A thought for the day…
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I ... I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
– Robert Frost (1874-1963) American poet
 IN THIS ISSUE
Notes from Mary Bogie
Acting Regional Administrator
Earlier this month we finalized our partnership with the Citizens League to engage our customers, employees, and communities in conversations about their experiences with the Metro Transit Police Department.
We announced this work as our community was reeling in the days following the murder of George Floyd. It’s one aspect of our commitment to bolder action on racial equity and more directly addressing its impacts on our region.
This work examining the Metro Transit police will necessarily be about reviewing the department’s policies, procedures, and relationships with other agencies. But we wanted to start by taking a long, deep look at how people feel about safety on our system and what that means from multiple perspectives.
That work will take place over the next eight months. And though the Metro Transit Police Department will continue to implement elements of community policing that began shortly after the appointment of Chief Eddie Frizell, we’re going to wait for recommendations and feedback from our stakeholders to consider additional changes.
We want to intentionally center our customers and our communities in this process. They will be leading the way as we examine what safety really means for our operators, our customers, our neighbors in community, the youth riding our system, and leaders.
You’ll note that employees are a critical component of this process. We’ll be working with the team from the Citizens League to find spaces to engage you as the project moves forward. We’ll be using these newsletters, MetNet, and our public website in the coming weeks to communicate opportunities for engagement.
I want to especially thank those of you who have submitted feedback related to the Met Council’s anti-racism and equity work. Your feedback has been invaluable to setting the table for our leaders to establish priorities for this work in the coming years, and to also prioritize your time in addressing concerns in the region.
Please continue to send ideas to the anti-racism feedback form – including ways we can gather staff together moving forward and provide additional resources for learning. The Met Council’s Executive Team has been reviewing the feedback to establish plans for our work. We will be creating a way to communicate progress with you soon, as this conversation continues to evolve.
In addition, the Council members will be revisiting the goals they established late last fall, that we had just begun to dig into this year when the pandemic hit. The Council members will discuss and review these goals at the Oct. 7 Committee of the Whole meeting. We’re expecting to create more measurable outcomes from that conversation, so we can measure and report progress toward all the issues, but particularly the critical equity issues raised among our Council members and many of you.
We’ll be measuring the success of these efforts through the outcomes we are able to achieve. A few weeks ago, Chair Charlie Zelle mentioned that he wants to create a “cadence of accountability,” a regular rhythm of information and progress reports toward these expected outcomes. The coming weeks will provide the beginnings of this cadence, but we anticipate it will continue into 2021, in conjunction with our examination of transit safety and conversations about our budget with the Legislature.
We welcome your involvement in that process as it unfolds. Thank you for your commitment to assuring our work not only supports more prosperity in our region, but also actively breaks down barriers that impede prosperity.
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Open Enrollment begins in about a month, and it’s not too early to think about your options. Health plan. Dental plan. Flexible spending account. Vision plan. Supplemental life insurance.
Then make your selections during Open Enrollment, Monday, Nov. 2, through Friday, Nov. 20.
- You can choose to keep your current medical or vision plan or choose another.
- You can add or subtract yourself or family members from the medical, dental and vision plans.
- You can enroll in one or more flexible spending accounts (FSAs) with pre-tax dollars – for health care that’s not covered by your plan, dependent care, and work-related parking costs.
Look for an Open Enrollment packet in your home mailbox about mid-October. You’ll get a separate packet of enrollment instructions just before Open Enrollment starts.
More information about the health plan at:
Health Plan Basics – definitions and general information (8 min.)
Health Plan Specifics – information on each medical plan and tips on how to choose a medical plan (16 min.)
Due to COVID-19, Benefits staff will be offering online information sessions and will be available for phone calls. There will not be in-person/face-to-face benefits fairs this year.
More information to come about online sessions.
Two new internal systems will streamline processes for policies and reporting
Next month, the Met Council will roll out two new, online tools to help with internal processes: Policy Central and EthicsPoint.
Policy Central, launching Oct. 12, will be the new program for managing our library of policies and procedures, making it easy for employees to find, browse, and read favorite Met Council policies and procedures. All policies and procedures will be migrated over from their current home on MetNet to the new Policy Central library. With the new tool, the Met Council is also implementing streamlined and centralized processes for developing and reviewing our policies and procedures.
EthicsPoint will go live Oct. 26 and is another way for reporting suspected fraud, waste, abuse, or unethical conduct or violations of Met Council policy and procedure by Met Council employees.
Using the online form or by calling the EthicsPoint hotline, employees may make a report 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can choose to do so anonymously. After a report is filed, it will be promptly reviewed by Met Council staff whose job it is to investigate matters of wrongdoing and, if necessary, investigated or referred to the team with the appropriate subject matter expertise. With this new system, employees have a clear, safe, trusted place they can go to report their issues that is easily accessible online and over the phone. EthicsPoint will allow us as an organization to identify issues and stop them before they cause more harm, and it will enable the Met Council to follow up on issues more effectively and efficiently to support our employees.
Look for more details in The Wire when the systems launch in October.
Wondering how to make your documents more accessible? There’s now a staff resource page for that on MetNet.
The new resource is called the Accessibility Hub and offers several resources from both the Met Council and the Minnesota IT Services’ Office of Accessibility. These include quick cards for addressing common Microsoft Office accessibility issues, tips on making maps accessible, and a more detailed guide to making Met Council PowerPoint presentations accessible.
Currently, the resource emphasizes digital accessibility, but it will eventually expand to provide tips, best practices, and references to applicable laws and guidelines on a host of accessibility issues.
If you have suggestions for improving accessibility resources for staff, please contact Guthrie Byard, ADA & Title VI Administrator.
Orange Line transit station taking shape on I-35W over Lake Street
 Up above and down below
After years in planning and construction, the METRO Orange Line BRT transit station on I-35W over Lake Street in Minneapolis is taking shape. When it opens in late 2021, the station will provide access between Orange Line buses on the freeway and transit buses on Lake Street. On a recent site tour, Lake Street project manager Christina Morrison said the project is an important link in Metro Transit’s emerging 21st century regional transit network. Clockwise from the top, massive double arches tie the project together; work crews against a cloudy sky; Principal Project Coordinator Paul Lamb grabs a few photos of eye-catching waves on a concrete abutment; Transit staff on tour under the freeway; Christina Morrison (left) and BRT Projects Director Charles Carlson emerge from under the bridge. For more info, visit the Orange Line pages on MetroTransit.org.
Read on for updates on some of the recent and upcoming changes and trainings for Microsoft 365. If you have any questions about these or other Microsoft products, please email Enterprise Content Management (ECM).
Read full announcements for these and more on the MetNet home page.
SharePoint Designer 2010 workflows end-of-life notice
ECM is undergoing a review of all workflows built in SharePoint Designer 2010 this fall. (A workflow is an automated action that assists with work processes, like sending notification emails, updating items on SharePoint, or running off of forms submitted online.) Microsoft has notified its business customers that after Oct. 31, all SharePoint Designer 2010 workflows will no longer operate. Fortunately, Microsoft offers other solutions for rebuilding old 2010 workflows, and ECM has been helping business units upgrade their workflows to either SharePoint Designer 2013 or Power Automate.
This is a reminder to let ECM know (via email at ECM@metc.state.mn.us) if your work unit is still using 2010 workflows and needs assistance recreating them in a newer platform before the Oct. 31 deadline.
New Microsoft 365 Champions Team!
ECM has created an open Microsoft Team anyone can join to ask questions about the Microsoft productivity suite, share your knowledge with others, get tips and tricks, and learn more about the tools we have to help you reach more productive and successful outcomes. Click here to join the Microsoft 365 Champions Team!
Live training sessions are available in September, October, and November
Check out the available Microsoft training webinars on the ECM Microsoft Training Calendar. Trainings available include Introduction to Teams, Teams Meetings, Teams Live Events, Apps Integration (Forms, Planner, Stream, List), Best Practices for Team Owners, OneDrive & SharePoint with Teams, and Intro to Stream. You can also learn more about these tools and watch recorded trainings on the Collaboration Tools MetNet page.
Office 365 Planner
Did you know there is a way to organize your team’s tasks and easily track progress? Microsoft’s O365 Planner is a solution that offers a collaboration space to create, share, and monitor tasks. It is a flexible tool that integrates well with Microsoft Teams and allows file sharing. Go to the O365 Planner page on MetNet to learn more.
Cybersecurity reminds us to stay aware of potential online threats to our computer systems at work and home to avoid the mayhem they can cause.
With the theme “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart,” the national information and awareness campaign is led by the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, supported by the National Cyber Security Alliance, a national nonprofit organization.
"Any device that connects to the internet is vulnerable. The best defense is to keep your security software, web browser, and operating system up to date,” said Eirik Felter, the Met Council’s Technology Security Officer.
“It’s especially important at this time, now that more office work has moved to our homes,” he said.
Computers with internet access experience a near-constant rate of hacker attacks – every 39 seconds on average. These attacks, he said, affect one in three Americans every year.
“Phishing” is one kind of attack where deceptive emails and websites try to gather personal and business information. Eirik reminds staff that being aware and conscious about what comes through your email is the best defense against those threats.
During October, Eirik and Roger Knuteson, Process Computer Manager in Environmental Services, will host a number of informal virtual sessions on cybersecurity. Eirik and Roger will be available to answer general security questions from employees and discuss specific situations they encounter.
More cybersecurity facts:
- 46% of organizations infected with malware receive it through email.
- 95% of breached records occur in the government, retail, and technology sectors because of the massive volume of personal information they keep.
- 95% of cybersecurity breaches are due to a lack of human awareness.
- Reported cybercrimes have increased 300% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the FBI.
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 In memoriam
‘May all rubber chickens soar in honor of Tom!’
 Current and former Met Council staff are mourning the loss of former employee Tom Caswell, who passed away unexpectedly at home Sunday night.
Beloved by many, Caswell was a long-time employee – nearly 42 years beginning in 1970 shortly after graduating from college and ending with his retirement in May 2012.
Services have not been announced.
A legacy spanning 40 years
“Tom really ‘grew up’ with the Council, which had only been created a few years prior, in 1967,” said Community Development Director Lisa Barajas, who worked alongside Caswell in his last five years. “He was involved in variety of roles in the Council’s planning work. In fact, he was one of the Council’s very first Sector Representatives, a program initiated in the mid-1990s to provide a regular point of contact for local governments.
“He was well-respected in that role both inside and outside the Council. He’ll be missed by many,” she said.
As a Sector Rep with former planners Guy Peterson and Dick Thompson, Caswell was responsible for contacting cities in the metro area about local comprehensive plans and assisting with regional policy and environmental reviews.
Caswell always advocated for direct calling with the external “clients” through emails, phone calls, and frequent visits to local city and town halls, said Planning Analyst Patrick Boylan (at left, below, with lookalike Tom), mentored unofficially by Caswell in Boylan’s early years as a planner.
“Tom was always a patient listener to fellow technical reviewers in the Council as well as our partners in the planning field, including affiliated professionals around the seven-county metro area,” Boylan said.
Caswell’s work also included analyzing local plans for conformance to regional systems and consistency with Met Council policies. He also facilitated compatibility between various local jurisdictions and was involved with landfills and solid waste in the 1970s.
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Epic jokester
Perhaps for even more than his professional role, Caswell will be fondly remembered for his famous sense of humor and the epic jokes he played on unwitting staff.
There were countless pranks involving a rubber chicken – and then there was the life-sized whoopie cushion costume (must be seen to be believed!) – to say nothing of the endless “Caswellisms” (wild malaprops, essentially), and in the very old days perhaps some off-colored jokes.
“Tom always knew how to make people laugh!” Planning Analyst Freya Thamman said.
He loved to play cards with a noontime card gang in the Met Council lunchroom (literally for decades!) and was a bit of a card shark, some said; he also loved to golf and fish, not always at the same time.
It was the jokes more than anything that current and former staff recall below in their brief remembrances of a good man gone too soon.
Read a dozen staff rembrances of Tom Caswell on MetNet.
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Employees across the organization are doing their part to keep Met Council services and programs running at full steam despite the coronavirus and state lockdown. But we’re all in this together. To help share a little virtual camaraderie, we’re asking staff how their work has changed and what it’s like to serve during a pandemic.
Today we offer the rare case of a father and daughter who both are employed by the Met Council.
To share your story or suggest someone who is doing outstanding work, please email thewire@metc.state.mn.us.
Roger Janzig
Senior Planner
Environmental Services
How has the pandemic affected your day-to-day work?
I used to get up for work, get ready, and then drive to work. It probably took about 90 minutes. Now, since I have been working at home, I get up to fire up my workstation, start the coffee maker, and then start working. At the end of the day I sometimes make the mistake of not turning my workstation off, and then after eating dinner, I will notice that someone has emailed with a question. If it is an easy question to answer, I will reply.
When we were at the office, while working at my desk trying to concentrate while reviewing a Comprehensive Plan, sometimes there would be distractions. Usually someone stopping by my desk with a work question; however, it was still distracting. Comprehensive Plans can be anywhere from 100 to 4,000 pages long. I do not have those distractions working at home.
The open office environment is distracting in itself. When I first started working at the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission, before it merged with the Metropolitan Council, I actually had my own office with a door. If you needed to concentrate on something you were working on, you could just shut the door and no one would bother you.
What’s it like working through a pandemic?
I have actually become more efficient working at home. My job involves reviewing a lot of documents, which sometimes translates into working with a lot of paper. The documents I review – Comprehensive Plan Updates, Comprehensive Plan Amendments, Environmental Reviews, Alternative Urban Areawide Reviews, and Park and Trail Plans – can be anywhere from 20 to 4,000 pages long. Working at home I have learned to go entirely paperless. Instead of using paper to document the review comments I make, I now document my reviews electronically. Also, since I am spending a lot less time driving and getting ready, I can easily respond to a question after dinner.
How has your life changed outside of work?
I am in the high-risk group, so I have been pretty much hunkering down at home. It is scary how many people have already died from this pandemic, so far. I miss seeing the people I normally see at work. I also miss going out to dinner, going to movies, going to car shows, driving up to my favorite vacation spot to see my ocean (the North Shore), and once in a while maybe even going to a bar to socialize. Hopefully, by next summer we can go back to normal, whatever the new normal is.
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Toni Janzig
SAC Technician
Environmental Services
How has the pandemic affected your day-to-day work?
Working at home hasn’t really affected my day-to-day work much. My job duties are all done electronically, so the transition to work at home went very smooth for me. My work environment is fast paced and steady, and we have thankfully stayed busy throughout this entire time. One thing that has changed a bit is how our team communicates. Instead of talking over our cubes or popping into each other’s cubes, we have all adjusted very well to calling each other or using Teams to chat and video call.
I did have one new distraction: I realized how much one of my dogs barks during the day (which drove me bonkers while working).
Since I have been home, I was able to work on training, and she is no longer the annoying barking dog! The mail woman and the neighbors walking by probably appreciate this!
What’s it like working through a pandemic?
I am very grateful I have a career that has allowed me to work through the pandemic. My favorite change is that I no longer have to spend money on gas (or parking) and I save time not commuting to work. Although I do miss seeing all my amazing work friends (and dad, Roger Janzig) every day, especially my awesome lunch Tabata Crew! 😊
How has your life changed outside of work?
Outside of work my life has changed a bit. I have learned to appreciate my home so much more (since we stay home so much). I have completed many little projects that I may have pushed off if we weren’t home. I have my first vegetable garden, turned my deck gazebo into a great lounge area, and beefed up my house plant collection (I counted 42 separate pots in my house).
I learned that I am more social than I thought. I have found new ways and found a new appreciation for my typical outdoor activities to stay social and enjoy the beautiful Minnesota spring, summer, and fall! My family (Roger Janzig and others) are very close so we have continued to be safe and social during the pandemic. Zoom video calls, walks in neighborhoods and by the creek, creek tubing, Pilates zoom classes, and other small, outdoor social distancing have filled our free time during this pandemic.
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After a delayed start due to the pandemic, a small cohort of college students was brought on staff in June for the Met Council's summer intern program. They are now deeply engaged in work across the agency. Here we're introducing students to share their Met Council experience.
Abbie Mandler
SWLRT Civil Intern (Noise & Vibration)
Metro Transit
University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) – Civil Engineering
What is your current job assignment?
I am helping track progress on the two major SWLRT tunnels. I track construction observations and do site visits to make sure progress is steady and payment can be kept on track. I also check on the noise and vibration reports sent out to various companies along the alignment. This helps maintain healthy relationships with businesses impacted by the construction.
What are you learning?
I am learning a lot about how big projects are managed by looking at pay applications from contractors and tracking progress on construction sites. With noise and vibration being an impactful aspect of construction, I'm also learning about the importance of reaching out and staying in contact with other businesses to develop good working relations with them.
What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of your job?
My favorite thing is seeing all the details outlined in the plan sheets being built out in the field. I find it interesting to see all the steps and the troubleshooting it takes to decipher the plans and build the project. However, while it's fun to see all the details built, it's not as fun trying to find specific details in the plans when there is so much to look through.
What two or three new skills will you take forward?
I've learned a lot about reinforced concrete from watching concrete pours at the two major tunnels on the SWLRT project. I hope to bring this knowledge with me through the rest of my coursework, specifically to classes related to civil engineering materials and steel and concrete design. I've also gotten to spend a lot of time with the plans and specs, which has helped me learn to read these better. This is already helping me out in some of my coursework and surely will continue into the future as well.
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Zelle welcomes 'Blue Ribbon Committee' study of Met Council governance
In a new column on the Met Council website, Chair Charlie Zelle said he is looking forward to the governor's blue ribbon committee on Met Council governance. "By many measures, the Met Council’s work has been a great success, but we are always open to ways to do our work better," he writes. "The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Committee is taking a hard look at the Met Council. What works. What doesn’t. Where can we do better? The committee is a talented team of people who represent multiple regional perspectives: business, elected officials, nonprofits, and academia. They will step back and look at the big picture to consider what role the Met Council has played in the past, and then assess how it should move forward in the future. No idea is off the table."
Read the column on MetroCouncil.org.
Flu shots will be vital this year
Getting your seasonal flu shot this season will be especially important as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on. So even though the Met Council's on-site clinics ended Sept. 29, every employee is encouraged to make arrangements for a shot this fall. Employees can schedule a flu shot appointment at either of the Well@Work clinics (near Robert Street or at Heywood) or through your regular clinic or convenience clinics, where flu shots are free to anyone enrolled in a medical plan. Please contact Benefits@metc.state.mn.us if you have any questions.
Learn more about the Charitable Giving Campaign at a virtual info meeting, Oct. 23
You’ll have two opportunities next month to join a virtual meeting kicking off the Met Council’s 2020 Charitable Giving Campaign. Six representatives from the charitable federations will give brief updates about their charitable work – and you can ask questions. Also, Dorothy Maki will give a brief description of the ATU1005 Hardship Fund.
Friday, October 23
Two sessions: 10 – 11 a.m. and noon – 1 p.m.
Webex
Meeting number (access code): 146 347 0149
Meeting password: 3mqMkm55xVZ (36765655 from phones)
Questions? Email Julie Obedoza at Metro Transit or call 612-379-7525.
New to this year's campaign is a Met Council e-cookbook! All employees are invited to submit one or more favorite recipes using this template document through Oct. 9. Submissions will be compiled into a cookbook PDF that will be sent to employees when they email the committee a receipt confirming they made a donation of any amount to the campaign.
To submit your recipe, or if you have questions, email the Charitable Giving Campaign Committee.
The Charitable Giving Campaign will run from Oct. 23 through Nov. 13. For more information, visit the Charitable Giving page on MetNet.
MentoringWorks going virtual in 2021
Being a mentor or mentee can be a valuable experience in our professional lives. For the fourth year, we are offering the MentoringWorks Program; however, the 2021 program will be entirely virtual. It will look and feel different than previous ones, but it is still focused on fostering professional development through cross-division relationships and transfer of knowledge and skills.
Visit the MentoringWorks MetNet site to learn more about the program. Applications to become a mentor or mentee will open in December and will be accepted throughout 2021. Email MentoringWorks@metc.state.mn.us if you have any questions about the program.
September is Recovery Month
This month, the millions of Americans in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) celebrate their freedom from one of the most misunderstood medical conditions in the world today. Recovery is the ongoing support after rehab to help make healthy life changes like diet and exercise. Without resources for recovery, the chronic affliction of substance use disorder will likely return.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing a need to seek help for SUD, Sand Creek, the Met Council's employee assistance program, provides counseling and recovery services. To schedule a counseling session or other service, call Sand Creek at 1-888-243-5744 or fill out the intake form on their website, SandCreekEAP.com.
Webinar addresses de-escalation strategies for difficult encounters
Have you been confronted with a highly charged conversation? Are you feeling worn down and looking for some helpful tips and strategies? With the high level of stress in our country, some of our encounters are getting more difficult.
Flipping the switch: Self de-escalation strategies for difficult encounters
Thursday, Oct. 1
11:00 – 11:30 a.m. (live, then archived)
Join this webinar from Sand Creek to explore how you can manage your reactions to help you continue forward. Register here.
Virtual learning event Oct. 29 for military veterans, families, supporters
Save the date! The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) invites everyone to a virtual learning event next month for all those currently serving, veterans, prior service, families, caregivers, and supporters.
Experience 2020 (online learning event)
Thursday, Oct. 29
9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Drop in to learn about important resources and services available to you. Sessions last 55 and 25 minutes will address benefits, health, employment, education, training, finance, housing, mentoring/networking, and more. Presenters include government, community, and business organizations seeking to better serve Minnesota’s Military Connected.
For more info and to register, visit the E2020 registration site or the Minnesota Military & Veteran Exchange.
Hearty congratulations to the following employees who in October celebrate major milestones in their service to the Met Council. This recognition includes only Robert Street employees and Regional Administration employees working off-site. For recognition of Metro Transit and other Environmental Services employees, see Insights and ES Update, respectively. The information is shared when it is made available from Human Resources.
Years of Service
20 Years
Brian Klietz, Systems Engineer 3, Information Services
15 Years
Patrick Boylan, Planning Analyst, Community Development
Miriam Lopez-Rieth, Program Technical Specialist, Procurement
Deborah Manning, Asst. Mgr. Engineering Services, Environmental Services
5 Years
Diana O’Donnell, Applications Developer 4, Information Services
Abdiasis Osman, HRA Coordinator, Metro HRA
New Staff
Chor Ly, Sept. 8, Contracts Negotiator, Procurement
Rajan Nayar, Sept. 8, EO Consultant II, Office of Equal Opportunity
Marie Ozanne, Sept. 28, Principal Contract Administrator, Procurement
Departures
Ayan Ibrahim, Sept. 1, HRA Coordinator, Metro HRA
 Serene Scene
Photos by Chao Thao
Visiting the fabled Headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi is always memorable – especially for the very first time. “I had never been to Itasca State Park, where the Mississippi River starts; I had only seen it in photos and on YouTube,” said Principal Financial Analyst Chao Thao. “Now I can cross it off my bucket list after having actually been there in August, and having walked across the river. In these photos, I like the stillness of the water in the morning, especially after it had rained. I like shooting all types of photos like scenery, family gatherings, and events, particularly trying to capture the places I’ve been. I’m just an amateur with a Canon T5i (and Tamron 400mm lens), but it’s a lot of fun.” |
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The Wire is published every two weeks for employees of the Metropolitan Council. Everyone is invited to submit comments and story ideas. Contact the editor at thewire@metc.state.mn.us
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