2015 fall | street talk | thrive issue

Street Talk FALL 2015REPORTING ON WHAT MATTERS TO PUBLIC WORKSVOLUME 5 ISSUE 3

Thrive!Achieving Success while Maintaining the Perfect Work-Life Balance.

Getting The Most Out Of Your Daily LifeHow personal outlooks can shape a person’s future.

City of Austin to host NACTO Designing Cities 2015PWD to co-sponsor national conference that focuses on transportation solutions.

02 STREET TALK FALL 2015

director’s messageBY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

Y ears ago when I was a new scout, the older boys in our scout troop used to welcome new members through kind and generous acts of acceptance into the group known as “rookie roasts.” These included sending young, innocent, and somewhat naïve tenderfeet out on “snipe hunts.” The snipe apparently was a

very rare and shy bird that lived in the woods near our camp sites, and could only be captured at night using a short stick and an old pillow case. Hunting for snipes involved frequent trips into the brush and brambles, tripping over rocks, and an occasional unplanned slide down a rocky escarpment all while imitating the snipe mating call – a sound reminiscent of a European ambulance siren on non-prescription pharmaceuticals. It took a while for the Einsteins that were my friends and I to realize that the snipe was either long extinct or the figment of someone’s imagination, and that the hunt was a rite of passage and not a real attempt to capture an endangered woodland fowl.

Thriving and Surviving, the Work-Life Balance

It could be said that the search for the perfect “work-life” balance has about as much of a chance of success as a snipe hunt. Wikipedia (the source of all truth in the universe) explains that the “work-leisure dichotomy was invented in the mid-1800s, with anthropologists defining happiness as having as little separation as possible between your work and your play.” Sounds like a really fun group of people to hang with, but certainly not a bunch of public workers? Wikipedia also tell us “the expres-sion ‘work–life balance’ was first used in the United States in 1986.” I can tell you that is just dead wrong, because in the early 1970s my father explained to me as a teenager, “you better get a job and work be-cause your life (and your car) hangs in the balance.” Dear old Dad may have missed the mark on that, but it was certainly motivational.

Back in medieval times, circa 1980, before

modern technology took hold, the delineation be-tween work and leisure was easier to understand. Work was where you went to be tortured by your bosses, and leisure occurred at home where you were tortured by your family. Never the twain shall meet. However, with the advent of email (surely the work of the devil), text messages, voicemail and social media, the workplace extends beyond the boundaries of the office. We all respond to mes-sages, tweets, and the like from various places and at the most unusual of times. To be fair, this also oc-curred in the past, especially when you were calling in sick for work and the loudspeaker in the back-ground blasted, “Ten minute call for the Lazarus party on the first tee!”

So, my point here is that we have always struggled to balance the concept of who we are, what we do, and what we want. Technology has

helped to muddy the waters, but the problem of balance has always existed. How do we know how much of our true selves to show at work? How much of our essence is tied to our jobs? How do we learn to better live in the moment, being with the person we are with – mentally as well as physically? Can we really ever escape and “go off the grid” for periods of time? We all have our own secret formula of “eleven herbs and spices” that make us happy. The articles in this month’s issue of Street Talk pro-vide some insight into how we can achieve balance and “thrive” in life.

Now, where is that stick and pillow case?

Can we really ever escape and ‘go off the grid’ for periods of time? We all have our own secret formula of ‘eleven herbs and spices’ that make us happy. The articles in this month’s issue of Street Talk provide some insight into how we can achieve balance and “thrive” in life.”

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-Howard Lazarus, Director

2015 FALL STREET TALK 03

Street and Bridge Operations Manager gives tips on preventing injuries and improving health.

contentsFALL 2015

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 3

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columns

ALL AROUND AUSTIN

NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM: THE AMERICORPS VISTA EXPERIENCE

Public Workers discuss an array of exciting new projects and happenings around the City, telling their stories and commending staff for a job well done.

Meet two volunteers living the “Amer-iDream”.GETTING THE MOST OUT OF

YOUR DAILY LIFEHow personal outlooks can shape a person’s future.

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR?Michelle Frith profiles two employees that work hard for PWD every day, who you may have never met!

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’!

PUBLIC AFFAIRS: THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT!The best technology can enhance our per-sonal and professional lives.

COVER STORY: THRIVE ISSUE13 Achieving Success while Maintaining the Perfect Work-Life Balance.

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07 STREET AND BRIDGE OPERATIONS: STRETCH N’ GO

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Howard [email protected]

contributors

Matthew [email protected]

Michelle [email protected]

Susan [email protected]

Alexa [email protected]

Carolyn [email protected]

Courtney [email protected]


Fred [email protected]

ART + PRODUCTIONCreative Director

Photography Director

Editor-In-ChiefEDITORIAL

Charles [email protected]

Alexandria [email protected]

Deborah [email protected]

Alexa [email protected]

Assistant EditorsSusan [email protected]

Alexandria [email protected]


WRITERS

Samantha Alexander Austin Transportation [email protected]

GUEST WRITER

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City of Austin to host NACTO Designing Cities 2015 Author: Samantha Alexander, Austin Transportation Department

09PWD to co-sponsor national conference that focuses on transportation solutions.

Megan [email protected]

safety zoneBY DEBORAH GRAHAM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Getting the Most out of your Daily LifeHow personal outlooks can shape a person’s future

et us say you and a coworker have job titles like “Technician I” or “Maintenance II.” You have also worked together in the same crew for four years. One day, you see a posting on a work

bulletin board. It reads, “The Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) certification provides a means for in-dividuals and employers to verify safety and health knowledge important for first-line supervisors, managers, and any person with safety responsibilities. (NCAA Accredited Program, BCSP).” Perhaps you think, “Well, that doesn’t apply to me because I’m not a supervisor,” and then just forget it.

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Then, surprise! Just four months later, your friend shows up with big news! He is not even a lead worker, but he has a certification recognized all over the country as “Safety Trained Supervisor.” You, on the other hand, showed up for work each day just waiting to be noticed.

Now there’s another fork in the road. Path one is where you approach your friend and say, “Wow! Congratulations. I guess the certification you got was the one we read about a long time ago. I as-sumed it wasn’t something for regular workers, but I see I was wrong. Can you tell me what it takes to get that certificate?” Path two is where you think, “There he goes again, grabbing all the attention. I bet he’ll get promoted too just because he got a little piece of paper. I work just as hard as he does.” Do you see where this is going?

Options and choices surround us. Every person votes with their own feet when they make countless choices every day. Believing, “I make a difference,” whether to coworkers, citizens or your own work ethic affects how a person makes those daily choices. Then, every so often, new milestone opportunities pop up – like a chance to add to your education or training. You get to choose your out-look. For example, simply setting your mind to be-ing your best at what you do means taking advan-tage of the full employment our department offers – not just a daily grind. When it comes to work, try the viewpoint that there is always something new

Attitude

Initiative

Mastery

and Success

to learn. New worlds of possibilities open up when

you decide that YOU are going to play an active role in what happens at your job. The daily grind is what happens when you allow your job to happen to you. Take career ladders, for example. In some areas, we have them lined out for us. Yet, unless we take the time to learn what the next levels up involve, it might easily stay a mystery why one person ap-pears to get ahead and their coworker doesn’t. Favoritism? Perhaps, if you choose to ignore the full picture. If you honestly identify how their way of working is different from yours, take it as a hint. For example, maybe they always participated. They would speak up and ask questions like, “How can we do this more safely?” Maybe they were always setting a good field example wearing their Personal Protective Equipment. Did they always take on one more Citizen Service Request? Did they really use a DOSA (Daily Operational Safety Analysis) to modify job site planning? When it comes to the job, often how well you get the job done equally affects your career and reputation. Staying open to new tasks also allows others to see you as high value with even more to offer up the ladder.

At times, an outsider gets a posted job. Some people automatically ask, “Why them? Why did they get the job? Why not me?” My recommendation is to move forward and focus on improving yourself. Did you know that four out of 10 job titles for the

City of Austin spell out safety as a specific major job duty, KSA (knowledge, skills and abilities), or part of the job purpose or title? Safety represents a huge way to take advantage of department or city programs to build your experience beyond the day to day. One easy way is joining the Employee Safety Association (ESA), which is a City of Austin official employee association. Like their website says, “The ESA is always accepting new members from ALL City departments and membership is FREE. You do not have to be in the safety field in order to be a mem-ber.”

Let’s get back to that outsider. Did you ever consider that anyone coming in brand new to our department just took a huge leap of faith? Why? They risked moving into an unknown because there is no way they could have your knowledge of exactly how this department works. If you believe that nothing can make an outsider be the best can-didate, then I have a question for you. Are you will-ing to branch out yourself? We are not born into our jobs. We “get” our jobs. Then the choice is up to us whether we just make do in our jobs or we grow in our careers.

OK, so you may be thinking, “Hmmm, there could be a point here, but what’s next?” Well, con-sider the benefit of an attitude shift. When you see folks content in their work there might be some-thing to learn from them. Perhaps they honor their own work ethic. Perhaps they see their current work


Attitude

Initiative

Mastery

and Success

as an important step in their career journey. Perhaps they love working outside. Whatever those reasons, this is wisdom in plain sight. You might even find yourself laughing at wisdom found in the strangest places. A local convenience store clerk responded to my “Good morning.” He said, “Well. Yes. It. Is. There was a lady in here earlier complaining about it being a Monday. I told her, I already made a major mile-stone this morning just by waking up. So in my book it’s a great day already!” I am confident that years from now, you won’t see him complaining about the days he used to work in the convenience store.

Once you have a moving-ahead attitude, make it even better by adding the knowledge that your past does not set your future. Maybe you are great with your hands, but never cared much for school. As Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stu-pid.”

So don’t be a poor ‘ol fish. Get involved. Take on some of the extra opportunities that surround us at PWD. Branch out – you might choose volunteer-ing for city events, getting to know a new safety app, bringing your family to a department picnic, creat-ing a department team, participating in a webinar, serving on a committee, or asking to take a class on a new piece of equipment. Each time you explore something new, your prospects grow. Here’s to your great future!

LEARN A NEW APP

Heat Safety ToolBy US Occupational Safety and Health Administra-tion and US Department of Labor. The App allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index for their worksite, and, based on the heat index, dis-plays a risk level to outdoor workers. Then, with a simple “click,” you can get reminders about the pro-tective measures that should be taken at that risk level to protect workers from heat-related illness-reminders about drinking enough fluids, schedul-ing rest breaks, planning for and knowing what to do in an emergency, adjusting work operations, gradually building up the workload for new work-ers, training on heat illness signs and symptoms, and monitoring each other for signs and symptoms of heat-related illness.

Available for iPhone, Blackberry and Android.

DOWNLOAD


https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/heat_app.html

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/heat_app.html


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The AmeriCorps VISTA ExperienceMeet two volunteers living the “AmeriDream”

ince the declaration of a war on poverty by President Lyndon B. Johnson, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) have been on the front lines of elimi-

nating poverty and increasing opportunity in the United States. VISTAs take on a year-long commitment to live in poverty alongside the communities they serve. After 50 years, there is cause to celebrate many victories against poverty, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Get to know the two VISTAs who work with the Neighborhood Partnering Program (NPP).

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BY MEGAN HEYNEN AND MATTHEW CRAMER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Megan Heynen, a new VISTA and native Californian, was drawn to the VISTA experience be-cause of the meaningful learning opportunities. As a recent graduate from the University of California, Santa Cruz, Megan hopes that in her first year as a post-grad she will expand her perception of not only poverty and the many forms it takes, but also the diverse needs of a single community. In addi-tion to the opportunity for professional growth, Megan is excited to see how she can fit into mak-ing Austin more equitable by increasing access to the resources necessary to implement community improvement projects. She looks forward to learn-ing from the experienced and knowledgeable NPP team and the thriving Austin community members as she takes on the role of being an advocate for equity and sustainable growth.

Matthew Cramer has answered the call of Lady Liberty twice already, first as a VISTA in Hele-na, MT, expanding Complete Streets opportunities,

and another term at a nonprofit community bike shop in Reno, NV. He is from “that other weird city in America,” Portland, OR, and thrives most while furthering the belief, “good citizens are the riches of a city.” NPP’s ability to innovate how the City can successfully partner with citizens to develop meaningful places and build community through-out the process has been an inspiration each day of service. He believes helping provide access to neighborhood improvements to all community members, no matter where they live, by contribut-ing the gifts and talents they possess is an Amer-iDream.

President Johnson challenged the pioneer-ing group of 20 VISTAs stating, “Your pay will be low; the conditions of your labor often will be dif-ficult. But you will have the satisfaction of leading a great national effort and you will have the ultimate reward which comes to those who serve their fel-low man.”

SOME TIPS THAT HELP THE VISTAS THRIVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN

1 | Follow your passions, but be patient and re-alistic with your expectations. The world won’t change overnight, but your efforts can play a role in moving in that direction.

2 | Never turn down an opportunity for free food—especially breakfast tacos! (Bringing Tupperware is highly recommended.)

3 | The road to an inclusive and sustainable com-munity is built by all who call it home.

4 | Don’t be afraid to fail and use it as an opportu-nity to critically analyze how that fallback can lead to bigger and better change.

5 | Always volunteer for a new challenge (VISTA service is 24/7).

Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) have been on the front lines of eliminating poverty and increasing opportunity in the United States.

Pictured: Matthew Cramer and Megan Heynen

Stretch ‘N’ GoPrevent Injuries and Improve Health

BY FRED GARCIA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

divisions

n the past, employees of Street and Bridge Operations (SBO) participated in a quick 15-minute stretch workout,

but as time passed, so did the practice. Denise stated that she truly believes that re-introducing this back into our morning routine will help prevent some of the injuries that we are ex-periencing.

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STRETCHING GUIDELINES

Austin Energy has a program for its employees in place already. Gerald Nation, District Manager for SBO was one of the first to stand up in support of Stretch ‘N’ Go. While this will be the safety topic next month, Gerald truly believes that we need to put this in place ASAP.

When one is lifting something heavy, one’s mind is al-ready sending signals that the item is heavy and the task can be accomplished by bending the knees, holding it close to the body and using your legs. However, simple tasks such as turn-ing right or left to get something does not involve that type of mind registration which may result in a strain. It can be as easy as dropping something bending down to lift it.

These injuries not only apply to field personnel, our office staff is just as vulnerable.

We have noticed an increase of soft tissue injuries’ from everyday movement in which one would not expect an injury. Our goal is to assist in prevention of such injures.

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-Denise Riad, PWD Safety Manager

1 Warm-up before stretching. Warm tissues is much easier to stretch than cold tissue and is less likely to tear.

2 Stretch slowly. A couple of gentle, sustained stretches will give you better results than numerous quick stretches.

3 Don’t bounce. Bouncing and jerking causes the muscles to tense and tearing of muscle fibers can occur.

4 Do not stretch to the point of pain. A strong pull should be felt, but not pain.

5 Always stretch when you begin and finish a vigorous activity such as playing sports, jogging, working on the route, etc. Tissues will be warm and will stretch more easily.

Safety Manager Denise Riad has provided us with the following link so we can all have the exercises readily available to use at work and at home. http://coaspweb1/sites/PWDCentral/SafetyOffice/Safety%20Procedures/Stretch%20’N’%20Go.pdf

http://coaspweb1/sites/PWDCentral/SafetyOffice/Safety%20Procedures/Stretch%20’N’%20Go.pdf

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There’s an app for that!The best technology can enhance our personal and professional lives

ore than 64 percent of Americans now own smart phones, up from

35 percent in 2011. More than just phones, these clever gadgets allow us to down-load and use applications, or “apps” for fun, business, or both. Some apps, such as social media ones, are more fun than functional. It’s easy to fall into a Facebook rabbit hole and realize half your evening’s gone! Happily, web developers have cre-ated apps that add to, rather than take away from, our lives. Chores that used to involve the hassle of getting in a car and driving somewhere--banking, shopping, and searching for a job--to name just a few, can now be done with the click of a button.

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HERE ARE A FEW OF THE BEST RATED FREE OR LOW COST APPS THAT CAN HELP YOU THRIVE AT WORK AND AT HOME:

BY CAROLYN PEREZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This cool savings app links to a user’s debit or credit card and rounds up on every purchase, investing the spare change into the stock market.

When you can’t stand the thought of driving to the grocery story, this app will deliver groceries right to your door.

Lets you scan documents, photos, receipts, or just about anything using your phone.

This money saving app finds the cheapest gas close to you.

Provides up-to-date res-taurant menus (with pric-es) and reviews.

Got a few minutes before work or between meet-ings? You’ve got time for a workout!

Just hold your smart-phone up to a painting, famous building, logo—almost anything, really—and it will tell you every-thing you’d want to know about it.

Analyzes traffic patterns from billions of data points to help you avoid accidents, traffic jams and road closures on your daily commute.

Great for music lovers, Shazam can “listen” to any song and identify the artist and title. It can also buy the song for you.

GASBUDDYACORN INRIX

7 MINUTES WORKOUTINSTACART SHAZAM

GOOGLE GOGGLESTINYSCAN MENUPAGES

NACTO’s new Transit Street Design Guide will be unveiled at the conference. Capital Metro is also a sponsor of the conference; it is helping to organize a day of conference activi-ties on Oct. 30 that focus on designing Austin streets for transit.

The Community Keynote speaker during Better Streets Week is Janette Sadik-Khan, NACTO Chair and former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation. The event is free, but ticketed by its host, the Downtown Austin Alliance.

Better Streets Week, organized by the ATD Complete Streets Program, offers a series of community conversations about making Austin’s streets safer, friendlier and more com-plete, Oct. 25-31. It runs concurrently with the conference to bring NACTO speakers out into the community. Events will be free and open to the public. Local Better Streets Week hosts include the Downtown Austin Alliance, the Urban Land Institute, the local chapters of the Congress for the New Urbanism and the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Bike Austin, and many more.

For more information, contact Lauren Seyda at Austin Transportation Department at (512) 974-9395.

guest column


BY AUSTIN TRANPORTATION DEPARTMENT | SAMANTHA ALEXANDER GUEST WRITER

nterested in what’s next for our streets? Find out when Austin hosts NACTO Designing Cities 2015 this October 28-31. It’s a major national con-ference about how cities can build their streets to support vibrant, walkable city life and multimodal transportation. Organized by the National

Association of City Transportation Officials, the conference is sponsored by the Public Works Department. Austin Transportation Department is the organizing host sponsor; Planning and Zoning, and Development Services, are also City department sponsors.

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City of Austin to host NACTO Designing Cities 2015 PWD to co-sponsor national conference that focuses on transportation solutions.

The NACTO conference is the place to learn about innovative street designs emerging in top cit-ies across the nation, and coming to Austin. A num-ber of PWD staff will participate in the conference – as registrants, speakers, participants in a training on use of the Urban Street Design Guide in Austin, and leaders of tours of innovative Austin infrastruc-ture. Tour leaders who have volunteered from PWD include Kevin Sweat, Nadia Barrara, Mark Schru-ben, Jennifer Massie-Gore, David Taylor, Janae

As our cities grow, our transportation infrastructure needs to keep pace. We must continue to build options for our future – by providing well-connected and walkable streets that support highly livable places, and by continuing to expand our transit choices. ”

“-Danny Pleasant, NACTO Board member and Director of Transportation for the City of Charlotte.

Ryan, Justin Golbabi, and Chad Crager.Visit NACTO online to see the full program

and to register. For those not registered, you’ll be able to hear some of the top speakers during con-current, free, Better Streets Week events as well. Watch for more information about those events coming soon.

The Designing Cities conference convenes lo-cal leaders working on the ground to revitalize city streets with major city transportation stakehold-

ers and private sector entrepreneurs committed to creating healthier, more sustainable, economically vibrant cities.

“We’re thrilled to have Austin host the na-tion’s most cutting-edge conference on the design of transportation systems for cities,” said Rob Spil-lar, Director of the Austin Transportation Depart-ment. “We’ll share our innovations with more than 400 professionals from around the world as we gather fresh solutions for Central Texas.”

AUSTIN MAYOR STEVE ADLER WILL KICK OFF THE CONFERENCE WITH OPENING REMARKS. CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Keynote speakers such as Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and urban designer and author Victor Dover

Conference sessions with visionary transportation pro-fessionals and leading practitioners

Street project case studies from NACTO member cities

Mobile workshops led by City of Austin staff

In-depth training on the Urban Street Design Guide

BY MICHELLE FRITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

How well do you know your neighbor?

hallenges arise in everyone’s lives. Kenneth Chambers approaches these challenges

with an enviable resilience. Kenneth’s father, Louis, is a retired Army Ranger who served in Vietnam. After being hit by shrapnel, Louis returned to Texas with a head injury and am-nesia. He spent four years at Brook Army Medical Center before returning to Austin to be with his wife Cora, who took care of their three children, Louis Jr., Kenneth and Nicole. Alongside caring for her children, Cora worked at Wackenhut Correctional

facility as a lieuten-ant. With Louis now in his 60s, Kenneth describes his father as a very open, friendly and happy, go-lucky man. His parents have been married for 48 years and have an ex-tremely strong mar-riage. These days, Louis spends his time breaking and training horses.Kenneth was the quar-

terback for Austin and later Reagan High School and loved studying math, history and social stud-ies. He received a full scholarship to Blinn College, where he played safety. He dreamed of being a DPS Trooper, but at a party in 1991 Kenneth dove into a shallow pool and broke his neck. Everything changed for him that instant. He was paralyzed for six months and went through intensive therapy for two years. Depressed, Kenneth dropped out of col-lege. Shortly after his injury, Kenneth’s son Kenny was born, but Kenneth could not even hold his son in his arms. “I used to be popular, everyone slap-

C ping me on the back, but suddenly no one came to see me. My son is what motivated me to get back on my feet.”Kenneth went on to work processing insurance claims, then got his CDL and began driving trucks. A friend suggested he work for the City of Austin, so Kenneth came to Public Works in August 2012. Now a Tech III, he hopes to become a supervisor and later a manager. “I want to be able to affect people. There are so many opportunities here and my goal is to promote every 18 months. Mentoring and helping others is my calling. I especially want to help people who feel they have no hope. I was hopeless once and I want others to keep at it and re-alize there is a brighter future. Anyone can become who they want. I have a lot of great support from Alfred Leday and Fred Cleveland.” Kenneth is cur-rently helping with coordination in Sealcoat II and will soon take Maximo classes. He has interviewed to get into LEAPS (Leadership, Education and Public Service). Kenneth is a father to sons Kenny, now (24) and Chris (20) and stepfather to Casey (28) and Kelsey (21). Casey has four daughters, Mariah (11), Micaela (8), McKenzie (7) and Malia (5). Recently, Kenneth’s

oldest son Kenny became a father to Kameron (7 months). Kenneth has been married to his wife Kristen for seven years. Kristen works for an auto refinancing business in Austin. “I cannot function without that woman. She always knows what I’m thinking. Kristen is my stability and I know that ev-erything is all right with her by my side. We have each other’s backs and together we can fight any-thing.” Kenneth has continued his love for football by refereeing for TASO (Texas Association of Sports Officials) for the last five years. He referees high school football across the state of Texas.

When asked about his positive attitude, Kenneth says, “the first 23 years of my life, I just lived, I was just doing. Now I walk in faith and grace. I love to smile. After all, I’d rather be happy. I start my morn-ing with an attitude to stay positive and to help oth-ers. This gives me so much self-worth. Anyone can ask other people ‘what are you going to do about this problem?’ but I think we should ask ourselves instead, ‘What can I do to solve this problem?’”While Kenneth has had numerous obstacles thrown his way, he continues to stay positive and harnesses resilience daily.

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

I want to be able to affect people. There are so many opportunities here and my goal is to promote every 18 months. Mentoring and helping others is my calling. I especially want to help people who feel they have no hope. I was hopeless once and I want others to keep at it and realize there is a brighter future. Anyone can become who they want. I have a lot of great support from Alfred Leday and Fred Cleveland.”

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-Kenneth Chambers, Street and Bridge Sealcoat II

TITLE

DIVISION

NEIGHBORKenneth Chambers

Street and Bridge, Sealcoat II

Tech III

columns



columns

irginia Ramos’ face seems to always re-flect serenity. But underneath the sur-face, there is a woman who is ready for

adventure, travel, and excitement.Virginia and her younger brother Richard

were raised in Waco by her single mother, Lupe Montalvo, who for more than 30 years worked in the VA’s Regional Office. In high school, Virginia served as Vice President of the Vocational Studies Club. She loved the typing classes, the adding machine, and sewing. A kind and compassionate teacher,

Miss Ferguson, en-couraged Virginia about her future. Before she could take those first steps towards her vision, she met Jes-se Ramos.

After dating for some time, she discovered she was going to be a moth-er. Virginia chose to remain single and raise their daugh-

ter Jennifer on her own. The couple continued dating as Jennifer grew older. Virginia worked as a childcare worker. Two years after Jennifer was born, Virginia found she and Jessie were going to have another child. She and Jessie married before Jose was born. Following the job opportunities for Jesse, the new family lived in Waco, Temple, San Marcos, Smithville and eventually Cedar Park. Vir-ginia explains that she and Jessie weren’t living a healthy lifestyle and after seven years of marriage, they chose to divorce.

Now a single mother of two, Virginia turned to her faith. She was invited to church by a friend, where she found the comfort she needed. “God tugged at Jessie’s heart too,” Virginia explains. He joined her at the church, and his life was trans-formed as well. They remarried. Jennifer, now 26, is preparing for a wedding and Jose, 24, is a steel worker.

Virginia worked at a brokerage firm where she was a cashier and later worked in wire opera-tions doing trading. One day at a tent sale, she met Candy Guerra, a friend of her sister’s. Candy told Virginia of an accounting job at the City of Austin. She joined Public Works as a temp in April 2007, and then moved to Contract Management when they split from Public Works. Because of her love for accounting she eventually returned to Public Works when an accounting position opened. Now she works on travel arrangements, processing and

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TITLE

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NEIGHBORVirginia Ramos

Shared Services Division

Accounting Associate

researching payments, reviewing license agree-ments and billing vendors in the Right-of-Way and will soon manage pro-cards. People-oriented, Vir-ginia especially likes training others. Eventually, she would like to be in Contract Management, training vendors in proper invoicing, or continuing to train others in travel arrangements.

Virginia volunteers at Texas prisons where she shares testimonies and encourages people. “We pray for them, whatever they need. It’s key to be honest and real without pushing religion on them.” She also loves to travel, especially to places with cool weather. “Once I hit forty, I started traveling with my husband and son. Two years ago we spent two weeks traveling though New Mexico, Nevada, the Grand Canyon and San Diego. Towns popped up like popcorn! My goal is to get to New York for a few days and eventually move north - somewhere

Once I hit forty, I started traveling with my husband and son. Two years ago we spent two weeks traveling though New Mexico, Nevada, the Grand Canyon and San Diego. Towns popped up like popcorn! My goal is to get to New York for a few days and eventually move north - somewhere cooler.”

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- Virginia Ramos, Shared Services Division

cooler.” Jessie and Virginia have had a challenging

two years. Jessie’s mom passed away, their house caught on fire, Jose got into some legal trouble, Vir-ginia was sick last winter and Jessie recently had a heat stroke. Asked how she is coping with the stress, Virginia laughs and says, “One day at a time; I trust that it will all work out…I believe I am blessed and I can be a blessing by helping others.”

Despite the challenges of the last few years, Virginia says she and Jessie are closer than ever and have enjoyed 14 more years together since remarry-ing. “There is more laughter now and our marriage is our priority.” She appreciates time with her life-long friends Donna and Sharon, hanging out with her Mom and driving (“fast”, she giggles) to her next destination.


THRIVE!Achieving Success while Maintaining the Perfect Work-Life Balance.

BY COURTNEY BLACK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF


feature continued from pg. 13

Maya Angelou, one of my all-time favorite American authors and poets put it best: “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” Thriving can be difficult when we’re in survival mode, jumping from one errand to the next, back to work, barely finding the time to catch a break, let alone focusing on how to thrive! So, what do we do? How can we make the time to improve the quality of our lives – and have some fun doing it? As it turns out, there are some ways that are easy and readily available! And with that, I give you PWD’s Top 5 Thrive List!

ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY CONDUCTED BY GALLUP.COM

all is in full swing. Kids have returned to school, leaves are changing colors and the holiday season is approaching. If your life is anything like mine, regardless of the season, the pace doesn’t seem to slow

– if anything fall is the calm before the storm. That tiny window before the onslaught of travel plans, last-minute gift-buying and meal preparation, before winter vacation and the associated scheduling and travel plans. Fall may be the perfect time to thrive, and not just in our private lives, but at work as well!

F

The average amount of hours worked by fulltime employees in the United States is not 40 hours, as defined by many of our job descriptions, but actually 47 hours – nearly a full extra day of work! Addi-tionally, 39 percent of those polled are working over 50 hours a week. Factor in time for the commute, sleep, exercise, eating, etc., and we may find that most of our “free time” isn’t very free at all.

PWD’S TOP 5 THRIVE LIST

Take a break! 1This may seem obvious, but many people

don’t – we forget, are too busy , we can’t find the time– but taking a break is one of the most important things we can do. Just Google “the importance of taking break” and you’ll find numerous studies on the subject.

According to Alejandro Lleras, a professor at the University of Illinois:

“Deactivating and reactivating your goals allows you to stay focused. From a practical standpoint, our research suggests that, when faced with long tasks (such as studying before a final exam or doing your taxes), it is best to impose brief breaks on yourself. Brief mental breaks will actually help you stay focused on your task!”

Breaks also help us better retain informa-tion and fuel our creative juices. Daydream mode, as some call it, the times when we’re driving, cooking or showering, for example, helps us disengage from a problem/situation, which lets us find the solution somewhat subconsciously.

The Harvard Business Journal: recently published a study that, put simply, states that too much focus can actually keep you from reaching your goal by getting too bogged down by the details. It can distract you from the big picture.

“ When you work on a task continuous-ly, it’s easy to lose focus and get lost in the weeds. In contrast, following a brief intermission, picking up where you left off forces you to take a few seconds to think globally about what you’re ulti-mately trying to achieve. It’s a practice that encourages us to stay mindful of our objectives. ”

So, take a break! Perhaps not with reck-less abandon (15 minutes is the recommend-ed amount of time per every few hours), but allow yourself time to decompress and relax – it’s important.

01

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some com-passion, some humor, and some style.

- Maya Angelou

Image credit: goodthinkinc.com

THRIVE!Achieving Success while Maintaining the Perfect Work-Life Balance.

Utilize City programs that encourage employees to thrive1

One of my favorite things about working for the City are the programs that are avail-able for employees. Many are free or low cost and can give us the push we need in the right direction to thrive!

PE Classes: Every quarter, the City offers a wide range of PE classes ranging from yoga, to strength

training, to yoga and volleyball. There is something for every fitness level and ability. Registration for the first quarter of 2016 will be up at the end of the year, so mark your cal-endars and make a commitment to fitness.

Tobacco Cessation: Want to quit smoking? There are free classes on train. Participants are also eligible

to receive free cessation medication with a doctor’s prescription.

Health Coaching Program: Did you know we have access to a free health coach? Sarah Nielsen,

from UnitedHealthcare is here to meet with employees to discuss weight loss, nutrition and blood pressure reduction. She’ll help you develop a workout plan, plan your next grocery shopping list and give you general health tips. She even schedules follow-up meetings to make adjustments to your plan and discuss progress. You can email her here: [email protected]

Farm to Work: Every week, Kubena Farms comes to City of Austin cam-puses delivering fresh, seasonal

fruits and vegetables to employees. The con-tents of the baskets vary, but they are $22 a week. If you’d like to order a basket, you must do so two working days prior to the delivery date (which depends on the location) . Sign up here: http://bit.ly/1N06N7b

Chair Massage: Many campuses have a licensed massage therapist on-site for employee use. Mas-

sages are $15 for 15 minutes. Ask your re-spective Property Manager about sign-ups and frequency. Learn more here: http://bit.ly/1VhY55x

Employee dis-counts for ser-

vices and products: If you’re not already tak-ing advantage of these, you should be! City employees get discounts on things like cell phone service, insurance, and gym member-ships. Often times you just need a pay stub or your employee number. http://bit.ly/1i7sghq

04


Meditation1Before a heavy sigh of disapproval es-

capes, hear me out. Meditation is essentially adult “quiet time,” and who doesn’t love quiet time? It’s a short period where you al-low yourself to completely vacate your mind of thoughts and think about…well, nothing. It’s your exclusive time to free yourself from stress, worries, to-do lists, planning and just be. It might sound counterintuitive, but hav-ing time to clear your mind actually improves your ability to focus, increases creativity and boosts overall happiness. Some people argue they don’t have time to meditate. I argue we don’t have time not to mediate. Best part? There are several free apps to help you start your practice.

Here’s a list: http://bit.ly/1K9HSgT

02

Stretching and Ergonomics1As mentioned earlier, some of us spend

more than 40 hours at our desk doing the same repetitive movements, clicking, typing, straining. We may not feel it, but these move-ments can be detrimental to our health.

The majority of us are working out in the field battling the elements, strenuous physi-cal labor and other hazards at the work zone. The circumstances here are unpredictable and can have even more adverse health ef-fects. Fred Garcia’s article “Stretch-n-Go” (page 07) discusses the benefits of a brief workout prior to heading out on the job to prevent soft tissue injuries.

For us desk workers, here are three tips that may prove useful:

Consider getting your work station el-evated. Sure, you may not want to stand all of the time, but having the option to is a great way to get up and get moving!

Stretch when you can. Mayo Clinic has a series of videos with suggested stretches: http://mayocl.in/1aFDTsO

Watch your posture. At the risk of sound-ing like your mother: Sit up straight and don’t slouch! It’s also important to watch your monitor position to avoid eyestrain (an arm’s distance is recommended), and keep your feet flat on the ground.

03

Commuting1There are few things I enjoy less than com-

muting. Some of us drive an hour to and from work each day! That’s 10 hours a week – 40 hours a month – 520 hours each year. It adds up. This truth is not meant to depress you, but rather encourage you to consider ways to improve this time or avoid it entirely.

Public transportation: We’re all aware that public transportation exists. It may not be the most convenient or practical mode of commuting, but it is available and, at your request, PWD Human Re-sources will give you a free unlimited pass for the year. If you have to commute, at least prospects of not paying for gas is a perk!

Ride share: Organize a ride share. Take turns driving and lesson the wear and tear and expense of driving solo.

Telework: For those in the field, I realize this may not be a viable option, but for those in the office, ask your supervisor about options for teleworking. With to-day’s technology, teleworking has never been easier. If you have a laptop at home and the space to work, this may be a much-welcomed alternative.

If you must commute and public trans-portation or ridesharing isn’t the choice for you, consider making the most of it. I, personally, am a big advocate of books on tape, podcasts and playlists. Make each ride something to look forward to.

05

There are many things in our lives that we can’t control. Luckily for us, there are also many things we can. Be kind to yourself. Take that break when you need it (especially when you don’t real-ize you need it), get outdoors, eat well, be healthy and, most importantly, learn how to relax. Surviving turns into thriving when we allow ourselves to ap-preciate life and do the things that make us happy. Work is a reality of life, and sometimes that means long hours, commutes and stress. Take even a frac-tion of that away and it might make all the differ-ence!

Surviving is important, thriving is elegant.

- Maya Angelou

http://bit.ly/1N06N7b

http://bit.ly/1VhY55x

http://bit.ly/1VhY55x

http://bit.ly/1i7sghq

http://bit.ly/1K9HSgT

http://mayocl.in/1aFDTsO

The “Butterfly Bridge” Raises Its Wings11September 2nd marked a momentous occasion in downtown Austin when the

second wing of the Butterfly Bridge was hoisted by a crane and placed on the Second Street Bridge over Shoal Creek. Built in conjunction with the New Central Library, this bridge will connect West Avenue to Nueces Street, closing the gap on all of the existing redevelopment projects in the area.

Construction of the Butterfly Bridge began in 2013 and is expected to be com-plete by summer 2016.


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

On Saturday, August 15, more than 8,000 students and parents made their way to the Palmer Events Center for the 10th

Annual Back to School Bash, hosted by the City of Austin and the Austin Independent School District.

The event started with a proclamation read by Mayor Steve Adler, followed by exhibits of more than 130 community and dis-trict organizations, including the Safe Routes to School Program, teaching students and their families about the various services and programs available to help them enjoy a safe and successful school year.

Rhonda Bolick and her team of safety trainers worked with more than 500 AISD students, educating them on the proper way to cross a street and quizzing them on what they had learned. Throughout the event, the Safe Routes to School Program gave away bicycles to 10 lucky students, along with helmets, locks, and reflective stickers!

The Back to School Bash could not have been such a suc-cess without the help of the COA crossing guards, led by Herschell Esquell. A total of 45 crossing guards showed up to stuff back-packs a week prior to the event, and again the day before to un-load all of the backpacks at the Palmer Events Center. On the day of, 60 crossing guards showed up to help hand out all 3,500 back-packs filled with school supplies to the eagerly awaiting students.

Safe Routes To School Helped Make a Successful Back to School Bash!12

3rd Street Now Adorns Historical Marker14The 3rd Street Capital Improvement Program’s project team began

coordinating with the Austin Steam Train Association (ASTA) and the Travis County Historical Commission (TCHC) early in the design stages of the proj-ect to include a historical marker at the southwest corner of West 3rd Street and Congress Avenue, acknowledging the importance of the train depots that once stood on this corner.

On Friday August 28th, the ASTA and the TCHC held a ceremony at this site to formally dedicate the historical marker recognizing Austin as holding an “influential and important position” as the state capital, and for bringing “commerce, transportation, and sophistication to the burgeoning city.”

Two members of the Third Street project team; Fredrick Reza, Third Street Project Designer with Engineering Services Division and Humberto Rey, 3rd Street Project Sponsor with the Planning and Zoning Department; were able to attend the ceremony. Both are pictured below with Barry Hutcheson from the TCHC and Ben Sargent from the ASTA.

A recent e-mail from Barry Hutcheson to the project team read, “This has been a long process, from the research and writing of the historical nar-rative to the fabrication and installation of the completed marker. We have appreciated the coordination efforts on the part of City staff that have helped along the way, especially during the street construction work at the site.”

Photo left to right: Humberto Rey, Ben Sargent, Fredrick Reza, Barry Hutcheson.

Improvement cannot occur without change, and positive change requires thought, interaction and effort. Within the past year, the Emerging Leaders Forum itself went through a transfor-mation. Director Howard Lazarus issued a call for volunteers to create a core committee to drive this group in a direction where leadership could emerge naturally. Michelle Frith, Susan Garnett, Justin Golbabai, Alexa Muraida, Jennifer Pierce and Janae Ryan rose to the challenge to help create the new PWD Innovations Fo-rum from the original Emerging Leaders Forum.

The Innovations Forum provides a unique environment in which members are encouraged to become active participants en-gaged in the latest ideas, models and tools that can innovatively transform the way Public Works interacts with other City Depart-ments, as well as the greater Austin community.

On August 12th, the Public Works Innovations Forum held its first of ten monthly meetings with nineteen members in atten-dance. This meeting began with a greeting and “Top Dawg Talk” from Mr. Lazarus, followed by a presentation by guest speaker Kerry O’Connor, Chief Innovation Officer. Ms. O’Connor presented the importance of personality differences in innovative teams. The meeting concluded with a very successful brainstorming session where participants threw out ideas that answered the question, “If you were Howard, what would you do to improve this depart-ment?” Many exciting ideas began flowing. Participants will soon begin to form small working groups to address some of the issues and help Public Works to be innovative in bringing about change.

PWD Kicks Off Its First Ever Innovations Forum3

Tpwa Annual Conference: Another PWD Success Story15

In June, more than 400 public works professionals and 53 exhibi-tors came to Austin to attend the Texas Public Works Association’s (TPWA) conference. The event, held at the Palmer Events Center, offered learning sessions on a wide variety of topics. Along with classes, attendees got a taste of Austin fun and hospitality at so-cial events such as a welcome reception at City Hall, awards din-ner, and golf tournament. Planning and launching a conference of this size is no easy task. PWD staff worked closely with the Local Planning Committee to put together a great program on some-what short notice. In the end, the conference met its participa-tion and revenue goals; including making a $600 donation to the Austin Fund, a non-profit that helps local families and improves education.

Photo caption: Public Workers University’s training simulators were among the most popular exhibits at the conference. Pictured, from left to right, are: Max Eby, Bobby Currin, Jesse Brown, and Il-defonso Carbajal


events continued from pg. 17

The Violet Crown Trail Celebrates with A Ribbon Cutting16

This August, after more than 15 years of planning, the first 6 miles of the Violet Crown Trail opened for pub-lic use. The ribbon cutting celebration included speech-es from Mayor Rose Cardona of Sunset Valley, District 8 Council Member Ellen Troxclair and George Cofer, Execu-tive Director of Hill Country Conservancy.

If that isn’t enough good news, after receiving more than 14,000 online votes, REI has decided to do-nate more than $75,000 to the trail!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this project a success.

MoPac Mobility Bridges17Perhaps you have noticed a bit of traffic congestion in the

MoPac corridor in recent times. Don’t pull your hair out just yet! The City has partnered with TxDOT to help ease this congestion with the MoPac Mobility Project, formerly known as the MoPac Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridges. Improvements to the corridor were identified in the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan, the Bicycle Master Plan, and the 2007 Mayor’s Street Smarts Task Force.

Construction, costing a sum of $11.7 million, began in De-cember 2014 and includes three phases totaling approximately two miles of bicycle, pedestrian and motor vehicle mobility improve-ments from Loop 360 to Southwest Parkway.

Crews have been working day and night to construct the 14-foot-wide, 1,045-foot-long bridges. Over the summer, the City’s contractor installed the tallest columns along with their foundation caps, and the main horizontal steel support beams, called girders, were also put in to place. Throughout construction, 23 Heritage Trees have been protected!

Construction of this project is expected to be complete by March 2016 and is managed by Chad Crager, in partnership with Tx-DOT.


Five years ago Public Works teamed up with WPD, PARD and ATD to turn a stream stabilization project into a multi-discipline, neighborhood-driven signature project for the historically under-served JJ Seabrook Neighborhood in east Austin. The PWD Fi-nance Services Division identified $400,000 in unspent 1984 Bond dollars that were required to be spent on bridge projects to help push this project along.

The JJ Seabrook Stream Restoration, Urban Trail and Rain Garden Project removed a section of roadway in JJ Seabrook Park and used the $400,000 to remove an old culvert and install a pe-destrian bridge across the creek. This project helps to reestablish the neighborhood context and gives the park back to the neigh-borhood!

The pedestrian bridge was finally installed in August 2015.

1984 Bridge Bonds Put to Good Use18

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BEFORE

AFTER

PWD Becomes 101St agency in the U.S. To Earn APWA Accreditation9

On August 20, at a ceremony held at City Hall, PWD became an APWA (American Public Works Association)-accredited agency. The APWA Accreditation program recognizes public works agencies that go beyond national standards for the public works industry. PWD is now the 101st accredited agency in North America, joining other Texas cities such as Houston and Fort Worth.

The department began working toward accreditation in August 2014. For the review process, a team of public works pro-fessionals from Prince William County, VA; Arvada, CO; and Kansas City, MO; evaluated the department’s operations during their July 2015 site visit. Everything, from our emergency management plan, to bridge maintenance, to HR and safety policies, was closely ex-amined.

“The awarding of the APWA Accreditation shows that we have dedicated ourselves to concepts of improvement and in-depth self-assessment of our policies, procedures and practices…the true heroes of this award are the public works staff members who work hard every day to help make Austin a great city,” said Public Works Director, Howard Lazars.

Top photo to right: Mayor Steve Adler, Howard Lazarus and PWD staff members proudly showcase the APWA accreditation plaques.

Bottom photo to right: PWD employees attend award ceremony. Left to right: Kathryn Potenza-Arnold, Roxanne Cook, Juanita Torres, Lucy Bonee.

9

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events continued from pg. 19

Harris Branch Parkway Gets The Special Treatment1Street and Bridge Operations recently completed 7.76 lane miles of roadway

improvements along sections of Harris Branch Parkway and Braker Lane between US-290 and Farmhaven Road to address poor pavement conditions. The project included routine street maintenance repaving, sidewalk construction, sidewalk repairs and curb replacement.

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

2,215 linear feet of new sidewalk.

22 reconstructed or newly installed American with Disabili-ties Act (ADA) compliant ramps were constructed to improve mobility and connectivity.

4,125 linear feet of curb replacement.

A specialized rubber tire asphalt mix, which recycled 2,000 tires, was used for the first time ever in a Street and Bridge resurfacing treatment.

State-of-the-art concrete paving technology was used for the first time to maximize concrete utilization and increase pro-ductivity with the newly purchased curb and gutter machine.

Harris Branch will also be used to pilot rubber tire asphalt mix before moving forward with using the material on other resurfacing treatments around Austin.

10

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South Lamar Resurfacing Project by Street and Bridge Operations crews.


With more than 20 years of engineering experience in both the private and public sectors, Kevin Sweat has been named the new Divi-sion Manager for the Public Works Engineering Services Division. Keri Juarez wel-comed Kevin to his new role saying, “Kevin is a col-laborative and supportive partner to other city depart-ments and local agencies and has sought out oppor-tunities to help PW and the city achieve our goals.”

Congratulations Kevin!

ENGINEERING SERVICES DIVISION NEW DIVISION MANAGER

On August 31, Project Man-ager Kalpana Sutaria, was presented with the Sustain-ability Practices Award by the American Public Works Association. This award is given to individuals whose contributions have made outstanding positive ef-fects on the environment and sustainability. Con-grats, Kalpana!

SUSTAINABILITYPRACTICES AWARD

MilestonesWhat Public Workers are doing out there to achieve, foster community, impress co-work-ers and citizens alike, and show we really are the ‘Department with a Heart’!

PWD Project Manager presented with Award at Annual APWA Conference

BABY NEWS

Megan Bell and her husband welcomed their new daugh-ter, Emilia Bell, at 4:15 p.m. on July 27. Emilia weighed in at 6lbs 15oz and measured 21.5 inches. Congratulations on your new little bundle of love!

The Arrival of Emilia Bell


street talk extraUPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

In August, Lucy Bonee accepted the offer to become the Depart-ment’s Administrative Manager. Lucy was selected through a competitive process

and emerged as the top candidate reflective of her sterling service to the City of Austin over the past 14 years, including the past two with the Public Works Department. In this role, she will manage the administrative staff in the Director’s Office and will have responsibility for overseeing departmental administrative functions and pro-cesses. We will rely on her talents, experience, and savvy as we continue to conquer the chal-lenges of our growing and complex city.

Congratulations Lucy!

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER

Over the summer, a recruitment campaign gone wrong sparked a worldwide movement. A fe-male engineer received hundreds of negative com-ments after the ad featuring her went up in San Francisco, California. People didn’t believe she could actually be engineer. In response, she took to Twitter and launched the #ilooklikeanengineer hashtag.

Departments from around the City joined in the hashtag, which was tweeted more than 60,000 times. Public Works featured a small group of our fe-male engineers and even more sent along their sto-ries. From grandmothers to painters, from 5 to more than 25 years of experience: PWD is proud to display just a small part of the diversity that helps our work-place thrive.

#ILOOKLIKEANENGINEER SPREADS AWARENESS ABOUT DIVERSITY IN ENGINEERING

Social Media at its finest!

It is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to Assist Director Keri Juarez. Keri has been with Public Works for 11 years, starting as a Project Manager and advancing to the executive level. Over that period, she has mixed a resolve of titanium with a com-passion for staff and the community, produc-ing an incredible legacy of projects delivered. Notable among these achievements are the completion of the Public Safety Training Facil-ity, the North Village and Twin Oaks Commu-nity Libraries, the Southern Walnut Creek and Boardwalk Trails, EMS/Fire Stations 33 and 34, the African American Cultural and Heritage Center and the Asian American Resource Cen-ter, and (of course) Water Treatment Plant 4.

Public Works says farewell to Assistant Director Keri Juarez

FAREWELL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR KERI JUAREZ

The portfolio of projects completed during her tenure have gained regional and national acclaim, and the project management procedures developed under her guid-ance were cited as a best practice during PWD’s accreditation visit by the American Public Works Association. Keri has also been active in numerous professional organizations, including the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, Women in Transportation, and the Texas Public Works Association. She was also part of the founding of the City’s Woman-to-Woman mentoring and networking group.

We all wish Keri the best in her return to the private sector, and remind her that she will always be part of the PWD Alumni network.

Congratulations to PWD’s new Administration Manager

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’!


TALES FROM THE SIXTH

I’m working on Sixth Street prepping for the night ahead when I get approached by a couple speak-ing in a heavy accent. I quickly recognized where the two must have been from having spent seven of my childhood years in Germany (shout out to Army brats).

THE MAN ASKED ME WHERE THE “AFTER-AFTER PARTY” WAS. HERE IS HOW THE BRIEF INTERACTION TOOK PLACE:

Me: To my knowledge there is no after-after party, but this isn’t my scene.Man: Yeah we aren’t from around here. I’m sure you see people like us all the time…Me: You mean Germans, tourists, or both?Man: I’m impressed you can tell we are German, most people ask us what kind of accent we have. Sprechen Sie Deutsch (Do you speak German)?Me: Ich spreche ein bisschen deutsch (I speak a little German).Man: Wo die Partei (Where’s the party?)Me: Ich weib es nicht (I don’t know).Man: How can someone dressed in clothes so bright be such a bore?Me: Well, these are work clothes and we don’t typically go for the fun look at work.[I have on hi-visibility gear from head to toe]Woman: Aww come now dear, he wears it well. He should model those clothes!Me: Actually, the Director of my department pretty much said the same thing a few days ago. Is there a market for modeling bright construction clothes that I don’t know about?Man: Let’s be on our way dear. My beer is wearing off and the amount of boredom sur-rounding this guy is unbearable! Auf Wiedersehen (Goodbye).Me: Good bye…have a good night!

Water Recovered During Sidewalk Cleaning

Operations

Traffic Calming Devices Installed

Downtown Sidewalks Cleaned

MILLION SQUARE FEET

Roadway ObstructionsRemoved

ADA Curb Ramps Constructed

Water Recovered During Sidewalk Cleaning

Operations

Traffic Calming Devices Installed

Downtown Sidewalks Cleaned

MILLION SQUARE FEET

Roadway ObstructionsRemoved

ADA Curb Ramps Constructed

DID YOU KNOW...?

milestones continued from pg. 23


street talk extraUPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

Meet one of PWD’s new-est retirees – Rene Guerrero – family, colleagues, memories, and career all rolled into one unique awesome package. Coming into PWD, Rene ranked second out of forty candidates and over most with more ex-perience. He credited his high ranking to his brother, Joe Guerrero, then a city employee in the Finance Department. Joe advised Rene to emphasize his desire to work because he had a family to support. If you had two job candidates that were equal, would you hire the can-didate who seemed to have no roots, or the candidate who clearly saw a future?

Vance Rogers, Managing Engineer, was Rene’s hiring su-pervisor in Street & Bridge Op-erations. After Rene’s interview, Vance called to tell him he was number two on the list. Rene recalled Vance told him some-thing else might come up in a

HAPPY RETIREMENT

Rene Guerrero

A Fond Farewell | PWD’s Rene Guerrero Retires

month or two. Much to a very disappointed Rene’s surprise, the very next day, Vance called back. He explained that the other candidate wanted more money, and the position was Rene’s if he still wanted it. In Rene’s words, “It was a blessing.”

His first day was August 26, 1985; the high was 101 degrees. Rene was with the Street & Bridge Operations Overlay crew in Jester Estates. His job at the time was to smooth out the edges of freshly laid asphalt with a rake. The asphalt is hot at this stage, being poured from a paver. Would you stand in front of your 300 degrees oven with its door open when it’s over 100 degrees outside? Rene pondered that question all day, finally deciding, “I won’t be back.” PWD is thankful that Rene reset his career the next day when he woke up, re-thought, and went back to work.

As Rene reminds us, any Street & Bridge Operations rookie can’t wait to get their hands on operating the big equip-ment. Oftentimes, rookies make nice with operators just for that reason. For Rene, this process was too slow. No operator seemed willing to let him try his hand with the big equipment until Rene’s supervisor, Boyd Stowers in South District, pulled him aside to teach him paperwork. Timesheets and work of that nature was absolutely NOT what Rene wanted to do. Yet, because of his brother’s advice, Rene stuck to it. A short time later, Boyd was out of the office for an extended amount of time. Rene took initiative by asking the acting supervisor if he needed help with paperwork, and there you have it - oppor-tunity realized. Instead of just landing a job, Rene launched his career.

After thirty years of service, Rene leaves SBO behind as a highly-respected friend, mentor and supervisor. Rene’s advice is, “I would tell my guys to take the initiative to learn and be someone other than just another employee.” On behalf of Brian Works, Division Manager for Pavement Operations.

Ronnie Walker, Supervisor for Overlay, retired from the City of Austin at the end of August. Ronnie was with the City of Austin for twenty three years and will be greatly missed. Ronnie has worked with District Main-tenance and Overlay, but has been an integral part of Street and Bridge Operations for his entire career. We wish Ronnie well in the retired life ahead.

HAPPY RETIREMENT

Ronnie Walker

A Fond Farewell | Best Wishes from your PWD Family

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To find Austin events around town, visit austintexas.org/visit/events

1:00-5:00 PM


OSHA 10 Hour Construction

OSHA 10 Hour Construction

8:30 AM to 4:30 PMOTC-325

Defensive Driving Class

1:00-5:00 PM


http://www.austintexas.org/visit/events/

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2015 fall | street talk | thrive issue

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