Oct. 12, 2023

MoDOT takes part in Show Me Challenge win

During the last week of September, the Office of Administration hosted the 2023 Show Me Challenge. The Show Me Challenge continues to bring together state team members from across Missouri’s 17 executive departments to pitch solutions that improve systems and processes across state government.

This year, eight finalist teams presented their creative ideas to members of senior leadership on ways to improve how we serve Missouri citizens, and MoDOT participated on the team taking first place!

First place went to the team MO VTIP (Missouri Vicarious Trauma Improvement Plan) from the Department of Corrections, Department of Mental Health, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Public Safety, Department of Social Services, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Department of Transportation and Missouri National Guard for their idea to enhance wellness services for Missouri state team members experiencing the effects of post-traumatic stress to improve their quality of life and facilitate service delivery to Missouri citizens. 

Winning team members of MO VTIP include:

• Johanna Bisges 
• Meckenzie Hayes
• Shawn Holzhauser
• Todd Houf 
• Rachel Jones
• Sarah Jones 
• Tara Meisenheimer
• Brian Miller

Congratulations to the first-place winners, and MoDOT's own Tara Meisenheimer!

Claims Administration Manager Tara Meisenheimer (second from right) with the MO VTIP team, who took first place at this year's Show Me Challenge.

For more information on other winners from the 2023 challenge, click here.

For more information about the Show Me Challenge, visit showmechallenge.mo.gov.

ENGAGE 2.0 results

MoDOT had a 99.2% completion rate for all ENGAGE 2.0 evaluations and a 31.1% rate for upward feedback. 

All supervisors should have received an email with a link to their ENGAGE 2.0 evaluations on direct reports and upward feedback dashboards since they were available on Oct. 9.

Supervisors: You should be starting to hold ENGAGE 2.0 debriefing meetings at this time to have professional development conversations and share evaluation information with staff. The sharing of evaluations should be occurring at least twice a year in April and October. 

To assist in your conversations, see the ENGAGE 2.0 Resources page, which has a link to the ENGAGE 2.0 dashboard login for the evaluations on your direct reports and any upward feedback you received, or click here: ENGAGE 2.0 Dashboard Evaluations Login.

For additional resources related to ENGAGE 2.0, please click here: ENGAGE 2.0 Resources. If you have questions, please contact our team at HRED@modot.mo.gov. 

Prequalified teams announced

Columbia to Kingdom City Design-Build project, staffing update

The Improve I-70 Team has received Statements of Qualifications from teams interested in competing for the contract to design and construct the first project of MoDOT’s statewide Improve I-70 Program. Improve I-70: Columbia to Kingdom City will improve the 20-mile stretch of Interstate 70 between U.S. 63 and U.S. 54 (shown below) and is one of several projects which will widen the I-70 corridor across the state.

The pre-qualified teams are:

• I-70 Constructors: Emery Sapp & Sons and Capital Paving and Construction – Joint Venture.
• Parsons.
• Millstone Weber.
• Lunda and Jacobs.

MoDOT issued the Request for Proposal on Oct. 6, 2023. The department will continue to work through the procurement process through the end of the year. The teams will submit their proposal for the potential selection of the winning proposal in approximately February 2024, and construction could start as early as summer 2024. 

The program has also welcomed three new employees to its growing team:

• Nicole Samer (formerly a senior construction inspector for the Rocheport Bridge Design-Build project) will join the central team as the deputy project director.
• Andrew Bertels is also joining the central project team as a senior construction inspector (formerly an inspector for the Rocheport Bridge Design-Build project).
• Kim Trainor (formerly a Northeast District project manager) has been named the east team project director.

Central Team Deputy Project Director Nicole Samer.

Senior Construction Inspector Andrew Bertels.

East Team Project Director Kim Trainor.

Current and future Improve I-70 positions can be found on MO Careers. 

For more information about the Improve I-70 Program, visit modot.org/improvei70. 

Everyone has experienced difficult times, whether at home or work. Difficult times are inevitable and can not be avoided, but depending on how a person works through these times will impact the outcome of these moments. The following course focuses on handling difficult conversations, situations, and people at work. Please take some time to review these courses to help create skills to help deal with difficult times.

• Working with High Conflict People as a Manager.
• Quick Scripts for Difficult Conversations.
• How to Handle Conflict and Toxicity for Happier Workdays.
• Coaching Employees through Difficult Situations.

2024 Highlights

• No increase in premiums in 2024 for active employees and subscribers in the Work-Related Disability category.
• No change in plan benefits – deductibles/out-of-pocket expenses and copays remain the same.
• Anthem will continue to be MoDOT’s medical administrator.
• Employees should continue to use their same ID card; however, if changes are made for 2024, new cards will be issued in December.
• Learn more in the benefit updates that were mailed to employees’ homes. 

Medical Insurance Open Enrollment - Oct. 1-31

• Active employees can enroll themselves and add/remove dependents. Effective date is Jan. 1. 
• Employees can switch between the PPO and HDHP. Effective date is Jan. 1. 
• To make a change, submit a new Medical Enrollment Form (A-570) by close of business on Oct. 31. Changes are effective Jan. 1. Email completed forms to benefits@modot.mo.gov.
• No action necessary to keep current PPO coverage. 
• Reminder: MCHCP does not administer medical insurance – do not use the MyMCHCP portal to make medical open enrollment changes.

2024 Health Savings Accounts

• Anthem WealthCare Saver will continue to be the Health Savings Account vendor.  
• Employer will contribute $500 to employees’ HSAs if electing the Individual plan, making the employee’s maximum contribution $3,650. Employer will contribute $1,000 to employees’ HSAs if electing any other coverage level than Individual, making the employee’s maximum contribution $7,300.
• Everyone in the HDHP must submit a new 2024 HSA payroll election form. 
• Email completed forms to benefits@modot.mo.gov.

Cafeteria Plan Open Enrollment - Oct. 1-Dec. 1

• Health Care FSA max individual contribution limit is $3,050. Individuals enrolled in the High Deductible Health Plan with an HSA are not eligible for the FSA. 
• Yearly elections must be made to participate in the FSA for Health Care and Dependent Care.
• Grace period: expenses can be incurred up to March 15, 2024 to use the remaining 2023 balance in employees’ Health and Dependent Care FSAs. 
• FSA debit cards will continue to be offered – employees must enroll online to request a debit card.
• Read the rules and regulations in the 2024 enrollment guide to learn about how to use a new card and when supporting documentation is necessary.
• For more information and to enroll, visit the ASI Flex Website.

2024 Dental & Vision Plan Updates

• Oct. 1-31 is open enrollment – enroll, change or cancel dental and/or vision coverage for 2024. Use the MyMCHCP portal to make elections. 
• Delta Dental will be the dental insurance vendor beginning Jan. 1, 2024, and National Vision Administrators will continue as the vision insurance vendor.
• There will be an increase in dental premiums and a slight decrease in vision premiums for 2024. 
• For those currently enrolled in an MCHCP dental and/or vision plan, coverage will continue if no changes are made during open enrollment.
• For more information, log in to myMCHCP and use secure messaging to communicate with MCHCP staff. Benefit Counselors are also available to answer questions. Call 573-751-0771 or 800-487-0771 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays throughout October.

Questions? Contact your local insurance representative or Employee Benefits staff toll free at 1-877-863-9406.

In the Southwest District, a natural phenomenon unfolded in Springfield, leaving drivers and visitors inconvenienced for several days. A sinkhole opened on the far-right lane of westbound U.S. Route 60, just west of U.S. Route 65 - one of the busiest stretches of highways in the Ozarks. Customers reported it as a pothole, but when MoDOT crews arrived, they discovered the problem was much deeper.

On Aug. 17, all lanes of westbound U.S. Route 60 were closed and the contractor, Hartman & Company, temporarily repaired the sinkhole and had the road back open in time for the busy Labor Day weekend. 

After the holiday, it was decided to close all lanes of westbound U.S. Route 60 to determine the extent of the sinkhole and make permanent repairs.

MoDOT maintenance workers closed the lanes on Sept. 16 along with a number of ramps and crossovers. Once closed, Hartman’s crews went to work excavating U.S. Route 60. What they found was a sinkhole measuring 45 feet in width, 30 feet in depth and 50 feet in length. It took 1,100 tons of rock to stabilize the hole.

Initial estimates were that the repair of westbound U.S. Route 60 would take up to seven days; however, crews were able to open the freeway on Sept. 21 - one day early.

With the combined efforts of the contractor, Southwest District maintenance crews, local planning partners and local media who helped inform the public about the traffic impacts, the repairs went smoothly.

Southwest District crew member standing near excavated U.S. Route 60 sinkhole.

Aerial view of U.S. Route 60 sinkhole.

Excavation of U.S. Route 60 sinkhole.

On Oct. 10, Maintenance Superintendent Christopher Sholl and Maintenance Crew Leader Michael Dobson visited the Platte City library to read to children and show off a MoDOT truck. It was a great day filled with education and fun!

Maintenance Superintendent Christopher Sholl reads to children at the Platte City library.

MoDOT equipment is displayed at the Platte City library.

Last month, the Northwest Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety partnered with Northwest Missouri State University Police Department to host a traffic safety event ahead of the university’s first home football game of the season.

Coalition partners from MoDOT, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department and the Andrew County Health & Safety Coalition gathered to provide educational opportunities for Bearcat fans and students, including activities involving impaired vision goggles, a driving simulator challenge and the Seat Belt Convincer.

NWMSU students watch as MSHP Sgt. Shane Hux operates the Seat Belt Convincer.

Members from MoDOT's Northwest Coalition for Roadway Safety, MSHP, Buchanan County Sheriff's Department and the Andrew County Health & Safety Coalition gather for the traffic safety event.

Members of the NWMSU cheerleading team wear impaired vision goggles while trying to play cornhole.

45 Years

Jerry Goodman CO

30 Years

Wayne Elliott CO

25 Years

David McQueen NW

Mark Pickering NW

Kimberly Trainor NE

Randel Sharp CD

Bret Hicks SW

20 Years

Timothy Williams NW

Stephan Naumann NE

Ahimed Yimer KC

Carla Shaw KC

Loren Moore KC

Michael Cunningham SE

Robert Tripp SE

Bradley Slusher SE

Monty Sorensen SE

Freddie Drury SE

Chanta Surface SE

15 Years

Jason Teel NW

David McDaniel KC

Johnathan Evans CD

Jeffrey Manthey CD

Kevin Freeze SL

Steven Ludens SL

Jud Triebel SW

Josh Dugan SW

Nicole Thieret SE

Thomas Powers CO

10 Years

Terry Rains NW

Carl Phillips KC

Dennis Sloan KC

Brian Maroney CD

William Bonner SL

Jimmy Fast SW

Kris Huchteman SW

Colin Jackson SW

Larry Wilson SW

Jacob Haney SE

Gary Watts SE

Rodney Braman CO

Steven Vance CO

5 Years

Darren Assel NW

Stephen Davis NW

Scotty Lynch NW

Garet Scott NW

Michael Aleksick NE

Barry Beamer NE

Charles Cook NE

Brandon Dale NE

Brendon Hancock NE

Jefferson Hopke NE

Paul Pantaleo NE

Donald Arnold CD

Cole Avery CD

Darrell Bennett CD

Anthony Brown CD

Keith Brown CD

Nathaniel Combs CD

Keith Forbes CD

Kerry Friend CD

Christopher Morris CD

Joseph Richardson CD

Philip Wyrick CD

Cody Akers SL

Isaiah Hubbard SW

Ian Packard SW

Riley Brockman SW

Ericka Atkins SE

Jason Payne SE

Caleb Rippinger SE

John Rayfield SE

Ian Yoakum CO

The following retirees passed away:

Raymond C. Reinkemeyer

CO – Sept. 11

Michael R. Logan

NW – Sept. 18

Floyd J. Marsh

NW – Oct. 4

Lester E. Roush, Jr.

NW – Sept. 24

Orville D. Campbell

NE – Sept. 10

Marisa L. Ellison

NE – Sept. 18

Edward L. Cramer

KC – Sept. 16

Daniel R. Head, Sr.

KC – Sept. 11

Larry Jefferson

KC – Sept. 19

Larry R. Bond

CD – Sept. 16

Richard J. Belk

SL – Sept. 1

Jeffrey R. Braddock

SL – Sept. 13

Louis J. Dieckhaus

SL – Sept. 11

Donald L. Hawkins

SE – Sept. 12

The mission of Connections is to be a source of MoDOT news

and feature articles that connect employees statewide.

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MoDOT Communications

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Editor: Sr. Communications Specialist Bethany Belt

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