11-10-15 Newsletter.indd - Bureau of Engineering

NEWSLETTER
No. 16-5
November 10, 2015
Grand Opening of North Valley Fire Station No. 7
Station was Funded by Savings in Prop F Program Managed by BOE
Hundreds turned out for the grand opening
ceremony for Fire Station No. 7, 14630 Plummer St., Panorama City, CA, held on October
17, 2015. Speakers at the event included
Councilmember Nury Martinez, City Controller Ron Galperin, LAFD Valley Deputy Chief
Daryl Arbuthnott, Board of Public Works Vice
President Monica Rodriguez, and Deputy City
Engineer Alfred Mata. Visitors were treated
to a performance by the Arleta High School
band, helicopters flying over the station, displays and refreshments, and children got to
meet Wilshire the Fire Dog.
The new fire station serves the communities of Arleta, Panorama City, Pacoima,
Mission Hills and North Hills. The facility
combines safety, functionality, and green
space in 16,000 square feet. The interior design and layout of Fire Station 7 incorporates
the most current technological advancements,
resulting in improved operating efficiency over
the older stations. It cuts seconds off the time
for a fire fighter to reach the trucks, crucial
continued on page 2
Battalion Chief Curt Klafta, Controller Ron Galperin, LAFD Commissioner Andrew Glazier
Deputy City Engineer Alfred Mata, LAFD Valley Deputy Chief Daryl Arbuthnott, Councilmember
Nury Martinez, PW Commissioner Monica Rodriguez, and LAFD Assistant Chief Emile Mack.
l to r: Bond Program Manager Allan Kawaguchi, PW Commissioner Monica Rodriguez,
Councilmember Nury Martinez, Deputy City Engineer Alfred Mata, Senior Project Manager Reza Shahmirzadi, Richard Puczkowski and Oksana Malin (Lend Lease), Lylah Serge
Sinanian (Sinanian Dev Inc.), Assistant Project Manager Amber Elton, Bernhard Wassink
(WLC Architects), Firefighter, Batallion Chief Curt Klafta.
Helicopters fly over the new Fire Station No. 7,
a Fire Department tradition for grand opening
ceremonies.
FS No. 7 Grand Opening continued from page 1
to arriving quickly to address emergencies.
The station has three heavy apparatus bays
and three light apparatus bays. One of the
main station elements is the heavy apparatus
bay. It is designed so that the 55-foot long
hook and ladder truck and other heavy apparatus vehicles enter from the back site yard
directly into the bay, eliminating the need for
the driver to back in.
The station provides working, living, and
sleeping spaces, as well as restrooms, lockers,
showers, fitness and training functions, and
accommodates 16 LAFD personnel per shift.
PW Commissioner Monica Rodriguez
said, “As a City we strive to make good use
of taxpayer dollars. We were able to deliver
this station as a result of the fiscally prudent
project management and deliver this station
with dollars that weren’t originally planned.
We were able to do this because of the targeted savings and the resourcefulness of our
Bureau of Engineering. I need to acknowledge
members of the Bureau of Engineering - Alfred
Mata, Reza (Shahmirzadi) and Allan Kawaguchi - who are some of the best managers
of dollars in the City. As a result of that, this
community gets to have this wonderful facility. But more importantly, for the men and
women who serve our community so selflessly
every single day, this is their home away from
home. They actually deserve facilities like this
throughout the City.”
Councilmember Nury Martinez noted that
two years ago the groundbreaking for Fire
Station No. 7 was her first public event as a
newly elected Councilmember. “And wow.
Two years and maybe a month-and-a-half and
here we have this beautiful building. New fire
stations haven’t been built in this district or
this community in over 40 years.”
City Controller Ron Galperin said, “Now
today we have 106 fire stations, 3,246 uniformed firefighters, 1,112 daily emergency
responses, 571 daily hospital transports. Now
much has changed since 1888 and since
1915, but what hasn’t changed is the can-do
spirit of L.A.”
Fire Station 7 was designed to achieve a
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design
“Silver” rating in compliance with requirements from the US Green Building Council.
To meet the LEED goal, water efficient fixtures
were installed in restrooms and shower rooms.
Resource efficient and environment-friendly
materials were used to offer the healthiest
and most desirable working and living space
to the fire fighters. Examples of materials,
features and methods of construction selected
to achieve this rating:
• Site selection and proximity to major
streets and mass transit.
• Using water efficient irrigation system, also
rain sensor device for water control.
• Using approximately 19,195 square feet
continued on page 3
Page 2
An American flag was raised by two fire truck ladders at the grand opening.
Fire Station No. 7 showcases Craftsman style elements to blend well with the neighborhood.
Councilmember Nury Martinez, LAFD Valley Deputy Chief Daryl Arbuthnott and Public
Works Commissioner Monica Rodriguez cut the cake with a special ceremonial axe.
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
Councilmember
Nury Martinez.
Board of Public Works Vice-President Monica Rodriguez.
City Controller Ron Galperin
Deputy City Engineer
Alfred Mata
FS No. 7 Grand Opening continued from page 2
of water-efficient plants and shrubs, and
46 new trees of various species.
• Materials with high reused and/or recycled
content.
• Specifying materials manufactured within
a 500 miles radius.
• Water & Energy: Saving in energy and
water usage of 50% over code compliant
designs. Designing to reduce storm water
run-off and to use storm water for irrigating
planting areas.
• Roof: EPA Energy Star roof “Cool Roof”
with reflective color coating to reduce
solar heat gain.
• Carpet: Contains recycled-content material meeting the industry’s Green Label
Program.
• Using low fumes and low volatile organic
compound content (VOC) on paints and
adhesives meeting SCAQMD requirements
to control and limit indoor pollutant sources.
• Natural Light: Enlarged glass area and
skylights to allow natural sunlight for 90%
of spaces.
• Windows: Glass is double glazed with
low emissivity coatings.
• Lighting & HVAC Equipment: Using energy-efficient lighting, heating and cooling
equipment.
• Sensors: Using photo sensors to control the
lighting, using low-flow automatic faucets
and toilets for reduced water consumption.
• Carbon dioxide and humidity sensors to
monitor indoor air quality.
Artist Rebecca Lowry’s art component consists
of graphic panels that are a tribute to the three
FS 7 fire fighters who lost their lives during a
rescue attempt at Griffith Park in 1998. It will
include memorabilia from the old fire station,
which will be incorporated into the new inEngineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
terior as a collage of old and new – creating
a mini museum for the public.
The design was by WLC Architects.
Sinanian Development Inc. was the general
contractor. This project had a Project Labor
Agreement (PLA) to facilitate an orderly
settlement of labor disputes and grievances
without strikes, work stoppages, or lockouts
to assure timely and economical completion
of the project. The PLA promoted employment
opportunities for local residents and provided
apprenticeship training for the duration of
construction. This project achieved an overall
52% percent total local hire in terms of construction hours worked.
The Bureau of Engineering was tasked with
managing the design and construction of the
Proposition F general obligation bond funded
fire stations, which included construction and
rehabilitation of 20 fire facilities, including an
Air Operations facility at Van Nuys Airport.
Upon construction contract award of the last
fire station in April 2009, BOE reported a Prop
F savings and interest accrued of approximately $70,000,000. Subsequently, at the request
of LAFD, the Mayor and Council approved
adding two new projects, Fire Stations No.
7 and No. 39, using the project savings and
accrued interest.
Congratulations go to Bond Program Manager Allan Kawaguchi; Reza Shahmirzadi,
Senior Project Manager; Amber Elton, Asst.
Project Manager; Tasnuva Shabnoor, Project
Engineer; Richard Puczkowski, Lend Lease;
Bureau of Contract Administration Inspectors
Brett McReynolds, Tony Barranti and Mike
Hames, and everyone who was involved in
making this project a success.
Page 3
Groundbreaking for South Park Outdoor Park Improvements
First Phase is a Multiuse Synthetic Soccer Field
On October 29, 2015, Councilmember
Curren D. Price, Jr. led the groundbreaking
for improvements at South Park, 345 E. 51st
Street, L.A. CA 90011. Also speaking at the
event were Recreation & Parks Commission
President Sylvia Patsaouras, Recreation &
Parks Department General Manager Michael
Shull, and City Engineer Gary Lee Moore.
The new synthetic soccer field was designed and located to maximize the use of the
park and is the first component of a series of
master planned improvements that will restore
the park to its original grandeur. Drinking
fountains, benches and trash receptacles will
be included and will enhance the player’s and
spectator’s experience. The construction will
also include security lighting and infrastructure for future sports lighting.
The synthetic turf option allows the new
fields to be used year round, with no downtime for seasonal turf rehabilitation, and will
result in substantial water conservation. Turf
reduction and synthetic field projects reflect
an ongoing water conservation effort that has
reduced RAP’s potable water consumption by
more than 30% over the last decade.
The field has an intricate drainage system
to eliminate flooding. Approximately 8-1/2”
of top soil will be removed and replaced. The
new synthetic playing surface will then be laid
on top. An infill material composed of “Zeofill”, which is volcanic ash, will be distributed
uniformly over the surface and layered into
the grass blades. This infill material is 100%
natural, environmentally safe and organic. It
absorbs moisture, traps odor and is permeable.
It also helps the field meet the required G-Max
(bounce) test for play safety. The Master Plan for South Park provides an
opportunity to reorganize the entire park, to
optimize circulation, adjacencies, a sense of
entry, site activities, etc. The aim is to restore
one of the City’s oldest and most historic
parks and recapture the feeling of a culturally important part of the local community.
City Engineer Gary Lee Moore
Page 4
l tor r: Bill Lee, Carl Cooper (RAP), Robert Oyakawa (RAP), Mahmood Karimzadeh, City
Engineer Gary Lee Moore, Olujimi Hawes (RAP), Councilmember Curren Price, RAP Board
President Sylvia Patsaouras, RAP General Manager Michael Shull, Ada Fernandez-DeLaRosa,
Javier Solis (RAP), Roosevelt Bagby (BCA), Guillermo Barragan.
Photos by Gary Florin, Rec & Parks Dept.
Restoration of the historic “Palm Walkway”
with new fountain, paving, picnic tables and
benches is part of the plan. New walkways
throughout the park with security lighting,
adding two synthetic sports fields, new outdoor fitness equipment facilities, relocate the
existing maintenance yard, and entirely new
smart irrigation system.
Kudos to Mahmood Karimzadeh, Program
Manager, Bill Lee, Saro Dersaroian, Project
Manager Ada Fernandez-DeLaRosa, Jane
Adrian, Richard Fisher, and Guillermo Barragan from the Architectural Division; Jose R.
Fuentes, Ethan Wong, Victor Parra, from the
Construction Management Division; Chris
Johnson, Theo Seeley, Eric Noreen, Geotech
Eng Group; from Contract Administration:
John L. Reamer, Ted Galsim, Gil Pangilinan,
Frank Rinaldi, Rodney Bradshaw, Mark Gladden, and all who contributed to this project.
Councilmember Curren D. Price, Jr.
The Master Plan shows the improvements that are planned for South Park. The new
synthetic soccer field is shown on the upper left.
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
BOE Participates in BBA’s 12th Annual Procurement Exchange Summit
The Black Business Association (BBA) hosted
its 12th Annual Procurement Exchange Summit on October 15, 2015 at The L.A. Hotel
Downtown. Los Angeles County Supervisor
Mark Ridley-Thomas and Los Angeles City
Councilmember Curren D. Price, Jr. served
as the summit co-chairs. The purpose of the
summit was to provide a one-on-one matchmaking interface for African-American- and
Minority-owned businesses and the governments and corporations seeking to do business
with them. The summit also included business
resource workshops, an interactive corporate
partner panel discussion, and a networking
reception. Approximately 75 businesses registered to attend the summit. Amy So, Civil
Engineer, and Dominic Buenaventura, Civil
Engineering Associate IV, from the Bureau
of Engineering’s Project Award and Control
Division participated in the matchmaking
sessions with a focus on potential contracting
and subcontracting opportunities available
through public works construction as well as
personal services contracts.
Eddie Jacobs, owner and president of PSSI Companies, Inc. shares his company’s capabilities
in non-destructive testing services with BOE PACD representatives Amy So and Dominic Buenaventura.Photo by Sabir Majeed
City of Los Angeles is Prepared for El Niño
The City of Los Angeles has an Emergency
Management Department and an extensive
Emergency Operations Plan that addresses all
hazards that might impact L.A. When a storm
is approaching, the Emergency Operations
Center will be activated to coordinate all
emergency response.
The City is coordinating with our partners
at L.A. County’s Office of Emergency Management and Department of Public Works to
ensure flood management systems are ready
for weather.
The Bureau of Sanitation has cleaned over
40,000 catch basins and more than 70 debris
basins - and will continue to clean them as
needed through the rainy season. To report
blocked storm drains or other flood control
problems, call 1-800-773-2489, 3-1-1, or use
the MyLA311 app.
The Bureau of Street Services is pro-actively sweeping all major streets during the weekends of the month of November in addition
to the weekly street sweeping of residential
streets. Extra street sweeping will continue
through the rainy season as needed. Crews
are on standby to respond quickly during
a storm and have pre-staged equipment in
high-risk areas to assist with debris removal
and fallen trees.
LAFD has prepared 200,000 sandbags
and 250 tons of sand at neighborhood fire
stations. It has also pre-staged barriers at highrisk locations that may need to be closed due
to flooding and mudslides. The department
will monitor debris flow during rainstorms,
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
perform swift water rescues, and assist with
evacuations if necessary.
Facilities run by the Department of Recreation and Parks are ADA compliant and
are prepared to become shelters if needed
during storms.
The Department of Water & Power has
crews on standby to restore power outages
and respond to any other emergencies. To
report a downed powerline, call 9-1-1 or
1-800- Dial-DWP immediately - never touch
a downed or dangling wire or anyone or anything in contact with it. And because El Niño
doesn’t mark the end of our drought, LADWP
has partnered with L.A. County Flood Control
District to increase stormwater capture and is
offering rebates on home rain barrels.
The Department of Transportation will
assist with street closures and traffic flow on
7,500 miles of city streets during heavy rains.
The Department of Building and Safety
will conduct assessments and post placards
depending on site conditions.
The Housing Authority is assessing public
housing and making repairs as needed. The
Housing and Community Investment Department is working with affordable housing
managers to make sure their properties are
prepared for storms.
The Bureau of Engineering will be continually assessing hillsides for potential instability
throughout the season.
LAX has acquired extra pumps in case of
flooding and repaired all roofs, windows, and
gutters as needed.
The Department of Animal Services is prepared to evacuate its shelters if necessary. The
Specialized Mobile Animal Rescue Team is
trained in swiftwater and flood animal rescues.
LAPD and LAFD are working with county
and private sector partners to map homeless
encampments, identify those most at risk, and
notify them prior to storms.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is opening its winter shelters one month
earlier than usual and keeping them open one
month later (November 1 - March 31). It’s also
adding 440 beds.
The City is providing information about El
Niño on www.ElNinoLA.com and is hosting
Town Halls in person and on social media.
Floating Holiday Reminder
Have you taken your Floating Holiday yet?
Floating Holidays not taken by December 31,
2015 will be lost. A Floating Holiday is only 8
hours so if you are on the 9/80 schedule you
must make up the time by: Working an extra
hour in the same pay period; using vacation
time; or, for 9/80 employees, making the Floating Holiday your short day. (Note: Non-FLSA
exempt employees can only adjust their hours
within their defined work week.)
A Floating Holiday is only 8 hours and
must be taken in a full 8 hour increment.
For example, if an employee tries to charge
4 hours on two separate occasions, the first
instance removes the entire Floating Holiday
credit and then the second instance of 4 hours
will default to a No Pay condition.
Page 5
Thousands Come to Bid Farewell to Sixth Street Bridge at Festival
Information from Councilmember Huizar’s
press release:
Councilmember José Huizar hosted a free
Sixth Street Bridge Farewell Festival and
Concert for the iconic Sixth Street Bridge
on Saturday Oct. 24, 2015, featuring performances by War, Aloe Blacc, Graciela Beltran,
Angela & Leonardo Aguilar, Bullet & Snowfox,
Buyepongo, The Cold & Lovely and DJ Crew
Subsuelo.
Thie event started at 2:00 pm and included children’s games and activities, food trucks,
community booths, live mural paintings
by local artists, as well as 6th Street Bridge
Art exhibits from Art Share L.A. The evening
ended with a fireworks show overlooking the
Sixth Street Bridge.
Councilmember Huizar represents both
the Arts District and Boyle Heights commucontinued on page 7
A fireworks display closes out the Sixth Street Bridge Farewell.
People came out to enjoy the food, music and art on display on
the Sixth Street Bridge.
l to r: Michael Maltzan, designer of the new bridge; Merrill Butler
III, grandson of the BOE designer of the original Sixth Street Bridge
Merrill Butler, Sr.; Vic Martinez
Page 6
Councilmember José Huizar.
Crowds came to enjoy the music performances on the bridge.
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
6th St Bridge Farewell continued from page 6
nities that are connected by the Sixth Street
Bridge and was the driving force in pushing
for the international design competition that
resulted in the Michael Maltzan-designed
bridge being selected to replace the historic
bridge, arguably Los Angeles’ most wellknown bridge, built in 1932, and the scene
of many Hollywood films, commercials and
music videos.
“While we are building a world-class
bridge for the future that will provide Angelenos a one-of-a-kind experience as a bridge
and a destination point with active public
space, we are all fond of our historic Sixth
Street Bridge and want to give it the send off
it deserves,” said Councilmember Huizar.
“This family-friendly event will have something for everyone, and we want Angelenos
from throughout the City to come and join
us as we pay homage to Los Angeles’ history
and the iconic Sixth Street Bridge, one of our
most beloved and treasured landmarks for
83 years.”
The existing bridge must come down because it has “concrete cancer,” an alkali-silica
reaction that threatens the long-term integrity
of the bridge. The City of Los Angeles is replacing it with a new $423 million bridge,
one of the largest public projects in the City.
Sponsors for the free celebration include
Art Share LA; City of L.A. Bureau of Engineering; City of L.A. Sixth Street Viaduct; FilmLA; LADWP; Boyle Heights Neighborhood
Council; AC Martin; Angel City Brewery;
Armbruster Goldsmith & Delvac LLP; Boyle
Heights Technology Youth Center; CHM2Hill;
City Plants; Dale Goldsmith - Hudson Pacific Properties; Eastside Luv; HNTB; Los Angeles
County Bike Coalition; L.A. Downtown News;
Michael Maltzan Architecture; Silverlake
Wine; Skanska - Stacy and Witbeck; and
Vallarta Supermarkets.
Demolition on the bridge is expected to
begin in January 2016 and completed later
that year. The new bridge is currently scheduled to completed by the end of 2018, and
the public space below it, by 2019.
Councilmember Huizar has worked with
the Mayor, and state and federal leaders to
protect tens of millions of dollars in funding
for the new bridge to ensure that it is a destination point that not only links Boyle Heights
and the Arts District communities, but a
public space that includes a recreation area,
soccer field and arts plaza below the bridge.
Huizar is also committed to ensuring that the
bridge’s pedestrian space and bike lanes are
as world-class as the newly designed bridge
itself.
Save the Date
The retirement celebration for Terri Winfield,
Executive Administrative Assistant II, will be
Thursday, January 28, 2016.
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
l to r: Mahmood Karimzadeh, Chief Deputy City Engineer Deborah Weintraub, Hsiao-Ling
Ting, City Engineer Gary Lee Moore with the Citation Award for the Hollyhock House.
2015 AIA|LA Design Award for
Hollyhock House Restoration
Architectural Division head Mahmood
Karimzadeh, Chief Deputy City Engineer
Deborah Weintraub, Project Manager HsiaoLing Ting, and City Engineer Gary Lee Moore
attended the AIA/LA Design Awards event on
October 29, 2015, to receive a Citation Award
for the Hollyhock House Restoration Project.
Below is the official announcement on the
awards from the AIA/LA:
AIA|LA Announces 2015 Design
Award Winners!
AIA LA press release:
Los Angeles, CA – October 30, 2015 – The
American Institute of Architects Los Angeles
(AIA|LA) announced the winners of its prestigious 2015 Design Awards program Thursday
night, October 29, 2015, at an event celebrating recipients. Selected by a jury of noted architects from
across the United States, the AIA|LA Design
Awards recognize design excellence in some
of the most exemplary built work in the country at this time. “The competition is tremendous which is
exactly what we are looking for to raise the
bar for the profession,” noted the 2015 AIA|LA
Design Awards jury. “Los Angeles is raising the
bar for the rest of the country.”
Winners of the competition’s counterpart,
the AIA|LA Next LA awards, bestowed on
as yet unbuilt commissions, were also announced. A jury of experts residing in Los
Angeles, a city that is seeing its dream of
true urban living realized, noted the many
interesting strategies used to create more connection and engagement on an urban level in
a number of winning submissions. 2015 AIA|LA Presidential Honorees as
previously announced by the AIA|LA were
also bestowed. Names of Presidential Honorees follow Design Award and Next LA award
recipients in this story. By setting the 2015 AIA|LA Design Awards
Ceremony + Party in two downtown locations,
the evening both honored and embodied
a burgeoning focus on placemaking at the
heart of Los Angeles. Well over six hundred
attendees gathered at the Aratani Theatre in
the Japanese American Cultural & Community
Center in Little Tokyo for a pre-event reception
and ceremony. Winners, Presidential Honorees, and Design Award attendees then moved
to the A+D Museum, in the Arts District, for
an après-party which included buffet dinner.
Design Award and Next LA awards are
given in three classifications: Honor, Merit
and Citation, with Honor being the highest
category.
Completed projects, located anywhere,
that are designed by AIA members from firms
based in the LA area, and architecture constructed in Los Angeles by any AIA member,
no matter their base of operations, are eligible
for submission for Design Awards.
Page 7
LA BOE and SF Engineers Meet in 15th Annual Softball Game
It was a sad day in Mudville, also known as
the Sepulveda Basin. On October 10, 2015,
the annual Columbus weekend softball match
up between BOE and the City of San Francisco
engineers team started off strong for the home
team, but BOE’s 3-1 lead after the first inning
was, alas, the only time we were ahead. Foiled
by SF’s perennially strong pitching, BOE was
shut out in the second and third innings. SF
clambered ahead, scoring 10 runs in the third
inning alone. Spirits flagging, BOE was unable
to score in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
MVP Markos Legesse’s grand slam sparked a
late game rally in the 8th inning, and the team
rallied in the final inning, but it was not to be.
SF handily took the game, 34-15.
The friendly softball game against SF is
BOE’s oldest tradition, dating back to the
1920s when engineers played baseball. Halted by the Great Depression, the tradition was
revived in 2001. With this year’s victory, SF
has taken a commanding lead with 9 victories,
to BOE’s 6. The BOE team vows to revamp
training to prepare for next year’s game in
San Francisco.
BOE Team, l to r, Kneeling: Dominic Buenaventura, Abdullah Sadozai, Brian Schrieber, Ibrahim
Hafeez. Standing: Markos Legesse (MVP), Grayson and Michael Kouyoumdjian, Willis Huffman,
Omar Braish, Faiz Malik, Bert Moklebust, Daniel MacNeil, Kevin Mata, Alfred Mata, Aiden
Mata, David Ventura, Markos Perez-Bran, Marcus Yee. Not pictured: Lyndsay De Paul, Tim Haug
Los Angeles and San Francisco teams line up before the game.
Page 8
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
Boy Scouts Aiden and Kevin Mata presented the flag at the opening ceremonies.
After the game everyone could relax with some food and cold drinks.
Alfred Mata presented the game trophy to
SF Team Captain Rick Thall.
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
SF MVP Patrick Lewis with
Rick Thall.
Julia Moye with Kimberly Barton, singing
the national anthem.
Markos Legesse holds BOE MVP trophy presented by
Team Captain Alfred Mata
Some shade canopies were welcome in the heat.
Page 9
Mayor’s Executive Directive No. 14
El Niño Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
Issue Date: November 6, 2015
Subject: El Niño Preparedness, Response,
and Recovery
The ability of the City of Los Angeles to support
a unified, efficient, and effective emergency
preparedness, response, and recovery process
is critical to the resilience of our social and
economic vibrancy. Of the sixteen types of
natural disasters outlined in the federal Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act, thirteen are possible in the
City of Los Angeles.
This season’s adverse weather pattern, El
Niño, is expected to be among the strongest
on record, significantly influencing weather
and climate patterns and increasing the
likelihood of significant storms. While the
frequency, number, and intensity of these
events cannot be predicted with certainty, we
must prepare for the immediate effects and
subsequent consequences associated with
such severe weather, including short and intense storms, multiple days of continuous rain,
coastal erosion, large wave actions, flooding,
and mud and debris flows.
During the 1998 El Niño, Los Angeles experienced its wettest month on record, and the
severe weather resulted in seventeen deaths
and more than half a billion dollars in damage.
In early 1983, El Niño was so powerful that
storms decimated piers all along the coast and
damaged one thousand homes between Santa
Barbara and the Mexican border.
The actions we take as a City to prepare
proactively for any and all of these impacts
have the potential to affect our livelihoods
directly for days and years to come. We have
forged the following private-sector partnerships to enhance the City’s ability to ensure
effectively that we account for the needs of
all Angelenos.
• My Office orchestrated the signing of a
memorandum of understanding by wireless service providers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon to share their networks
in the aftermath of an emergency, enabling
voice and data traffic to be carried on
any functioning network regardless of a
customer’s service provider.
• My Office led the City to contract with
two national companies with expertise
in large-scale disaster mitigation and
recovery – AshBritt Environmental and
CTI Environmental – to provide on-call
response and recovery services during
catastrophic incidents. In the event that
City resources are exhausted after an
emergency, these providers will mobilize
to provide emergency essential needs to
City residents and City recovery efforts.
These partnerships are just two examples of
the many actions the City has taken already
to prepare for, respond to, and recover from
Page 10
the impact of disasters. In anticipation of the
current El Nino, I am now directing City Departments to take further actions.
Accordingly, I hereby order as follows:
• I hereby create the City El Niño Task Force.
The City El Niño Task Force shall:
- ensure that City agencies have the
resources to take actions necessary for
public safety, and are accountable for
doing so;
- ensure effective coordination and cooperation of City agencies in addressing
El Niño; and
- liaise with county, state, federal, and
other entities as necessary.
• The General Manager of the Emergency
Management Department shall chair the
City El Niño Task Force, which shall meet
at least weekly until I direct otherwise.
The City El Niño Task Force shall include
members from and designated by my Office as well as senior managers from the
following Department/Offices as designated by their General Managers or Heads of
Departments/Offices:
- Building and Safety
- City Administrative Officer
- Disability
- Emergency Management
- Fire
- General Services
- Housing and Community Investment
- Information Technology
- Police
- Public Works
- Recreation and Parks
- Transportation
- Water and Power
• Each General Manager of Head of Department/Office, whether or not listed above,
immediately shall designate a Mayor’s El
Niño Liaison for the Department/Office,
and immediately shall notify the Deputy
Mayor for Public Safety of that person’s
name and contact information (including
when there is a subsequent personnel
change or change to that person’s contact
information). The Mayor’s El Niño Liaisons
shall participate in meetings and other
activities involving planning, response,
and r4ecovery efforts as directed by my
Office or the City El Niño Task Force.
• I invite each City Councilmember to
designate a Mayor’s El Niño Liaison to
participate in meetings and other activities involving planning, response, and
recovery efforts when requested by my
Office or the City El Niño Task Force. I ask
each City Councilmember who chooses
to designate a Mayor’s El Niño Liaison
to notify the Deputy Mayor for Public
Safety of that person’s name and contact
information (including when there is a
•
•
•
•
•
•
subsequent personnel change or change
to that person’s contact information).
All General Managers and Heads of Departments/Offices are generally required
to complete their annual reviews, revisions, and submissions to the Emergency
Management Department’s Operations
Division of their Continuity of Operations
Plans and Department Emergency Plans
by the end of January each year. This year,
however, they shall submit their Continuity of Operations Plans to the Emergency
Management Department’s Operations
Division by December 1, 2015; their Department Emergency Plan submissions to
the Emergency Management Department’s
Operations Division are due on January
29, 2016.
All General Managers, Heads of Departments/Offices, and Commissions of City
Government shall ensure within thirty
days that their full-time and part-time
employees are up-to-date in their training
as Disaster Service Workers with signed
oaths or affirmations on file. In the event
of an emergency, employees may be asked
to participate in disaster service activities.
All departmental Public Information Officers shall work closely with the City’s Chief
Public Information Officer to develop
and disseminate El Niño preparedness,
response, and recovery information as
necessary.
In coordination with the Chief Public
Information Officer, all departmental
Public Information Officers shall disseminate information regarding elninola.
com, which is the City’s online center for
information about El Nino, and registration
with NotifyLA, which is the City’s mass
notification system for emergencies. These
efforts shall include, but are not limited
to, links to elninola.com and the display
of NotifyLA registration information on all
public-facing websites, social media and
other digital and print platforms.
The General Manager of the Department of
Neighborhood Empowerment shall work
closely with the General Manager of the
Emergency Management Department and
the City’s Chief Public Information Officer
to disseminate El Niño preparedness, response, and recovery information to the
neighborhood councils and community
stakeholders.
The General Manager of the Emergency
Management Department shall organize
El Niño Town Hall Meetings that include
participation by the Fire Department,
the Police Department, the Bureau of
Sanitation, the Bureau of Street Services,
the Department of Water and Power, and
continued on page 11
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
Executive Directive continued from page 10
any other City entities that the General
Manager of the Emergency Management
Department designates. The Town Hall
Meetings shall provide information about
City services and resources available to
support Angelenos in El Niño preparation,
response and recovery. The information
shall be tailored to address the needs to
each geographic community (particularly
those at higher than normal risk, such as
flood-prone areas, hillsides, and drainages).
• The General Manager of the Department of
Neighborhood Empowerment shall notify
each neighborhood council El Niño Town
Hall Meetings in and near its neighborhood.
In addition, I encourage all Angelenos to take
the following actions to prepare and to stay
safe this El Niño season:
• Go to elninola.com for updated emergency preparedness, response, and recovery
information.
• Register for NotifyLA at notifyla.org to receive free emergency alerts by text, email,
and phone of hazards and warnings in the
City of Los Angeles.
• Review homeowner, rental, and vehicle
insurance policies to ensure that flood and
water damage are included.
• Restock and replace items as necessary in
emergency kits.
• Repair any roof and window leaks.
• Address drainage issues at homes and businesses, including rain gutters, backyards,
and driveways.
• Clean up debris that may obstruct storm
drains and outlets.
• Call 3-1-1 or use the My311 mobile app
to notify the City of debris that could
block storm drains, create flooded areas,
or cause injury or damage.
• Consider installing rain-capture devices
such as cisterns, rain barrels, and rain
gardens.
• Heed warnings and alerts from government agencies and officials – they are
intended to keep you and your loved ones
safe.
Finally, because there is an approximately
95% chance that El Niño will weaken gradually through the spring of 2016 and its effects
are likely to conclude within one year, this
Executive Directive shall be deemed automatically rescinded on November 6, 2016,
unless I order otherwise.
New Letterhead
The latest version of the Bureau of Engineering
letterhead template is always available from
the Engineering Forms Library under the category Correspondence on the BOE intranet.
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
A capacity crowd came to hear Dr. Jan Green Rebstock’s presentation on CEQA.
AGENTS Brown Bag on CEQA Draws a Crowd
Dr. Jan Green Rebstock, an Environmental Supervisor II with the Environment Management
Group (EMG), drew a capacity crowd for her
presentation on the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) on October 22, 2015 in
the Architecture Division’s Design Studio.
More than fifty employees attended the brown
bag presentation sponsored by AGENTS (Advocates of Green Engineering, New Technology and Sustainability), learning how EMG can
assist project managers with navigating the
filing requirements of what some consider to
be the nation’s most stringent environmental
standards. Rebstock fielded questions with
examples illustrating possible impacts to
schedule and budget. The presentation will be
added to the BOE Academy database.
AGENTS wraps up the year with its final
talk on Thursday, December 3, 2015. Jane
Adrian and Ramnik Mungra will do a joint
presentation on environmental issues in India in the Bureau of Contract Administration
Executive Conference Room. More details
will follow.
Be on the Alert for Coyotes
Rec & Parks Dept. press release:
October 19, 2015 - Officials across Southern
California have seen an increase in coyote
activity in residential areas and public parks.
Coyotes live throughout the region and are
often seen year round. Normally, coyotes pose
no threat to humans and keep their distance.
But if they have access to food and garbage,
they lose their fear of humans and can become
aggressive. Feeding coyotes encourages them
to cluster in busy areas and approach people.
The main areas of concern are open park
space, hiking trails, brush areas, picnic areas,
and children’s play areas.
City, county, and state officials urge the
public to follow these safety guidelines:
• Never feed coyotes.
• Do not approach coyotes for any reason.
• Closely supervise all children while in
public parks and open spaces.
• Keep pets on leash and close by at all
times.
• Keep pet food and water dishes inside.
• Secure food and trash at all times and
remove all sources of water.
• If a coyote approaches or acts aggressively,
throw rocks, make noise, look big, and
pick up small children and pets. Do not
turn your back to the animal.
• If a coyote is frequently seen around
schoolyards or playgrounds or is acting
aggressively, contact your local animal
control or the California Department of
Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) at (858) 467-4201
or the Los Angeles City Park Rangers at
(323) 644- 6661.
• If a coyote attacks, call 911. The county’s
Veterinary Public Health Program works
with bite victims to ensure they receive
proper care, and CDFW is notified of all
attacks.
In Los Angeles, the Department of Recreation
and Parks has responded to increased coyote
activity in parks with a number of preventive
actions:
• Installation of additional “No Feeding
Wildlife” signs.
• Verification that sealed trash cans have
coyote proof lids.
• Increase of trash removal to twice a day.
• Removal of nearby overgrown brush and
hanging bushes to improve visibility.
• Increased patrols by park rangers and
Security Services Division.
• Distribution of educational pamphlets to
park visitors.
For more information on living responsibly
with wildlife, visit www.keepmewild.com
Page 11
BOE Executive Staff Meet with New Hires
On Wednesday, October 21, 2015, Bureau
of Engineering’s Executive staff met with approximately 50 new employees who started
working for the Bureau within the last six
months. The new employees positions range
from technical to administrative.
City Engineer Gary Lee Moore started off
with an ice breaker that allowed everyone
to introduce themselves to the group. Each
member of the Executive staff shared a brief
overview of their job responsibilities along
with encouraging tips that they have learned
during their City careers. A question and
answer period rounded out the almost 90
minute meeting. City Engineer Gary Lee Moore speaking to the recently hired employees.
Deputy City Engineer Alfred Mata
Deputy City Engineer Ken Redd
Page 12
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
Susan Shu, Stormwater Group Manager,
Anthony Felipe, and Steve Chen, Street and
Stormwater Division Manager.
SSD Award to Felipe
Anthony Felipe, an Environmental Engineering Associate II in the Stormwater Group
of the Street and Stormwater Division, was
recognized on October 25, 2015 for “his willingness to accept challenging assignments,
going above and beyond with unfailing good
cheer and good humor. He is a true unsung
hero among his colleagues in the Stormwater
Group.” Nominated by Nadir Shah, Felipe
was praised for taking on new challenges.
Originally assigned to investigate drainage
complaints, Felipe now handles emergency
repairs, proposes engineering solutions to
mitigate flooding, and provides construction
management support for capital improvement
projects.
When asked for comment, Felipe said, “I
was surprised and very honored to receive this
Certificate of Appreciation since everyone in
our division has accomplished a lot this year. I
want to thank my supervisor Bing Sun and our
project manager Nadir Shah for their support
and trust as well as the rest of the division for
their help whenever needed.”
Water Reduction Ideas
Water is a critical part of California’s way of
life. Our economy, our environment and out
day-to-day lifestyle need water to flourish. But
our water is limited - especially during this
historic drought. What does a 20% reduction
in water use look like? The average Californian
uses 196 gallons of water per day. Here are
some easy ways to reduce water use. Find the
right combination for you to reduce by 20%,
or 39 gallons a day, here are some ideas:
• Turn off water when brushing teeth or
shaving can save 10 gallons per person/
day.
• Take 5 minute showers instead of 10
minute showers saves 12.5 gallons (with
a water efficient shower-head)
• Install a high-efficiency toilet (1.28 gallon/
flush) saves 19 gallons per person/day
For more tips on reducing water use, visit
saveourwater.com.
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
L.A. City & County Invest $6M in
L.A. River Valley Greenway
Mayor’s press release:
LOS ANGELES (October 15, 2015) Mayor
Eric Garcetti and County Supervisor Sheila
Kuehl today announced a joint investment
of $6 million in the Los Angeles River Valley
Greenway. The funding will make the project
shovel-ready by enabling completion of design on 12 miles of gaps in its Valley portion.
Once completed, the greenway will make it
possible for Angelenos to walk and bike from
Canoga Park to Elysian Valley.
“With this investment, we take one more
step in linking our communities to each other
and to the backbone of our region — the Los
Angeles River,” said Mayor Garcetti. “By expanding the parks and paths along our river,
we can breathe new life into the surrounding
neighborhoods and give our residents more
access to nature and recreation while providing safer commuting options between homes,
schools, and jobs.”
“The same L.A. River that protects Angelenos from catastrophic flooding is rapidly
becoming a social hub that connects communities to public transportation, provides habitat
for plants and animals, and introduces children and families to much-needed open space
for recreation,” said Supervisor Kuehl. “L.A.
County is proud to be a part of that change.”
The City’s $3 million contribution comes
from funds dedicated to open space preservation and park facilities, provided by four
Los Angeles City Councilmembers who
represent the Valley: Councilmembers Paul
Krekorian, Bob Blumenfield, David Ryu, and
Nury Martinez.
“The partnership between the City and
County will transform the way Angelenos
use and view the L.A. River in the San Fernando Valley,” said City Councilmember Paul
Krekorian, District 2. “By working together to
connect the patchwork of ongoing revitalization projects, like the Valleyheart Riverwalk
project in my district, we are restoring the
river’s majesty in its Valley home.”
“The headwaters in Canoga Park will finally
be folded into the L.A. River’s recreational
and environmental opportunities,” said City
Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, District 3.
“I’m proud to help fund the river bikeway to
connect people throughout our communities. Filling these gaps in the bikeway will make
the river more enjoyable as a real amenity in
our neighborhoods, and I’m eager to partner
in this major effort.”
“Today I am proud to announce my office
is dedicating half a million dollars from our
district’s park creation funds to ensure river
revitalization moves forward and to ensure
the children of L.A. will live healthier and
safer lives,” said City Councilmember David
Ryu, District 4. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to expand our city’s green space,
improve our region’s transportation infrastructure, and promote a sustainable future.”
The announcement coincided with National Park Service and City of Los Angeles
certification of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historical Trail along the river and the
local launch of President Obama’s “Every Kid
in a Park” initiative. As part of that program,
hundreds of local 4th-graders were sworn in
as Junior Rangers and earned a free annual
pass for all national parks and federal lands.
The National Park Service marks its Centennial
anniversary in 2016. “The Every Kid in a Park initiative invites
young people across America to discover this
country’s amazing and diverse national parks
and public lands and establishes a lifelong
relationship with these special places,” said
National Park Service Director Jonathan B.
Jarvis. “The National Park Service is honored
to join the City of Los Angeles, the County of
Los Angeles, and others to help Angelenos of
all ages find their park along the Los Angeles
River.”
Families can learn about how to earn a
free annual pass for fourth-graders at www.
everykidinapark.gov.
Page 13
Welcome to the Bureau of Engineering!
The following information about some of our
new employees illustrates that the Bureau of
engineering has hired a very diverse group of
talented people.
Sophea Ek
Sophea Ek (pronounced
as [so-pia aik]) has recently joined the Wastewater
Conveyance Engineering
Division (WCED) as a Civil
Engineering Associate I.
Sophea attended California State University,
Long Beach from 2006 to
2012 and graduated with
a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degrees in Civil
Engineering. Go Beach! He possesses an EIT
and is working towards his PE registration.
He has also been recently credentialed as
an ENV SP from the Institute of Sustainable
Infrastructure (ISI).
Prior to his new journey with the Bureau of
Engineering, Sophea was a Civil Engineering
Technician with the County of Los Angeles
Department of Public Works. He assisted
in the preparation of engineering and construction plans for various drainage projects,
including designing an emergency debris
retention structure, designing storm drains,
culvert improvement project, and dam and
reservoir cleanout project. In addition, he
also assisted customers by providing permits
for the allowable runoff discharge into the
county storm drains.
Sophea believes that attaining happiness is
more a journey than a destination. Live now!
Work hard and play hard! He enjoys traveling.
He plans to visit as many parts of the world as
he can. “In order to do that, staying healthy is
very important,” he said. He enjoys a variety
of sporting activities, especially soccer and
basketball. He plays badminton regularly
and bikes and plays volleyball occasionally
as well.
Sophea will be working on SSRP (Secondary Sewer Rehabilitation Program) projects.
He is very excited to join the Bureau. He’s
looking forward to contributing his efforts,
knowledge, experience, and skills to help
transform the City of Los Angeles into the
world’s most livable city.
Amalia M. Merino
Amalia M. Merino is a
planner with a passion
for cultural programming, creative placemaking, activating public space, re-purposing
place, social justice
issues and generating
public engagement to
improve quality of life
and forge neighborhood
Page 14
connectivity in the urban landscape. A 2013
graduate of UCLA’s MURP program with a
Design & Development concentration, her
professional background includes performing
arts sponsorship and development in Miami
and advertising in Chicago. She graduated
from Smith College in Northampton, MA with
a BA in Economics. Amalia is a Planning Assistant for BOE on
loan to LA Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Office’s LARiverWorks team. She serves as the Planning
liaison and conducts community outreach,
interfacing with LA River stakeholders. Previously she worked at the Art & Design
Program in LA Metro’s Countywide Planning
and Development Department where she focused on activating Union Station through free
cultural events, public outreach, budgets and
other systemwide public art projects. Amalia
currently serves as the Social Media Director
for the American Planning Association - Los
Angeles Section’s Board and is the Emerging
Technologies Co-Chair for the 2016 APA State
Conference in Pasadena. She also serves on
the Emerging Arts Leaders/LA Leadership
Council on Marketing Communications and
its mentorship program. A fifth generation
Angeleno on her mother’s side, Amalia grew
up between the States (Maryland) and Latin
America (Ecuador, Honduras, Bolivia) and
enjoys exploring her Los Angeles roots via
transit, bike and on foot. Christina Mills
Christina Mills is an Administrative Intern II in
the Wastewater Collection
Engineering Division.
She is in the midst of
writing her Master’s thesis, and will finish her
Master of Arts degree in
English at California State
University, Los Angeles
this December. She worked on campus for
most of her college career as a writing tutor
in the University Writing Center where she
assisted students of all disciplines (Engineers
included!) with their papers. She concurrently
worked in the English Department as a Teaching Associate, teaching first-year composition.
She feels her experience with writing in many
different genres, working with diverse students
of various disciplines, revising student papers,
and keeping meticulous records of student
assignments and grades has prepared her well
for the detail-oriented work expected in her
new position. She is excited to join the WCED
as their new Administrative Intern II and hopes
to learn much from the experience.
When she is not working, Christina enjoys
reading and writing. She can also be found
playing online video games with her friends,
watching movies with her sisters, and spend-
ing her time (and money) at various southland
theme parks.
Amanda Rogers
Amanda Rogers recently
joined the Administrative Services Division
as an Admin Intern II in
September. After graduating with a degree in
Communications from
California State University, Fullerton in May
2014, she worked fulltime in the private industry, specializing in
Technical Recruitment and Human Resources. Here at the City, she is working in the
Training Section, assisting with On-Campus
Recruitment (researching and coordinating
Career Fairs and Interviews), Charitable Campaigns, Volunteer Coordination, In-House
Trainings, Ergonomic Evaluations, and more.
Many of you may have met her picking up
your new BOE Polo Shirt -- an item we promoted after their success at Career Fairs.
Outside of work, Amanda enjoys staying
active, going to concerts, and spending time
with family and friends. She is excited for
this opportunity to work for the City of Los
Angeles and is looking forward to making a
positive impact!
Son Vuong
Son Vuong is an Electrical
Engineering Associate with
the Bureau of Engineering’s
Architectural Division. He
recently graduated from the
University of California at
Irvine (UCI) with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical
Engineering, concentrating
in the field of communications. This was essential
during his two years of research at the California Institute for Telecommunications and
Information Technology (Calit2), where he
helped develop a wireless sensor network
for the Spinal Cord Injury Unit at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Long Beach. He also
performed physics modeling and simulations
for microfluidic devices used in research at
the Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility
(INRF). Outside of research, Son interned for
a startup during his last year at UCI, focusing
on technology for the Internet of Things (IoT).
Although a native of Orange County, he left
California in 2002 to become a Nuclear Electrician in the United States Navy shortly after
high school. He operated, maintained and
repaired the electrical distribution system and
subsystems required for nuclear power plant
operations on the USS Connecticut (SSN-22)
continued on page 15
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
Welcom to BOE continued from page 12
Fast Attack Submarine. He participated in two
deployments supporting Operation Enduring
Freedom, and earned his Submarine Warfare
qualification among other medals.
As a newly certified Engineer in Training,
Son plans to pursue his Professional Engineering license and a Master of Science in
Electrical Engineering. He feels that education
is a critical component to personal growth and
to upholding the standards of his profession.
Son is a seasoned traveler, always searching
for new adventures, experiences and quality
conversations. You can catch him hiking,
cooking or reading books at a local café.
BOE Thanked for Work on
Hollyhock House
This letter was sent to the City Engineer regarding the recent visit to the Hollyhock House by
the International Council on Monuments and
Sites (ICOMOS):
September 25, 2015
Dear Gary,
The ICOMOS visit on September 18, 2015
was a resounding success, in large part due
to the support and collaborations of the
Department of Public Works Bureau of Engineering. Months of preparation, coordination,
and collaboration among our City’s leading
agencies paid off.
While the Department of Cultural Affairs
remains cautiously optimistic about the site
reviewer’s recommendation, we all agree
the City is prepared to develop the systems
and allocate the necessary resources needed
to maintain and support this historic site for
generations to come.
Of course, none of this would be possible
without your dedicated leadership to preserving the Hollyhock House. I want to thank you
and the entire Department of Public Works
Bureau of Engineering for committing to
ensure the future of one of our crown jewels
continues to shine.
The site reviewer’s conclusions will now be
analyzed at several levels to prepare the final
recommendation, which will be published in
March, 2016, and considered by the World
Heritage Convention at the July, 2016 meeting
when a vote will be cast.
I will be sure to keep you informed of
our progress sand share any news about the
nomination.
Again, thank you for your dedication and
continued support of preserving our City’s
cultural landmarks and historic sites.
Sincerely,
Danielle J. Brazell
General Manager
Department of Cultural Affairs
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
BOE Polo Shirts Available
Bureau of Engineering new blue logo polo shirts are now available for pre-order! They are
made out of a comfortable, 100% polyester material and cost $20 per shirt. We encourage
you to join in and participate in representing our Bureau by ordering a polo for yourself. The
order form can be downloaded from the BOE Forms Library under Purchasing (http://boe.
ci.la.ca.us/eforms/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.formlist&cid=17). For additional information,
please e-mail Amanda Rogers, Administration Division, at amanda.rogers@lacity.org.
Appreciation for Pacoima
Street Project
This e-mail was in regards to the EDA Sun
Valley Project. The left turn lane going southbound onto the I-5 freeway under the bridge,
as mentioned in the letter, was part of a Caltrans project, just beyond the limits of the BOE
project. After the Japanese Community Center
brought up their concern, BOE staff contacted
LADOT who restriped the left turn lane. The
Community Center also indicated that they
were very pleased with the improved drainage
and street condition in front of their property,
which was part of BOE’s project.
Date: Fri, Oct 23, 2015 at 12:00 PM
Subject: Branford Street - Pacoima Kudos from
the Neighborhood
Thank you all for helping make Eastbound
Branford Street @ Sharp Avenue in Pacoima
a safer place for our members. The San Fernando Valley Japanese Community Center on
the corner of Remick and Branford, appreciate
the recently added left turn lane for the Southbound 5 freeway, under the overpass. It has
been a safety concern since the Southbound
ramp was completed. People don’t see the
vehicle ahead of them trying to make a left
turn onto the freeway in their lane and may not
stop in time causing a rear end collision. Know
that you have made a difference by creating
a safer street for all who use Branford Street. Thank you for your efforts, job well done. Sincerely,
John and Liz Doomey Karish Commended
This e-mail was sent to Mariann Karish, Land
Development & GIS Division:
Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2015 at 3:19 PM
Subject: Re: 2015 Holiday Moratorium Exemption - 450 S Western - DWP work for
California Market 11-23-15 to 1-2-16
Thank you!
I haven’t been involved in this project since
it’s conception but I have met numerous city
officials, delegates, district council members,
engineers, inspectors and so on and so forth.
But I have not met anyone half as pleasant and
wonderfully cooperative as you have been. I
just wanted to extend my personal gratitude
to you and wish you the very best in the
upcoming busy season you’re about to face. Regards,
David Rhee
Newsletter Submissions
We are always pleased to receive submissions
for the Newsletter. There are a few tips that
we’d like to be kept in mind. Please do not
submit articles using the “table” or “column”
feature of WordPerfect or MS Word. It will
not translate correctly. Instead, just use tabs.
If you have photos, please send them in their
native format, i.e., jpg or tif. Do not place
photos in a word processing document. Also,
please run your article through spell check
and make sure all names are spelled correctly
before submitting it. Again, thanks to all for
their contributions.
Page 15
CMAA Seminars
Breakfast of Champions - Metro $36 Billion Highway Program Update on Thursday,
December 3, 2015, at The LA Hotel, 333 S.
Figueroa, Downtown L.A., 8:00 Registration,
8:30 Presentation. Guest speaker: Abdollah
Ansari, Deputy Executive Officer, Highway
Programs, Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority.
For additional information please go to
www.cmaasc.org.
Zoo HS Student Volunteers
The Los Angeles Zoo’s student volunteer class
is open to high school students entering the
9th or 10th grade in the fall. Students participate in a 12-week course, meetings on
consecutive Sundays, January-March, from
9 am - 3 pm to learn about conservation and
ecology issues, biomes, and abbreviated taxonomy of the plants and animals at the Zoo.
Upon successful completion of the class,
students are eligible to apply to become a part
of the Student Volunteer Program and participate in and help with the Zoo’s special events,
education stations, and assist with ZooWorld
Patch Program, Animals & You Teen Talks,
World of Birds Show, and Muriel’s Ranch, as
well as much more!
Qualifications - Applicants must enjoy
working with children and adults of all ages.
Required Hours per Year - 60
To ensure understanding of the material, successful Student Volunteers complete 12-week
training program learning about the plants and
animals found at the Los Angeles Zoo.
Special Requirements
All Student Volunteers must maintain a family
or individual membership with the Greater
Los Angeles Zoo Association. In addition,
all active Student Volunteers must attend an
annual update session and pass the annual test
with a minimum score of 90%. For the safety
of the animals, visitors, and fellow staff and
volunteers, an annual negative tuberculosis
test is required of all GLAZA volunteers and
must also be fingerprinted by the City of Los
Angeles upon acceptance to the program.
Student Information Meeting
The next information meeting for the 2016
Winter/Spring class will be held November
14, 2015 at 9:00 am at the Zoo’s Witherbee
Auditorium. This information meeting is mandatory for all Student Volunteer applicants and
their parent or guardian, and will give an overview of the class, program, and requirements
of both the Student Volunteer and their parent.
Interviews will be held this day only, so please
plan on attending until 3:00 pm and students
must bring a copy of their current report card.
If you are planning on attending, please
RSVP to volunteers@lazoo.org and include
“Student Volunteer” in the subject heading.
Because of the popularity of this program,
only the first 100 RSVPs will be accepted for a
place at the information meeting. Please note
that space for this program is limited.
Page 16
Notice No. 53 PM II RCF
Division
Notice No. 53 dated October 15, 2015 titled
Opportunity Notice for a Project Manager
(PM) II for Recreational and Cultural Facilities Division (RCF) - 1 Position states that
the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) has one PM
II opportunity available in the RCF Division.
Eligible candidates are invited to apply for
this opportunity.
This is a critical position in the RCF Division that provides project management and
personnel oversight. The PM II will be responsible for managing Proposition K funded and
related capital improvement projects that are
more complex and more politically sensitive
in nature. In addition, the PM II will personally
supervise and direct the activities of engineering and architectural personnel that oversee
the management of design consultants and/or
manage in-house design and preparation of
plans, specs, and estimates for projects. The
PM II will attend meetings and coordinate
project activities with clients, Recreation and
Parks, Cultural Affairs Departments, and many
other interested parties. This position will
prepare project Board reports, Memoranda of
Understanding (MOUs), Steering Committee
reports, status reports and Uniform Project
Reporting System updates. The PM II will assist
with bid and award activities, monitor project
revenue and expenditures, review consultant
billings and track and resolve funding issues.
This position will act as the assistant Program
Manager and serves as back-up to the Program
Manager.
Project Manager Salary bonuses can only
be applied to positions in the following bargaining units:
• Professional Engineering and Scientific
Unit (MOU No. 8)
• Supervisory Professional Engineering and
Scientific Unit (MOU No. 17)
• Management Employees Unit (MOU No.
36)
Project Manager I Minimum Experience
Requirements
• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering,
Architecture or Construction Management
AND 4 years of progressively responsible
professional experience in Engineering,
Architecture or Construction Management. (California registration as an Engineer or an Architect may be substituted for
two years experience); OR
• Graduation from a recognized 4-year
college or university AND 6 years of
progressively responsible professional
experience in Engineering, Architecture,
or Construction Management; OR
• No degree with 8 years of progressively
responsible, professional experience in
Engineering, Architecture, or Construction
Management.
The PM II requires two years of additional
experience as to what is stated for a PM I.
In addition to the minimum experience
requirements described above, the successful
candidate either must have completed the Bureau’s Project Management Training Program
(PMTP), complete the PMTP within one year
of appointment, obtain a certificate in project
management from the Project Management
Institute, or complete either the University of
California Riverside or University of California
Irvine Project Management Programs with a
certificate in project management.
The basic requirements for a PM salary bonus remain as stated in the October 17, 2001,
Engineering Newsletter. All BOE employees
interested in applying must submit a resume
together with a Supplemental Statement to
Johnnath Deth, RCF Division, Mail Stop
549-2, Phone (213) 847-4774, Fax (213) 8471926, or via e-mail at jonnath.deth@lacity.org
by October 28, 2015.
The Supplemental Statement should not
exceed two pages, 12-point type, single
spaced, and must contain the following information:
1. Describe how your background and experiences have prepared you to manage the
work expected under this project.
2. Provide example(s) of projects that you
completed successfully. Define your use
of the term “successful.”
3. Describe a specific instance in which you
formed a team to solve a problem. Be
specific about the situation, what you did,
and the outcome.
4. Describe a difficult client problem you
resolved. Be specific about the situation.
5. Describe any of your current or previous
working relationships or contacts with
Commissioners from the Board of Public
Works. The most qualified candidates
will be selected and interviewed for the
position.
Associate IV applicants should note that they
will not be able to maintain their Associate
IV status in this bonused PM II position. They
will be required to revert to their previous
civil service classification. This is because
the technical skills which qualified them
for the Associate IV classification will not
be utilized in this project manager role. For
questions or additional information, contact
Johnnath Deth.
Please note that the deadline has already
passed.
Notice No. 54 BOE Logo
Shirts
Notice No. 54 dated October 19, 2015, titled
Bureau of Engineering (BOE) Logo Shirts
states that there’s been an amazing response
to the sale of our new BOE logo shirts. Thank
you to everyone in the BOE family who has
purchased a shirt to show their support. Logo
shirts are still available for purchase, so let’s
keep up the momentum, show our pride,
and support of the Bureau by making every
Thursday a BOE Logo Shirt Day.
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
L.A. Public Works Lays Groundwork for Contracting Opportunities
Business workshop held to promote good jobs
and partner with residents and civic groups
across City
Public Works Public Affairs Office press release:
LOS ANGELES (November 3, 2015) - “How to
do business with the City of Los Angeles as a
construction contractor” workshop was held
at the California Science Center and hosted by
the Department of Public Works. The first in a
series of planned outreach events was led by
the Board of Public Works with the Bureaus
of Contract Administration and Engineering.
More than 50 attendees received information
on business development, technical assistance and contracting opportunities for small,
emerging and disadvantaged contractors in
the construction industry.
The workshop topics included: Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, Small Business,
Emerging Business, and Disabled Veteran
Business certifications; Local Business Enterprise preferences; Mandatory Subcontracting
Minimum rules; bonding and contractor development; bid package and project awards;
prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements; Project Labor Agreement and Business
Inclusion Program policies; and opportunities
on the Business Assistance Virtual Network at
www.labavn.org.
About Board of Public Works
The Board of Public Works (BPW) is a
five-member executive team that governs
and administrates the City of Los Angeles,
Department of Public Works. The Department
of Public Works consists of over 5,400 employees who are responsible for design, construction, renovation and operation of public
projects ranging from bridges to wastewater
treatment plants and libraries; curbside collection and graffiti removal; and maintenance
of streets, sidewalks, sewers, streetlights and
street trees. Since 1906, the Department of
Public Works has led the way to advance
and sustain the foundation of infrastructure
facilities, resources and services that enable
the City of Los Angeles to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits that serve
more than four-million residents in more than
450 square mile geographic area. The BPW
continually focuses on solutions for the infrastructure issues and challenges that invisibly
but critically manifest themselves as uninterrupted everyday conveniences. The Board is
committed to deliver projects and programs
that enhance quality of life, economic growth,
public health and the environment. The Board
Offices consists of the Board Secretariat,
Office of Community Beautification, Office
of Accounting, Financial Reporting, Systems,
and Project Restore. For more information,
please visit http://bpw.lacity.org.
About Contract Administration
The Bureau of Contract Administration is the
City’s lead contract compliance agency that
Engineering Newsletter - 11/10/15
Photo of workshop organizers from left to right: John L. Reamer Jr., Inspector of Public Works;
Hannah Choi, Contract Compliance Program Manager; John Pattison, Business Inclusion
Section Management Analyst; Marc Wright, Special Research and Investigation Construction
Inspector; Mike Davis, Board of Public Works Commissioner; Josefina Salvador, Labor Compliance Management Assistant; Julie Sauter, Project Award and Control Division Engineer; Lynda
McGlinchey, Contract Administration Senior Management Analyst; Mark Gutierrez, Business
Inclusion Section Management Analyst; Jonathan Carroll, Project Award and Control Division,
Senior Management Analyst.
enforces governing laws on City contracts
and on public works construction projects.
The Bureau protects the City and ensures the
delivery of quality construction work. As an
independent quality control agency, the Bureau’s dedicated Construction Inspectors and
Compliance Officers promote a transparent
and consistent contracting environment that
secures economic development opportunities
for new jobs and businesses while protecting
taxpayer funds and the public interest. For
more information, please visit http://bca.
lacity.org.
About Engineering
The Bureau of Engineering is the City’s lead
agency for the planning, design and construction management of public buildings, infrastructure and open space projects. Projects
include municipal buildings, such as police
and fire stations, convention centers, and
recreational and cultural facilities, as well
as bridges, street and transit projects, and
stormwater and wastewater systems. Open
space projects include the development of
parks and the restoration of wetlands. In
addition, Engineering manages permitting
for construction in the public right-of-way,
as well as the City’s state-of-the-art online
mapping system, NavigateLA. Engineering’s
projects are nationally-recognized in the areas
of environmental sustainability and design
and fully support the City’s goals of creating
a prosperous, livable and safe city for all residents and businesses. For more information,
please visit http://eng.lacity.org.
Thanks to Allen, Yew &
Nahass
This e-mail was sent to Deputy City Engineer
Ted Allen, and Edmond Yew and Ali Nahass,
Land Development & GIS Division:
Date: Wed, Oct 21, 2015 at 4:18 PM
Subject: Micropolitan at Chandler
Ted, Edmond and Ali, thank you very much for
taking the lead on providing a solution for the
relocation need of our subject building. Until
discussing the matter with you - Ted, we did
not know how to deal with the problem Metro
had asked us to resolve. You helped us map a
solution and with the professional guidance
of you - Ali and Edmond, we can get back to
clearing our building permit conditions and
start construction of an 82 units TOD building
that also include several units for very low
income earners.
We very much appreciate your support
and fast reaction.
Thank you very much! Jacob Lipa, PE
Micropolitan, CEO
Page 17
Transfer Opportunities
The following transfer opportunity is available.
If you are interested, contact the office below
by Tuesday, November 24, 2015:
Civil Engineer
CEN - Eda Meredith (213) 482-7057
Arrivals
Quyen Tu, Administrative Intern II, PAC;
Kheder Alrazaa, Student Engineer III, PAC;
Michael Van Wagoner, CE Associate I, POD;
Jacob Bigler, Office Engineering Tech II, CEN;
Shelly Morgan, GIS Specialist, LGD; Juan
Velazquez-Cardenas, CE Associate I, WCE;
Son Vuong, Electrical Engineering Associate I,
ARC; Jane Parathara, Environmental Engineering Associate III, SSD; Christina Mills, Administrative Intern II, WCE; Zemamu Gebrewold,
Environmental Engineering Associate III, CEN;
Sophea Ek, CE Associate I, WCE; Karynna Carlos, CE Associate I, GEO; Veronica Alvarez,
Environmental Engineering Associate II, WCC;
Yesenia Diaz, CE Associate I, VAL.
Departures
Min Chen, Engineering Designer II, retired,
EED; Doris Panaligan, Sr Clerk Typist, retired,
LGD; Irene Paul, Environmental Supervisor I,
transfer to Housing, EMG; Francisco Villanueva, Sr CEDT, retired, EED.
Promotions
Phong Nguyen, CE Associate IV, WLA; Ronnie
Daigle, Sr Clerk Typist, ADM; Armando Medina, Structural Engineering Associate III, CEN.
Town Hall Meetings for El
Niño preparedness
Los Angeles City and County officials will
be holding a series of town hall meetings to
help residents and businesses prepare for El
Niño. The town hall meetings will also teach
residents more about what each city will be
doing to prepare for the wet weather. Meetings
will be held from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm at
the following locations:
Thursday, Nov. 12
Peck Park Recreation Center
560 N. Western Ave., San Pedro
Thursday, Dec. 3
Granada Hills Recreation Center
16730 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills
Wednesday, Dec. 9
Westchester Recreation Center
9100 Lincoln Blvd., Los Angeles
There will be representatives from the City of
Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, Department of Recreation and Parks,
local fire and police departments, Department
of Public Works, animal services, Department
of Disability, Department of Transportation,
Department of Building and Safety, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Los
Angeles County Public Works.
For more information on El Niño preparedness in Los Angeles, go to www.elninola.com.
New Public Works Public
Information Director
Public Works press release:
LOS ANGELES (October 19, 2015) - Kevin
James, President of the Board of Public Works,
announced today the appointment of Elena
Stern as Public Information Director. Stern
will oversee the Public Affairs Office and
be responsible for media, public, corporate,
and community public relations on behalf of
the five Bureaus within the Department of
Public Works.
“With over 25 years of experience in public
affairs and government relations, Elena is the
perfect person to lead the communications
efforts of the Department of Public Works,”
said Commissioner James
Stern was most recently Associate Vice
President of Communications and Community Affairs at California State University, Los
Angeles. Previously, she oversaw communications for Para Los Ninos, a non-profit
agency that provides child care, schooling,
and other services to at-risk children and their
families, and L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest
publicly-operated health plan in the country.
Her appointment to the Department of Public
Works marks a return to City Hall for Stern,
who served with Mayor Tom Bradley and
oversaw communications for the transition
team for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
“It’s an honor to work again for the City
of Los Angeles,” said Stern. “I’m looking
forward to helping improve the quality of
life for communities served by the Board of
Public Works.”
Stern earned Bachelor’s and Master’s
degrees from the University of Southern
California.
About City of Los Angeles Board of Public
Works
Since 1906, Public Works has led the way
to advance and sustain the foundation of infrastructure facilities, resources and services
that enable the City of Los Angeles to deliver
social, economic and environmental benefits
that serve more than four-million residents in
a 468 square mile geographic area. Public
Works continually focuses on solutions for
the infrastructure issues and challenges that
invisibly but critically manifest themselves
as uninterrupted everyday conveniences.
The Board is committed to deliver projects
and programs that enhance quality of life,
economic growth, public health and the environment. For more information, please visit
www.bpw.lacity.org.
Reindeer Romp at the Zoo
The girls - Jingle, Belle, Noel and Velvet - are
soon to be back in town for Reindeer Romp!
See these real reindeer at the L.A. Zoo, their
home for the holidays, daily from November
27 through January 3. Free with paid Zoo
admission.
Veterans Day Holiday
Wednesday, November 11, 2015, 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 timekeeper if you have any
questions.
Thanksgiving Holidays
Thursday & Friday, November 26-27, 2015,
are City holidays. Remember to mark your
timesheet for each day as HO 8.0. Since a
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.) There is a chance for confusion when
two holidays fall within the same pay period.
Check with your division timekeeper if you
have any questions.
Kids Winter Zoo Camp
December 28, 29, 30, 31 and January 1
9 am - 3 pm
Children ages 4-9 can come for a day or a
week of winter Zoo Camp fun at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Your child
will enjoy making new discoveries every day.
Through fun, safe, engaging activities, your
campers will trail blaze through the week.
This adventure is something that your child
will never forget.
Each camp is led by a trained instructor
along with trained assistants. The maximum
class size is fifteen for ages 4-5 (Critter Club)
and twenty for ages 6-7 (Wild Bunch), and 8-9
(Zoo Troop). Each class includes crafts, games,
activities, and tours; all focused around the
theme of the day.
Registration Cost: Members: $60/day;
Non-Members: $65/day
Extended care is available for an extra cost:
AM (8-9 am) $5/day
PM (3-5 pm) $10/day
Register online at lazoo.org.
We’d Like to Hear from You
If you have any articles for the Newsletter,
please e-mail them directly to BOENewsletter@gmail.com. Also cc: Myrna Braithwaite
(myrna.braithwaite@lacity.org) Administration
Division. Deadline for the next issue is Thursday, December 3, 2015.
Los Angeles City Department of Public Works
Bureau of Engineering
1149 South Broadway, Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90015
http://eng.lacity.org
http://www.facebook.com/LABureauofEngineering
The Engineering Newsletter is published monthly by the
Administration Division for employees of the Bureau of
Engineering.