12-11-11 Newsletter.indd

No. 12-06
December 14, 2011
Sherman Oaks/East Valley Adult Center Opens
On Thursday morning October 27, 2011,
a large crowd gathered for the dedication
ceremony of the newly constructed Sherman
Oaks/East Valley Adult Center (formerly known
as the East Valley Multipurpose Center) at Van
Nuys - Sherman Oaks Park. The facility is
located at 5056 Van Nuys Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. The featured speakers at the event
included Councilmember Paul Krekorian of
the Second Council District, City Controller
Wendy Greuel (who was the former Councilmember representing the area), Department
of Recreation & Parks General Manager Jon
Kirk Mukri, Department of Aging General
Manager Laura Trejo, community organizers,
and Deputy City Engineer Vince Jones representing the Bureau of Engineering.
The project management of the new senior facility was completed by the Bureau of
Engineering’s Architectural Division, under the
direction of Mahmood Karimzadeh, Principal
Architect. The architectural firm of Rios Clementi Hale Studios was commissioned to be
the architect for the project.
The project is composed of three buildings, totaling 17,319 square feet, about 9,000
square feet larger than the one it replaced. The
first building, with an area of 7,707 square
feet, is used for multipurpose activities. The
second building is 5,025 square feet, and
is occupied by the administration staff of
the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Council
(VIC), a non-profit organization that provides
services and programs to seniors through a
contract with the City’s Department of Aging.
Ribbon Cutting, l to r: Valley Interfaith Council Director Sherry Revord, Deputy City Engineer
Vince Jones, Chief Deputy Controller Claire Bartels, Senior Recreation Director Roz Brown,
Principal Engineer Jose Fuentes, City Controller Wendy Greuel, RAP General Manger Jon Kirk
Mukri, Councilmember Paul Krekorian, Department of Aging General Manager Laura Trejo (hidden), Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council President Jill Banks-Barad, Construction Manager
Hamid Navid (hidden), Council Deputy Patricia Davenport, Ford E.C., Inc. Sam Daghighian
and Sia Daghighian, and Project Manager-I Willis Yip.
Photos by JuanCarlos Chan, RAP
The third building is 4,587 square feet, and is
utilized for fitness programs and classrooms.
The facility also features a prominent outdoor
patio area with new shuffle board courts and
new landscaping, including 73 new trees. The
[East Valley Presentation 1.1)
Sherman Oaks/East Valley Adult Center on the street side.
buildings are brightly colored in shades of
red, orange and fuchsia on the street side, and
shades of green, yellow and blue on the park
side. In addition, the new facility is designed
continued on page 2
DSCN0535
Sherman Oaks/East Valley Adult Center on the park side.
Sherman Oaks/East Valley Adult Center
continued from page 1
to function as an emergency evacuation center
in time of disasters.
The buildings are designed to be LEED
(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Silver certified. Some features of the
LEED design include:
• 75% of the construction waste was recycled.
• At least 20% of the building materials were
regionally manufactured.
• More than 20% of the total quantity of the
building materials are recycled content,
including everything from the carpeting
to the wall panels to the ceiling system.
The cushioned wood floor for dancing
and exercising features pads made from
recycled rubber, and wood harvested from
forests that are managed and certified by
the Forest Stewardship Council.
The new facility will provide the senior community many social, recreational, nutritional
and health programs, classes and activities
offered by the Department of Recreation and
Parks and the VIC.
Th e t o t a l c o n s t r u c t i o n c o s t w a s
$10,200,000. Financing for the project came
from the City’s Municipal Corporation of Los
Angeles (MICLA) fund. The project was completed under budget and delivered on schedule, through a successful joint effort by the
Bureau of Engineering who provided project
management and construction management
services, the Bureau of Contract Administration who provided inspection services during
construction, and the general contractor, Ford
E.C., Inc.
Congratulations go to Mahmood Karimzadeh, AIA, Municipal Facilities Program
Manager and his staff from the Architectural
Division, Reza Bagherzadeh, Senior Project
Manager, Willis Yip, Project Manager-I, Alex
Ngo, Project Manager; and to Jose Fuentes,
Principal Engineer and Hamid Navid, Construction Manager of the Construction Management Division, and everyone else involved
with this project.
Opening dedication, Front Row, l to r: Council Deputy Patricia Davenport, Construction Manager Hamid David, Principal Engineer Jose Fuentes, Councilmember Paul Krekorian, Project
Manager-I Willis Yip, Project Manager Alex Ngo, Farima Boradeh and Sia Daghighian of Ford
E.C., Inc., and Deputy City Engineer Vince Jones. Back Row: Michael Martinez and staff of
Rios Clementi Hale Studios, Con-Ad Inspectors Brett McReynolds and Tony Barranti, and Ford
E.C., Inc. staff.
Protection of Employees Against Retaliation for Reporting Fraud or Waste
City Controller Wendy Greuel issued the
memorandum Protection of Employees
Against Retaliation for Reporting Fraud,
Waste or Misuse of Office:
The purpose of this memorandum is to
serve as reminder to all City Departments of
the existence of Los Angeles Municipal Code
Section 49.5.4 - Protection of Employees
Against Retaliation for Reporting Fraud, Waste
or Misuse of Office.
The ordinance states the following:
1. No officer or employee of the City shall
use or threaten to use any official authority or influence to discourage, restrain or
Page 2
interfere with any other person for the
purpose of preventing such person from
acting in good faith to report Fraud, Waste
and Abuse.
2. No officer or employee of the City shall use
or threaten to use any official authority or
influence to effect any action as a reprisal
against a City officer or employee who
reports Fraud, Waste and Abuse.
3. Any person who believes that he or she has
been subjected to any action prohibited by
this section may file a confidential complaint with the City Ethics Commission,
who shall investigate and take appropriate
action.
Department management establishes the
tone at the top and should communicate
to employees what is expected and lead by
example. Management should support a transparent environment that encourages reporting
Fraud, Waste and Abuse to the Controller’s
Office so appropriate and swift action can
be taken. Such information may be reported
anonymously by calling the Controller’s Fraud
Hotline at (866) 428-1514 or via the Web at
http://controller.lacity.org/Report_Waste_
Fraud_and_Abuse/index.htm.
Engineering Newsletter - 12/14/11
West Hills Sports Center/Adam Bischoff Soccer Fields
New Parking Lot & Street Signal/Crosswalk Groundbreaking Ceremony
On November 21, 2011, an eager group of
West Hills residents came together to celebrate the ground breaking for the new Parking
Lot and Street Signal project for the West Hills
Sports Center/Adam Bischoff Soccer Fields.
The long anticipated project will include a
new parking lot and a signalized crosswalk
across Valley Circle Boulevard to serve the
existing park.
The speakers that morning included:
Honorable Councilmember Dennis P. Zine,
3rd Council District; Mark Sikand, President
of West Hills Baseball, Inc.; Neil Drucker,
Program Manager, BOE Recreational and
Cultural Facilities Program; and Maria ChongCastillo of the Office of County Supervisor
Zev Yaroslavsky.
Councilmember Zine welcomed the construction of the project as a means of reducing the traffic concerns and alleviating the
neighborhood parking woes. He also focused
on the importance of the participation of his
office and thanked the County and City staff
for their ongoing effort in the development of
this project.
Neil Drucker, a long time member of this
community, shared in the enthusiasm of the
Councilmember. Neil described how he and
his family have played on these very fields.
Neil reminded the attendants that safety is
of paramount concern when crossing Valley
Circle Boulevard and that all children should
be reminded to exercise caution, and use the
crosswalk that will be constructed, rather then
jaywalking, as is currently the practice.
The project site is located directly across
from the West Hills Sports Center at 6900
Valley Circle Boulevard, West Hills, CA. The
site is currently utilized by the Los Angeles
County Flood Control District to gain access
to the Bell Creek for occasional maintenance.
A portion of this site will be turned over to
the Department of Recreation and Parks, via
Neil Drucker speaking at the event.
Photos by JuanCarlos Chan, RAP
Engineering Newsletter - 12/14/11
l to r: Councilmember Dennis P. Zine, Councilmember, 3rd Council District; Mark Sikand, President, West Hills Baseball, Inc.; Neil Drucker, Program Manager, BOE Recreational and Cultural
Facilities Program; and Maria Chong-Castillo, Office of County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.
a land lease agreement with the County of
Los Angeles for the conversion into a parking
lot. The remainder will continue to provide
County access to the adjacent creek.
The new parking lot will alleviate the existing parks’ parking issues by providing an
additional 62 new parking spaces. It will also
have security fencing, directional signage and
two security-solar lighting fixtures, as well as
concrete wheel stops to indicated individual
parking spaces. The site will be drained into a
Bio-swale with planting to filter the vehicular
discharges. The parking surface itself will be
made of a rustic surface which mimics the
natural surroundings of the adjacent creek
bed. The pedestrian crossing will have a traffic
signal, striped demarcation and street lights.
We want to thank the County of Los Angeles for their assistance in developing the Joint
Use Land Agreement, and the City’s Department of Transportation for providing their
expertise in the design and construction of the
traffic signal and crosswalk. The Department
of General Services will begin construction of
the parking area on November 28, 2011.
This project is truly a team effort. The site
design was completed by in-house staff from
the Architectural Division, with the assistance
of the Survey Division. Kudos to Mahmood
Karimzadeh, Principal of the Architectural
Division, Guillermo Barragan, BOE Architectural Division, Designer; Neil Drucker, RCFP
Program Manager; Jaime Contreras, RCFP
Project Manager.
City staff, l to r: Berry Saizon, GSD Construction Forces; Jaime Contreras, RCFP, Project Manager; Guillermo Barragan, Architectural
Division, Designer; and Neil Drucker, RCFP Program Manager.
Parking Plan
Page 3
Groundbreaking Ceremony for Ballona Lagoon East Bank
Emergency Fence Reconstruction Project
The groundbreaking ceremony for the City
of Los Angeles’ new Silver Strand fence on
the west side of the Ballona Lagoon path on
Esplanade took place on December 8, 2011
at 11:30 am. Among those attending were:
Councilmember Bill Rosendahl; Mark Antonio Grant, Rosendahl’s Special Assistant;
City Engineer Gary Lee Moore; Silver Strand
Marina Home Owners Association President,
Fred Karlsen, Silver Strand homeowners and
Debbie Schneider of Bali Management. The
ceremony took place on the Lighthouse
Bridge on the Silver Strand.
This project will remove and reconstruct
4,300 linear feet of Western Red Cedar Split
Rail Fence at the inland edge of a public access trail on the east bank of Ballona Lagoon,
located between Via Marina and Via Dolce.
Currently, a good portion of the existing split
rail fence has been damaged by termites,
natural aging and the harsh ocean environment and some portions of the fence have
literally fallen over. The existing fence is
beyond repair, and in its current condition, it
has become a safety concern to the residents
that use this walking path. Another concern
is the fence can no longer act as a barrier to
keep domestic pets outside of the ecologically
sensitive natural habitat along this side of the
Ballona Lagoon. This fencing project will
improve public safety along the trail as well
reestablish protection of the sensitive habitat
within the lagoon’s protective buffer.
Gary Lee Moore made the opening remarks
noting with good humor that Bill Rosendahl
had called him periodically about the fence
saying: 1) “Let’s DO this”; 2) “This needs to
be DONE”; 3) “This HAS to be done” 4) “This
has to be done NOW!” And so on, until it
was DONE!
He also thanked the Council District 11
Office for finding project funding for this fence
reconstruction project through the Venice
City Engineer Gary Lee Moore
speaking at the event.
Page 4
City Staff, l to r: Barry Berggren, Sanitation; Mike Brown; Ding Lee; Hans Chang; Michelle
Vargas, PAO; City Engineer Gary Lee Moore; Lauren Skinner, PAO; Iraj Moussay-Afzali; Greg
Pifer, Con Ad.
Photos by Public Works Public Affairs Office
Area Real Property Surplus Fund, and resident
Brad Cox and Fred Karlsen, who met with City
and Council staff at the Downtown Public
Works Building to provide their comments
concerning the project.
Councilmember Rosendahl discussed the
history of the project and described meeting with SSMHOA members at the annual
homeowner meetings. He declared them a
“formidable bunch of people” to be reckoned
with including such heavy weights as a Los
Angeles Superior Court Judge. The City has
also agreed to restore the deteriorated natural
history signs along the lagoon. The contractor is PPC Construction. The work will begin
Councilmember Bill Rosendahl.
in January and be completed by the end of
February 2012.
Kudos go to Mike Brown, Street &
Stormwater Division Manager; Susan Shu,
Stormwater Group Manager; Ding Lee,
Project Manager, Stormwater Group; Hans
Chang, Project Engineer, Stormwater Group;
Iraj Moussay-Afzali, Construction Manager,
Stormwater Group; Nadir Shah, Construction
Engineer, Stormwater Group; Andy Delacruz,
Design Engineer, Stormwater Group; Environmental Management Group Manager Jim
Doty; William Jones, Environmental Specialist II; and everyone else involved with the
project.
The community turned out to show their support for the replacement of the fence.
Engineering Newsletter - 12/14/11
BOE Project Central Ave. Constituent Services Center
Wins 2011 Green Roof & Wall Award of Excellence
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, an organization headquartered in Toronto, Canada, has
awarded the 2011 Green Roof and Wall Award
of Excellence in the Intensive Institutional
category to the Central Avenue Constituent
Services Center project. The presentation was
made at the Awards Luncheon at CitiesAlive:
The 9th Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference in Philadelphia on December 2, 2011.
The Central Ave. CSC was also profiled in the
Fall Issue of the Living Architecture Monitor
and in the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
website at www.greenroofs.org.
The Central Avenue Constituent Service
Center is a 9,300 sq-ft facility located at
4301 S. Central Avenue in south Los Angeles, completed in the Spring of 2010. The
two structures on the site are comprised of a
7,400 sq-ft public office building and a 1,900
sq-ft training room. The site includes the two
structures, a public plaza, 30 parking spaces,
and features sustainable design elements such
as a 7,000 sq ft vegetated (Green Roof), sun
tracking solar panels, a storm-water cistern
and a site fence that incorporates and vegetation. This project has been designed to meet
the LEED Silver requirements.
The vegetated roof incorporates native and drought tolerant planting, as well as several vegetated trellis units.
Aerial view of the green roof of the Central Avenue Constituent Services Center, plus the sun tracking photovoltaic (solar) panels.
The vegetated roof not only provides a much needed green space for this urban site, but it also provides an education opportunity to the
children within the neighborhood.
Engineering Newsletter - 12/14/11
Page 5
Bureau of Engineering Group Photos
We are sharing the recent photos taken of the different
groups/divisions in the Bureau of Engineering. In the
past they were run in alphabetical order. This time, we
decided to run the photos in reverse order. Thanks go
to Richard Liu, who coordinated this project and also
took the photos, and to all the division coordinators who
assisted in this effort.
Land Development Group
Establishes conditions for the approval of City land use
entitlement applications, subdivision tract map, parcel
map and other subdivision of land applications. Reviews
and processes final tract and parcel maps. Performs
right-of-way investigations for quitclaim of easements,
acceptance and relinquishment of future street easements, public and private street naming and re-naming.
Coordinates, investigates and processes street closure
and street vacation applications.
1st Row: Georgic Avanesian, Edmond Yew, Jackie Calvin,
Quyen Phan. 2nd Row: Ray Saidi, Joseph Gnade, Danny
Ho, Ken Alson, Phillip Martinez. Not Pictured: Gregory
Thompson, Dale Williams.
Mapping Group
Creates, maintains, updates and distributes the Bureau’s centralized Geographic Information System’s data, including the land base, street
centerline, addresses, sewer and wye data, and storm drainage data; Performs data analysis to support various engineering planning and design functions; Prepares customized maps, upon request, for the Bureau, City Attorney, Council, Mayor and other city departments; Programs
and supports online permit applications; Maintains and updates Navigate LA and other web based tools that utilize geographic information.
Maintains the City’s official land ownership records.
1st Row: Les Fleming, Brian Yoder, Ann-Kristin Karling, Luis Montemayor, Randy Price, Mike Honan, Cathy Georgescu, Lisa Ha, Ricardo Najera.
2nd Row: Nathan Neumann, Ed Cortes, Mark Nuesca, Philips Nguyen, Rudy Preciado, Judy Stockli, Jerry Del Rosario, Richard Fernandez. 3rd
Row: Raul Garcia, Kirk Bishop, Michael Lee, Nancy Ballard, Mas Fujinami, Doris Panaligan, Earl Horne. 4th Row: Raul Virgen, Elroy Johnson,
Patrice Gin, Selma Chit, Vincent Sam, Jimmy Lam. 5th Row: Kevin Eick, Ronald Chastain, Nemecio Respicio, James Yano. Not Pictured: Sepala
Amarasena, Essam Amarragy, Brian Bennett, Rikki Bilderback, Henry Cheney, Mariann Karish, Eric Moore, Bruni Pelletier.
Page 6
Engineering Newsletter - 12/14/11
Project Award and Control Division
Prepares, completes and performs a quality assurance review for all bid packages to advertise construction contracts, and prepares construction contract award reports to the Board of Public Works. Serves as the Bureau’s expert in MBE/WBE/DBE requirements and the Mandatory
Subcontracting Minimums for construction contracts. Maintains the Bureau’s standard contracts for construction projects and personal services,
and is the custodian of record for all Bureau of Engineering technical audits. Maintains a public counter for distribution of bid documents, plan
holder lists, lists of projects out to bid and BOE plans. Serves as the Bureau’s utility coordination expert and is responsible for coordination of
utility work for construction projects. Maintains the Uniform Project Reporting System (UPRS), which reports and updates the scope, budget
and schedule for the design and construction of all BOE projects. Maintains the Personal Services Contracting System (PSCS), which reports
and updates the current status of all BOE consultant contracts.
1st Row: Rey Sison, Roxanne Villa, Ray Jadali, Ted Allen, Dominic Buenaventura, Harry Tso, Ralph Shovlin. 2nd Row:
Kenneth Montgomery, Katrina Tabirara, Charles Entz, Johny Sosa, Rolf Clever, Ivory Hudson, Jerome Anderson. 3rd Row:
Jerry Pointer, Nur Malhis, David Ventura, Robert Mancuso, Delia Velazquez, Dante Henderson. 4th Row: Armand Pascua,
Doris McLaurin, Miu-Ying Tam, Roman Barajas, Annabel Nuno, Terrie Reed. Not Pictured: Bettye Blevins, Nga Nguyen,
John Talcott, Laurence Tillett, Maryanne Yee, Ray Zabala, James Zabala.
Proposition O Program,
Clean Water Bond
Proposition O authorized $500 million of
general obligation bonds for projects to protect public health by cleaning up pollution,
including bacteria and trash, in the City’s
watercourses, beaches and the ocean, to
meet Federal Clean Water Act requirements.
Proposition O will also fund improvements
to protect water quality, provide flood protection, and increase water conservation, habitat
protection, and open space. The bonds allow
the City to purchase property and/or improve
municipal properties for projects that:
• Protect rivers, lakes, beaches, and the
ocean
• Conserve and protect drinking water and
other waters sources
• Reduce flooding and use neighborhood
parks to decrease polluted runoff
• Capture, clean up, and reuse stormwater
The Proposition O Implementation Program
manages the design and construction of these
projects and coordinates the funding of projects managed by other agencies and other
City departments or bureaus.
Engineering Newsletter - 12/14/11
1st Row: Adam Coghill, Iftekhar Ahmed, Kendrick Okuda, Alfred Mata, John Saldin. 2nd Row:
Monique Parker, Salem Garawi, Andy Flores, Joanna Tesoro, Naushin Kamal, Uyen Lam.
Page 7
What to do in an Earthquake - Drop, Cover and Hold On
Learn what to do during an earthquake,
whether you’re at home, at work, at school or
just out and about. Taking the proper actions,
such as “Drop, Cover, and Hold On”, can save
lives and reduce your risk of death or injury.
DO NOT Head for the Doorway - An
enduring earthquake image of California is a
collapsed adobe home with the door frame
as the only standing part. From this came our
belief that a doorway is the safest place to be
during an earthquake. True—if you live in an
old, unreinforced adobe house. In modern
houses, doorways are no stronger than any
other part of the house. You are safer taking
cover under a sturdy table or desk.
If you are…
Indoors: Drop, cover, and hold on. During earthquakes, drop to the floor, take cover
under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to
it firmly. Be prepared to move with it until
the shaking stops. If you are not near a desk
or table, drop to the floor against the interior
wall and protect your head and neck with
your arms. Avoid exterior walls, windows,
hanging objects, mirrors, tall furniture, large
appliances, and kitchen cabinets with heavy
objects or glass. Do not go outside!
In bed: If you are in bed, hold on and stay
there, protecting your head with a pillow.
You are less likely to be injured staying where
you are. Broken glass on the floor has caused
injury to those who have rolled to the floor or
LAFCU Open to All SoCal
Residents
LAFCU press release:
Los Angeles, CA (November 2, 2011) - In
response to the outcry over increasing financial institution fees and high-rate loans, Los
Angeles Federal Credit Union (LAFCU) is
urging Southern California residents to “move
their money” and loans to LAFCU. A better
financial solution, LAFCU offers free debit
cards and fee-free, interest-earning checking
accounts, free mobile services, along with
low-rates on vehicle loans, home loans, credit
cards, and more. For anyone interested in
moving their money, LAFCU has “switch kit”
forms on their website and in branches so
SoCal residents can easily make the switch
to LAFCU.
Established in 1936, LAFCU is a safe,
secure financial institution that offers comprehensive, discounted financial products
and services to fit every budget and lifestyle. A
well-capitalized financial institution, LAFCU
has money to lend and holds true to the credit
union philosophy of “people helping people.”
Anyone living in the Greater Los Angeles area,
including most cities in Southern California, is
eligible to join. For information about LAFCU,
including membership and their range of
financial products and services, visit www.
LAFCU.org, call (877) MY LAFCU (695-2328),
or stop by one of their branches.
Page 8
tried to get to doorways.
In a high-rise: Drop, cover, and hold on.
Avoid windows and other hazards. Do not
use elevators. Do not be surprised if sprinkler
systems or fire alarms activate.
Outdoors: Move to a clear area if you can
safely do so; avoid power lines, trees, signs,
buildings, vehicles, and other hazards. The
area near the exterior walls of a building is
the most dangerous place to be. Windows,
facades and architectural details are often the
first parts of the building to collapse. To stay
away from this danger zone, stay inside if you
are inside and outside if you are outside.
Driving: Pull over to the side of the road,
stop, and set the parking brake. Avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs and other
hazards. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking is over. If a power line falls on the car,
stay inside until a trained person removes
the wire.
In a stadium or theater: Stay at your seat
and protect your head and neck with your
arms. Don’t try to leave until the shaking is
over. Then walk out slowly watching for anything that could fall in the aftershocks.
Near the beach: Drop, cover, and hold
on until the shaking stops. Estimate how long
the shaking lasts. If severe shaking lasts 20
seconds or more, immediately evacuate to
high ground as a tsunami might have been
generated by the earthquake. Move inland 3
kilometers (2 miles) or to land that is at least 30
meters (100 feet) above sea level immediately.
Don’t wait for officials to issue a warning.
Walk quickly, rather than drive, to avoid traffic, debris and other hazards.
Below a dam: Dams can fail during a major
earthquake. Catastrophic failure is unlikely,
but if you are downstream from a dam, you
should know flood-zone information and have
prepared an evacuation plan.
Adapted from Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country, published by the Southern
California Earthquake Center and available
online at www.earthquakecountry.info/roots
Personal Safety - Holiday Season Reminders
It’s the holiday season and it’s easy to get distracted. Please keep in mind to ensure your
safety when you are out and about or at work.
Here are some personal safety tips:
Always Be Prepared
• Stay alert and be aware of those around
you.
• Learn crime prevention tactics.
• Be aware of areas that make you vulnerable to crime (e.g., alleys, isolated parking
lots, etc.)
Street Precautions
• Travel with a friend, whenever possible.
• Stay in well-lit areas.
• Walk confidently and at a steady pace.
• Make eye contact with people when walking.
• Do not respond to conversation from
strangers on the street, continue walking.
• If you carry a purse, hold it securely between your arm and your body.
Car Safety
• Always lock car doors entering or leaving
your car.
• Park in well-lit areas. Keep your keys inhand when approaching your car.
• Check the back seat before entering your
car.
• If you think you are being followed, drive
to a public place or a police, sheriff or fire
station.
Waiting for a Bus
• Avoid isolated bus stops.
• Stand away from the curb until the bus
arrives.
• Do not open your purse or wallet while
boarding the bus.
• Do not flash your jewelry. (e.g., turn your
rings so the stones do not show).
Office Security
• Never leave your purse or billfold in plain
view or in the pocket of a jacket hanging
on a door.
• Do not leave cash or valuables at the office.
• Be alert for pickpockets on crowded elevators.
• Report all suspicious people and activities
to the proper authorities.
• Be aware of escape routes for emergencies.
• If you work alone or before/after normal
business hours, keep the office door
locked.
• If you work late, find another employee or
a security guard to walk out with you.
• If you are in the elevator with another
person, stand near the control panel. If
you are attacked, press the alarm and as
many of the control buttons as possible.
If a Crime Occurs Report It!
• It is your personal responsibility to report
crime. Many criminals target favorite areas
and have predictable methods of operation.
• When you report all the facts about a
crime, it helps the police assign officers
to places where crimes are occurring. Fifty
percent of crimes in the United States go
unreported, either because people do not
think the police can do anything about
it, or because people do not want to get
involved.
• In many cases, it is the information provided by victims and witnesses that lead
to the arrest of criminal. Tell the police as
much as you know; no fact is too trivial.
The police need the eyes and ears of everyone who lives or works in Los Angeles.
Engineering Newsletter - 12/14/11
Hydraulics Research Lab Spruced Up for Water Environment
Federation Technical Conference 2011 Tour
The Water Environment Federation Technical
Conference (WEFTEC) took place in Los Angeles from October 15, 2011 through October
19, 2011. BOE’s Hydraulics Research Lab was
offered as part of WEFTEC “Facility Tours”.
The Hydraulics Lab (HRL) has been in operation since 1947. HRL was commissioned
to its current location in 1970. Research has
taken place conducive to model building and
observation, and report preparation for very
unique projects elements such as ECIS’ 23rd
and San Pedro Drop Structure, NEIS Humboldt
Drop Structure, Slauson Van Ness Diversion
Structure, COS Storm Drain Siphon to just
name a few.
HRL Lab Guru Kent Welling reports that
the tour was a success with models being run
so that attendees could enjoy what our Lab
had to offer.
Thanks to the clean up committee and
crew for the effort made to spruce up the lab
for the tour: Samara Ali-Ahmad, Keith Hanks,
Kent Welling, Andrias Badalian, Ansar Mustafa, Can Chow, Frank Salazar, Kaleed Abram,
John Lasmarias, Robert Huning, Richard
Pedrozo, Robert Sanchez, Tri Kha, Tri Lam
and Vivian Lui (BOE); Ali Poosti, Barry Berggren and Scott Hare (BOS). Special recognition goes to former HRL staff Fuh-Shing Pan,
Wayne Kubo, Gil Garnas, and Walter Naydo,
who came out of retirement to help with this
important tour.
The WEFTEC HRL tour sold out rapidly
and was so popular that a supplemental tour
was held for a delegation from Singapore on
October 20, 2011.
Present and former Hydraulics Research Lab managers, l to
r: Kent Welling, Fuh-Shing Pan, Wayne Kubo, Gil Garnas, and
Walt Naydo.
Engineering Newsletter - 12/14/11
A delegation from Singapore also toured the Hydraulics Research
Lab.
Page 9
BOE Employees Receive Service Pins
On November 16, 2011, at the Management
Team meeting, City Engineer Gary Lee Moore
presented 20-Year Pins and Certificates to the
following employees in recognition of their
years of City service:
Rebecca Abano
Raymundo Araujo
Edward Arrington
Richard Campbell
Jaime Contreras
Jacob John
William Jones
Didar Khandker
Kesavan Korand
Buu Luu
Ejike Mbaruguru
Mark Nakata
Valentino Pueblos
Catalina Santo Domingo
Vernon Tabirara
Charles “Greg” Vandergriff
Allen Wang
Shelley Wong
Seated, l to r: Shelley Wong, Valentino Pueblos, Gary Lee Moore, Rebecca Abano, Catalina
Santo Domingo. Standing: William Jones, Richard Campbell, Allen Wang, Ejike Mbaruguru,
Buu Luu, Vernon Tabirara, Mark Nakata.
Charity Jacket Drive
Dear friends and colleagues:
“When different talents come together, beautiful things happen.”
In the past, our colleagues at 1149 South
Broadway distributed blankets and jackets
to less fortunate residents in Downtown Los
Angeles. This generosity kept many people
warm during the Christmas Season. Soon
thereafter, various organizations showed
their interest and asked us to inform them of
future events.
This is an event arranged by our family
at the Public Works Building. Please join us
as we embark on the 2011 Blanket & Jacket
Drive. All donations (cash, checks, blankets
and jackets) are appreciated. We will be distributing the goods purchased by your donations in Downtown Los Angeles on December
15 at 12:00 noon.
Checks shall be made payable to the nonprofit organization Los Angeles Association
of Black Personnel (LAABP). Please keep the
return checks for tax deduction purposes. We
are in the process of finding more nonprofit
organizations to partner with us. We will
provide an expanded list of non profits for
your donations when available.
There is absolutely no administration fee
associated with this heart-driven effort. One
hundred percent (100%) of all donations are
spent buying blankets and jackets for the
homeless. (Friendly reminder that is a volunteer effort and not to be done during your
regular working hours.)
We are currently negotiating the prices with
vendors this year for blankets and jackets. So
far, we have received donations of tote bags,
boxes of women’s cosmetics, men’s toiletries
and children toys and stationery. The second
year of this effort, the donations allowed us
to buy 100 jackets/blankets, which multiplied
and grew into the thousands of jackets, shampoos, bags, beauty supplies and blankets-a
miraculous effort by the people who gave to
those in need during the holidays.
The following team members should be
contacted to accept your donations:
Cora Jackson-Fossett
213-978-0319
Sharon Loudd
213-978-7376
Holly Lawson
213-485-2919
Jeong Park
213-485-5313
Katrina Forbes
213-485-5853
Varouj Abkian
213-485-2894
Maryam Azarbayjani (chair) 310-575-8651
Don’t forget that “A Candle loses nothing
by lighting another candle.” We thank you
in advance for participating in this, Happy
Holidays!
Latest Letterhead
Seated, l to r: Didar Khandker, Kesavan Korand, Gary Lee Moore, Edward Arrington, Jacob
John. Standing: Raymundo Araujo, Charles “Greg” Vandergriff, Jaime Contreras.
Page 10
The latest version of the Bureau of Engineering
letterhead template is always available from
the Engineering Forms Library under the category Correspondence on the BOE intranet.
Engineering Newsletter - 12/14/11
Construction Management Association of America, So Cal Chapter Seminars
The Construction Management Association
of America Southern California Chapter is
offering the following seminars.
Construction Law Update 2012 on Thursday, January 19, 2012, 8:00 - 8:30 am Registration & Continental Breakfast, 8:30 - 10:30
am Seminar, at The Grand Conference Center,
4101 E. Willow Street , Long Beach, CA..
Topics to be covered:
• Bid Protests and Competitive Bidding
• Prevailing Wage Law
• Construction Defects
• Contractor’s License Law
• Prompt Payment Laws
• Public Private Partnerships
• Arbitration
• . . . And more
Seminar Instructors: Kevin Collins, Esq. & Kyle
Ostergard, Esq. Alston + Bird
Cost: Register by 5pm - Friday, January 13
$70/person CMAA Members, $110/person
Non-Members. Register after January 13
$85/person CMAA Members, $135/person
Non-Members
Includes:
• Complimentary parking
• Continental breakfast
• Comprehensive handout
Breakfast of Champions on Thursday,
January 19, 2012, 8:00-8:30 am Registration,
Presentation 8:30-9:30 am, at Downtown LA
Marriott, 333 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA.
Jacob Williams serves as the Assistant Director
of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. He is responsible for the management and delivery of the Los Angeles County
Capital Projects Program currently valued in
excess of $3 billion. Jacob has led the County
of Los Angeles on a diverse array of project
types including Health, Sheriff, Probation,
Fire, Libraries, Information Technology, Parks
& Recreation, Beaches, and Administration.
With the Hall of Justice and MLK Hospital in full swing, Mr. Williams will discuss
upcoming County of Los Angeles Capital
Projects including the Jail Program, Data
Center and Rancho Los Amigos Hospital, as
well as a discussion of the role that alternate
delivery models like Design-Build are playing in the competitive environment of our
procurements.
Cost: Register by 5pm - Friday, January 13
$70/person CMAA Members, $110/person
Non-Members. Register after January 13
$85/person CMAA Members, $135/person
Non-Members
Walt Disney Imagineering - Collaborating
on Their Design & Construction Process on
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 5:30 - 6:30
pm Registration & Networking Reception,
6:30 - 8:00 pm Dinner & Presentation, at The
Grand Conference Center, 4101 E. Willow
Street, Long Beach, CA.
Three years ago, Walt Disney Imagineering
Engineering Newsletter - 12/14/11
(WDI) began initial steps toward delivering
projects through BIM enabled Integrated
Project Delivery. With a Big Room beginning,
WDI has been leading a team of designers,
architects, engineers, contractors and construction managers through a collaborative
design and construction process and on to a
successful turnover of new projects at Disney
California Adventure. Please join David Van
Wyk and James Kearns with WDI as they
discuss the motivation behind their shift in
delivery and what they are learning in the
process, along with how Integrated Delivery
is changing the face of WDI project implementation.
Guest Speakers from Walt Disney Imagineering: David Van Wyk, Vice President,
Project and Construction Management; James
Kearns, Vice President, Project Management
Cost: Register by 5pm - Friday, Jan. 20
is $70/person CMAA Members, $110/person Non-Members. Register after Jan. 20 is
$85/person CMAA Members, $135/person
Non-Members.
Solving the Delay Puzzle - Measurement,
Analysis & Documentation on Thursday, January 26, 2012, 8:00 - 8:30 am Registration &
Continental Breakfast, 8:30 - 10:30 am Seminar, at The Grand Conference Center, 4101 E.
Willow Street , Long Beach, CA.
Many construction projects face delays
for one reason or another. The key is to
learn the best way to deal with delays. Time
truly is money, especially in construction.
Consequently, being able to determine and
document delay is a crucial skill for owners,
contractors, subs, design consultants, project
/ construction managers and their legal teams.
Step-by-step, real-life examples will allow
you to see how the concepts and techniques
presented are actually applied. At the conclusion of the seminar, you will be able to
identify and quantify delays before they occur,
preventing unnecessary disputes and claims.
Learning objectives:
• Understand key terms used in analyzing
delays
• Analyze delays that have yet to occur and
after they occur
• Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of
common approaches to the analysis of
delay
• Understand the importance of contemporaneous documents
• Specify what schedules should be used to
analyze delays
• Important contract provisions
• Calculate, measure and determine delays
Seminar Instructor: Geoff Page, Managing
Director - Trauner Consulting
Cost: Register by 5pm - Friday, Jan. 20
- $70/person CMAA Members, $110/person
Non-Members. Register after January 20
- $85/person CMAA Members, $135/person
Non-Members.
CCM Application Workshop on Thursday,
January 26, 2012, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm at the
Marriott, Los Angeles Downtown, 333 S.
Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071.
If you have decided to pursue your
Construction Manager Certification (CCM),
looked at the application process and found it
complicated, this Workshop is for you. This is
your opportunity to meet Certified Construction Managers members of CMAA Southern
CA Chapter CCM Committee who mentored
CCM candidates and provided assistance to
many current CCMs.
This workshop will include overview and
discussion of the application, requirements,
the entire certification process, final exam,
and questions and answers. If you have drafted
your application and need guidance to complete it, this workshop is for you as well.
This session is to help you answer any
questions you may have about the application. Members of CMAA S CA Chapter CCM
Committee will follow up to review a draft of
your application to ensure completeness and
will mentor you through the final exam.
The CCM packet including application,
information, and questions and answers is
available at: http://www.cmaasc.org/pdfs/
ccm_applicant_packet.pdf
For additional information please go to
http://cmaanet.org/cmci/
Please RSVP by Friday, January 13, 2012,
to reserve your place at this complimentary
CCM Application Workshop
Delkhaste Commended
This e-mail was sent to the City Engineer:
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 4:32 PM
Hi Gary.
I just wanted to write you to provide some
feedback on one of your employees, Jon
Delkhaste. For the past several years he has
been extremely helpful in helping to get the
installation of the city sewer line on my street
(Warbler Way). The sewer was just installed,
and even though technically off of Jon’s
responsibility list at this point, he has still
followed up to make sure that all is going
smoothly – truly fantastic service!
Also, it should be noted that during the
construction, Alfred Garcia was quite attentive and helpful.
I can imagine that you mostly hear negative
feedback, so I do think that it is important to
note the high quality service both of these
individuals have provided.
If you have any questions, please let me
know.
Many thanks,
Stacy Kincaid
Page 11
Transfer Opportunities
The following transfer opportunities are
availalbe. If you are interested, contact the
office below by Friday, January 6, 2012:
Civil Engineering Associate II
SSD - Jeannie Park
213 485-5109
Structural Engineering Associate II
SSD - Jeannie Park
213 485-5109
Environmental Engineering Associate II
SSD - Jeannie Park
213 485-5109
Promotions
Robert Nielsen & James Lantry, Sr Survey
Supervisor, SUR.
Internal Transfers
Albert Tam, Structural Engineering Associate
II, from WCE to WCC.
Council/Board Liaison
Transfer Opportunity
There is a unique transfer opportunity for an
Engineering or Architectural Associate for a
rotational assignment to represent the Bureau
of Engineering at City Council and Board of
Public Works meetings. This is a tremendous
opportunity to learn how the City operates, as
you deal directly with Councilmembers and
Commissioners, work with Bureau management, and become familiar with the larger
perspective of how the Bureau fits into the rest
of the City structure. For more information or
questions about the position, please contact
Richard Liu at (213) 978-2074 or Richard.
[email protected]. To apply, please e-mail your
resume and letter of interest, no longer than
one page in length, to Candice Arnold ([email protected]) by Thursday, January
12, 2012.
Notice No. 25
Notice No. 25 dated December 2, 2011, titled
Rotation Program states that the Bureau is
preparing for the Rotation of Civil, Structural,
and Environmental Engineering Associates.
Participation in the Rotation Program is limited
to all Associate I’s & II’s who were identified
on a list attached to the Notice.
Associates identified on the attached
list must fill out the Bureau of Engineering
Rotation Preference Sheet located at: http://
boedata.eng.ci.la.ca.us/forms/index.htm and
return it electronically to Ray Rueda, Personnel & Employee Relations Section, no later
than December 19, 2011. Associates should
not deviate from the directions on the form.
The preference requests will be compiled by
the Personnel & Employee Relations Section
for placement. The date of the Rotation has
not been finalized.
The Associates, the Group Managers, and
the Senior Managers affected by the Rotation
will receive the Associates’ new rotational assignment in advance of the scheduled Rotation
date. If you have any questions, please call
Ray Rueda at (213) 485-5122.
Employee Conduct
Mayor’s November 28, 2011 message to all
City Department Heads:
As I am sure you are aware, there has been
a steady stream of incidents involving inappropriate and illegal behavior of City employees
both on the job and off duty. While these
inappropriate and/or illegal acts have been
perpetuated by a relatively small percentage of
City employees, this type of behavior reflects
negatively on City leaders, managers, as well
as the vast majority of the City’s workforce
and erodes the public’s trust in our ability to
manage the City.
As General Managers you are responsible
for maintaining the public’s trust that we are
diligent stewards of our scarce City resources.
I expect you and your departments to conform
to a high standard of transparency and in accordance with the City’s rules, policies, and
procedures and to pursue any and all appropriate disciplinary action in an efficient and
timely manner.
To that end, I am attaching Personnel Policy
33, Disciplinary Action: Policy and Procedure, for your review. As department heads,
you are directed to continue enforcing these
guidelines, and holding employees to high
standards of performance and personal conduct. While it may be impossible to prevent
some personal misconduct, the importance of
continually assessing your workforce cannot
be overstated. Resources exist, such as the
Employee Assistance Program and the City’s
Workplace Violence Threat Assessment Team,
to help departments deal with situations when
they first arise. It is incumbent upon you to
empower your supervisors and managers to
detect and address issues at the earliest possible stage and before they escalate.
In the case of suspected illegal conduct,
the LAPD should be involved. Thus, the Chief
of Police is hereby instructed to work with
General Managers to investigate employees
suspected of criminal activity in the course
of their duties.
Each General Manager’s performance will
be assessed and each General Manager will
be held accountable for the performance of
the Department’s workforce. As I informed you
at our meeting yesterday, I have appointed a
task force consisting of the General Manager
of the Personnel Department, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Counsel to the
Mayor, to begin developing guidelines and
tools for you to address fraud, waste, and
abuse and other issues involving inappropriate
personal conduct. Additional guidance will
be forthcoming.
We’d Like to Hear from You
If you have any articles for the Newsletter, please e-mail them directly to
[email protected]. Also cc: Myrna
Braithwaite ([email protected])
Administrative Services Division. Deadline for
the next issue is Thursday, January 5, 2011.
Christmas & New Year
Holidays
Because Christmas and New Years fall on
Sundays, Monday, December 26 2011, and
January 2, 2012 are City holidays. Remember
to mark your timesheet for those days as HO
8.0. Since the holiday is only for eight hours,
those of you on the 9/80 schedule must adjust
your hours accordingly within the same pay
period. (Non-FLSA exempt employees can
only adjust their hours within their defined
work week.) Check with your division timekeeper if you have any questions.
Floating Holiday Reminder
Have you taken your Floating Holiday yet?
Floating Holidays not taken by December 31,
2011 will be lost. A Floating Holiday is only 8
hours so if you are on the 9/80 schedule you
must make up the time by: Working an extra
hour in the same pay period; using vacation
time; or, for 9/80 employees, making the Floating Holiday your short day. (Note: Non-FLSA
exempt employees can only adjust their hours
within their defined work week.)
In the past some employees have made
errors in the use of Floating Holidays which
caused their paychecks to be short. Don’t let
this happen to you - keep in mind the following: A Floating Holiday is only 8 hours
and must be taken in a full 8 hour increment.
Braille Device
The Department on Disability has announced
that an updated Braille Translation Program
was received and installed in a computer connected to a Braille device, which is located at
the Central Duplicating Center in the LA Mall.
Departments can now produce braille materials for individuals who request them.
Newsletter Submissions
We are always pleased to receive submissions
for the Newsletter. There are a few tips that
we’d like to be kept in mind. Please do not
submit articles using the “table” or “column”
feature of WordPerfect or MS Word. It will
not translate correctly. Instead, just use tabs.
If you have photos, please send them in their
native format, i.e., jpg or tif. Do not place
photos in a word processing document. Also,
please run your article through spell check
and make sure all names are spelled correctly
before submitting it. Again, thanks to all for
their contributions.
Happy Holidays
Los Angeles City Department of Public Works
Bureau of Engineering
1149 South Broadway, Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90015
http://eng.lacity.org
The Engineering Newsletter is published monthly by the
Administrative Services Division for employees of the
Bureau of Engineering.