MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER
Ability to designate an individual to care for under California Family Right Act (CFRA)
The employee can designate one person under each provision.
The employee can make only one designation in a 12-month period.
Bereavement Leave:
Periodically, it is necessary to update the District’s policies and procedures and create new ones to ensure the appropriate control and management of District affairs. Regularly reviewing policies and procedures help keep the District up to date with regulations, technology, and government best practices.
Recently, both policies
3313 Medical and Family Care Leave and 3310 Holiday Vacation and Other Leaves were updated to reflect the following changes:
Designated Individual:
Ability to designate an individual to care for under the Health Families Act of 2014 (includes Sick Leave). It is limited to the provision of Kin Care-the use of half of your annual Leave to care for a family member.
Bereavement leave has been increased from three (3) to five (5) days. If the employee is required to travel more than 250 miles, the employee may request an additional two (2) consecutive work days.
All District policies are located on Cosumnes Connect. If you have any questions, please send them through your chain of command.
Joshua Green, General Manager
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February 2023
WACKFORD EVACUATION CENTER
The Wackford Community and Aquatics Complex served as a Red Cross Evacuation Center for those individuals who were evacuated during the round of storms that hit the Elk Grove area during the first week of January. Personnel was able to quickly adapt and make arrangements with the Red Cross so that there was a safe space for community members to stay. Laguna Town Hall was also utilized as an evacuation center for pets during the second round of storms in January.
TEEN CENTER EVENT
The Teen Center hosted the Teen Center Late Night Event, “Light up The Night” on Friday, January 20th Participants at the event played various games and were served dinner and dessert. It was a great opportunity for attendees to get to know other teens in a safe and fun environment.
PARK OPERATIONS MOCK INTERVIEWS
To assist part-time staff prepare for upcoming interviews for full-time Park Maintenance Worker positions, mock interviews were offered. Participants were provided with a simulated panel interview experience which included questions and feedback from the mock panel. The mock panel consisted of staff not directly involved in the real recruitment process and questions were categorically unrelated to the questions they may be asked at their real interview. Participants were provided with general interview pointers.
Most importantly, this experience gave our part time staff a sense of what to expect during their real interview. While sitting across from a panel trying to answer questions on the fly can be intimidating, the purpose of the practice was to make our part time staff more comfortable and prepared.
Stay tuned on upcoming programs and events hosted by Parks and Recreation!
Programs & Events
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CPRS D2 LUNCH N’LEARN
The Parks and Recreation Department hosted a CPRS D2 Lunch N’ Learn: Building Your Bridge Between Recreation & Tourism on Wednesday, January 18th in the Valley Oak Ballroom. Recreation and Tourism experts discussed how they have built their bridge to enhance the experience of visitors at Sports Tournaments, Swim Meets, and Special Events of all sizes. The lunch was well attended and was a great opportunity for participants to network and collaborate with other recreation professionals.
P&R ALL STAFF MEETING
The Parks and Recreation Department held their quarterly all staff meeting in the Valley Oak Ballroom on Thursday, January 26th. Along with multiple discussions, there were presentations from Becky Herz on the IDEA committee and from James Lutz on the Safety committee. The department's employee of the quarter award was presented to Eric Sturges in appreciation of his dedication, hard work, and positive attitude that he shares those around him.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Cosumnes Leadership Development (CLD)
February 25th from 9am-4pm @ Wackford
Stay tuned on upcoming programs and events hosted by Parks and Recreation!
(Training opportunity for part-time staff to learn about leadership skills within Parks & Recreation)
Programs & Events
Family Dance
March 4th from 6pm-9pm @ District 56
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ELK GROVE PARK
ROTARY GROVE PICNIC AREA
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TOP 5 CAUSES OF FIRE
In the early morning of Feb 7th , Cosumnes Fire responded to a structure fire in Elk Grove. The fire heavily damaged a bedroom and the adjacent hallway. The damage sustained by the structure was significant enough to require the relocation of the family that lived there. It will be months before they can return.
An unattended candle started the fire. The occupant had gone to bed with the candle still lit.
From 2015-2019, candles were responsible for 7,400 structure fires, an annual average of 60 deaths, and nearly 291 million dollars in damage. Candle fires are the number 5 cause of fires and routinely attributed to complacency and carelessness.
If you use candles in your home, the safety tips listed below are recommended by Fire Marshal Lantz Rey to avoid a fire.
Never go to sleep with a candle still lit.
Use sturdy candle holders that won’t tip over easily.
Never use a candle if medical oxygen is used in the home.
Never leave children unattended in a room with a burning candle.
Keep the matches and lighters used to light candles away from children.
December is the peak time for candle fires, candles that need to stay lit for religious reasons should be in a glass container and placed in the sink overnight.
Put candles on sturdy surfaces that are free from clutter (keep candles at least 1’ away from anything that can burn).
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FFBI CHIEF CHALLENGE
On Saturday, February 4th, The Cosumnes Fire Department participated in the Firefighters Burn Institute Chief Challenge Fundraiser. The challenge is a competition amongst the regional fire chiefs to see who can collect the most donations in one hour.
The funds raised are to help provide recovery programs for burn survivors; promote fire and burn prevention through public education; fund education for medical burn team professionals, firefighters, and burn survivors; and support burn treatment and rehabilitation research.
Congratulations to the Cosumnes Fire Chiefs for winning this year's challenge!
STAFFING UPDATES
New Hires
Anthony Viveiros - Recreation Coordinator
Kendra Barlly - Recreation Coordinator
Promotions
Bill Walton – Fleet Manager
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Brought to you by Administrative Assistant, Kelly Croisdale, is the newly created section of the Cosumnes Connect Newsletter called ”Staff Spotlight”. One of Kelly’s strengths is connection and here she will help bring staff together by featuring someone new each month.
The intent is to not only highlight staff but also to create opportunities for conversation and connection with those who have shared interests.
Please click HERE to submit answers to a few brief questions and upload a favorite photo of yourself to be included in an upcoming newsletter.
We look forward to connecting with you!
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