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INSIDETRACK Newsletter May 2016 I By employees, for employees, about employees Ogden City Public Utilities Receives URWA Award Lori Russell — Water Ogden City Public Utilities has received the Utah Rural Water Association (URWA) Large System of the Year Award for 2015. Ogden City Water received recognition for its achievements throughout 2015 including: • Construction and commissioning of a new Water Treatment Plant. • Receiving a perfect score on the State Division of Drinking Water Sanitary Survey. • Successfully completing an audit by the State Auditors Office relating to emergency response procedures. • Launching a completely new website that includes real-time information on outages and other concerns. Congratulations to the Public Utilities Division on this prestigious award. Jennifer Deachin — IT Email disguises the content of messages to protect potentially sensitive information from being read by unintended recipients. Always use when sending these types of information to someone outside of the Ogden City network: • Criminal History and Background Checks • Driver’s License Checks • Police Case Files • Fingerprints • Social Security Numbers • Computer/Network Login credentials • Bank Account Numbers • CJIS Data (Criminal Justice Information Services) How do I send an email? Click on the button within your Outlook Client. If you don’t have the button, then add ‘SPX’ anywhere in the subject line. TECH TIME How does your garden grow? Cami Orr — Marketing Are you short on space or tired of that same old gardening routine? Try these tips for adding edibles to your landscaping: Raised beds add visual variety and are easier to maintain. The light, fluffy soil encourages root growth, conserves water, and produces higher yields. A triple win! Vertical gardens are both a wise use of space and aesthetically pleasing. They can even help cool your home! Tomatoes, cucumbers, and peas take well to vertical growth, but have you tried zucchinis, squash, or even pumpkins? Don’t forget to pick a structure that can support the plants’ weight. Interspacing, growing two or more plants in the same place, adds variety and can help keep weeds and bugs at bay. Be sure to select plants that have the same moisture, nutrient and light requirements. Ogden City’s golf courses have a number of programs, leagues and discounts available to City employees: • Get golf ready—a five-lesson group for beginners through June 11, $99 per student • Ladies night social league—every Monday • Date night special—two 9-hole rounds of golf with cart, two drinks, and a small range warm up bucket, $35 per couple. • City employee punch pass—twenty 9-hole rounds of golf, $155. Pass is valid seven days a week for employees, spouses, and children 17 and under. • Private or group golf instruction available. Call Todd for your appointment or to learn more at x0699. Get your golf on Todd Brenkman — Golf Check out the new employee calendar! ---PAGE BREAK--- 6 Ways to Double Up Your Fruits and Veggies The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends most adults get 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of veggies daily. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to close the produce gap. Buy chips in the produce aisle When you’re stocking up, go for pre- sliced carrots, zucchini and fresh peppers instead of a bag of potato chips, corn chips, or commercial “veggie” chips. Stock up on frozen produce Plain, frozen vegetables and fruit in your freezer can turn the busiest weeknight dinner into a produce feast. Keep produce in the pantry Keeping canned produce on hand could help you eat 30 percent more fruit and 21 percent more vegetables, according to a University of California, Davis study. Don’t forget the veggies when you go out to eat Ask for twice as much lettuce and tomato on your next deli sandwich, order a veggie instead of fries and start your meal with a salad instead of soup. Tote munchable produce Toss baby carrots and an apple into a zipper lock bag every morning. Cook extra tonight Steam an extra serving or two of veggies to enjoy a nutritious and simple lunch the next day. Source: www.Realage.com. HEALTH TIP Heidi Olmedo — HR Utah State Code Section 63G-2-604-1.c requires that Ogden City follow the “model retention schedule maintained by the state archivist” regarding records retention and destruction. Fairly recently, the State Archives has made changes to the following 16 municipal schedules: Administration • Animal Control • Airport • Attorneys • Building Inspections • Cemetery • Clerks • Payroll • Planning and Zoning • Police • Personnel • Public Utilities • Purchasing • Redevelopment • Risk Management • Special Assessments It is likely that these changes affect the records you maintain and how you are required to maintain them. As always, feel free to call Julia at x8152 with any questions. Retention schedule changes now in effect Julia LaSeure — Recorders Office CAREER SERVICES 15 Years Tyler Hanson — Police 10 Years Michael Rounkles — Police 20 Years Kevin Cottrell — Police Retirement Blaine Bingham — PW&P Charlie Atkinson — Public Services Driving and cell phone use Heather Briskey — Risk Management Ogden City requires drivers to use a “hands free” system or safely pull off the roadway and stop the vehicle while using a wireless device. Pulling off the road is the preferred option as drivers can miss seeing up to half of what is around them when talking on the phone. Texting while driving is prohibited. Employees may “sign out” a wireless headset from the IT department that functions with cellphone voice dial capabilities with supervisor approval. Failure to follow these requirements can result in disciplinary action. Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, University of Utah, The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, and the National Safety Council. Prepare your finances Ryan Perkins — Emergency Management Be financially ready for emergencies by following these steps: 1. Ensure you have adequate insurance coverage for the hazards you might encounter. Flood and earthquake coverage are not included in your standard policy. 2. Have some emergency cash or traveler’s checks set aside in a safe, secure place. Remember that banks, ATMs, and credit card readers may be inaccessible or inoperable in a disaster. 3. Set aside an emergency only credit card (if they work) with enough available credit to last you a week or more. Making purchases on this card will help you document disaster-related expenses, which may be reimbursed by your insurance company or other assistance program. 4. Keep a log of account numbers and phone numbers for lending institutions (credit cards, mortgage, car loans, etc.) and insurance companies. 5. Place important documents in a waterproof package inside a fireproof box. If you choose to rent a safe deposit box at a financial institution, pick one away from your area so it may not be affected by the same geographical disaster. Make sure you review your financial readiness and update information yearly. For a more in-depth look into financial preparedness check out the Emergency Financial First Aid kit. ---PAGE BREAK--- Employee Spotlight Where were you born and raised? I was born in Logan, Utah but raised mainly in Midvale, Utah. Where did you work before you came to work for the City? I was a city planner for Farmington before I came to Ogden. If you could have any job you wanted, what would it be? I worked in a music store when I was younger. I think if those places still existed the way they used to I would enjoy working there again. Where did you go to school? I attended Hillcrest High School and graduated from University of Utah. Go, Utes! Tell us about your family: My wife and I are proud parents of two toe-headed, energetic boys aged 8 and 2. We also have a Yorkie named Nigel. What are some of the things you like about Ogden City? There are a lot of things I like about Ogden. Growing up in Salt Lake, I never knew much about Ogden or even visited the area until I was much older. My wife’s family is all from Ogden and North Ogden so when we started dating we spent a lot of time up here. The diversity, the architecture, the history, and the look and feel of the city is so different from anything else in Utah. The sense of community and the pride people take in Ogden really struck me when I first started getting to know Ogden. What is your dream vacation? I’d like to spend some extended time in Great Britain and Ireland. Who is your hero? There are a lot of people I admire but I think I’d have to say my mom is my hero. When she became a single mom my brother, sister, and I were still pretty young. She had to work hard to provide for us and she always put her kids before herself. She taught me a lot about perseverance and patience and how to be grateful for what I have. . Tell us something very few people know about you. I’ve seen Metallica in concert eight times. I first saw them when I was 14 years old. Glenn Symes — City Council Where were you born and raised? Born in West Bountiful and lived there until I was 6. I then moved up to Kalispell, Montana and lived there until I was 16. I have lived in North Ogden ever since coming back to UT when I was 16. Where did you work before you came to work for the City? I worked at the Best Buy in Riverdale for 2 years, Associated Foods for 1 year and I was an EMT for the University of Utah in their South Jordan Health Center for 3 years. If you could have any job you wanted, what would it be? Musician. Where did you go to school? Glacier High School for my sophomore year in high school then Weber High for my Junior and Senior Years. I did my HAZMAT Operations, Firefighter 1 & 2 certifications at the DATC, along with my EMT- Intermediate. I am currently at Weber State full-time as a Marketing major and will graduate in December. Tell us about your family: I’m the youngest in my family. I have 3 sisters and 1 brother. My oldest sister has a son that is 15 years old and a daughter that is 11 years old. What are some of the things you like about Ogden City? I love the ultimate frisbee on Fridays! The people are pretty okay too… What is your dream vacation? Somewhere on a beach with a drink in my hand. I really have been wanting to go on a zip line, too, so that place would need to have a jungle nearby to do that. Who is your hero? I don’t know if I really have a hero, but my two favorite people in the world are my grandparents on my mom’s side of the family. Tell us something very few people know about you. I thoroughly enjoy sculpting and painting. I would love to get back into doing it. What characteristic do you most admire? Perseverance and integrity are very noble qualities to me. Dallas LaSalle — IT