Welcome to the Norfolk District blog!
It’s been said that emerging media provides the forums that make up the 21st Century town square, where people exchange ideas and information and debate the hot topics of the day.
I’ve asked for this forum to serve exactly that purpose. Through this site, Norfolk District leaders will join me in sharing our ideas and questions, both great and small, with you: employees, supervisors, retirees, family members, friends, customers, partners and stakeholders.
It’s my goal to create the kind of open, honest dialog that makes the Norfolk District a better place to work and helps us deliver creative, sustainable solutions to our customers, partners and stakeholders.
This is your direct line to me, and I look forward to your comments and feedback.
Colonel Andrew W. Backus, P.E.
District Commander
Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
43 comments:
Good Morning Col Backus,
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name Kimberly C. Robinson, Contractor, Planning and Policy Br.
I have been with the Corp for appromiately 2 1/2 months, I served in the Army for 12 years and currently am working as a contractor. I have not had the opportunity to meet with you, However I did attend the town hall meeting and I think this is a great asset to have the opportunity to communicate with you via a Blog. Furthermore coming from a military background I am accustomed to soldiers leading the way for change and improvement. I just want to thank you for the emphasis of the 4 Goals and the importance of soldier/employees 1st. Despite the fact I have not been with the Corp long, I find this a great place to work and I look forward to utilize your open door policy. Additionally I must commend the PAO dept they continue to impress me with there innovative and trendy means of providing communication via- facebook, twitter and Blogs Etc.
P.S. I'm a Colts and Rams fan.
Greetings Colonel Backus,
I was wondering if we could get the TV in the cafeteria turned on during lunch. I’m thinking either CNN or the Weather Channel. Also, if that TV is an LCD the “Samsung” logo currently cycling can eventually “burn” onto the screen...
I was wondering if we can do something about the temperature inside the Waterfield building. It is regularly over 78 degrees or higher on some parts of the second floor. It is hard to work under these conditions. Will this be fixed with the remodel?
It would be nice if there were some army cots available for those of us that stuck here at work due to inclement weather like Wednesday's. It was extremely hazardous trying to get out of Norfolk that night to go home. It would be nice to have an option to overnight at work when road conditions are that extreme. I did not make it home till 10 pm. Thank you.
Kimberly,
Thank you for being the first person to post to the blog! Like you, I’m very excited about this blog and the other new communication tools our award-winning PAO staff have deployed in the past year. Establishing a robust, transparent dialog with employees and the public is a top priority for me and, as you learned this week, a key part of our Campaign Plan. I hope you’ll keep contributing to the conversations that will make Norfolk District a truly GREAT place to work. Thank you for your prior service in uniform and your continued service to the Army and the nation as a Corps employee. I look forward to meeting you.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
Hello Pete!
Thank you for your suggestion about the TV in the cafeteria. We sorted out an issue with the cable drop today and the TV is now operational. We’ll keep it on during duty hours so employees can enjoy it during lunch and break periods. If you see any other areas where we need to improve, please let me know.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
Sarah:
Great question! With as much time as we spend at work, having a comfortable work environment is certainly important to me. Our air conditioning system has been affected by power outages and water pressure loss, and water filtration issues have plagued the system since its installation. As you can probably imagine, we didn’t discover these issues until the summer season stressed the cooling system and the associated city-owned power and water systems. Right now, the system is operating at about half capacity, but is still meeting standard codes for air quality and temperature. The system should be at 75 percent capacity within a couple of weeks, but it will still be susceptible to power outages and loss of water pressure -– which are beyond our control. The goal is to have the system at 100 percent by next summer, and we are working various avenues to accomplish that. Until then, I've asked the logistics staff to continue monitoring temperatures throughout the day and to take all available steps to maintain a comfortable work environment.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
What is the commander's policy on the DoD student loan repayment program, and how would an employee be able to avail themselves of the plan? I ask because a couple of years ago, DoD had stated that the funding for the plan had been extremely underutilized and they wanted to boost participation.
Colonel Backus,
As we are getting ready for the furniture retrofit in the Waterfield Building, I was wondering about having enough storage in the building. The individual office furniture looks great but there doesn't seem to be very much storage in each office. We had a great big clean up day before you arrived, but even after throwing out dumpsters of old stuff, there is still a large number of boxes and stacks of paperwork/reference materials that don't have a proper home. In Contracting we are working with proposals that need to be safeguarded and protected and keeping them in boxes all over our individual offices doesn't seem like the best approach. Our new offices will make for a more professional appearance and I'd hate for a shortage of storage to take away from that new appearance. Thank you.
Mike:
Great question! Student loan repayment program is an additional recruitment/retention incentive available to all federal employees. Within Norfolk District, I will consider and am the approval authority on all student loan repayment agreements as recommended by my Division/Office Chiefs.
Unfortunately, this program is not DoD or DA funded, so each activity--in our case our District--funds the incentives just like relocation and retention bonuses. I charge my Division and Office Chiefs with the responsibility to maintain their individual budgets to include any funding for student loan repayments.
Because we are a small District and funding is limited in this area, we have historically not offered this incentive except for extremely hard to fill positions.
If you want more info, please check out the NAO portal--my policy on the student loan repayment program is in accordance with Army's policy, as stated in guidance located there.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
It is my understanding that the District has official business hours of 0800-1630 Mon-Fri, during which all offices are expected to be manned and open for business. However, numerous offices are routinely closed during these hours to include HR (close often), Emergency Management (appear to close at 1500 each day), EEO (frequently close), etc. Would you mind addressing this?
Cherie,
As we discussed in person, thank you for your question. Your concern is one shared by many of our District Team working in the Waterfield Building.
I understand that in the past we have not done a great job as a District in the area of records archiving and, as a result, we have an over abundance of files stored all over the building--the Contracting shop is a clear example. In preparation for the upcoming replacement of our current systems furniture, the furnishings contactor met with representatives from each office to discuss office storage needs. The first priority was personal storage (in each work area) and then general office storage. In some cases we could not satisfy both requirements and supervisors indicated they have plans to handle the general office area storage issue.
My directive to all supervisors is that they work closely with our Records Manager to move surplus files to an off site location. I believe that our new systems furniture will increase our current personal file storage space for the majority of our personnel. In the next few weeks, the contractor will be setting up a sample work space and I really think you will like the selected product. Rest assured that I will be following up with the Division and Office Chiefs over the next few weeks to emphasize again the need to use our Records Manager to deal with the bulk file issue. I concur with you that proper file storage maintains the professional appearance and environment of the working areas. Thanks again for the question and for your genuine concern.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
Part 1 of 2
Dear Colonel Backus,
Welcome to the Norfolk District! We sincerely hope you are enjoying your new duty tour.
We are kindly writing to alert you to the need for maintenance dredging of the Chincoteague Inlet and its surrounding waters by the Norfolk District.
Appearing at the end of this blog entry is a recent history of maintenance dredging by the Norfolk District at Chincoteague Inlet and the nearby ocean bar, which may be helpful to you.
The following is respectfully acknowledged which could have reasonably resulted very easily in the more recent less frequent dredging of the Chincoteague Inlet and its adjacent waters:
1. Understandably the Norfolk District typically conducts maintenance dredging on those waterways used primarily for commercial purposes and not on those waterways used primarily for recreational purposes.
2. The respective tonnage and monetary value of commercial shipments passing through the Chincoteague Inlet has likely decreased in recent years thereby resulting in a lower benefit-to-cost ratio for maintenance dredging.
3. Overall Corps budgetary needs in the Gulf of Mexico basin due to damage from major hurricanes that have occurred during the period 2005-2008 have likely diverted funding from previously planned uses in all Corps districts.
The respective bid quantity estimates for dredging shown at the end of this blog entry seem accurate when one considers:
(1) The Corps database for its Coastal Inlets Research Program ("CIRP") estimates the representative average annual entrance dredging to be 148,000 cubic yards of sand to be dredged each year (http://cirp.wes.army.mil/databases/inletsdb/CIRP_Fed_DB-4-2002.xls), and
(2) The amount of that sand that is washed through the inlet into the back bays and across the inlet and down the coastline.
Public news reports state Orbital Sciences Corporation ("Orbital") has an existing contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA"), a Federal agency, for development of a medium-lift launch vehicle, called Taurus II, to be launched from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, which adjoins the Chincoteague Inlet, on a demonstration flight to the International Space Station ("ISS") for cargo delivery. Public news reports state the demonstration launch date is scheduled for the fourth quarter of calendar year 2010. The published value of the NASA-Orbital contract is $320 million with NASA making a contractual investment of $170 million to Orbital and Orbital in addition contributing $150 million.
Construction of the launch and support facilities at NASA Wallops is underway with shipments of major equipment due to physical size and weight suitable only by tug and barge or ship delivery. However, there have been some delays of such shipments due to inadequate channel depths at the Chincoteague Inlet during all-weather conditions.
Arrival of the major components of the Taurus II launch vehicles, which are to be assembled at NASA Wallops, is suitable only by ship, or possibly tug and barge, due to the physical size, weight, and delicate structural nature of the equipment whose handling should be minimized due to inherent launch and flight risks.
Public news reports state Orbital has an existing contract with NASA to launch during the period 2011-2015 from NASA Wallops eight (8) flights of the Taurus II medium lift launch vehicle for delivery of cargo to the ISS. The value of the Orbital contract with NASA is $1.9 billion.
The name of the Orbital staffer in charge of its Wallops operation has been obtained in case independent confirmation is needed by the Norfolk District. His contact coordinates appear immediately below.
Mr. Norman Bobczynski
Launch Site Manager
Orbital Sciences Corporation
Wallops Flight Facility
Wallops Island, VA 23337
Email: bobczynski.norman@orbital.com
Part 2 of 2
To Colonel Balkus
From Fred McKee
It is obvious the combined value of the two commercial contracts and investment Orbital has with NASA totaling $2.22 billion from now until mid-2015, a six-year period, has an extremely attractive benefit-to-cost ratio warranting annual maintenance dredging by the Norfolk District of the Chincoteague Inlet and the nearby ocean bar.
American Bridge, contractor to the Virginia Department of Transportation for the installation currently underway of the new 3/4-mile bridge connecting Chincoteague Island with the Virginia Eastern Shore mainland, and having a contract value of approximately $70,000,000, has also experienced difficulty in navigating its equipment and materials delivery barges through the Chincoteague Inlet.
Also, NASA Wallops is currently having an environmental impact statement ("EIS") prepared for its proposed Shoreline Restoration and Infrastructure Protection Program (http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/code250/shoreline_eis.html).
It is understood the capital cost for this proposed project to provide shoreline protection and replenishment to the NASA Wallops launch facilities is in excess of $40,000,000. Two offshore underwater borrow areas are proposed as a source of sand material for the sand beach to be installed in front of the NASA Wallops launch facilities. It would seem practical that any future maintenance dredging contracts for the Chincoteague Inlet and its surrounding waters by the Norfolk District would have the dredged sand deposited upon this proposed beach. In addition, it would also seem practical that when NASA Wallops begins its shoreline protection project, and any future replenishment projects, that sand borrow needed first come from dredging the Chincoteague Inlet and its surrounding waters before proceeding to the two offshore borrow sites.
Thank you fon considering the above as keeping the Chincoteague Inlet and its adjoining waters navigable in all-weather conditions has an immediate effect on scheduling and delivery of time-sensitive critical cargo needed to supply the ISS.
Respectfully,
Fred McKee
U. S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
NORFOLK DISTRICT
DREDGING CONTRACTS AWARDED
RECENT HISTORY
FEDERAL BIDQUANTITY
FISCAL OPENCUBIC
YEARDREDGING JOB NAMEDATEYARDS
FY 1993 - Chincoteague Inlet
1/20/1993 bid date
110,000 cubic yards bid quantity
FY 1994 - Chincoteague Inlet
3/8/1994 bid date
100,000 cubic yards bid quantity
FY 1995 -
Chincoteague Inlet Ocean Bar
2/28/1995 bid date
120,000 cubic yards bid quantity
FY 1996 -
Chincoteague Inlet Ocean Bar
3/7/1996 bid date
100,000 cubic yards bid quantity
FY 1997 -
Chincoteague Inlet Ocean Bar
4/10/1997 bid date
107,000 cubic yards bid quantity
FY 1998 -
Chincoteague Inlet Ocean Bar
6/10/1998 bid date
69,000 cubic yards bid quantity
FY 1999 -
Chincoteague Inlet Ocean Bar
9/8/1999 bid date
100,000 cubic yards bid date
FY 2000 - No dreding contracts at Chincoteague Inlet or ocean bar
FY 2001 - No dredgng contracts at Chincoteague Inlet or ocean bar
FY 2002 - Chincoteague Inlet
6/27/2002 bid date
90,000 cubic yards bid quantity
FY 2003 - No dredging contracts at Chincoteague Inlet or ocean bar
FY 2004 - No dredging contracts at Chincoteague Inlet or ocean bar
FY 2005 - No dredging contracts at Chincoteague Inlet or ocean bar
FY 2006 -
Chincoteague Inlet Ocean Bar
1/20/2006 bid date
70,000 cubic yards bid quantity
FY 2007 - No dredging contracts at Chincoteague Inlet or ocean bar
FY 2008 -
Chincoteague Inlet Ocean Bar
1/4/2008 bid date
102,000 cubic yards bid quantity
FY 2009 - Chincoteague Inlet
Not Yet Advertised
40,000 cubic yards bid quantity
Anonymous:
I appreciate your concerns and your question. Unfortunately, the storm you’re referring to seemed to catch most of Hampton Roads by surprise. The flash flood warning wasn’t issued until well into the rush hour and local media reported several thousand people didn’t finish their commute until 10 p.m. that night.
As you are aware, we currently do not have the capability to house employees overnight. However, I've asked the staff to explore the need, practicality and legality of obtaining and maintaining equipment to accommodate employees during declared emergencies restricting or prohibiting personal local travel.
As a matter of routine operations, supervisors and managers have a responsibility to stay alert for conditions requiring a facility closure or early release, and we often try to warn employees of severe traffic situations or road closures. Keep in mind that safety during non-emergency, after-hours travel is ultimately a personal responsibility. I encourage all district employees to remain alert to local travel conditions, and urge them to develop personal safety plans that include alternate routes of travel.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
Anonymous:
I appreciate the frustrations experienced by what seems to be inconsistent hours by some of our smaller offices. All of the offices you identified do maintain set core hours. However, because those offices are small, a person may not be physically in the office during core hours. For example, the CPAC is a two-person office and they may be away supporting selection panels or training. The good news on the CPAC is we recently selected a new HR specialist and received authority to hire two more full-time positions to work here in Norfolk.
I will ensure the smaller offices notify the workforce when they are unavailable, as they also need to take leave and attend training, and there will be times when the office is closed.
Additionally, the chiefs of these offices do have Blackberries and work hard to meet the needs of customers and address concerns that arise when they are out of the office. If you have further concerns and feel you need immediate support from an office, LTC Darrow will be pleased to help you track down an answer to your concern.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
Fred:
Thanks for the welcome.
The Federal Navigation Channel at Chincoteague Inlet typically needs dredging every two years to maintain safe navigation. It is scheduled for dredging in FY-10 and the President’s Budget for FY10includes $913,000 for the project. This project is one that ranks high in the budget process, so we have been able to regularly maintain it on a bi-annual basis. Annual dredging is normally not needed; however, we will review the information you provided on possible additional channel usage and requirements.
The next dredging is tentatively scheduled to occur between December 2009 and March 2010. We expect to remove approximately 100,000 cubic yards (CY) of maintenance material during that time. In the past, the dredged material has been placed both within an offshore bar and along the Wallops Island shoreline. We are currently investigating the placement for the next dredging, which may include one or both of the placement options.
There are also two other maintenance projects being dredged or soon to be dredged in the Chincoteague area. They are:
* CHINCOTEAGUE BAY CHANNEL GREENBACKVILLE - This project is currently being maintenance dredged. It was funded this year under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The dredged material, which is non-beach quality fines, is being placed in a dyked-upland placement site.
* CHINCOTEAGUE BAY HARBOR OF REFUGE - This is a regularly-funded maintenance dredging project. Dredging will start within 2 months, after the work at Chincoteague Bay Greenbackville is finished. This non-beach quality material will also be placed within an upland, dyked area. We awarded both of these projects on 5August 2009 to a small business contractor, J&D Thomas Company.
I hope this answers your questions, and thank you for your input.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
Good Morning Colonel Backus,
Thank you most kindly for the much appreciated very thorough and prompt reply.
Best wishes for a bright day!
Respectfully,
Fred
Good Morning COL Backus,
I am concerned that the Norfolk District is not ensuring that its workforce receives the continuing education that is required. Does the district have a standard on the prospect training? Who tracks training that is received? I have noticed that several personnel utilize this as extra vacation time and pick there classes on where the training is held verses timely training of relevant content. Sometimes personnel have been known to attend the same training because they like the area that training is held. At my satellite location only a select few will receive training this upcoming year. After talking with fellow coworker at other locations I have found that they have been given different guidance and receive more training. I would like to suggest that the district implement a mentoring program to assist its newer employees. I am also perplexed that we do not share issues that construction representatives in the field are experiencing, often these issues are not unique and are being experienced on other jobs/locations. I believe a monthly teleconference or bulletin board to post issues/questions and what solutions others have used to overcome them would be of great assistance.
It is great to see a Commander that is taking an active role in communicating to his personnel. Don’t let the dinosoars wear you down I know that you are stressing them as you dive into the issues and ask the hard questions. All supervisors within the district need to take responsibility for there personnel and that includes developing them to take there positions as they move up the ladder. But unfortunately I have found many do not have the inspiration to move up the ladder and often feel threaten when someone is a hard charger….I don’t plan to set still and be asleep at my desk!
thanks in advance for your action on these issues!
Dear Anonymous:
Thanks for the comment, and sorry for my delayed response. You bring up three issues that I am very concerned with as well.
On the training piece, there is general guidance that the district spends 2% of funds on training. Specific professional development has been the responsibility of supervisors and I think it is fair to say that Prospect training has been inconsistently applied across the district. We just hired a new training coordinator in our Human Resources section and I will be meeting with her as soon as she is settled to address this issue.
Your suggestion that the district implement a mentoring program to assist its newer employees is a fantastic one. This is another area that I think has been overlooked in recent years because of the heavy workload. I have been checking out other USACE districts and am gathering ideas for how this could be done effectively (our Chief of Engineers encourages us to "SIS" or "Steal Ideas Shamelessly"). For instance, San Francisco District has a good reception method for new employees' first day on the job that we are looking to adopt in Norfolk. Again, more to come on this and if you have specific ideas please let me hear them--via email, blog, or in person.
Lastly, the lesson learned issue has also been a hot topic lately. Your suggestions for a teleconference or electronic bulletin board are good ones. You might be interested to know that our DPM, Jim Thomasson, recently hired a contractor to capture lessons learned at the Fort Belvoir Hospital project. We will work on a distribution plan so all have access.
Again, I appreciate this post and the dialogue on these topics.
Building Strong!!
COL B.
Could you please do something about the excessive heat on the second floor? It is extremely hot every day and this has been going on for several months. Using fans and opening windows are not long term solutions. Thank you.
Anonymous:
We continue work the heating/cooling issues in the Waterfield building, which are primarily the result of an aging system and associated air handlers. While we explore our options for improving or upgrading the system, we’re also making adjustments to the existing computerized control system. I’ve asked the logistics staff to work this issue aggressively and to provide regular updates through official e-mail. I appreciate your continued patience as we work through this challenging issue.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
Colonel Backus,
Could you please tell me where a private citizen can get support for a major flooding issue in Mathews County Va? Our county Government will do nothing about the flooding along Garden Creek that is ruining our home as well as many others. We are desperately seeking answers here. My road acts much like a Levee holding back flooding from tidal waters, as well as groundwater that has been redirected into this creek bed that has not been dredged or cleaned for quite some time. During small amounts of flooding our road is not passable and dangerous. The water builds up then tops the road flowing directly towards my house. We have contacted the county administrator as well as the county emergency planner, without luck. My home has repetitively flooded with most recent expenditures over twenty thousand dollars in damages during Ida. I know that I am just one person, but there are many others like me here along this beautiful salt marsh area. The county administration has stated that unless the Army Corp will help us, there is nothing that can be done. Since I leave for work in the early am I feel that driving on flooded roadways is dangerous. During Ida we had flash flood like water in our house, and thought that we would be on the roof waiting for rescue. I have photos and videos to back this up. I cannot believe that in our great country this is something that would be ignored on the Federal level, no matter how small a population that Mathews county has.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter. My email address is CMccormickRN@aol.com.
Sincerely,
A humble public servant.. who just wants to be able to live in a dry house.
Connie McCormick RN
Ms McCormick:
Thank you for your question concerning Garden Creek in Mathews County. I've seen the information sent to you by our Flood Plain Management Services Section and hope you found it useful. Please don't hesitate to contact us again should you have additional questions.
COL Andy Backus
BUILDING STRONG!
Col. Backus:
I am curious as to when the next command climate/employee job satisfaction survey will come out. During my first participation in the survey, I was somewhat reserved in my comments, but at this point I am ready to let you know what I really think about some of the issues that I face regularly.
Wayne:
Thanks for the post. Formal command climate surveys are only done periodically and we do not have another one scheduled at this time since we just completed our most recent survey last fall. However, I always encourage feedback. If you would like to provide some, you can email me directly, use the blog (anonymously if you wish), or even set up an office call so we can talk in person. I look forward to hearing from you!
COL Andy Backus
Colonel Backus,
The answer from the ACOE and the flooding issues in Mathews County.. is that you can't do anything about it. Someone needs to at least look into the amount of fresh water drainage that has been diverted into the wetlands here. It has formed a marshy swamp in front of several homes. The answers so far have been that we are in a flood plain and should expect flooding. People who have lived in this area for 60 plus years feel that the drainage problems are man made. Please, at the very least, have someone look into these problems. Garden Creek no longer holds water because it is very shallow. The land around it is constantly saturated due to run off of large canal like ditches that run down Tabernacle road and then stop at the Marsh land.
Thanks
Connie McCormick
Incidentally.. while on the phone with Michelle Hamor, someone walked into the room and said
" let me guess Mathews county on the phone again".. I think this was insensitive and bordered on rude. If one of your Army personnel came into my hospital and I said.. Oh look it's the Army again.. I would be fired.
Dear Mrs. McCormick:
Thank you for your post.
I understand my chief of planning, Mark Mansfield, spoke with you by phone tonight and will be arranging a site visit with you to look into the situation you describe.
Regarding your phone conversation with Michelle -- please accept my sincere apology for the unprofessional remark you heard in the background. You are right, it was uncalled for and does not represent the professionalism, attitude of selfless service, and the Army Value of Respect that we expect from employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
I take this incident very seriously and will take immediate action to correct it. Again, please accept my apology.
Sincerely,
COL Andy Backus
Moderator’s Note: This post from an anonymous submitter has been edited to comply with the comment policy for this blog and to protect the privacy of Norfolk District employees. Otherwise, the comments appear as submitted.
As a general rule the District has been fair and equitable to all employees, however racism does exist, it is a fact.
One of your Chiefs continues to make racist and other derogatory remarks.
There is a constant ratcheting of coarse comments directed at one particular racial group. This racial group is monitored, one has her performance measured each week by a supervisor, at the direction of the Chief. A promotion was been denied for no apparent reason. The employee was finally forced to seek help from the union by filing an action for relief with our sister district, Baltimore. Baltimore directed immediate corrective action on behalf of the employee. The employees can no longer make excuses for this type of inappropriate behavior.
No longer will we say, "(The Chief) really did not mean it that way" or "(the Chief) does not understand the comments and behavior are offensive to a certain group of people". No more passes will be handed out because all races by the age of ten know to refrain from using certain words and exhibiting certain behaviors.
At the very least sensitivity training is expected. Humor that degrades, humor that is based in racism and racial stereotypes is not funny! Our President did not think this type slur was funny when confronted. Refer to his April 11, 2007 interview with Jake Tapper of ABC news.
I have worked here for years and years. I had hoped the command climate within the department would improve, sadly it has not. We still have screaming, threats, unnecessary stress and strife. There is a long history of ad hominem slurs targeting race and ethnicity. The records exist, they are available in personnel, please visit. There is bragging, to intimidate the employees, (the Chief) has never lost an EEO case. Well there is a first time for everything. Please understand these comments are not cute or amusing, and we will participate in all inside and outside inquiries when conducted.
There is more however this is not the forum for release. We are frustrated, there is no systems administration support. We are all looking forward to participate in the upcoming headquarters, command climate survey. The department is paid (a significant amount) in salaries and overtime. We have three offsite employees of non color making (a significant amount) (not including overtime) producing? Pull the files you will not see (production from off-site employees). This policy of "they are just there" has caused a catastrophic backlog to the district. The work for both non-working sites is currently assigned to. you guess it! The Chief has authorized measurements on how much is moved each week!! How do we know? Please verify every sentence for accuracy, if one word is wrong publicly denounce this post.
PM boot camp emphasized the use of audits and the importance of following money trails. Analyze and know your expenses. COL B - Are you happy with the services? Are you getting world class support? It may be time to.... conduct a fair review based on facts.
Signed,
Still one team - building strong
Dear Teammate:
I edited your blog entry to protect privacy, but I think the essence of your concerns are still communicated. If that is not the case, please do not hesitate to follow up with additional comments.
I appreciate your perspective on the climate you have assessed in one of our offices. I am passionate about taking care of our employees and have zero
tolerance for any violations of the anti-discrimination laws. I
expect/demand that our district's workforce has a safe, productive, and positive environment in which to work.
I will look into the concerns and assessment you have raised closely and, if merited, I will take appropriate action to ensure we have a working environment free of discrimination and that embraces diversity. I already have planning underway for sensitivity training for the district's leaders
this fall, and also have several other actions in various stages of
planning/execution regarding our equal opportunity environment.
Our EEO Chief, Greg Headen, or our Mission Support Division Chief, Ava Benson, can give you more details of these actions.
I also encourage you to come see me to talk personally through my Open Door policy. It is always helpful for me to hear and discuss perspectives such as yours directly. I welcome these personal interactions and feel strongly that they go a long way toward common understanding and a positive command climate.
Sincerely,
COL Andy Backus
Sir,
We need something done about the excessive heat in the building. Everyday my cubicle is a minimum of 80 degrees. It seems a little ridiculous that we have to have fans blowing on high and wear summer clothing so we don't sweat to death everyday. This has been happening for at least a year and a half. These kind of working conditions are unacceptable. Please do something about this!
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your comment. We regret that your work area has been uncomfortable and that our efforts to correct any hot or cold spots in the Waterfield building did not fix your situation. If you would contact the Chief of Logistics, David Monacelli, at extension 3867 he would be glad to have the temperature in your area monitored and look at the possibility of adjusting the airflow to your area.
In trying to keep the temperature consistent over four floors and more than 90,000 square feet we may have missed an area and would appreciate knowing which space we missed so we can get it corrected.
Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.
Building Strong!
COL B.
Colonel Backus, The car pool spots are a constant source of contention. There are at least two groups who claim to car pool but who in fact are being dishonest. Two individuals in one spot car pool about half the time; the one who gets in the earliest takes a premium spot and leaves the car pool spot open for his/her car pool buddy who comes in later. Then there is another spot; on several occasions all of these people’s cars were parked in the premium spots. Not to mention the several times when two of the cars were parked in premium spots and the car pool spot sat empty all day.
I have personally seen two of the people from one spot ride in together and park in a premium spot and leave the car pool spot open for the third one who arrives solo and parks in the car pool spot.
They are using these spots as a placeholder so when they go out to lunch they will have a parking spot when they return. There needs to be policy in place to discourage such behavior.
I would like to see the camera's record what is actually occurring in the car pool spots or, better yet, have someone out there every once in a while to observe these infractions. I would also like to suggest a policy that gives a warning on the first violation, a temporary loss of privileges for two weeks for the second violation and a total revocation of car pool privileges for the third violation. In the past, nothing has been done and as such the violations are becoming more frequent. Another option would be to move the car pool spots to the same side as the executive parking spots only further down. The bottom line is people should be held accountable for their actions even when they fail to maintain personal integrity.
Colonel,
I want to share with you and the Norfolk District some information I gathered while attending the Willoughby Spit Civic League meeting earlier this month. The main topic of the meeting was the expansion of the HRBT. As a home owner on Willoughby Bay I am very concerned with this proposed venture and after listening to the presentation I feel that this solution to the traffic congestion on the HRBT may not be in the best interest to the citizens, military, and industries in and around Hampton Roads. The guest speaker was Mayor Fraim. Mayor Fraim is opposed to this solution. Attached I have included a link to the proposal submitted by Skanska.
http://www.virginiadot.org/business/resources/ipd/HRC_Proposal_Website_Version.pdf
Skanska has also made a proposal for the second Downtown tunnel crossing. In these proposals they are planning to have control of and introduce tolls for all five crossings HRBT, MMBT, The James River Bridge, The Midtown Tunnel and the Downtown Tunnel with tolls ranging from $4-$6 in each direction. Skanska's proposal talks about other studies and alternatives but never mentions a study that was conducted in the late 90's to have a third crossing that would go from the International Terminals byway of Craney Island and then just east of the MMBT. This crossing at the time was deemed a good solution for alleviating some traffic from the HRBT as well as diverting truck traffic. This crossing would also allow for the introduction of mass transit (light rail) to the Peninsula and provide another route out of Hampton Roads in the event of an emergency.
Thank you for taking the time to review and share this information with the people who need to know that may want to get involved and take a stand on how their communities and lives will be affected by these proposals.
Good Morning Colonel,
I thought I'd take the time to find out what is the deal with the recycling bins on the fourth floor. Why is it that because some people think they’re unsightly and don't care to look at them they both have to be on the RMO/Real Estate side of the floor? A solution would be to just take their bin down to the first floor and when they need to dispose of their recycling they can be inconvenienced and have to take it down there. Furthermore, while walking to the restroom you see boxes piled up near a pole by the coffee pot, maybe these supervisors should tell their folks you will be inconvenienced because the two of us don't want to look at the recycling bins. Inevitably some people are going to be lazy, so the question is would you rather look at recycling bins or boxes piled up in places they shouldn’t be?
Frustrated Employee,
I would like to start by stating I have been here for numerous years and some things have changed and some thing’s have not. The issue is the lack of support from our HR section; it appears that every time you need an HR rep there is no one available, or they are behind closed doors or at lunch. You would think that in order to provide a quality service they would ensure that someone is available. Instead the only two subject matter experts are either in a behind closed door session or at lunch together. My question is how can they provide customer service to me and other personnel if they are never available? It has been an ordeal to even talk with HR personnel who give you attitude when you ask a question.
My question Col Backus is where are we suppose to go when we need HR support and how can we receive quality customer service without an attitude or someone making you feel stupid for asking a question?
Frustrated Employee
When was the last time the blog was updated?
The telework policy has been "under review" for PPMD for approximately one year. One year for management to review the policy seems extreme. Other offices within Norfolk District still have this option. Gas prices have been on the rise - one of the reasons for the telework option. If given the chance again to vote for Norfolk District as the Best Place to Work in Hampton Roads, I would not.
Pamela:
Thank you for the question about the blog. We've had some technical issues with the site, but have been working to correct those problems. Thank you for your patience.
M. Haviland
Chief, Public Affairs
Norfolk District
Dear Anonymous:
Thanks for your comment. I was not aware that he recycling bins were an issue, so I walked over and checked them out myself.
I agree that they are unsightly in the main corridors, and I can see when there are items that don't fit in the bin how it gets even more unsightly/unprofessional. I have forwarded this to our Mission Support Division to come up with some alternatives.
Thanks again for the comment.
COL B.
Dear Anonymous:
Thank you for your question about the District's telework policy.
The use of telework, in accordance with our district policy, is a management option not an employee benefit.
While we all support the intent and purposes of teleworking, it is also a work/duty place decision that our supervisors make on a case-by-case basis. PPMD is currently reviewing the use of telework IAW our district policy and its application within the PPMD organization.
Requests by an employee to an individual supervisor can be considered up the supervisory chain and all impacts relative to the job description, mission
requirements and employee need will be examined.
In some cases, telework may not always meet the necessary requirements of a particular organization.
COL B
Suggest a box in the multipurpose room be designated as a comment drop box as well. Not every issue internally should be viewed by the general public.
Dear Anonymous:
Thank you for your comment.
As you probably know, one of my basic philosophies is that I expect and encourage candid feedback from all Norfolk District employees and there are many methods for getting that feedback to me. In addition to emailing me, I have an open-door policy and am willing to meet with all employees. This blog is another avenue. Though it's sometimes necessary to moderate blog comments, I do see and respond to the original, unedited comments. In the process, people with similar concerns benefit from seeing, if not participating in, the conversation on the blog.
On the other hand, a drop box only provides one-way communication -- a method of communicating concerns, but no method of having a conversation or communicating a resolution. I hope you'll continue to participate in the blog or communicate with me through any of the other means available to you.
BUILDING STRONG
COL B.
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