DECEMBER 2018

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ANNUAL EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION BREAKFAST

LINCOLN DISTRICT STREETSCAPE

NEIGHBORHOOD INNOVATIVE GRANT PROGRAM

SANDY DAVIS’ RETIREMENT

PLANNED SAP OUTAGE

CYBER SECURITY NEWSLETTER

FIRE AND SPRINKLER SYSTEM TESTING

LACEY VANPOOL

BENEFITS CONFIRMATION STATEMENTS

DONATED LEAVE

TRAINING CALENDAR

KUDOS

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Annual Employee Appreciation Breakfast on Dec. 13

Please join our department directors as they host this year’s Employee Appreciation Breakfast on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 7 - 9 a.m., at the Tacoma Dome (2727 E. D St., Exhibition Hall). In an effort to be environmentally friendly and waste-free, if possible, please bring your own reusable dishware and utensils.

Free parking is available in lots A, J and K.

APARKING

J IK

DISABLED

HOTEL

LEMAYCAR MUSEUM

ENTRANCE

CD

E

F

FG

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LINCOLN DISTRICT STREETSCAPE CONSTRUCTION COMES INTO FINAL STAGESThe City of Tacoma recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Lincoln District Streetscape Project on the new Yakima Festival Street at South 38th Street and South Yakima Avenue.

The Lincoln District streetscape is the cornerstone of the Lincoln Revitalization effort. Construction took place along South 38th Street, from South J Street to South Fawcett Avenue; as well as along South G Street between South 37th and South 38th streets, and on South Yakima Avenue between South 37th and South 39th streets. Key features of the streetscape include roadway, sidewalk, public art and pedestrian infrastructure improvements.

Kudos to the construction and project management team of Andy Sturdivant, Phill Ringrose, Mark D’Andrea and Debbie Bingham for their great work.

“With upgraded sidewalks and streets, as well as public art components, the Lincoln District streetscape as it stands now has truly raised the profile of the Lincoln neighborhood,” said District 4 Council Member Catherine Ushka. “I am proud of the work that has been accomplished and look forward to the continued evolution of this incredibly unique area.”

While the majority of the Lincoln District streetscape is complete, some work is ongoing which may affect traffic and parking through the first quarter of 2019. This work includes new plantings and the installation of art and an overhead lighting system along South Yakima Avenue. There is also additional work that will take place at the intersection of South 38th Street and South Yakima Avenue, when a lotus design is sandblasted into the intersection.

After serving as an anchor point for the Lincoln District Revitalization Project for the last three years, the City of Tacoma’s Lincoln District project office will close on Dec. 12.

“The City will continue to cultivate the relationships that were established and strengthened throughout this extensive process,” said Mayor Victoria Woodards. “With ongoing visits and support from City staff, our partners across the business community and community members will continue to have easy access to City services.”

To learn more, go to cityoftacoma.org/LincolnStreetscape.

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Residents and community groups in Tacoma’s eight Neighborhood Council districts can apply now through January 15 for grant funding supporting community engagement or neighborhood improvement projects through the City of Tacoma’s 2019 Neighborhood Innovative Grant Program. The City accepts applications from formal and informal community groups that are at least two or more people.

“This program is an opportunity for people who have ideas and projects to address blight, make public spaces more accessible or revitalize their neighborhood in a creative and inclusive way to receive funding to make their project a reality,” said Tom Ebenhoh, Chair of the New Tacoma Neighborhood Council. “I have seen projects receive funding through this program that has reactivated community parks, cleaned up blighted areas and benefit the neighborhood. It really is about empowering residents to impact their communities at the

most basic levels.”Most grants requested and approved are in the range of $500 to $8,000. Each Neighborhood Council will select the projects to be funded within their respective Neighborhood Council district, limited to available funds in each Neighborhood Council.

“If you have an innovative idea to engage with your community and improve your neighborhood, we invite you to apply for a small grant to make it happen,” said Program Manager Shari Hart. “Over the years, we have funded hundreds of impactful projects through this program.”

More information is available at cityoftacoma.org/neighborhoodcouncils or by contacting Shari Hart at shari.hart@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-5208.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD:

NEIGHBORHOOD INNOVATIVE GRANT PROGRAM APPLICATIONS DUE JANUARY 15

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Celebrate

SANDY DAVIS’ RETIREMENT ON DECEMBER 19Please join Sandy Davis’ friends and colleagues for an open house in her honor on December 19 from 9 AM to noon and from 2 - 4 PM in the Human Resources Department (Tacoma Municipal Building, Room 1420).

Sandy joined the City of Tacoma Human Resources Department in April 2008 after working 24 years in state government for the Washington State Department of Revenue. Sandy provided management and oversight of FMLA, ADA, leaves, reasonable accommodations and domestic violence resources, and served for two years as the liaison for the Commission on Disabilities.

Check out the Office of Environmental Policy & Sustainability’s Community Report Newsletter

Click here to view this quarterly newsletter and to sign up for updates.

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Planned SAP Outage December 7 - 10

There is a planned, extended outage of SAP beginning at 7 PM on Friday, December 7 through 6 AM on Monday, December 10 to allow for updates to SAP ECC, Employee Self Service (ESS) and PI (Enterprise Service Bus) systems. SAP Business Warehouse (BW) will continue to be available during the outage, however, extracted updates into BW from ECC will be halted Thursday, Dec. 6 at 8 AM through the weekend outage and will resume as soon as the SAP ECC upgrade is completed. Once systems are back online and available, the Information Technology Department will be sure to let you know. The systems noted and all connected interfaces will be unavailable during the outage time frame. This includes:

• SAP Portal/ESS• My Account (a site unavailable page will be posted online during the outage time frame)• MDSI• Electrical Inspection Portal• Escrow Portal• Pledge Portal • Gateway/PayGo• iNovah

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the IT Service Desk at (253) 591-2057.

Backups are copies of data stored separately from your primary device. Backing up your data helps you later restore your primary device to full working order should the need ever arise.

The latest Cyber Security Newsletter explores some key concepts and offers tips on creating backups.

Latest Cyber Security Newsletter Encourages You to Back Up Your Data

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Dear Ms. Pauli,

We would like to commend to you Mr. Kurtis Kingsolver and three of his staff: Chris Larson, Sue O’Neill and Brad Buck - and possibly others we don’t know about. They came to the aid of three of our neighborhood’s vulnerable streets between North I and North K Streets as a sewer construction project started. We are grateful that the Street Initiative funds will soon be paving North K, but the sewer and water pipes must be replaced first. This is a long project.

Those of us who live along or near these three streets, whose paving dates back to the early 1900s, became worried because the contractor’s double dump-trucks full of gravel, and heavy loaders with gravel, traveled up and down the streets paved in brick (North 9th) and in hewed- sandstone blocks (North 10th and 11th.)

We want these remnants of Tacoma’s past to last a bit longer; they have had minimal maintenance over the years, but are still drivable. Barely!

Enter the Director’s Office in Tacoma’s Public Works Department. By chance, Director Kingsolver picked up the phone himself when one of us called to leave a message - and he found time to fix the problem quickly.

The message to find other streets to use went out to the contractors, and in a day or two, the trucks found other routes to dump gravel on North K St. There are also temporary signs now on the three street corners to remind new drivers/workers of heavy vehicles to find another route.

We are grateful to the staff of the Public Works Department for showing us, once again, that Tacoma’s government is responsive to citizens’ issues, and that staff members can work a solution so quickly. These employees should be congratulated for their efforts on behalf of three old streets and some concerned citizens.

All who called or wrote us were unfailingly helpful. Thank you for your help Mr. Kingsolver, Mr. Larson, Ms O’Neill and Mr. Buck.

Sincerely,

Jacqueline and James Colburn, Jeff & Harriet Millheisler, Patsy LaVelle, Harry & Diane McAlister, Justine McMullen, Julie and Jay Turner, Tim & Kelley Borsheim, Mike & Sandy Evans, Jillian and Bernie Bates, Dawn and Mike Smith Roger Johnson

Thank you from some NSHD citizens

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WEEKEND TESTING OF THE TACOMA MUNICIPAL COMPLEX FIRE ALARM AND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS

The fire alarm/suppression system in the Tacoma Municipal Building and Tacoma Municipal Building North will undergo its annual testing and inspection on the following Saturdays in December: the 15th and the 22nd. Testing will start at 7 a.m. on all dates.

Testing will take the entire day and the alarms will be sounded throughout the building. There may also be possible interruptions in elevator service.

Announcements will be made prior to the testing to alert anyone who may be in the building.

If you have any questions please contact Facility Operations Manager Jeff Paradee at jparadee@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-5466.

Presentations to the City Council and Standing Committees

Have you thought about the many benefits of vanpooling to work? By vanpooling, not only will you save money and enjoy a more relaxed commute, you’ll help reduce two things that negatively impact our community: air pollution and traffic congestion.

If you live in the Lacey area and have been thinking about vanpooling to work, now is the perfect time to get started!

Pick-up Location: Parking Lot of Hawks Prairie Walmart Work Hours: 6:45 AM – 4:45 PM (Mondays – Thursdays) and 6:45 AM – 3:45 PM (Fridays)Destinations: Center for Urban Waters and Tacoma Municipal Building

For more information, please contact Ed Bolibol at ebolibol@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-5041.

LACEY VANPOOL SEEKS NEW RIDERS

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Open Enrollment Benefits Confirmation Statements Coming This MonthThe Benefits Office will be emailing and mailing to all employees’ homes a 2019 Benefits Confirmation Statement this month. This statement will reflect any changes made during Open Enrollment. Employees should review this statement for accuracy and contact the Benefits Office immediately if any errors are noticed no later than January 4, 2019.

What to Look for When Reviewing Your Statement

• If you and your eligible dependents are enrolled on the correct medical/ dental/ vision plans for 2019 (You will find this information on the second page/backside of your statement right above the Disclosure Statement.)

• If your dependent relationships are listed accurately (e.g. spouse vs. domestic partner or child vs. step child vs. child of a domestic partner)

• If you signed up for the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) plan/s during Open Enrollment (Make sure it shows that you are enrolled for that plan on your statement, for the correct annual contribution, and for the correct option, e.g. Health Care FSA vs. Day/Elder Care FSA; Health Care FSA is for medical, dental, vision, and prescription expenses for you and your eligible dependents and Day/Elder Care FSA is for childcare/eldercare expenses.)

If you have questions after reviewing your Open Enrollment Benefits Confirmation Statement, found an error, or do not receive your statement by December 28, 2018, please contact the Benefits Office right away at benefits@cityoftacoma.org or at (253) 573-2345.

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u n i t e d w ay c a m p a i g n t o ta l :

$90,284THANK YOU TO ALL THAT PARTICIPATED

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City of Tacoma employee news updates are posted on our running intranet blog, the Gnet News Snapshot, the moment they become available.

Besides bookmarking the Gnet News Snapshot landing page, you can also subscribe to the Gnet News Snapshot RSS feed or opt in to have Gnet News Snapshot updates delivered directly to your work email in whatever frequency you prefer.

You can opt in to receive general City of Tacoma news releases, news releases from our Mayor and City Council Members, and updates on City programs or initiatives. Simply click on this link to get started .

Have news that you’d like to share with your fellow employees or members of the media? Need to develop materials for community members or a specific group you are trying to reach? Please contact your communications staff liaison for assistance.

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How to Receive or Share News and Information

Click here and sign up today to receive emergency notifications.

If you have questions about the notification system or a safety related concern, please contact Safety Manager Don Noyes at (253) 591-5745 or dnoyes@cityoftacoma.org.

Sign Up Today to Receive Emergency Notifications

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ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICESCHRIS BURKE

FINANCE

JAMIE SILVA

POLICE

JAMES (AL) BOWEN

FIREED GORRE

MUNICIPAL COURTDONNA KELLER

PUBLIC WORKS RUSSELL OLSON

PAUL WALLACE

TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES

KRISTIN DILLON

CHRISTENA WARWICK

REBECCA O’NEAL

LISA DAY

BRETT GOMSRUD

GERALDINE SCHIPMA

JENNIFER COLLINS RAMOS

RAMONA GOREE

JENNIFER WELCH

MICHAEL DAVIS

Employees who are eligible to receive donated leave are listed here. If you wish to donate leave, please contact your timekeeper, or Human Resources at (253) 591-5400, to submit a Sick Leave/Paid Time Off Donation Form.

Employees Approved for Donated Leave

JANUARYTRAINING CALENDAR

DOWNLOAD TODAY

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Speedy Service from Environmental Services’ Solid Waste Management DivisionAn Environmental Services’ Solid Waste Management customer gave kudos to Solid Waste customer service staff and drivers for their professionalism and quick service response to a request to downsize a garbage bin. That’s right-sizing done the right way!

Residents from Tacoma’s North End neighborhood commend Public Works Director Kurtis Kingsolver and Public Works staff members Chris Larson, Sue O’Neill and Brad Buck for their quick response and solution to a neighborhood’s concern.

Public Works came to the aid of the vulnerable streets between North I and North K Streets as a sewer construction project started. Neighbors became worried when the contractor’s heavy trucks began traveling up and down hewed- sandstone blocks and brick paved streets. Wanting the remnants of Tacoma’s past to last a bit longer; neighbors called Director Kingsolver, who found time to fix the problem quickly.

Trucks were rerouted to dump their gravel and temporary signs are now on street corners to remind heavy vehicles to find another route.

The community members said, “We are grateful to the staff of the Public Works Department for showing us, once again, that Tacoma’s government is responsive to citizens’ issues, and that staff members can work a solution so quickly. These employees should be congratulated for their efforts on behalf of three old streets and some concerned citizens. All who called or wrote us were unfailingly helpful.”

Public Works Praised for Their Quick Response and Solution

The Tacoma Police Department’s community liaison officers (CLOs) make it a habit to know their communities, which can include making connections in the community for the very young. Recently, a few officers escorted Grayson Lack – this year’s “Chief for a Day” – to his first day of school. CLO Imtiaz Norling was familiar with Franklin Elementary, which helped in getting the principal to welcome Grayson in front of all the other students. Thank you CLOs Kelly Custis, Brandon Showalter and Imtiaz Norling (taking the picture), PIO Loretta Cool and PPO Shelbie Boyd for helping Grayson make deeper connections in his community.

TPD Continues to Engage Community Members

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Check out the Special Event Calendar at cityoftacoma.org/events to see events for which permits have been issued or are pending through the Special Events Office.

For other events not represented on that calendar, go to their Partner Organizations page.

WONDERING WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND?

CITY OF TACOMA JOBS

For the latest City of Tacoma job postings, and to submit an application, visit cityoftacoma.org/jobs.

Occasionally, closing dates are revised.

For additional assistance, call (253) 591-5400, Ext. 1.

City of Tacoma747 Market Street,

Tacoma, WA 98402

311 Within Tacoma City Limits

cityoftacoma.orgWe want to hear from

YOU!

Submit content for the January

2019 issue of Take5 by

December 26 15 at 10 a.m. to

your respective communications

staff liaison.

If you have general comments, questions or suggestions about Take5, contact Maria Lee in the Media and Communications Office at maria.lee@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-2054.

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