Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024

News and Updates

Passing of former Commissioner Charles Goston

The City of Gainesville is saddened to announce the passing of former District 1 City Commissioner Charles Goston. Born and raised in the Sugarhill neighborhood, Goston graduated from Lincoln High School and attended Florida A&M University before being drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Upon his return to Gainesville, he enrolled at the University of Florida, where he became a founding member of the Black Student Union and was among the first group of Black students to broadcast a radio show on WRUF.

Goston went on to serve the Gainesville community as a youth coach and mentor, and was elected to the City Commission in 2015. Achievements while in office included ending Gainesville Regional Utilities Friday cutoffs, a practice that occasionally left people who were late on their payments without power through the weekend. Goston also worked to add restroom facilities to Smokey Bear Park and upgrade RTS bus stops with shelters throughout District 1, and he played an instrumental role in securing a $200,000 grant from the Florida Division of Emergency Management to renovate the MLK Multipurpose Center to serve as an emergency shelter.

Service Recognition - 15+ Years!

Join us this Thursday at 10 a.m. during the City Commission meeting as we celebrate our incredible team members who have achieved 15 and 20 years of service! Their dedication and contributions have made a lasting impact, and we are excited to recognize their milestones.

We encourage everyone to attend and show your support for these amazing community builders. Let’s celebrate their hard work and commitment together!

• John Pandak, Police Sergeant, 20 years
• Chad Griffin, IT Technical Manager, 20 years
• Michael Cavett, Police Corporal, 20 years
• Nicolas Gonzalez, Fire Lieutenant, 20 years
• Sean Withers, Fire District Chief, 20 years
• Chase Prince, Fire Lieutenant, 20 years
• Marie Mercer, Staff Specialist, 20 years
• Rodney Rutters, Fleet Technician II, 20 years
• Charles Talton, Police Officer, 20 years
• Dwright Jackson, Recreation Manager, 20 years
• Stephanie Pridgen, Police Sergeant, 20 years
• Mary Vaught, Performance and Data Analyst, 15 years
• Shefali Tripathi, Police Planner Senior, 15 years
• Deborah Leistner, Transportation Planning and Parking Manager, 15 years
• Roy Darnold, Transit Operations Manager, 15 years
• Thomas Lardner, Police Sergeant, 15 years
• Mark Sullivan, Police Officer, 15 years
• Dylan Hayes-Morrison, Police Sergeant, 15 years
• Isaiah Smith, Transit Operator, 15 years
• Marquitta Brown, Police Lieutenant, 15 years

Annual Performance Reviews: Past Due!

Annual reviews are now past due. Please submit them as soon as possible!

Check your team’s status in Workday:

Menu > Team performance > My team’s performance reviews

If the review is in your employee’s inbox, they have to complete a self-evaluation or skip the self-evaluation before you can complete your assessment and submit for approval.

Food Harvest Drive

It’s that time again! Employee Health Services is hosting their annual Food Harvest Drive to adopt a family in need this holiday season, and we’re inviting all departments to participate by collecting non-perishable goods.

To nominate a family, please email employeehealthservices@cityofgainesville.org by the end of the day. A family will be selected through a drawing on Friday, Nov. 22.

EHS will pick up donations from each department on Monday, Nov. 25 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Let’s come together to make this season brighter for a family in our community!

Thanksgiving Payroll Process

Since Thanksgiving falls on a pay date, we will need an early payroll process for the pay period ending Nov. 24. All employees and timekeepers who enter time directly in Workday must have their time entries submitted and approved on Friday, Nov. 22, by 8 p.m.

The pay date will be Wednesday, Nov. 27. As Friday, Nov. 29, is also a City holiday, we will run our supplemental payroll process on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at noon.

Employee Commuter Survey

We're conducting a quick survey (< 1 min.) to learn about how our community builders commute.

Your input will help us estimate our organization’s greenhouse gas emissions and guide our efforts toward sustainable solutions. By sharing just a few details, you can make a big impact on our journey to a greener, cleaner Gainesville.

Holiday Step-Up Challenge

The holiday season is upon us!

Sign up for the Wellness Department's Holiday Step-Up Challenge to stay active during all the festivities. Make a team or join on your own. Register now through Friday, Nov. 22!

2025 Pro Club Registration

Registration for Pro Club 2025 is now open! Sign up today through Saturday, May 31, 2025. Pro Club is an incentive-based program that rewards employees with cash for living healthy lifestyles.

To be eligible for Pro Club, you must register, be on the City's insurance and off of probation by the end of the Pro Club year (end of October 2025).

If this is your first year, or you did not finish last year, you will need to watch the online orientation video, prior to filling out the registration form.

Reach out to Kevin or Abby at DG_Wellness_Team@cityofgainesville.org for more information!

Cozy Cats of Fall!

Fall is here! We received an amazing collection of dog photos for our summer pet feature, and now we’re turning our attention to the fall season!

We’re on the hunt for photos of cozy cats to showcase. Share your feline friends with us for a chance to be featured in insideGNV!

This week's photo comes to us from Nicole Johnson from Code Enforcement.

Look at those eyes! Check out this photo of sleepy Tucker!

Reminder: The Community Builder Hub provides access to documents and other workplace information from your Microsoft Office365 account. No VPN connection is needed, but you must be logged into your Microsoft Office account.

Timekeepers: Please print and post this notice in a common area for those community builders who do not have regular computer access.