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February 2007
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HUMAN RESOURCES
477-6111
Diana R. Gutierrez
Director Human Resources
477-6121
Gerald T. Avila
Assistant HR Director
477-6125
Rebecca Ponce
HR Analyst II/
Employee Relations
477-6119
Elton Lott
HR Analyst II/
Training
477-6327
Dena Wilson
HR Analyst I
477-6118
Judge Hamilton
HR Analyst/
Recruiter
477-6114
Denise Golson
HR Analyst I/
Benefits
477-6120
Veronica Guevara
Risk Manager
477-6110
Laura Longoria
Risk Specialist
477-6403
Crystal Montana
Administrative Specialist II
477-6116
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Why we matter to San Antonio. more
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New program offers rush-hour relief via VIA.more
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New policies clarify options for appealing job classification. more
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How to avoid cubicle dwellers tell-tale physique. more
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Seize The Moment
Why we matter to San Antonio.
By Henry A. Alvarez III
SAHA President and CEO
 Nearly every day, someone tells me SAHA is "screwed up." I bet you hear it too.
Whether it’s in a phone call from a citizen, during a visit from an elected official, in a story on the front page of a newspaper, or in the lead story on the five o’clock news, someone is telling me we aren’t doing our jobs properly.
Instead of seeing these complaints as irritants, I invite you to see them as opportunities to tell our story. After all, many people think we’re "screwed up" because they don’t hear about the wonderful things we do. They don’t understand how we contribute to the community.
The next time someone tells you how awful we are, seize the moment. Tell them how great we are. Tell them:
- SAHA provides homes for nearly 50,000 San Antonio citizens.
- Half of those we serve are seniors and disabled people.
- Our Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) pays about $70 million in voucher payments into the private real estate market each year.
- We’re developing nearly $250 million worth of communities in San Antonio.
- Our development activities will generate an estimated $700 million to the San Antonio economy.
- We’ll soon add more than 2,700 housing units to our current portfolio, including 500 public housing units
- We are moving forward with revitalization and renovation programs to upgrade many of our communities.
- Our financial strength is solid and growing; despite budget cuts and a federal mandate to change the way we operate our properties.
The list of SAHA’s good works is long and impressive. In fact, you can probably find enough examples in your own work center to counter the most vocal critic.
So take a moment and reflect on what we do and how we do it. Make your own list of successes. And the next time someone tells you SAHA isn’t doing the job it’s supposed to do, set the record straight.
Get On The Bus
New program offers rush-hour relief via VIA.
SAHA is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement with VIA to offer employees the VIA Big Pass. Employees can use the Big Pass to get unlimited use of VIA's scheduled bus service for commuting to and from work. Additionally, the Big Pass allows unlimited rides on all bus and streetcar service from the first to the last day of the month indicated on the pass.
The program allows SAHA to provide monthly Big Passes to employees on-site. The cost of the Big Pass is $25 per month. SAHA will pay $12.50 and employees can payroll deduct the other $12.50. The Big Passes are available in Human Resources.
Appealing Options
New policies clarify options for appealing job classification.
SAHA has developed guidelines for employees or supervisors who want to appeal job classifications as established under the Werling study. The guidelines explain how to evaluate or reevaluate a job’s classification.
The Job Appeals (re-evaluation) process is available on the L drive. In addition, there are procedures to request a Working Out-of-Class position and an Initial Evaluation for newly created jobs.
The process can be found at: L drive/Public Library/SAHA shared folders for everyone/HR Forms/Appeals & More.
Curing 'Cube Body'
How to avoid cubicle dwellers tell-tale physique.
By Susan Bryant
Monster.com Contributing Writer
 For many otherwise happy workers, the cubicle is the bane of modern work life. Although cubicles give the illusion of privacy, those little walls are easily penetrated by your cube mates' incessant sounds and conversations. Not only is a lack of cube etiquette a problem, but spending most of your workday sitting can also make you feel like your muscles have seeped into your ergonomic chair.
Many cube dwellers complain that they're getting "cube body." What kind of effect does long-term sitting have on you? Mary Ann Pavlides, a registered nurse and massage therapist, says her clients have experienced:
- Lower-back strain due to poor posture and sitting too long.
- Upper-back strain from scrunching neck and shoulder together while talking on the phone.
- Shortened pectoral muscles from leaning into a desk to type on a computer.
- Sluggish circulation in their legs from prolonged inactivity.
Fortunately, combating these problems is easy. Pavlides recommends the following exercises for relief:
- Get up and walk every half hour. This keeps your circulation going, gives your eyes a break from your monitor and lets your whole body move.
- Stretch your arms back over your head and arch your body into a "C." This helps reverse the hunched-over posture you may sit in.
- Stand up and roll back and forth on your heels and toes. This stretches leg muscles that cramp from too much sitting.
- Find a doorway and place your forearms against the frame. Lean into the doorway to stretch your pec muscles. Don't hold this position too long, though, or you might strain yourself.
Make sure you have an ergonomic chair with armrests you can raise and lower to get the right fit, and adjust your desk or keyboard to a comfortable level. (Information courtesy Monster.com).
Gas Safety Tips
Seguridad del gas.
(Editor’s Note: At the request of the Texas Railroad Commission, this information is presented in English and Spanish per the Code of Federal Regulations).
Natural and other gases offer great convenience, but also pose a potential danger. With the barbecue season in high gear but winter on the way, it’s a good time to review gas safety guidelines. City Public Services offers the following tips:
If you smell a strong odor of gas
Get out of the house immediately. An electric spark from any electrical or battery-powered device, or even from static electricity, could ignite a gas leak and cause an explosion. Call (210) 353-HELP from a neighbor's house as soon as possible. Never try to locate the source of a gas leak yourself. Even if the smell of gas is faint, don't take any chances. Leave the house.
Beware of carbon monoxide
Using the oven or range to heat your home can damage the equipment and produce dangerous carbon monoxide gas. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas, created when a fuel like wood, charcoal, gasoline, propane or natural gas does not receive the proper amount of air as it burns. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness, fatigue, nausea and heart palpitations.
Be smart around gas appliances and heaters
Don't let young children use the stove or oven, or swing from or play with pipes leading to water heaters or ranges. If you use a gas space heater anywhere in your home, make sure the room in which it is used is always ventilated to the outside. Never sleep in a room with an unvented gas or kerosene heater.
Take proper care of gas-burning appliances
Have your natural gas appliances serviced and repaired by professionals. Keep areas around your gas water heater or furnace clean, uncluttered, and free of flammable materials. When purchasing a natural gas appliance, we recommend using only AGA-certified (American Gas Association) appliances. Look for the blue star. Follow all manufacturer's instructions.
Qué hacer si usted descubre un escape de gas
Gas natural y otros gases ofrecen gran conveniencias, pero también colocan un potencial para el peligro. Con la temporada de la carne asada en la superdirecta pero con el invierno por el camino, es un tiempo bueno de revisar las pautas de la seguridad de gas. City Public Service ofrece las puntas siguientes.
Si usted huele un olor fuerte de gas
Salga de la casa inmediatamente. Una chispa eléctrica de algún dispositivo eléctrico o a pilas, o aún de electricidad de statis, podría encender un escape de gas y causa una explosión. Llame al (210) 353-HELP de una casa de vecino tan pronto como posible. Incluso si el olor de gas sea débil, no tome ningún riesgo. Sálgase de la casa.
Tenga cuidado con monóxido de carbono
Utilizar el horno o la gama para calentar su hogar puede dañar el equipo y producir gas peligroso de monóxido de carbono. El monóxido de carbono es un gas tóxico, creó cuando un combustible como madera, el carbón, la gasolina, el propano o el gas natural no reciben la cantidad apropiada de ventila cuando quema. Los síntomas de envenenar de monóxido de carbono incluyen el mareo, la fatiga, palpitaciones de corazón y náusea.
Sea listo alrededor de aparatos de gas y calentadoras
No permita que niños utilicen la estufa ni el horno. No permita que los niños jueguen con tubería que llevan a calentadoras de agua, gamas, hornos o estufas. Si usted utiliza un calentador del espacio de gas dondequiera en su hogar, la marca segura del espacio en el que es utilizado siempre es ventilado al exterior. Nunca duerma en un cuarto donde hay gas sin ventila o un calentador de queroseno.
Tenga cuidado con aparatos que queman gas
Tenga sus aparatos de gas natural compuestos por profesionales. Mantenga áreas alrededor de su calentador de gas u horno limpios, sin desorden, y libres de materias inflamables. Al comprar un aparato de gas natural, nosotros recomendamos aparatos certificados por AGA (American Gas Association). Busque la estrella azul. Siga todas las instrucciones del fabricante.
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