Employee Newsletter Issue No. 7

DECEMBER 2023

ISSUE NO. 7

THE INSIDE TRACK MONTHLY

EMPLOYEE

WELCOME TO YOUR MONTHLY

DOSE OF FACTS & FUN

\

NEWSLETTER

HIGHLIGHTS THIS MONTH: Project Updates Employee Announcements Christmas Party Recap

Snapshots of our City Staff

ANNOUNCEMENTS Important Dates

COMMUNITY CONNECT Community Events l Volunteer I Temple 311

DEPARTMENT FEATURE Benefits Information | Safety Talk

STAY IN THE KNOW

CONTENTS

2 3 4 5 7 9 10 11 13

LEADING THE WAY

TABLE OF

DECEMBER 2023 | ISSUE NO.7

Project Updates l Employee Pet of the Month

INFORMATION & TIPS Tips and Tricks | Purchasing | And More

SHOUTOUTS Submitted BY City Staff FOR City Staff

STAFF CORNER Employee Feature | Fun Extras | Christmas Game

WORKING FOR THE CITY Open Positions | Retirees | New Hires | Years of Service

PAGE 1

PLE • TEAM TEMPLE • TEAM TEMPLE • TEAM TEMPLE • TEAM TEMPLE • TEAM TEM

LEADING THE WAY 2023

REWIND...

PAGE 2

DECEMBER 2023 | ISSUE NO. 7

ANNOUNCEMENTS

&

OTHER

IMPORTANT

INFORMATION

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE WITHOUT EXCEPTION

ANNOUNCEMENTS: The People Operations Department will be launching a management training program in January 2024! The first year of this program will be focused on providing management training for current supervisors, managers, and leadership employees with plans to expand the training in 2025 to additional employees as part of an overall

IMPORTANT DATES:

employee development strategy.

Monday | 1 January, 2024 Employee Holiday

Please remember to reach out to our Public Relations team if

Monday | 15 January, 2024 Employee Holiday

you receive any media

Monday | 19 February, 2024

City projects and initiatives. You

requests/inquiries regarding

Employee Holiday

can receive assistance with this by emailing nmackowiak@templetx.gov.

PAGE 3

DECEMBER 2023 | ISSUE NO. 7

COMMUNITY CONNECT SUPPORT

CITY

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY!

EVENTS

AND

INITIATIVES

UPCOMING EVENTS: Monday | 1 January, 2024 Father Daughter Dance Tickets Go On Sale

The Temple Public Library is always seeking volunteers! If you are interested in helping out with youth programs, outreach, technical services, circulation, and more, check out opportunities with TPL at templetx.gov/volunteer.

Friday | 5 January, 2024 First Friday

Saturday | 6 January, 2024 Winter Games Family Day Railroad & Heritage Museum

Wednesday | 10 January, 2024 Heart to Home Animal Adoption Center Grand Re-Opening/Ribbon Cutting Temple Animal Shelter • 4 - 6 PM

Saturday | 13 January, 2024 Arches Footcare Resolution 5k Run Pepper Creek Trail • 10 AM

TO VIEW OTHER OPPORTUNITIES VISIT TEMPLETX.GOV/VOLUNTEER

Saturday | 23 January, 2024 Dog Dogs Photo Exhibit Railroad & Heritage Museum

VOLUNTEER TODAY!

THIS JUST IN: CUSTOMER CARE OBJECTIVES: DEPARTMENT / TEMPLE 311 With a mission to provide outstanding customer service for general City inquiries and services, the Community Response Division, a 311 contact center, will work with all City departments to provide information on basic questions and services, as well as input service requests that are routed to other departments for completion. Improving workflows for citizen requests will improve levels of service while saving time.

• To condense the maze of different phone numbers people must navigate when they need assistance from the city.

• Create a streamlined and consistent avenue for community response.

• Be the point of contact during emergency events, such as winter storms or water outages, when the EOC is activated.

• Manage the City’s 311/ CRM system and follow up on community member requests.

• House the new division in the existing Jamie Hagar Clements Complex (JCC), located at 401 N 3rd St. We will hire Contact Center staff in the summer of 2024 with a plan to launch to the public in January 2025.

PAGE 4

DEPARTMENT FEATURE MEET THE UTILITY BUSINESS DEPARTMENT

This month, we're giving a shout-out to the awesome team in our Utility Business Office. Made up of 11 UBO staff and 8 Metering staff, this team is at the forefront of ensuring resident satisfaction. Whether addressing concerns, answering queries, or providing guidance on utility-related matters, our team is committed to delivering prompt, courteous, and effective assistance. Let's take a moment to appreciate the hardworking crew at the Utility Business Office and all that they do to provide exceptional service!

THE UBO TEAM MAINTAINS/SUPPORTS: 36,220 average number of active water meters billed 32,128 average number of utility payments processed 5,232 average incoming calls answered by UBO staff

PAGE 5

BENEFITS

INFORMATION

MEET OUR BENEFITS ADMINISTRATOR Suzanne Diaz will be the main point of contact for benefits. She can also assist you with enrollment, life events, printing out temporary insurance cards, and assistance with claim issues.

FSA DEADLINES File claims for expenses incurred during the plan year ending 9/30/2023 no later than 12/28/2023.

Submit claims for reimbursement. Learn more here.

SAFETY TALK Navigating the Holidays Safely! From festive decorations to winter weather, let's prioritize safety at work and home. Stay alert, drive cautiously, and celebrate the season responsibly to ensure a joyful and accident-free season.

The big 3 during the holiday season are: Drunk and drowsy driving, U.S. Department of Transportation states that an average of 300 people die in drunk driving crashes the week between Christmas and New Years.

Fatigue and drowsiness can cause issues both in and outside the workplace.

The holiday season is very stressful for many. From working longer hours, having more to do at home, and worrying about finances, or simply feeling loneliness.

Make sure we support our coworkers and not add to the stress.

Please reach out to Kelly Rawls at krawls@templetx.gov for any assistance!

PAGE 6

STAY IN THE KNOW...

PROJECT

UPDATES

920 Elevated Storage Tank Guess what's making a splash in Temple's Industrial Park?

Introducing the fabulous 920 Pressure Plane Elevated Storage Tank, a water wonderland holding a whopping 3 million gallons of potable water. Nestled by the intersection of Moores Mill Road and Wendland Road, this aqua marvel rubs shoulders with the Niagara Bottling facility. Construction kicked off in May 2022 and was completed in August 2023. That's right, folks – Temple's got a shiny new sixmillion-dollar water giant and is not afraid to show off its liquid assets.

Loop 363 Transmission Main Get ready to be wowed by Temple's latest masterpiece – the Loop 363 Transmission Main CIP Project! This waterworks extravaganza features the construction of 12- and 18-inch water transmission mains, strutting their stuff from Central Point Parkway to Eberhardt Road on Loop 363, and a 12-inch line voguing down McLane Parkway from Loop 363 to Corporate Road.

The two-million-dollar project's final walk-through was performed back in October.

PAGE 7

Owner: Emily Betros I Communications & Marketing Bear is a 5 month old mini Australian Shepherd. She is not your typical Australian Shepherd due to the unique coloring of her coat, she is a black-bi meaning her coat is made up of two colors. She got her name Bear because she looks like a little bear cub. She loves playing with her toys, taking mid-morning or afternoon naps, and cuddling with her mom and dad. This puppy is full of energy and loves to be by anyone's side. She is very shy at first but once she gets to know you, she will love to smother you with puppy kisses!

RANDOM JOKE OF THE MONTH: How much did Santa pay for his sleigh?

Nothing. It was on the house.

PAGE 8

OF THE MONTH • PET OF THE MONTH • PET OF THE MONTH • PET OF THE MONTH • PET OF THE MONTH • PET OF THE MONTH • PET O

EMPLOYEE PETS OF THE MONTH: BEAR

INFORMATION & TIPS DISPOSAL OF ITEMS NO LONGER UTILIZED Identify items no longer needed within your department.

Make efforts to rehome items in other City departments.

Review the instructions for submitting items for auction on the Employee Information Portal. Complete the appropriate Inspection Form – generic, office equipment, heavy truck, tractor, vehicle, or heavy equipment.

Take several clear pictures from various perspectives to capture condition, color, size, manufacturer, make, model, and serial number of the items.

Submit completed Inspection Forms and pictures to auction@templetx.gov.

Kristi Richter (x5806) will assist with coordinating where items will be stored until sold via public auction. This could include leaving items in their current locations for buyer pickup. Please do not enter a Facilities Work Order to remove items from your area that are no longer needed unless requested to do so by Kristi. Storage and staging areas are limited in the Purchasing & Facilities Services area.

PURCHASING RESOURCES

CEASE THE GREASE! The City of Temple will be collecting used cooking oil from Friday, December 22 through Tuesday, January 2 at participating Fire Stations: Central Fire Station, 210 N. Third St. Fire Station #3, 3606 Midway Dr. Fire Station #4, 411 Waters Dairy Road Fire Station #7, 8420 W. Adams Ave.

BITS & BYTES As we approach the holiday season, there is an uptick in cyber-attacks. We are currently seeing an uptick in Phishing attempts. Please be aware of what you open or click on during this time.

PAGE 9

LEARN MORE!

EMPLOYEE SHOUTOUTS

YAY H&CD! BY: LINDSAY FRANCIS, MARKETING & DIGITAL MEDIA DIVISION DIRECTOR

CHRISTMAS PARADE WIN!

The Housing & Community Development

BY: GARRETT SIMMONS, MARKETING SPECIALIST

a grant-funded program through the

Just wanted to give a massive THANK

Community Affairs that provides home

YOU to the whole City for an epic Christmas parade but especially the Special Events team! It was seriously the highlight of the season, and I can only imagine the hard work that went into

Department coordinates the Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program (HARP), which is Texas Department of Housing & reconstruction for low to moderateincome citizens living in substandard conditions.

The City of Temple has been

making it so awesome.

participating in this program since 2021,

The floats, the music, the whole vibe –

floor plans, identifying a contractor, and

everything was spot on and got everyone in the holiday spirit. You guys nailed it!

and after a long process of developing completing demolition and construction, the first HARP client was able to move into her new home last Tuesday! The team says that the client is very excited to be in her new home and looks forward to celebrating the Holidays with her family.

We want to give a huge shout-out to this team for all of their hard work and dedication to providing exceptional service to our community!

PAGE 10

STAFF CORNER EMPLOYEE FEATURE RICKY HERNANDEZ - WAREHOUSE COORDINATOR

Ricky has over 36 years of service with the City of Temple, his latest position being our Warehouse Coordinator. We will honor Ricky with a Retirement Reception on Friday, January 5, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM at the Gober Party House (1516 W. Avenue H). We invite all employees, retirees, City Council, and vendors who have worked with Ricky to join us in recognizing Ricky’s 36 years of service.

WHO'S READY TO WIN A PRIZE? THE FIRST 10 PEOPLE TO SOLVE AND SEND IN A COMPLETED SCREENSHOT WILL RECEIVE A PRIZE FROM COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING!

CLICK TO SOLVE THE PUZZLE

EMAIL COMPLETED MATCHING GAME TO EMPCOMM@TEMPLETX.GOV

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @CITYOFTEMPLETX

@CITYOFTEMPLEPARKS

@DISCOVERTEMPLE

PAGE 11

@DOWNTOWNTEMPLE

CHRISTMAS PARTY RECAP We had a great turnout at the annual employee Christmas party! With just over 400 folks in attendance and 30 employees receiving a prize, this event was a blast! Thank you to everyone who attended, we appreciate you!

PAGE 12

TEAM TEMPLE

WORKING FOR THE CITY! OPEN POSITIONS: DEVELOPMENT MANAGER - PARKS This position is responsible for developing and conducting projects related to the planning and implementation of the City’s Parks and Trails Master Plan and Capital Improvement Program. Work involves performing site analysis, developing cost estimates, park designs, master plans, and overall project management while working with developers, special interest groups, contractors, and other governmental agencies.

SPECIAL EVENTS ASSISTANT Supports special event daily operations with the Parks & Recreation Department. Work schedule will include evenings, weekends, and holidays based on departmental needs.

SUMMIT RECREATION & WELLNESS CENTER MANAGER Manages daily operations and oversees the overall health and wellness of members, develops programs to encourage healthy living, prevent disease, or promote general well-being.

GIS TECHNICIAN - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Collects and edits of GIS data and City owned infrastructure/assets for the required departments. Inputs collected data into database using GPS Equipment and ESRI AcrGIS software. Collects grade elevations for other City departments.

VIEW ALL OPEN POSITIONS

PAGE 13

MEET OUR NEW HIRES: Jerad Collins Utility Technician Apprentice

Jacqueline Cruz Custodian

Tiffany Harrison Permit Technician

Isreal Maldonado Maintenance Technician - Pools

Miguel Flores

THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE:

Solid Waste Driver

Ulises Diaz Utility Technician Apprentice - Sewer

Christian Lopez Utility Technician Apprentice - Water

Marshall Bishop Solid Waste Driver

Haley Hynes

Michael Sullwold (25)

Museum Assistant

Fire Captain

Joseph Avila

Amy Perez (20)

Transform Temple Agent

IT Support Manager

Dawn Ditto

Brian Chandler (10)

Administrative Assistant II

Director of Planning

Annber Hall

Stephanie Young (10)

Customer Service Representative I

Crew Leader - Parks

Justin Saxon

Jason Zehr (5)

Equipment Operator Apprentice - Str/Drn

Utility Technician II - Parks

PAGE 14

DECEMBER 2023

ISSUE NO. 7

THE INSIDE TRACK MONTHLY EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS HERE TO BE FEATURED ON A FUTURE ISSUE: