Ubits
forward
Together EDITION
2021 Recap Magazine
P. 4
P. 6
P. 7
P. 9
P. 10
P. 14
Clean, renewable hydroelectric energy
$750k distributed in CARES Act relief
New tool helps customers understand water supply
Energy research grants support EVs in Tacoma
Giving in 2021 more than ever before
John Phillips Broadcast Center honors legacy
forward
Together EDITION
On the Cover Top left: Christine Cooley, Public Utility Board, and Mike Davis, Power Top right: Don Warren, Rail Bottom left: Michael Sterling, Power, Christina Turner, TPU, and Ebon Brown, Power
Highlights
Bottom right: Josh Newman, TPU, Berkley Bachmeier, Water, and Valerie Sowell, Water
contents
In this issue 3
Looking back as we move forward together
4
Tacoma Power provides customers with clean, renewable hydroelectric energy
6
Workgroups join forces to distribute $750,000 in CARES Act relief to small businesses
7
A new tool helps customers understand our current water supply
7
Energy research and development grants support EVs in the community
8
Tacoma Water exercises Incident Command muscle memory through live spill drill
9
Grant brings more EV chargers to the TPU campus, increasing carbon-free commutes
9
Second annual Women in Trades event a success
10 Utility workforce gave back in more ways in 2021
4 Tacoma Power provides customers with clean, renewable hydroelectric energy
11 A home run for the Senior Assistance Fund
than ever before
11
A home run for the Senior Assistance Fund
12
How Tacoma Power generates support for hydro project communities
13
Energy conservation rebates benefit Tacoma Rescue Mission and community
14 New John “JP” Phillips Broadcast Center honors an incredible storytelling legacy
15
What it takes to operate our Tacoma Power Parks
16 Activity booklet teaches people about
14 New John “JP” Phillips Broadcast Center honors an incredible storytelling legacy
our water system
17
Native plant nursery blooms in the Green River Watershed
18 2019-2020 service honorees 20 New utility terrain vehicle keeps Wynoochee on the right track
21
A fond farewell to our recent retirees
22 Welcome new employees 24 Tacoma Power upgrades the Barrier Dam 2
20 New utility terrain vehicle keeps Wynoochee on the right track
Ubits 2021 Recap Magazine
p Photo courtesy of Utility Services Representative Rebecca Baird.
Looking back as we move forward together Welcome to this special edition of Ubits capturing utility highlights from 2021. Although it is impossible to cover all the fantastic work expressed through our collective accomplishments last year, we hope this glimpse at some important utility work helps everyone move Forward Together to another exceptional year. You wouldn’t know that 2021 was the second year of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic by the sheer number of projects and goals accomplished throughout the year. we installed 81,000 (or 27.6%) of the advanced meters. Our parks reopened after the unexpected closures in 2020 due to the pandemic. Our Employee Satisfaction Survey goals continue to guide us toward better policies and practices. Tacoma Power crews conquered power outages due to wind and snowstorms and many other urgent responses over the year, and Tacoma Water overcame an industry chlorine shortage, all while continuing to serve our customers with hard work and integrity. After excellent planning and feedback from our employees, a new Unet launched in December, and our utility set records through our Community Connection fundraisers.The list of work that exceeded expectations last year is long.
As we plan for reconstitution and move out of the mandatory teleworking status, we expect change will continue. A new TPU workplace will include some people teleworking permanently, some returning to the buildings at least part-time, and most of us working in a way that’s a bit different than years past. We encourage you to go to Unet to link to the reconstitution page, Moving Forward Together, for all your needs and resources. Speaking of change, you may have noticed this edition of Ubits is the first after many months and looks slightly different. We didn’t publish Ubits in 2021 due to the pandemic, but we kept collecting your stories to share in this larger special edition and as we move to a new quarterly format. We are excited to bring Ubits back and continue to share the many happenings at TPU. Watch for the next publication to arrive in your homes this spring.
If you have suggestions or tips for Ubits, email them to Communications@CityofTacoma.org. We look forward to sharing your stories as we continue moving forward together.
forward Together EDITION
3
p Cushman Dam No. 2 on the North Fork Skokmish River in Mason County
Tacoma Power provides customers with clean, renewable hydroelectric energy At Tacoma Power, approximately 98% of our electricity comes from clean, renewable hydroelectric energy. We generate about half of that at our four hydro projects: the Cowlitz River Project in Lewis County, Cushman Hydro Project in Mason County, Wynoochee River Project in Grays Harbor County, and the Nisqually River Project in Pierce County.
“We are fortunate that we can generate almost half of our customers’ energy needs ourselves,” said Generation manager Chris Mattson. “Having these resources provides us with generating flexibility, and that helps us keep costs low for our customers.” The hydroelectric power setup and system vary by project. Cowlitz has two dams and two powerhouses. Mossyrock Dam, the tallest in Washington state at 606 feet (a foot taller than the Space Needle), forms Riffe Lake, and Mayfield Dam forms Mayfield Lake. At Cushman, there are two dams and three powerhouses on the North Fork Skokomish River. The dams form
4
Lake Cushman and Lake Kokanee. At Wynoochee, there is one dam (owned by the City of Aberdeen) and one powerhouse (built and owned by Tacoma Power). The dam forms Wynoochee Lake. At Nisqually, there are two dams, one forms Alder Lake, and the other forms the LaGrande reservoir, and there are two powerhouses. “Each hydro project has a unique operating license that comes with its own requirements. To meet those requirements and provide our customers with clean, low cost, reliable, and environmentally responsible energy, it takes a collective effort from staff,” said Cowlitz River Project manager Chad Chalmers. A powerhouse is a structure that houses the generators and turbines that create the power. Hydroelectric power generates when water flows through a system of tunnels or pipes (penstocks). The water pushes against the blades in a turbine. The turbine converts the kinetic energy from the falling water into mechanical energy. The mechanical energy converts into electrical energy through a generator. It then goes through a step-up transformer to change voltage before being sent to the transmission lines to provide clean energy to our nearly 180,000 customers.
Water runoff from rain and snow is stored in the lakes until needed to make electricity. That storage is one of the benefits of hydropower - it is available 24/7, which means that when the sun goes down and the wind dies down, hydropower is still there to meet energy demands. “Hydro generators have a unique ability that many other types of generation do not; hydro generators can respond to grid disturbances very quickly,” said Chad. “A disturbance can be anything from clouds coming in and blocking out the sun, or the wind not blowing, or an unexpected outage at a large baseload fossil fuel plant.” Generating hydroelectric energy provides many other benefits, such as family-wage jobs, flood mitigation (at some locations), and increased tourism due to recreational opportunities. Visitors use the dams’ reservoirs for boating, fishing, and swimming. Additionally, Tacoma Power owns and operates four beautiful parks - three at Cowlitz and one at Nisqually. Tacoma Power has robust fisheries and wildlife programs to mitigate the impact of the dams. “We use Lake Cushman as part of our sockeye reintroduction program,” said Cushman Hydro Project manager Brad Ennis. “We release some of our smoltsize sockeye into the lake to grow until they are ready to migrate out to the ocean.” Chris says Tacoma Power focuses on public safety, safeguarding the environment, protecting natural resources, and supporting the local economy in the communities where we generate hydroelectric power.
“We will build our clean energy future on a solid foundation of clean, renewable, hydroelectric power while we expand into other innovative energy solutions.”
p Mossyrock Dam on the Cowlitz River in Lewis County q Alder Dam on the Nisqually River in Pierce County
q Wynoochee Dam on the Wynoochee River in Grays Harbor County.
forward Together EDITION
5
Workgroups join forces to distribute $750,000 in CARES Act relief to small businesses Last year, employees throughout TPU worked together to distribute federal CARES Act funding to assist local small businesses with their utility bills. With so many impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the need throughout our community was tremendous. The utility made tough decisions to ensure as many businesses as possible received the funds. TPU provided $750,000 in utility bill relief to 794 companies. The City of Tacoma received funds from the Federal CARES Act as part of Washington State’s response to the coronavirus. Small businesses that employ 50 or fewer workers, operate from a brick-and-mortar building in Tacoma, and have an active TPU account, could qualify for this program.
“Supporting our small business community is a priority at TPU,” said Director Jackie Flowers. “We understand these are challenging times, and we appreciate our City leaders’ support in providing utility bill assistance funds from our CARES Act disbursement to help small businesses in Tacoma.” Team TPU worked quickly to get the word out and let establishments know about the available assistance. Community and Government Relations staff, led by Clark Mather, developed a high-level plan to determine funding amounts and distribution. They collaborated with Customer Solutions and Business Solutions to determine the application and approval processes. Information Technology Downtown developed an online form to make applying easy. The Communications team put out information to reach as many organizations as possible in record time. Utilities account executives provided input on eligibility, the application process, and the communication plan. They validated applications over four weeks and called customers to fill in the missing information. Everyone expressed their appreciation for the chance to positively impact so many customers and make a difference during the pandemic. “We looked at this as a once in a career outreach opportunity,” said Account Executive Keil Drescher. “We may never be able to provide this type of support again in the future.” The appreciative response from customers was overwhelming. Many businesses struggled to pay their utility bills, and others were thankful we helped their fellow business owners.
“We are very grateful for our partnership with TPU not only for helping us manage our energy use strategically, which has resulted in lower utility bills but also for their financial support of our mission through CARES funding,” said Brent Mason, executive director of the Foss Waterway Seaport. Mike Blaisdell, general manager at Bunce Rental, also praised the program, “The CARES funding was a great help, and the application process on the TPU website was easy. I appreciate the City’s focus on helping small and medium businesses.” The need in our business community is still great. TPU would have been unable to assist so many businesses in such a short time had it not been for the teamwork and collaboration of staff from so many different departments.
6
Energy research and development grants support EVs in the community
A new tool helps customers understand our current water supply A water supply indicator (WSI) is now available on MyTPU.org/WaterSupply to help inform about our current water supply and forecasts. Water resource engineers developed the tool to monitor our primary water source, the Green River watershed. An expanded web page houses the new indicator along with information about how we manage our supply, where we get our data, conservation tips, and where to look for curtailment notices if needed.
“Our intent for the new tool is to help our customers stay informed about changing water supply conditions,” said Corey Nelson, project manager and engineer for Water Resources. “2015 and 2021 presented significant challenges to our regional water supplies, and we need a simple and robust web-browsing tool to communicate changing conditions with our customers,” Corey added. The team used the Analytical Hierarchy Process to develop a criterion weighting system for each of the six water supply indicators. The indicators include precipitation, snowpack, temperature, Howard Hanson Dam storage, daily water consumption, and Green River natural flows. They developed a mathematical model using a multi-variable analysis technique, which provides an overall assessment of the current water supply status. Each criterion is evaluated individually for risk to determine how far above or below normal the criterion is. The criterion is then weighted based on the time of year and relative impact on the water supply. The final step is to mathematically combine the six weighted risk scores into a single value that indicates the health of our water supply. The value is used to determine the position of the needle on the Water Supply Indicator graphic posted on our website. “The WSI is a great way to simplify the answer to the common question on our water supply status because the real answer is that it’s complicated,” said Water Customer Experience Manager Ryan Cox. “There are so many variables, and it changes throughout the year. We can finally share the status with a simple and cool visual indicator. I think the public will love it!” The WSI project was led by Glen George and Corey Nelson, with Rochelle Gandour-Rood providing support, and was years in the making.
The Tacoma Power Energy Research & Development team (ER&D) was busy with grants last year. Amid the global pandemic and a shift to 100% work-fromhome, the ER&D team applied for or consulted on 13 grants. They consulted on over $3.5M in grant funding, and most of it – except for EV charging near warehouses on the main TPU campus – went directly to supporting public charging programs. Many of the grants allowed local organizations, such as University Place and Franklin Pierce School Districts, to invest in necessary infrastructure and to buy new electric school buses they otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to. They also helped create a framework for public and workplace charging for organizations, including grants to the City of Tacoma for 9 EV charging stations. Tacoma Power’s $119,512 match funding allowed the City of Tacoma to accept $597,559 in grant funding from the Dept. of Commerce. The City received over $700k in non-ratepayer and non-taxpayer funding from these two programs to increase public charging in Tacoma. “We continue to support customers as they move forward, in some cases providing match funding to make the grant awards possible,” said Breanna Chance, management analyst at Tacoma Power. An Electric Vehicle Charging Station Fund of $852,366 also supported the operation of three pilot programs in 2020. All three pilots focused on bringing accessible EV charging to communities, multifamily homes, and cargo/material handling facilities. ER&D has several more pilots in development with anticipated launches through 2022.
forward Together EDITION
7
Tacoma Water exercises Incident Command muscle memory through live spill drill It’s common knowledge that exercise is important for physical health, and mental stimulation is vital to keep the brain fit. Organizations need to stay fit by exercising the resources critical to their success, much like individuals. On June 15, over 25 staff from the Tacoma Water Green River Filtration Facility completed a spill drill to exercise their response and Incident Command capabilities for protecting our drinking water supply from the Green River. The scenario included a vehicle accident with multiple injuries, a fuel spill in the Green River above our drinking water supply intake, and an employee injury during the response. Employees from three sections comprised of Watershed Services, Source Water Treatment & Maintenance, and Construction completed the drill with Water Safety, Emergency Management and Phoenix Protective. This live drill included establishing an Incident Command Center, deploying a spill boom in front of the intake, and multiple scenes requiring response and coordination. An After-Action Review identified areas for improvement, and staff created a plan to follow up on them. Senior Environmental Specialist Doug Blanchard drafted and led the scenario, and Jarrod Kaiser held the Incident Command position to lead the response. Repeating similar exercises condition the organization and ensure its fitness and capacity when it matters most.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” —Aristotle 8
Grant brings more EV chargers to the TPU campus, increasing carbon-free commutes In the fall of 2021, EV chargers were added to Tacoma Public Utilities’ Lot D, creating the opportunity for 20 additional spots for employees to charge their EVs next to the Power Warehouse. According to Terry Coggins, facilities manager, the new chargers will be powered in part by the sun, using electricity generated from the community solar array atop the roof of the Power Warehouse.
“Quite literally, we’re going to generate electricity on the rooftop of the warehouse, and it’s going directly into these vehicles,” said Coggins. “When an EV does plug in, beyond our carbon-free power supply, you could easily claim that 100% of the energy that your vehicle consumes is clean energy.” A Government Workplace Charging Grant offered by Washington state’s Department of Ecology paid for the chargers. The grant aims to reduce harmful air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated with gasoline and diesel vehicles. It also supports and accelerates the transition of public vehicles to zero-emission vehicles by enhancing employee access to workplace charging. “We have upped our game with pursuing grants in the past year,” said Breanna Chance, a member of Tacoma Power Energy Research and Development, who shepherded the grant application. “It offers us a good way to promote programs and not use ratepayer dollars; a new offering for customers and employees.”
Katherine said the desire for more campus charging is growing. From 2018 to 2019, before utility personnel departed campus, due to Covid-19, the number of sessions in TPU Lot C had nearly doubled, increasing 41%. “People are actively looking for charging on campus and scouting the spots halfway through the day to see if they can move their car there,” said Rice. “We’re getting more employees who are buying electric cars every day, so we want to make sure these new 20 spots can supplement that charging.” Coggins said the 10 new chargers bring the TPU charging capacity to 36 spaces, allowing the campus to scale up to meet future employee and vanpool needs. Plans will be to move current hybrid vanpool charging to the warehouse, freeing up the spaces in Lot C for public and employee charging. The utility will also make more charging available to the public with other outside funding. Look for charging on light poles in Neighborhood Business Districts and downtown Tacoma this year.
Second annual Women in Trades event a success The second annual Women in Trades event looked a little different in 2021, but it had just as much engagement and excitement on March 3, with over 70 participants. Jackie Flowers, director of TPU, kicked off the event, inquiring what better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than with the amazing women in trades who work hard providing services essential to our daily lives? She also mentioned one of her favorite historical women — Rosie the Riveter. Much like World War II’s post-war economy, post-pandemic economic recovery will require women to go beyond their traditional career roles. Each sector of the City of Tacoma –TPU, Tacoma Power, Tacoma Water, Tacoma Rail, and Environmental Services – had an opportunity to discuss apprenticeship programs, benefits, and salary expectations. Many presenters highlighted how the work done throughout the city impacts local communities and how rewarding it is to know your work directly helps people. They also went over interview prep with a vital message of being prepared.
forward Together EDITION
9
Utility workforce gave back in more ways in 2021 than ever before Our Tacoma Public Utilities employees continued to give back to our community last year, breaking records in dollars raised and goods donated. Not even a pandemic prevented an abundance of giving! TPU has a longstanding tradition of giving back to the communities we serve, but this year raised the bar for achievement. TPU collected 784 books during the annual Book Drive in May for Communities in Schools, totaling $7,000 worth of books. In July, we collected donations supporting Taste of TPU, totaling $2,760 in support of the TPU Senior Assistance Fund, which helps with one-time donations to seniors struggling to pay their utility bills. In August, the TPU Dam Ride brings adventure-seeking employees together to drive to LaGrande Dam and Mayfield Park (operated by Tacoma Power), complete with a photo scavenger hunt that raises money for the Senior Assistance Fund. Our HopeSparks School Supply Drive produced $5,792 in school supplies for local kids, the Food & Basic Needs Drive brought in $4,779 for My Sister’s Pantry and our largest fundraising event. The utility ended the summer with our annual United Way Campaign, which raised $202,430, far exceeding the year’s goal of $164,000 and supporting many types of services for those most in need in our community. Check out some amazing highlights of this year’s United Way Campaign:
26
first-time TPU donors
120
leadership level donors (donated over $500)
69
donors increased their pledge in 2021
342
PTO/Vacation hours donated = $13,458*
$16,225
that went to the United Way of Pierce County Centennial Campaign was matched by an anonymous donor
“Nothing makes me prouder of our employees and fantastic Community Connection Leadership Team (comprised of dedicated people who organize our fundraisers) than to report we broke records this year for the annual Book Drive, Taste of TPU, Dam Ride, and the School Supplies Drive,” reported Christina Turner, social responsibility manager for Tacoma Public Utilities.
10
*In 2020, our employees donated 147 hours, which yielded $5,745.
A home run for the Senior Assistance Fund Our utility hit a home run in August 2021 for the Senior Assistance Fund. TPU Night at the Tacoma Rainiers was a massive success thanks to utility employees and TPU customers who bought 592 ticket packages. For each TPU Night ticket bought, the Tacoma Rainiers donated $5 back to TPU, The utility received more than $2,700 to offer grants through the Senior Assistance Fund that help local seniors struggling to pay their utility bills. It was the perfect summer night for baseball, and many colleagues saw one another for the first time in over a year. TPU honored our continuity staff, who continue to work in the field and on campus, with a Tacoma Rainiers ticket raffle. Fifty raffle winners received tickets to TPU Night, and TPU gave away 94 vouchers, good for two tickets to any game during the season. The partnership with the Tacoma Rainiers is a highly visible opportunity to connect with our customers and community about the services and programs we offer. We receive signage and ads in the ballpark throughout the season with messaging related to water conservation, Customer Energy Program incentives, Business Customer Energy Programs, electric vehicle charging, and Evergreen Options.
Thanks to everyone for your support of America’s favorite pastime. Time to get excited about this season, which began April 5.
forward Together EDITION
11
p A Tacoma Power fish truck parades through the Mossyrock Blueberry Festival
How Tacoma Power generates support for hydro project communities Community support is at the heart of our work at TPU, and that extends to the communities around our four hydroelectric projects: the Cowlitz River Project in Lewis County, Cushman Hydro Project in Mason County, Nisqually River Project in Pierce County, and Wynoochee River Project in Grays Harbor County. While the people who live around our hydro projects do not directly receive the clean, renewable hydroelectric energy we generate, we support their local communities in various ways.
“We want to show our neighbors that we’re a part of the community and not some big, faceless entity,” said Cowlitz River Project Manager Chad Chalmers. “We may work for Tacoma Power, but we call these communities home. We want to demonstrate our involvement and support in tangible ways.” RECREATION One way we provide support is through recreation opportunities. We welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors to our four beautiful Tacoma Power Parks every year. Visitors can camp, fish, go boating, and more. Additionally, we own 20,000 acres of land around our hydro projects. Fans of the outdoors can go hiking (our 20-mile-long Peterman Hill Trail is especially popular), horseback riding, hunting, and birdwatching on the lands.
12
FINANCIAL SUPPORT We are committed to our hydro communities’ economic success. We offer high-quality permanent, seasonal, and contractor jobs, as well as internships. Per federal regulations, state regulations, and agreements, we spend millions of dollars each year supporting the counties, school districts, Tribes, fire districts, and more. We purchase energy from the local public utility districts and buy advertising in event programs, tourism guides, and newspapers. Additionally, visitors spend money at local shops and gas stations.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT REQUESTS Since 2015, the Cowlitz River Project has funded nearly 60 community support requests totaling more than $16,000. The donations include everything from helping libraries to funding school activities. “We can use our unique capabilities to help the community,” said Chad. “One of the big things with the high schools is that they have gigantic rocks that each senior class paints. We donated a rock and placed it for one of the schools using one of the cranes. We have placed light poles and wired them for a local park and high school football field and stood up spar poles for the Morton Loggers’ Jubilee. We are the only local organization with equipment large enough to do this type of work.”
u A booth at the Washington State Fair supports the TPU hydro projects
EVENTS Although public events have been on hold due to coronavirus, they are slowly coming back. At Cowlitz, we have annually supported the Mossyrock Blueberry Festival and the Southwest Washington Fair, and sponsored and hosted the “Powerful Examples of Excellence” event that honors the achievements of high school students. Elsewhere, we sponsor and participate in the Nisqually Watershed Festival, Long Live the Kings’ Survive the Sound event, and Nisqually Land Trust events. And while we help sponsor the Annual Polar Bear Plunge at Alderbrook, we haven’t yet had any employees brave enough to jump in!
PARTICIPATION/VOLUNTEERING/OUTREACH Some hydro employees are members of tourism groups. Others present in classrooms, host job-shadow students, speak at local high school job fairs, and provide facility tours. Cushman Hydro Project electrician Chris Gleason volunteers on an advisory board for the Shelton High School MET Academy (Mechatronics, Engineering, and Technology). “Mechatronics encompasses things like robotics, climate and process control, drones, and engineering,” said Chris. “The school is building a program and facilities that will evolve with industry needs. Our board helps steer the program and will bring students to our respective facilities. We aim to help them shape the skills they need so they can walk out of high school with useful tools in their belts.”
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK
“The support we provide is critical,” said Cushman Hydro Project manager Brad Ennis. “We want to show the community that we are here to partner with them. We are invested in their success as well as ours.”
Energy conservation rebates benefit Tacoma Rescue Mission and community When the Tacoma Rescue Mission thought about their expansion, they weren’t thinking about their lights, heating, or hot water; they were thinking about people. Working with Tacoma Power, the City of Tacoma, and other community partners, they built an energyefficient shelter with the capacity to accommodate 75 to 80 additional beds. By prioritizing energy-efficient equipment and practices, they save resources and extend their mission beyond the building. Patrick Urain, program manager for Business Customer Energy Programs, worked with Executive Director Duke Paulson to identify energy-saving equipment, which earned the Mission valuable rebates. The new shelter boasts energy-efficient appliances, automatic LED lighting, smart water heaters, and an HVAC system. Discussing programs early in the construction phase would lower upfront costs, reduce their energy use, and eventually add to their bottom line. “They win by getting a little bit of money back from the utility, and they win year after year from the electrical savings that they achieve on their energy bill,” said Patrick of the experience. “All of that money allows them to reinvest it in other parts of the Mission.” The larger building is what the community needs. It has enough hot water for 75 to 80 people to shower over seven to eight hours each day. An energy-efficient HVAC system provides an abundance of consistently fresh air flow 24 hours a day. “Utilities are one of those things you kind of take for granted until you start to dig into it and realize how complex it is,” Duke said. “I’ve been impressed not only with the skill in handling the complexity but the customer care that I received from TPU to help navigate those systems.” The total energy savings is enough energy to power a Tacoma Power home for one year. However, the Tacoma Rescue Mission will realize savings over many years now that the suitable building and equipment are in place.
forward Together EDITION
13
New John “JP” Phillips Broadcast Center honors an incredible storytelling legacy For 22 years, TV Tacoma’s John “JP” Phillips creatively captured Tacoma Public Utilities’ milestones, events, and history on video. JP, who passed away on October 2, 2020, was beloved by employees throughout TPU and the City. In honor of John’s contributions, the Public Utility Board and Director Jackie Flowers dedicated the newly upgraded TPU control room to him – the John “JP” Phillips Broadcast Center – at the April 28, 2021, Board meeting. You can watch the dedication, which includes a video about JP, here: MyTPU.org/PUB-April2821 (presentation starts at 6:58).
had with him. I am simply grateful for having JP in my life.” JP spent countless hours in the TPU control room filming Board meetings on prehistoric equipment. At long last, staff started upgrading the space in 2019.
p 20 Years of Dedicated Service as a “Rock Star Video Producer” award
“The best part of knowing and working with JP was his indelible spirit. Nothing ever seemed to keep his mood down for long, nor would he let others stay down,” said Television Production Coordinator John Miller, who managed JP for 14 years. “During tough moments, JP could look at you, smile, and say something that would make you laugh and brighten your attitude in a heartbeat.”
“We planned on surprising him with the news about the dedication once the upgrade was complete,” said Executive Assistant Charleen Jacobs. “Sadly, his health declined before we finished the room. Fortunately, I was able to share the dedication news with John the night before he passed.”
JP’s extensive work included filming from the top of the original Narrows Bridge, climbing inside water pipes, capturing every dam, and highlighting Tacoma Rail’s locomotives. He covered Community Connection events, braved the elements with the line crews, and did a significant amount of work for the Click! Network.
“My favorite time working with JP was for the Service Awards. He was so meticulous and creative with the videos,” said Financial Assistant Tamera Fletcher. “We’d get to spend a rare, entire day with him, prepping everything and cracking jokes – his Dr. Evil/ Mr. Bigglesworth impression was an absolute hoot! We presented an award to him at the 2019 ceremony for ‘20 Years of Dedicated Service as a Rock Star Video Producer.’ JP was so proud of it that he said even though he’d won Emmys and other local and national accolades, this one meant the most to him.”
“I had the wonderful pleasure of working with JP when Click! Cable TV started to do 30-second spots on its network,” said marketing coordinator Bernie Peterson. “With his quirky sense of humor and my candor, there was always laughter in almost every conversation I
John was well known for his work on the Service Awards, an annual event that honors employees at their service intervals every five years, beginning at 10. He would craft a video featuring the news, pop culture, and events from employees’ years of hire.
John was an impeccable and masterful storyteller who did everything with excellence. He never tried to glorify himself through his work; it was always about the story. May we not only celebrate the stories he told so beautifully but also, the beautiful story of his life.
t John working his video magic in the prehistoric TPU control room.
You can still share your condolences by signing this Kudoboard: Kudoboard.com/boards/vP6zU6ZW. 14
What it takes to operate our Tacoma Power Parks Few understand the incredible task of caring for our four Tacoma Power Parks. Alder Lake Park is in Pierce County, while Mayfield, Mossyrock, and Taidnapam parks are in Lewis County. Each park has amenities, specific challenges, and irreplaceable public resources. New challenges occurred due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but our dedicated park staff persevered in offering a quality outdoor experience for park visitors. We decided to shine some light on what it takes to maintain our parks. What exactly goes into managing our parks? There are many moving parts beyond apparent garbage removal, general maintenance, and campsite clean-up. Our park crews and camp hosts are the eyes and ears of our parks.
“This could not happen with one person. It’s a team effort,” said John Lambert, assistant manager of the Cowlitz River Project in Lewis County. Our volunteer camp hosts are part of what makes our park experience unique. Some of our hosts have been visiting these areas since before we established our parks! “They are our park ambassadors. They socialize with the public and inform those curious about local hikes, how fishing has been, and some local history,” said Krisandra Sarber, park supervisor at Taidnapam Park.
It takes a team effort to manage the parks themselves and provide excellent customer service to campers and visitors. Many of our park visitors are return customers looking to experience fresh air and have some fun. Our parks offer various engaging activities for families beyond jumping in the water, and Tacoma Power always seeks to improve them. In 2020, the utility installed a nine-hole disc golf course at Mossyrock Park. It was such a success that they extended it to 18 holes! The utility recently completed upgrades to some of its restrooms at Mossyrock Park to make them ADA accessible and convert some to individual family units. They are still in the process of upgrading the bathrooms at Mayfield Lake Park. Both parks recently received new playground equipment that appeals to all age groups – like a music circle complete with a xylophone! Mossyrock Park has a new concessionaire, and Taidnapam Park offers summer activities for kids (unless there are Covid-19 protocols that prohibit them). “Our staff usually puts on what we call ‘kids’ days,’ which is when some of our staff put together fun activities for the kids on Saturdays during the busy season. Some examples would be sprinklers, kids’ water table, hula-hoops, rock painting, musical pool noodles, joke time, and a little ninja warriors’ course,” said Krisandra Our employees are always looking for ways to ensure that our campers have a fantastic experience. These recreational opportunities are yet another benefit of Tacoma’s clean, renewable hydroelectric energy.
forward Together EDITION
15
Activity booklet teaches people about our water system Tacoma Water had illustrated maps in the past, but they were dated and lacking information. The utility needed a valuable outreach piece where people could see where Tacoma’s water comes from and how it gets to them. They also wanted to show how people use water indoors and outdoors. The utility created a new map with help from the TPU Communications Office and employees from across the Water division who provided feedback and testing throughout the design process. The result is a four-page coloring and activity booklet that provides an overview of our water system. One of the project’s objectives was to engage young people and adults to think about how they use water and the people and infrastructure it takes to get from here to there. The utility wanted something fun for kids to do and the ability to learn information about their drinking water they may not have considered. Finally, Water hopes educators will want to use the map to teach about our local water cycle. “It was a joy to work on and see it come to fruition,” said project lead Rochelle Gandour-Rood, Water Program Specialist for Community Engagement and Conservation. She added, “I am thrilled with the final result and hope everyone will consider sharing this with young people, or even adults, who might enjoy it and learn something valuable about our water.” Local artist Chandler O’Leary drew the artwork by hand, text and all. It was an excellent opportunity to help the utility visualize our water systems for students
16
and young readers and make the content engaging and accessible to people of all ages. Chandler worked closely with the Water and TPU Communications teams in a virtual format to break down each step of the process, and each location on the map, to ensure she represented it both simply and accurately while still having fun with the imagery.
“My favorite part was when the (Water) team turned my sketches over to a panel of ‘kid experts’ for review,” said Chandler. “The students had insightful feedback on my illustrations and made several wonderful suggestions for adding icons and elements that made the finished piece even better!” Chandler also noted her gratitude for the experience because she also has a much better understanding of where our water comes from, and how precious a resource it is. The coloring pages are available on MyTPU.org/Water to print, and educators may request class sets by emailing the utility. When outreach events begin taking place, the Water staff will use them as a fun way to educate the public about our water supply. Coloring fanatics of all ages can color water pipes and tanks, find the many animals in the watershed word search, and look for Sasquatch in the forest.
Native plant nursery blooms in the Green River Watershed Tacoma Water has numerous properties and pipeline rights-ofway located all over Pierce County and in parts of King County. Thus, they regularly conduct mitigation work to minimize landscape disruptions from pipe maintenance, building expansions, and capital projects. They also conduct projects in the Green River Watershed to improve water quality and habitats for fish and wildlife. These projects often contract out plant acquisition and installation at considerable cost to the utility and, by extension, our customers. A restoration biologist in the Green River Watershed, Natalie Jones realized opportunities exist in the Green River Watershed to salvage and grow plants. They could acquire most of the required nursery materials at low or no cost. The result is a new pilot project to set up a small native plant nursery in the watershed. The goals are to provide healthier plants, reduce waste, and save money. Natalie’s work in the watershed is highly variable based on the seasons and her coworkers’ needs. She collects data throughout the watershed on plant species, water temperature, and wildlife mitigation habitat performance. She also helps our Fisheries Biologist and Forester with their projects, so she spends
time kayaking for fish surveys, clearing out culverts, and hiking in our riparian forests to survey streams. Now she is knee-deep in salvaging plants and building a native plant nursery. Natalie got the green light from Source Water and Treatment Operations Manager Greg Volkhardt and Environmental Stewardship Operations Manager Tyler Patterson. Together, they outlined a plan to create and test a new pilot project for an in-house native plant nursery. The nursery space is a Tacoma Water property acquired in the watershed a few years ago, complete with a fenced garden and several log structures, power, and water. Watershed staff find and salvage all plants from within the watershed. The team identifies native plants that may be impacted by watershed projects and recover those plants ahead of time. Initially, they had difficulty providing water to the nursery site. After lugging buckets of water over and over, Natalie talked with our Treatment Plant Maintenance group, and they strategized how to extend existing water lines closer to the site at a low cost. The finished product allows her to easily hook up a hose and water plants.
p Natalie Jones in the small native plant nursery in the Green River Watershed
“I am just so grateful for all the support I’ve received for this project,” said Natalie. “Every group in the watershed contributed in some way. The mechanics supplied me with reachable water, inspectors and operators helped me find great salvage sites, and my teammates continue to help me with watering, salvaging opportunities, and enthusiasm.” Over 1,100 plants of many species have been salvaged in just a few months. Many are being prepared for planting during upcoming restoration projects. The volume of plants at the nursery will continue to grow as necessary to support future projects. The team is also nearly finished installing indoor propagation equipment and will soon produce some species from cuttings and seeds. The future of the pilot nursery depends on success factors such as nursery stock diversity, plant survival, and program cost. If the initial results are any indication, it is already a booming, or blooming, success.
forward Together EDITION
17
We have a long history of recognizing our employees for years of service as each of you reach certain milestones in your career with Tacoma Public Utilities. Circumstances and restrictions on gathering over the past couple of years have kept us from celebrating service anniversaries in person, however we want to acknowledge recent honorees and your years of dedication to the utility. As we look back on the year, we recognize 2019 and 2020 honorees, who would have been celebrated in 2020 and 2021. Congratulations on your years of service and thank you for your hard work and dedication. We will recognize 2021 service anniversaries in a forthcoming issue and hope to celebrate in person again soon. More to come this spring!
2019 Years of Service Honorees Matthew Johnson, Power
Bill Crane, Power
Carmen Justin, Power
Donna Ebi, Power
Joe Maplethorpe, Power
Katie Edson, Power
Gary McDaniels, Power
David England, Power
Lisa Anderson, Management Services
Jason Mitchell, Power
Victor Fernando, Power
Aaron Anderson, Power
Raymond Pia, Power
Bret Forrester, Power
Clint Brown, Power
Jon Pontsler, Power
Vicky Gonzales, Power
James Connelly, Power
Matthew Roy, Power
Mike Grosvenor, Power
Chris Cournyer, Power
Jeff Simmons, Power
Deborah Kienast, Power
Megan Davis, Power
Doug Ware, Power
Buddy Kile, Power
Ying Hall, Power
Craig White, Power
Nancy LeMay, Power
Justin Hamilton, Power
Kyrra Wilson, Power
Robert Miller, Power
Rives Hassell-Corbiell, Power
Steve Wisor, Power
Becky O’Neal, Power
Lee Henslee, Power
Robert Bailey, Rail
Mark Pigman, Power
Lee Jefferson, Power
Josh Banks, Rail
Justin Quevedo, Power
Paul Korbuszewski, Power
Scott Gordon, Rail
Michelle Rhubright, Power
Susan Koscik, Power
Jon Roberts, Rail
Joy Sage, Power
Adam Lang, Power
John VanAusdeln, Rail
Shawn Simon, Power
Tom Ludwig, Power
Darrel Carreau, Water
Kurt Topel, Power
Robert Marty, Power
Brad Gronlund, Water
Robert Van Cleave, Power
Ryan McLaughlin, Power
John Haase, Water
Vern Wandler, Power
Deborah McLellan, Power
Jarrod Kaiser, Water
Michelle Wentz, Power
Matt Morton, Power
Conan Kempf, Water
Suzanne Wright, Power
Igal Muhumed, Power
Frederick Boguth, Power
Eric Peterson, Water
Lori Duval, Rail
Christopher Nomura, Power
Mike Burleson, Power
Rick Thompson, Water
Bryce Edwards, Rail
Lisa Rennie, Power
Terry Gifford, Power
Ed Vaughn, Water
Joe Furtney, Rail
Jeremy Stewart, Power
Brett Gomsrud, Rail
Glen Stone, Power
Clayton Hoffman, Rail
Andrew Trimmer, Power
Steve Savy, Rail
Patrick Urain, Power
Joe Shanahan, Rail
James Van Ness, Power
Dave Swanson, Rail
Ivan Welch, Power
35
Years
Mark Aalfs, Power James Baggarly, Power Marcie Hedman, Power Sharon Kennard, Power
2019-2020 service honorees
Carl Foster, Water
30
Years
Danny Belton, Power Brian Berdan, Power 30 Gary Davick, Power, Clarence Lupo, Power Lauri Mattsen, Power Michele Nelson, Power Tony Randall, Power Sharon Skaggs, Power Larry Thompson, Power Lori Daniels, Rail Pam Bolte, Water Cary Jensen, Water Dave Rodahl, Water
25
Years
Jason Harrell, Power Gina Munson, Power Terry Ryan, Power Mike Shook, Power
Years
Bobby Amariyakoune, Customer Service
Years
Gus Cardiel, Customer Service
Bill Walsh, Power
Carolyn Coley-Booker, Customer Service
Ralph Eaton, Water
Rachel Frias, Customer Service
Ervin Willoughby, Rail
Byron Williamson, Power
Heather Pennington, Water
Tori Hobbs, Customer Service
Jodi Collins, Water
Rebekah Wotton, Power
Shelly Shaffer, Water
Michael Jardeen, Customer Service
Tamera Cummins, Water
Dan Knouff, Rail
Craig Downs, Wate
Kimo Mawae, Rail
20
Years
Michael Beeks, Customer Service Janet Davis, Customer Service Shawn McClatchey, Customer Service Maria Kossan-Johnson, Management Services
18
15
10
Elizabeth Jenkins, Customer Service Randy Lewis, Customer Service Janine Mann, Customer Service Lynsay Shroads, Customer Service
Trent Hill, Water Rod Mapes, Water Corey Nelson, Water Steve Pietzke, Water Deanna Pollard, Water
Lynn Whalen, Customer Service
Bill Reynolds, Water
Linda Brent, Power
Kristi Williams, Customer Service
Doug Smith, Water
Carl Busenius, Power
Angela Ambrosio, Power
James Southern, Water
Bill Cooper, Power
Susan Baudin, Power
Miki Foster, Power
Kelli Boettger, Power
20
15
10 20
15
20
10
10
10 20 15
10
15
25 10
15
10 20
30
10
35
15
10
20
10 15 10
15
25
25
10
10
30 15
20
15
25
20
10
2020 Years of Service Honorees Andy Plitkins, Power
Lynette Mason-Ligon, Power
Robert Young, Power
Levi Minnich, Power
Dave Anthony, Rail
Tony Nordhaug, Power
Jim Clark, Rail
Stephen Raynolds, Power
Kyle Kellem, Rail
Greg Reed, Power
Shawn Merrill, Rail
Bridget Reiser, Power
Bryan Nelson, Rail
Jeffrey Shoch, Power
James Kauffman, Management Services
John Lambert, Power
Andy Rose, Rail
LaTosha Siebert, Power
Chris Gleason, Power
Bob Dimond, Power
Rich Ruby, Rail
JoDean Skaar, Power
Shawna Gravatt, Power
Stephen Hamel, Power
Jim Cockrill, Water
Ron Stone, Power
Jason Kanouse, Power
Steve Barkhoff, Rail
Michael Foster, Water
Marshall Swayze, Power
Ron Allen, Power
Randy Marquis, Water
Karen Lamont, Water
Shane Theuerkauf, Power
Kristopher Bobo, Power
Vaughn Mylan, Water
Keith Wawrin, Power
Shirley Eshbach, Power
40
Years
Tommie Frazier, Customer Service
35
Years
Ronnier Harris, Power
30
25
Years
Years
10
Years
John Hoffman, Customer Service Teresa Puczyk, Customer Service Reyna Sanchez Pina, Customer Service
Shon Stuefen, Water
Dave West, Power
Christy Hansen, Power
Lori Dabson, Customer Service
Shannon Long, Water
John Williams, Power
Michael Hill, Power
Barbara Ostrander, Management Services
Michel Peloquin, Water
Nick Hobrock, Power
Christina Leinneweber, Power
Jeff Stone, Water
Anthony Johnson, Power
Osmin James, Power
Duc Vuong, Water
Bill Solus, Power
Adam DeZort, Power
Bob Langdon, Water
Tamera Fletcher, Public Affairs & Communication
Zeb Farrow, Power
Rob Albenesius, Rail
Steve Hansen, Power
Gary Anten, Rail
Sean Keely, Power
Dale Carter, Customer Service
Earl Conklin, Rail
Kenny Sullivan, Power
Theron Hamer, Customer Service
Kari Halliday, Rail
Joseph Tabisz, Power
Tuashua Ware, Customer Service
Alan Matheson, Rail
Richard Wacker, Power
Dan Browitt, Power
Quang Nguyen, Rail
Steven Whipple, Power
Scott Gibson, Power
Chris Ray, Rail
Joe Wilson, Power
Jay Madden, Power
Keith Shaw, Rail
Justin Oliver, Power
Mike Krieg, Power
Lyn White, Rail
Jason Stewart, Power
Lee Edwards, Power
Charleen Jacobs, TPU Directors Office
Casey Stoddard, Rail
Todd Lloyd, Power Gerald Holcomb, Power Scott Mertlich, Power Mike Reece, Power Shane Stull, Power Rod Bentley, Power Wayne Thomas, Power Nancy Douglas, Water Mark Halsey, Water Julie LaVergne, Water Jason Pulicicchio, Water Jesse Angel, Water Fran Chapin, Water
20
Years
TaDarryl Hardy, Customer Service Chuck Wiggins, Power Doug Boettner, Power Brenda Pence, Power Ramona Goree, Power Melodie Hatcher, Power Ralph Neff, Power Rich Craig, Power Leo Laurea, Power Patrick Leach, Power Mark Roach, Power Ari Roberts, Power Mitchell Berreth, Power
Ron Markland, Water
15
Years
Chris Demos, Power Scott Trent, Power Rich Arneson, Power Todd Shepherd, Power Jayson Lelli, Power Romela Neal, Power Kole Barrow, Power Dustin Benham, Power Jim Boyd, Power Jennifer Davies, Power Ken DeHut, Power Jeremy Dunn, Power Mike Flowers, Power Ken Luzbetak, Power Justin Martin, Power
Lisa Sievers, Water Jay Grubb, Water Martin Lund, Water Kyle Munkres, Water Sav Tith, Water Chris Webster, Water
Philip Gause, Power
Michael Gray, Water Sean Senescall, Water Jennifer Airey, Water Jessica Knickerbocker, Water Jason Scott, Water Shannon Wall, Water
Kim Baard, Water Kim DeFolo, Water Vladimir Glebov, Water Derek Losey, Water Daniel Broussard, Water Dan McCormick, Water Nate West, Water
forward Together EDITION
19
New utility terrain vehicle keeps Wynoochee on the right track Self-sufficiency is the name of the game at the Wynoochee River Project. When nestled in the foothills of the Olympic National Forest, more than 30 miles away from the nearest town, it’s critical to have the right tools on hand to fix any problems. Wynoochee received an essential addition to their suite of tools in 2020– a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV). Generation and Fleet Services successfully collaborated to find the best vehicle for the Project. “Fleet Services did a terrific job working with us to figure out what we needed,” said Wynoochee River Project assistant manager Scott Trent. “The UTV they found has already proven its worth and paid for itself.” During nicer weather, Project staff use it to do grounds maintenance work, put boats in the reservoir, pick up litter, move hay and seed around for erosion control, transport tools and equipment, and drive to places inaccessible to a regular truck. However, the UTV’s capabilities especially shine in inclement weather: employees add custom tracks over the wheels, and the UTV is ready to go snow-chomping.
OFF THE GRID The Project is powered by electricity from Grays Harbor PUD, except for the Weatherwax microwave communications system. Due to the remote location of the system’s communication tower, it is entirely off the grid; it is powered by solar, wind, and battery packs. All hydro plant controls, internet, telephone access, and data are transmitted via Weatherwax. “It can be difficult to keep the batteries charged during the winter. Sometimes we don’t get enough solar energy due to the lack of sun, or if the panels get buried in snow,” said Scott. “We’ve also had strong storms take out our wind power. This UTV allows us to access the site when we need to repair our system.” Wynoochee used to own a snowcat (short for snow and caterpillar), but it was from a bygone era and finally plowed over its last snowbank five years ago. “Rather than investing in a new snowcat, which can cost upwards of $300,000, we rented them when needed, but that was also expensive,” said Fleet Services manager Don Ashmore. “This UTV is a fraction of that price and can be used for multiple purposes – it’s an incredible value for the utility.” The UTV has become the Swiss Army knife of vehicles for Wynoochee. “It’s important to keep our communications up and running for emergency response, public safety, and operational needs,” said Scott. “We appreciate Fleet Services’ efforts in helping us find the right tool for the job.”
t Brandon Stroh and Westin Haynes drive the UTV.
20
A fond farewell to our recent retirees Mike Burleson a Tacoma Power electrical inspector, retired after 26 years. JUNE 2021 Michael Gray a Tacoma Water assistant division manager, retired after 11 years. JULY 2021 Scott Roose a Tacoma Power custodian, retired after 25 years. Don Williams a Tacoma Power senior line clearance tree trimmer, retired after 23 years. Andre’ Kirouac a Tacoma Power Electrical Meter & Relay technician, retired after 24 years.
Bill Wimble a Tacoma Power hydro utility worker, retired after 31 years. Bob Cadle a Tacoma Power hydro utility worker, retired after 16 years. AUGUST 2021 Steve Bain a Tacoma Power line electrician, retired after 24 years. Kenneth Bagley a Tacoma Power network construction engineer, retired after 23 years. SEPTEMBER 2021 Cary Jensen a Tacoma Water construction inspector, retired after 32 years.
Mike Bell a Tacoma Power utility service specialist, retired after 24 years.
Timothy Berger a Tacoma Water treatment plant operator, retired after 5 years.
Patrick Jacobs a Tacoma Power Management Analyst I, retired after 24 years
OCTOBER 2021
Greg Armstrong a Tacoma Water operations manager, retired after 20 years. Rick Johnson a Tacoma Power systems power dispatcher, retired after 28 years.
retirees
APRIL 2021
Melodie Hatcher a Tacoma Power administrative assistant, retired after 21 years. Tamera Vedeneeva a Tacoma Power engineer technician II, retired after 13 years. DECEMBER 2021
Terry Ryan a Tacoma Power section assistant manager II, retired after 27 years.
John Kasmarsik a Tacoma Power vehicle & equipment shop attendant, retired after 39 years.
Jeff Singleton a Tacoma Power chief surveyor, retired after 31 years.
Tony Randall a Tacoma Power real-time energy trader, retired after 32 years.
Michael Sloan a Tacoma Power Generation systems power dispatcher, retired after 31 years.
forward Together EDITION
21
THE FOLLOWING NEW EMPLOYEES JOINED TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND DECEMBER 2021.
Anish Adhikari
welcome new employees
Senior Technical IT Analyst Tacoma Power
Daimen Butterton
Michael Clifton
Tianna Bergstrom
Heavy Equipment Mechanic Tacoma Power
Brady Corcoran
Ramel Cortez
Kory Doran
Danielle Douglas
Grounds Maintenance Worker Tacoma Power
Sarah DeGidio
Daryl DeMangelaere Water Utility Worker Tacoma Water
Senior Utility Economist Tacoma Power
Kyle Frankiewich
Adnane Ettayeby
David Guerrero
Water Utility Worker Tacoma Water
Analyst Tacoma Power
Electrical Inspector Tacoma Power
Tracie Johnson
Management Analyst II Tacoma Power
Engineer II Tacoma Power
Kris Holmes
Hydro Utility Worker Tacoma Power
Allen Kendall
Electrical Meter & Relay Tech Tacoma Power
John Boughton
Customer Service Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Line Clearance Tree Trimmer Tacoma Power
Leland Hitchcock
22
Rebecca Bateman
Management Analyst Tacoma Water
Line Clearance Tree Trimmer Tacoma Power
Engineer II Tacoma Power
Alex Hughes
Custodian Tacoma Power
Railway Conductor Tacoma Rail
Dale Gustafson
Hydro Project Mechanic Tacoma Power
Bryce Jeffreys
Dennis Bozung Custodian Tacoma Power
John Davey
Conservation Program Coordinator Tacoma Power
Lorne Ennis
Customer Service Representative Tacoma Public Utilities
Jason Hamman
Management Analyst II Tacoma Water
Lisa Johnson
Railway Conductor Tacoma Rail
Senior Substation Operator Tacoma Power
Management Analyst II Tacoma Public Utilities
Renae Knowles
Garret LaBove
Zachary Lagro
Administrative Assistant Tacoma Power
Senior Analyst Tacoma Power
Line Electrician Apprentice Tacoma Power
Catherine Lee
Integration Developer Tacoma Power
Nathan Manning Supervisor III Tacoma Power
Shawn Myers
Luke Lichorowic
Travis Lightle
Line Electrician Apprentice Tacoma Power
Hydro Utility Worker Tacoma Power
Tyler McCune
Parker McFadden
Water Treatment Plant Operator Tacoma Water
Jesse Narog
Line Electrician Apprentice Tacoma Power
Kevin Noble
Ccommunication System Tech II Tacoma Power
Assistant Division Manager Tacoma Water
Line Electrician Tacoma Power
Garrett Richardson
Robyn Riley
Ronaldo Romanha Scampini
Electrical Meter & Public Disclosure Relay Tech Apprentice Analyst Tacoma Power Tacoma Public Utilities
Armand Shahbazian Jennifer Shen Lee Engineer II Tacoma Power
Justin Togi
Water Utility Worker Tacoma Water
Assistant Division Manager Tacoma Water
Lupe Torres
Engineer II Tacoma Power
Linda Shmait Analyst Tacoma Power
Ashley Vashey
Public Disclosure Customer Service Analyst Representative Tacoma Public Utilities Tacoma Public Utilities
Katie Lindberg
Teresa Loo
Associate Engineer Tacoma Water
Supervisor II Tacoma Power
Sandy McKay
Bradley Mitcham
Michael Oak
Kenneth Osborne
Casey Rood
Tejwinder Saggu
Safety Manager Tacoma Power
Line Electrician Apprentice Tacoma Power
Real-Time Energy Trader Tacoma Power
Steven Shortt
Media Specialist Tacoma Public Utilities
Sean Vasquez
Electrical Meter & Relay Technician Apprentice Tacoma Power
Systems Power Dispatcher Tacoma Power
Electrician Tacoma Water
Engineer I Tacoma Power
Trevor Smith
Railway Conductor Tacoma Rail
Chris Loye
Line Equipment Operator Tacoma Power
Jeffrey Moline
Public Disclosure Analyst Tacoma Public Utilities
Trish Rhay
Assistant Division Manager Tacoma Water
Michael Schuller
Water Treatment Plant Operator Tacoma Water
Robert Sneed
Warehouse Technician Tacoma Power
Erik Wiseman
Management Analyst III Tacoma Power
23
Tacoma Public Utilities PO Box 11007 • Tacoma WA 98411
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TACOMA WA PERMIT NO 2
Ubits is a publication for Tacoma Public Utilities employees and provided as a courtesy to retirees. • Communications@CityofTacoma.org • 253-254-9739
Tacoma Power upgrades the Barrier Dam Our Generation and Natural Resources teams worked hard to complete phase one of an upgrade to the Barrier Dam spillway last year. The utility partnered with multiple agencies and regulators, a consultant, and a contractor, on this multi-year, multi-faceted project. The 12-foot-tall dam is part of our Cowlitz River Project; it diverts returning adult salmon to our fish separating facility. Water washing over the dam lands on a flat concrete slab, bringing lots of tumbling rocks with it. The rocks took their toll on the slab over the last 50 years. Our teams are fixing the damage and changing the spillway design so that rocks won’t be an issue in the future. The teams accomplished the Herculean feat of installing a cofferdam – a temporary dam that enables them to reach the spillway to do the upgrades safely. They worked together 12 hours a day, seven days a week, to put the temporary dam in place, including performing an impressive fish salvage effort after dewatering the cofferdam. The work does not affect public access to the site’s popular boat launch. The teams have the next phase of the upgrade planned for the summer of 2022.
{ Our dedicated staff successfully saved fish after dewatering the cofferdam. u The new spillway begins to take shape.
