Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The following items are on the agenda for the Public Utility Board meeting today, Wednesday, July 25, at 6:30 p.m. in the Auditorium:
Put Saturday, August 18, on your calendar - that's the day for the annual IBEW Local 483 and Utilities People Picnic. Open to all Local 483 and Utilities People members, their families and guests, the free picnic will be held at the Sportsmen's Club, 16409 Canyon Road East in Puyallup. Traditional picnic eats are included starting at noon, with kids' activities beginning at 12:30 p.m. Kids will enjoy clowns, face painting, balloon animals and an inflatable bouncer, while the grown-ups can have fun with raffles, bingo and the annual horseshoe tournament. One free raffle ticket will be given to each person who donates one non-perishable food item. Some sports equipment will be available, but picnickers also are invited to bring their own. If you'd like to volunteer to help with the event, leave a message for Kirk Sloan, T&D, at the union office, 565-3232.
If you plan to work the weekend of July 28 and 29, avoid parking near the Power Warehouse Building. The Paint Shop will be pressure washing the larger portion of the warehouse roof.
Yes,
people do compete for these things . . . the new citywide contract for
portable toilet rental and servicing has been awarded to Tacoma's own
Emerald Sanitary Service. The new, two-year contract begins August 1. The
incumbent, Northwest Cascade (Honey Bucket), will provide service through July
31 and will pick up its units on August 1. To arrange for delivery of new
units, work sections must contact Kjell (pronounced Chell) Root, Emerald
Sanitary Services area manager, 253-475-6392, as soon as possible. Emerald
Sanitary Services can provide most units within three working days of
notification. The contract also provides for as-needed daily, weekly and
monthly services for standard and handicap units; it has additional provisions
for septic and holding tank pump-out services. Current contract services cover
locations within the City, TPU service area and the Nisqually River Project and
its parks. Additional locations for pump-out services and rates can be added by
contacting Jim Wilkerson, Purchasing, 502-8332. Contract information and
rates are posted on the Purchasing page on CityWeb. The SAP contract number for
both services is 4600004126. If you have any questions about this contract,
contact Jim.
Cambridge
Who's Who, a worldwide membership associated with honor and achievement, has
recognized Doug Hamer, Grounds Maintenance, for his work as an
independent recording artist, composer and guitarist. Information about Doug and
his music will be included in the upcoming edition of the Cambridge Who's Who
Registry. Doug's music is available at
www.cdbaby.com/cd/hamer and
www.cdbaby.com/cd/hamer2.
Proceeds from Doug's CDs benefit Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, St. Jude
Children's Hospital and St. Leo's Food Connection.
The federal minimum wage changed to $5.85 as of July 24. A new workplace poster for Your Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (Federal Minimum Wage Requirements) - along with other required and recommended posters - is available on CityWeb at Employee Resources/Human Resources/Workplace Posters. Please print and post this new version in your work area.
Roberto Singletary, Water Distribution; Sherilyn Christian, Field Operations; Cinda Johnson, Cushman Project; and Ken Kurtz, Energy Services, are eligible to receive donated PTO or sick leave. To donate, contact your timekeeper or Public Utilities Human Resources, 502‑8158, for a PTO/sick leave donation form. You also can download the form from the Human Resources section of CityWeb.
Community
It's
time to consider becoming a basket sponsor for the annual United Way Basket
Raffle. Last year, TPU employees donated 21 baskets to the raffle, and
ticket sales raised $11,101 for United Way of Pierce County. Don't miss out on
the fun this year! Here's what you need to do:
Community Connection's School Supply Drive will run August 6 to 24, but supplies are already at sale prices in local stores. While you're shopping for your own children and grandchildren, maybe throw a few extra items in the shopping basket and save them for the Community Connection drive!
Education
First
aid/CPR retraining is required every two years, so if you've passed the two-year
mark - or if you've never taken the course - consider registering for the
Tuesday, August 14, first aid/CPR class, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Auditorium,
given by the Tacoma Fire Department. Registrations will be accepted only from
area training representatives, who should contact Diane Peterson, Risk
Management, 591-5437, by Tuesday, July 31.
SAP Urgent Care - they'll fix what ails you: Do you work with SAP regularly? Do you sometimes experience symptoms of anxiety, fatigue, irritability or confusion? You could have a new and highly treatable condition called Subacute SAP Syndrome (SSS). If you think you might suffer from SSS, experts from the IT/SAP Training team can diagnose your symptoms and deliver an effective treatment plan. There are two ways you can be treated:
· Training experts can make a house call to your place of work (by appointment only), or
· You can drop in to the Urgent Care Center from 1 to 3 p.m. today, Wednesday, July 25, in the Tacoma Municipal Building Computer Training Room 13.
Either way, the treatment is safe, and there are no known side effects. For best results, complete and submit an SAP symptom questionnaire before your consultation. This will help IT/SAP Training coordinate your care with specialists who can evaluate and treat your specific condition. To request an SAP symptom questionnaire or for further information, contact Stephanie Judy, 382-2797 or by e-mail.
Human Resources
A few more days are left in Vision Awareness Month - and it's never too early to care for young eyes (tips courtesy of Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center): Healthy eyes and vision are a critical part of kids' development. Their eyes should be examined regularly, as many vision problems and eye diseases can be detected and treated early. Be sure to make vision care and eye checks a part of your child's routine medical care. Routine medical exams for kids' vision should follow this schedule:
· Newborns should be checked for general eye health by a pediatrician or family physician in the hospital nursery.
· High-risk newborns (including premature infants), those with a family history of eye problems and those with obvious eye irregularities should be examined by an eye doctor.
· In the first year of life, all infants should be routinely screened for eye health during checkups with their doctors.
· Around age 3½, kids should undergo eye health screenings and visual acuity tests (tests that measure sharpness of vision) with their doctors.
· Around age 5, kids should have their vision and eye alignment evaluated by their doctors. Those who fail either test should be examined by an eye doctor.
· After age 5, further routine screenings should be done at school or the doctor's office, or after the appearance of symptoms such as squinting or frequent headaches. (Many times, a teacher will realize the child isn't seeing well in class.)
· Kids who wear prescription glasses or contacts should have annual checkups to screen for vision changes.
Calendar
· The National Arts Program visual art exhibit will be displayed at Public Utilities through August 21. A reception and awards presentation will be held Thursday, July 26, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater lobby, 901 Broadway. Contact Naomi Strom-Avila, nstrom-avila@cityoftacoma.org or 591-5191.
· SAP's Shadow system will not be available through August 3: And because Shadow is a critical part of the back-up system, access after August 3 will be assigned only as needed. If you have questions or need access, contact any of the following: Dan Hilleren, 382-2730; Lorraine Stargel, 382-2701; Eric Pugmire, 382-2722; Kathy Everett, 382-2770; Debbie Tainer, 382-2656; Mary Rhine, 382-2629.