July City Limits_finalJuly 2020
Celebrating 47 Years of Service: Lt. Bob Summers Retirement
https://youtu.be/3Cmnl6vk08Q
Share Your Feedback on the City’s Reopening
We’d like to hear how the reopening of City facilities is going for you. Please take this anonymous one-
question survey to share your feedback: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F7MR3C2
Employee Health Clinic Reminders
The Employee Health Clinic is open for all appointment types.
Both TeleVisits and in-person visits are available. To schedule a TeleVisit appointment, enter
“TeleVisit,” your phone number, and the reason for your visit in the comments section of your
online appointment on WWW.CAREHERE.COM.
To receive the healthy incentive program (hip) discount for 2021 health insurance premiums,
employees must complete an annual health assessment (aha) at the employee health clinic,
which includes a blood draw and a follow-up visit with a provider. The deadline for employees
to complete both appointments for the aha has been extended until Friday, October 30.
Meet DME’s Energy Management Organization (or, as we are often
called, “EMO”)
Contributed by: Stephen Johnson
The EMO is not known for brevity; we will try to keep this an easy read. So, who are we, what do we do
and add ‘fun facts’, that you may not know, may not wish to know, but may find useful if appearing on a
TV quiz show or a citizen asks you a question! Apologies for the numbers.
DME used to outsource energy management, but in 2014 it was brought in-house, to save money and
help the transition to more renewable energy supply. After years of planning, preparation, and hiring of
knowledge and experience, the switch was flipped at midnight on Sept. 30, 2014, and thankfully the
lights stayed on and bills were paid, so we didn’t go home!
The EMO consists of 11 people, mostly normal (?), family-oriented people trying their best to find fun in
each day’s challenges – laughing at ourselves and the things we observe. We hide away in the Admin
building, behind a glass wall in a badge-access room. Fun fact, whilst we sit in the dark, this isn’t covert
work; watching a lot of screens in the dark is just safer on the eyes.
Another fun fact - EMO has consistently contributed significant savings ($’s) compared with what DME
would have paid to continue outsourcing energy management. Today, with a vastly different and
renewable portfolio we are trying to measure our contribution to the ratepayers in more effective and
current ways – always evolving. EMO is staffed 24x7, operating DME’s QSE, or put another way, how
DME Power Supply interacts with ERCOT and the wholesale markets. We buy and sell power and gas
(fuel) to manage the supply needs of customers. Renewable resources generate whatever Mother
Nature provides in wind and sun. Sometimes it is enough, sometimes too much, and sometimes we
need a little help from Denton Energy Center. EMO’s goal is to keep energy supply in line with policy and
as competitively priced as it can. We reduce risk and help stabilize our rates.
The EMO are experienced market professionals, from deregulated/competitive markets, highly skilled in
energy management, electric market operations, electric grid and data analysis and management. We
suck in data and try to make sense of it. EMO staff do not typically make it out into the field, our fun
comes from excel spreadsheets, writing code, and analyzing information.
Employee Impact at Local Nonprofits
Thank you to everyone who volunteered at a nonprofit worksite during the City’s response to the
COVID-19 pandemic! During this unprecedented time, local nonprofits saw a decrease in volunteer
involvement due to the CDC recommendations for high-risk populations to stay home and socially
distance. Your hard work ensured essential services for residents in need did not skip a beat! Over half
of the hours volunteered were worked at Our Daily Bread (ODB). While COD employees were
volunteering at ODB (March 25-June 21), the organization served 9,180 meals. That’s incredible! Wendy
McGee, ODB Executive Director, shares comments on their adaptations and the impact made by City
employees at ODB in this DTV produced Denton Strong video.
Employees volunteered at nonprofits assisting not only with meal preparation, but also with childcare
and translation services. City employees’ efforts totaled 2,094 hours. From March 18 to June 21, 169
employees filled 565 shifts at Grace Like Rain, Monsignor King Outreach Center, Our Daily Bread, and
the Denton Community Food Center. Additionally, Parks and Recreation staff will continue to support a
hygiene station at the Civic Center Pool through July 2, which has been available to the public since
March 23.
Nonprofits will continue to provide services to our neighbors in need and eligible employees have the
opportunity to help through the City’s Volunteer Impact Program (VIP). With supervisor approval,
employees can volunteer during their normal work schedule and receive their typical compensation.
Please contact Heather Feeney with any questions or to sign up for the program.
Thanks to all employees for everything you have done for our community, your flexibility, and your
willingness to help!
Fight the Bite!
Currently Denton is at Mosquito Risk Level 4: Public Health Warning, which means multiple mosquito
pools collected at different times and locations tested positive for arthropod-borne virus/ diseases and a
single human case was confirmed with laboratory testing.
To protect yourself against mosquitos, remember the d’s of defense:
DRAIN standing water in your yard and neighborhood to cut mosquito breeding sites (old tires,
flowerpots, and clogged rain gutters).
DUSK & DAWN are the times of day you should try to stay indoors; this is when mosquitoes are
most active.
DRESS in long sleeves and pants when you’re outside, and spray thin clothing with repellent.
DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) is an ingredient to look for in your insect repellent (check for
10-30%). Tips for choosing an insect repellent.
Click here for additional mosquito bite prevention tips.
Employee Updates: Promotions, Transfers, and Departures
Click here to see org changes from 4/16/20 through 6/15/20.