TPU_CMS_Newsline

Chris Robinson named interim power manager
Chris Robinson will take the helm as the interim power manager in the Power Management Office. Chris replaces former Power Manager Ted Coates, the new Tacoma Power superintendent. Congratulations, Chris!

Be a part of U*
Community & Media Services is looking for your help in putting together the next issue of U*. We are planning the fall issue of TPU’s customer newsletter, Utilities & You, and encourage you to submit your story tips and ideas. If you have interesting, timely and relevant topics or suggestions you feel utilities customers want or need to know, please submit them to u@cityoftacoma.org or to editor Sonja Hall in CMS by end of day Tuesday, August 2. For more information, contact Sonja Hall at 502-8223.

Candidate forums on TV Tacoma start August 1
TV Tacoma has partnered with the League of Women Voters and students from the University of Washington Tacoma Urban Studies program to present forums for people seeking local offices. The forum organizers invited candidates who have filed for the offices of City of Tacoma mayor, Tacoma City Council, Tacoma Civil Service Board, Port of Tacoma commissioner and Tacoma School Board participate in the program.

The forums will begin on August 1on TV Tacoma and be available online at www.tvtacoma.com. TV Tacoma is carried on Click! and Comcast Cable systems. The channel can be viewed on channel 12 in Tacoma City limits and channel 21 in the surrounding Pierce county area, but cannot be seen by University Place residents with Comcast cable.

There must be a BBQ somewhere in your neighborhood
Come celebrate Safe Street National Night Out on August 4 as neighbors gather to stand against crime, promote safety and build unity in their communities. Tacoma Power’s Conservation Resources Management team will host several booths and will visit events throughout the city to answer questions about current energy conservation rebates program and services. They will also hand out energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs to encourage customers to replace inefficient lighting. For more information contact Nola Spice Wise at 502-8517.

It's the last chance for Red Flag training
Have you attended Red Flag training? Remember this is mandatory for any employee who has access to sensitive customer information such as contract accounts, names, addresses, social security numbers and/or contract account numbers. The last training session will take place in the TPU Auditorium on August 7 at 9:30 a.m. Please contact your training coordinator to sign up.

Project aims to make it easier to manage your electronic records
In an effort to help you manage your electronic files and to comply with state and federal regulations, last month the City Council approved the purchase of an electronic content management system. The new electronic content management system (ECMS) will be rolled out across General Government and Tacoma Public Utilities departments and divisions in a phased approach over the next few years, accompanied by training on how to use the new tools that will help guide how we store and manage electronic information, including how we manage our e-mail. This is an important step to ensure that the City is in compliance with State laws regarding records management and public disclosure requests, as well as the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for electronic records. Watch for more information in the coming weeks.

Fido and Fluffy will be fed, thanks to you
Thanks to the generous donations of pet food and treats from TPU employees we had a very successful pet food drive for Seniors With Pets. TPU employees donated more than 1,200 pounds of pet food and treats valued at more than $1,400. Seniors With Pets is a non-profit agency that helps low income seniors keep their furry companions healthy and fed. Medical studies have shown that pet ownership is an easy way for seniors, especially those living alone, to stay active and prevent loneliness. However, the cost of owning and taking care of a pet can sometimes be prohibitive to those living on a fixed income. Thanks for helping local seniors keep their furry companions – a vital link to their wellbeing.

Baked goodies available at United Way sale
Come enjoy delicious co-worker-made baked goods on August 5 in the ABN-G1 Conference Room between 7:30 and 11 a.m. All proceeds support T&D United Way fundraising. Items are purchased by donation. You may also purchase United Way "Live United" t-shirts at the event for $8. For more information, contact Sheryl Brown at 502-8510 or Aaron Moe at 502-8795. You can also donate baked goods to support the fundraiser. Please bring your item before the sale begins to the ABN-G1 Conference Room.

Help build a home at the TPU Habitat for Humanity Build
On Saturday, August 22, a group of volunteers from TPU will participate in a Habitat for Humanity Build. The work shift runs from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Habitat’s Larabee Terrace site in Tacoma. Construction experience is a plus. Volunteers may bring their own hand tools, but are encouraged to leave power tools at home. Lunch will be provided. All volunteers must attend a brief orientation, which will be held at TPU in early August. To sign up contact Georgia Eschenfelder, 502-3373; Kim Jones, 502-8142; or Sharon Skaggs, 502-8441.

Donating leave equals good karma
Human Resources has approved the following employees for donated leave:

To donate leave, contact your timekeeper or Human Resources, 591-5400, for a sick leave/PTO donation form. You can also find the Sick Leave Donation Form online.

The savings are in the van
Vanpooling is an excellent way to save money on your work commute. The City will subsidize an employee’s vanpool fare up to $115 per month. For the majority of the 35 vanpools that serve TPU, this means your ride to work could be free of charge. A new vanpool is starting in the Federal Way area. Find out if a vanpool operates near you by checking the route list posted on the commuter option board in the cafeteria, or call Randy Stearnes, employee transportation coordinator, 502-8224.

Also, if you are a registered member of CAT (Consider Alternative Transportation) the employee rideshare club at TPU, you are eligible for both Emergency Ride Home (ERH) and Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) in case you are unable to rideshare home because of overtime work, an unscheduled meeting or other unplanned situation that causes you to miss your bus, carpool or vanpool home. ERH is a taxi ride home in an emergency with the employee reimbursed for taxi fare. ERH guidelines are available in a brochure at the commuter option board in the Cafeteria or by visiting piercetrips.org. GRH uses TPU pool cars, which are subject to pool car availability and users must be registered in the CAT program. Guidelines for reserving pool cars may be found on Unet under “Services.”

Make a Difference

Non-Community Connection or TPU-sponsored volunteer opportunities within our service area get posted here to give you more opportunities to accrue volunteer hours and make a difference.

Citizens for a Healthy Bay
Opportunity: Invasive plant removal at Yowkwala Beach Restoration Site

Description: Help protect our natural habitat. We will be removing invasive species such as blackberry, pepperweed, scotch broom and others. Tools, gloves and lunch will be provided.

Contact Person: Jeanine Riss, volunteer coordinator, at (253) 383-2429

VolunteerMatch
Opportunity: Video volunteer

Description: Looking for an individual with video production skills to help create video clips that will effectively tell the stories about the lives we touch, the impact we have on communities and the day to day work that we do to make VolunteerMatch an online resource for volunteers. Currently, we empower more than 66,000 nonprofits to feed our hungry, educate our children, protect our environment, and build stronger communities. We hope that video content will help showcase how we make these volunteer opportunities possible and how we are making a meaningful difference in communities. We accept a wide range of skills sets – from experienced media professional to armature filmmakers; we are looking for people who are passionate about the volunteer experience and interested in using their talents to document the process.

Description: We need mentors for the clients in our program. Our clients often come to the program with no resources and no supports. We are looking for individuals who will lend an ear when they are struggling to re-invent their lives. Mentors are needed to help with duties such as transportation, watching children during a doctor's visit or job interview and everything between. Volunteers must have good boundaries, be non-judgmental and have an open heart towards vulnerable people. We provide training prior to mentorship.

Do you know of a volunteer opportunity with a 501c3 organization within our service are that you would like to share? Please send it to Newsline for publication. Please include as much information as possible, including a description, location, contact person and contact information.

…Scott Freeman, Steve Hatcher and TPU volunteers. Kristine Harper thanks her fellow employees who volunteered their time to help with the Dog-A-Thon BBQ.

…Seth Doull of Tacoma Water. Christopher Johnson congratulates Seth for his efforts in preparing for and passing his professional engineer licensing exam. He dedicated four months and up to 15 hours a week of his personal time getting ready for the exam. His hard work paid off and he is now a registered professional engineer in the State of Washington. Congratulations for all your hard work Seth!

Do you have kudos for an individual or group within TPU? Send it in to Newsline and we'll publish your message for all to see. Let's spread the good news.

1972 VW Bug: 1641 cc with 50k build by Ovals motorsport, 75 amp alt., Scat rally seats, Empiquick shift with reverse lock, Empi 8 spokes, adjustable lowering struts – No cut springs, Heavy duty swaybar, older 62’ turn and tail lights, wood steering wheel. $3000 available. Contact Chris Gibson, (253) 212-0893 for more information and photos.
Antique Dinning Room Set: Good condition – chairs need tightening. Set includes table, china cabinet and hutch. $700 or OBO. View here. Contact Cathy or Jim, 360-443-2571 for more information.
60” Sony Rear Projection LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicone) Flat Screen TV and glass shelf TV stand. TV stand has 3 tinted glass shelves and support structure is silver in color. TV is three years old and has approximately 10 months left on Best Buy warranty, which is transferable. Paid more than $3,900 for both new. Asking $1100. Set of 4 P275 / 65R18 M+S BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A tires, Less than 12k miles, no rims, Asking $300. Contact Stan Strand, 253-779-7170 or 360-832-8008.
Tire for boat trailer or car. P215/70R14 tire. General, radial, tubeless, “All Season”, M+S, “Ameri*XT”, Treadwear 230; Traction B; Temperature C, good tread remaining. Was sold as a boat trailer tire, but would make an excellent spare for a car. Needs a wheel/rim. $15. Contact Jim Curley, at 502-8352 for more information.

Submit your ad to Newsline
(In addition to TPU classified ads, Newsline will also offer classified ads from Take 5 which will reciprocate by running Newsline classifieds. Your ads will now be seen by all City employees. Ads run in two issues of Newsline and Take 5. The deadline to submit ads is 10 a.m. Friday. E-mail or call Newsline editor Dave Rosholm, 502-8754. Include your phone number (and/or e-mail) and your name to ensure publication. Ads for business activities, online auction ads and calls for charity sponsorship are not allowed.)