Departing Lodi City Manager Steve Schwabauer receives high praise during farewell luncheon

Sep. 28—Former Lodi Police Chief and City Councilman Larry Hansen quoted Mark Twain Wednesday when speaking about Steve Schwabauer.

"He said, 'the most important days in a man's life is the day that he's born, and the day that he finds out why,'" Hansen said. "The day that Steve Schwabauer came to the City of Lodi as assistant city attorney, he found out why. And he put everything, every part of him, into that position."

Hansen was one of a dozen speakers who shared their memories of the departing city manager during a farewell luncheon for city employees.

He and Schwabauer worked together as city employees for three months before the former retired. They would then work together for more than a decade when Hansen was elected to the Lodi City Council in 2002.

Hansen said Schwabauer's greatest accomplishment was taking on the lawsuit that forced insurance companies to clean up sites where groundwater was contaminated with TCE/PCE.

The former councilman recalled having to fire city attorney Randy Hays and an outside attorney, leaving Schwabauer to deal with the litigation in federal court. Schwabauer knew next to nothing about groundwater when he took on the lawsuit in 2004, but he was able to work out a settlement that saved Lodi $6.3 million in settlements.

"He is an amazing, quick learner," Hansen said. "He does his homework. He did an amazing amount of research. I feel very fortunate I was the mayor at that time, and we took on that challenge."

Former councilman Mark Chandler said Schwabauer's accomplishments for the city were legendary, from bringing a 48-megawatt power plant slated for Santa Clara to Lodi, to helping craft Measure L, the half-cent sales tax that would raise revenues for public safety and parks.

"I remember early in my service on the council, I would see Steve scurrying around like a squirrel collecting acorns for winter," Chandler said. "All the budgetary things, he put together. I learned very early what the challenges were running a city like this. It's always been difficult."

Police Chief Sierra Brucia said Schwabauer had been his boss, coworker and friend for the last 25 years, and during that time, he learned the latter championed what was right with a compassion he had typically not seen in attorneys.

"He's carried that trait throughout his career," Brucia said. "He's championed his employees, his department heads and the community he serves. I will personally miss Steve's easygoing style, his ability to be engaged without micromanaging, his trust in others and the empathy that he has placed on others."

Brucia presented Schwabauer with an honorary police badge, a departing gift typically reserved for retiring officers.

Schwabauer also received parting mementos from other departments, including a firefighter's coat from the Lodi Fire Department; a golden axe from the firefighters' union; a plaque and hat from Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services; as well as a bobblehead in his own likeness from his own staff, complete with a bicycle, one of his passions when he isn't at city hall.

Chandler and Vice Mayor Lisa Craig also presented him with an honorary Rotary Club badge.

Craig said while city council members are referred to as politicians, Schwabauer was one of the most political-savvy people she had ever met.

She said he was shrewd and courageous, had integrity and humility.

"I appreciated his humility," she said. "The city was fortunate to have him. He's always been respectful of people finding their next role in life, and I think his biggest priority is people."

Schwabauer announced his resignation as city manager last month after holding the position nearly 10 years.

He first came to Lodi in 1999 as assistant city attorney before taking over for Hays in 2004.

His last day on the job is Oct. 6, and he will move on to manage the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District.

Schwabauer will be succeeded by his assistant city manager Andrew Keys.

"Steve meant a lot to this city," Keys said. "His leadership brought a lot to this city in more ways than one. All of us knowing that as long as we are operating with integrity, he's got your back. It didn't matter of the situation ended not as you expected, he had our backs. This culture he's created among the employees, it's a lasting one, and it's one where people enjoy coming to work. They know the value of what they do. everybody knows they're respected and are a part of this organization."

Mayor Mikey Hothi said Schwabauer's commitment to the community spanned decades, and that his DNA, legacy and name would be forever engraved into every project and street in Lodi.

"It's sad to see you go, but I have a feeling you won't be too far," he said. "Your legacy is also in the culture you created here in the city, high morals, high ethics. You never hear about some weird scandal in the city, and I think that's testament to the leadership you brought here."

Schwabauer, decked out in the firefighter's coat and PRCS hat given to him earlier in the program, said he didn't respect his employees because he was a good person, but because they were all good people.

He added that his proudest moment in the city would always be the PCE/TCE settlement, because Lodi's water is clean, and it was a result of the entire city working together to keep its system up and running.

"If I leave you with anything, it should never be extraordinary for you to be respected and appreciated by your leadership," he said. "Remember, every day. You earned it. And you will continue to earn it, and I'm incredibly proud to have served with you all."