The Roadway | February 2022

THE ROADWAY ISSUE 02 • FEBRUARY 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction • P. 1 Letter from Director • P. 2 February Storm Stats • P. 3

KEEPING YOU INFORMED The February newsletter features information about a change in GED and CDL job requirements, EPC Citizen Connect App, completed projects, upcoming projects, and an employee spotlight.

We hope this newsletter helps you learn more about how we serve you, your neighborhood, and El Paso County. DPW invites you to stay informed and connected with us!

Employee Spotlight • P. 4

Employment • P. 5 Featured Projects • P. 6

Citizen Connect • P. 8 EPC Engage • P. 10 January Stats • P. 11

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR K E V I N

M A S T I N

We kicked off February with the most significant snowfall of the season so far. The entire Department of Public Works team worked around the clock to keep our roads safe and passable.

On behalf of your Public Works employees, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our residents who were prepared and ready for this snow event, who slowed down and drove cautiously, and those who also helped us get the job done by giving our plow drivers enough room to do their job safely. I also want to thank our citizens who took the EL PASO COUNTY IS A MUCH STRONGER AND RESILIENT COMMUNITY WHEN CITIZENS WORK TOGETHER AND TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.

time to help their neighbors clear snow off of their sidewalks and any snow left at the end of driveways as our plows cleared snow off the roads.

FEBRUARY WINTER STORM STATS

1,920

PERSONNEL SHIFT HOURS

50

TRUCKS & BLADES PER SHIFT

6,600

TOTAL MILES COVERED

2,400

TONS OF SAND/SALT CITIZEN COMMENTS "GREAT JOB PLOWING ON ESCONDIDO ROAD. THE DRIVER DID AN AWESOME JOB. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO" "QUICK RESPONSE TO SNOW REMOVAL REQUEST ON WINDMILL ROAD"

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT E R I N

V E R A

Erin Vera joined the El Paso County Department of Public Works as a Maintenance Worker I in 2014 and is now a Maintenance Worker III and a trainer of new employees. Over the last eight years, she has acquired a wide range of skills and knowledge that have made her invaluable to the team. On any given day, you can find her operating heavy equipment to resurface, chip seal, and plow roads as part of the truck-string crew. As a CDL new-hire trainer, she teaches new employees how to operate many pieces of equipment and perform various tasks.

She is passionate about serving the citizens of El Paso County. She never misses the opportunity to share the important work Public Works does to keep our roads safe with the community at events such as the annual Parade of Lights, Truck or Treat and Touch a Truck.

Erin's positive attitude, work ethic, and willingness to share her knowledge make her a great ambassador for the type of culture we strive to foster at the El Paso County Department of Public Works.

“I have had the amazing opportunity to work with supervisors and team leaders that push me to do better, which in turn motivates me to grow in my knowledge and skills so that I can teach others. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others and am eager to help anyone who wants to learn a new skill or understand their job better.” ~Erin Vera

INNOVATIVE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES CDL AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENT CHANGES In 2020, the Department of Public Works Highway Division was faced with filling an increasing number of job openings without having enough qualified candidates to fill the positions. The biggest challenge was finding qualified candidates who possessed a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). After a thorough review of the hiring process, changes were made that now give the Department of Public Works the ability to hire candidates without a CDL and then provide CDL training “in-house” as part of the candidate’s probationary training period. For any candidate who does not have a CDL, a CDL permit is required for employment. Anyone needing help with obtaining their CDL permit are encouraged to contact the Pikes Peak Workforce Center for assistance.

What drove this change to the CDL requirement was feedback from prospective candidates.

The cost of obtaining a CDL was preventing highly qualified candidates from applying for open positions. Eliminating the CDL hiring requirement and offering the training “in-house” has made it possible for many more people to begin rewarding careers with El Paso County who otherwise would not have had the opportunity.

Another change that was made as a result of reviewing the hiring process was the elimination of the high school diploma or GED requirement. Not having a high school diploma or GED was also preventing many highly qualified candidates from applying. As a result of this change, the door is now open for several people to begin their careers with El Paso County.

El Paso County believes that education is key to future opportunities and success. Any employee who is hired without a high school diploma or GED will be encouraged to work with the Pikes Peak Workforce Center to get connected with a local school district where they can obtain their GED. In addition, plans are being made to expand continuing education for employees by offering classes through our local community colleges.

The El Paso County Department of Public Works is proud to be part of the county's growth and success. We are always looking for new and talented individuals to join our team. If you are interested in a career in Public Works that includes industry leading health benefits, retirement plans, and professional advancement, take that next step and apply for one of our open positions on the following website: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/elpasocountyco

CHARTER OAK RANCH ROAD IMPROVEMENT Charter Oak Ranch Road improvements are part of the Military Access Mobility & Safety Improvement Project that will deliver more efficient and safer mobility along I-25 and Charter Oak Ranch Road.

El Paso County is working with the military and CDOT to improve the roadway infrastructure from I-25 to Gate 19. The project will reconstruct Charter Oak Ranch Road and Santa Fe Avenue leading to Gate 19 at the Fort Carson Army Post.

Charter Oak Ranch Road will be rebuilt and widened westbound from the intersection with Santa Fe Avenue to Gate 19. A roundabout will replace the four-way stop sign intersection with Santa Fe Avenue. Turn lanes will be added to enhance access to businesses and Fort Carson.

PROJECT AT-A-GLANCE

PROJECT BUDGET

$15,000,000

PROJECT FUNDING

Build Grant

ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE

2023

COMMISSIONER DISTRICT

District 4

WWW.PUBLICWORKS.ELPASOCO.COM

ARROWWOOD CUL-DE-SAC VEGETATION MAINTENANCE El Paso County completed vegetation maintenance at the following cul-de-sacs to enhance emergency vehicle access and snow removal operations: Arapahoe Drive Cheyenne Way Powderhorn Drive Calument Road Tree maintenance was limited to the minimum required for necessary plow access for the 2021/22 season, as well as removing dead trees that are identified as hazardous.

PROJECT AT-A-GLANCE

PROJECT BUDGET

TBD

PROJECT FUNDING

Road & Bridge Fund

ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE

October 2022

COMMISSIONER DISTRICT

District 1

WWW.PUBLICWORKS.ELPASOCO.COM

EL PASO COUNTY CITIZEN CONNECT El Paso County is the largest and fastest growing county in Colorado. With that growth comes increased numbers of requests for

TOP 5 CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUESTS

service. Some of the most common requests include pothole repairs, damaged street signs, illegal trash dumping, etc.

To keep up with increased demands for service, El Paso County uses a service called Citizen Connect which is a web-based service that

POTHOLE REPAIRS

allows citizens to submit service requests for any road or parks related issue they feel needs to be addressed. Citizen Connect can be accessed online through the El Paso County website or through the EPC Citizen Connect app which is available for Android and iPhone

ROAD GRADING

users.

Citizens are encouraged to use Citizen Connect for several reasons. The first is that the citizen’s concern will be entered into a tracking system that will ensure the concern is addressed by the correct maintenance team

SIGNAGE

while, at the same time, giving our Customer Service team the ability to see how well we are doing with our response times. The second reason is that Citizen Connect gives citizens the ability to enter very detailed information including the specific location of the concern as

ANIMAL REMOVAL

well as any documents, photos, or information they feel would be useful in resolving the issue.

When entering information for the service request, citizens should enter their telephone number or email address so we can communicate directly with them to get additional information when needed and to keep them informed on the status of their request.

TRASH REMOVAL

CITIZEN CONNECT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IF I DON'T DOWNLOAD THE APP, CAN I STILL REPORT A ROAD OR PARK CONCERN? Yes, you can submit an online Customer Service Request through our online Citizen Connect portal https://citizenconnect.elpasoco.com or you can call Department of Public Works Customer Service at 719-520-6460 and leave a message. If you leave a message, it is directed to the appropriate staff member, who will call you back to inform you that your request has been received, answer any questions you may have, and let you know the status of your request.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR SOMETHING THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED? Customer service will see that it is a duplicate request. According to how you submitted the request, you will receive an email notification or phone call thanking you for the submission and letting you know that the request was already received and is being addressed. You will be provided with the original service request number to check the status in the future.

WHAT DO I DO IF I HAVE A QUESTION OR CONCERN ABOUT THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES TO RESOLVE MY REQUEST? Please use your service request number to check the status of your request and see if any special notes have been entered to help explain the timeline for your request.

If you reported your request by phone or want to talk to someone about your request, please call Department of Public Works Customer Service at 719-520-6460. Please leave a message with your contact information and the staff member will call you back to answer any questions you may have about your request.

EPC ENGAGE The El Paso County Planning and Community Development Department hosts EPC Engage, a recurring workshop series designed to provide an in-depth look into what the County does, how it does it, and why. The series also features County departments and local partner agencies to provide valuable information and insight into engineering design, wastewater systems, permits, inspections, planning, and zoning, to name a few.

In the January episode of EPC Engage, El Paso County staff from the Planning, County Attorney, and Public Works departments walked participants through Road Impact Fees.

County experts answered these questions and more in this episode of EPC Engage:

WHAT IS THE ROAD IMPACT FEE? It is a fee adopted in 2012 pursuant to state statute that requires a proportional contribution by new development to the cost of expanding existing or building new regional roads to accommodate the additional traffic generated by new development. This fee applies to new developments, new homes and buildings, and new land uses. Impact fees cover construction of new roads or expansion of existing roads. It does not fund County road maintenance.

WHO PAYS THE FEE? Anyone who receives a Land Use Approval, as that term is defined in the Road Impact Fee Program, pays the fee. Land Use Approvals include, but are not limited to: Final plats, building permits, access permits, site plans and site development plans, and special use and variance special use approvals Include new structures and new development and new land uses, even if structures are not included

WHY IS THE ROAD IMPACT FEE IMPORTANT? It improves equity between all those who generate new traffic with new development and those who have to build those regional improvements. So whether you're a small developer or a large developer, everyone contributes to the construction or expansion of regional roads.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ROAD IMPACT FEES, WATCH PAST WORKSHOPS OR PARTICIPATE IN FUTURE WORKSHOPS, PLEASE VISIT: HTTPS://PLANNINGDEVELOPMENT.ELPASOCO.COM/EPCCOMMUNITYENGAGE

JANUARY WORK IN REVIEW LANE MILES SERVICED

1

10

MILE GRAVELED

MILES DUST ABATED

310

POTHOLES REPAIRED

CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUESTS

41

CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUESTS COMPLETED 60

40

20

0

Potholes (30)

Grading (29)

Signage (53)

Animal Removal Trash Removal (12)

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUESTS (JANUARY 2022)

(22)

EL PASO COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS 3275 AKERS DRIVE COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO 80922 719.520.6879 WWW.PUBLICWORKS.ELPASOCO.COM