Survey for Transportation Agencies

1.Describe the business nature of your company and the type of projects your agency undertakes? Please mention any types of long range planning activities/projects that your agency sponsors. • Harris County Flood Control District (the District) is a special purpose district created by the Texas Legislature in 1937 in response to devastating floods that struck the region in 1929 and 1935. The District's jurisdictional boundaries are set to coincide with Harris County, a community of more than 4.5 million people (2015) that includes the City of Houston. The other boundaries in which we operate - those provided by nature - are of the 22 primary watersheds within Harris County's 1,777 square miles. Each has its own independent flooding problems. Each presents unique challenges. 2. Does your agency have a mission statement that expresses the purpose, goals, and objectives of the agency? • Yes, the mission statement provides flood damage reduction projects that work, with appropriate regard for community and natural values. The District accomplishes its mission by devising flood damage reduction plans; implementing the plans; and maintaining the infrastructure. 3. There are two types of organizational structures: centralized and decentralized. In a centralized structure, the top layer of management has most of the decision-making power and has tight control over departments and divisions. In a decentralized structure, the decision-making power is distributed, and the departments and divisions may have different degrees of independence. Which structure does the organization utilize? Do you think that the organizational structure is advantageous to the employees and why? • Harris County Flood Control District is a centralized structure because their a governmental agency. It takes four signatures to get something approved in their district. They have a lot of layers of check to verify where the money is going and to insure the money isn’t being wasted. The organizational structure benefits the agency because this effect helps cut down on errors during the project. 4. describe informal and formal policies that your agency has implemented? • A formal policy that has been implemented in Harris County is the review policy of its employee’s performances. It’s a time when you meet with your supervisor and set goals and benchmarks to reach. 5. Do employees have access to the policies that your agency implements? • Yes, they have their employee handbook which sates the standard procedures that upholds the code of conduct of being an employee. It’s to help you further understand what the company expects out of you while being an employee. 6. What are three (3) key challenges for your agency and how can these challenges be resolved effectively? • Communicating with the public about the project that’s about to take effect in their area is a very difficult task. A way it can be resolved is constant communication meaning calls, letters and sometimes going door to door. • Dealing with existing infrastructure not built to standards is a problem it todays society. Over time standards and details have changed and it’s hard to maintenance out of date infrastructures. Trying to resolve the challenge you have to change the design or impact areas outside of that to make it operate effectively. • Working in an industry of flood control everything is based on a computer model of what water does with a certain amount of rainfall. Building things in the model it has a less effect, but in reality you never get 12 inches of rain watershed evenly distributed in 24 hours. This challenge is difficult to resolve because you can’t build for real life because you never know what nature will bring. 7. Creating a cohesive team that highlights each member’s strengths is critical to success. Hartman’s Color Code Personality Profile describes people in four categories: Red (motivated by power), Blue (motivated by intimacy/relationship building), White (motivated by peace), and Yellow (motivated by fun/congeniality). In addition, Red and Blue personalities are more dominant and White and Yellow personalities are more passive. With these color personalities in mind, how would you put together a team to handle new projects/activities? As team leader, what would be your color personality? • While putting together a team using Hartman’s Color Code Personality Profile Rusty would consist his team on Red (motivated by power) to be in charge of the project and Yellow (motivated by fun/congeniality) to make the environment/work place fun. • As team leader Rusty would be red/ yellow why because he likes to have power and be in charge but also have fun at times. 8. When looking at employee engagement, there are five (5) levels. Which level of engagement are most employees at your agency and why do you feel this way? • Looking at the employee engagement Rusty believes they have a team member on each engagement level. Why because you can tell from the meetings on who is engaged in discussion and based on their work effort towards a project. 9. How does your agency inform the public and critical stakeholders about your projects or planning activities? • Call set up a meeting with the homeowner association, local business and schools to notify them about upcoming projects and how it will affect their communities and homes. 10. Equity or Environmental Justice centers on the fair treatment of communities of color in the services they receive (e.g. transportation services) and their protection against policies and projects that expose them to negative impacts. How does your agency deal with issues of equity or environmental justice? • Harris County Flood Control District has a lobbyist who goes to Washington to lobby on issues in their district and to insure all residences are treated equally. It’s not based on communities of color but on a cost and benefit ratio.