Employee of the Year: Sylvia Dominguez

Join us in honoring City of Lodi Employee of the year, Sylvia Dominguez. For the last six years, Sylvia has been with the Risk Management Division as the City’s Workers’ Compensation Coordinator. She is an efficient expert committed to excellent service while keeping the wheels of government turning seamlessly. Sylvia, thank you for the dedication, empathy and commitment to serving our City of Lodi employees!

Read Across America

On March 4, Mayor Cameron Bregman and Councilmember Lisa Craig-Hensley had the privilege of touring several LUSD schools and reading to students for Read Across America, an annual event that promotes literacy and encourages children to read. Mayor Bregman was joined by Lodi Unified School District board members as special guest readers for students at at Leroy Nichols Elementary. It’s always a joy to inspire young readers and encourage a love of books in our community.

Fireworks Sales Workshop

Last week, the first Fireworks Sales Workshop was hosted by the City of Lodi Fire Department in collaboration with the City Clerk and the City Attorney. The workshop was well attended by several local non-profits as well as local wholesalers. A lot of great information was shared, and questions were answered about the supply and sale of Safe and Sane fireworks in the City of Lodi for the 4th of July.

Applications are now being accepted for this year's Fireworks Lottery. The deadline to submit complete application packets is March 31, 2025. The Lottery application and more information are available at lodi.gov/fireworks or by calling (209) 333-6702.

Shop Local!

If you've been downtown recently you may have noticed a new sticker in the windows of some of your favorite shops. The Eat and Shop Local sticker is a call to support our small businesses. Through the QR code, or by visiting Shop Local Online, you will find a search tool where you can discover and explore local businesses in Lodi. By spending locally, we create a greater economic impact that benefits both our community and local government.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

San Joaquin County has partner with the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Program, to offer free tax preparation services to individuals and families. The program partners with the Internal Revenue Service to prepare and file basic tax returns in communities across San Joaquin County. In general, you qualify for this service if you earn $58,000 annually or less. They also process back taxes and support ITIN applications. The VITA program helped tax filers keep nearly $1 million in our local communities. To book an appointment or find your nearest VITA center, visit Community Connections SJC for more information.

Team Work Saves $600,000!

In the middle of 2024, the Surface Water Treatment Facility’s disinfection system experienced a failure that temporarily took it offline. Public Works Plant & Equipment mechanics made a quick repair to the piping as a temporary fix that allowed operations to continue until February 2025. During this time, City staff received a $700,000 quote to replace the existing unit with a new model from the original manufacturer. After evaluating the options, the decision was made to rebuild the unit in-house with new plumbing and equipment, rather than purchasing a new system.

Given the full workload, this required Public Works mechanics and maintenance workers to work weekends throughout the month to ensure other tasks were not delayed. Thanks to their dedication, the rebuild of the disinfection system was completed before the end of February 2025, with the total cost coming in at under $100,000. The dedication and hard work of the team that brought this in-house solution to life are commendable. 

Special thanks to:

• Plant & Equipment Mechanics Anthony Rowe, Kevin Koepplin, Robert Blackwell, Ricky Gomez, their supervisor Eddie Gomez
• Water/Wastewater Maintenance Workers Agustin Garcia III and Jesus Garcia
• Water Treatment Plant Operators George Agnew, Brian Bock, Anthony Thomas
• Public Works Electricians Art Garcia, Joel Chavez, and Greg Caldwell who helped coordinate and assist with the rebuilt. 

The dedication of this incredible group keeps the Surface Water Treatment Facility in top shape!

Vendor applications for the 2025 Lodi Certified Farmers Market are OPEN!! Visit lodichamber.com/lodi-certified-farmers-market/ to learn more and apply. Spots fill up fast!

Love Lodi - Celebrating 10 Years

Love Lodi began as a city-wide volunteer day. Now, 10 years later, more than 7,500 volunteers have come together to love and serve Lodi on the last Saturday in April.

Join us this year on April 26 to keep the love going. There many ways you can get involved including several projects taking place at our beloved Grape Bowl. Visit www.lovelodi.org to sign up to help with a project or submit an idea for a service project.

City offices will be closed

Friday, March 21

The City of Lodi is now on Instagram!