County Construction Fence Turned Art Gallery

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Something new is celebrating something old at Cedar and Kettner. Large murals depicting Little Italy’s cultural history have been installed along a construction fence on the east side of some County property. You might be familiar with it. The property lies just outside the Cedar-Kettner employee parking garage.

The County and the Little Italy Association agreed to set up an art walk of sorts until the property is developed. Passersby can’t miss the colorful four-by-eight-foot-long murals. Each one features a caption describing the historic scene. Artist Elisabeth Sullivan prepared the drawings and made the art panels.

The art will remain on display until the site is turned over to a developer. The Little Italy Association will then relocate the panels to another part of the community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You’ll Love These PerkSpot Deals

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Have an extra sweet Valentine’s Day! Save on chocolates, flowers or even sparkly jewelry for your significant other. Through PerkSpot, you could save up to 50 percent off at Ghiradelli, Godiva, Shari’s Berries and find bountiful deals at 1-800-Flowers, FTD and other flower retailers

PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts through more than 400 service providers and retailers, from movie theaters to florists and jewelers. Go to SDCounty.PerkSpot.com and shop. If you are new, click on “Create an Account” to register.

Each month, one of the most popular PerkSpot deals will be highlighted on InSite. 

Probation Leadership Really 'Serves' Their Clients

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Probation leaders on the kitchen assembly line from left to right: Nikki Horton, operations support manager, Acting Division Chief Karna Lau, Division Chief Mindy MacCartney, and a St. Vincent de Paul volunteer on right. As part of the Probation Department’s recent Executive Leadership training, the team donned hair nets, aprons and plastic gloves and headed into two kitchens at St. Vincent de Paul’s Village to help serve hundreds of homeless and less fortunate people.

The outreach addressed part of the leadership branding initiative of service, commitment, and compassion, said Zory Rosario, Probation leadership trainer. To honor the slogan, the Probation Department looked into the community to find examples of service and decided to hold the training at St. Vincent de Paul Village because it is truly an inspiration of service and transforming lives, she said.

Probation leaders worked to prepare and serve lunch and drinks in the kitchen and also approached homeless people waiting at tables and offered to bring them their food.

Probation leaders worked to prepare and serve lunch and drinks in the kitchen and also approached homeless people waiting at tables and offered to bring them their food.

Probation leaders worked to prepare and serve lunch and drinks in the kitchen and also approached homeless people waiting at tables and offered to bring them their food.

Probation leaders worked to prepare and serve lunch and drinks in the kitchen and also approached homeless people waiting at tables and offered to bring them their food.

Probation leaders worked to prepare and serve lunch and drinks in the kitchen and also approached homeless people waiting at tables and offered to bring them their food.

Probation leaders worked to prepare and serve lunch and drinks in the kitchen and also approached homeless people waiting at tables and offered to bring them their food.

Probation leaders worked to prepare and serve lunch and drinks in the kitchen and also approached homeless people waiting at tables and offered to bring them their food.

Probation leaders worked to prepare and serve lunch and drinks in the kitchen and also approached homeless people waiting at tables and offered to bring them their food.

Probation Chief Adolfo Gonzales and Marc Regier, policy advisor, carry lunch trays to people sitting in the cafeteria. In the background (L to R) Deputy Chief Scott Huizar, Division Chief Denise Huffhines, Nikki Horton, support manager, and Deputy Chief Lorraine Fernandez help serve food.Probation Chief Adolfo Gonzales said some of them had mobility issues and couldn’t stand long and others had dogs with them and were not permitted to approach the kitchen. So, he took their “orders,” got in line behind other people waiting, and returned with trays of food and drinks.

By 12:30 p.m., the group of about 25 Probation leaders had served more than 1,000 people --from families involved in the village programs to people off the street who lined up for a meal.

Gonzales said his staff were at St. Vincent de Paul’s Village as part of a planning workshop and took a break to help out.

“We wanted to give back to the community as part of an overall community engagement initiative that we’re doing. And we volunteered today to feed the homeless here at Father Joe’s Village. Some of the homeless people, veterans and others, some of them are our clients. So we want to make sure they understand that we support them and that we care about our community,” said Gonzales.

Other leaders, including Geoff Twitchell, director of treatment and clinical services, said, “The experience today is great, but it really is humbling. It brings you back to why you really do this work: to help people, and it’s nice to be able to connect with that again. It’s amazing how many people you can help when it’s coordinated.”

Helping out on the cafeteria line, Probation Deputy Chief Lorraine Fernandez agreed with the sentiment.

Gonzales said his staff were at St. Vincent de Paul’s Village as part of a planning workshop and took a break to help out.

“We wanted to give back to the community as part of an overall community engagement initiative that we’re doing. And we volunteered today to feed the homeless here at Father Joe’s Village. Some of the homeless people, veterans and others, some of them are our clients. So we want to make sure they understand that we support them and that we care about our community,” said Gonzales.

Other leaders, including Geoff Twitchell, director of treatment and clinical services, said, “The experience today is great, but it really is humbling. It brings you back to why you really do this work: to help people, and it’s nice to be able to connect with that again. It’s amazing how many people you can help when it’s coordinated.”

Helping out on the cafeteria line, Probation Deputy Chief Lorraine Fernandez agreed with the sentiment.

Gonzales said his staff were at St. Vincent de Paul’s Village as part of a planning workshop and took a break to help out.

“We wanted to give back to the community as part of an overall community engagement initiative that we’re doing. And we volunteered today to feed the homeless here at Father Joe’s Village. Some of the homeless people, veterans and others, some of them are our clients. So we want to make sure they understand that we support them and that we care about our community,” said Gonzales.

Other leaders, including Geoff Twitchell, director of treatment and clinical services, said, “The experience today is great, but it really is humbling. It brings you back to why you really do this work: to help people, and it’s nice to be able to connect with that again. It’s amazing how many people you can help when it’s coordinated.”

Helping out on the cafeteria line, Probation Deputy Chief Lorraine Fernandez agreed with the sentiment.

Gonzales said his staff were at St. Vincent de Paul’s Village as part of a planning workshop and took a break to help out.

“We wanted to give back to the community as part of an overall community engagement initiative that we’re doing. And we volunteered today to feed the homeless here at Father Joe’s Village. Some of the homeless people, veterans and others, some of them are our clients. So we want to make sure they understand that we support them and that we care about our community,” said Gonzales.

Other leaders, including Geoff Twitchell, director of treatment and clinical services, said, “The experience today is great, but it really is humbling. It brings you back to why you really do this work: to help people, and it’s nice to be able to connect with that again. It’s amazing how many people you can help when it’s coordinated.”

Helping out on the cafeteria line, Probation Deputy Chief Lorraine Fernandez agreed with the sentiment.

Gonzales said his staff were at St. Vincent de Paul’s Village as part of a planning workshop and took a break to help out.

“We wanted to give back to the community as part of an overall community engagement initiative that we’re doing. And we volunteered today to feed the homeless here at Father Joe’s Village. Some of the homeless people, veterans and others, some of them are our clients. So we want to make sure they understand that we support them and that we care about our community,” said Gonzales.

Other leaders, including Geoff Twitchell, director of treatment and clinical services, said, “The experience today is great, but it really is humbling. It brings you back to why you really do this work: to help people, and it’s nice to be able to connect with that again. It’s amazing how many people you can help when it’s coordinated.”

Helping out on the cafeteria line, Probation Deputy Chief Lorraine Fernandez agreed with the sentiment.

Gonzales said his staff were at St. Vincent de Paul’s Village as part of a planning workshop and took a break to help out.

“We wanted to give back to the community as part of an overall community engagement initiative that we’re doing. And we volunteered today to feed the homeless here at Father Joe’s Village. Some of the homeless people, veterans and others, some of them are our clients. So we want to make sure they understand that we support them and that we care about our community,” said Gonzales.

Other leaders, including Geoff Twitchell, director of treatment and clinical services, said, “The experience today is great, but it really is humbling. It brings you back to why you really do this work: to help people, and it’s nice to be able to connect with that again. It’s amazing how many people you can help when it’s coordinated.”

Helping out on the cafeteria line, Probation Deputy Chief Lorraine Fernandez agreed with the sentiment.

Division Chief Noel Susi and Deputy Chief Lorraine Fernandez filled up trays for homeless people at St. Vincent de Paul Village. Nikki Horton, support manager looks out from behind the counter in the background.“I’ve volunteered before but never serving the homeless, and it’s a very humbling experience. It really helps us to understand our homeless population as a lot of our clients are homeless,” she said. “Just to see that there are all walks of life and services like these and volunteers are critical to helping our community.”

Three Who've Won Our HEART

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It’s that month when we give special attention to matters of the heart. So it seems a good time for me to turn to matters of HEART.

When we launched our Customer Experience Initiative a few years ago, one of the key elements was making sure we prominently recognize exceptional customer service. InSite features kudos in the Positive Experiences section. Departments have a variety of ways they celebrate customer service achievements. Executives recognize employees in their quarterly updates with me.     

I also wanted once a year to note a few exemplary cases of customer service. We came up with what we called the HEART of Service Award. We recently announced three winners for last year. There are numerous instances to choose from, but here are the ones that really struck me.

Probation Youth Running Club

For some juveniles in detention, the path to a better future is a running path.

They’ve joined an innovative program called the Probation Youth Running Club. They train at their detention facilities, but some have gotten so into it they take part in local half-marathons and other competitions. Families come on race day to greet the runners at the finish line, and they all celebrate together with Probation officers, teachers, and others supporting the juveniles. 

The club gives these young people not just physical activity, but a sense of achievement and a positive connection with the community. It’s so heartwarming to meet these young people and see how their enthusiasm for the sport feeds a desire to get their lives headed in the right direction. 

The program is part of a dramatic shift in Probation’s approach to juvenile justice. The staff has come up with a variety of creative ways to get those under their supervision focused on opportunities for self-improvement. A big part of that is using the same HEART principles we’d use for other customers, like Respect. The youths benefit, and when they stay out of trouble, we all benefit. Read more about the Running Club

Animal Services Volunteer Program

We couldn’t do what we do without the incredible network of volunteers offering their time in support of numerous County services. Remember that while volunteers are helping us, they are also our customers, and we want them to have a rewarding experience.

Animal Services set out on an ambitious plan to revamp its volunteer program. The goals overall included better communication, tighter procedures and improved training for the volunteers. A team at the department came up with – and implemented – a long list of activities and changes to reach those goals.

The result: a program that better serves those participating, the people they serve, and of course, the animals. (They’re our customers, too!)

Public Defender Specialty Collaborative Courts

Many of the Public Defender’s clients suffer from addiction or mental illness, and sometimes both. The department has come up with a variety of programs, called “courts,” to steer clients to treatment plans so they can move out of the criminal justice system.

The programs are run by the Specialty Collaborative Courts division, whose members work closely with the District Attorney’s Office, Probation and the Courts. (See stories about two of the courts here and here.)   

The attorneys in this unit strike a balance between traditional defense – trying to get the least penalty possible – and encouraging the clients to embrace and accept the help they are being offered. It’s all about looking beyond the requirements of their jobs to what the client really needs. That’s the essence of exceptional customer service.

One thing all three of these recipients have in common is that the people they’re serving may not be who you’d traditionally consider customers. We’ve emphasized with our Customer Experience Initiative the need to think as broadly as possible about who our customers are. For example, they include our colleagues at the County.

In the same way we’ve stretched the definition, we also need to keep stretching our level of service. These three award winners have done that, and I hope by highlighting their achievements, everyone is inspired to take the customer experience to new heights.  

♥ ♥ ♥

On another heart note, I encourage everyone to take part in this year’s Love Your Heart blood pressure screening event. It takes place Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, and dozens of County worksites will offer the screenings. Take a few minutes to know your numbers and help us make this year’s event the biggest ever. 

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CECO Seeking Self-Nomination for Officers, Executive Committee Members

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The County Employees’ Charitable Organization is seeking passionate and highly motivated individuals who want to volunteer their time, talent, and efforts to serve on the CECO Executive Committee as either an officer or as a member at large.

All self-nominations and candidacy statements must be submitted to sdceco@sdcounty.ca.gov no later than Monday, Feb. 12. The Board of Directors will vote the week of Feb. 19.

CECO raises funds from donations by County employees and gives the money to local non-profits and employees in crisis. Last year it distributed nearly $179,000.

Open Positions (must be a current County employee except where indicated):

  • President

  • Vice President

  • Secretary

  • Treasurer (2 positions available)

  • Member at Large (3 positions available)

  • Member at Large – Retiree (1 position available)

General Requirements:

  1. Must be a member of CECO. Membership is obtained by contributing to CECO by way of a biweekly payroll deduction, retirement deduction, or one-time annual donation of at least $52. View membership instructions online.

  2. Able to serve a two-year term in a volunteer capacity. The two-year term will commence on April 1, 2018 and conclude on March 31, 2020.

  3. Able to fulfill the duties of the position in a volunteer capacity.

    1. President – oversight and management of the organization; works closely with the Officers, Executive Committee and Committee Chairs to ensure that CECO accomplishes its mission and goals by leveraging volunteer resources, and County and community partners.

    2. Vice President – works closely with the president in the oversight and management of the organization; assumes the duties and responsibilities of the President in the President’s absence or inability to function.

    3. Secretary – provides administrative support to ensure that meeting minutes and other records and documents are properly recorded and maintained.

    4. Treasurer – responsible for the proper accounting and reporting of CECO funds and ensuring compliance with U.S. Treasury Internal Revenue Service and the California State Franchise Tax Board tax exemption requirements to include preparing and submitting annual non-profit tax forms as required.

    5. At-Large Members – assists the Officers as needed with operational activities; active participation in establishing policies, management, and direction of the affairs of CECO.

Also, board members generally serve on various committees throughout the year as needed.

For additional information about the positions, please see the CECO Bylaws. 

Candidacy Statements:

Please include the following in your self-nomination candidacy statement:

  • Name

  • Department

  • Classification

  • Years of County Service

  • Candidacy Statement (1-3 paragraphs)

If you have any questions, please contact CECO President Mavette Sadile.

County Employees Up Early to Count

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Hundreds of County employees started their Friday in the very early morning hours to participate in the annual Point-in-Time Count. Volunteers fanned out in assigned areas across the region to look for and tally people experiencing homelessness.  

Among them were members of employee resource group CSDFEA, or County of San Diego Filipino-American Employees' Association. It's the group’s annual tradition.

"It's our way of supporting... not only the County, but the community," said Ardee Apostol, CSDFEA member and HHSA employee.

Follow along in the video above with three members of the group as they counted in the early morning.

The count gives a snapshot in time of the number of homeless people. The numbers help the region apply for federal funding and identify solutions on how to best serve this at-risk population.

Did you participate in the Point-in-Time-Count? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

Check Your Paycheck: New Tax Law In Effect

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The new federal tax law passed last month may affect your paycheck. Changes from the new law have gone into effect at the County and you may notice a difference in your net pay starting on the Jan. 26 paycheck. The paystubs are online now and you should review yours in PeopleSoft Employee Self Service.

The County Auditor and Controller has prepared this 2018 Tax Law recap, including information about W-4 withholding. There is also information about additional 2018 Tax Changes. You may seek advice from your tax preparer or tax advisor about the impacts of the new law.

For more information, visit the IRS Withholding Tables FAQs.

W-2 Forms Are Coming Soon

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Be on the lookout for important documents in your home mailbox. Central Payroll Administration will mail out 2017 W-2 forms by Jan. 31. You can also obtain a duplicate copy of your W-2 on PeopleSoft Employee Self Service starting Jan. 31.

If you have additional questions:

  • View the complete list of FAQs with answers here.

  • View a demo showing how to calculate W-2 totals here.

Visit Central Payroll’s InSite page for more information.