Reelected Lompoc Mayor Jenelle Osborne and city councilmembers Dirk Starbuck and Victor Vega are administered the oath of office by City Clerk Stacey Haddon during the City Council meeting Tuesday.
Lompoc Police Chief Joe Mariani said an emotional goodbye during a City Council meeting December and thanked his staff and the community as he embarked on retirement.Â
Reelected Lompoc Mayor Jenelle Osborne and city councilmembers Dirk Starbuck and Victor Vega are administered the oath of office by City Clerk Stacey Haddon during the City Council meeting Tuesday.
With no discussion and a 5-0 vote, council members approved the 4 percent salary increase from $230,000 annually to $239,000 effective Jan. 1.The change includes the same vacation, management and holiday leave.
“It sets the salary of the city manager at the new level listed in the staff report, which is the same percentage salary adjustment as received by the city’s management supervisory and confidential employees group in July 2022 and the recommendation is to adopt,” City Attorney Jeff Malawi said in introducing the amendment.
Newly reelected council member Victor Vega moved to approve the motion as written, and council member Jeremy Ball seconded.
Lompoc Police Chief Joe Mariani said an emotional goodbye during a City Council meeting December and thanked his staff and the community as he embarked on retirement.Â
Contributed, City of Lompoc
Under the amendment, the city manager will be entitled to accrue 20 days of vacation leave annually in the same manner as other city employees. They may cash out up to eight days of that leave, rather than take it as paid vacation, may roll unused hours into the new year for up to 40 days vacation available on the books.
In addition, the update brings the city manager’s paid holiday leave schedule in line with other city employees, including the addition of Juneteenth as a holiday, plus one floating holiday.
And, finally, the agreement provides up to 64 hours (eight days) of management leave annually in lieu of equivalent time off for overtime worked for the city.
The single action item on the agenda followed a farewell to Mariani who joined the Lompoc Police Department more than seven years ago as a captain. He had previously retired from nearly four decades of service to the Los Angeles Police Department.
During his tenure at Lompoc, he saw the department struggle through staff shortages and serving a community during the COVID-19 pandemic that at times nearly brought the department to its knees. He credited the committed members of the department, both sworn and unsworn, for keeping the city safe.
“These last few years, there was many a night I sat in that office and thought how we were going to make it. During the pandemic there were times when we barely had enough to staff and meet the call load. And I would go up to roll call on some nights, and with only one person or two people from that shift, four other people had picked up an overtime shift to make sure that we would carry on without having to get assistance from anyone else,” Mariani said, pausing to hold back tears.
He led the department as city funding increased and the department reached full staffing for the first time in years.
“I came here seven and a half years ago in hopes of helping and bringing our police department to the next era. And with my hope and ambition of changing, this city changed me. It restored in me a faith in what I did and what we do as public servants. There’s no more noble calling than doing what we do. We are the most visible and responsive arm of government and I am so proud to have been able to hold this position, but it's not something I could do by myself,” Mariani said.
He had hoped to go quietly, he told the standing-room-only council chambers, but instead went out with cake and applause.
“Forty nine years ago, I embarked on this career at the age of 18 and I never though I would do the things, but more importantly meet the people that I’ve met along the way,” Mariani said.
After recounting incidents of police department staff stepping up, he asked that the city keep watch over the police department employees who dedicated their time to serving the community.
“So I ask you as you look to the future to please take care of this police department. They’re not perfect, but they’re amazing people that do amazing things that I was able to witness on a daily basis,” Mariani said.
In their parting remarks, council members thanked Mariani for his service to the community, leadership, dedication and partnership with the council and citizenry.
“(Chief Mariani) really changed the culture of the police department but also our community. It’s been a really difficult few years. You’ve led with such positivity despite it all and have given such amazing support, and I thank you for that. I don’t know how I would have gotten through these last few years without your partnership and leadership, so I am going to miss you dearly as I know the entire community will. You have broke barriers. You have changed our community and shown what its like to lead a police department with kindness and commitment and community,” Mayor Jenelle Osborne said.
In other news, the newly elected council members and mayor were administered their oaths of office and took their seats at the podium. They included the uncontested seats of council members Dirk Starbuck and Victor Vega as well as incumbent Mayor Jenelle Osborne who defeated her challenger, James Mosby, with 4,838 votes to 4,077.
