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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCitySlick_January_2013A newsletter for the City Council and employees of the City of Edina CITYSLICK p1 by Brady Skoglund, Communications Intern In 1782, the American bald eagle was adopted as the official bird emblem of the United States of America for its majestic beauty, great strength and long life. Last summer, Public Works Concrete Street Supervisor John Scheerer ensured that one of them would grow to fulfill that destiny. According to Scheerer, a 4-month-old eagle was attempting to take off from the lawn of St. Stephen’s Church at the intersection of 50th Street and Wooddale Avenue on July 18 when a pick-up truck came through the intersection. As the eagle took flight, it was unable to reach a safe height before it hit the passenger side of the truck’s windshield and was thrown roughly 25 feet back onto the church lawn. Scheerer said the bird then used its wingtips to move to the curb line of 50th Street. Scheerer, who happened to be heading downtown that morning, took immediate action and used his truck to block the lane of traffic into which the eagle had crawled. “I didn’t know the extent of the damage at that time,” said Scheerer, who called local Police dispatch shortly after the accident. Within a few minutes, former Park Maintenance Superintendent Vince Cockriel arrived on the scene to lend assistance. They put a coat over the bird and called the University Of Minnesota Raptor Center for further help. The Raptor Center rehabilitates more than 700 sick and injured raptors every year. “We knew if this thing was going to make it at all, it would have to go to the Raptor Center,” said Scheerer. For three weeks after the accident, Scheerer continually called the Raptor Center for updates on the eagle. He learned that it suffered two broken femurs during the accident. The Raptor Center told Scheerer that it would be weeks before they could determine any major change beyond the broken legs. In mid-September, Scheerer called and was happy to hear that both of the bird’s legs had healed, the eagle was eating well and the Raptor Center had put her in a flight space to help regain wing strength in preparation for a release. Scheerer was at first apprehensive about where they would release the bird because its nest is on the Edina Country Club property near where it was hit. On Dec. 29, Scheerer, his wife, Cockriel and Raptor Center Clinic Manager Lori Arent made the trip to the Carpenter Nature Center in Hastings, Minn., for the release of the eagle back into the wild after a total of 164 days. The Hastings site was chosen because of its partnership with the Raptor Center. In preparation for the release, a hood that had been placed on the eagle’s head to keep the bird calm was removed and Scheerer, along with about 20 other people in attendance, began the countdown. As the group reached INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2 Around The Water Cooler 2 My First Job 3 Techy Tidbits 4 Staff Notes Jan. 18, Jeffrey, Fire Jan. 18, Diesel, Police Jan. 20, William, Fire Jan. 21, Nick, Communications & Technology Services Jan. 21, Nicole, Police Jan. 21, Jane, Administration Jan. 26, Timothy, Edina Liquor – Grandview Jan. 27, Michael, Public Works Jan. 28, Michael, Fire Jan. 29, Amber, Police Jan. 29, Greg, Communications & Technology Services Jan. 30, Bob, Community Development Public Works Employee Helps Rescue Winged Friend EMPLOYEE MILESTONES Richard Johns, Edinborough Park, 25 years. (Jan. 13, 1988) Marc Limbeck, Police, 25 years. (Jan. 19, 1988) 1|18|2013 Continued on Page 3 ... CITYSLICK p2 Communications & Technology Services The video production staff are wrapping up production of the pilot episode of “Enterprise Edina,” a new monthly program about local businesses. Edina Chamber of Commerce President Lori Syverson hosts the show. The pilot episode was filmed in downtown Edina at Mozza Mia and covers how the local restaurant makes its fresh mozzarella and margherita pizza. Edina Liquor Edina Liquor finished another year with a positive increase in sales for the 15th consecutive year. While the increase for 2012 was less than 1 percent, it is significant because at the end of April, Edina Liquor was down $318,000 in sales due to the Southdale store remodel. Edina Liquor made up this deficit and was able to show an increase in sales over 2011. Fire The Edina Fire Department started the year with a house fire in northeast Edina. Shortly after midnight on Jan. 5, fire crews were called to a home on reports of a fire in the garage. Preliminary investigation showed ashes from a fireplace were improperly discarded, causing the fire. According to Fire Marshal Jeff Siems, ashes can retain heat for several days after extinguishing a fire. The Department received a $3,000 grant from Film Tec/Dow Chemicals to purchase an additional LUCAS device. The LUCAS is a chest compression device that aids paramedics in CPR by administering compressions that are consistent in time and depth. Firefighters recently wrapped up a study for the Minnesota Department of Health, which required regular blood draws from participants. The study looks at cyanide levels in a firefighter’s blood caused by smoke. The findings are expected to be presented to the Edina Fire Department and other departments that participated in the coming weeks. Human Resources Employee Advisory Committee In February, Human Resources will establish an Employee Advisory Committee that will be used to gather input from employees on a variety of issues including benefits and policies. The committee will be comprised of employees of varying benefit coverage levels, longevity and age from across the organization. Please stay tuned for more information on duties of committee members and how you can apply to join the committee. Employee Recognition Changes As was previewed last fall, we will be implementing changes to our employee recognition policy. Beginning this year, employees will receive their award for years of service on AROUND THE WATER COOLER Following is a summary of some of the projects of some departments, divisions and facilities. Other areas of the City will be featured in upcoming issues. MY FIRST JOB Bill Neuendorf What was your first job? Gas station attendant at Amoco & the Pop Shoppe in Stevens Point, Wis. Do you remember how much you were paid? $3.35 per hour – no tips, no benefits, no whining. If you could do it all over again, would you still take that job? Sure, I met all kinds of people. (These were the days before “pay-at-the-pump.”) I could do homework during slow times, earned great spending money and even saved some for college tuition. What did you learn on the job that you have carried with you into your career? 1. The value of outstanding customer service – a happy customer is a repeat customer. 2. Not everyone is a happy person (despite great customer service). 3. Some people love to complain about money, no matter the amount. 4. Responsible employees get the best shifts, so do your best. Economic Development Manager Bill Neuendorf began work for the City of Edina’s Administration Department on Aug. 27. Neuendorf has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Marquette University and a Master’s of Urban Planning & Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Most recently, Neuendorf held the position of Director of Advocacy & Policy with Transit for Livable Communities and prior to that he was the Director of Community and Economic Development for the City of Morton Grove, Ill. • “My First Job” is a feature of City Slick compiled by Lynette Biunno meant to give employees a glimpse of each other’s professional beginnings. Continued on Page 4 ... enterprisedinad CITYSLICK p3 Did you know it is just as important to drink a lot of water and to stay hydrated in the winter, as it is in the summer? On hot summer days, water is a welcomed sight. Just because we don’t sweat as much in the winter doesn’t mean our bodies need less water. Often, people don’t drink as much water in the winter because cold makes them feel less thirsty. Our bodies are made of about 70 percent water, but just a two percent decrease in our water volume can trigger dizziness, fatigue and problems focusing. Drinking adequate amounts of water helps keep your lips moist, skin hydrated and aids in digestion. A new addition to City Hall’s first-floor water fountain will make staying hydrated even easier. Employees and visitors can now easily fill up their reusable water bottles and reduce plastic waste. Recycling Coordinator Solvei Wilmot lead the initiative to have a retrofitted water bottle filling station installed. Wilmot is working with other City facilities to see where additional filling stations might be feasible. For more information, contact Wilmot at 952-826-0463. A new water bottle filling station was installed at Edina City Hall in January. TECHY TIDBITS by Jennifer Bennerotte, Communications & Technology Services Director For several years, staff members have used our multi-function printers for scanning. Under that configuration, the PDFs created by those scanners were basic images. As a result, those PDFs were not searchable. This created frustration for some internal users, as well as the public who accesses some of the City’s PDFs online. Together with Metro Sales, the I.T. Division recently upgraded the software on three multi-function printers to provide for more scanning options. The Ricoh multi-function printers at the Public Works & Park Maintenance Facility and those found in the Copy Rooms adjacent to the Administration Department and Building Inspections Division at City Hall now allow users to scan to “PDF, “Word,” “Excel” and “Form.” When you scan to “PDF,” the PDF will now be searchable. When you scan to “Word” or “Excel,” the document you are scanning will be converted to Word or Excel format for you to later edit using those software programs. Using scan to “Form” creates an editable form for the user to fill out. Select your department and then preferred option from the “Scan” menu on the Ricoh. All file types are saved at I:/Scanning in your department’s subfolder. In addition to the departments’ folders in the Scanning folder, there is a folder labeled “OCR.” Inside, there is an “Input” folder. If you would like to convert a file into one of the formats described above without using a Ricoh, open “Input” and then your department’s subfolder. Drag the file for conversion to either “Excel,” “PDF,” “Form” or “Word.” The system will then convert the file for you! You can find the converted file in the “Output” file under your department subfolder at I:/Scanning. Note that the conversion process can take several minutes. Your converted file might not be immediately available. Please remember to regularly clean out your Scanning folder so as not to take up unnecessary storage space. Please contact any member of the I.T. Division if you have questions about this new functionality or the process. In this feature, I.T. staff will highlight some commonly asked technical questions they receive from staff around the City. If you have questions you’d like answered in Techy Tidbits, send an email to HelpDesk@EdinaMN.gov or leave a message at 952-903-5711. DRINK WATER ...ESPECIALLY DURING THE WINTER by Jordan Gilgenbach, Communications Coordinator the final mark of the countdown, the eagle was released and soared proudly over the valley. “It was a tragedy to see it hit, but a great feel-good story to see it let loose like that,” said Scheerer. He was fortunate to be able to respond so quickly to the accident, which helped increase the young eagle’s chances of survival. “I’m just glad I was there at the time,” said Scheerer. Local Hero Continued from Page 1 ... CITYSLICK p4 Around the Water Cooler Continued from Page 2 ... STAFF NOTES Jacob Heckert began work on Jan. 2 as a Police Officer. Heckert worked as a Police Officer for the past seven years for the City of Minnetrista and prior to that as an Asset Protection Specialist for Target Corporation. He is a graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato, with a bachelor’s degree in Law Enforcement. Paid-on-Call Firefighter Peter Knaeble was recently promoted to full-time Paramedic/Firefighter. Knaeble began working for the City in 2009. He has a bachelor’s degree in math and computer science from Saint John’s University and a master’s in Special Education from the University of St. Thomas. Knaeble worked as a Special Education teacher for Robbinsdale Area Schools for seven years. Most recently, he worked as a paramedic for Hennepin County Medical Center. their actual anniversary date. This is an award card with points that can be used to purchase a wide variety of items from an online catalog. In addition, we will continue to offer the employee recognition lunch annually in the fall and publicly recognize all full-time employees whose years of service anniversary falls within the calendar year. Contact Human Resources Representative Terri Wilson if you have any questions. Police Citizens’ Academy Ever wonder what everyday life is like for your coworkers who are police officers? Through lectures, demonstrations and hands- on learning in Citizens’ Academy, you will discover the behind the scenes world of law enforcement. Utility Billing Supervisor Lori Lohmann and Communications Assistant Emilie Kastner recommend the program to anyone who has the chance to participate. “It was a great experience to see what challenges police officers face every day in their career,” said Lohmann, a 2011 participant. “I appreciated the well-rounded experience I was able to take away from Citizens’ Academy,” added Kastner, a 2012 participant. “Some of the most memorable sessions for me included the ride-along, tour of the Hennepin County Jail, range day and being tased. I would recommend it to anyone.” Among other things, participants will take part in mock traffic stops; receive presentations from the Southwest Metro Drug Taskforce, SWAT and K-9; and learn about weapons and defensive tactics. The 11-week course meets Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. at either the Edina Police Department or the South Metro Public Safety Training Facility. The $25 course fee will be waived for City employees. To sign up or for more information, contact Officer Brian Hubbard at bhubbard@EdinaMN.gov. The deadline to register is March 1. ‘Focus In’ The Edina Police Department is kicking off the New Year with a new monthly safety initiative, “Focus In.” Beginning this month, patrol officers will focus police efforts each month on a specific statutory violation in order to educate the public and gain compliance. The violations the Police Department will “Focus In” on have seasonal relevance, affect the quality of life in Edina or pose safety risks to residents. Education will include a warning to those who violate the statutes or codes. In extenuating circumstances, a citation may be issued. The January focus is obstructed windshields. For the following months, police will “Focus In” on failure to signal, unsafe equipment, failure to display headlights, bike safety, curfew violations, pedestrian safety, child and seatbelt safety, school bus stop arm protocol, speed in school zones, night and snow parking, and the “move over” law. All statutes will be enforced year-round, but additional attention will be paid to the focus of the month. Senior Recreation Facility Manager Susan Faus was promoted to Assistant Parks & Recreation Director on Jan. 14. Faus began working for the City of Edina in February of 2012. She has her bachelor’s degree in Corporate and Community Fitness from North Dakota State University and her master’s degree in Sport Management from the University of Kentucky. Ann Kattreh was promoted to Parks & Recreation Director on Dec. 28, 2012, after the retirement of John Keprios. Kattreh began her career with the City of Edina in 1992 as a Special Events Coordinator and was later promoted to Assistant Manager and then Manager of Edinborough Park. In 2011, Kattreh became the Assistant Parks & Recreation Director. Three part-time employees from the Building Inspections Division became full-time employees on Jan. 1. Building Inspector Tedd Nelson has been working for the City since 2006, Michael Kuisle since 2008 and John Schweitzer since 2010.