12-15-10 Newsletter.indd - Bureau of Engineering

No. 11-06
December 15, 2010
Dedication of Van Ness Rec Center Field Improvements
On November 23, 2010, a crowd of children,
community members, and City staff joined
Councilmember Bernard C. Parks for the
Dedication Ceremony of the completed Van
Ness Recreation Center Field Improvement
project. The ceremony was held at Van Ness
Recreation Center located at 5720 Second
Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90043. In addition
to Councilmember Parks, featured speakers were the Department of Recreation and
Parks General Manager John Mukri and the
Bureau of Engineering Project Manager Ejike
Mbaruguru. In attendance at the colorful
event were City Engineer Gary Lee Moore
and community leaders.
The event offered the presence of mounted
Park Rangers on their horsebacks, children
in their sporting gears throwing and catching baseball, and others trying out some of
the newly installed sporting elements of the
improvement project.
The improvement consisted of upgrades
to the athletic fields, which included the
improvement of three baseball fields, construction of a new batting cage with pitching
machine, concrete and decomposed granite
aprons, and a 5-foot wide color-coated asphalt
walking track circumscribing the ball field.
The project also installed new outdoor fitness
equipment on three stations along the walking
track. The new fitness equipment offers recreation center patrons varieties and choices to
meet their fitness and exercise needs. Other
improvements to the athletic field included
the provision of four new bleachers, dug-
Councilmember Bernard Parks cuts the ribbon to open Van Ness Recreation Center Field Improvements.
Photos by Gary Florin, Rec & Parks Dept.
out benches and the repair of existing park
boundary fences, refurbishment of the irrigation systems and the installation of two new
drinking water fountains.
The project was funded provided by Proposition K - L.A. for Kids and completed with
the joint effort of the Bureau of Engineering’s
Recreation and Cultural Facilities Program
(RCFP), Construction Management Division
(CMD) and Architectural Division; and the
Project Manager Ejike Mbaruguru speaking at the dedication.
Department of General Services Construction forces.
The successful completion of this project
is due to professionalism and dedication of
RCFP’s Program Manager Neil Drucker and
Project Manager Ejike Mbaruguru; and CMD’s
Division Engineer Jose Fuentes and Construction Manager Victor Parra, Architectural Division Principal Architect Mahmood Karimzacontinued on page 2
The new fitness equipment gets a try out by community members.
A Message from the City Engineer
Planning for the Future from the Future
Thank you for another outstanding year of
keeping the Bureau of Engineering a leader
in project delivery and services. On behalf of
the entire executive team, I wish all of you a
happy holiday season and much success in the
new year to you and your family. With all of
the changes that we have been experiencing,
I would like to provide you an update on the
Bureau’s strategic planning efforts.
As many of you know, the Bureau of Engineering has embarked on a high involvement
strategic planning effort designed to provide
guidance to all of our efforts in today’s rapidly
changing environment. We began the process
with a series of external stakeholder interviews
and internal management team interviews and
focus groups. They offered overwhelmingly
positive comments regarding the Bureau’s
reputation and were especially complimentary about our culture of responsiveness and
honesty, and the quality of our workforce.
This was particularly gratifying given the
budgetary and organizational issues that we
are confronting at this time. We intend to
ensure that whatever plans we make for the
future enable us to retain and even enhance
that reputation.
As we think about the future we want to
create for the Bureau, we will need to be clear
about the way we will work with each other to
make that future come true. For that reason, I
asked all of our supervisory and managerial
personnel to attend half day sessions where
each person had an opportunity to contribute
to defining a new vision and a set of values
that are the starting point for our strategic plan.
I am pleased to announce that since those
meetings and further input from the management team, the executive team has drafted a
new vision and a set of enduring values for
the Bureau of Engineering.
Our draft vision for the Bureau of Engineering that I hope everyone can embrace is:
To lead the transformation of Los Angeles
into the world’s most livable city.
We will be drafting a mission statement
and a set of goals to describe what steps we
must take over the next five years to begin to
make this future happen, but we wanted to
begin by acknowledging and celebrating this
exciting ambition for the Bureau.
While our draft vision is new, our values
are enduring ones. When we asked all the
managers and supervisors to name the values
that were most important for each member of
the Bureau, there were four clear winners. The
management team then took those values and
ideas, and recommended the following value
statements for the Bureau:
• Integrity: Our actions follow our words
and we always take responsibility for the
results.
• Respect: We value and appreciate
Page 2
everyone’s contribution, responding in a
professional manner.
• Teamwork: We work together to achieve
common goals.
• Quality: We perform at a level that exceeds client expectations.
The executive team is committed to ensuring
that everyone in the Bureau lives by these
values, causing all of our clients and customers to want to support us in making progress
toward our vision.
Another key part of our strategic planning
process was to ask each of you, in an online
survey, your opinions about the environment
you currently work in and what you would
like to see improved. We were gratified by
the overwhelming response we received to
this very detailed (and long) survey. Over 450
people who work in the Bureau filled out the
survey completely. We have tabulated all of
the results and are in the process of thoroughly
reviewing the findings, which we will be sharing with all of you early in 2011. But for now,
there are several results we wanted to share
since they will be critical in developing our
goals and objectives for the strategic plan. The
survey shows that:
1. The Bureau is considered a satisfying place
to work with many challenging opportunities to grow and develop.
2. Many members of the Bureau, particularly
younger workers and women, would like
to see improvements in our communication, training and development efforts.
3. While retaining our feeling of family and
our reputation for achieving results, everyone-from executives to front line workerswould like more freedom to do their job
with less bureaucratic constraints.
During the next phase, we will be identifying strategic issues and using the findings to
establish goals, strategies, and objectives. It
is clear that your survey responses will provide important foundational information for
these activities. Just as we have attempted to
involve managers and supervisors during the
creation of the vision and the specification
of the values, we are committed to gaining
everyone’s input to address these issues in
a way that makes the Bureau an even better
place to work.
Van Ness RC - continued from page 1
deh and Landscape Architectural Associate III
Richard Fisher; and Dept. of General Services
Nick Pendorff, Superintendent and Richard
Telles C&M supervisor. It is worthy to mention
the invaluable contributions of the Department of Recreation and Park, and CD 8 staff,
and the community deserves kudos for their
patience while their athletic field was out of
commission due to construction activities.
Blanket & Jacket Drive
Donations Needed
Dear friends and colleagues:
When different talents come together, beautiful things happen.
In the past, our colleagues at 1149 South
Broadway distributed blankets and jackets
to less fortunate residents in Downtown Los
Angeles. This generosity kept many people
warm during the Christmas Season. Soon
thereafter, various organizations showed
their interest and asked us to inform them of
future events.
This is an event arranged by our family
at the Public Works Building. Please join us
as we embark on the 2010 Blanket & Jacket
Drive. All donations (cash, checks, blankets
and jackets) are appreciated. We will distributing the goods purchased by your donations in
Downtown Los Angeles on December 22nd
at 12:00 noon.
Checks shall be made payable to the nonprofit organization: Los Angeles Association
of Black Personnel (LAABP). Please keep the
return checks for tax deduction purposes. We
are in the process of finding more nonprofit
organizations to partner with us. We will provide an expanded list of non profits for your
donations when available.
There is absolutely no administration fee
associated with this heart-driven effort. One
hundred (100%) of all donations are spent
buying blankets and jackets for the homeless.
(Friendly reminder that is a volunteer effort and not to be done during your regular
working hours.)
We are currently negotiating the prices
with vendors this year for blankets and jackets.
So far, we have received donations of tote
bags, boxes of women’s cosmetics, men’s
toiletries, and children toys. The first year of
this effort, the donations allowed us to buy 10
jackets/blankets, which multiplied and grew
into the thousands of jackets, shampoos, bags,
beauty supplies, and blankets—a miraculous
effort by the people who gave to those in need
during the holidays.
The following team members should be
contacted to accept your donations:
Cora Jackson-Fossett
213-978-0319
Sharon Loudd
213-978-7376
Holly Lawson
213-485-2919
Jeong Park
213-485-5313
Katrina Forbes
213-485-5853
Varouj Abkian
213-485-2894
Maryam Azarbayjani (Chair) 310-575-8651
Don’t forget that A Candle loses nothing
by lighting another candle.
We thank you in advance for participating
in this drive, Happy Holidays!
Engineering Newsletter - 12/15/10
Barnsdall Park Hollyhock House Phase III Commences
Continues Seismic Retrofit and Historic Restoration of Holllyhock House
On September 30, 2010, a groundbreaking
and residence tour for the Barnsdall Park
Phase III project for the Restoration of Hollyhock House was held at the Hollyhock House
West Lawn, Barnsdall Park, 4800 Hollywood
Blvd., Los Angeles. The event was well attended by many community supporters and
dignitaries. Speakers at the event included
Councilmember Eric Garcetti, California Assemblyman Kevin De Leon, Project Restore
President Ed Avila, California Cultural and
Historical Endowment executive officer Mimi
Morris, Cultural Affairs Department General
Manager Olga Garay, Recreation & Parks Department General Manager Jon Kirk Mukri,
and City Engineer Gary Lee Moore.
Hollyhock House is a historic architectural icon in Los Angeles. Designed by Frank
Lloyd Wright and his apprentices Rudolph
Schindler and Lloyd Wright in 1919 for Aline
Barnsdall, the residence was deeded to the
City of Los Angeles in 1927. Since then, the
City has maintained the residence and park
as an art and cultural center for the community. In 2007, Hollyhock House was designated as a National Historic Landmark, and
in 2008, was nominated to be considered as
a World Heritage Site.
Hollyhock House’s sprawling layout with
numerous terraces requires continuous maintenance and restoration work. In 2001, the
City launched Phase I and Phase II repairs in
response to damage caused by the Northridge
earthquake. Phase I stabilized the Barnsdall
Park hill from erosion, strengthened the Hollyhock building roof diaphragm for seismic
upgrade, and restored the parapet walls and
the attached art-stones. Phase II focused on
functional repairs to the Hollyhock House
that included water proofing and drainage,
mold and hazard material abatement, and
restoration of some of the historical fabric,
such as the art glass and windows, finish
plaster and mill work. After completion of
Phase II in 2005, Hollyhock House was once
again open to public tours.
Phase III is a continuation of the City’s efforts to strengthen the building’s structure to
address seismic issues, as well as to restore
many of the historical architectural features.
Restoration of historic features will occur in
the: living room; porch; Hollyhock garage; as
well as other areas. In addition, construction
includes repairs to the roof and foundation.
All these tasks will be completed while
the house remains open to the public and
with limited interruption of services and
tours, with the help of the Cultural Affairs
Department.
Funding for Phase III of this project includes 1.9 million provided by the California
Engineering Newsletter - 12/15/10
Project Team Photo, l to r: Project Restore Coordinator Kevin Jew, City Engineer Gary Lee
Moore, BOE Architect Hsiao-Ling Ting, Councilmember Eric Garcetti, Project Restore Exe.
Secretary Nancy Lopez, Project Restore President Ed Avila.
City Engineer Gary Lee Moore speaking at the ceremony.
Cultural & Historical Endowment (CCHE)
through Project Restore, with matching funds
of 1.9 million from Rec. & Park’s Quimby
fund and BOE’s Seismic Bond fund. Phase
III is designed and managed by the BOE’s
Architectural Division, and the General
Service Department will provide construction services.
At the event the City Engineer acknowledged Project Manager Hsiao-Ling Ting for
her efforts on this project, and Kevin Jew of
Project Restore, who was the CCHE grant
coordinator.
Upon completion of construction by
the end of 2012, Hollyhock House and
the Hollyhock Garage will provide a safer
environment for public viewing, and further
the City’s goals of restoring an irreplaceable
historic architectural icon not only for Los
Angeles, but the world.
Page 3
Deputy Mayor of Budget
Mayor’s press release:
LOS ANGELES (November 17, 2010) - Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa announced today the
appointment of Georgia Mattera as Deputy
Mayor for Budget and Financial Policy. In
this post, Ms. Mattera will lead the Mayor’s
newly reconstituted Office of Budget and
Financial Policy, charged with developing
and implementing a balanced budget plan
to put the City on a path to a fiscally sustainable future.
“In the midst of the worst financial crisis
this City has faced in generations, Los Angeles needs someone with the skills, vision
and experience to chart a responsible path
toward a fiscally sustainable future,” said
Mayor Villaraigosa. “Georgia Mattera has
the skills, vision and experience to get the
job done. As Deputy Mayor for Budget and
Financial Policy, Georgia will lead a team of
the best and brightest from around the City
to propose and implement smart solutions to
balance the budget while protecting critical
public services.”
Ms. Mattera currently serves as the Los
Angeles Fire Department’s Fire Administrator,
a position she has held since 2004. Ms. Mattera is both the City’s first Fire Administrator
and the first civilian woman to hold the title
of Bureau Commander in LAFD’s 120-year
history. She directly oversees the 150-person
Administrative Services Bureau and is responsible for the development and implementation
of LAFD’s $500 million annual operating budget, oversight of the collection of $140 million
in annual revenue and the administration of
Homeland Security Grants.
Ms. Mattera also oversees LAFD’s overall
technology strategy and was responsible for
the successful approval of the City’s move to
electronic patient care records for paramedic
personnel and the modernization of the billing
process for LAFD, estimated to save the City
$100 million over a six year period.
“I took this job because I believe we all
reach a point in our lives where we feel the
need to give back,” Mattera said. “Over the
past 20 years of my career, the City has been
good to me and for a large part, has made
me who I am today. I care deeply about this
City and its residents. I see this position as an
opportunity to step up and help make a difference. We are facing unprecedented financial
challenges, if I can contribute to solving our
problems in some small way – then I can feel
as if I helped to make the City a better place
for everyone.”
Prior to her appointment as Fire Administrator, Ms. Mattera served as a Principal
Administrative Analyst in the Office of the
City Administrative Officer (CAO) where she
was responsible for the development and
implementation of budgets – both capital
and operating – ranging from $12 million to
$900 million.
Page 4
Ms. Mattera has also served as the Assistant
General Manager of Finance and Administration for the Los Angeles Convention Center
and as an Assistant Deputy Mayor for Public
Safety for Mayor Richard Riordan.
Ms. Mattera will head a team of financial
and operational experts recruited from across
the City to balance the budget and guide the
City toward a fiscally sustainable future.
David Luther, Assistant General Manager
of the Personnel Department; Neil Guglielmo,
Chief Financial Officer of the Bureau of
Sanitation; and Paul Wang, Financial and
Rates Manager at the Department of Water
and Power, will support Ms. Mattera in the
development of the Mayor’s proposed Fiscal
Year 2011-12 City budget.
Ms. Mattera, Mr. Luther, Mr. Guglielmo
and Mr. Wang will join the Mayor’s current
Budget and Financial Policy team, which
includes policy analysts Matthew Rudnick,
Alma Guerrero, John Brady, Adrian Garcia
and Zara Bukirin.
Ms. Mattera replaces former Deputy Mayor
Ben Ceja, who now holds a position in the
CAO’s office.
These appointments are effective immediately.
Volunteer Needed for
Crisis Response
Mayor’s press release:
Mayor calls on Angelenos to serve their
neighborhoods in times of crisis
November 22, 2010 - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today announced volunteer opportunities
for individuals living or working in the City of
Los Angeles to become a member of the City’s
Crisis Response Team (CRT). The program is
particularly in need of volunteers with bilingual capabilities in Spanish and Korean.
“Our City’s Crisis Response Team is a vital
asset to our emergency first responders,” said
Mayor Villaraigosa. “I urge Angelenos to get
involved and assist in their neighborhoods in
times of crisis.”
The Crisis Response Team is composed
of community volunteers that respond to
traumatic incidents at the request of the Los
Angeles Police and Los Angeles Fire Departments. The volunteers provide immediate,
on-scene crisis intervention, attend to survival
and comfort needs, act as a liaison between
the victim and emergency personnel, and
provide referrals to victims and their families
affected by a death, a serious injury, a violent
crime or other traumatic incidents. These
incidents include homicides, suicides, serious
traffic accidents, natural deaths and multicasualty incidents.
“The Mayor’s Crisis Response Team is a
vital, greatly appreciated asset to both the
community and the Los Angeles Police Department,” said Chief Charlie Beck. “Team
members, whose selfless time and efforts are
completely voluntary, provide added dimension and value to our relationships with crime
victims and really make a difference in the
lives they touch.”
The Crisis Response Team program is
managed by the Mayors Office of Homeland
Security & Public Safety, and is operated in
collaboration with the City’s Fire and Police
Departments.
“Training is the key to any successful program,” said Chief Millage Peaks. “The new
year will bring the opportunity for volunteers
to learn the skills necessary to assist those
in great need and work in critical situations.
The LAFD appreciates their passion to help
others.”
Volunteers must be at least 21 years old
and in good physical condition. CRT volunteers participate in 48 hours of intensive
training over a seven week period designed to
help them develop the skills, knowledge and
relationships necessary to function effectively
in the field. The seven week training session
begins on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 and will
take place each on Tuesday and Thursday
evenings through March 3, 2011.
Training will take place in the Downtown
area followed by a graduation ceremony at
City Hall typically presided over by Mayor
Villaraigosa with the Police and Fire Departments.
Residents interested in learning more
about volunteering for the Crisis Response
Team should contact Jeffrey Zimerman, Crisis
Response Team Manager at 213-978-0697 or
by e-mail: LACRT@lacity.org.
DPW Home Page
November 30, 2010 message from Public
Works President Cynthia M. Ruiz:
In an effort to promote a more service-based,
customer-oriented experience, the Department of Public Works’ home page (dpw.lacity.
org) has been newly redesigned. The website’s
design now provides a centralized, unifying
menu-driven interface to all of the webbased resources offered by the Department’s
bureaus.
In order to ensure the ongoing accuracy
and completeness of the departmental website’s menu system, we request that all bureau
webmasters notify the department’s webmaster (Truman.brown@lacity.org) whenever there
are significant navigational changes made to
any of the bureaus’ websites. Such changes
should include any newly added or deleted
webpages, any address changes to URL’s, and
any special items that DPW bureaus may wish
to have added to the department’s site.
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. 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. Again, thanks to
everyone for their contributions.
Engineering Newsletter - 12/15/10
BOE Gets LEED Platinum
Bureau has Overseen More Than 40 LEED Projects Representing Municipal Facilities Throughout the City
Public Works Pubic Affairs Office press release:
LOS ANGELES (October 29, 2010)—The
City’s Department of Public Works Bureau of
Engineering has earned a LEED (Leadership
in Energy Environmental Design) Platinum
rating from the U.S. Green Building Council
for their design and construction of the Silver
Lake Branch Library located on Glendale
Boulevard in Los Angeles. The LEED Platinum
designation is the highest rating possible.
The LEED green building rating system is a
voluntary, consensus-based national standard
for developing high-performance, sustainably
designed buildings.
The Silver Lake Library is the second City
funded building to be granted a Platinum rating. The other is the Lake View Terrace Branch
Library located in the San Fernando Valley.
“When we considered the design elements
for this project, we wanted to build a beautiful
community facility with a focus on minimizing the environmental footprint,” said City
Engineer, Gary Lee Moore, P.E. “What is exciting is that we achieved a LEED Platinum by
thoughtfully using standard energy and water
efficient technologies, using widely available
recycled and rapidly renewable materials,
and by incorporating building-integrated solar
cells to generate electricity. The Bureau of Engineering is very proud of the Platinum LEED
certification, as it represents the excellence
we strive for with each project.”
The building is 37% more energy efficient
than the State’s energy code, and uses lowflow plumbing fixtures and a highly efficient
landscape irrigation system that cuts water
consumption by 30%. The lighting system
automatically controls interior lighting levels
by sensing available natural light, and by
incorporating occupancy sensors and automatic window shades. There is a unique
skylight with imbedded solar cells, which in
conjunction with a roof-mounted solar panel
system, generates electricity that is returned
to the City’s power grid.
BOE is leading the effort to green City
facilities. The Sustainable Design Implementation Program (SDIP) was formed in July
2000. In 2002, the City Council approved the
adoption of the United States Green Building
Council (USGBC) LEED rating system for all
new City design and construction projects-7,500 square feet or larger. In May 2009, the
City Council upgraded the requirement from
LEED Certified to the LEED Silver level. To
date, 42 facilities have completed the rating
process, with 25 certified facilities, 7 Silver
facilities, 8 Gold facilities, and 2 Platinum.
The New Police Administration Building is the
largest project, a 500,000 square foot LEED
Gold building.
The other LEED projects the Bureau of
Engineering has overseen include police
stations, fire stations, animal care facilities,
bomb squad facilities, an emergency operations center, an air operations center, libraries,
neighborhood city halls, community centers,
and gymnasiums.
The Bureau of Engineering has a work
force of more than 900 engineers, architects,
landscape architects, surveyors and support
staff, and an annual operating budget of $167
million, with 459 active projects totaling $2.7
billion. The Bureau of Engineering is responsible for the design and construction of all
public building facilities. In addition, the Bureau oversees projects involving parks, streets,
wastewater treatment plants, sewers and storm
drains, and the regulation of private development affecting the public right-of-way.
For more information on this project please
contact the Public Affairs Office at (213)
978-0333.
Hollenbeck Police Station Wins Design Award
Project Featured Abroad as Part of the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies
Public Works Public Affairs Office press release:
LOS ANGELES (November 19, 2010)—Accolades for the Bureau of Engineering’s design
and construction of the Hollenbeck Police
Station, located in East Los Angeles, continue
to pour in. The Bureau has received two additional awards—The American Architecture
Award from the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum
of Architecture and Design and the European
Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban
Studies, and the Outstanding Architectural
Project Award from the Los Angeles Section of
the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Designed in partnership with the Los
Angeles firm AC Martin Partners, the project
team looked to the community to weigh-in on
design vision for the new facility.
“With the Hollenbeck Station, we created
a design that would engage the community
and serve as a resource, as opposed to the old
20th century mind-set when police facilities
loomed as bunkers in neighborhoods,” said
City Engineer, Gary Lee Moore, P.E.
The new station is striking with a facade
Engineering Newsletter - 12/15/10
of cascading translucent glass - prompting a
3-D affect that appears to leap off the building.
The design beckons a feeling of transparency
throughout the facility, bringing the outdoor
light inside and enveloping the public counter
area. Other features include a community
room, Wi-Fi, landscaping, and an outdoor
patio. The two-story building is 54,000 squarefeet and is the largest police station in Los
Angeles. Perhaps, most impressive, the Hollenbeck Station is Gold LEED certified.
The replacement station opened in summer of 2009 and is part of the $600 million
Proposition Q measure passed by voters in
2002 to renovate and construct police and
fire stations across the city.
The Chicago Athenaeum, together with the
European Centre for Architecture Art Design
and Urban Studies will present a special
exhibition of all awarded American buildings at its annual conference this month in
Madrid, Spain. The exhibit will then travel to
the Contemporary Space Athens museum in
Athens, Greece.
The Hollenbeck Police Station has also
been recognized as “Project of the Year” award
winner by California Construction Magazine
and has received the Los Angeles Architectural
Awards - Award of Excellence from the Los
Angeles Business Council.
“The building design punctuates how
sustainability and cutting-edge architectural
design can coexist with tremendous ease,”
Moore added.
The Bureau of Engineering has a work
force of more than 900 engineers, architects,
landscape architects, surveyors and support
staff, and an annual operating budget of $167
million, with 459 active projects totaling $2.7
billion. The Bureau of Engineering is responsible for the design and construction of all
public building facilities. In addition, the Bureau oversees projects involving parks, streets,
wastewater treatment plants, sewers and storm
drains, and the regulation of private development affecting the public right-of-way.
For more information on this project please
contact the Public Affairs Office at (213)
978-0333.
Page 5
2010 Bureau of Engineering Group Photos
Bridge Improvement Program
This group manages bridge improvement projects funded by City Seismic Bond and State and Federal funds.
1st Row, l to r: Andrew Ko, Linda Moore, Jing Jaw, Timothy Fu, Jim Treadaway, Ing Jones, Wenn Chyn, Dung Tran, Jim Wu. 2nd Row: Shay
Doong, Soyoon Lee, Kitty Siu, Barbara Schrader, John Koo, Grace David, Christine Sotelo, Sharon Mcdonald. 3rd Row: David Bau, Gerry
Hernandez, Ryan Toles, George Huang, Noe Arce, Hans Heinrich-Josties. Not Pictured: Ignacio Villa, Kiran Vohra, Meiling Yang, Safa Kaddis,
Scott Gibson, Sean Kenny
Construction Management Division
This group provides construction management
on municipal facilities and other programs on
request. The group prepares construction estimates and negotiates change orders on public
works projects. Recent projects include numerous recreational and cultural facilities.
We are sharing the recent photos taken of the different groups/divisions in
the Bureau of Engineering. Thanks go
to Katherine Clark, who coordinated
this project, Clayton Everett, who
volunteered to take the photos, and
to all the division coordinators who
assisted in this effort.
Page 6
1st Row, l to r: Anagh Mamdapurkar, Zahoor Malik, Mariet Ohanian, Jose Fuentes, Julie Allen, Richard Chang, Long Hoang. 2nd Row: Javier Gonzalez, Hamid Navid, Linh Lee Ngo,
Peykan Abbassi, Michael Uemura, Armen Kaspar. 3rd Row: Raymond Contreras, Alice Kim,
Ethan Wong, Robert Shufeldt, Daniel Tse, Jocelyn Tan. 4th Row: Thomas Goodine, Kimberly
Barton, Tony Lee, Hoi Van Luc, Victor Parra, Alvaro Prada. Not Pictured: Marlon Calderon,
Laura Mojica, Joanne Zhang.
Engineering Newsletter - 12/15/10
Design Standards and Investigations Group
Develops and maintain design standards for
the Bureau of Engineering. Provide cooperation with other agencies by participating in
American Public Works Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society for Testing and Materials, City and County
Engineers Association, Greenbook and other
technical subcommittees. As instructed by the
City Engineer, investigate and research a broad
range of technical issues.
l to r: Karan Patel, Kent Welling, Raffi Massabki, Jeong Park, Patrick Lee, Albert Tam.
Environmental Engineering Division
The Environmental Engineering Division (EED) is responsible for delivering the Capital Program for the City’s four wastewater treatment
facilities, namely the Hyperion and Terminal Island Treatment Plants and the Tillman and Los Angeles/Glendale Water Reclamation Plants.
EED performs project management, design, and construction management services for the treatment plant program along with performing
engineering research studies and reports.
Environmental Engineering Division
1st Row, l to r: Ghassan Haidar, Henry Yun, Abhai Bhatia, Armond Badkerhanian, Anita Wu, Naser El Saheb, Eddie Ohanian, Ken Redd, Mike
Sarullo, Massoud Chadorchi, Zafar Kassai, Al Bazzi, Rick Mayer, John Mandry. 2nd Row: Sam Ahn, Rick Andelin, Vadim Haimsky, Carlos
Chaidez, Alejandro Moreno, Navella Hutchings, Katrina Forbes, Lorraine Moreno, Fessehaie Tesfai, Ivy Cook, Rob Hollingsworth, Danielle
Jeppson, Leslie Wall, Willis Huffman, Frank Salazar, Brian Schrieber. 3rd Row: Henry Behziz, Patrick Pouri, Adil Samed, Ricardo Acosta, Kim
Tran, Hassena Khan, Sinh Pham, Encarna Scott, Jim Varalyay, Dee Hines, Vernetta Burnaugh, Mike Chen, My Khanh Trinh, Stan Oda, Gerardo
Lagunzad, Frank Villanueva, Jennifer Orange Silas Minor. Not Pictured: Azadeh Abrishami, Cyrous Gilani, Jaime Magana, Ray Mohammadi,
Virginia Naranjo, Dung Tong.
Engineering Newsletter - 12/15/10
Page 7
Construction Management Association of America, So Cal Chapter Seminars
The Construction Management Association
of America, Southern California Chapter has
announced the following seminars:
Differing Site Conditions - The Big Game
of Shifting Risk on Friday, January 28, 2011,
8:00 – 8:30 am Registration & Continental
Breakfast, 8:30 – 10:30 am Seminar, at The
Grand Conference Center, 4101 E. Willow St.,
Long Beach. Discussion topics will include:
• Scenarios where DSCs arise
• History of risk for DSCs
• Types of DSCs
• Contractual provisions re DSCs
• Examples of ways courts deal with DSCs
Session Moderator: Marilyn Klinger, Esq., Partner/Construction Practices, Sedgwick Detert
Moran & Arnold LLP.
Panel Members: Gary J. Cardamone, P.E.,
Director of Construction Management, Port of
Long Beach; Joe Seibold, P.E., FCMAA, Executive Vice President, ARCADIS; Roger Maki,
Construction Manager, ARCADIS.
CM Standards of Practice Series – BIM/
Sustainability on Tuesday, February 1, 2011,
8:00 - 8:30 am Registration & Continental
Breakfast, 8:30 - 10:30 am Seminar, at The
Grand Conference Center, 4101 E. Willow St.,
Long Beach. Discussion topics will include:
BIM
• Introduction to BIM
• BIM and the Role of the CM
• BIM use in the Project Phases
• 3D Parametric Modeling
• 4D Scheduling
• BIM and Clash Detection
Sustainability
• Features of a Sustainable Project
• CM Tools to manage Sustainable Goals
• Preparing a Sustainability Plan
• Leadership by the CM in Achieving Sustainable Goals
• Effective of Management Systems for Sustainable Goals
Seminar Instructors: Richard F. Panos, AIA,
Principal Project Manager, Parsons; Peter
Barsuk, AIA, Project Manager, Gensler.
Construction Law Update on Thursday,
February 3, 2011, 8:00 am Registration & continental breakfast, 8:30 - 10:30 am seminar, at
The Grand Conference Center, 4101 E. Willow
St., Long Beach. Topics to be covered:
• Prompt Payment Statutes
• Upcoming Changes to Mechanic’s Lien
Law
• Public Contracting
• What Constitutes “Retention?”
• Recovery of Attorneys Fees
• “Nonresponsive” vs “Not-Responsible”
Bids
• Service of Stop Notice
• “Best Value” Method of Bid Selection
• Licensing Laws
• False Claims Act
• Verbal Changes to Contracts, and more
Seminar instructor: Kevin Collins, Esq. & Kyle
Page 8
Ostergard, Esq., Alston + Bird
CM Standards of Practice Series – Time
Management on Tuesday, February 8, 2011,
8:00 am Registration & continental breakfast, 8:30 – 10:30 am seminar, at The Grand
Conference Center, 4101 E. Willow St., Long
Beach. Topics to be covered:
• History of CPM/CPM as is used today
• Fundamentals of Scheduling’
Role in project management
What is an activity, relationships between
activities, constraints
CPM basics – PDM, PERT
What is a Critical Path, Free Float, Total
Float
How do you calculate float
• Resources in CPM scheduling
• How do you create a baseline schedule?
• Tracking progress, monitoring changes
• Schedule cost loading & resources loading
(payment applications)
• How do you evaluate impact/claims
Seminar Instructor: Will Rushton, Project
Controls Manager, Vanir CM.
Owners’ Night – Capital Program Updates, on Thursday, February 10, 2011, 5:30
pm Registration, 5:30 – 8:00 pm Owners’
Night Exhibit style/Buffet dinner, at The Grand
Conference Center, 4101 E. Willow St., Long
Beach. Owners confirmed:
• Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority
• Caltrans – District 12
• Los Angeles World Airports
• Metrolink (SCRRA)
• Omnitrans
• OCTA
• Port of Long Beach
• Port of Los Angeles
CM Standards of Practice Series – Cost
Management, on Tuesday, February 15, 2011,
8:00 am Registration & continental breakfast,
8:30 - 10:30 am seminar, at The Grand Conference Center, 4101 E. Willow St., Long Beach.
Topics to be covered:
• Objectives – Control cost
• Cost management basics
• The CM role in cost management
• Procurement strategies
• Project cash flow
• Monitoring Cost
• What is cost estimating?
• What is the cost management plan?
• Schedule of values definition
• Change orders
• What conditions affect the budget?
Seminar Instructor: Roger Remolacio, P.E.,
CCM, Vice President, URS.
Bid Protests – The “need to know” for the
Owner, Selected Bidder, and Protestor on
Thursday, March 3, 2011, 8:00 Registration
& Continental Breakfast, 8:30 - 10:30 am
Seminar, at The Grand Conference Center,
4101 E. Willow St., Long Beach. Attend an
informative, advanced level, analysis of a Bid
Protest. Experienced Owner and Contractor
representatives will explain the ins and outs
of the protest, the defense, and the owner’s
rights and responsibilities. They will analyze
the protest of a “traditional” design-bid-build
prime contractor award, and the protest of a
qualifications based award for construction
management services.
Panel:
• Appearing on behalf of the Selected Bidder: Marcia Haber - Kamine, Kamine,
Collings & Phelps
• Appearing on behalf of the Owner: John
Darling – Hunt, Ortmann, Palffy, Nieves,
Lubka, Darlking & Mah
• Appearing on behalf of the Protesting Bidder: Bernard Kamine Kamine, Collings &
Phelps
• Moderator: Chip Ossman, Ossman Project
Management Consulting, Inc.
Mediation – You’ve been directed to mediation. What do you do next? What should
you expect? on Friday, April 1, 2011, 8:00
am Registration & continental breakfast, 8:30
- 10:30 am seminar, at The Grand Conference Center, 4101 E. Willow St., Long Beach.
Topics to be covered:. Mediation definition:
Attempting to resolve disputes with the help
of an independent third party. We’ll look at
the construction dispute mediation process
from start to finish.
• Selecting Your Mediator
• Confidentiality
• Who Should Attend
• What to put in your briefing to the mediator
• What to include in your opening presentation
• What to Offer and When
• BATNA & WATNA
• The Settlement Agreement
• How to use the mediator to “sell” the
settlement
Seminar instructor: Chip Ossman, President,
Ossman Project Management Consulting, Inc.
Cost of seminars is $60 for members and
$90 for non-members. On-line registration is
available for these programs at www.cmaasc.
org. For the flier and registration form go to
www.cmaasc.org - Event Calendar.
Passing of Deight
We are very sorry to report that retired Architectural Associate III Richard Deight has
passed away. He had retired in December
2008. Services will be held at 11:00 am,
Saturday, December 18, 2010, at Santa Ana
Cemetery, 1919 E. Santa Clara Ave., Santa
Ana 92705. In lieu of flowers, the family has
requested that donations be made to research
centers on autism, such as Cure Autism Now
(CAN) and Talk About Curing Autism (TACA).
Our deepest condolences go to his wife
Sherry, and sons Jared, Trevor and Josh.
Engineering Newsletter - 12/15/10
Emergency Eye/Face
Wash/Shower Requirements
Emergency eye/face wash and showers are
not common in the office setting, yet they
are common in operations involving chemical storage and handling. In the Bureau,
you will notice them at construction sites
or treatment facilities involving chemicals.
So whether there’s a need for an emergency
wash or shower during a chemical exposure
emergency; or you’re managing a construction site; or designing/renovating a facility
involving chemicals, the following information maybe useful.
Plumbed
Plumbed eye wash and shower units shall be
activated weekly to verify proper operation.
If you have a gravity-feed unit, you need to
check the manufacturer’s recommendation for
that unit. All emergency eye wash and shower
equipment should be inspected annually to
ensure compliance with the ANSI Z358.1
standards for installation. This includes flow
pattern and flushing fluid flow rates.
The ANSI standard states that emergency
eye wash and shower equipment should
deliver tepid flushing fluid. Tepid water is
referenced in Appendix B6 of the ANSI standard as having a temperature range of 60 to
100 degrees F.
Plumbed equipment should be tested long
enough to ensure proper operation. It does not
have to be tested for a full 15 minutes.
Personal Eye Wash
Personal eye wash are supplementary eye
wash that supports plumbed units, gravity-feed
units or both by delivering immediate flushing
fluid. However, a personal eye wash unit cannot be a substitute for an emergency eye wash
unit because it is not capable of delivering
flushing fluid to both eyes simultaneously at
the ANSI Z358.1 required rate of 0.4 gallons
per minute for 15 consecutive minutes.
Eyewash solutions have an expiration date
due to the effectiveness of the preservative
present in the solution. Preservatives are used
to inhibit bacteria growth. Over time, these
preservatives lose their effectiveness. The
expiration date serves as a warning that the
solution may not be able to prevent bacteria
growth past that date. Any solution past its
expiration date should not be used.
Accessibility
Eye wash and shower equipment should be
accessible and should not require more than
10 seconds or approximately 55 feet to reach.
The unit should be located on the same floor
as the hazard and the path should be free of
obstructions (doors are considered obstructions in most cases) that may inhibit the immediate use of the equipment.
Questions regarding Occupational Safety
& Health issues can be directed to Calvin Toy,
Bureau Safety Engineer at calvin.toy@lacity.
org
Engineering Newsletter - 12/15/10
Project Manager I Position - WCED
Minimum Experience Requirements
This position is open to all Civil Engineers
and Environmental Engineers currently employed within the Bureau of Engineering.
The minimum experience requirements for
appointment to this position are:
1. BS in Engineering, Architecture or Construction Management AND 4 years of
progressively responsible professional
experience in Engineering, Architecture
or Construction Management. (CA registration as Engineer or Architect may
be substituted for two years experience);
OR
2. Graduation from a recognized 4 year college or university AND 6 years of progressively responsible professional experience
in Engineering, Architecture, or Construction Management; OR
3. No degree with 8 years of progressively
responsible professional experience in
Engineering, Architecture, or Construction
Management.
In addition to the minimum experience requirements described above, the successful
candidate either must have completed the
Bureau’s Project Management Training Program, or complete the latter within one year of
appointment, or obtain a certificate in project
management from the Project Management
Institute, or complete either the UC Riverside
or UC lrvine Project Management Programs
with a certificate in project management.
All candidates should submit their resume,
departmental application and supplemental
statement.
The Supplemental Statement should not
exceed two pages, 12-point type, singlespaced, and must contain the following
information:
1. Describe how your background and experiences, prepare 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 working relationships or
contacts that you have had with Commissioners from the Board of Public Works.
The most qualified candidates will be selected
and interviewed for the position.
Candidates must meet the minimum requirements by the application deadline.
Summary of Duties
This position will be responsible for a growing list of secondary sewer renewal projects,
currently valued at $90 million. These projects are mandated as part of the 60-mile per
year requirement of the Collection System
Settlement Agreement and include several
$6 million projects. This position is also responsible for the continued development of
the copyrighted SMARTS design tool and acts
as the liaison with the Bureau of Sanitation’s
sewer assessment teams.
The successful candidate must be familiar
with the scope, budget, and schedule for all
project phases of design and construction.
He/she must be able to follow- up and renegotiate project agreements as delays or work
slippages or stoppages occur. Strong design
and construction management experience
is required.
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
The Bureau is looking for candidates who
possess the following skills, knowledge, and
abilities including but not limited to:
• Excellent oral and written communication
skills
• Good skills in optimizing systems and
procedures, including the use of application software.
• Good skills in the preparation of reports
and plans, specifications, and estimates.
• Good personal computer skills
• Good knowledge of funding requirements,
transfer of funds, and other budgetary issues.
• Good knowledge of the design principles
of structural and civil/ engineering, standard plans, and the Green Book, especially
as related to bridge projects.
• Good working knowledge of construction management including change order
negotiations and CPM schedules.
• Knowledge of the Department’s EEO policies, and how to apply them
• Ability to communicate and coordinate
well with project stakeholders and deliver
projects on time and within budget.
Method of Evaluating Candidates
1. Review of resume, departmental application and supplemental statement.
2. Interview with staff of the Wastewater
Conveyance Engineering Division of the
Bureau of Engineering.
3. Review of personnel folder.
If available, at least six (6) of the most qualified
candidates will be scheduled for an interview. Should more than six apply, an initial
screening of the application packages may be
conducted to establish the candidate pool. All
applicants will be notified whether or not they
have been selected.
How to Apply
Candidates interested in applying for this position should contact Brian Stoker at (213) 4851072. A departmental application, resume and
supplemental statement must be submitted
to the Wastewater Conveyance Engineering
Division. 1149 S. Broadway, Suite 630. Los
Angeles, CA 90015, Mail Stop 538, FAX #
(213) 485-4590 by December 23, 2010.
Page 9
Departures
Danielle Jeppson, Civil Engineering Associate II, resigned, EED; Jocelyn Tan, Student
Engineer III, resigned, CMD.
Promotions
Grace David, Structural Engineering Associate III, BIP; Yan Dai Core, Civil Engineering
Associate IV, SED.
Internal Transfers
Jeong Park, Senior Structural Engineer, from
DSI to WCE; Raffi Massabki, Civil Engineer,
from DSI to WCE; Kent Welling, Civil Engineering Associate III, from DSI to WCE;
Karan Patel, Student Engineer III, from DSI
to WCE.
Notice No. 045
Notice No. 045 dated December 7, 2010,
titled Changes to the Wastewater Program,
states that effective December 6, 2010, the
Design Standards & Investigation Group will
become a part of the Wastewater Conveyance
Engineering Division. The Design Standards &
Investigation Group is now located at 1149
S. Broadway, Suite 630. Their phone numbers
will remain the same.
The promotion of Ken Redd P.E. to Deputy
City Engineer I leaves the Division Engineer
position vacant at the Environmental Engineering Division. The Bureau is in the process
of filling this vacancy in an acting capacity.
Until that acting position is filled, Ken Redd,
P.E. Deputy City Engineer I will continue as
the Division Engineer of the Environmental
Engineering Division.
So Cal APWA Recognizes
Central Ave. CSC
At the 11th Annual BEST (Building Excellence/Shaping Tomorrow) Awards luncheon
held December 9, 2011, the Southern California Chapter of the American Public Works
Association (APWA) recognized outstanding
public works projects and top public works
leaders. The BOE’s Central Avenue Constituent
Services Center project received a BEST award
for Outstanding Sustainable Design Project.
The Constituent Service Center is at 4301 S.
Central Avenue at the corner 43rd Street and
Central Avenue. The Neighborhood City Hall
is home to the Ninth District Field Office and
other departments that provide direct access
to City services to the community. The oneacre complex includes a 1,500 square-foot
community center and an adjoining 7,500
square-foot City Services Center, and the first
“green” roof on a municipal building in the
City of Los Angeles. Additionally, the building
met Silver-LEED building certification. For a
complete listing of projects by city and leaders that were honored visit http://southernca.
apwa.net/.
Ken Redd is WW Deputy
We are pleased to
announce the appointment of Mr.
Ken Redd, P.E., as
Deputy City Engineer I of the Wastewater and Prop O
Programs, effective
December 13, 2010.
Ken replaces Roger
Tim Haug who retired on February
13, 2010.
Ken is an alumni of Brigham Young University (BYU) where he earned a Bachelor of
Science in Civil Engineering. He has worked
for the City of Los Angeles for the past 22
years. He joined the City in May of 1988
and his first assignment was with the Central
District at the public counter. One year later,
he joined the Wastewater Systems Engineering Division assigned to the treatment plant
design group.
In January of 1993, he promoted to an
Engineer position in the Bureau of Sanitation.
In January of 2000, he returned to the Bureau
of Engineering as a Senior Engineer in the
Environmental Engineering Division (EED)
responsible for the delivery of the Capital
Improvement Projects for the City’s four wastewater treatment facilities. In October of 2004,
he promoted to Principal Engineer at EED.
Projects that have been completed under his
direction are: Class “A” Biosolids Conversion
at Hyperion and Terminal Island Treatment
Plants, Primary Batteries “A”, “B”, and “C”
Modification at Hyperion, Nitrification DeNitrification at both Tillman and Los Angeles
Glendale Water Reclamation Plants.
He has authored three chapters of the
Bureau’s Project Delivery Manual and for
the last several years has taught one of the
sessions on construction management in
the Bureau’s Project Management Training
Course. He has co-authored several papers
and presented these papers at various national
conferences.
When not at work, he enjoys spending
time with his family. His family consists of
his wife Kelly, daughter Stephanie, who is a
law student at BYU, daughter Amanda and
her husband Josh, who are both finishing up
school at BYU - Idaho, son Joel, who just finished his 1st year at BYU – Idaho and is now
serving a two year church mission, and son
Mark, who is in 6th grade.
Ken’s office is located at 1149 S. Broadway, Suite 700. He can be reached at (213)
485-4906.
Floating Holiday Reminder
Have you taken your Floating Holiday yet?
This is a reminder that Floating Holidays not
taken by Friday, December 31, 2010 will
be lost.
Christmas & New Year’s
Holidays
Because Christmas and New Years both fall
on a Saturday, Friday, December 24, 2010
and Friday, December 31, 2010, will be City
holidays. Remember to mark your timesheet
for those days as HO 8.0. Since a holiday is
only for eight hours, those of you on the 9
hour day schedule will need to make up one
hour within the same pay period. (Non-FLSA
exempt employees can only adjust their hours
within their defined work week.) There is always a chance for errors when two holidays
occur in the same pay period. Please check
with your division timekeeper if you have
any questions.
Notice No. 046
Notice No. 046 dated December 7, 2010,
titled Acting Deputy City Engineer for the
Engineering Services Program, states that
until a permanent candidate is selected for
the Engineering Services Program, the position
will continue to be covered on an acting and
rotation assignment basis. Michael Brown has
handled the rotation from November 1, 2010
through December 10, 2010.
Beginning December 13, 2010 through
January 28, 2011, Shailesh “Sunny” Patel will
handle the next rotation or until a permanent
appointment can be made.
The Acting Deputy will be located in the
Executive Division at 1149 South Broadway,
7th floor, Mail Stop 490, Los Angeles, CA
90015 and can be reached at (213) 4854915.
Engineering Vision
We envision the Bureau of
Engineering as a competitive,
world class, public service
organization dedicated to
delivering projects, programs,
and services for Los Angeles
in a timely and cost effective
manner which establishes us
as the provider of choice to
our customers.
We’d Like to Hear from You
If you have any articles for the Newsletter,
please e-mail them to BOENewsletter@gmail.
com with a copy to Myrna Braithwaite
(myrna.braithwaite@lacity.org) Administrative
Services Division. Deadline for the next issue
is Thursday, January 6, 2011.
Los Angeles City Department of Public Works
Bureau of Engineering
1149 South Broadway, Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90015
http://eng.lacity.org
The Engineering Newsletter is published monthly by the
Administrative Services Division for employees of the
Bureau of Engineering.
Printed on Recycled Paper