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Published by info, 2019-10-09 12:06:50

Employee Newsletter October 2019

Employee Newsletter October 2019

CITY OF HOT SPRINGS — EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

Teri Vann
epitomizes
new City
honor

Page 4

October 2019

Volume 20 – Issue 1

Lakeside Walk-in Clinic new no Coming Events
co-pay service provider for City
October
City employees,
City Events
It is with pleasure I write to you in this return Bill Burrough
edition of the employee newsletter, which is City Manager 10 – Health Fair (see page 3)
aptly named “Heart of Hot Springs.” Just as the 12 – Tikes, Trikes and Trails
heart goes non-stop to keep each of us moving, 26 – Drug Take Back
our workforce provides a steady flow of services 31 – City Employee Fall Harvest
to maintain the health of our City. This edition (see page 3)
of the newsletter includes several references 31 – Boo with a Badge
to the health of our employees with information
for the upcoming Employee Health Fair and Hot Springs Events
the inspiring story of Teri Vann’s remarkable
recovery and return to her important work. 8 – 4th Annual Garland County Reads
11 & 12 – 2nd Annual Hot Springs
To follow that theme, I’m excited to announce that the City has made Baseball Weekend
an agreement with Lakeside Walk-in Clinic so that City employees can 12 – CWA Wrestling: Lloyd’s Rumble
use the clinic's services with no co-pay. The clinic, located at 2230 12 – Hot Springs Out of the Darkness
Malvern Avenue, is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Their mission Walk
is “to make you feel and stay healthy,” and they welcome regular 12 – Seed Swap at Celebrate Fall Day
checkups or urgent treatment needs. Their services include primary at Garvan Woodland Gardens
care (medication and labs), immediate care (laceration repair, minor 17 – Business and Career Expo
injuries, colds, flu), well-visits and physicals. 18 – 26 – 28th Annual Hot Springs
Documentary Film Festival
As we move through this transition, Premise Health has agreed to 26 – 2019 Spa City Rocktober Music
continue operations and services to City employees through October Festival
25, 2019, if you so choose. Please stop by Premise Health prior to 29 – 31 – 5A State Volleyball
that date if you would like to have your medical records transferred to Tournament
Lakeside Walk-In Clinic or another primary care physician.
Heart of Hot Springs
It is my hope that we all will take advantage of the services offered by
Lakeside Walk-in Clinic for immediate care needs, as well as wellness Published by the City of Hot Springs
and preventative care. You also have the option of seeing a primary Public Information Department
care physician of your choice. With our agreement with QualChoice
as our third-party administrator, you are afforded many choices when www.cityhs.net/heartofHS
choosing a primary care physician. I feel a shared sense of pride Editors: Aaron Street
among us in that we serve a vibrant city that prioritizes nature, diversity, and Katie Yamauchi
community, and culture. It is easy to lose track of our own well-being [email protected]
in our busy day-to-day lives. It is important for us to remember to take 501-321-6806
care of ourselves so we can not only do our best work for Hot Springs,
but also be fit to enjoy time with our loved ones and in our community.

Sincerely,

City Manager
City of Hot Springs

In This Edition

City Manager's Letter.................... 2
Coming Events.............................. 2
Cover Story: Teri Vann HERO....... 4
CHS United Way Campaign.......... 5
Anniversaries/New Hires.............. 6
City Spotlights............................... 6
Tips from City Pro's....................... 7
Officer Honors............................... 7
#cityHSar Snapshot...................... 8
Be an Online Ambassador............ 8

City of Hot Springs Employee

H E A L H FA I R2019
Thursday, October 10
Central Fire Station

Mini Bluetooth Speaker Giveaway

And several door prizes!

CHI Mobile Mammogram Unit

Near Veteran's Memorial/Transportation Depot

Flu Shots and Fasting Bloodwork

First-come, first-served basis

Register with HR 3

Teri Vann, right, presents Joey Virning of the Utilities Water Division with a certificate for completing crane training.

Teri Vann is a Hot Springs HERO

At around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7, Teresa “Teri” Vann suffered a stroke For more about
in the City Hall Annex. The following day, after surgeons at UAMS in Little Rock were the Hot Springs
able to remove the clot from her brain, she begged the doctors to let her return to work HERO program or
on Friday. to nominate a City
employee, visit
She was anxious to get back to finalize the schedule for the City’s first ever crane www.cityhs.net/hero.
training. A compromise was made for her to return a week after the stroke on the
following Wednesday, yet she was greeted in the hallway that morning by her supervisor
and the director of Human Resources, who let Teri know she would be going home to be
on “Minnie’s Medical Leave” until the next Monday.

Needless to say, Teri successfully organized the mobile
crane training and certification program. A total of 13 Utilities
employees completed the 16-hour, two-day class, along with two
representatives from the Arkansas Department of Labor. The Altec
Sentry Program is an OSHA and ANSI compliant training program
on safe operating procedures. Participants received a certificate
and wallet card for completing the class.

Teri was nominated for the Hot Springs HERO honor for her
efforts in overseeing this important initiative. She is only the second
employee to earn this accolade, which was established by the City
to honor any of the more than 600 employees who go a step above
in service to our community.

The crane training is only an example of Teri’s efforts since she started as the health
and safety coordinator for the City in June of 2016. Within her first year, she had
established the Rave Alert system, a program that notified emergency responders the
day of her stroke. She coordinated with the Rave Alert company and was responsible
for identifying all the offices and rooms at City Hall, the City Hall Annex, the Bill Edwards
Center (Finance and Utilities) and Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport. She also shared
tutorials with the employees and went through these facilities to demonstrate all features
of the program, which includes alerting responders for medical emergencies, active
shooter situations, or other fire, police, or 9-1-1 needs.

Story continued on following page...

Another of Teri’s initial accomplishments she was accepted for an 18-month OSHA
was creation of two five-person safety and Army tactical training internship at Fort
inspection teams. Each month, she and one Rucker, Alabama. On to Corpus Christi,
of the teams inspect facilities based on a where what started as a two-year on-the-job
schedule she produced to ensure each City training stint turned into her being hired full-
facility is seen at least once a year. She wrote time for what ended up being 10 years and
a mission statement and a charter for the six months. She was a part of a team of safety
teams, and taught each member how to spot officers and specialized in health and safety
possible safety hazards. and explosives safety. She also enjoyed
being asked to sing the national anthem at
As she continues to work closely with official functions. She retired after 23 years
the more than 600 employees, particularly of federal service and moved to Hot Springs.
the crews out working across the City, she She and her voice were missed so much at
solidifies their trust and identifies areas for the base in Corpus Christi they asked her to
improvement. send them a CD of her singing the anthem for
use at functions moving forward.
Teri attended Northeastern State University,
where she majored in Music: Voice and She had known for some time she wanted
Instrumental, before joining the Army. While to end up in Hot Springs, and had even
in college, she dreamed of teaching water bought a home here in 2008 – seven years
safety and life-preserving methods, though, before being able to move full-time. After
so she loaded up with all sorts of swimming she made the move, she only made it seven
classes. Fast-forward and she found herself months before applying for the job with the
working in Maumelle as a warehouse City. “I hate being idle,” she said.
manager, where a part of her duties included
safety and training. Following that passion,

Cory Smith, maintenance worker with Parks & Trails, was the inaugural recipient of the Hot Springs
HERO honor in recognition for him helping a family get their boat trailer back on solid ground after

it became stuck at Carpenter Dam Park in July.

5

September
Employee Anniversaries

Kristy Maness, Fire 28 Years Michelle Smith, Police 16 Years
Robert Haggard, Fire 13 Years
Andrey Jones, Airport 24 Years Charles Stanley, Solid Waste 13 Years
Kenny Byrd, Fire 12 Years
Billy Hrvatin, Police 23 Years Aaron Shaw, Planning & Dev. 12 Years
Ty Farris, Fire 11 Years
Jimmy Larue, Solid Waste 22 Years Michael Poteet, Solid Waste 11 Years
Eric Stockwell, Police 10 Years
Glen Barentine, Airport 22 Years Ricky Mutter Jr., Solid Waste

19 Years Marcy Williams, City Attorney

19 Years Vance Counts, Street

18 Years Ron Wacaster, Utilities

17 Years

New Hires

Michael Buffington, Solid Waste Chris Mattingly, Utilities
Skyler Donahou, Utilities Shane Perry, Solid Waste
John Herring, Finance Christopher Stillian, Information Systems
Megan Jackson, Planning & Development

City Spotlights www.cityhs.net/spotlights

Seph Howard Robin R.
Gallistel Hoover Wise

Technician I Utility Systems Zoning Inspector
Coordinator
Information Planning &
Systems Utilities Development
Administration
Four years at CHS Almost 22 years
Five years at CHS at CHS

Q: What's the best meal in Hot Springs Q: What energizes you at work? What Q: Where's your favorite place?
A: It's called My Secret Place...and I
you've ever had? drains you? can't tell you where it is! J

A: Wok Express sesame seed chicken A: A creative challenge energizes me. Q: If you could be any animal, which

with a side of beef teriyaki and an egg Negative attitudes exhaust me. would you be and why?
roll.
Q: If you could be any animal, which A: An eagle. They don't lose their
Q: What is the last book you read?
A: "Garfield Complete Works Vol. 1." would you be and why? focus, and they love storms and use
the currents to rise to higher altitudes.
Q: Who would you most like to swap A: A Bloodhound, laying on a wood
Q: What is the last book you read?
places with for a day? porch somewhere in the countryside. A: "This Present Darkness" by Frank

A: Either of my cats. Q: Who would you most like to swap E. Peretti.

places with for a day?

A: Nobody. Everyone has their issues.

I’m comfortable with mine.

Read the full list of Q & A's from Seph, Howard and Robin at www.cityhs.net/spotlights.

Tips from City Pros

Planting Trees

When, Where and How?

Contributed by Allen Bates, CHS Urban Forester

A question I am often asked is when to plant a tree. Once you have evaluated your site, then begin your

My usual response is the best time was 10 years ago. tree selection. Two great resources for tree selection

Truthfully, fall is a great time to plant a tree. Fall are the Urban Forestry’s “How to plant trees” webpage
planting allows trees to better establish roots before the on the City of Hot Springs website and “Landscape
stresses of summer. Even during dormancy, tree roots Trees for Specific Uses” (FSA 6126) on the University
continue to grow throughout the winter, except during of Arkansas Cooperative Extension website: uaex.edu.

periods of extremely low temperatures. So, now is a How to plant your tree can also be challenging as the

great time to plant. soil in our area can be hard,

Where to plant is often a clay or rocky. Dig the hole two
challenge in urban settings. A to three times the width of
great example is the Lacebark the tree’s root ball. The goal
Elm, Ulmus parvifolia, which is to have the bottom of the
can be found growing in trunk root flare at or above
small confined areas cut out the finished grade of the soil.
in the concrete along Central Never plant the tree deeper
Avenue. These trees grow in than it was grown when you
an environment that many purchased it.

trees could not tolerate. Site Allen Bates is a third-generation timber specialist with more Proper watering is also

and tree selection should than 32 years of professional experience. critical to the survival of your

work hand in hand. tree during the establishment

First, select your site. Then consider aspects of the period. Too much water too often can be just as
site, including if it is in full sun, shade or filtered light. Are detrimental to your tree as the lack of water. A watering
utilities nearby the tree could grow into as it matures? guide can also be found in the aforementioned article
Always call 8-1-1 before digging as professionals will on the Urban Forestry website.

check for underground utilities free of charge. Does the Follow these tips and 10 years from now you can say

site have adequate drainage, or is it a low area with fall 2019 was a good time to plant a tree.

poor drainage?

HSPD Officers Honored

Officer First Class Cash Murray, center, was recognized as the Garland

Office First Class Brent Scrimshire, third from left, is County Officer of the Year on October 1. OFC Murray was awarded this
presented with a plaque for being named Officer of the
Quarter at the Hot Springs Police Department. Pictured, honor for using CPR to save a citizen’s life on Park Avenue. Pictured,
from left, are Captain Billy Hvratin, Police Chief Jason
Stachey, Scrimshire, and Captain Lisa King. from left, are Assistant Police Chief Walter Everton, Police Chief Jason

Stachey, Murray, Captain Billy Hvratin and Captain Lisa King. 7

Chris Baber, of the Parks & Trails Department, hangs holiday light spheres in a tree at Hill Wheatley Plaza on
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019, in the first week of holiday light installations leading up to the lighting ceremony on
November 18 and the Christmas Memories Memorial Tree event at Adair Park on December 6. Assisting Baber,
but not pictured, are James Cambell and David Gillmore.

Be a City HS Online Ambassador

www.youtube.com/cityofhotsprings Online resources, including social media outlets, have become the most
important communication channels for government entities, organizations and
The City's YouTube channel hosts livestreaming of the board businesses. This is certainly true for the City of Hot Springs as our community
meetings and bi-monthly feature videos, including an upcoming looks to the City's Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and now Instagram for updates,
bike safety piece with Ken Freeman, seen at right, being filmed notices and information.
by Adam Hatmaker. Officer Sam Spencer, not pictured, also
contributed to this video, which will also air on City12 this As a City employee, you can easily join the effort to help share news and posts.
month. You can be an Online Ambassador for the City!

Take the following four steps, and together we can make a big difference in
how effectively our community learns about all the great things we at the City are
accomplishing for Hot Springs:

1. "Follow" all of the City's social media outlets. See www.cityhs.net/online.

2. When you see a City social post, "like," "share," and/or post positive

comments.

3. If you see something positive regarding a City imitative or employee(s),

take a photo and share it or write a post about it.

4. Use the new City hashtag: #cityHSar.


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