Messages to Staff

Original Send Date: Fri 5/1/2020 8:26 PM

Dear Co-workers –

This week, Mayor Breed and the City’s Health Officer announced that San Francisco’s COVID-19 shelter-in-place order will be extended through the end of May. The move isn’t surprising but does reemphasize that we are not going to return to normal anytime too soon. It’s also clear that when the order is lifted, we will be working in a world of new normals with different workstation configurations, perhaps different work schedules and different worksite protocols to maintain safe distancing and hygiene. The planning is already underway, with guidance from HR and public health experts.

While that focus is on the future, Public Works is still very much in the thick of it and I want to let you know some of the great work we’ve done this week in responding to the public health emergency.

Because of proliferating encampments in the Tenderloin and Lower Polk neighborhoods, our Operations, Building Design and Construction and Director’s Office teams participated in a multi-agency block-by-block assessment to identify potential quick solutions to create a safer environment in these areas. How can we create more space for tents to maintain safe distancing? Where could we add toilets and hand-washing stations? Could we close off additional parking or traffic lanes to make extra space for people to walk? Are there shuttered gyms that we could rent so folks could use the bathrooms and showers? The information is being compiled and assessed, and feasible solutions will be presented to Mayor Breed and the Emergency Operations Center leadership for consideration and potential implementation.

I’m also happy to report that we deployed additional COVID-19 response public toilets, bringing the total number to 37 in the Tenderloin, South of Market, Mission, Bayview, Civic Center, Castro, Cathedral Hill, Haight and Richmond neighborhoods. The Board of Supervisors Budget Committee held a special hearing this morning on our expanded Pit Stop program during the health crisis and we got thanks for our responsiveness from Supervisors Sandra Lee Fewer, Matt Haney and Shamann Walton. I want to give special kudos to our Operations, Finance, Contracts and Government Affairs teams for getting the job done.

The Upper Haight Transit Improvements and Pedestrian Realm project team has been using this period of reduced traffic and pedestrian activity during shelter in place to expedite construction and prioritize some of the most disruptive work – minimizing impact on businesses, many of which are now in forced closure. Our contractors installed sparkle sidewalk along what normally would be a busy stretch, repaved a block and two intersections, completed extensive drainage and electrical work, constructed curb ramps and bulb-outs and installed streetlights. Nice work!

If you haven’t had a chance to look at this month’s “In the Works” newsletter, I encourage you to take a look. The entire issue is devoted to our work during the public health emergency. We all should be very proud.

I also want you to know that starting on Monday, May 4, Larry Stringer will be back serving as the Deputy Director for Operations. Larry took on a special assignment last October to run the Healthy Streets Operations Center – the citywide incident command center that brings multiple agencies together to collectively address homelessness and drug use and sales in public spaces. His deep well of knowledge and experience served the City well there, as he also continued to work very closely with Public Works on our efforts to address those tough and complex challenges. We are fortunate to have him back with us full time on our leadership team.

I want to express my deep appreciation for Carla Short, who very ably stepped into the top Operations post during Larry’s absence. The leadership and passion Carla has brought to the job hit the mark. With Larry’s return, she will be back as superintendent of the Bureau of Urban Forestry and regain her title of Queen of Trees! Thanks, too, to DiJaida Durden and the entire BUF team for stepping up over the past six months.

That’s a lot of news for the week, and I only brushed the surface. Keep up the good work and stay safe!

Regards,
Alaric

Original Send Date: Thu 4/30/2020 9:25 AM

Dear Colleagues:

Effective Monday, the Shelter-in-Place Order will be extended until the end of May. This Order has been challenging as we reorganize our lives and work together to flatten the curve. San Francisco’s early action to curb the spread of COVID-19 has been effective, but our vigilance must continue.

We are thankful for each and every employee, whether you are a Disaster Service Worker, performing your regular responsibilities or taking time off to care for yourself or your family.

For most employees, this will not have a significant impact. If you are currently working at your regular work site, please keep doing so. For telecommuters, your managers will reach out to review those agreements and revise them, as necessary. If you are deployed as a DSW, you will hear from City Administrator HR. We each have an important role to play.

If you need to change your work status, please contact your supervisor. They will work with you to determine the best way to handle your individual circumstances.

We have expanded CityTestSF to cover any San Francisco adult or essential worker with COVID-19 symptoms. If you are experiencing a fever greater than 100 F/37.8 C, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, chills, headache, body aches, fatigue, loss of smell, diarrhea, runny nose, and congestion, please consider signing up for testing at www.sf.gov/citytestsf.

The Department of Human Resources has extended 80 hours of COVID-19 sick leave. Please use it if you are sick. The most important priority is that you get better and limit possible exposure at your work site. DHR is also sending a daily work status alert. Whether you receive it by text or e-mail, please take the time to respond so we know how we’re doing.

For employees who have expressed concern about child care the new Health Order provides that essential workers will be able to rely on childcare regardless of their work location. More information on this is located at https://sf.gov/information/schools-and-childcare-during-coronavirus-outbreak. If you are an essential worker who needs access to free childcare for a child between K-8, please visit https://www.dcyf.org/care.

We know these are tough times, but that we will get through this together.

Stay safe,

City Administrator Naomi M. Kelly
Acting Public Works Director Alaric Degrafinried
Director of Technology and Chief Information Officer Linda Gerull

Original Send Date: Thu 4/30/2020 9:25 AM

Dear Co-workers –

We may be in the middle of a pandemic, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to continue the tradition of recognizing individual Public Works employees and teams for exemplary work. I want you to know that nominations are now open for our annual Employee Recognition Awards.

The nominating deadline is 12 noon on Friday, May 8, 2020.

The awards spotlight excellence in our organization by honoring outstanding Public Works employees. We added a special category this year: exceptional work responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The award categories, based on our Strategic Plan goals and Core Values, are:

Ensures Safe, Clean, Sustainable and Inviting Public Spaces
Be the Service Provider of Choice for Design, Construction, Maintenance and Management
Fosters a Culture of Opportunity, Continuous Improvement and Excellence to Deliver World- Class Public Service
Demonstrates safety leadership
Practices safe driving and encourages others to drive safely
Promotes well-being
Rising Stars (employees who have been with Public Works for 1 to 5 years)
Represents our Core Values: Respect, Integrity, Responsiveness
COVID-19 response
Outstanding Employee or Project Team of the Year

Normally, we honor the winners at an in-person ceremony. But this year is not normal. With the shelter-in-place order in effect, we will announce the recipients on May 22, the last day of our first-ever Virtual Public Works Week. (More on that novel event later.)

I hope you will take time to reflect on all the great work Public Works has accomplished over the past year and nominate deserving people and teams you think merit special recognition. And you don’t have to nominate people within your own section, bureau or division.

The nomination form can be found and submitted online by following this link. Starting this afternoon, employees at the Operations Yard also can pick up and submit hard copies at the Deputy Director of Operations’ reception desk in Building A.

Given all the department’s achievements over the past year, I expect and hope to see a lot of nominations. Remember, the deadline to nominate your peers for a 2020 Employee Recognition Award is a little more than a week away: 12 noon on Friday, May 8, 2020.

Thank you for all you do and stay safe!

Regards,
Alaric

Original Send Date: Thu 4/24/2020 6:43 PM

Dear Co-workers –

This week, in addition to highlighting some of the fantastic work the Public Works team has accomplished, I want to make sure you are aware of two important resources, starting with the availability of free emergency child and youth care for the families of our essential workers. I hope that this service offered by the City can help make your lives a little easier during this extraordinary time.

For more information on how to register to receive care for the two-week period of April 27-May 8, visit the information and registration link page. If you run into trouble, please email rpdinfo@sfgov.org or call 1-628-652-2900, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Reference access code: 954322).

I also want to acknowledge that the disruption to our lives during this unprecedented public health emergency can bring added stress into the home and particularly raise concern for people experiencing domestic violence. With the shelter-in-place order, people are encouraged to stay at home, which could isolate them from support among family and friends. The City’s Department on the Status of Women has compiled important resources to help people experiencing domestic violence or who feel they are at risk. Attached are two brochures with helpful information. I also wanted to call out a few tips:

Stay connected: Try to maintain social connections online or over the phone, and, if it is safe to do so, try to stick to your daily routines as much as possible.
Create an exit plan: In case you must flee, create an exit strategy beforehand with someone who could support this need. For example, think about is there a trusted friend/relative who you can stay with, if necessary.
Practice self-care: COVID-19 is causing uncertainty for many people and getting through this time while experiencing abuse can feel really overwhelming. Taking time for your health and wellness can make a big difference in how you feel.

Your health and well-being are very important to me, our organization and all the people in your life who love you.

Also important is the work that Public Works continues to do because of – and despite of – the challenges amid a pandemic.

This week, our carpenters remained on the frontlines creating spaces to care for some of the City’s most vulnerable residents. The crews were at Moscone West Convention Center creating safe sleeping spaces for homeless individuals. The care and skill they put into their work is commendable.

Our Pit Stop team, with support from Operations Yard administration, deployed another six COVID-response public toilets that are staffed by our nonprofit partner, Hunters Point Family. We added two new neighborhoods: the Richmond and Cathedral Hill.

Additionally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give special mention this week to the construction management and design teams who have been hard at work with the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing and the Department of Public Health establishing safe places for San Francisco’s unhoused residents. In addition, project managers continue to advance essential projects toward completion, such as the new home for Animal Care and Control, SFFD’s new ambulance deployment facility and SFPD’s new crime lab and headquarters for the motorcycle cops.

The project team for our new headquarters at 49 South Van Ness Avenue is also wrapping up several major milestones so we can start moving in this summer. In fact, this is a good time to remind people that even with the shelter-in-place order in effect, we still need to pack up our Civic Center-area offices to get ready. More details coming your way soon.

Our Streets and Highways Section led a multi-agency collaboration among Public Works (engineers, carpenters, cement masons and sheet metal workers), SFMTA and Caltrans to improve safety for all roadway users at the US-101 Vermont Street/Mariposa Street freeway exit. Crews worked safely and efficiently to install new stop signs, crosswalks and ADA-compliant curb ramps at the intersection. They did an amazing job delivering a complex project.

It’s extremely gratifying to look back at just the past seven days to see much has been achieved; and what I’ve touched on in this week’s message represents just a sliver.

And now I get to end the week on an exceptionally happy note: Two of our employees have welcomed new babies. Ricardo Trejo’s wife gave birth to their third child, baby daughter Eiza Montserrat Trejo. Ricardo works in construction management at the Infrastructure Design and Construction Division. And Jennifer Cooper, who heads our Landscape Architecture Bureau, gave birth to her first child, daughter Yma Avocet Cooper Howard.

A big congratulations to Jennifer and Ricardo. What a nice reminder that life goes on!

Thank you all and stay safe,

Alaric

Original Send Date: Fri 4/17/2020 6:24 PM

Dear Co-workers –

This week, in addition to highlighting some of the fantastic work the Public Works team has accomplished, I want to make sure you are aware of two important resources, starting with the availability of free emergency child and youth care for the families of our essential workers. I hope that this service offered by the City can help make your lives a little easier during this extraordinary time.

For more information on how to register to receive care for the two-week period of April 27-May 8, visit the information and registration link page. If you run into trouble, please email rpdinfo@sfgov.org or call 1-628-652-2900, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Reference access code: 954322).

I also want to acknowledge that the disruption to our lives during this unprecedented public health emergency can bring added stress into the home and particularly raise concern for people experiencing domestic violence. With the shelter-in-place order, people are encouraged to stay at home, which could isolate them from support among family and friends. The City’s Department on the Status of Women has compiled important resources to help people experiencing domestic violence or who feel they are at risk. Attached are two brochures with helpful information. I also wanted to call out a few tips:

Stay connected: Try to maintain social connections online or over the phone, and, if it is safe to do so, try to stick to your daily routines as much as possible.
Create an exit plan: In case you must flee, create an exit strategy beforehand with someone who could support this need. For example, think about is there a trusted friend/relative who you can stay with, if necessary.
Practice self-care: COVID-19 is causing uncertainty for many people and getting through this time while experiencing abuse can feel really overwhelming. Taking time for your health and wellness can make a big difference in how you feel.