HR Insider Newsletter Spring 2021

Spring 2021

Insider Human Resources Respect | Collaboration | Integrity | Stewardship | Professionalism | Science

Spring Edition 2021 C O N T E N T S

NeoGov eForms Launch

Benefits

HRA Run-Off Period

Saving For Your Child’s Tuition

Retirement

ICMA-RC Announces Plans for New Name

Training

Online Training & Development Second Quarter Training Schedule

Wellness

Humana Go 365 Nicotine Test

Humana Second Quarter Wellness Webinars

Records

Open Records Requests, PIA, FOIA

25th Anniversary polos and shirts will be distributed and/or mailed this month! On left, Margaret Ross wearing the navy twill shirt. On right, Hilda Campos wearing the dark green polo.

Recruitment

Virtual Mock Interviews New Hires

Important Dates

If anyone needs to replenish their face masks or Lysol wipes, see Dalia or Rachel in the Human Resources department.

Deadlines; Anniversaries; Birthdays and Events

CLICKABLE LINKS:

MEDICAL DENTAL FSA/DCAP/HRA

LIFE/AD&D/LTD

RETIREMENT

ICMA-RC

Spring 2021

NEOGOV eFORMS LAUNCH! Human Resources

SAVING FOR YOUR CHILD’S TUITION

College is one of the best investments you can make for your child. It is also one of the most expensive, but if you start early by developing and contributing to a

lock in today’s prices for tomorrow’s undergraduate resident tuition and schoolwide required fees at Texas public colleges and universities, excluding medical and

comprehensive college savings program, you will be well on your way to providing your child with the educational experience of a lifetime. Texas offers tax-advantaged 529 plans to help families save for co -

dental institutions. Open for enrollment annually between Sept. 1 and Feb. 28 (29 in leap years). Enrollment for children younger than 1 year of age ex - tends through July 31st. The Texas College Savings

We are excited to announce the official launch of NeoGov eFor - ms! Beginning April 1st staff will begin using NeoGov eForms to submit electronic forms to Human Resources.

Forms to be included in this paperless process will be the Busi- ness Card Order, Photo Release Preference, Request to Attend Conference, Emergency Contact Form, Fitness Waiver, Public Access Preference, Vehicle Information, EAC Pledge Form, Qualifying Life Event, and ICMA-RC Change Form. As new forms are added electronically in NeoGov they will be removed from SharePoint. To assist with navigation, we’ve created the NeoGov eForms Reference Guide. Should you need additional as - sistance, please reach out to Margaret Ross or Hilda Campos.

llege. Earnings are tax-free as long as you use the ac - count to pay for tuition and required fees at an eligible school. The Texas Tuition Promise Fund allows families to Retirement

Plan allows families to save for qualified education ex - penses at schools nationwide, including undergraduate and graduate tuition and fees, certain room and board expenses and other qualified expenses. This plan is open for enrollment year-round.

Benefits HRA RUN-OFF PERIOD

ICMA-RC ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR A NEW NAME

What is a Retirement Health Savings (RHS) Ac- count? A Retirement Health Savings (RHS) account is an employer-sponsored plan designed for the purpose of offsetting medical expenses after you have separated from employment from the EAA. Participation in this program is mandatory and has a vesting requirement of 5 years. Upon separation or retirement, you will be able to submit for reimbursement from your RHS ac - count for out-of-pocket medical expenses including insurance premiums. Your RHS account can also be used to pay for qualifying medical expenses incurred by your spouse and eligible dependents. Distributions, including earnings, are tax-free. For more information, please view the RHS Q&A sheet available in SharePoint. ICMA offers a library of pre-recorded Certified Fi - nancial Planning Seminars. Topics available include estate planning, investment basics, planning for long term-care, and more. Click here to view available se - minars.

The 90-day run-off period for the Health Reimburse - ment Arrangement (HRA) which gives you an oppor - tunity to submit claims for reimbursements for the pre- vious year, ended on March 31, 2021. Up to $2,500 of your remaining funds will rollover to the 2021 HRA plan and any remaining funds will rollover to your Retirement Health Savings (RHS) account. You may expect to see your rollover funds in your Proficient ac - count by mid-April. The $2,500 of 2020 HRA funds will rollover as fo - llows: HDHP Plan - Up to $1,500 will rollover into your me - dical HRA; then up to $1000.00 of remaining funds will roll over to your dental and vision HRA. NPOS Plan - Up to $2,500 will rollover to your me - dical HRA. Employees identified as having funds rolling over to an RHS account for the first time will be contacted by Hilda Campos for completion of the appropriate docu - ments to setup an RHS account.

ICMA-RC is becoming MissionSquare Retirement, a new name and brand that reinforces the company’s his- tory, deep expertise, and community focus; and solidifies its vision for the future.

From its beginning almost 50 years ago, the mission of ICMA-RC has been to help those who serve their com - munities build retirement security. Though its mission has never changed, the company has grown and evolved. Over the years, it has expanded to support the retirement planning needs of all employees who dedicate their lives to serving their communities, including state and local government employees as well as teachers and school ad - ministrators, health care workers, and not-for-profit employees.

Over the last year, ICMA-RC explored creating a new identity that both honors the company’s history and reflects its vision for the future — to become the most trusted retirement plan provider for those serving their communi - ties. Extensive client and industry research identified an opportunity to increase brand recognition that represents the growing diversity of ICMA-RC clients while amplifying the commitment to public sector employees. The name annoucement is just the beginning. ICMA-RC will be sharing more information regarding brand rollout in the coming months through email, the website, and outreach from the Human Resources department. Stay tuned!

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Spring 2021

Training

05/06/2021 EAA Field Safety Training (Mandatory for Field Personnel) The Field Inspection Team will discuss the impor- tance of safety awareness and hazard prevention. Top- ics include situation awareness, slips/falls, lift/ladder safety, equipment, vehicle inspection, driver safety, and personal protective equipment (PPE) and basic COVID19 protocols while working in the field. This session will be recorded and made available in SharePoint for those who are unable to attend this event. Click to Join Zoom on the day of the event. 05/19/2021 TCDRS Retirement Seminar & Indi- vidual Counseling 10:00am - 11:00am This retirement seminar will discuss the Edwards Aquifer Authority’s TCDRS retirement plan. Topics include what is vesting, how to plan for the future, and what to do when you retire/separate from employ- ment with the EAA. Immediately following the pre - sentation, TCDRS representatives will be available to meet one-on-one to discuss your plan options. Click HERE to Register Click HERE to schedule for a one-on-one session 05/27/2021 ACI Specialty Benefits: Eat Well Live Better 10:00am - 11:00am Learn how to make good nutrition a way of life. This presentation covers everything from balancing pro - tein, carbohydrates and fats, to supermarket survival, to strategies for restaurant dining. Click HERE Register 05/28/2021 SharePoint Site Owner Meeting (Invi- tation Only) 10:00am - 11:00am This training will provide an opportunity for Site Owners to discuss areas of concern related to their team sites and to obtain training on any new features or refreshers. JUNE 06/03/2021 AWN Corporate: Leadership & Per- sonal Growth 8:30am-11:30am This training session will provide participants with information and an experience that will help them to grow and learn how to best navigate within the work

ONLINE TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT We encourage all employees to sign up for webinars as they become available and continue to explore online training resources available thru Fred Pryor, Neogov, TML and New Horizons. Please contact Margaret Ross if you have any questions or have difficulty registering and don’t forget to forward any certificates of comple - tion for your personnel file. NeoGov Enroll in any of the Course Catalog topics ranging from business skills, cyber security, health, leadership and management. Certificates of Completion for courses taken in NeoGov do not need to be forwarded to Hu - man Resources. Texas Municipal League (TML) The TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool Online Portal provides loss prevention training opportunities. Course topics range from risk management, human resources, safety and law enforcement. Click TMLIRP to login and register for available courses.

MAY 05/03/2021 Texas Municipal League (TML) Cyber Security Training (Mandatory for EAA Staff ) For a second year, local government entity employ - ees who have access to a local government comput - er system or database and elected officials must take a DIR-certified cybersecurity course as required by Texas Government Code Section 2054.5191. On May 3rd, staff will receive an external email from Local Government Academy (support@localgov - academy.com) indicating a learning assignment has been activated. Staff may click the link in this email to be directed to the TMLIRP login page. Navigate to My Dashboard > Learning Assignments > Cyber Se - curity Awareness Training. Staff must complete this training by May 21st and must submit their Certificate of Completion to Margaret Ross. New Horizons Corporate Membership Available course dates are posted on the New Horizons Computer Learning Centers Website. Once you know the course and date, please send the information over to dave.enger@newhorizons.com. Dave will verify the course is included in our account membership. You will then be required to submit a Request to Attend a Confe - rence Form . Upon approval of the conference request, you will be provided with an access code and login ins - tructions. On the date of the course, you will have the ability to log in to the “live” instructor led training in which you can “see” the instructor and interact with them through a microphone headset or via the text chat feature. Since all sessions are recorded, you will have the ability to go back through the session, including labs, for up to six months “post class” - ensuring a tho - rough understanding of the material. Fred Pryor Learning Solutions Explore over 5,000 online courses ranging from ac - counting, communication, compliance, customer ser - vice, information technology, leadership, project and time management. Click Fred Pryor+ Website to see a list of available courses and enroll right from home.

environment. The participants will gain insight, knowl - edge and understanding on how to effectively commu - nicate with others, how their personality affects work relationships, and how to manage stress, conflict, and work/life balance. The participants will receive action - able steps and resources to further their growth. Video Preview Link Click to Join Zoom on the day of the event. 06/16/2021 Active Shooter Awareness Training (Man- datory for EAA Staff) Active shooters continue to strike American workplaces. While every attack is different, there are commonalities -- including confusion. This mandatory training will dis - cuss simple survival skills and techniques that can save your life in the event of an active shooter attack. On June 16th, staff will receive an external email from NeoGov Learn indicating a learning assignment has been activated. Staff may click the link in this email to be directed to the NeoGov login page. Once logged in to NeoGov, navigate to the Learn Dashboard. Staff must complete this training within 60 days of enrollment. Since NeoGov maintains Certificates of Completion in the employees’ profile, staff does not need to forward these to human resources. 06/24/2021 HR 101: EAA Benefits Policies Refresher 10:00am - 11:00am Human Resources Administrator, Hilda Campos, will review the EAA Benefit Policies. This session is desig - nated for Supervisory staff. Ameeting invite will be sent via MS Teams by the event organizer. Topics Include: • Uniform Allowance • Educational Assistance Reimbursement • FMLA • Worker’s Compensation • Leave Accruals Click to Join Zoom on the day of the event.

2ND QUARTER TRAININGS

APRIL 04/08/2021 See Your Possibilities: Leading for Success 9:00am - 12:00pm Robin Underwood will discuss management tech - niques practical for the real world. Effective leaders are skilled professionals who can lead projects, peo - ple, and emotions under pressure. Learn how to dele - gate effectively, resolve conflict completely, prioritize projects and organize solutions. Click to Join Zoom on the day of the event. 04/22/2021 Reviewsnap Refresher for Employees 10:00am-11:00am Margaret Ross, HRAdministrator II Lead will discuss the ins and outs of Reviewsnap. Topics include how to take notes, set measurements, and upload supporting documentation for a seamless evaluation. Click to Join Zoom on the day of the event.

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Spring 2021

Wellness

OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS, PIA, FOIA Records

Want to earn more points for Go365? You can by ta - king a nicotine test. Members can earn 400 points by simply completing a nicotine test. You will also earn an additional 400 points if the nicotine test result is ne - gative. To earn the points, please follow these steps: 1. Member needs to call the location of choice prior to the screening to confirm availability of screening kits. 2. Member needs to complete the Nicotine Screening Form found in SharePoint or on the Go365 website and take with them to their appointment. 3. Member is required to present their Humana Mem - ber ID card along with the Nicotine Screening Form. 4. The cost for the Rapid Nicotine Test is $35. The cost for this test is not covered by the HRA/FSA. 5. Member submits completed form through the Go365 website within 90 days of getting the test. To submit your completed form, simply login to your Humana portal and click on the Go365 tab > Activities HUMANA GO 365 NICOTINE TEST See below for wellness webinars available this quarter and click on a topic to register. Be sure to register as soon as possible as space is limited! Topic: Humana Medicare 101 Curious about Medicare for you or a loved one? Get guidance on what to expect and learn about key aspects of the Medicare program. Tuesday, April 13th, 9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. OR Thursday, April 15th, 1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Topic: Turn your passion into purpose You don’t have to be the top leader at your company to be a wellness champion. Humana will show you how to take it to the next level when you have a passion for wellness. Thursday, April 29th, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

> Healthy Living > Get a Nicotine Test > Submit your documentation.

The Texas Public Information Act (PIA) (Texas Government Code Chapter 552) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) give the public the right to request access to government information. Under the Act, all government information is presumed open unless there is a specific exception to disclosure. Additionally, we as public infor - mation officers and providers cannot ask the requester why they want information. Information can exist in any format including paper, audio, microfilm, video, and emails. However, the Act does not require the EAA to create new information, do research or answer questions. The Act goes into effect when a person submits a written request (email, open records request form, etc.) to a governmental body (in this case, the EAA). Requests can be submitted via the EAA Open Records Center. Open Records Request Process An open records request will be sent to and handled by the records department. Per the Act, an agency must respond to a request promptly. If a request can’t be filled within 10 business days after the EAA received the

request, the requ - ester must be informed of the latest date and time the EAA will provide the information. A request may also be sent to any EAA em- ployee. Staff sho - uld forward the request to the re - cords department to be processed or fill the requ - est themselves. If the employee responds to the request, they are required to pro - vide a copy of

To get started, visit one of the following Any Lab Test Now locations: 5238 DeZavala, San Antonio, TX - (210) 558-3784 1369 South Main, Boerne, TX - (830) 730-7777 17700 San Pedro, San Antonio, TX - (210) 267-5501 11851 Bandera, Helotes TX - (210) 400-0230

HUMANA 2ND QUARTER WELLNESS WEBINARS

Topic: Maximize your earning potential with G0365 Get rewarded for daily exercise by learning all there is to know about verified workouts and how to connect compatible wearable and fitness programs. Thursday, May 27th, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Topic: Humana clinical resources to manage your health Learn about the clinical programs and services uniquely available to Humana members and the importance of where one goes to seek care and how that choice may have a significant impact on the overall experience. Thursday, June 24th, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Topic: Tips for becoming financially sound Learn about easy ways to improve your financial fitness. Thursday, June 24th, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

the original request and their response to the records department (Nichelle Cunningham). If a requester calls you for information, please have them send you their request in writing before completing the request. When records necessary to fill a request need to be retrieved from an EAA employee, the Records Coordinator will assign the employee an Activity via the Open Records Center. For step-by-step instructions on how to com - plete an Activity, click HERE.

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Spring 2021

Recruitment VIRTUALMOCK INTERVIEWS Maggie Veliz once again will be working with Dr. Gwen Young, Professor of UTSA’s Environmental Science and Ecology department to conduct virtual mock in - terviews for her students. This kind of collaboration provides a great service to the students of UTSA as it

Anniversaries We would like to recognize and congratulate this quarter’s EAA anniversaries. Thank you for your service and we wish you many more successful years ahead!

helps them with their interview skills and learn about the EAA’s internship opportunites. This event will take place on April 22, 2021. Students will have two opportunities to participate in one of two sessions that afternoon.

Name

Date Of Hire

Recognized at Board

Years of Service

Nichelle Cunningaham 04/25/2011

05/11/2021 05/11/2021 05/11/2021 05/11/2021 06/08/2021 7/13/2021

10 Years 10 Years 15 Years 5 Years 20 Years 5 Years

Margaret Ross Roland Ruiz

04/25/2011 05/01/2006 05/02/2016 06/04/2001 06/29/2016

Chad Furl

Shehzad Ali - Intern The EAA participated in SAWorks Virtual Regional Job Shadow Day. The event took place the week of March 1, 2021 and it featured three of our staff members. Special thanks to Gizelle Luevano, Ann-Margaret Gonzalez and Branndon Trigg for submitting videos highlighting their careers. JOB SHADOW DAY New Hires

Victor Hutchison Kristina Tolman

Deadlines and Events April 02 Timesheets Due April 08 See Your Possibilities Webinar April 09 Payday April 15 EAAVirtual Staff Meeting via Zoom April 16 Timesheets Due April 21 San Jacinto Day - State Holiday April 22 Reviewsnap Refresher for Employees April 23 Payday April 30 Timesheets Due May 07 Payday May 13 EAAVirtual Staff Meeting via Zoom May 14 Timesheets Due May 19 TCDRS Retirement Seminar & Counseling May 21 Payday May 27 ACI Specialty Benefits: Eat Well Live Better May 28 Timesheets Due May 31 Memorial Day - Office Closed June 03 AWN Corporate Leadership & Personal Growth June 04 Payday June 10 EAAVirtual Staff Meeting via Zoom June 11 Timesheets Due June 18 Payday June 24 HR 101: EAA Benefits Policies Refresher June 25 Timesheets Due

2nd Quarter Birthdays

Shehzad joined the EAA on January 25, 2021. Shehzad is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Information Systems from the University of Texas at SanAnto - nio with an expected graduation date of May 2021. Michelle joined the EAA on January 25, 2021. Michelle is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Compu- ter Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio with an expected graduation date of May 2022.

Quinn Rusu - Recharge Zone Protection Coordinator

Lilianna Gutierrez Tamara Pinzon Tamauj Thomas Martin Hernandez Chuck Ahrens Ben Urbanczyk Walker Cagle Javier Hernandez

April 3 April 13 April 14 April 16 April 18 April 24 April 30 May 8 May 20 May 21 May 25 May 31 May 31 June 7 June 9 June 9 June 13 June 16 June 19 June 25

Quinn joined External & Regulatory Affairs on March 22, 2021. Quinn comes to the EAA with over 3 years of experience in water quality monitoring. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Envi - ronmental Studies from Allegheny Co- llege. Prior to joining the EAA, Quinn worked at Compliance Resources, Inc. where she held the position of Environ - mental Field Inspector. Quinn will be working with the development and im - plementation of the EAA’s regulatory programs with a focus on regulated activities occuring on the recharge zone.

Michelle Richardson - Intern

Earl Parker Chad Furl

Michelle Richardson

Joey Tovar

Anastacio Moncada Ned Troshanov Adrian Lopez Thomas Marsalia Geary Schindel

Name Nii Adjei

College

Department

Please join us in welcoming

ACCD Trinity Trinity Trinity Trinity Trinity

Information Technology EAHCPAdministration Information Technology EAHCPAdministration EAHCPAdministration Groundwater Protection

Claire Carlson Aaron Feleke Andrew Clough Connor Helsel

Shehzad Ali Roel Loera

our Spring work-study students!

Paul Aton

Natalee Weis

Selena Casanova

UIW

Communications

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