Dixon City Council recognized city employees for service milestones, including, from left, Police Lt. Jenna Cameron (15 years), Finance Analyst II Stephanie Frank (five years) and Police Officer Scott Thorburn (five years). Photo courtesy of the City of Dixon

DIXON, CA (MPG) - At the Feb. 4 meeting, the Dixon City Council heard a presentation of the 2024 Service Awards for Dixon city employees who had reached significant service milestones.

Reaching five years of service were Senior Account Clerk Sarah Johnson, Maintenance Worker I Eric Draper, Police Officer Scott Thorburn, Police Sgt. Lex Egbert, Administrative Clerk II Rachel Domgaard, Maintenance Worker II John Yandel, Community Service Officer II Brooke Autry, Utilities Maintenance Worker II David McAnelly, Police Sgt. MarJonne Roberson and Finance Analyst II Stephanie Frank.

Police Lt. Jenna Cameron was recognized for 15 years of service.

Police Records Supervisor Renee Protich was recognized for 20 years.

Human Resources Director Rachel Ancheta also announced the 2024 STAR Awards, in which city employees are nominated by members of the public or their colleagues for excellence in customer service, safety, teamwork and cost savings to the city. The recipients for 2024 were Finance Analyst II Frank, Senior Account Clerk  Johnson, Junior Engineer Leland Markusen, Finance Analyst I Amy Andrade, Aquatics Maintenance Worker II Joshua Short and Senior Water Operator David Dunn.

From the STAR Awards, the city manager selects the Employee of the Year, and for 2024, it was Senior Water Operator Dunn. Ancheta said that Dunn was selected “for his dedication to providing excellent customer service and teamwork. There have been many instances where customers have given great feedback and told us how inspirational David is for going above and beyond to help. Most recently, a customer expressed great gratitude for his professionalism and kindness and how happy they were that the City of Dixon had an employee like David.”

City Councilmembers congratulated the employees for their dedication to the city.

During general Public Comment, Ann Wallace of Dixon and Stacy Lewis of Vacaville shared their experience as Solano County Grand Jury members. February is Grand Jury Month and applications are now being accepted for new members.

Wallace explained that the civil grand jury was established in California in 1872.

“We operate under the authority of the California penal code. We serve as an investigative body. We are not an injunction or a law enforcement group,” Wallace said.

The grand jury examines aspects of county and city government, school districts, prisons and jails, and special districts within the county. Topics for investigation come from citizen complaints or recommendations from the jury members.

To qualify for grand jury service, you must be at least 18 years old, a United States citizen and a Solano County resident for at least one year. Applicants must have a flexible schedule, reliable transportation and a good comprehension of the English language.

Wallace has been serving on the grand jury for about a year and a half and said she has “learned a lot about the operations of local government and how to be a better citizen.”

Councilmember Thom Bogue requested Item 9.4 be pulled from the Consent Calendar for discussion. The proposed $50,000 contract with Phibro-Tech Inc. would provide equipment and testing services for a hexavalent chromium (Chrome 6) pilot test at the Parklane Well site. But Bogue said he “thought a similar pilot test was already conducted a few years ago.”

Staff explained that in 2024, the California State Water Resources Control Board implemented a new Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for Chrome 6 of 10 parts per billion. The samples taken from the city’s wells ranged from 16 to 27 parts per billion. The city must conduct quarterly tests until it has a treatment system in place within the mandated three years.

This new proposed pilot test is for a different system that is supposed to be cheaper, with a smaller footprint and less maintenance than the pilot previously tested.

City Council voted unanimously to approve the contract.

Council then considered the appointment of two new commissioners to the Dixon Housing Authority, Craig Gnos and Seth Cooley.

City Manager Jim Lindley said the Dixon Housing Authority helps make housing decisions that impact Dixon, including for the migrant farm worker housing on Radio Station Road. Over the years, Lindley said, “there have been quite a few improvements there” and it’s helpful to have community input. Lindley said the proposed appointees are farmers from long-term farming families that often employ the migrant workers, so they would have valuable insight. 

City Council members agreed that Gnos and Cooley are well-known, well-qualified local candidates.

During public comment, one Dixon resident asked if there had been an open application process for these commission seats. He said that the commissioners don’t have to be farmers and it could be preferable to appoint individuals with a “broader perspective.”

City Manager Lindley explained that new Dixon Housing Authority commissioners are nominated by commissioners currently serving on the board.

Council members voted unanimously to approve Gnos and Cooley as new Dixon Housing Authority commissioners.

The next Dixon City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 18.