USM WATER CONSERVATION 2

Question 1

Tell us how your background and experience best qualifies you for the USM position.

Answer 1

Currently manage the Field Services group, that is 4 CF Supers, 4 Senior CFR, & 65 Commercial Field Reps.

In my short time as the USM for Field Services I have: moved forward on disciplining an employee. I have interviewed 18 potential CFRs, and been put in charge of Fleet Services and arranged for 56 GPS installs on our trucks and sedans, in order to catch employees that are speeding. Worked on bid to purchase 236 trucks. I have attended all FS safety meetings and spoken at each one, worked with the Union to extend and relocate Article 33 employees. Taken Mutual Gains training,

Before field services I managed all of the WC programs & services budget of $40M/Yr. for 8 years. During that time the pop of L.A. had increased by 200,000 people but L.A.’s overall usage went down by 20%. My group was responsible for the installation of 1.5M WC devices and projects for CIIMF SF customers which decreased L.A. water usage by over 50 bpy allowing us to meet all of the goals set forth by the Mayor & Governor

• As water conservation supervisor for 8 years
  
  • I supervised a group of 8 people
  • Dozens of presentations to (Board)
  • extensive Budget experienc w/WC for the past 8 years
  • Developed pilot programs on unique irrigation, recycling, cooling tower water conservation sytems.
  • One water conservation group was one of the 1st utilities to monitor and verify savings in cooling tower water treatment conservation systems.
  • Worked with Water Conservation Policy on Emergency Water Conservation Ordinance

Before becoming the Supervisor of water conservation I was the webmaster

• Lead
  
  • Contract management – $18M/yr.
• Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences
  
  • Supervisorial certification (12 classes) - Silver, Bronze, Gold
    *

Question 2

Tell us about a situation that you had to address conflict between people; how did you resolve the issue?

Answer 2

Had (2) employees that were not getting along. We worked through their differences and improved their working relationship.

• friendly disagreements escalated to not-so-friendly.
• one provides computer support & other provided WC all types customers
• Sat down with each employee separately and then together to work on a solution.
• Thay had some common goals
• let them know that if actions continued, there would be an oral warning, possibly leading to discipline
• If it was to go further, then it could result in suspension or even discharge
• I let them know they don’t have to like each other but they must respect each other
• Fortunately, the 2 employees are getting along and are working well together. I did not have to move to the “Notice to Correct Deficiency” stage.

Question 3

What supervisory methods do you use to ensure that staff meets deadlines?

Answer 3

I determine what tasks are necessary to meet the deadline or deadlines and I delegate these tasks to employees, based on their skill sets.

Give ownership of the tasks to employees so they have vested interest in the outcome. They determine how best to perform the tasks.

• do my upmost to provide equip & training
• Make sure to monitor their progress, without micro-managing.
• Hold my staff accountable for completing tasks
• Example: meetings with Leads –
  
  • Given them charge of the majority of our programs and services
  • Talk about what is working and what is not
• When all these things are in place and good two-way communication exists, employees will do incredible things for the organization

Question 4

EEO Question - how do you ensure that your staff understands EEO; race, ethnicity, gender?

Answer 4

I would ensure that all supervisors, understand the following:

• Have a good knowlege of EEO policies, procedures, resources
• Use Job-related skills and experience only, in daily employment decisions
• Maintain a work environment free of discrimination
• Attempt to informally resolve any complaints
• Disseminate information to employees

Offering assistance in employee’s career development

Document personnel actions

1. The LADWP has a Zero Tolerance Policy Standard
2. EEO violations include sexual harassment, hazing. Equal Employment Opportunity means the right of all people to work, to be treated equally and fairly, and to advance on the basis of ability and potential – discrimination on the basis of race, sexual origin, ancestry, religion, gender, age marital status, medical condition or disability limitations
3. You should respect individual differences among LADWP employees and LADWP customers.
4. You have a responsibility to notify your immediate supervisor if you are a victim, or witness to any behavior deemed to be unacceptable in the workplace environment.
5. Diversity group demonst properly-applied EEO principals. Wk well together, respect 1 another, apprec different sk sets diverse brings.

Question 5

Name the following projects you worked on:

1. Required you to understand the DWP inner workings
2. Demonstrated your ability to effectively manage a major project and direct a team while addressing opposing views from internal and/or external sources.
3. Most challenging

Answer 5

1. MFTAP after higher institution asked for it
2. Started CITR program
3. Mandate to increase the number of projects in TAP by 5Xs in 3 fiscal years

Question 6

DWP Organization Question – tell us about a project you worked on that required you to understand the DWP inner workings. If you do not have direct experience, tell us how you would do it.

Answer 6

The direct experience I had in this was when I made some major changes to an in-house program with management and LADWP Board approval, to accommodate customers who were unsatisfied with the program at that time. The change, from start to finish, took 3.5 months. 2.5 years later we rebated over 23,500 Ultra High efficiency toilets for a savings of over 281,700,000 gpy.

• Large institutional customer told a LADWP Board member, that their proposed massive water conservation project stymied by current program terms
  
  • Wanted vendor install 4,000 high efficiency toilets and get paid directly.
• Current non-LADWP outside program did not allow a rebate for this type of project.
• Required an immediate response.
• Decided to use existing in-house program
• Several changes to be made and Board-approved before implementation started.
• Barriers had to be overcome before implementation:
  
  • Cost effectiveness barrier
    
    • My staff and I recommended cutting edge toilet technology, 0.8 gpf vs. 1.28 gpf was standard
  • Bureacratic barrier
    
    • to allow LADWP Board Hierarchy approval for my boss
  • Budget barrier:
    
    • Were able to take budget from an underachieving program and move it
  • My staff Leads and boss helped me write the resolution
  • The resolution was put on the Board’s calendar and was approved.
  • 4,415 UHETs were installed at this institutional customer and ther rest by other customers

Question 7

What factors should you consider before you discipline an employee?

Answer 7

Goal is for employee to overcome the behavior for which discipline is indicated and to develop a pathway to satisfactory performances.

Two-way street – requires involvement/engagement/willingness of employee and not progressive discipline is important for employee and organization.

Documentation throughout the process is critical.

Contact Employee Relations Office

Did I set a performance standard that most employees could meet?

Does the employee have ample training to meet the performance standard?

Must warn the employee and get his/her feedback?

• Progressive Discipline

Question 8

Implementing the disciplinary action.

Answer 8

1. Oral warning

• Give in private
  
  • one-on-one - super and employee- may want observer (witness)

super prepares personal reminder documentation

Written Notice

1. Use “Notice to Correct Deficiencies” - NTCD
2. explain what is expected in future and possible consequences
3. send copies of NTCD to business unit office and ERO - goes in employee’s personel file
4. Suspension or Discharge-Notice of Discharge, Suspension or Probationary Termination
5. Obtain approval and signature of appointing authority
6. give to employee personally
7. explain reasons what is now expected and what further disciplinary action might result
8. discharge notice served personally
9. certify that notice was served on employee and return to Personnel

Question 9

What is the most challenging project you have worked on?

Answer 9

The most challenging project I worked on was a mandate to increase the number of projects in a program by 5Xs in 3 fiscal years. Increase from average of 6 projects to 30. I met that goal and increased the projects to 53 in 3 years and the savings went from 33 MGY to over 100 MGY.

• To meet this goal, I saw my objectives for this assignment to be fourfold:
  
  • to satisfy internal and external customer concerns;
  • to increase customer acceptance of the program
  • to improve the customer experience;
  • to increase participation to 30 projects/year with my given staff and budget.
• Found out that my employees needed more training on projects
  • First, I developed and immediately implemented training programs
  • Second and at the same time as Step 1, I directed my staff and LADWP’s Public Affairs department to start a TAP marketing program.
  • Third, using the tools developed from training, I directed my staff to aggressively pursue projects through personal outreach with potential participants.
• Also had meetings with Premier Account Execs group to offer free water conservation audits for the large commercial customers they represented.
• Vendors are a great resource for selling technologies that customers can use for water conservation projects.
• Lastly, I found that giving my staff greater responsibility with projects led to increased job satisfaction.

Question 10

Describe your most relevant work experience that best demonstrates your ability to effectively manage a major project and direct a team while addressing opposing views from internal and/or external sources.

Answer 10

My team and I developed a new commercial landscape program while addressing opposing views from internal and external sources in 3 ½ months.

• LADWP had a residential turf removal program. It provided lower Commercial rebates,
• Strong opposition from landscape vendors, commercial customers who believed an inequity existed between the two types of rebates.
• Worked with my staff landscape experts and they determined that more water, on average, is used on commercial turf than residential. Helped justify a new program.
• My team and I put together a new program called the “Commercial/Industrial Drought Resistant Landscape Incentive Program” Board-approved fully implemented 3 ½ mnths
• The opposing forces seemed to be satisfied with the final program and quickly took advantage of it.

Question 11

A new program needs to be marketed. What would you do to market it?

Answer 11

The Marketing Tactics are the 4 P’s: Product, Price, Promotion, and Placement.

Product: an item that a customer demands

In our case is the water conservation equipment we are rebating/free

Price: this is the price a customer pays for a product

For a rebate must have it at a level that optimizes the participation

in our case it is the rebate we pay for the product such that the customer is reimbursed for the cost of the product and the installation.

Promotion: all methods of communication that marketing provides to the customer so that he/she will buy the product

Placement (Distribution): providing product at place which is customer convenient.

Question 12

How do you overcome resistance from employees and other and implement change?

Answer 12

Recognize and respond to employees’ feelings

Keep employees informed about changes, being realistic but emphasizing benefits

Give employees opportunities to ask questions about change

Implement change by building on successes – communicate successes as they occur

Set reasonable deadlines

Involve employees first that are not likely to be enthusiastic about the change.

• Example: Was working on making substantial changes (2) in-house programs
  
  • Both of the programs administration duties will be moved to an outside contractor.
  • The reasoning behind that we will receive more financial support from the Metropolitan Water District since they hired the outside contractor
  • Therefore we will spend less money per rebate which means we can do many more rebates for the same expenditures
  • My employees may see this as taking their work away
  • I will let them know the reasons for making these changes and that this will give them the freedom to work on other type of projects
  • Knew there would be some unenthusiastic employees so I had them take over some of the responsibilities in the transition

Question 13

Name the successful work habits for a manager.

Answer 13

1. Listen to what your management, employees and customers are telling you.
2. Be a role model
3. Blow Your Team’s Horn, Not Your Own
4. Focus on Your Team’s Strengths
5. Accentuating positive attributes of team members than by working on their weaknesses.
6. Having a passion for achievement and self-improvement.
7. Don’t Manage, Lead -Increasingly, people are both able and required to manage themselves.
8. Be yourself - don’t try to be someone else, if hired probably management must be satisfied with who you are
9. Delegate work to Supervisors and employees (in absence of Supervisor)
10. Appraise Supervisor performance
11. Understand budgeting well
12. Be a creative program designer
13. Understand budgeting well

Question 14

As a manager how would you handle a Sexual Harassment complaint?

Answer 14

• Take prompt action
• Be a neutral and thorough fact finder
• Check personnel records
• Document investigation
• Make a good faith determination
• Do not withhold information/make false representations/effort relieve employer of liability

The Department’s Policy

• Prohibit all forms of harassment
• Protect against retaliation
• Offer accessible avenues of complaint
• Train employees/supervisors on the law
• Ensure confidentiality to the extent possible
• Provide a thorough and prompt investigation
• Ensure that prompt and appropriate corrective action is taken

Deliberate or unwanted sexual advances, request for sexual favors and verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature when made a:

• Condition of employment
• Basis for employment decisions
• Interferes with work performance

Question 15

What is the Department’s ADA Policy?

Answer 15

1. Examine existing work situation
2. Reasonalbe accomodation
3. Meeting when they come back
4. What restrictions interfere with task
5. How soon must the task be completed
6. What are the budget and available resources
7. What is a specific or measurable goal
8. What skills and knowledge are required
9. Who among my available staff, has those skills and knowledge
10. Can I use this opportunity to develop an employee
11. What other kinds of support will be necessary
12. What are the progress checkpoints
13. What specific responsibilities will be transferred
14. Maintain successful ongoing communication
15. Feedback sessions

Question 16

How do you judge the success of a project?

Answer 16

Measured by:

1. Level of customer satisfaction
   
   • Being aware of Customer concerns by phone, emails, referrals from other employees, or anecdotally from employees
   • implement Customer satisfaction surveys
2. Meeting the stated goals
3. Promising feedback by upper management
4. Completing the project within budget
5. Completing the project on-time
6. Continual monitoring must be implemented

Question 17

What should your goals be when you are interviewing others for a position?

Answer 17

Selection Interviews goals:

1. LADWP’s goal is to provide equal employment opportunities through a selection process based solely on job-related skills, knowledge, abilities, and personal qualifications.
2. comply with City, State, and Federal regulations and guidelines of the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission
3. Maintain documentation that supports and explains the selection decision.

Question 18

Describe the steps for constructive discipline.

Answer 18

1. Responsibility for discipline lies w/employee’s immediate supervisor. Would be me if it was one of my supervisors
2. Policy must ensure uniformity of discipline
3. Hold a private conference w/employee. Often resolve the problem & give individual opportunity to correct before discipline
4. Recognition should be given to the employee who has received discipline and corrected. Equally important recognition be given to employee who does a job exceptionally well.
5. Primary goal of this disciplinary policy is to correct employee behavior or performance

DISCIPLINARY ACTION:

Conduct objective investigation

1. Objective is to get all available facts including/employee’s story

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1. Initiation: Initiated by the employee’s supervisor who should seek advice of ERO rep before such proceedings are begun.
2. Management Notification: Investigating supervisor should notify by confidential memorandum higher management levels,
3. Purpose of investigation:
   
   • Review written documentation-ex.: citizen complaints
   • Interviw other employees who may have knowlege of the incident
   • review performance standards of behavior involved. extent to which employee could reasonably bee expect to know and follow
   • Discuss findings and conclusions with employee
     
     • Interview should be private & informal
     • may include employee’s rep
     • super should avoid arguments-later shows unfair
     • super remain objective
     • super prepares memo of what occured in interv

Question 19

How do you make the decision on disiplinary actions?

Answer 19

Must consider the following:

1. Department policies, practices, and general standards of conduct.
2. Uniformity of past departmental disiplinary actions.
3. Reference to Guide to disciplinary Standards
4. Reference to the appropriate MOU for addt guidelines.

Question 20

What is the procedure for discharges or suspension?

Answer 20

Initiate the Skelly (predisicipline) procedure for discharge or suspension.

1. Show employee documents on which disciplinary action is based.
2. Employee may respond, orally or in writing
3. Not intended to
4. Give employee written notice of proposed action on Dept letterhead
5. be adversary proceeding.
6. Tell employee he/she has right to representation
7. The appointing authority or designee makes the decision to continue processing papers for suspension or discharge or not.

Question 21

When will the Emergency Water Conservation Plan terminate a phase?

Answer 21

When the LADWP reports an April 1 forcast of Owens Valley and Mono Basin Runoff >=110% of normal and MWDSC officially states that the sum of its Colorado River and State Water Project supplies exceeds 100% of projected demand- Mayor will recommend to City Council termination of a particular phase.

Question 22

Describe what you know about the purpose and definitions of the Emergency Water Conservation Plan of the City of Los Angeles?

Answer 22

Purpose of the mandatory water conservation plan is to minimize the effect of a shortage of water to the Customers of the City

• will significantly reduce the consumption of water over an extended period of time
• drip irrigation defined as form of irrigation in which water is delivered in drops directly to plants roots where no emitter produces more than 4 gph
• Even-numbers street addreses ending with 0,2,4,6,8 or 1/2 will use last whole number in address
• odd numbered means 1,3,5,7,9 and 1/2 will use last whole number
• Gray Water means a Customer’s second or subsequent use of water supplied by the Department on the Customer’s premises, such as use of laundry or bathing water for other purposes
• Large landscape area: 3 acres supporting a business necessity or public benefit uses such as - parks, golf courses, schools and cemeteries.
• Recycled water: means water which, as a result of treatment of wastewater, is suitable for a direct beneficial use or a controlled uses as approved by the California Department of Public Health.
• Sport’s field: means a public or private facility supporting a business necessity or public benefit use that provides turf areas as a playing surface for individual and team sports, and does not include a facility on a residential property

Question 23

Describe Phase 1 of the Emergency Water Plan for the City of Los Angeles.

Answer 23

Phase 1:

1. now hose used to wash paved surfaces; use of LADWP-approved water-conserving spray cleaning device shall not apply. Graffiti removal water-pressure devices are allowed.
2. must only clean, fill or maintain levels in decorative fountains, ponds, or lakes used for aethetic purposes unless recirculating
3. no restaruant, hotel, cafe, cafeteria shall serve drinking water unless expressly requested
4. No leaks allowed from pipe or fixture on customer premises.
5. no washing cars without self-closing nozzle water shut-off device.
6. No irrigating during periods of rain or within 48 hrs after measurable rain event.
7. No irrigating between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. Golf course greens and tees, professional Sports Field may be irrigated in order to maintain play areas.
8. All irrigatin of landscape limited to no more than 10 mins per watering station; (2) cycles of 15 mins day for rotors and multi-streams. Exempt is 4 gph or less drip and 14 gph or less micro-sprinklers.
9. No customer shall use water which allows excess or continuous water flow or runoff onto an adjoinging sidewalk, driveway, street, gutter or ditch.
10. No single pass cooling systems permitted
11. No installation of non-recirculating systems in conveyor car wash and new commercial laundry systems.
12. Hotels and motels shall provide guests with option of choosing not to have towels and linens laundered daily.
13. No large landscape areas shall have irrigation systems without rain sensors that shut-off the irrigation systems. Large Landscape Areas with approved weather-based irrigation controllers registered with the Dept are in compliance with this requirement

Question 24

Describe Phase 2 of the Emergency Water Plan for the City of Los Angeles.

Answer 24

1. Uses applicable to Phase 1 of this section should continue to be applicable, except as specifically provided below.
2. Odd addresses Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. Even addresses Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday.

• non-conserving nozzles - 8 minutes per day for total of 24 minutes
• conserving nozzles - 15 mins per cycle and up to 2 cycles per watering day for 90 mins/week

3. Upon written notice to the Dept, irrigation of Sports Fields may deviate from the

non-watering days to maintain playing areas and accomodate event schedules; however; customer must reduce their overall monthly use by the Dept Board adopted degree of shortage plus an additional 5 percent.

4. Large landscape may deviate from the watering days restriction if they meet the following:

• must have SWAT (Smart Water Application Technologies)- approved WBIC
• must reduce overall mnthly usage by addt 5% over Dept Board addoped degree shortage
• must use recycled water if available from the Department

5. Provisions above do not apply to drip-water supplying water to a food source or to hand-held hose watering of vegetation, if has shut-off device - not between 9 am and 4 pm

Question 25

Describe Phase 3 of the Emergency Water Plan for the City of Los Angeles.

Answer 25

1. Should Phase III be implemented, uses applicable to Phases I and II of this section shall continue to be applicable, except as specifically provided below.
2. Watering Days. Monday or Friday for odd-numbered street addresses,Sunday or Thursday for even-numbered street addresses.

• Non-conserving nozzles - no more than eight (8) minutes per watering day per station for a total of 16 minutes per week.
• Conserving nozzles (standard rotors and multi-stream rotary heads) - no more than fifteen (15) minutes per cycle and up to two (2) cycles per watering day per station for a total of 60 minutes per week

1. Recommend use of pool covers to decrease evaporation.
2. Recommend washing of vehicles at commercial car wash facilities.
3. irrigation of Sports Fields may deviate from the non-watering days to maintain play areas and accommodate event schedules;
4. Large landscape areas may deviate from non-watering days by:
   
   • must have WBIC
   • must reduce their overall monthly water use by the Dept Board-adopted degree of shortage plus an additional five percent from the Customer Baseline Water Usage within 30 days.
   • drip water and hand-held watering exempt but not 9-4 pm

Question 26

Anything you would like to add?

Answer 26

After working in the City for the past 27 years I have developed a technical skill set which I use to understand the needs of customers.

This is especially important in a City as diverse as Los Angeles.

I have learned that I am a very self-motivated person who requires minimal supervision.

Now I am ready and looking forward to taking this next step in management.

Thank you for this time today.

Question 27

What is the Department’s ADA Policy?

Answer 27

LADWP Policy for Disability Discrimination

1. DWP may not discriminate against an employee on the basis of disability
2. DWP may not refuse to reasonably accommodate the disability of an employee or applicant, without first engaging in a documented interactive process
3. Prompt action must be taken

Some of the applicable laws are below:

• Title I of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
• The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)
• City Policy

Involved in this during my Supervisorial time

An employee wanted to come back in after being out on disability: determined if he could meet the essential functions of his classification: He was allowed to come back because we could reasonably accommodate him.

Question 28

How do you assign work to your employees?

Answer 28

1. Examine existing work situation
2. What restrictions interfere with task
3. How soon must the task be completed
4. What are the budget and available resources
5. What is a specific or measurable goal
6. What skills and knowledge are required
7. Who among my available staff, has those skills and knowledge
8. Can I use this opportunity to develop an employee
9. What other kinds of support will be necessary
10. What are the progress checkpoints
11. What specific responsibilities will be

transferred

12. What level of authority will I be giving the

employee

13. Maintain successful ongoing communication
14. Feedback sessions

Question 29

What must good Managers be able to do well?

Answer 29

1. make good decisions
2. communicate well one-on-one and with groups of all sizes
3. motivate and train Supervisors and non-Supervisors when the Supervisor is out
4. Delegate work to Supervisors and employees (in absence of Supervisor)
5. plan projects and programs well
6. appraise Supervisor performance
7. deal with various specialists in other departments
8. Understand budgeting well
9. Be a creative program designer

Question 30

What are the seven tests of Just Cause for discipline?

Answer 30

1. Did immed super give notice
2. Is it reasonable? unacceptable behavior related to orderly, efficient run business; employer reasonalbly expect this performance
3. was investigation done?
4. Fair investigation
5. proof: substantial evidence gathered
6. equal treatment with other employees
7. penalty equal to the unsatisfactory behavior?

Question 31

What is the M-M-B act and what does it do?

What ocurred to strenthen Union/Management bond?

Answer 31

The Meyers-Milas-Brown Act - Granted municipal employees right to have Labor Unions and bargain contracts.

1995 LADWP had FSP (Focused Separation Program) to downsize. As result stronger relationship with IBEW ensued. Formed JLMC Joint Labor Management Committees-identify common problems and uses joint efforts to resolve them.

Question 32

How does a manager delegate responsibility to others?

Answer 32

1. Effective managers practice ownership
2. Focus on results, not methods.
3. These are the results we want, how are we going to get there?
4. Delegate tasks which will build on employee’s current capabilities.
5. Major tasks, team members write understanding of the task and results.
6. Must follow-up with team members.