June 2013 - Central Texas Housing Consortium

June 2013
2013 CTHC Holidays
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas
July 4
Sept. 2
Nov. 28 & 29
Dec. 24 & 25
NEW EMPLOYEES
Please welcome this recently hired
CTHC employee
Yvonne Tyler - Housing
CURRENT & UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
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AB - window, patio door & siding replacement
AB buildings - drainage project
AB parking lot resealing, restriping and drainage improvement
BHA - HVAC for 32 units
Carver - landscaping
FGH / GH - elevator upgrade
GH - fence and roadways
JM / CV single story buildings - bathroom HVAC vents
Kaleidoscope - renovate into apartments
Kyle - storm damage repair (windows, roof, screens, blinds)
TB / Carver - roof shingle overlay
Security cameras at multiple sites
Demolish 1605 South 5th Street
Instead of complaining that the rosebush is full of thorns,
be happy that the thorn bush has roses.
Smoke Free Housing In 2014
As approved by the board, effective January 1, 2014, all CTHC
apartments will be smoke free. All household members and/or guests will
no longer be allowed to smoke inside the apartments. Common areas
will continue to be smoke free.
Smoking will be allowed outside the apartments in the following areas:
patios, balconies, breezeways (but not directly outside another
household’s entrance door or apartment window), and outside the 20 foot
area already posted for common area entrances.
We will be contacting agencies and gathering resources on smoking
cessation to assist those residents that want to stop smoking.
Note that residents and guests will still be allowed to smoke, but this
policy revision changes where they are allowed to smoke.
New Feature
Starting with this issue, we will include Emergency Plan information on a
second page in the newsletter periodically. As we’ve seen too many times
recently, we can never be overly prepared for a natural or man-made
disaster.
EMPLOYEE
SPOTLIGHT
Laurie Moore
Maintenance
SMOKING CESSATION CLASSES WILL BE OFFERED SOON
“Smoking cessation represents the single most important step
that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality
of their lives.” U.S. Surgeon General
No matter how old you are or how long you have smoked,
quitting will help you live longer. Quitting smoking is not easy,
but you can do it. To have the best chance of success in
quitting, you need to know what you’re up against, what
your options are and where to go for help. Tobacco users
need to be aware of the dangers of tobacco use. As soon as
20 minutes after your last cigarette, your health will begin to
improve.
By becoming tobacco free your…
 Heart rate and blood pressure drops after 20 minutes
 Carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal
after 12 hours
 Circulation and lung function improve after 2 weeks to 3
months
 Stroke risk is reduced to that of a person who never
smoked after 5 to 15 years of not smoking
 Cancers of the mouth, throat, and esophagus risks are
halved 5 years after quitting
 Cancer of the larynx risk is reduced after quitting
 Coronary heart disease risk is cut by half 1 year after
quitting and is nearly the same as someone who never
smoked 15 years after quitting
 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk of death is
reduced after you quit
 Lung cancer risk drops by as much as half 10 years after
quitting
 Ulcer risk drops after quitting
 Bladder cancer risk is halved a few years after quitting
 Peripheral artery disease goes down after quitting
 Cervical cancer risk is reduced a few years after quitting
In addition to health risks, common reasons to quit tobacco
include:
 I’m spending too much money on tobacco
 I’m tired of smelling like smoke
 I no longer enjoy smoking
 My doctor told me smoking has already hurt my health
 I can’t catch my breath – I feel like I am out of shape
 I don’t want to expose my family and friends to
secondhand smoke
 My friends and/or family want me to quit
 I don’t want to look older than I am
 I’m scared of getting sick or dying
Laurie grew up on military bases since her dad was in the service for 28 years. After living in places like
Panama, Missouri and Virginia, the family settled in the Temple area. Laurie is very close to her parents and
helps them with yard work and shopping. She has been happily married to Heiko Moore for 11 years. Laurie
has two children - son Angus, age 20, and daughter Shasta, who is 26. She also has two grandchildren - six
year old Jordan and 20 month old Skyler. Laurie loves to bake, a skill she learned from her mom, and enjoys
making a variety of pastries, cakes and breads for family, friends and work. Other hobbies include sewing,
cooking, crafts and animals. Laurie is very focused on eating healthy and staying fit. Since she likes to
exercise at least five to six times a week, the Wellness Board Healthy Points Initiative has been a “piece of
cake” for her. It has, however, caused her to bring less sweets to the Temple Maintenance Department,
where she has worked for three years.
Emergency Plan Reminders
This is a new section that has been added to the Employee Emergency Guide.
Emergency Shelter Areas by Office/Shop/Complex
Employees should be prepared to go to their shelter area when a severe weather threat such as a tornado or severe thunderstorm is
predicted. During severe weather events the Deputy Director will monitor the situation closely and advise the Executive Director if the
National Weather Service issues warnings for the area. Generally, the Executive Director will inform the Directors of the severe weather
warnings and when employees need to take shelter. The Directors will be responsible for notifying their employees to take immediate
shelter. This is the general process for taking shelter during severe weather. Employees shall also use their best judgment regarding the
need to take shelter and do not have to wait for a directive to do so since the properties are situated across a large area and the severity of
the storm may fluctuate between areas.
Belton Housing Authority
Belton Office
Belton Maintenance
Interior file room
Interior file room in office or interior room without windows where currently working if necessary to
take immediate shelter
Temple Housing Authority
Adams Bend
Main Office
Raintree
Temple Maintenance
Closet in meeting room
Main file room
Office bathroom
Dispensed items area in main shop where washing machine/dryer are located or interior room without
windows where currently working if necessary to take immediate shelter
Employee Communications Plan (Appendix K) from the Emergency Plan
General
Our objective is to be prepared to continue communications in an emergency by utilizing all means of communication available. An
Information Broadcast System shall be used in emergency situations to disseminate information to residents and employees. This will
allow quicker notifications and enable specific information to be provided. In some situations and when authorized in advance by the
Executive Director, employees may use their own cell phones to complete Consortium business. In such cases, employees will be
reimbursed for costs above normal monthly billing.
The Central Texas Housing Consortium’s (CTHC) Temple site has regular telephone service, numerous cell phones and 46 push-to-talk cell
phones in place for communication purposes. The Belton site also has these three communication tools. In the case of an extended
electrical outage, generators are available at both sites to restore electrical power so the telephone system can operate on a long-term basis.
Rose Hall has a separate telephone system.
Communications During Incident
Communications during an emergency can become difficult due to increased use by maintenance, administrative and management staff. To
ensure those needing immediate assistance can contact help, employees should collect information and provide summaries to their
supervisors.
Employee Emergency Notification Procedures (Appendix B) from the Emergency Plan
During notifications of an emergency, use the following procedures to alert personnel.
1, The Executive Director will contact the Admin Manager who will utilize established procedures for the Information Broadcast System
(IBS) to notify employees. If IBS is not functioning, the Admin Manager will implement the following notification process via
telephone: