Ord & Yale Street Park Ribbon Cutting

No. 22-2 August 11, 2021

NEWSLETTEROrd & Yale Street Park Ribbon Cutting

Chinatown Community Celebrates Long Awaited Project

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Flanked by lion dancers at the entrance, Councilmember Gil Cedillo cuts the ribbon to officially open the Ord & Yale Street Park. Event photos by JuanCarlos Chan, Rec & Parks Dept.

The deeply sloped site made for a challenging park to design and build, incorporating numer-ous ramps and stairways.

On July 29, 2021 Councilmember Gil Cedillo cut the ribbon to open the long awaited Ord & Yale Street Park, 524 Ord St., LA 90012. Among the speakers were Maria Elena Du-razo, State Senator, 24th District; Wendy Carrillo, State Assemblywoman, 51st District; Recreation & Parks (RAP) Board President Sylvia Patsaouras; and City Engineer Gary Lee Moore. People were entertained by drummers and energetic lion dancers, who bring good luck for the park.

Cedillo said, “I am so proud to be here this morning, this project has taken three years. It’s a very personal project for me and my district.“

Originally referred to as the Alpine Rec-reation Center Expansion, the project grew out of RAP’s 50 Parks Initiative. RAP sought to acquire three parcels and a portion of one parcel located near West Ord Street. In 2013 RAP partnered with GSD and BOE to begin to develop the legal description and execute the negotiations and subsequent acquisitions of the lots. In addition, a partnership formed with the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) allowed for the use of a portion of the Chi-natown Branch Library property. In January 2016 the LAPL Board authorized RAP to use a portion of the property to construct and install improvements and to share the use of the improvements with the Library. Those four lots were consolidated into the 39,200 square feet (just under one acre) park project, now known as Ord & Yale Street Park.

This steeply sloped site made for an un-usual park space. Even with this challenge, the park design includes many park amenities such as community social and event spaces, shade trees, seating, an outdoor reading room, picnic and game tables with a shade structure, walking paths, an outdoor exercise equipment area, a child play area, a cistern that accom-

panies the storm water management systems, drought tolerant landscaping, outdoor light-ing, and safe access up the steep slope to Hill Place that is themed as an exercise stairway.

The size and sloped conditions of the site also created unique construction challenges. The contractor had to stage and sequence the project to work from the back of site and move forward towards Ord Street. Equipment, and mobilization areas, had to be sized to address the limited site constraints.

Due to the unforeseen poor soil conditions on site and the load of the existing buildings above, the design for the stairs and retaining walls connecting pedestrian traffic from Ord Street to Hill Place had to be revised. The retaining walls were re-designed to include soldier piles, and the stairs and landings were designed to be formed from cast con-crete to accommodate the added foundation structures. The new design also created new equipment challenges for the cranes and ce-ment trucks needed to pour and place piles and foundations.

Department of Water & Power (DWP) transformers were originally going to be con-nected to poles overhead, which would have obstructed views to the park. In consultation with DWP, the design team, and City staff, a

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solution was developed that relocated the util-ities so that they would be hidden or relocated underground. As a result, a redesign allowed for the DWP connection via sloped under-ground duct banks, in lieu of overhead lines.

Another challenge was the COVID19 pandemic that occurred during construction and the need to follow masking, distancing and separation policies.

The installation of stormwater management infrastructure at the park, is designed to con-trol stormwater and provide improved water quality for stormwater and irrigation run off in and around the park.

A sign inside the park explains the inspi-ration behind the design:

Park of 10,000 Journeys“The journey of a thousand miles begins

with one step.” Lao TzuOrd and Yale Street Park derived from the

idea of the Park of 10,000 Journeys. A journey of the mind, body, and spirit for the Chinatown community.

The park has three main community spac-es that support activities associated with the mind body, body and spirit. The Lotus Plaza stimulates the mind and encourages social-

Ord & Yale St Park continued from page 1 ization as a place for community gathering and performance. The Bamboo Garden Room encourages exercise of the body with a chil-dren’s play area, and fitness equipment. The spirit is rejuvenated in the Heavenly Garden offering expansive views of the surrounding

neighborhood and mountains. A continuous stairway providing access from Ord Street to Hill Place represents the metaphorical 10,000 journey one can experience in pursuing health and wellbeing which begins with one step.

Councilmember Gil Cedillo City Engineer Gary Lee Moore.

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Entrance to the park and a view of the stairs on the right, going from Ord St. up to Hill Place.

The children’s play area also features a climbing wall. In back is a shaded area with exercise equipment and picnic tables.

Ramps lead to different levels of the park. The colorful stairs symbolize the start of a journey.

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The design was by AHBE MIG and the general contractor was CS Legacy Construc-tion, Inc.

City Engineer Moore noted, “It is so challenging to find the funding for all these projects that we want to do. It’s about part-nerships. The City, the County, the State all working together.” Funding was provided by Proposition K LA for Kids, Proposition 84 State Parks funds, Proposition A LA County, Developer Contribution, and LA City Sites and Facility funds.

The Bureau of Engineering is especially appreciative of the great partnerships and working relationships with Councilmember Cedillo and his staff, the Department of Rec-reation & Parks, the Library Department, along with the consultants and the contractor that made this project possible.

Congratulations go to everyone involved in this project. From the Architectural Di-vision: Steven Fierce, Division Head; Paul Tseng, Contract Administrator; Ray Araujo, P.E. Project Manager; Chelsea Li, P.E. Project Manager. From the Construction Management Division: Long Hong, Assistant Division Engi-neer; Meghan Aldrich, Construction Manager Supervisor; Ingrid Reyes, Project Construction Manger. From the Geotechnical Engineering Division: Patrick Schmidt, Division Manager; Easton Forcier,Geotechnical Engineer II.

From the Bureau of Contract Administra-tion: John Reamer, Chief Inspector of Public Works; George Espindola, Chief Construction Inspector; Victor Curiel, Construction Inspec-tor; and Peter Rhyu, Construction Inspector.


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Board of Public Works Presents the Inaugural Swiss Army Knife Award to Ted Allen

On July 28, 2021 the Board of Public Works virtually presented Deputy City Engineer Ted Allen with its first ever Swiss Army Knife Award.

Board of Public Works President Greg Good opened by saying, “Our first item of business is, as many of you know, the award-ing of the Swiss Army Knife Award. I think folks are somewhat aware of this, but I want to provide a little context for this as everyone knows, thanks to the Hollywood Squares, we have a guest speaker. . . To give a little history, this is an award that my predecessor, former President, Boomer Sooner, Kevin James thought of and we were on the cusp of awarding it, and then this little global quag-mire consumed our world. There was going to be an in person presentation and everything ground to a halt. We were close to being able to do it in person and we reverted backward these several weeks. I certainly felt, and I think a lot of folks felt, that we could wait no longer to highlight, celebrate, recognize, and really just lift up our inaugural recipient of the Swiss Army Knife Award, brother Ted Allen. . . I’m going to hand the virtual gavel to Kevin James to say a few words.”

Former Board of Public Works President Kevin James, now with the Mayor’s office, said, “Ted Allen, congratulations. Thank you for the great work that you’ve done and con-tinue to do over the course of your career at the City of Los Angeles, on behalf of all of our amazing residents and all the folks that work in Los Angeles, and pass through Los Angeles, for your amazing work. As President Good mentioned, we came up with the Swiss Army Knife Award a couple of years ago almost, well a year and a half ago. It was all prepared, we had this really cool plaque that I was able to see it when we were still meeting in person

before the pandemic, and then the pandemic hit and we kind of put everything on hold. And then, of course, the opportunity arose again, as Greg mentioned, when it looked that we were going to be meeting in person, and here we are again. We’re not going to wait any longer. And there are a couple of reasons I think why we shouldn’t wait any longer. One, it’s just time to recognize Ted for all his great work. Two, I think there are amazing Public Works employees and team members in every bureau that deserve this award. So let’s start now so that others can receive it in the future, because we have so many folks in the Department that are efficient and reliable when it comes to numerous areas of impor-tance. Just because - let me share a little bit about the symbolism of the Swiss Army Knife and the naming of this. It is efficient, there are different sizes you can purchase. They all have these really interesting pieces, of different size and scope and breadth of expertise and use in life. And so when I thought over the years as my time on the Board was coming to a close, I thought about the work that I had specifically

asked Ted to do, in a number of different areas working within Public Works, and with other City departments. It’s about Ted Allen today of course, but there were a number of people, that depending on the bureau that we were working with, have been so reliable and stood out in so many ways, in collaboration and cooperation and just the symmetry that I think the Swiss Army knife provides. It’s someone that you can go to if you have no idea where to start. And Ted, I think that you’ve embodied that role at the Bureau of Engineering for us at the Board of Public Works in my tenure and I just want to say thank you. I thought this would be an enjoyable way to do it, it was a symbolic way to do it. And it’s a really cool trophy, I like cool trophies and I think it’s a really cool trophy that you can use however you want, or put it on e-Bay if you want, but it is a token of our appreciation from the Board of Public Works and my appreciation as the former President of the Board of Public Works, for all of the cooperation, collaboration. And this happened by the way, as everyone knows, everybody who’s worked with Ted whether you’re in the City family or you’re one of our very important constituents that we serve. It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is, it doesn’t matter what time of the day it is, or night, or morning. Ted, you’re always reliable and always responsive and for that greatly appreciated. Thank you sir. I look forward to many, many more years of the ability to work with you.”

President Good said, “One of the true testa-ments to the quality of one’s work, leadership, etc., is frankly the trust with which their boss treats them and empowers them. There are examples of this throughout the Department of Public Works. I know a few folks more trusted

Deputy City Engineer Ted Allen

City Engineer Gary Lee Moore said his Swiss Army knife doesn’t compare to Ted’s.

Just one of the pages of the participants in the Board of Public Works Zoom meeting.


Former Board of Public Works President Kevin James

by their boss to take care of business than Ted with the trust of Gary Lee Moore. Our City Engineer of course is with us. Take it away.”

City Engineer Moore said, “Ted Allen, Dep-uty City Engineer, we’re so pleased that you’re being recognized. Many of your colleagues from the Executive Division are here, your direct reports, and of course, your family is also here. I was looking at my Swiss Army knife and I have five functions. I wish I could use five of them, I only have five. I looked it up and there’s actually the biggest Swiss Army knife has 83 functions and I think that describes Ted Allen. I aspire to get to five and Ted’s at 83 and I think that really talks about him. When the pandemic hit the Bureau of Engineering we were able to pivot quickly because of Ted’s commitment and always pushing us in technology in the Bureau of Engineering.

“Ted’s outstanding knowledge across so many fields of engineering, wherever he worked he put in the time and the effort to go and learn the subject in a manner that took beyond 8 to 5, he took it home, he studied. And so, as former President James said, you could call Ted and he’d knew where to go because he’s always taken that extra initiative to go and learn.

“Besides being an outstanding engineer, in his spare time of raising two children, he also learned programming and that’s an artistry. I know our Chief Deputy City Engineer Debo-

rah Weintraub is an architect and I’ve always admired architects for their artistic abilities, they know so much. And I think Ted is an artist when it comes to programming, the ability to see the landscape and to see how it comes together is just a skill that very few have.

He’s a visionary, comes outside the City. Right now in BuildLA which is talking about unifying all of the services that the City pro-vides to constituents when they want to build in the City of L.A. Ted’s really leading that ef-fort and a very large piece and because of this ability to integrate technology and practicality, being able to make it a practical solution.

“Two last things I want to say. Ted’s a men-tor. Ted has a way of explaining things and making you feel like you understand, even though he’s at level 100 and I’m at level 1. And Ted just makes you feel never intimidated when he explains things to you. And he lets you ask questions, even if you ask him three times he has the same patience to answer them three times like it was the first time, and I so much appreciate that.

“Lastly, Ted’s just a nice person. Ted, we just enjoy working with you and being with you on a daily basis and so appreciative of this award. All of us here applaud you on this. Well done Ted and thank you. Someday you can teach me how to use the 5 of them on my Swiss Army knife. Thank you Ted.”

Board of Public Works Vice President Aura Garcia said, “I just have to say thank you, thank you for being so unique in your style and thank you for really - going back

Swiss Army Knife Award continued from pg 4 to what Gary just said - making us feel like we understand what you’re saying and what you’re doing. Even though probably your side of things are super complicated, but on our side it was just like oh it’s peachy, Ted got it. So I just have to say that’s very unique. And the other thing about you Ted is you always have a hawk eye view of things on any issue and that’s also very important. You not only just see it through in the engineering way or through the Bureau of Engineering, but you see it through the City, through the public, through the constituency, through how this is going to make everything better and the different ways that we can come up with a solution that works for everyone. And that is a unique and very impressive ability and way of being that you have Ted.”

Board of Public Works President, Pro Tem Michael Davis spoke next, “It is always a pleasure to recognize employees of Public Works for their achievements and for their productivity. A Swiss Army knife, I did not know that that was the specific name of the award that past President James identified, but according to many sources if a person is called a recipient of the Swiss Army Knife Award, he or she is a generalist who is truly a jack of all trades and provides a level of competency in many different skills. Certainly that reflects Ted Allen and we need such a person in such a time as this when we are confronting challeng-es in our organization. And more importantly, when we need someone who can bring peo-

Public Works Commissioner Jessica CalozaBoard of Public Works President Pro Tem Mike Davis

Board of Public Works Vice President Aura Garcia

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ple together. And so in addition to being an outstanding engineer and an expert at many various tasks in his profession, Ted as a gener-alist is a person whom we can depend upon to communicate to many of us across different aspects and different levels of involvement in our organization. So I commend him, he has always been, as has been expressed, a very open, congenial person. And I think being excellent in a given field is one thing, but possessing the kind of attitude to help impact others, to inspire others, to motivate others, is something that is invaluable. And so Ted we thank you for being our Swiss Army Knife and we hope that there will be other Swiss Army knives following you in years to come.

Commissioner Jessica Caloza said, “I’m so sorry that the pandemic upended what would have been an incredible celebration of you in our hearing room. But know that that by no means takes away from all the hard work and gratitude we feel towards you and your service to the City. I say that Ted, to echo what everyone’s said, is somebody that you want at every meeting. Because usually at our meetings we’re usually discussing a problem, a challenge, something that we need to solve, and oftentimes you will want one of two Teds, and two Teds if you’re lucky, either Ted Jordan or Ted Allen. And so every meeting you know you’ll have at least one Ted you’re going to walk away with an action item and way to solve that problem. And that’s how good Ted is. It doesn’t matter if it’s tied to technology or tied to a permitting issue, you know it’s going to happen, it’s going to get done, and you trust what’s going to happen will actually solve the problem and make constituents feel better, because Ted is that good. . . The nice thing too about Ted is that everybody loves working with him. Not just here in the City family we all just love working with Ted because of how nice and generous he is with his time and an-swering questions. But that’s not just specific to the City family or even the Public Works family, everybody on the outsides also loves working with Ted. He is one of our main faces for development services and I can tell you

they all love to work with Ted just as much because he is somebody at the City who is willing to listen and brainstorm and come up with some options and solutions to move forward. So that’s the kind of person you are is that you transform Public Works, you make us look good. Thank you for letting us take credit for all your hard work and your team’s hard work. And just for the fact that you are embedded in Public Works means that all the work that you’ve put into BOE to make our De-partment look good has made the City of L.A. not just a regional leader but really a national leader. And all these initiatives that you’ve taken the lead on like BuildLA that was talked about already, that’s really going to transform the entire City and the kind of work that we do. And so I just thank you Ted for being our champion and I know that you’re inspiring so many people at BOE and within our entire Department to really look at their job and not be confined by that. To know that you can step in and play a role and go that extra mile and help your colleagues, not just because you need to but because you want to and you feel it’s the right thing to do. I feel like in addition to you being such a technician, and that’s another quality that separates you is the fact that you really truly care about your job, you truly care about helping others. And so congratulations Ted, we’re all so proud of you. A shout out too to Julie, the other Swiss Army knife who probably has a hundred functions on her Swiss Army knife. You are the power couple of Public Works, so congratulations Ted. We’re all so proud of you.”

President Good spoke, “I was thinking about not just the countless interactions and piece of work that I’ve had the opportunity to work with you Ted in my role here as Presi-dent. For the last eight years my reliance and trust and confidence in availing myself on you in situations of question, of challenge, of quandary, started in 2013 as soon as I started working with you when I was in the Mayor’s office. Rather than thinking of specific exam-ples, it really is as simple as this. There are very few people - it’s no one’s first rodeo is what’s happening right now - and yet we all know that this is such a complex enterprise that we

are part of, and we have the opportunity to be part of, but still multiple things can happen today where I don’t have any idea where to go. Kevin and I had a conversation literally last night and both of us presumptively know a little bit about Public Works and we were both like ‘If I don’t know where to start, I go to Ted Allen.’ Now I know on programming I definitely don’t know where to start on that front, so I do think that’s a really amazing signature of yours. I don’t think anyone here would take umbrage with this, despite your incredible skills, your career achievements even as a young buck, you operate with humility always. It is model work, and again, as does your better half. You are a family of humility and excellence, it’s awesome. So I’m really grateful for that, it’s something that I really personally admire in terms of how you approach things, that humility is truly a trademark of both of you and I’m grateful for it. I’m grateful for your service, I’m grateful for your leadership, I’m grateful for your friend-ship. You also don’t give me crap anytime I’m making difficult requests, you just have a sense of context that everybody’s trying to do stuff, sometimes we got to do stuff, and you do. So thank you Ted and congratulations.” He then read from the Certificate of Recognition:

“The Board of Public Works honors Ted Allen, Deputy City Engineer, in recognition of your multi-purpose performance, awareness to efficiency, diverse skill set, consistent pro-ductivity and reliability, and willingness to use various tools to solve complex Public Works matters. This makes you the perfect recipient of the first-ever Swiss Army Knife Award.

“And this is signed by then President Kevin James, Vice President Aura Garcia, President Pro Tem Mike Davis, Commissioner Jessica Caloza, and Commissioner Teresa Villegas on March 13, 2020.

And then from the plaque:“The Swiss Army Knife AwardTed S. Allen, Deputy City Engineer

The Swiss Army Knife is known for its multi-purpose performance and its sleek efficiency. (Ted, anytime you’re referred to with sleek efficiency, that’s just awesome.)

Swiss Army Knife Award continued from pg 5

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Board of Public Works President Greg Good reading the Certificate and also the Swiss Army Knife Award plaque for Ted Allen.


Ted Allen’s diverse skill set, and efficient and consistent productivity is consistent with what the Swiss Army Knife represents.”

It was then honoree Ted Allen’s turn to speak, “You know, a lot of you will probably be surprised by this because I talk so much, but I’m actually pretty introverted by nature. So it’s a little uncomfortable to be the center of attention I have to say. But I really appreciate this largely because my service to the City is so important to me and I know it is to all of you as well, so I really feel like it feels good to feel like we’re making a difference in the City. And I know from working with all of you that we all do that.

“I’m just so appreciative and thank you to the Board and Kevin James for this Award. I want to thank Gary and Deborah for their mentorship over the years. Gary mentioned me being a mentor but the two of them have been really great mentors in my life and I really appreciate it. And all of the Exec team, it’s so great to work with all of you.

“And all the employees, not just in my program, although of course I’m especially partial to my program because I work with them the most, but all of BOE and so many employees in other departments as well. As much as we all try, any one of us really can’t do much without the partnership of all the others in the City, so I really do see this as being a reflection of the work that we all do and everyone on the team. It’s just such a pleasure to work for the City and the Bureau of Engineering. I don’t feel as sleek as I was a year ago, at least physically speaking, I have a few COVID pounds that I need to get rid of to get back to being closer to sleek.

“As far as trying to get things done I feel like the service to the City and empathy for people that want to get their projects done, or want to get something done, I just every day feel like I want to help people, I want to make things better. If we see a way that we’re doing something, not just solving the one problem but how can we change things and it’s kind of our philosophy throughout the Bureau. If we shouldn’t be doing it this way, what can we do to change it. And again I wouldn’t be able to do any of those things without a bunch of partnerships within the City. By myself, I really can’t do anything.

“And, of course, I want to echo the thanks to Julie here. Those of you who can see all the squares can see that we’re sitting next to each other. Thank you Julie.

“As much as I talk a lot I don’t want to take a lot of time here because you have a whole Board meeting. I can’t say how much I appreciate the friendships with all of you, just working with all of you makes work such a pleasure serving the residents of the City successfully, so thank you.”

Swiss Army Knife Award continued from pg 6

Public Works Dept. press release:Los Angeles, CA (August 10, 2021) - To further its mission of boosting local business partic-ipation in City contracting and increasing employment opportunities for transitional workers, the City Council has approved the restructuring of the Bureau of Contract Ad-ministration’s (BCA) Citywide Bid Preference Programs to create the new Local Business Preference Program.

Introduced by Councilmember Paul Krekorian and effective on August 7, 2021, the ordinance (No. 187121) creates more opportunity for Los Angeles County businesses who could be eligible for a contracting pref-erence for local and local small businesses as well as business entities working with the hardest-to-employ populations.

“The Local Business Preference Pro-gram is a critical component of the effort I launched six years ago to boost the local economy and highlight the extraordinary businesses that are based in Los Angeles,” said Councilmember Krekorian. “It encour-ages local and small business participation in City-funded contract bidding and keeps jobs in Los Angeles. This is more urgent than ever as we grow the economy coming out of the pandemic.”

Administered by BCA, Bid Preference Programs provide a contracting preference to certified small, local, and other Los Angeles County-based businesses who bid on City contracts for goods, equipment, and supplies.

The Small Local Business, Local Business Preference, and Transitional Job Opportunities (i.e., short-term, wage-paying employment that combines real work, skill development, and supportive services to help overcome barriers to employment) programs have now been consolidated into the Local Business Preference Program. Combining the programs creates consistency for small local and local businesses which previously had different certification requirements. The updated pro-gram is intended to further encourage small and large businesses to compete for City contracting opportunities and establish and maintain local operations.

“Our local business community continues to face challenging times. In Los Angeles, we are committed to do all that we can to help keep businesses afloat,” said Dr. Mike Davis, President Pro Tempore, Board of Public Works Commission. “I commend our City Council, the Bureau of Contract Administration, and our partner agencies for improving upon our existing programs and creating even more opportunities for businesses to participate in the public procurement process.”

“We are committed to the success of our local and small business community because it leads to the creation of more jobs for Ange-lenos and a thriving local economy,” said John L. Reamer, Jr., Inspector of Public Works and

Director of the Bureau of Contract Administra-tion. “The Local Business Preference Program will help more small and large businesses competing for City contracts and address the significant need of expanding transitional job opportunities to help vulnerable populations find economic self-sufficiency.”

As part of the restructuring, preference percentages will increase for local small businesses or local transitional employers based on the threshold contract amount of $150,000. For contract amounts less than $150,000, businesses that are certified as a Local Small Business or Local Transitional Employer will receive a 10 percent preference.

For contract amounts more than $150,000, businesses that are certified as a Local Busi-ness Enterprise will receive an eight percent preference.• Businesses holding a Local Small Business

certification will receive an additional two percent preference.

• Businesses holding a Local Transitional Jobs Opportunity Program certification will receive an additional two percent preference.

• A maximum preference of 12 percent can be received under this category.

Prime contractors who are not local business-es but use subcontractors who hold a Local Business Enterprise, Local Small Business Enterprise, and/or Local Transitional Job Op-portunities Program certification will receive a 1 percent preference for every 10 percent cost of the work up to a maximum 5 percent preference.

For more information, visit https://bca.lacity.org/certification.

Local Business Preference Program

Earthquake Warning AlertsThe @ECA - Earthquake Warning California gives California residents crucial seconds to Drop, Cover, and Hold On before feel-ing shaking. The system is comprised of @MyShakeApp, Android Alerts, and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs). For more informa-tion see: https://earthquake.ca.gov.


Mayor’s letter to All City Depart-ment HeadsCity of Los Angeles Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mandatory Covid-19 Pandemic: Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Status Reporting and Developing Vaccine/Testing Protocols for City Employees

July 28, 2021Our solemn responsibility as public

servants is to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of the people who depend on the services provided by the City of Los Ange-les - and the extraordinary colleagues who dedicate their lives to making those services possible. A safe and healthy workplace is essential to carrying out that mission, and it takes on heightened urgency as City depart-ments begin to execute reconstitution plans that may return a number of employees to their normal workplaces.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LA DPH), COVID-19 continues to pose a serious risk, especially for those who are not fully vaccinated.1 Epidemiological evidence demonstrates that the rate of community transmission of COVID-19, positivity rates, and hospitalizations have all substantially increased in Los Angeles County since June 15, 2021. On July 23, 2021, LA DPH reported over 3,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day for the first time since February 13, 2021.

The evidence demonstrates that COVID-19 remains a significant health risk to our City workforce. Vaccinations are a safe and effec-tive way to combat the spread of COVID-19 and to reduce COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.2 Unvaccinated employees are at a greater risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 within our workplace and to the broader public.

In order to protect employees and continue to provide essential services to the public, all City employees will be required to report their COVID-19 vaccination status to a designated representative of their respective department. This information will enable the City, along with labor partners, to develop a City-wide vaccination/testing plan.Legal RequirementOn June 17, 2021, Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) were revised to more closely align with CDC and lo-cal public health guidelines. On the same day, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-09-21, eliminating the 10-day waiting peri-od and making the ETS effective immediately. The June 17 ETS remains in effect until further notice. These regulations require employers to take specific measures to protect employees from COVID-19, including enforcing masking and quarantine requirements, and offering COVID-19 testing and time off for employees

who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is not known. Accordingly, the ETS re-quires employers to verify and document the vaccination status of an employee in order to comply with the guidelines.PolicyThe mandatory COVID-19 vaccination re-porting process is required to meet our City’s obligations under the Cal/OSHA June 17 ETS.

In order to comply with the Cal/OSHA June 17 ETS and to protect the public and our workforce, I hereby direct as follows:1) All Department Heads, including all

Board and Commission members, General Managers, Directors and Administrators of Departments, Offices, Bureaus andAgencies are required to:• Verify and track the vaccination status

of employees by requiring designated human resources personnel to check each employee’s proof of vaccination (vaccine card, image of vaccine card, or other document showing vaccination status) and sign a document attesting to having examined it personally. Departments will not retain copies of employee vaccination records once the verification is complete, and will treat all vaccination tracking and verifica-tion records as confidential protected health information. The City will share information about an employee’s vaccination status only on a need-to-know basis including to managers and supervisors for the purpose of adhering to the ETS safety requirements.

• Provide a report to the Personnel De-partment’s Medical Services Division indicating the total number of depart-mental employees and the number of employees who (a) are fully vaccinated; (b) are unvaccinated; and (c) decline to state their vaccination status.

2) All City employees are required to:• Provide proof of their vaccination (vac-

cine card, image of vaccine card, or other document showing vaccination status) to their department’s designat-ed human resources personnel. This will enable the department to verify employee vaccination status in accor-dance with this directive. Employees who fail to report their vaccination sta-tus will be considered unvaccinated.3

3) The Chief Administrative Officer and Gen-eral Manager of Personnel are required to:• Develop an implementation plan for a

vaccination/testing program covering all City of Los Angeles employees. The protocols and impacts of that plan will be considered and reviewed in consul-tation with the City’s labor partners.

The City of Los Angeles is fortunate to employ a highly dedicated workforce that has rallied to save lives, drive historic progress, and

maintain a high level of service during the most challenging year of our lives. These steps we are taking today represent the next stage in that commitment, and we will always be grateful to the extraordinary employees who excel in their calling to serve Angelenos with the safety, dignity, and integrity that are at the heart of true public service.

Footnotes:1 People are considered “fully vaccinated”

against COVID-19 14 days or more after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (e.g., Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or 14 days or more after they have received a single-dose vaccine (e.g., Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen).

2 https://www.fda.gov/emergency-pre-paredness-and-response/coronavirus-dis-ease-2019-covid-19/covid-19-vaccines

3 Cal/OSHA Proposed Revisions to the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Tempo-rary Standards Frequently Asked Questions

Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Status Reporting

Personnel Dept. MemoDate: July 30, 2021To: All Department Personnel ManagersFrom: Wendy Macy, General Manager

Personnel DepartmentSubject: Vaccine Status Tracking Process

MemoFollowing Mayor Eric Garcetti’s directive to City departments on July 28 about mandato-ry COVID-19 vaccination status and testing protocols for City employees, the Personnel Department is working with the CAO and ITA to develop processes and procedures for tracking City employees’ vaccination status and any required testing. We will be rolling the plans out in phases, starting with verifi-cation of full-time employees’ vaccination status next week.

Personnel must deliver the preliminary information to the CAO by Friday, August 6, 2021. We have provided the attached in-structions to HR staff, templates for tracking employees’ vaccination status, and a template message for departments to adjust and use for their employees. ITA is also developing a centralized tracking system that will be available next week.

Because of the sensitivity of the document verification, only approved department HR personnel can conduct the verifications for fully vaccinated employees. Partially vacci-nated employees will be considered a “No” for purposes of tracking. Per the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, “because the reasons that any given employee or ap-plicant is not vaccinated may or may not be related to disability or religious creed, simply asking employees or applicants for proof of

continued on page 9


vaccination is not a disability-related inquiry, religious creed-related inquiry, or a medical examination.” Employees are to omit any medical information from any vaccination proof shown.

Vaccine documentation verifications should be conducted in-person or via virtual meetings with HR staff because of security concerns and tracked on the templates provid-ed. Please do not have employees email proof of their vaccination status. Even if the email is deleted, digital records will still remain. The department HR staff reviewing the document will be instructed to not retain any copy of the employee’s presented proof because the document upon which the proof is noted must remain confidential. If your department has an existing online platform where employees can safely upload their vaccination docu-mentation for review by only HR staff, please contact [email protected] so the ITA team can review the security and document deletion protocol before using the system. All data must be submitted to Personnel in the templates provided.

For employees who want to be recorded as “Partial,” “No,” or “Decline to State,” we have created a separate form for them to use so that the HR staff can focus on verifications of fully vaccinated employees.

The submission schedule due dates for the following several weeks to be:

Full Time Employees - Friday, August 6th, 10 am

Part/Half/As Needed/Intermittent Employ-ees - Friday, August 16th, 10 am

If employees do not respond by those dates, they will be recorded as Decline to State.

Additional instructions will be provided as we move forward on other tracking and testing updates. Thank you for your assistance.

Personnel Dept. Memo cont’d from page 14

Re: BOE EmployeesAll Bureau of Engineering employees were required to do a Zoom check in with Per-sonnel staff.

If you have been fully vaccinated you had to provide proof of your vaccination status to the appropriate Personnel staff. All others were to meet with the appropriate Personnel staff via Zoom to report their status (“Partial”, “No”, or “Decline to State”) and to complete/submit the required form.

All employees were to meet with a BOE Personnel staff person by the August 6, 2021 4:00 pm deadline, regardless of status. If you did not meet with a BOE Personnel staff per-son by the deadline, you will be considered unvaccinated per the Personnel Department memo.

Seated, l to r: City Engineer Gary Lee Moore, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Rosa Silva, Celina Moreno, Juan Vargas. Standing: Armen Sarkisian, Matthew Masuda, Dale Williams, Ted Allen, Tanat Satidkit, Christopher Tan, Terry Phan, Sean Mizan, Thomas Lang, Jeremy Chok, Bertram Mok-lebust, Mstafa Al-Msari.

l to r: Mayor Eric Garcetti, Dale Williams, Thomas Lang (seated), City Engineer Gary Lee Moore. Thomas is showing the Mayor how BOE processes highway dedications using our online application.

Mayor Visits Development ServicesOn July 29, 2021, Mayor Eric Garcetti visited the Development Services Center at the Figueroa Building to express his appreciation to City staff for their work keeping services going during the pandemic.

Below are photos taken during his visit with the Bureau of Engineering Development Services Program, where he learned that BOE can use all electronic processes for plan check and permit review.


Special Order No. 04-0721 dated July 15, 2021 titled Electrification of all Engineering Building Projects states that on April 29, 2019, Mayor Eric Garcetti released L.A.’s Green New Deal (GND). The GND takes a comprehensive look at all City of Los Angeles (City) functions and sets targets for the City to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On page 146 of the GND, it set the target to electrify all new municipally-owned buildings and major building renovation projects. The Mayor’s Executive Directive No. 25, which was issued on February 10, 2020, directs the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) to, “…ensure that all new municipally-owned buildings or major reno-vation projects be designed to meet carbon neutrality by 2030.” Building electrification is a key step to achieving carbon neutrality.

Effective immediately, all current and future BOE new construction and major renovation building projects that are in the pre-design phase or under 50 percent com-pletion in the design phase are required to be fully electrified. Building projects must refrain from any use of natural gas burning equipment and use electric equipment. On major renovation projects, any existing natural gas burning equipment must be replaced with electric equipment. A major renovation proj-ect is defined as a project with a construction cost exceeding a valuation of 50 percent of the replacement cost of the existing build-ing. Electrified building projects must also include a connection port for future portable emergency generators capable of supporting critical loads as determined by the project team. Engineering has been successfully pilot-ing full-electrification on municipal building projects since the Mayoral Executive Directive was issued in 2020.

Building electrification requires that there be no use of fossil fuels on-site, namely no use of natural gas. The four major uses of natural gas in City facilities are for: boilers used for space and swimming pool heating; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment; water heaters; and cooking ranges. Electric alternatives to this equipment are now avail-able in the market. As a project’s equipment selection impacts space planning and electric service requirements, projects must plan ap-propriately to reflect space planning needs for electric equipment and service. The building portable emergency generator connection port must be strategically located to allow convenient and easy access. Existing building renovation projects will need to be assessed in detail to meet the all-electric requirements.

Project Managers are requested to include the full-electrification requirement in any Task Order Solicitations for building projects. Proj-ect Engineers/Architects must update drawings and specifications accordingly to reflect these requirements. For any project site that already has an existing natural gas connection, the

project team must reach out to the user City Department and to the Gas Company to determine whether to remove the natural gas connection completely or identify a safe way to cap the connection in place. Any building projects that are required by code to provide on-site emergency generators for emergency operational needs and for fire life safety, such as public safety facilities, essential buildings and high-rises, can use diesel fueled gener-ators until a battery alternative for back-up power is readily available.

For projects requesting an exemption to the all-electrification requirement, the

Special Order 04-0721 Electrification of BOE Building Projectsproject team must reach out in writing to the Program Manager for an exemption and explain the reason for the exemption request. This documentation must become part of the project files. Reasons for exemptions could include a lack of appropriate available electric equipment or overriding technical difficulties in incorporating all-electric equipment. Ex-emptions will be granted on a limited basis.

For inquiries, please contact Steven Fierce, Principal Architect, Architectural Division or Zohra Akhter, Architect and BOE Chief Sustainability Officer, Architectural Division.

City Administrative Officer Employee Rela-tions BulletinJuly 21, 2021Subject: Revised Voluntary Furlough Program for Civilian Employees

This Bulletin extends the Voluntary Fur-lough Program for Civilian Employees into Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-22.

The following Voluntary Furlough Program guidelines and instructions are in effect for the FY 2021-22:• Employees should be instructed to request

voluntary furlough time as they would request vacation or other compensated time off. Approval of voluntary furlough requests is not mandatory. Requests should only be approved if it is operationally feasible to do so. Departments facing per-sonnel shortages should carefully evaluate their ability to grant furlough time off to employees. In addition, voluntary furlough time should not be granted if it will result in the need for another employee to work overtime to perform the duties that would otherwise be completed by the employee taking the voluntary furlough time off.

• The program is available to full-time (72 hours or more per pay period) civilian em-ployees in all City departments (excluding the Department of Water & Power).

• Payroll code “WF” shall be used for the coding of voluntary furlough hours. All hours taken under this program must be recorded using this code.

• Eligible employees may request up to twenty (20) voluntary furlough days (160 hours) between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. However, no more than 40 hours of “WF” time may be taken in any one payroll period. Voluntary furlough time may be taken in minimum one-hour increments.

• In order to ensure that employees receive sufficient compensation to cover their re-tirement contribution, it is imperative that they have at least 40 hours of compensated time in the pay period in which any unpaid time is taken. (Compensated time includes BL, CTO, FH, FI, HO, LP, SK, and VC)1.

• In order to avoid unintended overtime liability, it is absolutely imperative that hourly FLSA non-exempt employees not perform work while on voluntary furlough time. They should also not work additional hours during the workweek to make up for the lost productive time since this defeats the cost savings gained from the voluntary furlough hours.

• Voluntary furlough time may be used during an approved Family and Medical Leave consistent with the guidelines de-scribed in this Bulletin and is not counted against an employee’s annual Family and Medical Leave entitlement.

• While employees on probation are eligible to participate in the Voluntary Furlough Program, they should be informed that their probationary period may be extend-ed in accordance with Civil Service Rule 5.26.

• To ensure that unforeseen circumstances do not result in a pay period with less than 40 hours of paid time, employees who have little or no compensated time available should not be scheduled for voluntary furlough time until they have actually worked 40 hours in a pay period.

• Employees may not substitute voluntary furlough time for time served as a result of disciplinary suspensions.

• Use of the “WF” payroll code before and after a holiday will not result in non- pay-ment of the holiday as is the case with other “no pay” payroll codes.

Adherence to the above guidelines will ensure that the utilization of voluntary furlough time will have no adverse impact on employees’ medical or retirement benefits, salary step advancement, or sick leave and vacation accruals.

Any questions regarding this matter should be directed to the Human Resources section of the employee’s department.

Footnote:1 The COVID-19 telecommuting and paid ad-ministrative leave timecodes are also included in compensated time.

Revised Voluntary Furlough Program


Approval for Submittal of PapersThis is a reminder that employees must get the approval of their group manager and deputy/senior manager prior to submitting any abstract or paper for presentation at a professional conference.

Change of AddressBureau employees are reminded that it is their responsibility to notify their group/division of-fice of any change of address and/or telephone number. This information can be updated by completing a “Change of Employee Address” form. It is important that employees inform their division of any changes to ensure that the information in their Personnel files are kept current.

In July 2021 Chief Deputy City Engineer Deb-orah Weintraub was profiled in the Board of Public Works Facebook page as part of their WomenBuildLA feature:

Meet Deborah. She is the Chief Deputy City Engineer with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering. She is also the most senior architect in the organization, and very committed to the highest design standards for all public projects. She has been with Engineering for 20 years, and prior to joining, worked in architectural offices in New York and Los Angeles, ran her own architectural practice, and developed sustainability projects at Southern California Edison.

Currently she manages the Municipal Facility Program at Engineering with projects valued at approximately $1B. She has over-seen a variety of projects for a range of City clients that includes Animal Services, the Zoo, LAPD, LAFD, Cultural Affairs, LA Sanitation, LADWP and more. Sample projects have included new and retrofitted City buildings; historic restoration of landmark buildings; new and retrofitted park developments; the LA River projects; new and retrofitted vehicular, pedestrian and equestrian bridges; master planning for large City properties; yards and shops; recreational and pool buildings; facil-ities for the unhoused; and more.

Deborah is the first woman to serve as the Chief Deputy City Engineer, and the first architect. She has been a consistent advocate for inclusion and diversity and has always supported other women in their professional growth and as leaders. What she enjoys most about her work is the dedicated and talent-ed colleagues with whom she works, and the opportunity to interact with community members with the goal of providing the best new public facilities for our great City of Los Angeles.

Start an Emergency KitInformation from the Emergency Management Department.What you do today to get ready for emergen-cies and disasters could make all the differ-ence when they strike. Start preparing today, have an emergency kit ready. Many of the things you should include in your emergency kit are already in your home. Look around and assemble key supplies:• Water: 1 gallon per person or pet per day

(plan for 3-7 days)• Food: 3-7 day supply of non-perishable

foods like granola bars, crackers, peanut butter, and canned food (don’t forget a manual can opener!), pet food, and baby formula

• Battery-operated or hand-crank radio• Flashlight and batteries• Whistle to signal for help• Duct tape and plastic sheeting• Hygiene supplies, toilet paper, wet wipes,

garbage bags• Tools: Shut-off wrench for gas lines, ham-

mer, pliers, shovel, axe, hard hat, working gloves

• Local maps• Blankets and sleeping bags• Extra clothes and good shoes• Medications and spare or old eyeglasses

Board of Public Works Features Weintraub

Rattlesnake SafetyWith warm weather in Los Angeles, rattle-snakes are more likely to be found on hiking trails. Rattlesnakes do not always make a rattling sound, so someone can be standing next to a rattlesnake and not even know it. Children need to be carefully supervised outside, especially in wooded and desert ar-eas where snakes tend to live. Here are some Rattlesnake Bite Prevention Tips provided by the California Poison Control System1. Wear boots and long pants when hiking.2. Stay on trails when hiking, away from

underbrush and tall weeds.3. Do not touch or disturb a snake, even if it

appears dead.4. Carefully inspect logs or rocks before

sitting on them.5. Never hike alone in remote areas. Always

have someone with you who can assist in an emergency.

6. Teach children to respect snakes and to leave them alone.

For more information, please visit: https://calpoison.org/news/rattlesnake-bite-preven-tion-tips

Remember - The latest letterhead is always available on the Engineering Forms Library under the category “Correspondence” on the Bureau of Engineering intranet.


The Construction Network - Connecting Owners to AEC and CFM Industries. To RSVP: www.construction-network.net

Construction Network Seminars

North County Transit District Capital Program Update on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, Zoom meeting, 10:00 am. Guest speaker: Scott Loeschke, P.E., Director of Engineering and Maintenance.

Cost: $89/person until noon, 9/10/21.How to Review a Construction Contract

on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, 8:30 am, Zoom meeting. Almost every contract dispute looks to the terms of the contract for resolution Understand your contractual rights and obligations.• What is part of the contract?• Contracts v. Purchase Orders• Basic rules of contract interpretation• What are the high-risk terms and condi-

tions• Incorporation by reference• Written v. oral understandings – integra-

tion clauses• A few sample problem clauses and how

to fix them• Force Majeure ClausesInstructor: Larry Lubka, Esq, Lubka & White LLP

Cost: $89/person until noon, 9/10/21, after that $129/person.

U.S. General Services Administration on Thursday, September 16, 2021, 8:30 am, Zoom meeting. An update about doing busi-ness with the Pacific Rim Region and Small Business Opportunities. Speakers: Dan R. Brown, Acting Regional Administrator; Pa-mela Smith-Cressel, Director, Office of Small Business.


Los Angeles Unified School District Capital Program Update on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, 8:30 am, Zoom meet-ing. Speaker: Mark Hovatter, Chief Facilities Executive.


San Diego International Airport Capital Program Update on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, Zoom meeting, 8:30 am. Guest speaker: Dennis Probst, Vice President of Development.

Cost: $89/person until noon, 10/1/21.Long Beach Unified School District Capi-

tal Program Update on Thursday, October 7, 2021, Zoom meeting, 8:30 am. Guest speaker: David Miranda, Executive Director, Facilities Development & Planning.

Cost: $89/person until noon, 10/1/21.Orange County Transportation Authority

Capital Program Update on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, 8:30 am, Zoom meeting. Guest

speaker: Jennifer Bergener, Deputy Chief Executive Officer.


City of Long Beach Development Services on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, 8:30 am, Zoom meeting. Project update on Master Plan for former C-17 property.

Guest speaker: Patricia Diefenderfer, AICP, Planning Bureau Manager.


MWD of S CA Meet the New General Manager and hear his vision for the future of the agency on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, 8:00 am Registration, 8:30 am Presentation, at City Club, 555 S. Flower, 51st Floor, L.A., 90071. Speaker: Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager.

Cost: $89/person until noon, 10/22/21, after that $129/person

Army Corps of Engineers Capital Program Update on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, 8:30 am, Zoom meeting. Speaker: David M. Van Dorpe, P.E., PMP, Deputy District Engi-neer, Los Angeles District.


LA METRO - An introduction to the new CEO on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, 10:30 am, Zoom meeting. Guest speaker: Stephanie Wiggins, CEO.


Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) Employment Law on Thursday, November 4, 2021, 8:30 am, Zoom meeting. The California employment law that affects construction businesses with penalties, damages and attor-ney fees. This seminar will teach you how to prevent from happening. A must for anyone involved in the construction industry.• What is PAGA, an overview• The incredible growth of PAGA lawsuits• What laws and regulations can be the basis

for PAGA• How to prevent these laws and regulations

from being a basis for a lawsuit• What are the requirements for a PAGA

lawsuit• What are the penalties available for PAGA• How to lessen the amount of penalties• What are the rules for a PAGA lawsuit• Settlement of a PAGA lawsuit and how to

make sure it is a complete settlement• What steps to take to lessen the chances

of being suedInstructor: Jeffrey Epstein, Esq., Lubka & White LLP


Thanks to SadozaiThis e-mail was sent to Mary Marcus and Shaun Yepremian, Division Engineer, Valley District Office regarding Civil Engineer Ab-dulla Sadozai, who is the Public Counter Supervisor:Date: Mon, Apr 26, 2021 at 5:53 PMSubject: Thank youHi Mary and Shaun,I hope that this email finds you well and that you both had a nice weekend. I wanted to reach out to compliment one of your employ-ees, Abdullah Sadozai. I can only imagine how many “not so nice emails” you receive from disgruntled community members that it made me want to send you both a positive one.

I am dealing with a somewhat stressful matter pertaining to a new home purchase that required me to seek records from your offices. Long story short I had the pleasure of speaking with Abdullah and he went above and beyond in getting me what I needed. He was friendly, informative, professional and compassionate. Truth be told, I was quite shocked at the amazing service I received. I guess I just pre-pared myself to be passed around, not called back, etc. Anyway, if Abdullah’s work ethic and personality are indicative of your entire department then you are both doing a great job at managing, training and hiring.

I hope that everyone is staying safe, healthy and happy during these trying times...and hopefully the worst is behind us.

Thank you and have a wonderful week.Sincerely,Derek Besenfelder

Mundy & Rebstock Com-mendedThis e-mail was sent to the City Engineer re-garding the work of Jan Green Restock and Norman Mundy, Environmental Management Group:Tue, Jul 27, 2021 at 8:08 AM Subject: Council Transmittal - Los Angeles Zoo Vision Plan - Certification of Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Project ApprovalGood Morning Gary and Deborah,I wanted to share with you that Jan and Norman have been simply outstanding throughout the Zoo Vision Plan EIR project. Jan’s knowledge and leadership has been exceptional and she has been patient with me and explaining the process. This nearly two year long project has been such a positive collaboration and I wanted to acknowledge them both and also express my gratitude. The biggest hurdle of all is ahead of us with the City council process, but we will get through it.

Thank you so very much,Denise M. VerretChief Executive Officer & Zoo Director


Beat the Heat From the LA Emergency Management De-partment:Heat can be dangerous, especially for chil-dren, pets, people who work outside, and people with certain health conditions. Staying safe in high heat is important. Follow these simple tips to stay cool: • Drink plenty of cool water! Stay hydrated. • Wear loose, light-colored clothing that will

keep you cool. Wear sunscreen and a hat for protection.

• Check on neighbors who might be vulner-able to the heat, especially those without air conditioning.

• Never leave children or pets in a car - not even for one minute. Temperatures inside a car can quickly skyrocket to deadly levels.

• If you work or play outside, take frequent breaks to hydrate and cool off in the shade.

• Don’t forget the pets! Keep pets indoors if possible. If kept outside, give them plenty of water and shade to rest in.

• Symptoms of heat-related illness include dizziness, fatigue, faintness, headaches, muscle cramps, and increased thirst. If you experience these symptoms, seek medical attention.

CMAA So Cal Chapter Seminars

CMAA SoCal Awards GalaThe CMAA Southern California has set Octo-ber 14, 2021 as the new date for their 28th Annual Awards Gala. It will be held at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach, 200 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802. They will be recogniz-ing Distinguished Owners, presenting Project Achievement Awards and Scholarship and Internship Recognitions. For more information go to cmaasc.org/events.

Decarbonization Pathways for Existing Buildings on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, 9:00 am, Virtual Link to be Provided.

The Los Angeles Green New Deal set a goal of decarbonizing existing buildings, which can be achieved through deep energy efficiency, equipment electrification, and carbon-free electricity. This presentation ex-plores the feasibility of a range of strategies for efficiency and electrification retrofits for large commercial office and multifamily residential buildings in Los Angeles - though findings are also applicable to other SoCal locations. With a team of cost estimators, energy modelers, embodied-energy experts, and building ser-vices engineers, we explored questions fun-damental to decarbonizing existing buildings in Los Angeles:• Which energy conservation measures are

the best investment?• Which is better for electrification: heat

pumps or electric resistance heating?• Are there benefits of early electrification?• Which zero-carbon path best meets the

Green New Deal reduction targets?• What will it cost?Emcee: Farrah Farzaneh, Director, Facilities Planning, Emergency Management & Con-struction, San Bernardino CCD.

Speakers: Erin McConahey, Principal, Arup; and Seth Strongin, Associate - Sustainability, and Energy, Arup.

Cost: $45/member, $75/non-member.LA Metro Highway Programs on Wednes-

day, August 18, 2021, 9:30am, Virtual link to be provided. Hear about updates on LA Metro’s Highway Program including project updates and new opportunities.

Emcee: Edgar Zelaya, Associate Vice President, KKCS. Speaker: Abdollah Ansari, Managing Executive Officer, Highway Pro-gram, LA Metro

Cost: $45/member, $75/non-member.CMAA SoCal LA Mixer on Tuesday, August

24, 2021, 3-6 pm, City Club, Los Angeles, 555 Flower St., 51st Floor. Guest of Honor: Rick Meade of LA Metro. Special guest for this networking mixer is Rick Meade, Senior exec-utive Officer – Program Management Foothill Projects for LA METRO. Rick currently leads major projects such as the Foothill Gold Line Extension Phase 2B, the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor, the Division 20 Portal Widening/Turnback Facility, the West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor and the Sepul-veda Pass Corridor.

$75/person. Limited attendance available.LAUSD Capital Program Updates on

Wednesday, August 25, 2021, 9:00 am, Virtual

The Construction Management Association of America Southern California Chapter is offering the following seminars. For additional information please go to www.cmaasc.org.

For Zoom meetings log in/access informa-tion will be sent with the confirmation.

link to be provided. Hear about updates on the District’s Bond Program and how the District is preparing its schools for the Fall.

Emcee: Edgar Zelaya, Associate Vice Pres-ident, KKCS. Speaker: Mark Hovatter, Chief Facilities Executive, LAUSD

Cost: $45/member, $75/non-member.CCM Application Webinar on Thursday,

August 26, 2021, 3:00 pm, Virtual Link to be Provided. Topics covered:• CCM Eligibility• CCM Application Process• CCM Exam Preparation• CCM Recertification ProcessPresenters: Brian Culligan, CCM, PMP, Pro-gram/Construction Manager Psomas; and Jinous Samii-Saremi, CCM, Interim Southern California Area Manager, Vanir Construction Management, Inc.

Mass Timber Education Webinar: Architec-tural Design, Benefits and Uses on Thursday, September 23, 2021, 8:30am, Virtual Link Provided. To educate the audience on Mass timber and the unique dynamics and Envi-ronmental benefits. Explore the architectural benefits and design uses from the perspective of a contractor, Architect and Engineer. Further understanding the Unique Supply chain chal-lenges and construction challenges.

Emcee: John Scherck, Regional Operations Manager, Black and Veatch.

Speakers: Matt Timmers, S.E., Principal, John A Martin Associates; Linda Colbath, P.E., Senior Project Manager, Clark Construction Group; and Jed Zimmerman, Project Exec-utive, SOM.

Cost: $45/member, $75/non-member.

FranklinCovey TrainingThis is just a reminder, as reported earlier, Special Order No. 02-0621 dated June 28, 2021 titled Mandatory FranklinCovey Training states that as part of it’s ongoing commitment to employee development, the Bureau of En-gineering has made a significant investment in providing online training through Franklin-Covey. Selected employees will receive an All Access Pass, allowing them to access FranklinCovey’s variety of tools, assessments, videos, and digital learning modules. While we encourage employees to utilize all the training and resources available, they must at minimum complete the training modules as follows:

Mandatory Training Modules (Due: Octo-ber 29, 2021)

The attachment to the Special Order con-tained links to each component of the listed modules.

• Leading through Change• Remote or Hybrid Workplace• Stress Management• Work Life Balance

Self-Selected Training Modules (Due: Febru-ary 25, 2022)

In addition to the mandatory training modules, employees must also complete a total of six additional hours of self-selected training. Employees can choose from a variety of training topics based on their employee development needs and interests. In general, “Excelerator” modules are 30-60 minutes, and “Insight” modules are 15 minutes. Employees must complete at minimum two hours of training every seven weeks.

To ensure employees are meeting the training benchmarks, the Training Section will prepare status reports for the Executive Team on November 19, 2021, January 7, 2022, and February 28, 2022.All-Access Pass RegistrationThe Training Section will provide managers the training roster for their division and email the employees notifying them that they were selected to complete this mandatory training series. Employees will then receive an email from FranklinCovey to complete their online registration for their All Access Pass. Employ-ees must complete this registration process within 96 hours.

Los Angeles City Department of Public WorksBureau of Engineering1149 South Broadway, Suite 700

Los Angeles, CA 90015http://eng.lacity.org

http://www.facebook.com/LABureauofEngineeringThe Engineering Newsletter is published monthly by the Administration Division for employees of the Bureau of Engineering.

We’d Like to Hear from YouIf you have any articles for the Newsletter, please e-mail them to [email protected]. Deadline for the next issue is Thursday, September 2, 2021.

Performance Appraisals Due 8/27/21This is just a reminder that per Notice No. 08 dated May 27, 2021 titled Employee Performance Appraisals it’s time for the annual Employee Performance Appraisals. All evaluations must be completed using the online Employee Performance Appraisal Sys-tem (EPAS) by August 27, 2021, for the rating period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. To access the EPAS, please go to the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) intranet site and click on Forms Library, then click on Personnel, and then click on Employee Performance Appraisal. The form is also available at the following link:

http://78boe99prdi.boepw.ci.la.ca.us/epas/

Managing an employee’s overall performance is critical to the success of reinforcing compe-tence, teamwork, and project delivery in our customer-driven organization. This respon-sibility is one of the most important aspects of every managers and supervisors job. As a result, we must use every opportunity to en-sure that job expectations are made clear, and that employees are provided with feedback on their performance.

ArrivalsLauren Rhodes, Environmental Specialist II, EMG; Rose Santilena, Environmental Spe-cialist II, EMG.

PromotionsJose Fuentes, Deputy City Engineer I, EXE; Essam Amarragy, Principal Civil Engineer, GIS; Edward Arrington, Principal Civil En-gineer, WCE; Crystal Lee, Principal Civil Engineer, LAMP; Richard Louie, Principal Civil Engineer, CMD; Arsen Voskerchyan, Principal Civil Engineer, SWD; Shaun Yepre-mian, Principal Civil Engineer, VAL; Jin Chae, Structural Engineering Assoc III, SED; Ulysses Alamada Aparicio, Structural Engineering Assoc II, MTD; Dahlia Hanna, Civil Engi-neering Assoc III, BID; Sylvia Dhimdis, Civ-il Engineering Assoc III, BID; Jesus Alvarado Bermudez, Civil Engineering Assoc III, CWD; Wrikit Wchianchan, Civil Engineering Assoc III, CWD; Elaine Lei, Civil Engineering Assoc III, WCE; Matthew Quintanilla, Civil Engi-neering Assoc III, WCE; Kenneth Pham, Civ-il Engineering Assoc III, EED; Aline Miller, Civ-il Engineering Assoc III, EED; Christopher Law, Civil Engineering Assoc III, GED; Walter Carrera, Civil Engineering Assoc III, GED; Mary Creel, Civil Engineering Assoc III, PCM; Kevin Gibson, Civil Engineering Assoc III, SID; Karen Le, Civil Engineering Assoc III, SID; Llanet Gomez, Civil Engineering Assoc III, SED; Nathan Ho, Civil Engineering Assoc III, ARC; Adrian Hwang, Civil Engineering Assoc III, ARC; Karynna Carlos, Civil Engineering Assoc III, MTD; Sameera Sarmadi, Civil Engi-neering Assoc III, MTD; Nikita Mousavi, Civ-il Engineering Assoc III, WLA.

DeparturesKaren Cundiff, Sr. Administrative Clerk, RED, Retired; Dan Zehfuss, Survey Party Chief I, SUR, Retired; Adrian Castro, Civil Engineering Assoc II, VAL, Resigned; Cindy Huynh, Civil Engineering Assoc I, CWD, Resigned.

Professional RegistrationJohn Crossen, Civil Engineering Assoc II, GED - PE License; Matthew Giragosian, Civil Engineering Assoc II, VAL - PE License; Renz Soriano, Civil Engineering Assoc II. CEN - PE License.

CertificatesICCMadai Sanchez, Civil Engineering Assoc I, PCM

CorrectionIn the July 14, 2021 Newsletter under De-partures Jeremy Chok was listed in error. Our apologies.

Labor Day HolidayMonday, September 6, 2021, is a City holiday. Remember to mark your timesheet for that day as HO 8.0. Since the holiday is only for eight hours, those of you on the 9/80 schedule must adjust your hours accordingly within the same pay period. (Non-FLSA exempt employees can only adjust their hours within their defined work week.) Check with your division time-keeper if you have any questions.

Link to Board of Public Works PoliciesDid you know that the Board of Public Works has 496 active policies and 128 of these pol-icies pertain to BOE? The Liaison Office and the Project Award and Control Division frequently receives requests for information and/or copies of specific Board of Public Work policies.

For example, what is the City Engineer’s authority to issue Change Orders - Policy 793. Or what is the policy number for the formal co-location requirements for Above Ground Facilities variance requests - Policy 801. As it is a good practice to reference or attach a copy of a BPW policy to Board Reports or other correspondence, it is key that the BPW policies are readily accessible.

Previously, there was no readily available location where all of the BPW policies were stored. A comprehensive list of all active BPW policies issued to date are now available on the BOE intranet page under Board of Public Works. The link includes three sections: The first is the “Active BOE Related BPW Policies” which includes the most relevant and fre-quently used BPW policies relating to BOE, the second is the “Comprehensive List of BOE Related Policies” document, which includes all active BOE related BPW policies. The third document is a copy of the BPW Policies Database which emcompasses all of the BPW policies issued to date, regardless of status and corresponding Bureau.

If you have any questions regarding the new BPW Policies link, please contact the Council/Board liaison office at [email protected]

Notice No. 09 Manage-ment Line of SuccessionNotice No. 09 dated July 19, 2021 titled Management Line of Succession states that City Engineer Gary Lee Moore has designated the following line of succession to act on his behalf during his absence:1. Chief Deputy City Engineer Deborah

Weintraub2. Deputy City Engineer Ted Allen3. Deputy City Engineer Alfred L. Mata4. Deputy City Engineer Julie K. Sauter5. Deputy City Engineer Jose FuentesShould the occasion present itself where he must be absent from the City, please give the designated Deputy your full cooperation.

Separation Incentive Plan RetirementsWe have reported on the Bureau of Engi-neering employees who retired through the Separation Incentive Plan (SIP). We wish to salute these employees who have served the City of Los Angeles and the Bureau of Engi-neering with dedication to outstanding service throughout their careers and wish them all the best for the future.

We will miss you all, not just for your experience and expertise, which in itself is a serious loss, but also for your unique contribu-tions of personality and character that added so much to our daily life in the workplace. We will remember you and hope that you will remember us.

Documents

Ord & Yale Street Park Ribbon Cutting