Spinning Door
Another top city official has resigned
About Town – FRIDAY, 6/26/26
The revolving door at City Hall keeps spinning. City Clerk Olivia Nashed announced her resignation earlier this week. Her last day with the city will be July 31. She said she is leaving to explore other opportunities. “My time with the City has been truly meaningful. I’m incredibly grateful for the collaboration, support and the opportunity to work alongside such talented and dedicated public servants,” she said in a prepared statement. Her departure means all three city council appointees have left or been fired within the past 10 months. The city council appointed Olivia to the position in April 2022. She worked at the cities of Tracy, Manteca, Dublin in various capacities before coming to Lodi. “Losing Olivia is a significant loss for the city of Lodi. Over the past four years, she has been an exceptional city clerk who has served our residents, staff, and elected officials with professionalism, integrity, and grace,” Councilman Mikey Hothi said. She leaves at a particularly sensitive time for the city with election season starting in July. “She’s committed to assisting with the candidate filings and specifically chose not to leave until that process was begun and she’s met with all the candidates,” says Councilwoman Lisa Craig-Hensley. When asked if losing so many people at the top is alarming, Craig-Hensley said, “Turnover of directors and other personnel, along with council members, happens in communities that choose change by way of the ballot box.” Mayor Ramon Yepez said of the recent departures, “Transitions are a normal part of organizational growth, and in many ways this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help shape a city government that reflects where we want to go as a community.”
GOING UP: When Lodi’s Dave Phillips, 63, isn’t making wine he’s on the run. Literally. He just finished the Broken Arrow Skyrace, an 18-kilometer jaunt up the side of a mountain at Palisades Tahoe, formerly Squaw Valley. It is considered one of North America’s largest and most competitive trail running events. He says it was a “mass start with 514 folks starting at 6,200 feet up to the top of KT 22.” He says he made it to the top in 1 hour and 16 minutes, “despite a lot of traffic jams on the ascent.” From there he climbed to the top of Headwall and to the Stairway to Heaven at 9,000 feet. Then down to the top of Siberia. Then down to Shirley Lake before climbing back up to High Camp. Dave says it was slow going, but he finished in 10th place in his age group. The course took him four hours and 24 minutes. “Do hard things,” says Phillips as he nurses his sore muscles.
GRAND OPENING: As mentioned here a couple weeks ago, the new Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop in the Raley’s shopping center has been a major sponsor of Upward Sports in Lodi. They gave away about 1,000 sub sandwiches for a $3 donation to the kids’ sports program during the first few days of their grand opening. It raised $3,000 for the Upward, says Lodi’s Jersey Mike’s owner Sterling Varon. Upward Sports is a Christian-based youth program hosted by First Baptist Church, among others. Activities include basketball, soccer and cheer competition. The program teaches youngsters sportsmanship and healthy lifestyles, according to church officials.
ROCKETS’ RED GLARE: Firework stands start selling Safe and Sane fireworks on Sunday at six stands throughout town. They are operated by non-profit groups that are selected by lottery. This year’s lucky organizations are Radiant Life Church, American Association of University Women, Lodi Mexican-American Lions Club, Gravity Church, Lodi Rotary Foundation, and Vinewood Parent Club. In a joint statement, the police and fire departments say they will have fireworks special enforcement shifts scouting around for those buying or selling illegal fireworks. Fines starting at $1,000 a “pop” are in addition to possible jail time and liability for any damage done.
PUT UP YOUR DUKES: The Fourth of July may be a week away, but there were fireworks at last week’s city council meeting. Councilman Cameron Bregman and Mayor Ramon Yepez got into it at the end of the meeting over Bregman’s suggestion of a moratorium on data centers. Bregman, who first sounded favorable toward attracting a data center to Lodi wanted to say he has changed his mind about them after receiving blow-back from the public. To underscore his new position on the matter he suggested passing a moratorium on them. The idea went nowhere, but not before Mayor Ramon Yepez sparred with Bregman over the suggestion, saying he should do his homework next time before bringing up an issue like that. Not happy, Bregman fired back at the mayor telling him not to “chastise” him, to which the mayor responded by admonishing Bregman “not to waste people’s time.” Meeting adjourned.
UPDATE: Construction on the new Lodi Access Center is moving quickly now that the roof is in place and warmer weather has arrived. While no firm opening date has been set, most people expect the facility to open by the end of the year. In the meantime, the city’s emergency shelter continues to operate out of a large tent in the parking lot. The Lodi City Council recently approved a five-year contract with Outreach Ministries International (OMI), a division of Gravity Church, to operate the center once construction is complete. Under the agreement, the city will contribute $1.6 million annually toward operations. According to center Director Johnny Coughran, running the facility is expected to cost about $2 million a year based on OMI projections, with the remaining funds coming from donations and anticipated Medi-Cal reimbursements. Over the 18 months OMI has run the shelter, Coughran reported that 84 clients have entered rehabilitation programs, 173 people have been placed into housing, and 74 clients have secured employment.
LAST LAUGH: Someone posted: “Remember when we used to laugh at the commercial, ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up?’ Yeah, it’s not so funny anymore.”
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Steve is a former newspaper publisher and lifelong Lodian whose column appears most Tuesdays and Fridays in the News-Sentinel and at stevemann.substack.com. Write to Steve at aboutlodi@gmail.com.