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WEEKLY BRIEFS City of Arvada internal news Feb. 13, 2023 Learn more about how our City team keeps the roads safe in a snowstorm Making the roads in Arvada safe during snowstorms by plowing the streets is a top City priority. It’s also a team effort, involving the Streets, Utilities and Traffic teams. For each snowstorm, the City team analyzes weather conditions, temperatures and how wet/heavy the snow is before treating the roads with de-icing material. Watch this new video to learn more about the snow clearing abilities of the City. The Olde Town Water Tower will be lit on Monday, Feb. 20 for President's Day and Tuesday, Feb. 21 for Mardi Gras Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Community and Economic Development Work System Attend the March 8 Open House to provide your feedback on the 20-year plan for Olde Town Arvada The effort to create an Olde Town Arvada Strategic Reinvestment Plan is in its final phase, and the City team wants to hear from the community. We invite anyone who spends time in Olde Town to attend an Open House on Wednesday, March 8 between 4 and 6 p.m. at New Image Brewery and Restaurant (5622 Yukon St.). This event offers an opportunity for community members to provide feedback on the final plan strategies and recommendations as well as design concepts for the future of the Olde Town Pedestrian Priority Zone. A corresponding online survey will be available starting on March 8 for those who cannot attend the event. Please join us to share your input and help guide the future of Olde Town Arvada! Have questions? Email Liz Johnson, Manager of Communications and Marketing, at [EMAIL REDACTED]. You can also visit the City’s website to learn more about the project. Organizational Service Effectiveness Work System Oracle Replacement Project update In support of the City’s strategic initiative to replace Oracle (the HR/Payroll and Finance system) with a more efficient Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, the project team is excited to share that we selected a project name: NASCAR! The project will be a long race, much like the Daytona 500, and our process improvement teams are called PIT Crews (Process Improvement Teams). The NASCAR project team is reviewing several proposals, from which we will invite the top vendors to participate in demonstrations starting late March. We anticipate about 76 employees will join those demonstrations to offer feedback on the systems. Here are some of the next key project milestones: ● Request for Proposal evaluations to determine top vendors who will demonstrate their application and implementation plan. ○ *We are at this step in the project. ● System demos ○ March 28, 2023 - April 13, 2023 ● Vendor selection and contract negotiations ● Begin implementation (approximately mid-2023) We will continue to share updates on our progress. In the meantime, if you’re curious about the project, reach out to Madeline Stephens, the Project Manager, at [EMAIL REDACTED]. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Storm Spotter Training: SKYWARN 2023 Each year the City partners with the National Weather Service (NWS) to offer a Storm Spotter Training in Arvada. The training provides residents with information on how to safely report severe weather and be "eyes on the sky" for the NWS. The training will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21 at the Arvada Fire Training Center (6651 Indiana St.). If you are interested in this training, visit the City website to learn more and register. This is the final opportunity to 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 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. Nominate an eligible Arvada resident to have their home painted The City of Arvada Housing Department partners with local organization Brothers Redevelopment to offer programs to help seniors age in place. In addition to these programs, Brothers Redevelopment offers an annual Paint-A-Thon to help residents in need have their homes painted by volunteers. To qualify, homeowners must be 60 years or older and/or have a disability, must own and occupy their home, and plan to live in it for at least the next year. If you know someone who lives in Arvada and may qualify for the program, nominate them by calling [PHONE REDACTED], or by emailing [EMAIL REDACTED]. For more information about the Paint-A-Thon, visit the Brothers Redevelopment website. 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 Evacuate, Evade, and Defend: Active Shooter (required) - Sign up quickly. This class is filling up fast! New Dates Added: March 17, March 27 and April 13 Register on ArvadaU Stop the Bleed March 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. Register on ArvadaU Trakstar for New Users March 16 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Register on ArvadaU DEI Black History Month Spotlight: Dr. Dorothy Height In 1963, as Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. told the March on Washington, “I have a dream,” only one woman stood on the platform behind him: Dr. Dorothy Height. Dr. Height dedicated her life to empowering women and African Americans. President Barack Obama called her a hero and “the godmother of the civil rights movement.” Dr. Height began her career as a social worker in the New York City Welfare Department before becoming the assistant executive director of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in the late 1930s. One of her first public acts at the YWCA was to call attention to the exploitation of Black women working as domestic day laborers. She created diverse programs and pushed the organization to desegregate YWCA facilities nationwide. In 1957, Dr. Height became the fourth president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). Under her leadership, the NCNW supported voter registration in the South. The NCNW also financially aided several civil rights activists throughout the country. She was regularly called to give advice on political issues. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and President Lyndon B. Johnson often sought her counsel and she lobbied elected officials and dignitaries to take an aggressive stance on school desegregation issues. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- In 1963, Dr. Height, along with other civil rights activists, organized the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. While Dr. Height was a lauded and acclaimed orator, she was not invited to speak at the march – no women were included in the program. She organized a meeting the next day where women in the movement could address racism and sexism. In the mid-1960s, Dr. Height founded a program called “Wednesdays in Mississippi,” where Northern women of different races and faiths traveled to Mississippi to develop relationships with their southern peers and to create bridges of understanding across regional, racial and class lines. Dr. Height’s many prestigious honors include the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. She is widely credited as the first person in the modern civil rights era to treat the problems of equality for women and equality for African-Americans as a seamless whole. Infrastructure Bond project drone flights The Public Works team takes drone footage of both the Ralston Road and W. 72nd Avenue bond projects. This footage helps track the project, maintain historical records and provide additional information to our City teams, the City Council and the general public. New videos are posted to YouTube and each of the project websites. Check them out here: ● 72nd Ave Bond Project Segment 1, January 27, 2023 ● 72nd Ave Bond Project Segment 2, January 27, 2023 ● Ralston Road Phase 2 - Olde Wads to Carr St, February 3, 2023 ● Ralston Road Phase 2 - Carr St to Garrison St, February 3, 2023 You can also view these projects and other infrastructure projects when you visit the City’s website. Vibrant Community & Neighborhoods Work System Reservoir Ranger volunteers needed The City is looking for outdoor enthusiasts to join its Reservoir Rangers program. Reservoir Rangers are a dedicated group of volunteers who assist with the daily operations of the Arvada Reservoir. Yearly training is held on March 8 through 9. Visit the City's website for more information. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Nature Center’s Water Wise Classroom Challenge is FREE for all Arvada 3-5th graders The Water Wise Classroom Challenge is an interactive outreach program hosted by the Nature Center that helps students discover hands-on what it takes to protect water in our ecosystems. The program is completely FREE and offered to Arvada students in grades 3 through 5. Visit the Nature Center Schools & Groups page for more information or submit a program request form to book your home-school, scout or class field trip now. Space fills up early! Have a kid in your life? Consider registering them for Majestic View summer camps starting Feb. 22! Visit the Majestic View Nature Center’s website for more information and to register. Employee Updates Promotions Kevin Groves, Utility System Technician-Journey Level, effective 8/9/2022 Diego Ulibarri, Utility System Technician-Journey Level, effective 11/21/2022 Laura Hemler, Assistant City Attorney II, effective 1/28/2023 Kylie Justus, Assistant City Attorney II, effective 1/28/2023 Jessica Morales, Assistant City Attorney II, effective 1/28/2023 Kelsy Sargent, Assistant City Attorney II, effective 1/28/2023 Danny Wolff, Civil Engineer II, effective 2/3/2023 Samuel Yeager, Utility System Technician-Senior Level, effective 2/7/2023 Resignations Kaitlyn Bearden, CSI Technician, effective 2/3/2023 Jim Carter, Network Systems Administrator, effective 2/10/2023 Isabelle Szentmartoni, Police Officer, effective 2/10/2023 Valerie Webb, Sales Tax Auditor, effective 2/17/2023 Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Arvada Center discount opportunity Summer Camp Education Classes Do you care for a child between the ages of 3 -18 years old? Are you looking for summer camp opportunities for children that involve theatre, dance, music, and the visual arts? If so, take advantage of the City of Arvada Employee Discount for Education Classes that go ON SALE on Feb. 17 at 11 a.m. MST. City of Arvada Employees and their households receive 15% off for Arvada Center summer camp education classes. Check out the catalog of our Arvada Center summer camp list of classes. You can purchase classes through the Box Office or by calling [PHONE REDACTED]. You must state which city department you work for, and use promo code 10768. Email your news to