The city of Santa Maria has announced that employee Dave Portwood as the newest recipient of its Going the Extra Mile (GEM) Award. Portwood is the solid waste-collections supervisor in the city Utilities Department.

The GEM recognizes Portwood as an outstanding contributor to the community, routinely exceeding his job description by assisting code-enforcement officers with large neighborhood preservation projects.

The city is honoring Portwood for tenacity, excellent customer service, and creative problem-solving skills ththelp find
solutions to some of Santa Maria’s most blighted neighborhoods.

Portwood went above and beyond to organize a team to paint, relocate, repair and replace Dumpsters in alleyways.

In some cases, he met directly with property owners at their properties to educate them about best practices to avoid overflowing trash containers and to modify service levels.

This resulted in a dramatic decrease in illegal dumping, fewer calls for service to the Police Department, and less need for code-enforcement action, thus saving taxpayers city staff time and resources.

Portwood can be counted on to act quickly to coordinate his team to clean up areas with illegal dumping.

He is often seen in the community working alongside his crews. Further, he has coordinated efforts with his team and the Police Department in cleaning up homeless encampments.

Portwood will receive a certificate at the City Council’s June 6 meeting.

Criteria for the GEM Award are: Exhibiting effective leadership on specific assignments; demonstrating positive service to a customer or co-worker; and going above and beyond the call of duty.

Also, showing special initiative, creativity, teamwork, cost containment efforts and entrepreneurial spirit in providing a high level of customer service; and consistently embracing the city’s service standards.

— Mark van de Kamp for city of Santa Maria.