GREENFIELD — New City Manager Jaime Fontes and Interim Police Chief Anthony Sollecito met and greeted residents last week during their first days on the job.
Fontes comes to the City of Greenfield after serving as city manager for the city of Santa Paula for seven years.
“I’m very optimistic about the possibilities for economic development and growth in the city of Greenfield,” Fontes said. “You have a very responsive new council, you have potential for new (development) coming into the city in the next few months.”
Fontes said the city has an excellent interim police chief, with Sollecito taking the reins, and because of the Measure C vote, there will also be a new fire chief, in addition to a new public works director since the previous director has now retired.
“My goal is to put into place a team of management that is very responsive to the community,” Fontes said. “It’s a bilingual, multicultural community that I think I have the skill set to really work with. I couldn’t be more excited and happy about being here, so there’s going to be a lot of movement in the next six months.”
Sollecito comes to Greenfield after serving as interim police chief for King City twice and after former chief Adele Frese and acting chief Gregory Allen accepted jobs from the Salinas and Morro Bay police departments, respectively.
“The city was in need of a police chief, and they called me and I accepted,” Sollecito said. “I’m thrilled to be back in South County.”
Sollecito served as police chief for the Seaside Police Department for eight years after working his way up the ranks, and started his new role with the Greenfield Police Department on May 8.
“My experience with King City showed me what fabulous towns these were in South County,” Sollecito said.
