CITY MANAGER RECRUITMENT UPDATE

FUN COMMUNITY EVENTS TO DO FOR SUMMER!

There are li�le �ps and tricks to our office phones that make life easier.

Transfer A CallWhile s�ll on the line push Transfer, then Blind, enter extension number and push Send.

Transfer Directly To Voice MailWhile s�ll on the line push Transfer, then Blind, enter 0 and the extension number.

Voice Mail Shortcuts3 - Advanced Op�ons4 - Temporary Message5 - Repeat7 - Delete8 - Forward

Temporary Voice Mail Message/Gree�ngIf you are going to be on vaca�on or out of the office for more than one day and want to add a temporary gree�ng to your voice mail sta�ng that you are out of the office.

Li� headsetPush mail bu�onPush 0, then 4, Enter password

It will ask you to record your temporary gree�ng, then save it. Just remember to remove this temporary gree�ng once you are back in the office.

Employee NewsletterEmployee NewsletterJuly 2019

City Office Phone Tips

July 14-21Centrum Writers’ ConferenceJuly 21-28Centrum Jazz FestJuly 28- Aug 4Centrum Acous�c Blues Fes�valAugust 2-25KCPT Shakespeare in the Park (weekends)August 9-11Jefferson County FairAugust 10-11Olympic Music Fes�valAugust 17Kiwanis Classic Car ShowAugust 17Main Street Uptown Street Fair & ParadeAugust 17-18Art PT Studio TourEvery Thursday un�l Aug 29Main St - Concerts on the Dock

Visit Main Street’s web page for more informa�on on the above ac�vi�es and to find more fun events and adventures to do in July/Aug www.ptmainstreet.com

Congratula�ons to Antoine�e Avery She completed a year-long accoun�ng course with flying colors! Antoine�e has spent numerous hours of her personal �me taking online coursework at Peninsula College and has received an Accoun�ng Cer�ficate. This was no easy feat keeping up with two ac�ve boys, learning new job responsibili-�es and sacrificing �me to achieve this goal! Hats off to her for her dedica�on, hard work, and commitment.

John Mauro has accepted the City Council’s offer to be our next City Manager! City Council is working out the details of the contract, and once we have an official start date we will send out an update.

Nora Mitchell is our Interim City Manager and her office will be up in Administra�on. You can contact her on ext 4403 or 5043. Stop by to say hi to Nora!

ELECTIONS ARE COMING UP!

July - Page 2

EMPLOYEE NEWS

In June 2019 the following people began employment with the City:

Emily Coler.................................Administra�ve Assistant – Public Works AdminMa�hew Morris........................Equipment Operator – Fleet/StreetsJenifer Muensterman................Seasonal Maintenance Worker – ParksGabriel Petrick...........................Civil Engineering InternHeather Phillips.........................Aqua�cs Fitness InstructorIan Plagmann.............................Seasonal Maintenance Worker – ParksDylan Tracer...............................Lifeguard

The City recognizes employees for service anniversaries in five year increments. In July 2019 the following employees reached milestones:

Brenda Burke..................10 Years.......................Facili�es

Congratula�ons and thank you for your service to the City!

Washington was the fi�h state to grant women the vote. Washington granted women the vote in 1910, according to Shannon Stevenson, in The Fight for Washington Women’s Suffrage: A Brief History. Ms. Stevenson con�nues that the first women legislators were Representa�ve Frances Axtell and Representa�ve Nena J Croake, both elected to the 1913 State Legislatures. Washington was the 35th state to ra�fy the 19th amendment that became effec�ve on August 26, 1920.

Why am I telling you this? First, I want to encourage everyone to register and vote. Please celebrate the 14th, 19th, and 24th, and 26th amendments that extended vo�ng rights to all ci�zens over the age of 18. I also want to remind you that as local government employees, we have certain limita�ons on what we can and cannot do at work and in City facili�es.

The rule is that City employees may not campaign on work �me. This means that City employees cannot prepare or distribute campaign materials at work, using City computers, City email addresses, or City �me. The opposite is also true. City employees are free to campaign for candidates or ballot ini�a�ves on their own �me. To summarize: poli�cs belong at home and not at work.

The Associa�on of Washington Ci�es and the Washington Public Disclosure Commission have more detailed guidance on this issue, or you can contact Heidi with ques�ons.

July - Page 3

Mindfulness At Work

Mindfulness Meditation Workshops

“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh.

Josh Atchison beta tested his new “Mindfulness at Work” training at the April Library staff mee�ng. Josh introduced staff to the contemporary neuroscience on how stress effects your brain, and how deep breath-ing exercising and medita�on for only a few minutes a day can help deal with stress and improve wellbeing. He shared a great web resource that has �ps and tricks for these prac�ces as well as the science to support the claims of it helping to reduce stress www.getmindful.org, the Center for Mindful Living. He lead staff through a mindfulness and breathing exercise at the end of the training.

A�er the training, some staff said that they had already tried the exercises at home and at work and reported that it was helpful. Library staff also offered great feedback for how to enhance these upcoming August classes. Josh also recommended the book, The miracle of mindfulness : an introduction to the practice of meditation by Thích Nhất Hạnh, and, yes, the Library owns a copy. And of course we have The Tao of Pooh, a literary gem for mindfulness and apprecia�ng the joy of the present moment as seen through the eyes of our favorite honey loving bear.

In this one-hour workshop, we will:

Check with your supervisor and email Kelly G to sign up for a workshop.

• Discuss and prac�ce several basic Mindfulness Medita�on techniques• Discuss some of the history and founda�onal principles behind Mindfulness Medita�on• Discuss some of the neuroscience that has supported and led to the popularity of mindfulness prac�ces• Provide you with tools and techniques to incorporate mindfulness prac�ce into your daily life

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First Aid KitsAll supplies have been ordered for those departments par�cipa�ng in the centralized purchasing

for First Aid supplies. Safety Commi�ee members are doing quarterly inventory checks on their department's kits to make sure they are fully stocked and that there are no expired items.

Space Heater SafetyThe Commi�ee discussed space heater safety. Per East Jefferson Fire Rescue’s guidelines, if you have a space heater, please make sure it is turned off and unplugged when not in use.

Sharps ContainersFacili�es installed Sharps containers at Mountain View in the public restrooms. They plan to install them in the Library restrooms a�er the remodel.

SAFETY

COM MITTEE

Wellness CommitteeWellness Committee

WELLNESS COMMITTEE

Back Care Information - Compression

August Monthly Challenge

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1. Find a quiet spot - No disturbances2. Sit comfortably - Straight and relaxed3. Close your eyes - Focus on your breath4. Be aware of your body - Focus5. Be aware of your lungs filling in and out6. Observe your thoughts - Don’t suppress them7. Watch your thoughts pass by but do not interact with them

Meditation Challenge

Spinal cord compression occurs when pressure is put on the spinal cord. This can happen due to a variety of condi�ons such as Scoliosis, Rheumatoid Arthri�s or infec�on, but can also be related to wear and tear of the spine due to improper spinal alignment, posture, lack of strength or carrying excess weight.

Although spinal cord compression is not always preventable, there are measures one can take to help keep the spine healthy and strong.

Demonstrate Good Body Mechanics • Proper alignment of the spine is important. • Focus on your posture. While standing, keep your feet shoulder-width apart with toes angled out slightly, shoulders back and relaxed, shoulders should be aligned over the hips, hips over the knees, knees over the feet. • Sleeping on a firm ma�ress may help, as well as finding a chair that helps to support the curves of the spine.

A Strong Back Is A Healthy Back • Exercises that strengthen the muscles surrounding the spine aid in structural support and can help to prevent spinal injury. • The Erector Spinae muscles are the primary muscles that extend the spine, strengthening these muscles through core exercises can keep your back healthy and strong.

Maintain A Healthy Weight • Regular exercise has many benefits including promo�ng be�er sleep, energy and mood while comba�ng a large variety of health condi�ons and diseases. • Regular exercise also helps to maintain a healthy weight which in turn reduces the amount of weight the spine must support.

Resources: Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Mayo Clinicwww.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/spinal-cord-compression

www.health.harvard.edu/pain/posture-and-back-healthwww.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389