February was a challenging yet successful month as we faced severe weather threats with the winter storm. I'm proud of everyone and every department's effort in working together to ensure the safety of our community while also providing the same outstanding level of service to our residents. In addition, this month also included the annual Strategic Planning Session between the Town Council and Town leadership. For those who aren't familiar with this process, strategic planning can be defined as a systematic process by which each department within the Town anticipates and plans for its future to ensure goals set by the Town Council are met. The way we plan is by working collaboratively with the Town Council on their vision and then working with management staff to set expectations and produce a plan to achieve the Town Council's goals. The plan is then funded by Council through the budget process and implemented by all of you working together to make the plan a reality. I'm very proud of the collaboration demonstrated between the Town Council and management staff in making this annual Strategic Planning Session so successful. This plan will continue to be essential for us to grow and thrive as a community now and into the future.

Sincerely,

Harlan Jefferson

The Communication and Community Engagement division held its first Prosper Citizens Academy class on Tuesday, February 28 at Town Hall. Participants got an introduction from the leaders of the program, Executive Director of Community Services Robyn Battle and Community Engagement Specialist Haley Alsabrook. Following the introduction, the class got the opportunity to learn about the role of the Town Council, Town Manager, Town Secretary, Human Resources and I.T. departments. This 9-week class is open to 20 Prosper residents and is held from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday from February 28 - April 28. The next class will be held on March 3 where they will learn more about Public Works and Engineering.

In acknowledgment of Employee Appreciation Day and to show our thanks, the Town would like to treat all members of team Prosper to a free lunch. Head on over to Town Hall on Thursday, March 3 and pick up some tacos at the Cinco Taco food truck from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Thank you for all you do for our community!

In continuation with our commitment to keeping employees safe, the Town purchased at-home COVID-19 test kits that will be distributed to employees. Each employee will be provided with four (4) test kits that can be used for themselves or members of their household if needed. Employees with more than four household members may stop by HR to pick up additional tests. We encourage employees to social distance, wash hands frequently, wear a mask, and work remotely if available, to limit the spread of coronavirus. If you are ill, please stay home and utilize the Town-provided test kits to help you determine if you need to quarantine due to COVID-19. Please contact Human Resources if you have any questions.

Ever wonder what it would be like to lose weight and have more energy? WondrHealth is a science-based, online weight loss program available at NO COST to employees enrolled on the Town’s medical plan. This program is designed to help you change how you eat instead of what you eat. You will learn how to:

Space is limited! Learn more at wondrhealth.com/prospertx. For more information, please contact Human Resources.

In the latest episode of Prosper Works, Town Manager Harlan Jefferson visits with Utility Billing Coordinator Marsa Wages and Water Education Coordinator Tristan Cisco to learn more about trash, recycling and bulk collection. Watch to learn more about what goes in the trash cart and what goes in the recycling cart along with information about how, where and when you can put out or drop off your bulky waste.

On February 11, the community was invited to attend a special groundbreaking ceremony on the site of where the new Central Fire Station will sit. Those in attendance got to hear from Mayor Ray Smith, Town Manager Harlan Jefferson, Prosper Fire Rescue Chief Stuart Blasingame and representatives from Pogue Construction and BRW Architects Inc. The site will remain under construction for the next several months and the building is expected to go vertical as early as the end of June or the beginning of July. Watch this video and view the media release to learn more.

The Parks and Recreation team worked together to host yet another successful Prosper Fishing Derby at Frontier Park. Watch the recap video of all the fun that was had on February 19.

On February 17 at 6:45 p.m. Water Quality Technician James Schaftenaar took an after-hours call from a teenage resident who accidentally dropped her phone down into a storm drain inlet outside her home. After the resident explained to him what had happened, James volunteered to come help her get it out of the drain. Within 15 minutes James arrived and was able to get the resident's phone out with no problem. The resident went on to say "As a teenager, you must know that my entire life is on my phone and I am forever grateful for James and what he did. I am very glad you have an after-hours number." Thank you James for going above and beyond to help our residents.

Prosper Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Shaw Eft and Water Quality Coordinator Tristan Cisco teamed up to help the Communications Manager Todd Rice and Communication Specialist Karolyn Koons film a how-to video and public service announcement to easily help residents know how to turn off the water in and around their home. This timely information was produced and released just before the big winter storms rolled in. This multi-departmental video collaboration was a great example of teamwork. Tristan Cisco even worked with a new home builder to allow the team access to a model home to film this important video. The photo on the left is a behind-the-scenes look of that filming. Watch the Cold Weather Tips for your Home and How to Shut Off Your Irrigation System. Thank you to everyone involved!

Health & Code Compliance Supervisor Mary Branch was presented a THRIVES coin after receiving a nice compliment from a food truck vendor that needed help with permitting. Mary went above and beyond to assist this food truck vendor who was new to the annual permitting process. Mary took the time to answer all her questions and educate her on our Mobile Permitting processes.

Public Works Utility Worker John Jackson went above and beyond to help a resident troubleshoot where a leak was coming from at the residence. The resident was so impressed they sent an email to his supervisor which said "Thank you for sending John out this morning. Super nice guy!" It's going the extra mile to help residents like this one that makes everyone Prosper proud.

Congratulations to our front-line Customer Service Team of Development Services for earning THRIVES coins! With the Omicron surge, being down a permit technician and with the series of project meetings for EnerGov implementation (their new permitting software program), time was definitely not on their side at the start of 2022. However, these wonderful Permit Technicians rose to the challenge. They went above and beyond to get the job done which meant staying late, coming in early and taking initiative where it was needed. Permit Tech Manager Michelle White said, this about her team (Toni Crawford, Lynn Cunningham and Debra Padilla): “I am extremely honored to have such a great group of ladies. They are an excellent example of a team!” Development Services Director Khara Dodds added: "Although Michelle White is humble, I must say she provides a great example of leadership for these lovely ladies and is no stranger to “getting the job done."  Michelle also shared how Administrative Assistant Melissa Urteaga is always willing to pitch in where needed. This month, Melissa stepped in and ran time-sensitive reports freeing up staff members to work on EnerGov. It's also important to note that during a Town Council meeting, their front-line staff received a big KUDOS from the Town Council for their great service to our Town. Way to go!

I.T. would like to introduce everyone to a new feature in Outlook that can help with scheduling meetings where there are multiple attendees (including both Town staff and external users). It’s called FindTime and our own Senior GIS Analyst Jordan Carmona put together a brief walk-through video for any of you who would benefit from using it. You can watch the video at https://vimeo.com/679304514/ff37714e72

There is also a helpdesk knowledgebase article he posted about the tool which you can find here. A special thanks to Jordan for putting this together to make it easier for us all to stay connected.

As a reminder, please reach out to the CPI team if your department has a current process in mind that you would like to see improved. It could something as simple as organizing team workstations or improving customer experiences with the town. Send your ideas to cpi@prospertx.govand a coach will reach out to assist you.

Congratulations to Betty Pamplin on recently becoming a Certified Government Finance Officer! The Government Finance Officers Association of Texas (GFOAT) tagged Betty and the Town on a recent Facebook post congratulating her on this big achievement. The GFOAT's mission is to enhance the quality of local government finance, to assist and support local government finance professionals in Texas and to promote the public service profession. GFOAT is an affiliate organization of the Texas Municipal League (TML), which represents some 98% of Texas’ urban population through its 1,100 member cities and towns.

Congratulations to Community Engagement Specialist Haley Alsabrook on being a winter 2021 awardee of the Local Government Early Career Service Certificate. This certificate, launched in May 2019, is for graduating MPA/MPP students who have completed extensive projects for local governments. It also recognizes graduating students in good academic standing who have gone above and beyond the requirements of their degree programs and displayed a commitment to local government service. Students receive the certificate based on nominations submitted by their ICMA Student Chapter faculty advisors at the end of each academic semester. For the Fall 2021 semester, Haley's group was nominated after developing a revenue manual for the City of Duncanville’s City Manager. Haley graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in December 2019 with a B.A. in communications, double majoring in advertising and public relations. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a Master of Public Affairs degree, with an emphasis in Local Government Management. Read more on the ICMA website.

Code Compliance Supervisor Melissa Govea recently attended the CEAT (Code Enforcement Association of Texas) Conference in Laredo, Texas where she earned CEU credits. During the Conference, Melissa was appointed as CEAT’s 2nd VP. The role of the 2nd VP is to provide the proper education, certification and training for all Code Enforcement Officers in the State of Texas. Melissa will be serving in this position for the next three (3) years. This is an outstanding accomplishment. Congratulations to Melissa on an amazing job!

Congratulations to Building Inspectors Ty Goplin and Matt Pastore for becoming among the State’s newest plumbing inspectors! They both passed their plumbing exams and have officially received their licenses. This is a big accomplishment for themselves and for their team. Receiving this license adds to their own professional credentials and helps their team in a big way as the plumbing license now qualifies them to take on more advanced inspection projects. Additionally, this is also a very difficult exam both in terms of the subject matter and the manner in which the exam is structured.

Code Compliance Officer Trish Eller and her wife Camilla went on an unforgettable trip to Riviera Maya the beginning of February. While there, they stayed at the Hard Rock Café and attended Brandy Carlile’s “Women Want a Weekend” where Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker, Cheryl Crow and the Indigo Girls performed. While everyone in Texas was skating on ice during the winter storm, they enjoyed beautiful weather in the 80's. Trish was also thankful for the beach blanket given to her for Christmas from the HR department which came in hand while they were on the beach and at the concerts. They also came across lots of Iguanas on the path they walked to breakfast each day they were there.

Work Anniversaries

Birthdays

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