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:

e-mail

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: phxconnect@phoenix.gov

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.