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WEEKLY BRIEFS - City of Arvada internal news Nov. 27, 2023 Ralston Road improvements Ralston Road has reached a significant milestone with paving and striping completed throughout the project corridor. All of the lanes of traffic were opened over the holiday weekend and many sections of sidewalk that were previously closed have also reopened. There will be ongoing segmented closures throughout the corridor for concrete and median work and project completion is still expected in the spring. Thank you for your continued patience and caution navigating the work zone. Check out the aerial footage taken this week for some beauty shots! For more information on Ralston Road improvements, visit ArvadaCo.gov/Ralston-Road. Hanukkah Water Tower lighting and Olde Town Arvada event The water tower will be light blue for the first night of Hanukkah on Thursday, Dec. 7. There will also be a Unite Through Light Community Menorah Lighting on Dec. 7 From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Olde Town Arvada. The event will take place the first night of Hanukkah with Hanukkah songs, dreidel mascot, live Hanukkah music, chocolate coins, latkes and donuts, a juggling show and more. There will be fun for all ages! The event is free and everyone is welcome. Visit this website for more information. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Join HR for an introduction to Extended Care Leave Extended Care Leave (ECL) is a NEW benefit that starts on January 1, 2024! The HR team wants to communicate how this leave option will benefit and support employees of the City. Attend one of the upcoming information sessions to learn more about the City's alternative to FAMLI. This new City benefit can be used in many Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) situations. During the information sessions, learn more about ECL and changes to sick leave accruals. Don't miss out on one of these informative sessions! ● Webinar - Dec 5 at 1pm ● Indiana Shop/Lunchroom (in person) - Dec 7 at 7:30 a.m. - Sign up for a Breakfast burrito. ● City Hall/Anne Campbell (in person) - Dec 12 at 2:30 p.m. (No need to sign-up. There will be cookies!) ● A recorded session will be available on Inside Arvada immediately after the last session. If you have questions, please reach out to Benefits Specialist Leesha Neuhold at [EMAIL REDACTED]. City of Arvada Workplace Giving Campaign Giving at work is easy, especially when you spread out your giving through a number of pay periods. We invite you to find the nonprofits and causes you care about most and donate directly through your paycheck! Everyone is welcome to participate in the City of Arvada Workplace Giving Campaign. Every dollar makes a difference! Sign up to contribute by Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 and your selected nonprofit(s) will receive your gift throughout 2024. Join with your coworkers to make a lasting impact! Did you know that City of Arvada Employees contribute over $10,000 each year to support nonprofits? That’s less than $5 per paycheck. Let’s work together to make this amount even higher next year! Ergonomic Safety Tip: Check your shoe soles! Have you checked your SOLES recently? The City of Arvada has policies in place to help protect the feet of employees from injury AND reduce risk of slips, trips and falls. Please review the following links to ensure YOU are doing your part to ensure the safety of you and your team: ● Policy 5200.03 - Personal Protective Equipment and Safety Shoes ● Policy 5100.01 - Safety and Loss Control If you have any questions, please reach out to Valerie Reed, PT Ergonomist in Risk & Safety Management, at [PHONE REDACTED] or [EMAIL REDACTED]. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- State Champion Arvada West Flag Football team recognized at City Council meeting The 2023 State Champion Arvada West Flag Football team was recognized for their undefeated season this past Monday at the City Council Meeting. These girls won all 25 of their games and defeated Cherry Creek in the state championship game, 34-14. The team will now compete at the NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando where they will represent the Denver Broncos 17 and Under Division in the NFL Flag Championships in February. Good luck to the girls as they continue to make Arvada proud! Organizational Service Effectiveness Work System Share your photos in the City’s “Hidden Gems” photo contest After a wildly successful “Wild Arvada” community photo contest in 2023, the communication team is hosting a new one for 2024! We are looking for photos that reveal “hidden gems” in our community. "Hidden Gems" can mean different things to different people: a fishing spot under a bridge, a bench with a majestic view, a stained glass window in a church, a tree that has twisted with the elements over time. We invite you to share your hidden gems with us through our Hidden Gems photo contest! Snap a photo of your hidden gem and email to [EMAIL REDACTED]. Selected photos will be featured on the City’s social media platforms and, potentially, a future cover of the Arvada Report. Visit ArvadaCO.gov/hidden-gems for photo submission guidelines and where to submit your photo. Submit your photos between Nov. 15 and Dec. 12. 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 Leadership Influence Strategies Dec. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Register on Inside Arvada Virtual Employment Matters Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Conflict Management Dec. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register on Inside Arvada Virtual Employment Matters Project Management Training Jan. 25 from 1 to 5 p.m. Register on Inside Arvada Virtual City of Arvada Internal Project Management Team 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. Here’s how to view City of Arvada job postings All City of Arvada job opportunities are posted on our job link. Employee Committee Corner Winter Snow Grab & Go Breakfast Plan to stop by City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 12 for the last Employee Committee event of the year! All City of Arvada employees are invited to the City Hall Atrium for a hot grab & go breakfast. The event will be catered by Serendipity Catering from 7 to 9 a.m. We look forward to seeing you there. There will be vegan and gluten free options available. Please plan to pick up breakfast and head out for your day. There will be a couple of standing tables, but there will not be enough seating for everyone. Please contact your Employee Committee at [EMAIL REDACTED] if you have questions. About the Employee Committee 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 - November Please contact your Employee Committee at [EMAIL REDACTED] if you have questions. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Infrastructure Facilities Team Recognized by City Council for 28% Reduction in Energy Consumption On Monday, the City Council recognized the Facilities team for their achievement of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Better Buildings Challenge. The goal of the challenge was to reduce energy consumption across all City facilities by 20% in 10 years. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of the facilities team, the City achieved 28% energy savings. Pictured (from left to right) accepting the recognition are DOE Fellow Bri Colon, Public Works Director Jacqueline Rhodes, Councilmember Marriott, and Facilities Manager and team members Kim Vagher, Katie Will, and Cory Hines. Thank you to those pictured, those in the audience, and all of the team members who helped the City achieve this goal. Way to go! Little Dry Creek Trail Improvements Survey The Mobility Planning and Innovation team is evaluating trail connectivity and grade separation (moving the trail above or below the roadway) where Little Dry Creek Trail meets the road near 80th and Wadsworth Blvd. The study is looking at several design options for connecting the gap in the trail. The project team is asking for community feedback on the design options and users experiences with the trail. 👉Learn more and give us your feedback on the SpeakUp project page. Reminder: Centralized trash and recycling pick up As a reminder, the entire 2nd floor of City Hall has implemented centralized trash and recycling pick up. You are responsible for dumping your trash and recycling into the centrally located bins in the production/printing or kitchen areas. The Public Works Department has been using this method for several months to help streamline efficiencies for the facilities team. In the coming weeks, the 3rd floor will be included as well. More communication will be shared as dates are finalized. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- Indiana Shops Gate Replacement The main gate to the yard at the Indiana Shops is being replaced. The main gate will be inaccessible during construction (approximately Nov. 27 to Dec. 22). The south gate will be open during working hours for access. For after-hours access, there is a key box attached to the south gate. Please reach out to Michael Hodyno at [EMAIL REDACTED] or [PHONE REDACTED] for the combination. The north gate will be also available for streets/plows utilization. There will be increased vehicle traffic through the parking lot so please use caution walking through the parking lot and slow down when driving to the south gate. Thank you! Drive Electric Colorado success story The City of Arvada’s Fleet Services collaborates with Drive Clean Colorado, a Clean Cities Coalition, to network, share best practices and learn about industry updates as Arvada navigates towards electric vehicles and a lower carbon footprint. We invite you to read the "Success Story" they recently published about our journey towards electrification! It’s a Wrap on DRCOG's Go-Tober challenge! Throughout the month of October, City of Arvada employees were invited to track eco-friendly trips on MyWayToGo.org to decrease single-occupancy-vehicle (SOV) trips and win some cool prizes along the way. Overall, the City had 22 new participants sign up for accounts and participate in the challenge! While we didn’t take any first place prizes, we are excited to see our organization embracing new and sustainable commuter options. Check out the graphics below to see the impact made by all participants across the region. Regional GoTober Stats Vibrant Community & Neighborhoods Work System Majestic View Nature Center This December the trails around Majestic View Nature Center will be hosting a unique experience. Bitter Moon is an immersive dance experience exploring the reintroduction of wolves to Colorado and what it means to gather community together in the dark and cold winter months. Learn more and purchase tickets on the event website. Email your news to ---PAGE BREAK--- New playground at McIlvoy Park in Olde Town now open! As part of the City of Arvada's 'Taking Lasting Care' program, the Parks and Urban Design team recently completed the playground renovation at McIlvoy Park in Olde Town Arvada. The new playground opened earlier this month and features a traditional theme and equipment chosen using input received from a community survey held earlier this year. Check out the playground next time you’re in Olde Town to experience the Sky Tower, custom play panels and many other unique features! Forestry team recognized for service during Highlands Ranch tornado Two members of the City’s forestry team, Andy Kotulak and Aaron Varela, were recognized for their efforts to help the Highlands Ranch community clean up in the aftermath of a June 22 tornado that caused widespread property damage, including destroying thousands of trees. Highlands Ranch Metro District General Manager Stephanie Stanely presented the City’s forestry team with a plaque during Monday’s city council meeting as a gesture of gratitude. Way to go Andy and Aaron! Safe Community Santa House Success A trunk full of toys was delivered to the Arvada Kiwanis Club Santa House store at Storyline Church on Tuesday morning. Thank you to all City team members who generously donated monetarily or with toys. Parents from Arvada elementary schools who received vouchers will begin holiday shopping at the store for their children this week. Toys leftover after the Santa House store closes on Dec. 3 will be donated to Arvada PD for officers to distribute to children in need before Christmas. Email your news to