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WEEKLY BRIEFS City of Arvada internal news Feb. 6, 2023 Get to know our new Chief of Police, Ed Brady Watch this new video to get to know our new Chief of Police, Ed Brady! Mayor Williams interviews Chief Brady about the Chief’s new position after 29 years with the Arvada PD, the importance of being an accredited organization and coping with the loss of two officers in a short period of time. You’ll also get an introduction to the Arvada Police Department's new incident command van! You can also learn more about Chief Brady and his career on the City’s website. New Arvada Post Office mural celebrates shared connections with loved ones far away Colorado-based artist Marco Antonio Garcia recently completed his new mural near the Allison Street Post Office in Arvada (5885 Allison St., Arvada, CO). Garcia titled the mural “La Letra,” which means “the letter” in Spanish. The mural tells a story about the important connections we maintain with loved ones who live far away through the letters and packages we send in the mail. Watch this video and visit the City’s website to learn more about the mural. This mural project was proposed by an Arvada resident and is funded by the Arvada Arts and Culture Commission, a resident-led commission whose mission is to support, cultivate, and advocate for a variety of arts, culture, and heritage opportunities throughout our community. You can visit the City’s website to learn more about the Commission. The Water Tower will be lit up for Valentine’s Day, Tues. Feb. 14 Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Organizational Service Effectiveness Work System Send in your nominations for Employee of Quarter 1 by Feb. 28 Do you have a colleague whose work you’d like to recognize and celebrate? Make sure to check out the new Employee and Team Recognition page on Inside Arvada and send in your nominations for Employee of Quarter 1 before February 28th! Make sure to include: ● Who you are nominating ● Why you are nominating them ● Which value they embodied (Innovation, Opportunity, Passion) At the end of the 4th Quarter, the Employee Committee will take all twelve winners and vote for an Employee of the Year for each value. You can also send in your nominations for Team of the Year at any time in 2023. Upcoming changes to Trakstar In the next week or so you will see some changes to your performance review in Trakstar, specifically the addition of new competencies and the consolidation of the City’s Values. Working together with the City’s Leadership Team, we will be adding the following: ● Workplace Safety measurement: We are adding a Workplace Safety goal to all performance reviews. ● Core Competencies: Customer Focused and Results Driven. You are likely familiar with them from the question asked each year on the current reviews regarding these core competencies. We will now rate employee performance in these areas, as well as, providing the ability to set specific measurements around these new competencies. There will also be a change to the City Values. Employees will notice that the City’s Core Values are now consolidated into one measurement that encompasses Innovation, Passion, and Opportunity. Managers and employees can set specific measurements for completion of work goals that specifically align with one or more of the Core Values. With the addition of the Workplace Safety measurement and Core Competencies, it will be necessary to score these new areas when completing both the employee’s self-review and the manager’s review of employee performance. If anyone has general questions, needs assistance with setting up measurements or has questions on how to rate employees on these new areas of your review, please feel free to contact Jeff Monzingo (x 7573) or Scott Jarvis (x7571). Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Regenexx, “The Trusted Alternative to Orthopedic Surgery,” is covered under your health plan HR has been receiving questions from City team members as to whether Regenexx is a legitimate service covered by our insurance. The answer is yes! Regenexx is the latest enhancement to our benefits and provides an alternative to surgery for certain conditions. There are several ways that you can learn more about this treatment: ● Watch this informational video to receive an in-depth overview of how Regenexx orthopedic regenerative treatments and research are designed to produce the best possible outcomes for patients with orthopedic conditions, joint injuries, arthritis or spine pain. ● Read this flyer and register for an upcoming webinar to understand the conditions that can be treated with Regenex and how to get started if you are interested. ● Visit the Regenexx website. If you have additional questions about this benefit, contact HR Coordinator Alyssa Howell at [EMAIL REDACTED]. Sign up for a Feb. 22 workshop on digital accessibility and inclusion with sight, sound, and more Are you curious about the number and variety of digital tools appearing on the market for civic engagement? Want to learn more about how you can improve digital usability in your projects for people with disabilities, improve inclusion and provide a better user experience for everyone? Learn what it looks like to apply an accessibility-first mindset in digital civic engagement when you attend this online workshop on Enhancing Digital Accessibility - Sight, Sound, and More. Participants will leave with actionable tips to make accessibility improvements right away. The workshop will take place on Feb. 22 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. MST and costs $20 for members of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), which all City team members are. Reach out to Engagement Coordinator Emily Kolm at [EMAIL REDACTED] if you’re interested, and she will help you register and potentially assist with cost on an as-needed basis. Here’s how to view internal job postings All internal job opportunities are posted on our internal job link and on Inside Arvada under the “Employee Resources” tab. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Arvada University Update Register in advance on the Arvada University Learning Calendar. Contact Judson Smith ([EMAIL REDACTED]) with questions. Session/topic Date Time and/or resource link Federal Contracts (online) Feb. 10 from 1 to 2 p.m. Register on ArvadaU First Aid (in-person) Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Register on ArvadaU CPR (in-person) Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Register on ArvadaU Project Management (in-person) Feb. 15 from 1 to 5 p.m. Register on ArvadaU Stop the Bleed March 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. Register on ArvadaU Evacuate, Evade, and Defend: Active Shooter (required) New Dates Added: March 17, March 27 and April 13 Register on ArvadaU DEI Black History Month: Learn about the life and work of Burnis McCloud, award-winning photographer February is Black History Month, and we are honoring the achievements and history of African Americans in Colorado and the nation. This week, we highlight the life and work of Burnis McCloud. Mr. McCloud was an award-winning photographer who created the largest visual record of Denver's African American history. He took photographs of African Americans where they lived, worked and socialized. He took pictures ranging from the most mundane parts of daily life to the best-attended social events held by Denver's African American elite. He also took photos of visits by leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and photographed the activities of civil rights organizations for the Urban League and the N.A.A.C.P. During his lifetime, most white-dominated newspapers, such as the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post, would not cover social and cultural events held by the black community. As a result, Mr. McCloud's photographs are the largest documentation of what life was like for African Americans in Denver from the 1930s through the 1980s. He also had a weekly feature in the Denver Weekly News, Denver's largest African American newspaper. He was known for making everyone – no matter if they were famous or not – feel important when he took their photograph. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- When Burnis McCloud passed away in 1990, he left behind the single largest collection of historic photographs of Denver's African American community. He was instrumental in making sure that both the lives of ordinary African Americans and historic events were preserved for the future. You can view a large collection of McCloud's archived photographs at the Denver Public Library's Western History department. You can also visit the Denver Public Library's website to learn more about his life and work. Don’t forget to register for a Feb. 16 workshop on how to create belonging in the workplace! It’s hard to bring your best self to work when you don’t really feel like you belong there. But having a truly representative, inclusive public service is vital to amplifying the voices of the community it serves. Register for this free online workshop on Feb. 16 from 9 to 10 a.m. MST to learn more about how to create or further a culture of belonging in the workplace as a public servant or a policymaker at any level. You’ll learn how to: ● Identify why a sense of belonging is so important in the workplace ● Understand what it means to create a culture of belonging ● Recognize barriers to building an inclusive workplace culture This workshop will also be recorded and sent to all registrants. We hope to see you there! Community and Economic Development Work System Check out the latest traffic, parking, sales and visitation numbers in Olde Town Are you or someone you know interested in learning about the City’s latest efforts to monitor the success of the Olde Town Street closures? Are you curious about the traffic, parking, sales and visitation numbers in Olde Town? Check out this infographic and share it with others! As part of the City’s commitment to monitoring the success of the Olde Town street closures, the Community and Economic Development team consistently updates this infographic. Key takeaways include: ● Parking utilization in the hub was steady throughout 2022 ● On-street parking during peak hours is at or above capacity ● E-scooter traffic was down in the fourth quarter of 2022 ● There was roughly 175K visitors to Olde Town in December 2022 ● October 2022 featured the highest amount of sales in Olde Town ever at nearly $5M You can also visit the City’s website to view the infographic and learn more about the City’s work in Olde Town Arvada. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Safe Community Spread the word: Arvada PD is hiring Lateral Officers The Arvada Police Department is seeking Lateral Officers, meaning officers who are presently serving with another department or have previous law enforcement experience. Watch this video to hear the experiences of Arvada Police Officers who are Lateral hires and the benefits the Arvada PD offers to people who join the team. Please tell people you know who may be interested about this opportunity! Take a look at this flyer, visit arvadabuiltblue.org or call [PHONE REDACTED] for additional information. Infrastructure Replacement Water Treatment Plant Siting Study Engagement The City is engaging in a siting study to replace the Arvada Water Treatment Plant as it reaches the end of its useful life. The first step in this process is to find a location for the new site. Learn about the project, the areas being considered for the plant and provide your feedback at www.ArvadaSitingStudy.com. Mobility Planning and Innovation Manager talks sidewalks with 9News Last week Mobility Planning and Innovation Manager, John Firouzi, talked with 9News about a CDOT grant-funded project the City is working on to close a gap in sidewalks along Pierce Street near Secrest Elementary. Learn more about the project from John in the interview! Vibrant Community & Neighborhoods Work System Save the Date for Arvada Winterfest: Saturday, Feb. 25 at McIlvoy Park Arvada Winterfest is coming soon! Winterfest is a free, outdoor multi-cultural celebration hosted by the Arvada Festivals Commission on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at McIlvoy Park. Activities include cultural performances, a pet parade and ugly sweater contest, vendors and beer garden, live ice sculpting and carriage rides through Olde Town. Visit the Arvada Festivals Commission webpage for more info. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Community input open for McIlvoy, Creekside playground renovations Are you a user of McIlvoy or Creekside Park playgrounds, and/or do you know other people who are? If so, the City’s Parks and Urban Design team wants to hear from you! They are seeking community input on final design options for playground renovations at McIlvoy and Creekside Parks. Each playground has a separate survey, so community members are encouraged to fill out the survey for whichever park(s) they plan to use. You can complete the survey on Speak Up Arvada. Community feedback will be weighted and added to the scoring used in the final selection by the Parks and Urban Design team. The deadline to share your input is Monday, March 6, 2023. Construction on the playgrounds will begin later in the spring/summer of 2023. Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day specials at West Woods Bar & Grill Take your family and friends to enjoy the specials that West Woods Bar & Grill is offering for both the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day. The Super Bowl specials menu is available for pick-up or dine-in on Sunday, Feb. 12, including an extended happy hour from 2 to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended for the Valentine’s Day Dinner Special, available 4 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 14. We hope to see you there! Majestic View Looking for some gift ideas for the nature-lover in your life? Support the Nature Center and shop local by stopping by our Gift Nook! Email your news to