The Weekly Connection Newsletter for City of Phoenix Employees • November 30, 2016
The 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor is next
week and 1,170 volunteers are needed to honor each sailor
and Marine that perished on the USS Arizona. The one-
mile walk goes from Phoenix City Hall to the USS Arizona
Memorial at the Arizona State Capitol. An official fly-over
will take place at 10:55 a.m. This event is free and open to
the public and families are encouraged to participate. After
the event, the Arizona Capitol Museum will be open with
free admission and dedicated exhibits from the USS
Arizona. As it’s a school day, the event should be discussed
with your children’s administrators for credit and
participation.
This is a city-recognized event, organized by a city
employee on his own time. Employees interested in
attending need to ensure coverage for their time away,
plus supervisor approval. Details:
organizer Ben Ernyei.
ALL ARE WELCOME
75TH ANNIVERSARY LEARNING ABROAD
Do you know a Phoenix youth interested
in international cultures? The Phoenix
Sister Cities Youth Ambassador
Exchange Program is now accepting
applications for the international
exchange program open to high school
sophomores and juniors.
The program includes a six-week
summer exchange to one of Phoenix’s
10 Sister Cities. Youth Ambassadors will
spend three weeks fully immersed in a
foreign culture and three weeks hosting
their international counterpart during
summer 2017.
Participants will obtain valuable
experience in intercultural
communication, leadership skills and
citizen diplomacy. Openings are limited.
Details:
Deadline to apply: 5 p.m., Friday, Jan.
13, 2017.
Read more about program details
and get an application.
Contact Bethany Bennick with any
questions.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Over the past few years, you’ve probably heard about two different city initiatives: “CORE” and “AdvancePHX.” So
what’s the difference and what do they do? Both of these programs involve small groups of city employees who
have been asked to take a deeper look at our processes and ask the question, ‘Can these processes be improved?’
Self-examination on our day-to-day business model allows us to grow and improve, not just internally, but with
the product we deliver to the customers we serve. Here’s a quick snapshot of both CORE and AdvancePHX, their
missions and projects:
CITY MANAGER
LEADERSHIP FORUM
You are invited to attend the next City Manager Leadership Forum,
“AdvancePHX,” where you will learn more about the program, current
works in progress and how you can immediately roll up your sleeves and
begin to make a difference in your own work teams. Details:
Monday, Dec. 5, Noon - 1 p.m. in City Hall Assembly Rooms A, B, C
CORE AdvancePHX
Comprehensive Organizational Review Evaluation
The CORE team reviews citywide organizational functions and creates
pathways to update policies, code and charter, consolidate department
programs, and review staffing alignment.
The AdvancePHX team collaborates among departments to
review business processes and recommend improvements that
enhance productivity and customer service. In addition, these
team members have been through a special training that
focuses on how to apply improvements in the workplace.
CORE accomplishments to date:
Examined and updated outdated ordinances
Developed program for city to use e-signatures
Revamped City Council agenda management procedures
Developed a purchasing card system to allow for quicker purchases
Eliminated a cumbersome “Request-to-Fill” process for hiring
Supported the implementation of e-procurement
Created a ballot initiative for a charter change to allow the city to
issue payments to vendors electronically instead of with an old-
fashioned paper format.
Developed process to review space-use consolidating leases that
put the city in a better position to reduce real estate holdings
AdvancePHX is currently reviewing these high-impact processes:
Reviewing Finance Department process of procuring goods
over $50,000 to reduce the number of days it takes to
procure items.
Reviewing Police Department public records process to
streamline the system and improve customer service.
Currently there are more than 70,000 requests annually for
these records.
Reviewing the process for handling of resident inquiries to
the Mayor, Council and City Manager’s Offices to ensure
consistency and reliability of response.
For more information, visit the CORE web page on Inside Phoenix. Stay tuned for more AdvancePHX progress!
CORE VS. AdvancePHX
Have an idea for the next PHXConnect?
E-mail us: [email protected]
The following employee is accepting leave donations.
If you’d like to help, use eChris to make your
donation:
Susana Padilla, court/legal clerk II, Municipal
Court
LEAVE DONATIONS
Expecting family in from
out of town? Looking for
quality things to do for
both you and your family
while staying on a budget?
The arts enrich and
educate us all, so take
advantage of the Act One
Culture Pass.
Phoenix Public Library cardholders can check out an Act
One Culture Pass for FREE admission or tickets for two
people to participating arts and cultural institutions
such as the Heard Museum, Arizona Science Center or
Desert Botanical Garden. Passes are available on a first-
come, first-served basis and only in person. They cannot
be renewed and they cannot be placed on hold.
Learn more about this great resource and experience
Phoenix’s culture!
CULTURE PASS
The city of Phoenix Benefits Office presents an
educational webinar, “Social Security- A Choice of a
Lifetime,” featuring Troy Simmons with Nationwide
Retirement Systems. Space is limited to the first 100
enrollees. Details:
Tuesday, Dec. 13
Noon - 1 p.m.
For more information, call Nationwide’s local office
at 602-266-2733.
SOCIAL SECURITY WEBINAR
Sheree joined the city in
2014 and she is one of
three specialists who create
and sustain affordable
housing across the city.
In her spare time, Sheree
likes hiking, watching PBS
and eating Hot Tamales.
Sheree is often busy writing
RFPs, creating loan
agreements and reviewing
gap financing applications.
Sheree worked with IT to
create an online tool that
lets client developers do
their annual reporting.
Fast Facts
Favorite popcorn topping:
Butter and salt
Favorite restaurant:
Pomo
Can’t start the morning ...
Without a hug from her
German shepherd
Favorite app on her phone:
The camera app “I love
taking pictures of
nature”
Favorite thing about working
for the city of Phoenix:
“Having the opportunity to help
the community and serve
vulnerable populations.”
Famous person Sheree looks
up to: Mother Teresa, because
she dedicated her life to
serving those most in need.
Sheree Bouchee Housing Development
Specialist
Housing
Check out all of the profiles on our amazing city employees by clicking on this link.
Get into the holiday spirit by attending this weekend’s
30th annual APS Electric Light Parade. It’s free and
family-friendly. While the parade is on Saturday night, a
float judging and activities event takes place on Friday
night. Details can be found on Phoenix.gov/ELP
ELECTRIC LIGHT PARADE
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
Click on the day to learn more about the story mentioned below.
Monday 1925: Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting
Tuesday 1942: A morning “must-have” is rationed
Wednesday 1993: Brady Bill signed into law
Thursday 1842: Presidential election goes to the House
Friday 2001: Enron files for bankruptcy
JOB OF THE WEEK
Featured Listing: Airfield Maintenance Worker I
“This position performs a variety of construction and
maintenance tasks on the airfield and streets at Sky Harbor
International Airport, Deer Valley Airport and Goodyear
Airport. Tasks include asphalt crack sealing, fuel spill clean-
up, herbicide application, and operating a walk-behind paint
striper. Requires one year of experience construction,
maintenance, and repair work involving concrete and asphalt
work with previous experience with properly setting
barricades, asphalt crack sealing, and PCCP joint
sealing. $14.75 - $18.36 per hour, apply by December 5.”
Each Monday, the city posts jobs available for current
employees to consider. Here’s the link to the most recent
Job Opportunities.
The Office of Arts and Culture, with generous support from AZ
Humanities and Phonetic Spit, presents a community hip-hop
and poetry event at Chavez Park and Library. The day-long
event will feature two poetry workshops, community arts
performances and will culminate with an evening performance
by the editors of The BreakBeat Poets anthology.
This free, multi-generational event is intended to celebrate the
written and spoken word in the context of the global hip-hop
movement. The BreakBeat Poets is a recently-published
anthology of written work by 78 poets born between 1961 and
1999 who have been inspired by hip-hop culture.
Celebrate literacy, poetry, and community together with us on
Saturday, Dec 3. Details below.
Contact Ashley Hare or visit www.phoenix.gov/ARTS.
COME ONE, COME ALL
HOLIDAY TRAVEL TIME
Holiday travel is in full swing
at Phoenix Sky Harbor
International Airport. Watch
this City Update: for the do’s
and don’ts for holiday travel.
There are also new valet
parking services at Terminal 4 that you’ll want to know about.