Protection Departments to fund these six projects valued at approximately $780,000 – a four to one cost-share ratio.

These six projects represent a diverse and collaborative approach to undertaking City projects in conjunction with neighborhood goals. The Neigh-borhood Partnering Program is excited to support these projects and see them come to fruition.

T CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING NEIGHBORHOODS FOR THEIR SELECTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SPRING 2015 NEIGHBORHOOD COST SHARE PROGRAM:

Austin’s Baseball Legacy Project at Historic Downs Field (Austin’s African American Cultural Heritage District and the Rosewood Neighborhood Plan Contact Team):

Located at Downs-Mabson Field, the Aus-tin’s Baseball Legacy Project will create a new park entryway, landscape a wildlife habitat, and build a mosaic mural to commemorate the African-Amer-ican baseball history at Downs Field. The City will be building a large cinderblock wall for the mural

(approximately 10 feet x 64 feet) at the corner of E. 12th Street and Alexander Avenue, a decorative compos-ite fence, and entryway with lighting. The community will be providing professional landscaped design and stamped design drawings for all the project elements, painting the fence, landscaping the entrance area around the new fence to be a Wildlife Habitat, maintaining the landscaping element, and will be providing a cash match. Once the mural wall is installed the Friends of Downs Field will fund an artist, purchase the sup-plies for the mosaic, and assemble a mosaic mural commemorating the African American history of the field.

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BY JUSTIN GOLBABAI CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Located on Country Club Creek Trail at the north-east end of Elmont Drive, the Country Club Creek Trail Improvements will resurface a portion of the Trail between Elmont Drive and Guerrero Park with

high quality crushed decomposed granite road base. The City will be providing and compacting the ma-terials, as well as cutting and filling as necessary. The community will be providing volunteer hours to spread materials, maintaining the trail, and providing a cash match.

Country Club Creek Trail Improvements (South East Trails and Greenways Alliance)

Located on EM Franklin Avenue between East Mar-tin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Manor Road, the EM Franklin Green Street Project will turn a 44 foot wide street into a green street that incorporates

traffic calming, rain gardens, street trees, street art, bicycle lanes and a sidewalk. The City will install 7 staggered chicanes that also serve as rain gardens, six median islands angled to slow traffic, a sidewalk, and bicycle lanes. The community will provide the initial drawings for the design, a donation of 30 trees and 400 potted plants for the green spaces, paint and labor to paint the street art, labor to initially plant and maintain the green spaces, and a cash match.

EM Franklin Green Street (JJ Seabrook Neighborhood Association)

Located on the Shoal Creek Trail under the West 12th Street and Lamar Boulevard Bridges, the Light-ing the Shoal Creek Trail project will install solar powered lighting along the Shoal Creek Trail under the W. 12th Street and Lamar Boulevard bridges.

ADA-compliant curb ramps and bulb outs will also be provided as part of this project. The City will install and maintain the lights, while the community will be providing volunteer work improving the trail around the bridges and a cash match provided by the Downtown Austin Neighborhood Alliance.

Lighting the Shoal Creek Trail: West 12th Street and Lamar Boulevard Bridges (Shoal Creek Conservancy):

Located at the southeast corner of the railroad tracks and Wilshire Boulevard, the Wilshire Wood Historic Marker Preservation project will move and restore the historic subdivision marker at the entrance to the Wilshire Woods neighborhood and install 15 linear feet of curb. The marker is currently located in Capital Metro Right-of-Way, where erosion has caused shifting and stones to start falling out. The proposed project is to reconstruct the sign, using original materials, as close as possible to the original location. The City will provide a concrete slab for the marker to rest on and install the curb. The community will be hiring the mason to disassemble, move, restore, and reassemble the marker in the new location. The neighborhood association will also contribute volunteer hours, pay the flagger fees for Capital Metro and contribute a cash match for the project.

Wilshire Wood Historic Marker Preservation (Wilshire/Delwood 1 Neighborhood Association)

Located at Murchison Pool on North Hills Drive, the Murchison Pool Improvement project will in-stall a pavilion, shade structure, 8 picnic tables, replace 5 benches, and an ADA compliant curb ramp for the pool area. The City will install each of these elements, while the community will be providing a cash match, donating 50 plants from the neighborhood garden, and provide volun-teer hours for facility clean-up, vine and invasive plant removal, and furniture installation.

Murchison Pool Improvements (Northwest Austin Civic Association Parks Committee):

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Since its inception in 2009, the Neighborhood Partnering Program has awarded funding to 23 projects throughout the City of Austin, supporting the implementation of the vision and actions of Imagine Austin. Applications for spring funding will be accepted through June 1, 2015.


ver wonder how to get several dozen elementary age kids to pay at-tention? As any veteran teacher can tell you, play a game!E

Safe Routes to School Delivers Lifesaving Messages to Austin KidsCurriculum designed to raise awareness of safe walking and cycling

PWD’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program staff members do just that when they visit area elementary schools to train kids in safe street cross-ing, bicycle safety, and safe bus riding fundamentals. Designed to be as kid-friendly as possible, the training modules turn potentially dry topics into fun, interactive games that capture kids’ attention. At a recent session held at Summitt Elementary in northwest Austin, the SRTS trainer team shared important information on safe crosswalk and bicycling procedures with two third grade classes. The kids played a game called “Safety Wars” and had fun competing to see who could answer safety-related questions the quickest. They no doubt left with valuable knowledge that can help keep them safe while walking or bicycling. Five Community Service Division staff members are currently assigned to the program. They include Rhonda Bollick, Claudia Padgett, Alex Richardson, Leticia Richardson, and Imelda Stoebner.

BY CAROLYN PEREZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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The Safe Routes to School program currently serves 96 elementary schools located within Austin city limits. Last year, the program provided training to more than 49,627 students.

Above: Rhonda Bollick and Alex Rich-ardson play a game with 3rd graders at Summitt Elementary


divisionsBY JANET WILSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Public Works Department Human Resources StaffGet important phone numbers and contacts for the newest members of our team!

[MEET THE TEAM]

A QUICK LOOK INTO HUMAN RESOURCES

Eliza AdcoxHuman Resources [email protected]: (512) 974-7624

Nika BroganHuman Resources [email protected]: (512) 974-7176

Employee Relations

Janet WilsonAdministrative [email protected]: (512) 974-7041

Office Administration Anita MataAdministrative [email protected]: (512) 974-8759

Timekeeping

Luisa LopezHuman Resources [email protected] Office: (512) 974-9137

Doron SilbersteinHuman Resources [email protected]: (512) 974-7033

Employment and Compensation

From left to right, top row: Janet Wilson, Shelly Sheppard, Eliza Adcox, Nika Brogan, Rita MataFrom left to right, bottom row: Luisa Lopez, Doron Silberstein, Anita Mata

Shelly SheppardHuman Resources [email protected] Office: (512) 974-2353Cell: (512) 796-8258Fax: (512) 974-2391

Human Resources Manager


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District 1Ora Houston

District 2Delia Garza

District 3Sabino "Pio"

Renteria

District 4Gregorio

"Greg" Casar

District 5Ann Kitchen

District 6Don

Zimmerman

District 7Leslie Pool

District 8Ellen Troxclair

District 9Kathie Tovo

District 10Sheri Gallo

citywide news

n November of 2012 voters passed an ordinance to amend our City Charter. That amendment moved the City from an at-will employer to a Municipal Civil Service employer with just-cause

protections for City employees. Over the last two years the City engaged in a collaborative effort to craft the Municipal Civil Service Rules. The City consulted with other Municipal Civil Service cities across the country to learn from their experiences and met with City staff from all levels to hear their needs and preferences.

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City’s New Municipal Civil Service RulesCity transitions from at-will employer to just-cause.

In 2014 Council approved the rules and appointed a five-member commission to hear employee appeals and make decisions in the case of City employees who are denied a promotion, discharged, demoted, suspended or put on disciplinary probation. These rules also direct how certain human resource processes must work, such as hiring, reduction in force, discipline and appeals. If you want to learn more about these rules and how they apply, you can visit the following website to check out an overview and video created by the City:

http://cityspace.ci.austin.tx.us/departments/hrm/admin


BY SYLBA EVERETT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

AVOID FINES

Hands-Free in effect January 1, 2015 -- A new City of Austin ordinance pro-hibits the use of all electronic hand-held devices while operating a vehicle or bicycle.

To avoid fines up to $500, put your phone away or consider using a hands-free system such as Bluetooth or headphones, or an affixed GPS system.

News around the CityNew Hands-Free Ordinance in Effect

citywide news


BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP IN THE WORKPLACEWhat Public Workers are doing out there to achieve, foster community, impress co-workers and citizens alike, and show we really are the ‘Department with a Heart’!

BY COURTNEY BLACK EDITOR IN CHIEF


feature

What do you find to be the biggest obstacle/biggest benefit to working with colleagues of other generations?It’s almost cliché at this point, but communication is one of the biggest ob-stacles. Colleagues from younger generations would rather text or send a quick instant message. Older generations prefer talking in person or over the phone.

One of the biggest benefits is always the different ways people from different generations approach solving problems. There’s such a vast pool of experience and knowledge that makes working collaboratively an op-portunity to both learn and share what you know.

What are some tactics you employ to overcome generational differences?Listening and being flexible. I think we all just want to be valued for what we bring to the workplace and have our opinions and ideas be treated equally. It’s also important to be willing to adapt on both ends of the generational spectrum.

What have you learned from the generation gap (about yourself, about others, about your profession)?I’ve learned that the generation gap isn’t that big of a deal. It’s more about the culture of your workplace than the age of your colleagues. It’s easy to find common ground when you work in an environment that encourages respect and doing the best job possible. We’re lucky to have a great culture at Public Works that supports people no matter how young or old they are.

ALEX BRUTONMillennial

What are some tac-tics you employee to overcome gener-ational differences?Actively listen (re-phrase, ask ques-

tions, repeat). Try to appreciate personal perspec-tive, motivation and work-style.

What have you learned from the generation gap (about yourself, about others, about your profes-sion)? Everyone works, lives and plays in different ways but often with similar motivations.

What advice do you have for your colleagues or those of other generations? If you don’t have a child get involved in one’s life; guaranteed to open your mind.

DAVID TAYLORBaby Boomer

W ith a combined staff of over 800 employees, our Public Works Department is teeming with diversity, and with that diversity comes a unique workforce from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and generations. This leads to a workforce rich with different skillsets and specialties. Of course, it also means finding a

common ground for us all to communicate and work together harmoniously, which can have its share of challenges.

At present, four generations work side-by-side in today’s workplace. While the exact age range and titles vary, generally there are the Veterans (“traditionalists,” age 68+), Baby Boomers (age 49-67), Generation Xers (age 34-48) and Millennials (age 13-33). Generations are generally defined by histori-cal periods shaped by the economic, social and po-litical implications. Each generation, therefore, has distinct characteristics that are often reflected by how we interact and approach our work.

Author Marion White wrote the essay, “Re-

thinking Generation Gaps in the Workplace: Focus on Shared Values,” to identify, address and dispel stereotypes about respective generations and talk about what it means to work with those of varying backgrounds. More importantly, she also discusses common grounds that many people, regardless of generation, can agree upon.

White asks, “Have we been so intent empha-sizing the differences in the generations that we’ve been blind to our commonalities? Have we unwit-tingly become victims of stereotyping? Is the gen-

eration gap really that wide?” I think this is a great question as we begin to look at ourselves and as-sess whether or not we believe stereotypes because we’ve been taught they exist or if there really is a tangible divide that we need to work to bridge. My belief is that we fall somewhere in between and that there exists a bit of truth both in the common gen-eralizations and the idea that we’ve come to expect and accept them.

I ASKED SEVERAL COLLEAGUES FROM DIFFERENT GENERATIONS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE PERCEIVED GENERATION GAP IN THE WORKPLACE, COMMON STEREOTYPES AND WAYS TO REACH A COMMON GROUND.

Continued on pg. 16

When you think of the generation gap, what are some generaliza-tions made about mil-lennials/baby boom-ers/etc.?

I guess considering the Boomers are the parents of the Millennials, the Boomers had a sort of self-indulgent and wild youth…Now, the Boomers are “helicopter parents” and try to protect their kids to the point of an inability to detach. However, these two generations also share many things. For instance, with constant reruns, kids see the same TV shows as their parents did. The differ-ence between the Greatest Generation and the Boomer generation is much wider than the distance between the Boomers and the Millennials.

What are some tactics you employee to overcome generational differences? I try to remember that younger people may not know my references and try to be clear about outcomes.

What have you learned from the generation gap (about yourself, about others, about your profes-sion)? In trying to adjust to the changes in Austin in general, I remind myself that when I arrived, the older generation was probably feeling like we were overrun-ning them, and their institutions. It’s a cycle of life.

ROBIN CAMPBaby Boomer

What is a valuable lesson you have learned working with a col-league of another generation? From working with older Baby Boomers and Veterans, I learned to be pragmatic and calmly handle challenges that come up. Older genera-tions have a long-term perspective and have seen everything from war to scarcity. They don’t sweat the small stuff as much.

What advice do you have for younger generations entering the workforce? When starting out in a career, be aware that anything you post on social media is in the public realm and can be damaging to your reputation and your organization. Social media can be a fun way to connect with others, but never post anything you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see.

Do you think we give too much credit to generalizations about the “gap” and associated stereo-types? I don’t think we can neatly label and package everyone into little compartments. The minute you do that, someone will come along and completely blow your generalization out the water. Keep an open mind! There are tech savvy older workers and younger workers who aren’t addicted to their smart phones.

CAROLYN PEREZGeneration X

feature continued from pg. 15


What do you find to be the biggest obstacle/biggest benefit to working with colleagues of other generations? The biggest benefit is the trove of wisdom and experience we can draw on, especially when us younger people have not had the opportunity to experience enough yet ourselves. The biggest obstacle I’ve noticed is the gap when it comes to new technology. While of course there are exceptions, many people of the older generations seem intimidated by

social media, applications, and new technology in general. It’s understandable since these new tech-nologies come with a whole new set of social rules, and are less intuitive to use for people who didn’t grow up with video games, iPods, and computers, but it can be an obstacle now that many of these new technologies are becoming the norm and changing the way we do business.

What are some generational stereotypes that you’ve heard or experienced? Some generalizations I’ve noticed are that Millennials are entitled, lazy, and live our lives way too ‘fast.’ For baby boomers, it’s too set-in-their-ways, less tolerant, and naïve, especially when it comes to gov-ernment and technology. Do I think these are true - absolutely not. The generation gap can cause some issues, but I feel like every generation since the dawn of time has been saying ‘we did it better’ or ‘we will do it better.’ The same adjectives have always been used to describe the gaps in generations, and the current ones are no different.

What have you learned from the generation gap (about yourself, about others, about your profession)?The generation gap has taught me to respect others’ opinions and that we are not so different after all. Everyone ultimately wants their voice to be heard and to be valued, and I find we are much stronger when we recognize the things we excel and do not excel at, and work together as a team to accomplish our goals…We must work together and utilize our differences to bridge that ‘perspective gap’ in order to get things done, especially in such a forward-thinking department like Public Works, because how can we improve our city if we do not understand each other and our needs?

KATHRYN POTENZA-ARNOLDMillennial

What do you think are some differences in the current workplace compared to when you were just starting your career?

There is more safety now. Safety was not as much of a priority in previous generations. Being more mindful of safety helps our crews not get injured. Formalized train-ing is also more important now than it was in previous generations. We have the simulators for equipment, subject matter expert training, OSHA training, etc.

What are some benefits of working with those out-side of your generation? You can pick up pointers from both the younger and older generations. You combine this with the knowledge that you already have, and there is no telling how far you can go!

What are some specific strengths of younger versus older generations? The younger generations are generally more advanced because of the technology we have today and the com-puter technology as well. Older generations, we can learn from their knowledge and experience. Many have very tactile, on-the-job experience that is very useful.

PAUL MARTINBaby Boomer

In talking to PWD staff, it became overwhelmingly clear that we all foster a desire for understanding, communication and com-mon ground. Ben Rosen, PhD argues that “the starting point for bridging any possible generation gap is to build on the similari-ties.” We are all quite different, but we also share much in terms of motivation.

TO ILLUSTRATE THIS CONCEPT, ROSEN CONDUCTED RESEARCH TO FIND WHAT THREE GENERATIONS (BABY BOOMERS, GENERATION XERS AND MILLENNIALS) HAVE IN COMMON. HE FOUND THAT ALL THREE EXPECT THE FOLLOWING FROM THEIR EMPLOYERS:

1 To work on challenging projects

2 Competitive compensation

3 Opportunities for advancement, and chances to learn and grow in their jobs

4 To be fairly treated

5 Work-life balance

While we may approach work differently, the idea that we are all looking to be fulfilled and rewarded in our positions is something that we can grasp. I think what’s also important to note is that this remains true across the board. Whether we’re talking about upper management or a recent graduate just starting his or her career, we all have this in common.

So, the next time you make a generalization about some-one – challenge it. The next time someone makes a generalization about you – prove them wrong. The next time you’re faced with learning something new – embrace it! The Public Works Depart-ment is such a unique and interesting crew with a ton of interest-ing skills to share. In 2015, let’s learn from one another and see what we can do!


Public Works Connects You...All Around AustinPublic Works builds our city’s future and celebrates our successes with PWD staff and events all around town.

events

In November, PWD reached a significant milestone with the completion of Water Treatment Plant #4. The new plant, which

Commissioning and Start Up of WTP4

If you’ve taken a walk down Rainey Street lately, you may have noticed that walking in particular has become much safer and easier in the district – thanks to Public Works Proj-

It’s a sunny day on Rainey Street

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Construction improvements at Auditorium Shores began in January 2014 through funding provided by C3 Presents (C3), the organizer of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), in partner-ship with the Austin Parks Foundation have been working on an enhanced set of improvements that bring a renewed focus on this facility as a great urban park that can sustain-ably accommodate patrons, special events and community gatherings.

Once construction wraps up in April, this event space will have enhanced recreation opportunities including a newly designed and developed off-leash area, realignment of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail, and irriga-tion and new turf grass for the East and West Lawns. Proj-ect improvements will also include a riparian restoration of the shoreline buffer along Lady Bird Lake that will establish a new Grow Zone to arrest on-going shoreline erosion and enhance bio filtration.

Bob Egan is the project manager for this project.

Auditorium Shores Improvements to wrap up as event season begins

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ect Manager, Mark Schruben. Due to the difficult grade changes along Rainey Street, the unique history, and

the need to coordinate with the numerous developments going on at the same time in the area, Mark decided that field engineering would prove to be a more cost effec-tive approach. With the help of a consultant and an IDIQ contract, Mark was also able to save a lot of time by eliminating surveying, design, permitting, and bid and award phases.

The first phase of improvements along Rainey Street began with the installation of speed cushions in March 2014, along with the repaving and restriping of the road. Subsequent improvements began in October 2014 and will continue in phases through 2016.

The overall scope of this project includes the installation of sidewalk/pedestrian facilities along Rainey from Driskill to River Street, the south side of Cummings Street and the east side of East Avenue from Cummings to River Street, added ADA accessible parking, bicycle facilities and improved street lighting to mitigate potential hazards for pedestrians in the Rainey Street District.

Special thanks goes out to Mark, Street and Bridge crews and ATD for helping to make this project successful.

has a current capacity of 50 million gallons per day (MGD) and an ultimate build-out capacity of 300 MGD, will improve water service to the northwest quadrant of the city and provide redundant capacity in the event of required maintenance of the two exist-ing aging plants. It also reduces energy consumption due to its higher elevation and provides the lowest elevation intake in Lake Travis. The Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method was used to provide consistent oversight and coordinated de-livery of the intake structure, treatment plant facilities and finished water transmission main. The project was completed within 1.4 percent of the original budget.

The Waller Creek Tunnel was originally scheduled to be “flood ready” by the end of 2014, but is now running a few months behind schedule and will likely open sometime this spring. Heavy rains flooded the outlet construction site this fall and put the project one to two months behind schedule. Additionally, PWD’s project team, during regular quality as-surance inspections, noticed indentations in the tunnel’s concrete lining that need be repaired and smoothed over be-fore it can be flooded. The concrete issues happened when concrete was pumped between excavated earth and wooden forms to form the tunnel. The contractor’s crews have been chipping out and replacing patches of concrete to reinforce it and ensure it can withstand the force of a 100-year flood.

Last year, it was discovered that the inlet structure in Waterloo Park, which will channel flood waters into the tun-nel and house a debris removal system, was sixteen feet tall-er than required to be in a protected Capitol Corridor view. The Joint Venture of Espey Consultants and Kellogg Brown and Root (JV) are currently redesigning parts of the structure at no cost to the city. The City and the JV are still negotiating who will pay to rebuild the structure. The new design will be reduced in height, but will maintain roughly the same foot-print. The main difference between the old design and the new design is that debris will need to be removed manually rather than via a fully automated system. The intake struc-ture, along with two creekside outlets, is expected to be complete by the end of 2015.

Once all Waller subprojects and site restoration work are complete, the Waller Creek Conservancy https://www.wallercreek.org/vision/ has an ambitious plan to redevelop the entire Waller Creek District into a chain of green spaces that run from Waterloo Park to Lady Bird Lake.

Update on the Waller Creek Tunnel Project

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Construction of the MoPac Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridge is moving along! Construction of the 14-foot-wide, 1,045-foot-long MoPac Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridge began in February 2014. The bridge is being built adjacent to MoPac and spans the Barton Creek Greenbelt at MoPac. A second bridge will be built that will span Loop 360. This entire project is expected to be complete by December 2015.

MoPac Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridges Construction Project Update

PHASE 1: BARTON CREEK SEGMENT The Barton Creek segment extends from the Mopac Northbound Turnaround Bridge to just north of Barton Creek with retaining wall work on the Mopac Southbound Turnaround.

Current Status: Due to unexpected subsurface soil conditions, the proposed foundation system required a redesign, which was completed in October 2014. The City and TxDOT are now working with the contractor to determine any impacts to the project schedule. It is expected that micropile testing will commence in early 2015 with the installation of production piles to follow shortly after.

THE FOLLOWING IS A TIMELINE OF CONSTRUCTION EVENTS DURING THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2014:

August 2014 | Construction activity included the drainage system for the bike path, drop inlets, culverts and reinforced concrete pipes built to completion.

September 2014 | Construction associated directly with the bridge began. Excavation work in preparation for the foundation installation was completed. Efforts associated with drainage continued as the ex-isting culvert beneath the Southbound Turnaround was extended. The newly lengthened culvert now reaches from the edge of the existing Southbound Turnaround to the proposed edge of what will be the ad-jacent bike path.

October 2014 | Construction of retaining walls along the east side of the Southbound Turnaround began. Construction for walls along the west side of the northbound turnaround also began. Footing work for walls near detention basin #1 has been completed.

FUN FACT A ‘micropile’ is a small diameter concrete pile that is installed at a shallow depth into the ground. Micropiles are designed to sup-port loads in excess of 200 tons. When complete, there will be 153 micropiles installed that support the MoPac Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridges.

THE FOLLOWING IS A TIMELINE OF CONSTRUCTION EVENTS DURING THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2014:

August 2014 | A construction contract was awarded to Austin Filter Systems, Inc. for the Northern extension of the bike path as it crosses Loop 360 from Barton Creek north to Tuscan Terrace.

September 2014 | The relocation of utilities associated with Austin Energy was com-pleted.

October 2014 | Utility relocation associated with AT&T was completed.

PHASE 2: 360 SEGMENT The 360 segment extends from the termina-

tion of the north end of the Barton Creek segment to the Northbound Mopac Frontage Road north of Loop 360.

Current Status: Utility relocations for the Loop 360 segment have been completed. The con-struction contract for this segment was awarded in December 2014 and the contractor will begin construction in January 2015.

to the project schedule. It is expected that micropile testing will commence in early 2015 with the installation of production piles to follow shortly after.

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MilestonesWhat Public Workers are doing out there to achieve, foster com-munity, impress co-workers and citizens alike, and show we re-ally are the ‘Department with a Heart’!


YEARSOF SERVICE

Lek Matep, 15 Years of Service as of February 7, 2015.

ABOVE + BEYOND AWARD

Felicia Teague received the Above & Beyond Award tak-ing the initiative to go through all of the project files at the St. Elmo office and making a list of each item needed close out these projects. With the inspec-tors working in the field 90% of the day, her efforts have made their jobs much easier by help-ing them keep track of items they were missing. This has in-creased the amount of projects inspectors and supervisors have

been able to close out, and has allowed the inspectors to work more efficiently on their projects.

Greg Weems rwas given the Above & Beyond Award because of his prompt re-sponse to a resident who sent a message late at night out of frustration and anger with the City of Austin re-garding work in their neigh-borhood. He researched the problem and met with the resident the very next morn-ing. By 11:00 a.m. the next day, Greg sent a summary e-mail to the project manager

who thanked and praised him for a job well done!

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES AWARDS + RECOGNITION

WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPT.AWARD OF MERIT

Roxanne Cook, Project Management Division Man-ager, recently received the Watershed Protection Depart-ment’s Award of Merit for “preserving to enact an effec-tive watershed ordinance.” Roxanne worked with Matt Holland and his team to help draft language and criteria regarding the new ordinance. Way to go, Roxanne!

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AWARD

NEWEMPLOYEE + TEAM MEMBER

Business Systems Engineering Office would like to welcome Cyn-thia Manor to their team. Cynthia began her career with the City in an administrative support capacity and eventually worked her way in to computer support. She has worked in various de-partments over the years, including PARD, AWU, HRD and the City Clerk’s Office. Cynthia graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and continued to study graphics and web design at Austin Community College, which eventually led her to her current posi-tion as Business Systems Analyst at Public Works. As of October 2014, Cynthia has completed twenty years of service with the City of Austin. Welcome aboard!

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING WELCOMES


street talk extraUPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

GOODBYEFAREWELL

Richard Fraser, had just retired last January 2015. He said he will be moving to Colorado and will enjoy the cold weather up there and the skiing. We wish you the best Richard!

FAMILYADDITION

Roger Hickman and his wife Kasey are proud and first time parents to a baby boy, Gibson. Gibson was born last Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 12:43 A.M. He weighs 7 pounds and 10 ounces and 22 inches in length. Congratulations!

ESD would like to congratulate Aaron Hanna and Jothika Thivakaran for recently passing the Tex-as Board of Professional Engineers. Aaron has been with ESD for seven years now, and Jothika joined us from WPD in November of last year.

We now have two additional professional engineers to add to our talented work group.

ENGINEERING SERVICES CORNER

PROFESSIONALCERTIFICATES

TALES FROM THE SIXTH

R ecently, when the night crews were pulling up to a job site on 6th Street, something very bizarre occurred. A citizen who was clearly inebriated jumped in the back seat of the crew cab. Yes, you read correctly. A citizen jumped in the back seat of the crew cab! The crew member who told me this story asked to

remain anonymous, so I’ll just refer to him as “Jermaine.” Jermaine was in complete and utter shock to look in the back seat and see a young lady sitting there as if she was in a taxi waiting for a ride.

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED NEXT:

Jermaine: Ma’am, are you alright?Young lady: Never better!Jermaine: Well, you can’t be in here and I am going to have to politely ask you to leave.Young lady: Are you serious? What’s the big deal? I need a ride home!Jermaine: I can’t give you a ride home in this vehicle, and again I have to ask you to exit before I call the authorities.Young lady: Never in my life did I think that I would be discriminated against! It’s not because I’m white, is it?Jermaine: No ma’am, that’s not it at all.Young lady: Well what could it be? You have your lights on, so I jumped in for a ride. Don’t you get paid to take people home?Jermaine: No ma’am. I get paid to clean and maintain sidewalks. This is not a cab; it is a City of Austin vehicle. If you get out, I’ll show you all of the decals on the doors to prove it.Young lady and Jermaine exit the vehicle and Jermaine secretly locks the doors. Jermaine: You see right there it says “City of Austin Street and Bridge.”Young lady: I thought this thing was a little big to be a cab, but then I thought to myself, “the light is on and I need a ride.” Can I be that drunk?Jermaine: Is that a rhetorical question, ma’am?

calendar


AprilMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Sunday

Sunday

Sunday

Sunday

Sunday

$ PAY DAY

10

60 70 80 90 01 11

30

31 41 51 61 71 81

02 12 22 32 42

72 82 92 03

62

21

91

20

8:30-9:30 AM OTC-325

Safety Meeting

$ PAY DAY

40

50First Thursdayon South Congress

PE QUARTER 2classes begin

8:30-9:30 AM OTC-325

Safety Meeting

8:30-9:30 AM OTC-325

Safety Meeting

8:00-9:00 AM St. Elmo

Safety Meeting

8:00-9:00 AM St. Elmo

Safety Meeting

8:00-9:00 AM St. Elmo

Safety Meeting

April Fools Day

Earth Day

Passover Begins[at sunset] Easter

Passover Ends[at sunset]

Fusebox Festival

Texas Young Composers Concert

West End First ThursdayEaster Hill Country Tour

Cactus & Succulent Show & Sale

Mighty Texas Dog Walk

Funky ChickenCoop Tour

Run to the Sun

Run to the Sun

Nerd Nite Austin International Poetry Festival

Capitol 10KEast Austin Urban Farm TourAustin Autism Bike Ride

Old Settler’s Music Festival

Third Thursdayat Blanton Museum

Austin Reggae Festival

Lonestar Rod + Kustom Round Up

Record Store Day

Moontower Comedy+ Oddity Festival

Cine las AmericasLive Fire!

Austin Fashion Week

Austin Food + Wine Festival

Shakespeare in the Park

Eeyore’s Birthday Party

Art CityAustin

Louisiana Swamp Thing and Crawfish Festival

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calendar


MAYMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Sunday

Sunday

Sunday

Sunday

Sunday

$ PAY DAY

$ PAY DAY

40 50 60 70 80 90

10

11 21 31 41 51 61

81 91 02 12 22 32

52 62

42

01

71

You can find further details about Austin Events from austin.bigweekendcalendars.com

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72 82 92 03

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20

Memorial DayOFFICE CLOSED

City OlympicsKrieg Field

Bike to Work Day

Deadline tofile claim forFLEXTRA Health Care Expenses

Mother’s Day

Cinco de MayoFirst Thursdayon South Congress

West End First Thursday

No Pants Day

Corporate Battleof the Bands *

Pecan Street Festival

Worlds BiggestDisc Golf Weekend

Free ComicBook Day

Rookie Triathlon


Shakespeare in the Park Austin Psych Fest

Nerd Nite

Pachanga LatinoMusic FestivalMini Maker FaireNey Day


UT CommencementFiesta AmistadTexas Tax-Free Appliance Weekend

Austin Jazz Festival

Capital of Texas Triathlon

Ballet under the Stars

Fight for Air Climb

Milestones NOMINATIONS

PHOTO CONTRIBUTION

SPECIAL EVENTS GOING ON IN YOUR DIVISION

EMPLOYEE PROFILE NOMINATIONS

WRITING A GUEST COLUMN

...AND ANYTHING ELSE WE MAY HAVE MISSED OR YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT

CONTACT US: [email protected]

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Street Talk | Spring 2015

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