12-11-11 Newsletter.indd
Transcription
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.