> BILL SCAM ALERT - September 2009 !
JCW co-sponsored Feed the Need campaign sets new record
Jack Clegg and John O’Neil, co-chairmen of the record-setting 2009 Feed the Need campaign, are finalists in the 16th Annual Soup-er Bowl, a program that recognizes individuals and organizations helping the hungry in the Greater Kansas City area.
They will be featured Thanksgiving evening (Thursday) between 6:30 and 7 p.m. on Channel 9, KMBC, as part of a feature drawing attention to the Soup-er Bowl and local efforts to ensure food is available to families and households in need.
Clegg, director of the Johnson County Information Technology Services, and O’Neil, general manager at Johnson County Wastewater, were nominated for the recognition by Stevie Morris,Community Social Services manager at the Spring Hill Multi-Service Center.
Both of the Feed the Need campaign co-chairmen are reluctant about being singled out for the recognition, preferring that the Feed the Need program and Johnson County as an organization receive the recognition.
“We will accept on behalf of the county, the Board of County Commissioners for supporting the program, Human Services staff, Feed the Need reps, and all Johnson County employees,” O’Neil said.
Clegg agreed. “It’s not our success. Feed the Need is successful because of the firm commitment and generous support by everyone in County Government,” he added.
Morris nominated the Feed the Need program for the Soup-er Bowl award in 2008 and again this year, but the nominations were not accepted because the Soup-er Bowl program recognizes individuals or organizations, not programs or campaigns in the fight against hunger. In that light, she nominated the county’s 2009 campaign co-chairmen for recognition. That nomination was accepted.
“Once again Johnson County employees outdid themselves … As a service provider, I am impressed with the passion and commitment of these two gentlemen and their interdepartmental teams. It makes me very proud to be a part of such a wonderful organization that cares about the quality of people’s lives. I am also impressed that Feed the Need goes to all of the pantries that are not affiliated with the county as well,” Morris said in her letter of nomination.
In 2009, Johnson County set a Feed the Need record by collecting 186.5 tons in food donations and cash. The total easily surpassed the goal of 142 tons by more than 30 percent and eclipsed the previous record of 159.6 tons that was set last year.
The annual Feed the Need campaign benefits 10 Johnson County food pantries in nine cities, including five pantries at multi-service centers operated by the Department of Human Services.
The county has been a lead participating organization in the annual metropolitan Feed the Need campaign since 1988. Feed the Need is a regional effort coordinated by the Mid-America Regional Council, the Mid-America Assistance Coalition, and Harvesters International.
Sponsored by the Order of Malta, a lay Catholic organization dedicated to service to the poor and ill, the 2009 Soup-er Bowl is scheduled Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the Kansas City Marriott. During the event, up to four “Soup-er Bowl MVP” Award winners will be announced from among the nominated finalists.
Co-chairs for the 2009 event are Jim Lynch, former Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro linebacker, and his wife, Georgia, along with Mark and Paul Thompson from Country Club Bank, Kansas City, Mo.
Susan Pekarek is JCW STARS recipient
The second quarter STARS award recipient for 2009 is Susan Pekarek, treatment project engineer. It was through Susan’s leadership that an application was made and JCW secured $15.6M in funding via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
The funding will pay $15.2M for IMB1 Co19 and $0.4M for an energy audit, split 50-50 between SRF and principle forgiveness.
“This process has taken a huge effort on Susan’s part, not only in filling out the many applications and forms, but in following all of the political ups and downs as the ARRA process unfolded,” said Aaron Witt, engineering manager. “She helped us navigate through the first hurdle of “Buy American.”
Susan also led JCW in preparing a very detailed case for a waiver on the co-generation units in the CO 19 project.
“Ultimately, JCW received a national waiver for this piece, so our project remains on course,” Aaron said. “She continues to work through another difficult piece in making sure we comply with the Davis-Bacon wage requirements on the project.”
Aaron cited Susan’s initiative in four areas:
Professionalism – She took on the extra responsibility of leading JCW’s effort in securing funds and continues to follow through on this very complicated process.
Cooperation – She has done an incredible job of communicating and collaborating with the entire JCW team involved in this process. She took on this extra task and was successful in securing the funding.
Contribution – Susan kept a positive outlook, which was very helpful to the team’s success.
Initiative – Susan took on this task and ran with it. She is a true leader for our department.
Susan has worked for JCW for the past eight years. She started reviewing street and storm plans and managed the pump stations before moving over to capital projects.
“I’m honored and really appreciate that other people appreciate my work, although this award belongs to others who were also involved in the project,” Susan said.
“I think the STARS program is a good thing, since we are a government entity, there isn’t a lot of latitude such as bonuses to reward people,” she said. “It’s a great way to show people that you think they are doing a good job.”
Wastewater receives four gold, two silver Peak awards
Olathe, Kansas September 4, 2009 - Johnson County Wastewater (JCW) was recognized by the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners at its regular meeting on September 3 for be-ing selected to receive six Peak Performance awards. The Peak Performance Awards program, presented by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), recognizes public wastewater treatment facilities for their outstanding compliance records in the 2008 calendar year. NACWA was proud to include Johnson County Wastewater among the Peak Performance Award facilities during the association’s 2009 Summer Conference and 39th Annual Meeting.
JCW received four Gold Peak Performance Awards which honor treatment works that have achieved 100 percent compliance with the NPDES permit for an entire calendar year and two Silver Peak Performance Awards which recognize facilities that have received no more than five NPDES permit violations per calendar year
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Gold Peak Performance Award recipients:
- Blue River Main
- Douglas L. Smith
- Middle Basin
- Mill Creek Regional
- Myron K. Nelson
Silver Peak Performance Award recipients:
- New Century AirCenter
- Tomahawk Creek
“This recognition is a testament to our employees as they work hard to fulfill our Mis-sion Statement: Protecting Our Environment—Serving Our Customers—Enhancing Our Communities, said John O’Neil, general manager of JCW.
Officials Break Ground on Largest 'Green Infrastructure' Project
http://recovery.jocogov.org/transport.htm
Federal, state and local officials broke ground today on the largest "green infrastructure" project in the State of Kansas to be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009--a $16 million series of improvements to Johnson County's Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Treatment Plant.
The wastewater treatment plant improvements are chiefly financed by $15 million in Recovery Act funding, with the balance provided by the Kansas Clean Water State Revolving Fund. According to estimates, the project is expected to create 270 new green jobs, result in almost $600,000 in annual cost savings for Johnson County wastewater utility rate payers, and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 9,700 metric tons.
The project, which will be built by contractor BRB, of Topeka, Kan., was officially approved by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners in March. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
"Investing in green projects is a win-win situation because of Johnson County’s strong commitment to sustainability, energy conservation, and reduction of greenhouse gases,” said Annabeth Surbaugh, Chairman of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners. “Achieving sustainability and accomplishing our environmental goals are important because county government is helping to provide a more sustainable future for all our citizens.”
Surbaugh was joined by Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Rod Bremby, Johnson County Wastewater General Manager John O'Neil, and EPA Acting Regional Administrator William Rice at today's groundbreaking event. Ceremonial shovels used by officials at the event will be donated to Heartland Habitat for Humanity.
"Strategic investments, such as the Johnson County, Kansas, wastewater treatment plant's green innovations, will help protect the environment and improve the economy," Rice said. "This is a stellar example of Recovery Act funds being utilized to drive innovation in green technologies and energy efficiency practices."
Components of the treatment plant improvements include the construction of a new anaerobic digester, a FOG (fats, oils and greases) station to more efficiently receive and treat used greases and oils from restaurants and industries, and a cogeneration system to produce virtually all of the plant's annual operating energy from captured biogases.