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WEEKLY BRIEFS City of Arvada internal news April 10, 2023 We want to hear from you! Complete the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Survey by April 21 Earlier this year, the City of Arvada hired MGT, a national public sector consulting firm, to conduct an internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) assessment. The purpose of this assessment is to review current attitudes, practices and policies and then develop a DEI Action Plan. The Action Plan will provide a prioritized set of steps for the City to take to advance strategic DEI initiatives. Your input is incredibly valuable in understanding what is going well and where there is room to grow, which is why the project team is excited to move forward with the launch of the DEI Survey. This survey will provide all staff the opportunity to share input on this important work. Please complete the DEI Survey by Friday, April 21. Your responses will remain anonymous. Individual responses will not be shared with any individual in the City. All responses will be aggregated for the overall analysis and used only for the DEI Assessment. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Juan Osuna at [EMAIL REDACTED] or Linda Haley, project owner, at [EMAIL REDACTED]. We appreciate your continued support on this city-wide initiative. Your input will help us to achieve our goal of creating a diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. Volunteers needed for Sunday’s Kite Festival! The annual Arvada Kite Festival is this Sunday, April 16, and we need YOU to help make it a success. Volunteers are needed to help with the clean-up shift from 3:30-6 p.m. Other shifts are available as well. Visit the Kite Festival Volunteer Sign Up page to help lend a hand! For volunteers 21+, every shift worked gets you an entry to win a pair of tickets to Arvada on Tap! Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Kite Festival Details When: Sunday, April 16, 2023 from 10 to 3 p.m. Where: Stenger Sports Complex What: Free fun! Over 80 vendors, tons of food trucks, free inflatables and face painting for the kids, and that’s not even all of it! Bring your own kite or buy one there. Visit arvadafestivals.com/arvada-kite-festival for more information. Arvada Media Services videographer James Long honored as volunteer of the year For the last four years, AMS videographer James Long has been volunteering for the Warrior Now (Network of Warriors) Organization, a non profit group that assists Veterans transitioning from military to civilian life with a focus on mental health. Their mission includes counseling Veterans who suffer from PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury and those who struggle with substance abuse. James' volunteer efforts include offering his skills and talents to produce videos and photos for the organization to further their reach to the Veteran community. Last weekend, the organization held their 2nd Annual End Veteran Suicide Gala at Wings Over The Rockies in Denver. James was awarded the Warrior Now Volunteer of the Year Award. "It was a total surprise to receive this award and also very humbling," said James, who did not know he was to be honored at the gala. For more information on the organization, visit Warrior Now. View James' Warrior Now Super Hero Video. Bring Your Child To Work Day is April 27 Do you have a child in your life? Want to give them the opportunity to see what you do during a workday and help them explore what is possible for their future? Consider bringing your child to work on April 27! The City is not formally organizing any Bring Your Child to Work Day events, but we encourage our City team members to ask their managers for approval if you would like to bring your child to work on this day. Visit Inside Arvada to access the waiver you need to sign to participate! Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- NASCAR Update In support of the City’s strategic initiative to replace Oracle (the HR/Payroll and Finance system), the NASCAR project team had 70+ people join vendor demos to help select the best new system. Our next phase, Discovery, includes clarifying questions, more detailed presentations and better understanding about contract details. Here are some of the next key project milestones: ● Vendor selection - *We are at this step in the project. ● Discovery - one day presentations ● Contract negotiations ● Begin implementation (approximately mid-2023) We’ll 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]. Organizational Service Effectiveness Work System Arvada.org changing to ArvadaCo.gov on June 1: Make a list of assets now If you or members of your team know of or come across City assets that have the arvada.org URL on them: business cards, signage, letterhead, swag, etc, make a list and give it to your work system communication contact: ● Dave Snelling: Public Safety, [EMAIL REDACTED] and Chase Amos, [EMAIL REDACTED] ● Katie Patterson: Infrastructure, [EMAIL REDACTED] ● Kevin Luy: Clerk’s Office, [EMAIL REDACTED] ● Liz Johnson: CED/AEDA, [EMAIL REDACTED] ● Sean Star: VCN, [EMAIL REDACTED] ● Cindy Javelet: OSE, [EMAIL REDACTED] City Council Agenda resource page is now available on Inside Arvada The City Clerk’s office has created a new Inside Arvada resource page to help support the process of creating City Council Agendas. The City Council Agenda Management page is intended to be the only place any staff member would need to look for info about how City Council meeting agendas are created, including questions such as: “What’s the difference between a Business Meeting and a Workshop?”, “When are our presentations to Council due?” and “Help, the formatting of my report looks weird!”. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- The page includes: ● Google Calendar of all City Council meetings ● Google Calendar of all deadlines for preparing agenda items ● Concise descriptions of the tasks involved with creating and preparing an agenda item ● How-to guides for completing specific tasks in CivicClerk (the City’s agenda creation tool) ● Resources for staff members who are brand-new to the world of City Council agendas ● “And much much more” would be an exaggeration… but there is more! This resource is intended to provide the most helpful and current information, how-tos, and tips for creating agendas. If there is anything that could use more clarity on this page, or if you think a helpful topic is missing, reach out to Records Management Coordinator Kevin Luy at [EMAIL REDACTED]. If you work in CivicClerk or help with agenda creation, we recommend that you bookmark the City Council Agenda Management now for easy reference. Contract Request Form has been updated Are you responsible for processing or administering contacts for your team? If so, we have a message for you: Legal has updated the Contract Request Form (CRF). You can find the new CRF form on InsideArvada.org under the “Forms & Apps” “All Forms” tabs or by opening this Contract Request Form (CRF). The new language provides more clarity about contract deadlines. All CRFs (with all accompanying documents) must be submitted to Legal at least 14 days before the contract is needed. If a contract requires approval by the City Council, the CRF (with all accompanying documents) must be submitted to Legal 35 days before the City Council meeting. We know that sometimes emergencies happen, so if you cannot meet these deadlines, please ask your department head or director to contact City Attorney Rachel Morris at [EMAIL REDACTED] to request an exception to these rules. As always, if you need assistance, please reach out to your team's attorney or administrative professional! The Neighborhood Grant Program is open! The Neighborhood Grant Program opened on Saturday, April 8. This program is a great opportunity to plan creative and collaborative experiences for your neighborhood. Applications are due by Sunday, May 7 (this deadline has been extended beyond April 30, as announced last week). The Block Party Trailer reservation system will open on Wednesday, April 26 (please note the date change from April 17). Be sure to apply early as reservations often fill up quickly! Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- If you live in Arvada, please share this information with your neighbors and those new to your neighborhood. For more information about the City’s Neighbors Connected program, watch this video and visit the City's website. Please contact Neighborhood Engagement Coordinator Brady Porterfield-Finn at [EMAIL REDACTED] with any questions. Moving towards greater accessibility in communications: Tip of the week Take this quiz: When you are composing a message, whether it be for an email, a presentation, signage, an article or a report, and you want to emphasize a word or an idea, do you: ● Use italics ● Underline it ● Bold it ● use ALL CAPS ● OR ALL OF THE ABOVE The answer is Bold it. Italics are difficult to read for those with low vision. Underlining signals a hyperlink. WHEN YOU USE ALL CAPS, readability is reduced because all words have a uniform rectangular shape. USING ALL FOUR STYLES AT THE SAME TIME IS SIMPLY BAD PRACTICE. Next time you craft a message, let that tip become standard practice and help make our communications more accessible to all. Thank you! 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. Arvada University Update Register in advance on the Arvada University Learning Calendar. Contact Noelle Oberg ([EMAIL REDACTED]) with questions. Session/topic Date Time and/or resource link Type of Training Cloverleaf - Learn helpful tips! April 21 from 9 to 10 a.m. Register here Virtual Training DEI: Surfacing and Addressing Bias in the Workplace May 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register here In-person Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People May 22 from 8:30 am to 4:30 p.m. Register here In-person 7 Habits of Highly Effective People June 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Register here In-person April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month The City of Arvada Employee Committee Outreach Team is supporting Ralston House Child Advocacy Center this April by planting a pinwheel garden outside of City Hall along Ralston Road. The garden and its location are designed to serve as a beacon of hope for children and youth in our community. If this is a cause that touches your heart, join your colleagues by making a donation toward the City of Arvada pinwheel garden today through paypal, deliver cash donations to Administrative Court Clerk Tracy Harbo ([EMAIL REDACTED]), and/or invite a representative from Ralston House to attend a team meeting to accept donations. Thank you, City of Arvada employees, for supporting this very important cause. Additional fundraisers in support of Ralston House can be found at www.ralstonhouse.org/events. Employee Committee Corner Employee Committee representatives meet in order to plan and coordinate events as well as collect departmental updates to bring back to their respective teams. Check out the links below to see who your representative is, view the upcoming list of potential City events and browse Employee Committee meeting minutes. ● Find My Rep! ● 2023 Events Schedule* *Please note: this is a working document and all events are subject to change. ● Meeting Minutes Please contact your Employee Committee at [EMAIL REDACTED] if you have questions. Vibrant Community & Neighborhoods Work System Final designs selected for McIlvoy and Creekside playground renovations The Parks and Urban Design team is happy to announce the final designs that have been chosen for upcoming playground renovations at McIlvoy and Creekside Parks, which are part of the City’s Taking Lasting Care program. Thank you to everyone who completed surveys earlier this year to share their input with us! For Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Creekside Park, the Wildlife Theme (option 2 in the survey) was selected. For McIlvoy Park, the Traditional Theme (option 2 in the survey) was selected. The design team considered all the feedback that was provided by the community and incorporated as much as possible in the final designs for the playgrounds. Construction is anticipated to occur later this summer or early fall, in coordination with City and community partners to ensure that construction does not cause disruption to summer events in Olde Town. We look forward to enjoying these new playgrounds with the community! Earth Day and summer camp fun on April 22 Looking for something fun to do with friends and family next weekend? Join us to celebrate Earth Day! We’ll kick the morning off with stewardship projects around the park from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Participants will be entered in a raffle to win a rain barrel and the first 30 participants will receive a food truck token. After the projects, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., everyone is invited to stay for food, crafts, booths, and more! Check out our website for more information. If you have a child in your life that enjoys the outdoors and is looking for something fun to do this summer, we still have a few spots left in our summer camps! The themes with spots remaining are Nature’s Superpowers (June 5-9), CO History (July 10-14), and Powerful Pollinators (July 17-21). Check out our website for more information. Community and Economic Development Work System AEDA team members achieve Executive Certificate in Commercial Real Estate On April 21, members of the Arvada Economic Development Association (AEDA) team, including Iza Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Petrykowska, Melissa Marmitt and Daniel Ryley, will graduate with an executive certificate in commercial real estate from the University of Colorado Boulder. The team was a part of the program’s inaugural class, which began in September of 2022. The class included three modules focused on commercial real estate including: Introduction to Commercial Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate Finance, and Commercial Real Estate Law. The AEDA team will use the knowledge gained through the program to bolster its business retention, expansion and attraction efforts. Congratulations to Iza, Melissa and Daniel! City team members share resources with the Arvada Young Professionals This week, Economic Development Specialist for the Arvada Economic Development Association (AEDA), Special Events Coordinator Adelle Burton and Engagement Coordinator Emily Kolm met with members of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce’s Arvada Young Professionals group on April 12 to talk about the City’s opportunities for local engagement in the community and to discover what business resources are available to them. Participants left the event with a more thorough knowledge of the programs and services that are available to them and how to contribute to their community by getting involved in their local government! Infrastructure National Work Zone Awareness Week April 17 to 21 is Work Zone Awareness Week. Wednesday, April 19 is Go Orange Day! City team members are encouraged to wear orange to support work zone safety and the families of victims who have lost their lives in work zones. Don’t forget to celebrate your team members who are out in work zones and post your orange pictures on social media with #NWZAW and #Orange4Safety! Whether it's Ralston Road, W 72nd Ave or a project in your neighborhood, please help keep one another safe by wearing proper gear and slowing down through construction. Learn more at the National Work Zone Awareness Week website. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Employee Updates Newly Hired Samantha Bradley, Housing Development Specialist, effective 3/27/2023 Jessica (Jess) Metcalf, Civil Engineer I, effective 3/27/2023 Leesha Neuhold, Benefits Specialist, effective 3/28/2023 Robert Gonzales, Municipal Inspector II, effective 4/3/2023 Daisy Sanchez-Caldera, Victim Family Support Advocate, effective 4/3/2023 Promotions Troy Harinen, SCADA Process and Controls Technician I, effective 3/30/2023 Chase Amos, Public Information Officer, effective 3/27/2023 Email your news to