Cost of Living Adjustment in effect | |
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On Jan. 1, 2022, all full-time and permanent part-time employees as well as interns, emergency maintenance workers and temporary part-time retirees received a 2% Cost of Living Adjustment.
This was approved through the Missouri Legislature and signed by the governor for the FY22 budget.
- All eligible employees received an increase of 2% to their semi-monthly salary.
- Employees on steps remain on steps and employees off the grid remain off the grid.
- Each step on the grid was increased by 2% to reflect the COLA.
- The increase will be reflected in your Jan. 31, 2022, paycheck.
For employees no longer on the grid, you can calculate your new salary using the following formula (current semi-monthly salary x 1.02 = new salary). For those employees still on the grid, your current step on the 2022 grid will show your new salary. All employees can also visit Find My Grade and Salary after Jan. 15, 2022, to confirm their new salary.
If you have any questions, please review the following linked documents or contact your local Human Resource representative.
Jan. 1, 2022, Salary Grid
Frequently Asked Questions
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January commission summary | |
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During Wednesday's commission meeting — the first of 2022 — the Director thanked the MoDOT team for the great work last weekend responding to the first winter storm. He gave special recognition to the nearly 30 employees from the Southeast District who spread out and helped the Kansas City, Central and St. Louis districts with their staffing needs.
Chief Financial Officer Brenda Morris shared the annual financial forecast. The forecast is the basis for MoDOT’s budget and the funding targets provided to planning partners and MoDOT staff to select projects for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Contractor awards are projected to increase from $1.1 billion in FY2022 to $1.5 billion in FY2023 and beyond.
Central Office Communications Manager Taylor Brune and Transportation Planning’s Intermediate Organizational Performance Analyst Kate Bax were recognized at the meeting for their recent award of the 2021 Missouri State Employee Award of Distinction in the category of Innovation. The Innovation Award of Distinction is awarded to an individual who contributes to a more efficient or productive work process or procedure. Brune and Bax were nominated for their progressive ideas and creation of the Tracker Evolution.
Read the full commission meeting summary, which includes the following topics: Director’s Report, Consideration of Bids, Consideration of Proposals for I-44 Corridor Bridge Bundle, Financial Forecast Update, High Priority Unfunded Needs and Commission Funding Allocation Policy Revisions.
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I-44 Design-Build project awarded | |
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The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission on Thursday selected The ESS Team to improve 25 bridges within 15 miles of I-44 across the Southwest District.
There are 25 bridges in the I-44 Corridor Bridge Bundle with seven mainline I-44 bridges, five I-44 overpass bridges and the remaining on adjacent routes over various features.
The $38.5 million project is in line with Gov. Mike Parson’s commitment to focus on taking care of Missouri’s vital infrastructure. Construction is scheduled to begin in late spring or early summer of 2022 with completion in the fall of 2024.
There are approximately 10,400 bridges on the state’s highway system. Nearly 840 of them are rated as “poor” by the Federal Highway Administration.
Read more about the project here.
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High-priority unfunded needs summary | |
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Over the last several months, MoDOT staff worked with metropolitan planning organizations and regional planning commissions throughout the state to develop a list of unfunded road and bridge needs, and multimodal needs. The funding assumption targeted a total of $4.5 billion for three tiers and another tier for multimodal at $1 billion. Tier one targeted $500 million and tiers two and three targeted the remaining $4 billion.
Public meetings were held in November and December with online availability to receive public comment on the unfunded needs list. The new updated, approved High-Priority Unfunded Needs document will be used with our planning partners as the STIP is developed in the next few months. It’s available online at modot.org/unfundedneeds.
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A message from Director McKenna:
On Dec. 28, 2021, MoDOT reported 19 positive COVID-19 cases, which is the most we have reported during one day. We have also reached a total of 1,300 positive cases since the pandemic began. We reached this level after just marking 1,200 cases 12 days prior - the fastest level we have added 100 cases to our records.
Please continue or resume social distancing, mask wearing, handwashing and rapid reporting of close contacts or illness to your supervisor. It is clear that MoDOT is not immune to the rapid case spread of COVID-19 in recent days, so please take precautions to keep yourself, your co-workers and your family safe. If you haven't been vaccinated, please consider doing so.
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ShareLeave donations needed! | |
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“In August 2018, the thought of ever needing to use ShareLeave had never entered my mind. That’s when my wife was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and our entire world was turned upside down. In the whirlwind of fear and confusion, the one thing that I never once had to worry about was my paycheck, allowing me to focus completely on my family. For the kindness and compassion of my MoDOT family and anyone who donates, we will forever be grateful. The words ‘thank you’ will never be enough, but ‘Thank You!’”
MoDOT’s ShareLeave balance is critically low. Please consider donating a few hours to the program to help your co-workers during life’s unexpected events.
To donate a portion of your annual leave or comp time, complete the ShareLeave donation form on HR’s SharePoint site.
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Employee referral incentive runs through March 31 | |
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Do you know someone that would be a good fit for MoDOT? Your recruitment effort could put cash in your pocket.
We’re in need of dedicated seasonal and full-time employees and there’s still time to refer those exceptional workers you know to the MoDOT maintenance forces. So spread the word to your colleagues and ask them about joining our public service team today.
Please visit the Maintenance Winter Ops Referral Program Guidance for referral criteria.
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January is National Mentoring Month | |
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When Senior Diversity & Inclusion Specialist Beckie Brietzke joined the Army and went through basic training, she had a drill sergeant who was notorious for randomly calling out soldiers’ names and forcing an answer to the prompt, “Tell me something I don’t know.”
At the time, all Brietzke could think about was how much she didn’t want him to call her name. "What could I, a private who has only been in the Army a short period of time, know that he didn’t already know?" Brietzke asked herself.
Looking back, she now realizes he was teaching her a valuable life lesson. "He was letting us know that no matter your position, no matter your rank, no matter your experience, you know something other people don’t," Brietzke said.
Realizing you have something to share is the first step. The next step is even more important — learning how to share what you know with others.
Mentoring is the channel through which we can create a culture centered on sharing our knowledge and experience. When we mentor others in the organization, especially new employees, we create a sense of connection, build a shared community of learners and overall establish commitment to each other and the organization. We are each capable of greatness, but together we are capable of more.
If you are interested in joining the mentoring program or just getting more information, complete the Mentoring Interest Form and the mentoring coordinator, Beckie Brietzke, will contact you.
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Winter weather has arrived! | |
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Keep your lots and sidewalks clear and safe. Doing so helps us keep the roads safer for the public and ensures we all go home safe!
As we enter the winter season, remember to keep your lots and walkways free of snow and ice, and regularly check to ensure they remain clear and safe.
- Make sure trip hazards that could be hidden by snow are removed.
- Ensure all exterior lighting is functioning to provide as much visibility on the lot as possible for staff operating equipment and for pedestrians.
- Remember: We can't keep the roads as clear if we have staff injured getting to and from their equipment.
Don't be in a hurry! You could hit something or someone in your haste — be
observant and take your time so you don't take a life!
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Start new year with communication-focused courses | |
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Welcome to 2022!
The new year is a time full of optimism and possibility when we reflect, dream big and set goals for the future. Here are some courses that provide insight and learning from personal and workplace perspectives for the new year.
MO Learning: When launching a LinkedIn Learning course through MoDOT U, a separate window will open that directs you to the MO Learning site. You will need to enter in your MoDOT email address and select the DOT_AZURE option. The course will then automatically begin. If you haven’t activated your MO Learning profile yet, you’ll need to do so first. Instructions on how to activate your profile can be found here.
Communication to Drive People to Take Action 35 minutes
High-Stakes Communications 1 hour
Building Connection and Engagement in Virtual Teams 41 minutes
Interpersonal Communication 37 minutes
Communication Foundations 1 hour, 17 minutes
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Northeast Focus on Bridges program completed | |
This new bridge replacement on Route 15 in Scotland County over the Wyaconda River was completed Dec. 1, 2021. | |
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On Dec. 1, 2021, a new bridge replacement was finished on Missouri Route 15 in Scotland County over the Wyaconda River, signifying the completion of Gov. Mike Parson’s Focus on Bridges program for MoDOT’s Northeast District.
Included in this specific contract was an additional bridge replacement over Foreman (Gunns) Branch, just north of Memphis, which was completed on Aug. 16.
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“We are appreciative of this effort and the investment that was made to address 27 poor condition bridges in our district,” said MoDOT Assistant District Engineer Kevin James.
In January 2019, Gov. Mike Parson put forth a proposal to repair or replace hundreds of the state’s worst bridges. This is where the $351 million Focus on Bridges program came into play, which would repair or replace 250 bridges across the state. “This is a great way to wrap up 2021 and for the district to see all the great progress made within the area,” James said.
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Kansas City tackles first winter storm of 2022 | |
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The district tackled its first winter weather event of the year on New Year's Day as snow and ice arrived during the early hours of Jan. 1.
Kansas City had crews come in at 11 p.m. on Dec. 31. They received help from nine Southeast District employees.
“They were a great help to us, and they fit in with our crews very well,” District Maintenance Engineer Lynelle Luther said.
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The Kansas City District had its first storm of 2022 on New Year's Day. | |
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Luther praised her staff for their hard work on the holiday weekend.
“This was a tough storm due to the freezing rain that changed over to snow and rapidly falling temperatures. We accomplished our goals despite not having as many operators as we needed, so we couldn’t get over all of the roads as quickly as we would have liked to,” Luther said. "Our crews did a great job working our plan of attack, and I could see the results of that work from the EOC.”
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Let your Employee Assistance Program give you a boost. Our counseling, self-improvement tools and solutions for everyday issues can help you achieve your goals – at home and at work.
The services are free, confidential and available all day, every day to your and your household members.
We can help.
Call: 800-808-2261
TTY: 800-697-0353
Online: guidanceresources.com
App: GuidanceNow
Web ID: MCHCP
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Upcoming Webinar: Free library resources available | |
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The Missouri State Library Reference Services Division is the library for state employees. If you don't know much about it or if you want a refresher on the many resources and services it provides for state employees, this class is for you.
This session will cover how to access its digital collection of eBooks, research articles, magazine and newspaper articles, business profiles, legislative research tools and much more.
The webinar is Jan. 27 from 10 to 11 a.m. Register here.
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January service anniversaries | |
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35 Years
Karl Davenport CD
30 Years
Christopher Redline KC
25 Years
Donald Troester NW
Susan Ivy CD
Jason Vanderfeltz CD
Brian Umfleet SL
Curt Woolsey SE
Jesse Elseman CO
20 Years
Joseph Turner NW
Stuart McNeil SL
Robert Watson SW
Charles Armstrong SW
Darin Hamelink SW
Elvin Terrill SE
Jamie Schaffer SE
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Keith Lee SE
15 Years
Kevin Christian NW
David Allred NE
Jody Jordan KC
Reid Riley KC
Michael Bax CD
Todd Burgess SL
Keith Sims SL
Christopher Schaeffer SL
Michael Berger SE
Charles McFadden SE
Douglas Geohagan SE
Matthew Lackman CO
Alexander Wassman CO
10 Years
David Olson CO
5 Years
Elizabeth Desposito NW
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Timothy Miner NW
Mary Fuson NW
Kyle Witte NE
Ravi Neupane KC
Derek Schnoebelen KC
Geoffory Gigg CD
Curtis Camack CD
Rupert Wilson CD
Jordan Dalaviras SL
Shaun Tooley SL
Weston Hanger SW
Tyler Thorson SW
Raymond Dickson SE
Christopher Gaab SE
Jordan Lornson SE
Kyle Mann SE
Derek Redmon SE
Jonathan Burns SE
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The following active employees passed away:
Michael G. Rogers
SL - Jan. 2
The following retirees passed away:
Gerald M. Miner
CO - Dec. 6
Raymond E. May
NW - Dec. 19
Norman K. Snead
NW - Dec. 2
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Lynn L. Jones
NW - Dec. 14
Rolla F. Rentz
NE - Dec. 9
John W. Bosch
KC - Dec. 16
Willie A. Claypool
KC - Dec. 21
Edna R. Hudson
KC - Dec. 24
Jimmy R. Bennett
CD - Dec. 26
Rodney W. Hauser
CD - Dec. 9
Steven K. Widaman
CD - Dec. 22
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Steve L. Booth
SL - Dec. 1
Leon Stone
SL - Dec. 22
Don M. Cotter
SW - Dec. 24
Jimmy L. Lucas
SW - Dec. 9
Paul G. Richardson
SW - Dec. 16
Thomas W. Anderson, Jr.
SE - Dec. 24
Wayne A. McKinney
SE - Dec. 11
William E. Venneman
SE - Dec. 27
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The mission of Connections is to be a source of MoDOT news
and feature articles that connect employees statewide.
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Comments
What would you like to see in Connections?
We want to hear from you! Send comments and suggestions to:
bethany.belt@modot.mo.gov
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MoDOT Communications
P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, Mo 65102
573-751-2840 | www.modot.org
Editor: Bethany Belt
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