City Manager David Gassaway has started the “Weekly Win Wednesday” program to recognize employees who had a budget reduction or time-saving suggestion that is being implemented, or just for going above and beyond! Each Wednesday David will visit the employee and present a certificate!

April 15, 2026: Police Officer Cade Beckwith, Community Service Officers Aniela Duran, Kaylani Payne, Blake Ledford, and Desirae Campbell. 

This week's Win Wednesday recipients are as follows: Officer Cade Beckwith, and Community Service Officers Aniela Duran, Kaylani Payne, Blake Ledford, and Desirae Campbell. Police Chief Dan Marshall nominated them and stated, "Officer Beckwith led a max enforcement operation alongside our dayshift patrol CSOs focusing on abandoned and inoperative vehicles throughout the city.

The team marked 20 vehicles (11-24s), issued 19 parking citations, and towed 14 vehicles. Their proactive efforts are helping keep our city clean, clear neighborhood streets, and remove vehicles that have been left unattended or abandoned in our communities."

Congratulations to the entire team for their excellence and dedication! We appreciate each of you!

 

 

March 25, 2026: Melissa Fryar, Nicole Benson & Sean Hobson

Planning Manager Meily Sheehan nominated Assistant Planner Melissa Fryar, Community Development Management Analyst Nicole Benson, and IT Analyst  Sean Hobson for a Win Wednesday award for their excellent work in modernizing the Planning Division’s entitlement application materials and BUILD system configuration. 

This effort required coordination across multiple departments to collect and confirm updated minimum application submittal requirements, ensuring the City clearly identifies the materials needed for a complete application in accordance with the Permit Streamlining Act. The team successfully refreshed all Planning Division application forms with a consistent aesthetic and user-friendly, fillable formats, and developed a master application form to make it easier for applicants to navigate the entitlement process and submit the correct materials from the start. Behind the scenes, they also completed substantial BUILD system configuration to support a smoother and more seamless digital application process for the public. 

Overall, this project improves transparency, consistency, and ease of use for both staff and the public, helping make the entitlement process clearer and more predictable. 

Congratuations Melissa, Nicole, and Sean on this well-deserved recognition!

 

March 11, 2026: Building Maintenance Manager Peter Peirce 

Peter has been an integral part of the Energy Conservation Project Phase 1, demonstrating exceptional leadership, diligence, and advocacy for the City every step of the way. He and his team conduct daily walks with the onsite superintendent and actively participate in weekly construction meetings to ensure the project remains on track and aligned with the City’s expectations. 

Peter consistently stays on top of critical in-field issues, addressing concerns proactively and serving as a strong advocate for the City’s best interests. Most recently, when a contractor submitted a proposed change order totaling $121,342.69 for a field issue, Peter acted immediately. He quickly communicated with Project Manager Marisa Cumpian, providing essential background information and context that enabled the team to confidently push back on the request. As a direct result of his responsiveness and thorough understanding of the project, the change order was ultimately cancelled—saving the City significant funds. 

Peter’s attentiveness, collaboration, and commitment to fiscal responsibility exemplify organizational excellence. His hands-on approach and dedication to protecting City resources make a meaningful impact on the success of this project.

  

February 25, 2026: Police's HIT and Public Works HEART

On the evening of January 7, 2026, the Police’s Homeless Intervention Team (HIT) and the Public Works Homeless Engagement and Response Team (HEART) conducted a coordinated operation. Special thanks to Officer Alex Aldredge for organizing the operation and Sergeant Michael Pena for his dual role supporting both the SROs and HIT. HEART comprises Rick Joiner (pictured), Brandon Garcia, and Juan Garcia, who were unfortunately absent for the recognition ceremony. Efforts like this highlight just some of the impactful work being done within this unit. 

The operation utilized data provided from citizen complaints and involved pre-planning, such as tagging encampments in advance, affording the occupants time to voluntarily comply.  

In total, 26 subjects were contacted, resulting in six criminal citations as well as three arrests. Eighteen carts were removed, and 14 encampments were cleaned. Most importantly, nine cubic yards of trash were removed from these encampments.  

Thank you HIT and HEART for your dedication to excellence.

 

December 17: Jasmin Acuna, IT

The Community Development Department would like to formally acknowledge and highlight the outstanding efforts of Jasmin Acuña, whose work has significantly supported both the Building and Planning Divisions. Her contributions reflect an exceptional level of dedication and professionalism that warrants recognition. 

Jasmin has played a vital role in managing the city’s address assignment process. While the Building Permit Tech Supervisor has been navigating the responsibilities of the interim role with limited training, Jasmin has consistently taken the lead on nearly all address assignment requests, from straightforward ADU assignments to highly complex new development addresses. She has demonstrated remarkable efficiency and accuracy, preparing storyboards, organizing required documentation, and ensuring complete, ready-to-send packages for customer communication. Her support has been essential to maintaining smooth operations within the Building Division. 

In addition to her substantial workload, Jasmin also provided invaluable assistance to the Planning Division. She created over 500 mailing labels for the General Plan Implementation Housing Element Update public hearing notice, an extensive and detail-oriented task that she completed with precision, timeliness, and professionalism. Her willingness to step in and support Planning during a high-volume period greatly contributed to the Planning Division meeting its required deadlines. 

Jasmin’s ability to seamlessly support critical processes across both divisions has significantly strengthened the operations of the entire Community Development Department. Her work ethic, reliability, and collaborative spirit make her an exemplary team member whose efforts merit formal recognition.

Congratulations, Jasmin!

 

September 17: Miguel Plascencia, Finance

 

City Manager David Gassaway recognized Accounting Assistant II, Miguel Plascencia from the Finance Department, for this week's Win Wednesday award. He was nominated by Budget Officer Ashley Doyle. Recently Miguel participated in a ride-along with Public Works’ staff who handle water shut offs. Miguel’s participation was a great success thanks to his engagement and follow-through.

From the recap, it’s clear Miguel made a strong impression and contributed meaningfully to the discussion. His observations helped surface several process improvement opportunities, including:

• Sorting door tags by street name
• Investigating MCare system lockups and mapping issues
• Streamlining reconnect assignments
• Addressing field data loss concerns 

Ashley said, "Miguel's proactive approach and thoughtful feedback are already helping us move forward with tangible improvements. I believe this deserves recognition."

Congratulations, Miguel!

 

September 10: Tish Van Den Hoek, Finance

City Manager David Gassaway recognized Finance employee Tish Van Den Hoek with a WIn Wednesday award on Sepember 10. She received two nominations for the recognition.

When it comes to preparing City Council agenda packets, Tish not only completes the print jobs quickly, but also takes the initiative to troubleshoot issues. Rather than waiting to be asked, she contacts IT directly, resolves the problem, and then lets us know everything has been handled—all with her trademark cheerful and helpful attitude. 

Tish consistently goes above and beyond her regular duties in mail delivery and pickup. Prior to her foot injury, she streamlined outgoing mail by identifying and consolidating duplicates, resulting in a cost savings of approximately $1,500 in postage and materials. She also ensured unused envelopes were returned to the appropriate departments for future use. 

Her commitment extends beyond her core responsibilities. Tish is often seen voluntarily picking up litter outside City grounds, demonstrating her pride in our workplace environment. She carries out these efforts with humility, never seeking recognition. 

In addition, Tish deserves recognition for her volunteer work around the Civic Center. She uses her breaks to clean the pond so ducks and geese have a safe place to swim. Recently, she even removed a duck that had tragically drowned after becoming entangled in a plastic bag. With compassion, she removed the bag and disposed of the duck, sharing her sadness but reaffirming her dedication to keeping the pond safe and clean. 

Tish exemplifies dedication, initiative, and quiet leadership—qualities that make her an outstanding employee and a truly deserving nominee.

Congratulations, Tish!

August 13: Rolando Cordova, Building Inspector

A Fairfield resident sent the following email to the City of Fairfield, praising Rolando.

“My wife and I are having a new roof installed on our home at 1986 Dorland Dr., FFD, 94534. It has been interesting getting the legacy solar system removed and the new roof put on. Getting schedules coordinated between two companies and their efforts to get needed permits.

Last Friday, 7/18, I met Rolando Cordova, a member of your team, to inspect the roof after tear off. It was truly a pleasure  talking with him. Our roofing contractor, Guy, had a few questions he wanted me to ask Rolando. I call our roofer and asked Rolando if he had time to talk Guy and handed him my phone. I understand, last week, the inspector crew was short handed and Rolando had this inspection dropped on to his schedule. He explained to Guy how to schedule the final inspection for today and some other points to help with the online permit request system.

Rolando was back today to inspect the roof. Another friendly conversation.Rolando was very personable, friendly and professional. I told him how much I appreciated his services and taking the time to assist our contractor.I just want to let you know what an exceptional job Rolando is doing and he is a great ambassador for the City of Fairfield to the community.”

Congratulations, Rolando!

 

July 2: Jeff Bertany, IT Manager

Jeff completed the PTI/Rutgers University Certified Government CIO (CGCIO) program, which is an extensive one-year long program. His final presentation was on Change Management, which he will be able to apply to the many projects he is involved with in the city. He has led his team successfully and oversaw many projects in the last few years such as Tyler Munis Implementation, EnerGov, GIS dashboards for the transparency portal, and many more. He truly deserves this recognition which aligns with the organizational values of Organizational Excellence.

Congratulations, Jeff!

June 18: Jeremy Profitt, Cathy Ramblas, & Ryan McCann

Thanks to the emergency abatement process used by our PD Code Enforcement, Support Manager Jeremy Profitt, Code Enforcement Officer Cathy Ramblas, and Administrative Technician Ryan McCann worked together to successfully negotiate out-of-court settlements on eight properties with illegal cannabis growing. Code Enforcement was able to red-tag multiple properties, forcing owners to correct hazardous conditions before putting them back on the market. They also collaborated with the District Attorney’s Office and the FBI to investigate potential links to other crimes. While this is an ongoing issue throughout the Bay Area, what has set our team apart from other cities has been the documentation, enforcement, and information sharing with the DA, FBI, and State Cannabis Control.  

As one attorney put it, “I’ve never had to work this hard to clear my clients from indoor grows.” He was particularly impressed with our use of the life-safety abatement.  

Finally, this strategy has also reduced the volume of administrative citation appeals, cutting down on staff workload and legal expenses. The estimated cost recovery is approximately $130,000-$160,000 after paying abatement cost. 

Congratulations Jeremy, Cathy, and Ryan on this well-deserved Win Wednesday recognition from City Manager David Gassaway! 

 

May 14: Ina Davenport - Official Dog Lover

Ina Davenport from MOD received a Weekly Win Wednesday for her dog-saving efforts last Wednesday night. Ina was leaving the office and had parked on Kentucky Street. As she approached her car, she saw a small dog dart out onto Kentucky Street and get hit by a moving SUV. The SUV driver did not stop, and Ina saw the pup lying in the street. She saw that the dog was not moving and approached the dog, who would get hit if he were not removed from the street. Ina picked up the dog and headed back to the office.

While walking back to the office, Ina called the Police Department for assistance. Karen and Valeria saw Ina returning and helped her with the pup by offering it water and wiping off the blood from its ears and mouth. The Police Department called Solano County Humane Animal Services (HAS), and Ina, Karen, Valeria, and Liz waited until they arrived to take the dog to the Solano Emergency Hospital in Cordelia.

The next morning, HAS confirmed that the dog’s name was “Bug” and that he had been microchipped and missing for two days. Thanks to Ina’s quick response, Bug was reunited with his grateful family, bringing a heartwarming ending to what could have been a tragedy.

April 30: Shawn Christianson of Pubic Works Fleet

City Manager David Gassaway awarded Shawn the Win Wednesday certificate on April 30. Fire Department Administration Manager Taylor Armour stated, "On behalf of Chief Sturdee, we’d like to nominate Public Works Fleet Supervisor Shawn Christianson for his impressive commitment to rehabbing a 93-year-old apparatus to get it ready to drive in the 2025 Independence Day Parade. Years in the making, retired Fire Chief Luckenbach had authorized Shawn to work on the project, which Shawn squeezed in time here and there for more than two years until finally getting the truck operational last week. Shawn’s skill and ability to make this possible is worthy of special recognition."

Congratulations, Shawn, on this well-deserved recognition!

 

April 2, 2025: Keisha Mamaril of Community & Economic Development 

 

This week's Win Wednesday awardee is Economic Development Project Manager Keisha Mamaril, nominated by Director of Community and Economic Development Dave Zellers for her recent successful work coordinating the new mural at North Texas and the Linear Trail. Keisha did the following: 

• Guided Sustainable Solano (https://sustainablesolano.org/fairfield-in-full-bloom/)  through working with city departments to ensure all proper approvals were received
• Tracked down the building owner where the mural is located and got all the necessary paperwork signed and notarized by him in time for the mural painting
• Worked with partner organizations to help promote the event
• Attended the “Fairfield In Bloom” event on Saturday, March 22, where she engaged with community participants and onlookers. Keisha did not have to attend on her day off, but chose to out of her commitment to seeing this project through. 

Keisha did all of this under time pressure; had a location for the mural not been secured soon, the grant Sustainable Solano received would have been forfeited. It is also important to note that she stepped in without being asked and without hesitation to take on a larger role in public art since the departure of the staff that previously oversaw those efforts.  Her work on this project demonstrated her passion for connecting economic development to quality of life in our community. Dave said, "For me as both department head and her colleague, it has been one of the most positive things in 2025 thus far to see Keisha energized by this and other recent projects. I believe others on our team would agree with this sentiment."

Congratulations, Keisha!

 

March 19, 2025: Cherie Hansen of City Manager's Office

Homeless Services Manager Samantha Burrows proudly nominated CMO Office Assistant Cherie Hansen for recognition as a Win Wednesday awardee, as she embodies the true spirit of dedication and compassion in her work. Cherie consistently goes above and beyond to manage the additional customer service responsibilities related to our unhoused population when they come up to the 4th floor. Regardless of her other tasks, Cherie ensures that every walk-in feels heard and valued and guides them to the right person or resources with patience and care. 

Whether she is serving as the first point of contact for incoming phone calls or providing resources when Homeless Services Division is not immediately available for walk ins, Cherie handles each situation with unwavering kindness and empathy. Her professionalism is both quiet and powerful, offering constant and compassionate service to individuals who, at times, can be difficult or unkind in return. 

We are deeply grateful for her tireless contributions. She plays a pivotal role in providing essential services to our most vulnerable, improving lives, and advancing the Council's priorities. Through every interaction, Cherie is making our community better, one engagement at a time.

Congratulations Cherie!

 

March 12, 2025: Ana Garibay of Finance 

 

Finance Administrative Assistant Ana Garibay is this week's Win Wednesday recipient! Finance Director John Furtado nominated Ana for the recognition. He said she took it upon herself to go through the mail for another division in Finance even though she was not asked to do so. She was aware of an important claim that was pending, and took it upon herself to reach out to the Risk team when they were away at a conference and ask them about the mail she found.

She consistently goes above and beyond and takes the initiative to help in all areas of Finance. John said, "Ana is a rock star!"

Thank you, Ana, for your diligence and attention to detail!

 

March 5, 2025: Megan Sousa of Finance

Financial Services Manager Yuliya Elbo nominated Accounting Assistant Megan Sousa to be recognized as a Wednesday Win recipient for stepping in to cover very important part of City’s daily operations: Mail delivery and distribution, and Print Shop duties.

While these services often work behind the scenes, they are absolutely essential to keeping the City’s operations running smoothly and ensuring that all departments can continue providing uninterrupted service to Fairfield’s residents. When Tish Anderson unexpectedly had to go on medical leave, Megan, who had been trained by Tish to step in when needed, took on the responsibility without hesitation.

Megan now starts her days early to pick up mail from the Post Office, sort, organize, and distribute it to the various departments, ensuring everything is handled in a timely manner. After that, she returns to her role as a Customer Service representative for the Fairfield Utility division before finishing her day by collecting and processing all outgoing mail.

In addition to handling mail duties, Megan was tasked with quickly learning the magic of Print Shop duties. As it turned out, many departments were fully relying on Tish’s many years of expertise in ensuring pages are printed in the right order, making sure staples, folds, and holes are perfectly aligned and are chosen as expected, or printing specific forms on the correct paper in the right quantities.

Megan is a true representation of  “Learn by Doing”, and is delivering outstanding results through asking good questions, overcoming obstacles, and sometimes dealing with frustration – all of it with the smile on her face.

Thank you, Megan, for all that you do!

 

February 19, 2025: Melissa Minton of Public Works

 

Deputy City Clerk Esther Beavers nominated Public Works Administrative Assistant Melissa Minton for this week's Win Wednesday award! Melissa has done a wonderful job managing Public Work’s PRAs. She established PRA Mondays, during which she and her team review which PRAs are pending or near the deadline so they can provide the requested records in a timely manner.

With the large amount of PRAs and work that this department handles, this is a creative solution to improve efficiency for her department. This department is one of the few that is not late in providing records within the 10-day period. Bravo!

Congratulations, Melissa, on a job well done! 

 

January 15, 2025: Juan Carlos "JC" Cerda Sanchez

Juan Carlos “JC” Cerda Sanchez has been a loyal and dependable city employee for over 21 years. He currently works for the Public Works Operations Division as the main groundskeeper for the Civic Center complex among many other duties. JC arrives at work daily with a positive attitude and takes the time to greet each one of his coworkers every morning. You won’t find anyone with more energy than JC before 6 a.m. 

Staff never have to ask him twice to get things done. He is known to work through breaks and lunches although this is highly discouraged by management. JC is always happy and willing to assist with any duty requested of him without question, even if those requests are less desirable or considered the worst duties. He has a great track record for responding to after hour emergency call outs. JC has dealt with countless homeless issues around the City Hall campus with dignity. JC’s ethics are unmatched as he always acts with the best interests of others in mind. 

JC is always willing to assist any staff within the city regardless of which department they work in. Some examples are helping with the bins for the coat/toy annual drive, assisting the City Manager’s Office staff with various duties, assisting Engineering staff with destruction of records, and randomly helping staff to carry items in without being asked. JC’s presence in the workplace is so impactful that on the rare occasion he’s out, the effects of his absence can be felt by many. 

JC’s smile brightens up everyone’s day and is larger than life. He always goes the extra mile in everything he does. JC is well known and respected by countless staff for his awesome work ethic and positive attituded displayed towards others.

Congratulations, JC! 

 

December 18: Megan Keller-Lundberg of Public Works

Public Works Superintendent Mike Gray and Parks & Recreation Assistant Angie Reuters nominated Public Works Operations Assistant Megan Keller-Lundberg for recognition due to her unwavering dedication and service to both citizens and colleagues. Over the years, they have had the privilege of witnessing her commitment firsthand. She goes above and beyond in her role, often taking time to assist residents with questions that extend beyond City services, searching for answers and solutions on Google to help them.  

Megan’s empathy is evident as she listens to every detail shared by residents, making them feel heard and valued, even as they await further assistance. She has also become a trusted resource among staff— she is often the go-to “phone a friend” person, whenever someone needs guidance on a task or has an unexpected question.  

Megan’s dedication is a true asset to the City of Fairfield, and we are fortunate to have her serving our community.

Congratulations, Megan!

October 9: Tim Shephard of IT

Tim Shephard, of the IT Infrastructure and Security team, has worked with AT&T to review the City’s data, phone, and internet circuit accounts for a cost savings analysis. While working with the City’s telco vendor, after implementation of the new phone system last year, Tim realized a $90,000 per year savings through the detailed review and disconnection of telco circuits across City sites. The savings from the phone system switchover plus the disconnects will result in approximately $120K for the telephone fund ongoing projections.

Tim also worked with the Finance Accounts Payable staff to ensure IT was notified of circuit billings on previously disconnected accounts. His proactive measures and attention to detail have set a new standard for fiscal responsibility within the department and truly reflect the council’s goal of organizational excellence.

Congratulations, Tim! 

  

October 2: Fairfield Municipal Utilities (FMU) Team

This week's Win Wednesday recipients are the FMU team! During the recent transition of our Fairfield Municipal Utilities customer accounts to the new Silver Blaze system, many customers needed to switch over to the new system. At times, this became overwhelming with frequent calls for assistance and complaints. Despite the challenges, the FMU team remained positive, consistently providing solutions, support, and excellent customer service throughout the process—and continue to do so to this day.

Staff includes: Stephanie Borchers, Desiree Starr, Megan Sousa, Lycel Marin, Miguel Plascencia, and Theresa Whitley. 

Thank you, FMU team! And congratulations!

September 18: Salvador Aguiniga and Eduardo Gonzalez

 

The Fire Department would like to recognize Fleet’s Senior Equipment Mechanic Salvador Aguiniga and Equipment Mechanic Eduardo Gonzalez for their assistance in the Amaral Court Fire on August 21, a grass fire in the Green Valley Highlands that threatened many homes and led to the evacuations of three zones. Fairfield Fire, along with Cal Fire, did an amazing job of keeping the fire contained to 10.75 acres, and no structures or homes were damaged.

Fires in the Green Valley Highlands are always challenging for many reasons. One is the lack of reliable water sources and Fire's new 3,000-gallon water tender was out of service and in the shop for maintenance and repairs during this fire. Sal and Eddy heard Fire’s radio traffic and through dispatch asked the incident commander if the water tender was needed. Fairfield’s Battalion Chief responded yes, so Sal and Eddy quickly put the unit back in service and drove it out to the incident, where it was immediately utilized in firefighting operations.

Fire values their relationship with Fleet, and this example demonstrates an excellent working relationship among the two departments, which ultimately assisted in providing the highest level of service to our community.

Thank you, Sal and Eddy!  

September 11: Brian Irwin

This week's Win Wednesday awardee is MOD's Brian Irwin. Recently, MOD was tasked with getting photos and aerial images of every park in Fairfield for IT’s GIS maps. In order to efficiently plan the workflow, MOD member Brian Irwin created an app called “Get the Shot”.

This app can do a couple of things:

1. Organize your route based on your location.
2. Update in real time.
3. House a checklist of shots needed at each location.

The app proved invaluable in allowing the techs to get the shots they needed in a timely manner!

Thank you, Brian! And congratulations!

 

September 4: Kimberly Huynh

This week's Win Wednesday recipient is Kimberly Huynh.  In addition to her great work as one of the Community Development Department’s administrative staff and the professional growth she has shown in the last year, Kimberly has taken her impact on the organization to new heights by turning the Community Development Department’s monthly potlucks into a City Hall happening. 

Through Kim’s creativity and encouragement, her ideas for new themes have motivated more staff to participate in creative ways, increased the number of CD employees who bring food in, and made the monthly smorgasbord a welcoming event for other department staff to come and enjoy. 

It is people like Kim who are leading without a title and making something everyone can look forward to and enjoy as part of the team of the City, not just one department alone.  We appreciate Kim’s work in building better relationships within and across departments!

Congratulations, Kimberly!

 

August 28: Cesar Castro and Francisco "Paco" Rico

This week's Win Wednesday recipients are Public Works Landscape Maintenance Inspector Cesar Castro and HEART worker Francisco "Paco" Rico. 

On Friday, August 23, there was a special event scheduled at Gary Falati Park. An oversight occurred where Public Works wasn’t alerted, causing the sprinkler system and mosquito alarm to run as scheduled. Despite this, Cesar and Paco stepped in promptly, coming in that night to turn off the sprinklers and alarm, ensuring the park was ready for the event. Their quick action and willingness to serve is an example of customer service at its best.

Congratulations on your recognition, Cesar and Paco, and thank you!

 

August 14: Jasmin Acuna

IT Sr. Analyst (GIS) Jasmin Acuna recently trained the Community Development Department on GIS and is an excellent example of cross-departmental teamwork. Her readiness to jump in quickly and her willingness to educate her city colleagues and an external partner about their unique requests reflect the best of our organization’s culture and partnership with our community stakeholders.

Jasmin also recently became a Certified Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP), an important development milestone, and her commitment to continuing education is laudable and an asset to our organization.

Congratulations, Jasmine!

  

July 31: Sheila Yu

Earlier this month, a hacker obtained a City of Fairfield employee direct deposit form and attempted to fraudulently change an employee’s payroll deposit to the hacker’s bank account. Finance Support Supervisor Sheila Yu thought this looked unusual and contacted the employee who confirmed they knew nothing about the transaction. Sheila’s vigilance and attention to detail stopped the hacker in their tracks.

Thank you, Sheila! Great job! 

 

 

July 17: Kristan Weihe

 

Finance Accountant Kristan Weihe is this week's Win Wednesday recipient! City Manager David Gassawy presented Kristan with a special certificate acknowledging her efforts for how she worked with staff to streamline the finances for the Travis Community Consortium (TCC). Kristan stated, "For the past four years, I have managed the finances for the TCC on behalf of the City Manager’s Office, and it has always been a challenge to arrive at a current balance in their account. Since the TCC’s account number could only give me fiscal year totals in Cayenta and Tyler, I could not see a running balance to reconcile their finances."

After many months of effort and discussions, Kristan created a project code for the TCC, and is now able to quickly reconcile the TCC finances. What used to take her one hour, now takes minutes. Besides saving on time, she now has an accurate available balance that she can rely on instead of hoping her numbers match what was in our AP system. Great work!

Congratulations, Kristan!

 

 

 July 3: Robert Hayashida

  

This week's Win Wednesday recipient is IT Technician Robert Hayashida. Since taking over management of the City’s Verizon bill in June 2023, Robert has been a diligent and proactive advocate for cost savings. By meticulously reviewing current and available cellular plans, he has successfully saved the City $69,964.08 annually. His commitment to optimizing our telecom expenses has made a significant impact on our bottom line.

Robert’s renegotiations with service providers have resulted in financial efficiency and his efforts have not only reduced costs but also ensured that the City benefits from the latest and most effective telecom solutions. Additionally, Robert has implemented a systematic approach to monitor usage, preventing unnecessary charges and improving overall budget management through central account management.

His proactive measures and attention to detail have set a new standard for fiscal responsibility within the department and truly reflect the council’s goal of organizational excellence.

Congratulations, Robert!

 

 

June 12: Anna Guiles

Director of  Community and Economic Development Dave Zellers nominated Anna for this week's Win Wednesday award! 

Anna has been instrumental in marshaling the resources and people needed from multiple departments for the Energov transition. By efficiently managing the coordination across our City team as well as outside vendors & stakeholder for configuration tasks, Anna has not only streamlined workflows but also significantly enhanced the project's efficiency and effectiveness. Her efforts with configuration process will form the solid foundation of the new system. Anna’s ability to bring the teams together to stay on track, provide timely updates, flag potential issues has been instrumental in ensuring the project's success reflecting her professionalism and expertise in this role.  And her recent foresight to anticipate the potential for a major delay in the project cannot be understated; Anna threw herself willingly and with alacrity into taking charge when the team needed it most to get the Energov project back on schedule. 

Moreover, we would like to commend Anna for her exemplary efforts in leading the documentation of the Development Process workflow and procedures. This comprehensive documentation will not only serve as a valuable reference for the City team but also lays a solid foundation for future process improvements, promoting transparency, and positioning the Community Development Department for enhanced success in meeting community needs and collaborating across the entire City organization.

Congratulations, Anna! 

 

June 5: Vurn Saeturn 

This week's recipient is Sr. IT Analyst Vurn Saeturn for his involvement in developing the Tyler reports to help the administrative teams throughout the city monitor invoices, payments, purchase orders, and contracts. 

When the idea was brought to Vurn, he gathered the facts and produced the necessary reports, tailoring them to fit our reporting needs. Vurn’s efforts will help all departments efficiently and accurately track the money they spend, no longer relying on invoicing and purchase order Excel spreadsheets. 

Thank you, Vurn!

 

May 29: Marisa Cumpian

In early January, Marisa Cumpian received notification from a consultant under contract that they had incurred substantial additional labor costs beyond what the budget supported for an activity within the overall project.  The consultant indicated that there were overall savings within the project and the $19,646 they wanted to recover could be shifted within the total approved project budget. 

As project manager, Marisa Cumpian had the necessary conversations and confirmed that a significant portion of the additional labor costs were a result of inefficiency on the consultant’s part and confirmed that the consultant had not requested authorization to bill additional time prior to performing work. She considered the additional work to complete the entire project and reconciled the total amount of appropriate costs. The consultant agreed to absorb a total of $10,346. This has resulted in savings to the project.

Congratulations, Marisa!

 

May 22: Juan Segura

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week's recipient is Parks & Rec's Recreation Program Coordinator Juan Segura. 

We extend our congratulations to Juan for his insightful suggestion to power off the city's digital signage during non-business hours. This not only prolongs the lifespan of our monitors but also contributes to our overall efforts in energy and cost savings.

Juan's proactive approach reflects our shared commitment to sustainability and fiscal responsibility, benefiting both our community and the city's resources.

 

May 15: Alexis Contreras

 

The latest recipient is Alexis Contreras for her sincere commitment to providing excellent customer service. Alexis is one of our part-time employees serving in the Administrative Services Division of the Parks & Recreation Department. Alexis is always the first to volunteer for special projects, covering last minute shift vacancies, and helping at events. During the last several months the department has experienced multiple vacancies and has been using temp agency staff to cover while we recruit permanent positions. 

As one of our veteran staff, Alexis has been assigned to assist the interim staff members with job shadowing the front counter (registration/customer service). We are highlighting Alexis for taking the initiative to create helpful “how to guides” with photos and detailed information to assist our new part-time staff with their acclimation to process/procedures and gain work independence.  

Alexis exemplifies organizational excellence as she willingly shares new ideas and information to improve the division’s performance. We value Alexis’ flexibility, adaptability, and willingness to jump in to assist wherever needed – we appreciate all Alexis brings to our team.  

Congratulations, Alexis!

May 1: David Medina, Johnny Bullock, and Ken Radford

 

This week's Win Wednesday recipients are the Public Works Facilities Crew, who have taken on the job of replacing faded and rotting city park signs. They will continue to replace signs at all neighborhood parks as needed. By performing the woodwork in-house, they are saving the City time and money that would be spent on ordering new signs.

Pictured from L to R: City Manager David Gassaway, Utility Worker Sr. David Medina, Utility Worker Sr. Johnny Bullock, and Landscape Supervisor Ken Radford.

Congratulations David, Johnny, and Ken!

 

April 24: Mark Sharp 

The Public Works Building Maintenance team currently cleans and tests spark plugs for the cogeneration engine. This involves cleaning and visually inspecting the plugs, hoping they would last until the next scheduled maintenance. However, results were mixed - some plugs held up, while others did not. Rather than resorting to the conventional approach of outright replacement, which comes with a substantial price tag of $3,200 for a complete set of spark plugs, Mark came up with an alternative method, a spark plug tester.

This idea is based on lessons learned from Mark’s years of experience in the aviation industry. This advanced tool enables us to assess the condition of each plug, providing valuable insights into their viability for multiple reuses. This streamlines our maintenance costs and is a sustainable and economically efficient approach to spark plug management.

Thank you, Mark & Team!

 

April 11: Phil Layoso

  

As the Project Manager on the Cadenasso Drive Pavement Reconstruction Project, Phil was the key reason the City was able to save $1.3 million in local street funding.  His idea to use a geogrid material to reduce cost without decreasing the structural integrity of the pavement was integral to getting these much-needed improvements completed. Cadenasso Drive is a major street that provides access to the Fairfield Transportation Center, retail shopping centers, and several auto dealerships.

Congratulations Phil! 

 

 April 4: Jerriod Mack 

 

Officer Jerriod Mack has been instrumental in expanding the online reporting system for the Fairfield Police Department. He expanded the types of calls for service in which citizens can make an online report. Additionally, he had a kiosk installed in the police department lobby to make online reporting accessible to others. Officer Mack has greatly reduced the calls for service and time officers spend taking reports.

He and several Community Service Officers follow up on the entries made to ensure there are no leads or additional follow up needed. This has been a substantial impact and improvement on the department and has saved countless hours of time from staff. 

Congratulations Jerriod and thank you!

 

March 27: Prat Uprety

 

Prat realized the Finance Department was paying a flat monthly fee for translation services. Since the Finance team is well-staffed with bilingual employees, the services were not being used frequently. Since the fee structure had a flat component, even if it was unused, the City was paying for the availability of the service. Prat reached out to other city departments to see what translation services they utilized and found Transit was utilizing a pay-per-use service that would fit the Finance Department’s needs.

Prat went a step further and reached out to other companies to provide quotes and found even better pricing and services to meet our needs. Although the dollar savings are not large, Prat understands every dollar counts and the importance of utilizing our resources efficiently.

Congratulations, Prat, and thank you!

 

March 20: Sean Hobson

 

Sean Hobson is being recognized for his outstanding contributions to improving efficiencies and supporting Community Development with the current permit tracking system, TRAKiT. Sean's dedication and swift implementation of numerous enhancements to TRAKiT leading up to the Energov kickoff have significantly streamlined operations for the Permit team. Among the improvements, Sean finalized a fee update that was months overdue, as well as put in place the foundation for the upcoming annual fee update. 

Congratulations, Sean, and thank you!

 

March 13: Andrew Perez

Human Resources Analyst Andrew Perez was the winner! Andrew has made improvements to the procedures to help employees when changing their W-4 forms.

This includes Andrew working with the Payroll Department to develop procedures and creating a training video.

Congratulations Andrew, and thank you!

 

March 6: Ana Garibay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Administrative Assistant Ana Garibay in Finance had the idea of streamlining internal invoice processing by checking insurance in Exigis.

While assisting with the Accounts Payable Division, Ana observed the team was manually updating an insurance compliance spreadsheet. Ana knew the information was stored electronically and worked with the team to provide them with an updated list on a routine schedule to eliminate the need to maintain the compliance spreadsheet manually. Ana was able to identify the problem, find a solution, create efficiencies, and eliminate unnecessary manual processes.

Congratulations Ana!

 

February 26: Maribel Galsim

The first recipient is Office Specialist Maribel Galsim for her idea of streamlining invoice processing in Public Works and city-wide by using Tyler reporting instead of spreadsheet tracking.

Congratulations Maribel!