News -January 25, 2018
Federal Tax Withholding Update
You may notice that the net amount of your January 30th pay warrant is different from the previous pay check. Due to the tax reform legislation enacted in December, the Internal Revenue Service recently made changes to the Federal tax withholding tables. The State Controller’s Office has updated their Federal payroll tax tables to reflect these changes, which will automatically be applied to your paychecks moving forward. Most employees will see a reduction in the Federal income tax amount withheld. Please keep in mind that your tax withholding is based on a generic table and will not necessarily match the tax amount owed when your taxes are filed. We advise you to consult with a tax professional to ensure your withholdings are sufficient to cover your projected tax liability.
If you would like to adjust your Federal tax withholding at any time, please complete the Employee Action Request Form and return it to the Payroll Department in Brotman Hall 353. Feel free to contact the Payroll Department at ext. 5-4164 with any questions. Thank you.
Seismic Testing Saturday, January 27
In partnership with the Long Beach Mayor’s Office, CSULB has been working with a local company, LA Seismic, which is conducting an underground seismic fault survey in Long Beach and the surrounding cities. They have placed temporary electronic receivers throughout the campus for this purpose and will have a series of specialized trucks on campus this Saturday, January 27. Escorted by University Police, the trucks will be driving a preapproved route and will be slightly shaking the ground in order to create a profile of the geologic faults in our area. The shaking will be mild and is expected only to be felt if very close to the equipment.
The work will start at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, January 27 and go through most of the day. Contact Mark Zakhour, Director of Design and Construction Services, at mark.zakhour@csulb or 5-7592 with any questions or concerns.
Bellflower Resurfacing Project
As part of the Long Beach City Bellflower Resurfacing Project, Bellflower Boulevard will be repaved and reconfigured from Atherton Street to Pacific Coast Highway. The project will ultimately eliminate one northbound vehicle travel lane and create a new parking-protected bike lane in both the northbound and southbound directions along Bellflower Boulevard. The protected bike lanes will provide safer north-south bike connections from the neighborhoods of Los Altos and Alamitos Heights to CSULB. The project includes traffic improvements, such as continental crosswalk markings and ADA upgrades along the 1.1-mile corridor. The completion date for this project is scheduled for March 31, 2018.
New Director of Design and Construction Services: Mark Zakhour
Mark Zakhour, previously Senior Manager of Construction Services, is now the new Director of Design and Construction Services. Mark has had direct responsibility for the management of all capital and deferred maintenance construction programs for the campus. Mark is a professionally registered Certified Accessibility Specialist with the Division of the State Architect (DSA), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional, Associate Member of the American Institute for Architects (AIA) and holds numerous other building inspection certifications. He has worked diligently to develop sustainable construction practices for our university, including overseeing the growth of our green building program for major capital construction.
Postage Rate Increase on January 21, 2018
Effective January 21, 2018, the United States Postal Service increased postage rates by one cent for the First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 49 cents to 50 cents. Postcard stamps and metered letters also increased one cent each. The increase does not include any price change for single-piece letters mailed to international destinations or for additional ounces for letters. For additional questions, please contact receivingandmailservices@csulb.edu or call Ext. 5-4828.
Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Newsletter
A new health and safety newsletter (Winter 2017-18 edition) is now available on the EHS website. In this quarterly publication, the spotlight will focus on the flu season, how to cope and deal with stress, and preparing laboratories for an emergency. Please take a moment to review these important safety notes and reminders.
