Happy Thanksgiving!

Plant Operations wishes you a very happy Thanksgiving, with hope that you will spend it with loved ones!  Please stay safe if you are traveling, and try to recharge your batteries over the long weekend.

Campus Snow Closure

Due to an impending storm and likely heavy snowfall, a campus snow closure is in effect for Tuesday, November 23 beginning at 2 p.m.  A decision on tomorrow’s operations will be made by 8 p.m. tonight. This applies to students, faculty and staff with exception of University Health Care physicians and staff, and other departments and staff identified as providing critical research and service functions. All classes are canceled. If you have questions about specific events on campus, we encourage you to contact the respective host organization. Shuttle service and student union operations will continue until 6 p.m.

Grounds Department Update

The Grounds Department has been winterizing the irrigation systems on campus; you may see sprinklers spewing during the day, but please don't be alarmed.  They will continue winterizing through the month of November.

At the newly remodeled engineering building, grass has been removed and drought tolerant plants have been installed.  It will be interesting to see how they turn out as the snow starts melting in the spring!

Thirty-nine new trees have been planted in various locations around campus as a result of the nineteen trees that had to be removed in order to install new utilities in the middle of campus.

Did you know that Plant Operations has a department called Moving Services? Bob Wilson and his moving crew, Todd Langston and Trent Parker, are here to help you with all of your moving needs. They provide all of the moving of office furniture and laboratory equipment on campus. Moving Services prides themselves on safe and efficient work, complete to their customers' satisfaction.  If you have any moving needs, please call the Plant Operations Dispatch Office at (801) 581-7221 to schedule your next move.

Winter Safety

 
Now that we are well into November, we'd like to remind you to be aware of snowy walking and driving conditions on campus.

When walking around campus during the winter:

• Wear the right footwear, rubber and neoprene composite sole shoes.
• Walk slowly, shuffle your feet while walking, and take small steps to keep your center of balance under you.  Bend slightly at the knees.
• Wipe your feet before entering a building and use handrails whenever possible.
• Test potential slick areas by tapping your foot on them.

When driving on campus during the winter:

• Make sure your tires are in good condition.
• Don't forget to put a shovel and a 50-pound bag of salt in the trunk of your vehicle; you never know when you may need it (even if it's to help a fellow-driver).
• Landscape Maintenance and Transportation cannot assist in removing cars that get stuck in the snow.  You will need to call a two truck.
• If driving conditions are bad, take public transportation to campus.

If you have any snow removal concerns, please call the Plant Operations Dispatch Office at (801) 581-7221.  We wish you health and safety this upcoming holiday season!

Paint Shop

 The University of Utah's Paint Shop performs a wide array of duties, more than you might think.  They paint interior surfaces and can make your dirty office walls look new again with a fresh coat of paint, or brighten your space up with new colors.

The Paint Shop performs all of the building maintenance painting; it usually runs every ten to twelve years.  They also take care of all of the hardwood floors on campus, and are responsible for taking care of all of the exteriors of campus buildings that need it.

The Paint Shop is happy to put fine finishes on desks, filing cabinets, etc.  They have a state of the art sign shop, so they 're able to produce logos and designs for most customer needs, along with their basic door and desk name plates.

They also wash graffiti off campus buildings with their 500 gallon high pressure washer, and take care of all glass on campus.  Please remember to call on them when you need any of the services mentioned above.  Please call the Plant Operations Dispatch Office at (801) 581-7221 to schedule the Paint Shop.

Veterans Day 2010

Since 1998, the University of Utah Veterans Day Committee has selected Utah veterans to be honored in a special military service at a November commemoration ceremony--one of the biggest college campus events of its kind in the US. Our Electronics Shop plays a key role in these ceremonies, and this year is no exception. On November 11, 2010 at 8:45 a.m., the shop will be in the Union Building for the Veterans Day panel, providing support for the microphones, press feed, internet streaming of audio, and archive recording of the audio. That evening at 7:00 p.m., the Electronics Shop will be at the Huntsman Center to produce the sound, feed the television audio, and intercom communications for the 55th Annual Veterans Day Concert.  All of the events of the day are free and open to the public, so you are welcome to stop by.  For more information about the schedule and events of the day, click here: Veterans Day Events

This event is a very special one, and we are honored to participate in the recognition of those who sacrifice so much for the rest of us. 

Nathan Howell

We would like to welcome Nathan Howell to Plant Operations.  He is the new Building Automation Programmer in Building Operations, and he started here on October 18, 2010.  He was raised in Riverton and now lives in Lehi with his wife and their seven children.  His kids names are: Makenzie (19), JJ (17), Kayley (16), Tyler (13), Katelynn (7), Kelsey (4), and McKenna (2).  He spends most of his time with his family.  They enjoy camping, sports, biking, and outdoor activities in general.

Nathan worked at CCI Mechanical for about year before coming to the University.  He worked briefly for the Department of Corrections, and before that, he worked for Siemens for 11 1/2 years.

We are excited to have Nathan here to help us transition from contracting our building programming out to programming the buildings in-house.  Please welcome Nathan to the University when you get a chance to meet him!