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WEEKLY BRIEFS - City of Arvada internal news October 9, 2023 The annual Employee Benefits Open Enrollment period is Oct. 23 through Nov. 3. This applies to all full-time and part-time benefited employees and health plan eligible employees. What makes Open Enrollment important to me? ● For most employees, this is the only window to make any Benefit changes and/or update Benefit coverage! ● Most 2023 Benefits automatically rollover to 2024, EXCEPT for Flexible Spending Accounts (Health FSA and Dependent Care FSA). ● No action is needed UNLESS: ○ You want to make Benefit changes. ○ You want to participate with an FSA Plan(s): You must actively enroll in the Flexible Spending Accounts to have a 2024 Plan. ● There are some enhancements to the UMR and Dental plans for 2024, so please attend one of the onsite presentations to learn about the enhancements. Virtual options and a recording will also be available. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Upcoming Open Enrollment Events The City of Arvada HR team is hosting several upcoming events to inform and educate City team members about employee benefits. Each individual event you attend is worth one Wellness Punch. Benefits Fair: Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at City Hall ● Meet the amazing vendors that provide your elected coverages, to ask benefit- and coverage-related questions and more! ● Pick up your 2024 Wellness Punch Card. ● Spin the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ to win some swag! If you cannot attend this event, pick up your 2024 Wellness Punch Card at the HR office. Benefits presentations coming to your facility! Presentations will include an overview of benefits, information about any changes coming in 2024, and Q&A sessions. No registration is required to attend. There will also be a recording available on Inside Arvada. Onsite and virtual benefits presentations DATE TIME LOCATION Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023 7 to 8 a.m. Anne Campbell Room, City Hall 8101 Ralston Rd. Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 7 to 8 a.m. Streets Shop 6161 Olde Wadsworth Blvd. Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Virtual Open Enrollment Register for the Webinar. Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023 7 to 8 a.m. Wastewater Shop 5555 W. 56th Ave. Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Council Chambers, City Hall 8101 Ralston Rd. Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 7 to 8 a.m. Indiana Shops, Lunchroom Indiana St. Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 1 to 2 p.m. Dr. V Bayer on The Mindful Path to Health Goals Register for the Webinar, Open Enrollment contact information If you have any questions, contact Human Resources Benefits Specialist Leesha Neuhold at [EMAIL REDACTED]. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- 2023 Arvada City Council Election The following council seats are on the 2023 City of Arvada ballot ● Mayor: John Marriott and Lauren Simpson ● Councilmember At-Large: Sharon Davis, Kathleen Kennedy and Bob Loveridge ● Councilmember District 2: Shawna Ambrose and Michael Griffith ● Councilmember District 4: Jessica Fenske and Bob Fifer The Mayor and At-Large councilmembers represent the entire City of Arvada and are voted on by all residents. Councilmembers representing a specific district must live within that district, and only residents of that district may vote for that seat on City Council. For more information, visit arvadaco.gov/elections. Arvada City Council Candidate Forum Video On Sept. 20, the Jefferson County League of Women Voters hosted a City Council Candidate Forum at Arvada City Hall. The video can be viewed on the City's YouTube channel, Arvada channels 8/880 and the City's website. Organizational Service Effectiveness Work System Arvada Community Survey If you live in Arvada, take the Community Survey by Oct. 31! Resident feedback is critical to the City's understanding of the current and future needs of Arvada and acts as a consumer report card, providing residents the opportunity to rate their satisfaction with their quality of life, community amenities and local government. The survey is available in English and Spanish at ArvadaSurvey.com or by calling [PHONE REDACTED]. To learn more about the Community Survey and review past survey results, visit ArvadaCO.gov/Community-Survey. A BIG congratulations to Arvada Media Services! Arvada Media Services was recently recognized at the 38th Annual Government Programming Awards (GPA) banquet sponsored by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA). This awards program honors excellence in broadcast, cable, multimedia and electronic programming produced by local government agencies. This year NATOA received more than 950 entries submitted by local governments across the country. Among the awards with special significance are the "Overall Excellence" awards, a Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- compilation of the agency's programming throughout the year. Arvada Media Services received an Award of Distinction in this category. Arvada Media Services was commended for the following videos (link to view): ● Award of Excellence: "Arvada PD UAS Program" ● Award of Excellence: "Police Department Recruitment” ● Award of Distinction: "Camp Ember" ● Award of Distinction for Overall Excellence: "City of Arvada, Colorado" ● Award of Honor: "Arvada Code Enforcement" ● Award of Honor: "Snow Storm Road Treatment" Photos: “Excellence” awards and AMS Videographer James Long and AMS Manager Sherry Nalbach. City of Arvada’s Rick Assmus named president of NATOA Rick Assmus, the City’s Community Connectivity Manager, has been named the new president of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), the organization which guides communications technology policies and practices . Rick (pictured right with the outgoing NATOA president) plans to build upon the organization’s 40-year legacy with growth, inclusion and opportunity in mind. Being named president of NATOA at this year’s conference was especially meaningful to Rick. Having been the AMS manager for nearly 20 years, he was proud to see his colleagues receive such well-deserved recognition. “The AMS team is phenomenally talented,” he said, “and under Sherry Nalbach’s leadership, the videos they produce are truly award-worthy.” Rick will serve as NATOA president through August 2025. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Fidelity presents: Women Talk Money, fall event series: Oct. 18 - Nov. 10, 2023 While many of the fundamentals of managing money are universal, there are a range of factors that can impact women’s finances more than men – from living longer to higher healthcare costs to the roles they take on as caregivers. Fidelity is launching a new campaign that provides broader awareness on the additional factors that women and their families need to consider, and how these differences can impact their ability to save and invest over time. This campaign features a variety of ways Fidelity can help employees factor in these unique realities women may face into their planning so they can have the financial future that’s just right for them. This four-week series of special events and activities features an all-star lineup of women who will share stories and help inspire new ideas on how we invest in ourselves and go after our goals for the future. ● Marquee events with special guests Tracee Ellis Ross and Danielle Weisberg ● Interactive workshops on money moves employees can make today ● ‘How-to’ resources to take the next step Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2 p.m. ET (noon MT) Register now for Call the Shots for You & Your Money: Tracee Ellis Ross, award-winning actress, producer and CEO of PATTERN Beauty joins Women Talk Money for a powerful conversation about the unique financial journeys of women plus steps to help your money work harder and create the future you want. Employee Committee Corner Halloween Parade w/Arvada K-8 and Lawrence Elementary The ghouls and goblins are back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 31, starting at 9 a.m. at Wolff Park, across the street from City Hall. Pre-K and Kindergarten students from Arvada K-8 and Lawrence Elementary will be stopping by for some treats from the City of Arvada employees stationed around the park. We invite you to dress up and participate in the Halloween Wagon Decorating Contest and theme your team in style! Winner gets a pizza party for their team! Look for contest rules coming soon. Please contact your Employee Committee at [EMAIL REDACTED] if you have questions. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Changes in personal use room Beginning Monday, Oct. 16, the personal use room in City Hall, located across from the locker rooms in the gym area, will be designated solely for the use of nursing mothers. We made this change to ensure compliance with the recently passed PUMP Act. We will continue to provide a personal use room for employees; this room is located just outside and around the corner from the gym area in the back of CED. Employees can reserve this room by making a calendar appointment in the same manner as booking any other room in the city. The room is listed as “Person Use Room”. For those who need the use of the mother’s room you will need a code to access the room. You can get an access code by emailing Katie Will ([EMAIL REDACTED]) in Facilities. Katie will provide users with an individual code allowing access to the room. To reserve the mother’s room just make a calendar appointment. The room is listed as “Mother’s Room”. If you have questions, please contact Scott Jarvis (x7571), Leesha Neuhold (x7566), or Katie Will (x7696). Arvada University Update Register in advance on the Arvada University Learning Calendar. Contact Liza Nolder ([EMAIL REDACTED]) with questions. Session/topic Date Registration details Type of Training Host Cultural Humility Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register on Inside Arvada In person, Westminster Human Services Center Adams County Transitioning Up: Peer to Supervisor Oct. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Register on Inside Arvada Virtual Employment Matters Conscious Communication Oct. 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register on Inside Arvada In person, Government Center, Brighton Adams County Ergonomics in the Workplace Available anytime on Learn Register on Learn Virtual, Valerie Reed Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- *Wellness Punch! Send a screenshot of your course completion to [EMAIL REDACTED] for credit.* Leading without Authority Oct. 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register on Inside Arvada Virtual Employment Matters Mitigating Unconscious Bias Oct. 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register on Inside Arvada In person, West Woods Community Room Employment Matters Here’s how to view City of Arvada job postings All City of Arvada job opportunities are posted on our job link. Employee status changes We invite you to view this spreadsheet to see employee status changes. Employees may demonstrate interest in similar job opportunities in the future by contacting Human Resources at [EMAIL REDACTED] or [PHONE REDACTED], or your supervisor to obtain additional information. Looking for the City’s updated style guidelines, including City logos? The Communication Team recently updated the City’s style guidelines. You can download graphics and logos for use on official City documents, signs, etc. and find other useful style tools on Inside Arvada. Also available on Inside Arvada: ● Arvada Branding Guidelines Book Identity Manual – General information and some specific information for the new ArvadaCO.gov website. ● Arvada One Page Brand Sheet – To help vendors who need information for creating official materials. ● Zip file containing all logos and textures. If you are unable to find what you need on the style guide webpage, please submit a service request email to [EMAIL REDACTED]. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Sign up for mandatory cybersecurity trainings October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and required cybersecurity training is now available! All employees are required to attend one session. Please sign up for one of the sessions below. ● Thursday, Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ○ In person: Council Chambers ○ Sign up on NEOGOV ● Tuesday, Oct. 17 from 10 to 11 a.m. ○ Hybrid: Council Chambers and Zoom ○ Sign up on NEOGOV ● Thursday, Oct. 19 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. ○ Hybrid: Council Chambers and Zoom ○ Sign up on NEOGOV ● Monday, Oct. 23 from 9 to 10 a.m. ○ Hybrid: Council Chambers and Zoom ○ Sign up on NEOGOV ● Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 2 to 3 p.m. ○ In person: Ann Campbell ○ Sign up on NEOGOV Network Logon Credential Password Minimum Length Increase On Wednesday, Nov. 1, the IT Department will be increasing the minimum character length for our network logon credential passwords. The new minimum character length will be 16 characters. We are making this change because our current standards are out of date with modern security thresholds and must be adjusted to provide adequate security protection. The new standards will be enforced the next time your account has reached the 90 day password age limit. With this change, please take the opportunity to ensure that you are using a password that is unique to your Arvada account- a password that has not been used anywhere else on the internet. Password reuse is a leading cause of cybersecurity incidents for organizations. We also encourage you to employ a rather than a Password. A is a sentence-like string of words that is longer than a traditional password, which is easy to remember and difficult to crack. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Best practices that users can incorporate when creating strong include the following: ● Use an easy to remember but uncommon group of three to eight words. ● Use capital letters or capitalize certain words. ● Add punctuation and special characters that make sense to you but no one else. ● Use unusual or abbreviated spellings of words. ● Make some letters into numbers. ● Spaces are allowed and count as special characters Below are examples of that meet our complexity standards (do not use these): ● Purpleturkeybanana#7 ● ● $2FidgetywhiteSquirrel ● Red@ndyellowthencame2b ● V00dooIcandowh@tudoEZ Your IT Service Desk Team can be reached at: Website: Email: [EMAIL REDACTED] Phone: [PHONE REDACTED] x.4357 Reduce slips, trips and falls! Prepare for winter: Attend a seminar and get your cleats (and earn a Wellness Program Punch)! Winter is coming, and we want you to be prepared. Think about the job you perform and the environmental conditions during the tasks that you do. We want to help reduce slip and fall risks for all members of our City team! Attend a seminar to learn how you can prepare yourself for winter work PT Ergonomic Specialist Valerie Reed will present two Slips, Trips, and Falls Ergonomic talks in October. Locations are subject to change. Sign up may be required due to limited space in Anne Campbell. ● Oct. 17, noon, City Hall (Anne Campbell room, bring your own lunch): Register now. ● Oct. 26, 9 a.m., City Council Chambers If you have questions about winter preparedness, reach out to Valerie at [PHONE REDACTED] or at [EMAIL REDACTED]. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Get your ice cleats Please consider using ice cleats in those higher risk, icy conditions. Central Stores now has an additional cleats option, the K1 Ice Cleat. It is pictured above in the first two photos. The other two cleat options currently in Central Stores are pictured above as well. The K1 option may work better for you if you are having to intermittently operate machinery, plows and/or climb on/off or in/out of vehicles or indoor work areas. With the K1 option, you can easily slide the cleat from the bottom to the top of your boot and even leave it on when not in use for easy access for the next time you do use it! Every ice cleat fits differently. There are varying profiles of cleats, and each set of cleats may have different optimal conditions for use. We encourage you to take the time to consider what may work safely and best for you in the conditions you work in and use the cleats to reduce your personal risk of a painful fall and/or injury. Contact Jim Mclaughlin, [EMAIL REDACTED], at Central Stores to help you determine the best option for you! Vibrant Community & Neighborhoods Work System Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Community and Economic Development Work System Arvada Housing Authority supports Vance Street Flats project The Arvada Housing Authority has recently become a “Special Limited Partner” of Vance Street Flats, an affordable housing property offering 50 new affordable housing units located at 5854 Vance Street. As a “Special Limited Partner”, the Arvada Housing Authority has provided a property and state sales tax exemption to the project. Additionally, the Arvada Housing Authority has committed seven Housing Choice Vouchers to the new site with a preference that the vouchers be used for persons experiencing homelessness. Services for these vouchers will be provided by the Arvada Housing Navigator. Vance Street Flats anticipates an opening date in December 2023. Please contact Carrie Espinosa, Manager of Housing Preservation and Resources, at [EMAIL REDACTED] with any questions about the project. Safe Community Work System Arvada PD partners with Wheat Ridge PD On October 5, APD partnered with the Wheat Ridge PD on a saturation operation near I-70 and Kipling Street. This is a high-crime area that has been the subject of general disorder and transient-related complaints. APD dedicated resources from Patrol, the Traffic Unit, CRIT, CORE, and the Co-Responder Unit to this operation. Between the two agencies, there were 74 contacts, four arrests, seven criminal citations, 26 traffic citations, 20 traffic warnings, four private-property trespass notices, six suspicious vehicle contacts, as well as contact with 10 homeless encampments. Participating personnel provided resource information to members of the homeless community, to include information on the One Small Step program. Two crashes on I-70 over the weekend, one fatal APD responded to a roll-over crash on I-70 at 12:24 a.m. Saturday (pictured below, left). Six people were in the car, and at least three were ejected. A 16-year-old girl died, and alcohol is believed to be involved. The second crash involved a couple traveling on eastbound I-70 on the way to the airport. Their car collided with a large piece of road debris, damaging it and causing it to catch fire (pictured below, right). The luggage was recovered, and APD ensured the couple reached the airport for their European trip. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Infrastructure Work System Don’t forget to log replaced vehicle trips in October! Throughout October, track eco-friendly trips (including working from home!) on MyWayToGo.org and you could win prizes. Participating is easy! Step 1: Replace a typical car trip by teleworking, biking, walking, taking the bus or rail, carpooling or vanpooling. Step 2: Use this link to create an account with the City for us to receive credit as an employer participating in the program challenge. ● Tip: Connect the apps to your My Way to Go account using the pin provided in your profile. Step 3: Watch the challenge website as you move to the top of the leaderboard! Please reach out to Parking and Travel Demand Management Coordinator Derek Fern at [EMAIL REDACTED] or [PHONE REDACTED] with any questions. The Arvada Center for the Performing Arts Discount ticket opportunity for City team members to The Laramie Project Sept. 29 - Nov. 5: Performances are Wednesday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at 1 p.m., and Saturday - Sunday at 2 p.m. Content: Ages 6 - Adult When gay college student Matthew Shepard was found brutalized and tied to a fence outside Laramie, Wyoming in 1998, his death made people across the country take a hard look within. Twenty-three years after its World Premiere at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, The Laramie Project still resonates today. As America continues to grapple with hate crimes, we dive deep into a very human story of the prejudice, hatred, conflicts and contradictions revealed by Matthew’s death. Patch-worked together from hundreds of interviews, The Laramie Project explores the reactions of sixty real-life characters at the epicenter of one of the country’s most heinous anti-gay crimes, examining the depth of human hatred and the heights of compassion and love. City of Arvada Employee Discount Tickets: $10, limit 4: Purchase through the Box Office or by calling [PHONE REDACTED]. Tickets are not available online. You must state which City department you work for, and use promo code 11209. Email your news to