From Assistant City Manager
Wiley Stem III

The week of May 4 was a significant milestone for the City of Waco. It was the realization of another project in our facilities plan - the completion of phase two in the renovations of the new Operations Center.

This phase completes the work on this 82,000 square foot facility. It will house Traffic, Parks Operations, Facilities Shops, Risk Management, and a first class training area.

For those of us who have worked for the City of Waco more than 20 years, we’ve seen a transformation in the quality of the facilities where our employees work. When I first started working for the City of Waco, our buildings were not in the condition that instilled community pride. Realizing this needed to be a high priority, we began developing a facilities plan in 1999 that would address issues such as: citizen access, security, energy efficiency, technology and consolidation of the many city buildings to improve efficiency.

Over the past few years, this has involved renovating the Public Health District administration building for the Municipal Court and Parks & Recreation, renovating the building at 4th and Franklin Avenue for the Dr. Mae Jackson Development Center, construction of a new Water Utilities administration building at the Riverside Water Treatment plant, constructing four new fire stations and exterior renovation of Fleet Services. We’ve also made significant changes at City Hall to meet the modern needs for the departments of Legal, Municipal Information, Housing and Finance.

By far the greatest improvement at the Operations Center is the new, expanded, employee focused Health Clinic. The Employee Health Team has done a fine job for years with a facility that was intended to be temporary. The Council and City Manager’s commitment to employees is no more evident anywhere than at this clinic. The wellness of our City family is most important to all of us.

I am pleased to say that these projects are quality improvements that will meet the needs of our departments for many years to come. I want to compliment Vincent Tobola, David Stewart and the facilities staff for their efforts to complete these projects while at the same time taking care of the day to day needs in our various city buildings.

The City Manager’s Office remains committed to providing safe, quality facilities for our employees to work in while at the same time meeting the needs of our citizens including convenience and accessibility. We will continue to prioritize future building improvement needs, so that we can address other projects in our facilities plan.

New Employee Orientation
April 2009

Front Row (from left to right): Amanda Bailey , Texas Ranger Museum; Dessie Schmacher, Library Services; Jill Pickett, Police Department; and Patricia Caiceros, Public Health District.

Second Row: Matt Wright, Texas Ranger Museum; Dustin Brownlow, Utility Services; and Blake Hamilton, Utility Services.

Back Row: David Parkinson, Police Department; James Tatum, Cameron Park Zoo; Darin Root, Parks and Recreation; Gerald Pollard, Utility Services.

City Staff Spotlight

New Employees

The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District welcomes Simone Vannoy, sanitarian.

Street Services welcomes, Denise Rodriguez, customer service representative.

Promotions/ Transfers

Chad McCormick, Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau, was promoted from part time service provider to full time operations coordinator.

Gene Robinson, Engineering Services, is transferring from lab technician to field inspector. Gene has worked in the materials testing lab for the last seven years, and he is the second generation to work for the City of Waco. Jackie Robinson, his dad, worked in Traffic and retired from Street Services.

Rebecca Krusell, Public Health District, is transferring to Finance in June as a payroll technician.

Congratulations

Street Services selected Luis Reyes as their employee of the month for March, and John Hipps was chosen for April. Both work as equipment operators.

Moving On

Jesse Hoover, Library Services, will be leaving the City of Waco at the end of May. He is pursuing his Ph.D. in theology from Baylor University.

Waco Water Park Opens
Memorial Weekend

Bring the family and spend the day at the Waco Water Park this summer. With two pools and two water slides, the Waco Water Park offers an adventure for all ages.

This year’s summer at the water park will include activities such as water aerobics, water volleyball, swim lessons and Dive-In Movies.

The water park opens for the summer starting Memorial Day weekend. For more information, call 750-5874 or visit waco-texas.com.

Hours of Operation

Weekdays:

• May 26 – June 6 - 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• June 6 – Labor Day - noon to 7 p.m.

Weekends:

• Saturdays - 10 a.m. to 7 p.m
• . Sundays - 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Twilight Hours

• Monday-Friday 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Receive a $2 discount per person off admission rates during these hours.

The good times and great music continue on June 5 in downtown Waco at the Brazos Nights concert series. Presented by Metro PCS, the concert will feature blues and soul vocalist Ruthie Foster and Texas song writing legend Ray Wylie Hubbard.

The concert is free and will begin at 7 p.m. at Indian Spring Park, next to the Suspension Bridge. Concessions will be available. The final concert of the series will be held on the Fourth of July and will include a spectacular fireworks display.

For more information and a complete schedule, call 750-5781 or visit brazosnightswaco.com.

Registration for Summer Camps & Programs

Registration is under way for the City of Waco Parks and Recreation Department’s summer camps and athletic programs. South Waco, Bledsoe-Miller and Dewey recreation centers will offer Summer Day Camps from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays for ages 5 to 13.

Children will participate in indoor and outdoor activities, arts and crafts, games, field trips and more. The registration fee per child is $50 and the camp cost is $160 per session. For information, contact the recreation centers at South Waco 750-8650, Bledsoe-Miller 750-8684 and Dewey 750-8677.

Camp Cameron is an outdoor adventure summer camp beginning June 8. The camp is for ages 5 to 13 and will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. Camp Cameron offers campers a mix of environmental and recreational activities such as hiking, archery, kayaking, swimming and nature studies. The registration fee is $50 per camper and $140 per two week session. To register, call 750-5980. Team Waco is a great way to keep youth active during the summer months. The track and field program provides youth ages 5 to 18 a chance for athletic achievement in a positive setting. College athletes teach the fundamentals of track to team members. Team Waco practices on weekdays and travels to track meets on the weekend. Participants can advance to the TAAF Games of Texas. Registration is $45 per participant. For information, call 750-5875.

Summer Showcase

Guest performances such as puppeteers, plays, wild animals, music, and storytelling, are just some of the fun programs that are featured in the Summer Showcase. This program is held weekly at each library from June 9 through Aug. 7.

Program Schedule

• Tuesdays at East Waco Library, 901 Elm, 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
• Wednesdays at Hoover Library, 1428 Wooded Acres, 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
• Thursdays at Central Library, 1717 Austin Ave.,10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
• Fridays at South Waco Library, 2737 S. 18th Street,10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

For more information, call 750-5942.

Summer Splash

The Waco-McLennan County Library and Waco Water Park will sponsor Summer Splash Day on Tuesday, June 9 from noon to 4 p.m. Sign up for a library card prior to June 9 and receive half price admission that day. For more information, call 750-7900.

Outdoor Family Workshop

The City of Waco and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will host a weekend of camping and outdoor family activities on May 30-31 in Cameron Park. The cost covers equipment, camp rental and instructor fees. Registration deadline is May 15. For more information and to register, call 750-5980.