Yolo County / State of CALocal Weather Alerts
There are currently no active weather alerts.

June 18, 2019 City Council Meeting

  • 14
    Jun 19
  • -

June 18, 2019 City Council Meeting

City Council Meeting, June 18, 2019

  • 13
    Jun 19
  • -

Friday Update for June 14 2019

Friday Update for June 14 2019, City Manager's Update
All,

A quick overview on the City Council Agenda then just a list of the projects which are on my desk and will be of particularly high attention over the next 12-18 months.

City Council Agenda for June 18, 2019:

  • Public Hearing on Weed Abatement
  • Planning Commission Appointments
  • Pension and Other Post Employment (OPEB) Policy
  • Amplified sound permit for Summer Concert Series (WFoL)
  • El Rio Villa Sewer Agreement Renewal
  • Olive Grove Subdivision Improvement Agreement for Phase 1
  • Swearing in of Police Reserve Officer Charlie Kharsa

Now the list of projects which are on my desk and will encompass a good part of my workload for the coming months and year:

  • Moving policy direction and review of the Economic Development Committee Report and Recommendations. The report will be back before the Planning Commission on June 25 for additional input, then to the City Council for more direction.
  • Not so “fun fact” on City Sales Tax. For the Fourth Quarter of 2018, sales taxes per capita for the City were $1,809, 2.5% below the same reporting period in 2017. The per capita average for the rest of Yolo County was $4,963, up 10.5% from the 2017 reporting period. This means that on average we are receiving $3,154 less per resident per quarter. This indicates dramatic “loss” of spending within our own economy and our own residents.  A perspective is that if we received the “average” of what Yolo County is getting, we would receive over $900k in general fund revenues to support parks, public safety and general City services.
  • Staff has been contacted and will set a meeting with the Solano Economic Development Corporation (EDC) about potential membership. This would be a really important collaboration to generate opportunities for jobs and industry expansion in the City.
  • Develop an overall strategy on integrating the Draft Climate Action Plan and a draft Implementation Strategy. Climate is an important part of both future land use and economic development which will help address the City’s number one green house gas (GHG) issue- reduction of vehicle miles travelled.
  • The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process with SACOG is heating up and I will be engaging in the process which will lead to the release of the housing numbers and formula’s which are anticipated to be released in late summer.
  • The release of the RHNA numbers will trigger the process for an update of the City’s Housing Element. This will include the hire of a consultant, format, analysis, public outreach and working with both SACOG and the State Department of Housing and Community Development. This is a really BIG deal and will be a major effort.
  • The recent uproar and concern over the Bellevue North Property has triggered concerns over planning and overall direction. I plan to meet with people concerned with the issue to gain perspectives and input. A need for public outreach and information is definitely there and I will be working to provide all of that. Look for items before both the Planning Commission and City Council in the coming months. For information on the North Area Planning, click HERE for a website we have set up with the applicable information.
  • Succession Planning for some key retirements in Public Works and Housing/Economic Development/Planning is a big load. We are losing almost 30 years of experience/service with these retirements. When high caliber employees leave you lose quite a bit of institutional knowledge and capacity. Not looking forward to this at all.
  • Preparation for the Fiscal Year 20-21 and 21-22 budgets will be on us as early as the fall. Capital Projects, Public Safety and Utilities are all big topics. When it comes to government regulation, nobody gets is worst that local government. Looks for new regulations for water, wastewater and storm water which will be significant and cost a lot!
  • A needed remodel of the former Police Department will move Financial and Human Resources functions for better accessibility and functionality. This project will move into the next years budget but planning needs to begin now.
  • The Fairfield Inn is moving along but there are details on my desk which need work.
  • The Senior Center and Blue Mountain Terrace Senior Apartments will shift to my plate for completion.
  • The Senior Commission on Aging will begin to take shape and my guess is that they will be active.

A couple areas which may be of interest:

  • Staff has been researching Air B&B’s in town and frankly, we are surprised by the number in our town. The interesting thing is that, except for the month of February, none have been submitting transient occupancy taxes. We are generating the lists of addresses to contact the proprietors and gain compliance. The good news is that Air B&B and VRBO provide 1099 tax forms for easy auditing to gain compliance with the tax requirements. It certainly looks like some of our “hosts” have been very successful.
  • I am expanding my “Ask the City Manager” to a City Council Briefing video which I will debut Monday on our Facebook page and Youtube Channel. Look for the posting as I will provide the same briefing given to City Council for the General Public.
  • Look for a re-look at turning Abbey Street into a One Way with diagonal parking. The street construction is showing the potential for this project to generate a high quality entry for the Downtown Hotel. Better preparation and getting folks out onto the street will help for a better evaluation.
  • A Job Fair for the Hotel Winters will be held on Wednesday, June 19 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at City Hall in the Downstairs Conference Room off of Abbey Street. To get started in applying, people can go to olshotels.com/careers

Have a nice Fathers Day Weekend!

John

  • 13
    Jun 19
  • -

June 14/15, 2019-Big Blue Recycling Barn Thrift Store

June 14/15, 2019 Big Blue Recycling Barn Thrift Store

  • 06
    Jun 19
  • -

Friday Update on Thursday June 6 2019

City Manager Update, Friday Update on Thursday June 6 2019
All,

A week which has just flown by and my Friday is an absolute monster so the update will be a day early!!

  • Staff attended the Governor’s Emergency Management Preparedness Summit in Sacramento on Monday. The session included a presentations from Governor Gavin Newsom, State Director of the Office of Emergency Services Mark Ghilarducci and panels which included executives from many areas impacted by wildfire over the past year. I would give the Summit 10 out of 10 Stars for effort by the Governor and his entire team in raising awareness and the need for collaboration in preparation, response and recovery.

I will admit that I had never seen the Governor in person and my impression of him was quite a bit different than the typical sound bites and media presentations. Frankly, I was impressed with his grasp of the issues, he was very articulate and well informed on emergency management needs and realities. He was quite magnanimous in his appreciation for his emergency management executive team and the efforts of those throughout the emergency management field. His grasp on the need for collaboration and the need for reform of government regulation to enable fire prevention was commendable. I left impressed with his sincerity and demonstration of leadership on the issues. Overall, well done and worth attending.

  • One major takeaway from the Summit was an appreciation for the preparation and collaboration we have in Yolo County. County OES Manager Dana Carey and the Yolo Cities are extremely well prepared and could have been highlighted as a model for much of what they were talking about.
  • A key concern for the coming summer will the potential for power outages which could last for up to 5 days in the event that transmission lines are turned off. A reality is that a need to turn off transmission lines in Butte County could result in outages as far as Yolo County, essentially shutting down business and operations in communities for hundreds of miles. Getting information to businesses and residents will be critical in the coming weeks. People, especially those from vulnerable groups (elderly, sick, persons on oxygen) who need power need to begin making preparations in the event of extended periods without power.
  • City Staff met today to discuss the potential for a relocation of City Hall operations and maintaining our utilities and public safety capabilities. Generators, fueling contracts, maintenance of both water and wastewater operations and pumps all were topics. Key plans and assignments are going to be put in place to insure a continuity of operations in the event of an extended power outage. We all left the meeting with assignments to start things in motion to be ready in case the power goes out.
  • Winters Fire this week has been busy on two structure fires, one at Burger King and the other at a residence on Hill view Lane. Quick action in both were critical in preventing spread and preventing injuries to people and pets. A special thanks to Winters Police who were quick to the scene on Hillview, helping the residents and protecting the community.
  • On Tuesday, a combined meeting of the City Council and the Planning Commission was held to discuss the Economic Development Committee’s Report and recommendations. A good meeting with a nice turnout and lots of really good questions. You can access the report HERE.
  • The City received its first transient occupancy check from Air B&B for the months of February and March. Something close to $20,000!

Have a nice weekend!

 

John

  • 06
    Jun 19
  • -

06/13/19 LPCCC Meeting

Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee Meeting Agenda

  • 04
    Jun 19
  • -

Hiring: Lifeguards

The City of Winters is currently hiring for Lifeguards for the 2019 swim season. Lifeguard positions will start at $12.75 per hour. As a lifeguard, you will be responsible for the supervision of pool patrons, enforcement of pool rules, participation in ongoing training, life-saving programs and additional duties as assigned.  All applicants must be at least 15.5 years of age. Applicants must have a current Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED Certificate of Completion (Title 22 is recommended.)  Positions open until filled. Successful candidates will be required to have fingerprint clearance and TB test. Application and Job Description available at:  http://www.cityofwinters.org/personnel/. Questions?  Please contact Diana Tafolla at 530-794-6700 or email at diana.tafolla@cityofwinters.org

  • 04
    Jun 19
  • -

06/04/19 City Council Meeting Live 6:30pm

City Council Meeting Recording, June 4, 2019

  • 31
    May 19
  • -

Friday Update on May 31 2019

All,

A couple items for this week:

  • It is with a lot of regret that we have made the decision to cancel the 2019 Independence Week Fireworks Display. The need to relocate, logistics issues, the potential for fire and the reduction in overall quality just make shooting the show a bad idea. Winters High School will be available in 2020 so we will move any donations received into that show. Shooting the show at Shirley Rominger Intermediate School would require extensive weed abatement, closing Main Street, a buffer putting people in a detention area, a traffic/parking nightmare and shooting 3” and 4” fireworks versus the crowd pleasing 5” and 6” variety. Shooting a mediocre show over a dry grassy area is just silly and would be disappointing.
  • The Economic Development Advisory Committee Report will be presented in a joint meeting before the City Council and Planning Commission at 4:00 in the EOC Conference Room at the Public Safety Facility, 700 Main Street. HERE is a link to the report and recommendations. HERE is a link to a page with the background information, meeting agendas and other information.
  • Construction of the First Street Parking Lot will commence beginning the week of June 10. Look for preliminary work to begin within the next week then a full construction effort over a 2-3 week period in June.
  • Congrats to the Downtown Merchants on a final location and strategy for waste/trash removal and the beginning of alley activation. The future of Downtown is extremely bright with a very dynamic group leading the way. Pretty exciting!
  • The Senior Commission on Aging is on the June 4 City Council Meeting. An application process, interviews and appointment will follow.
  • Planning Commission allowed additional input in the Air BnB Look for it to be back on the June 25 Agenda.
  • Housing is a critical issue in Winters and throughout the State. Governor Gavin Newsom has listed it as a “crisis” and one of his highest priorities. Staff provided updates on key policies and issues at meetings in the month of May. Click HERE for the report provided which includes key links on policies, issues and resources.
  • A really cool event on June 12 will be a “Pop Up Garden Dinner” hosted by the Putah Creek Café featuring a four course family style dinner paired with Turkovich Wines. Sounds like an absolutely awesome event which will sell out fast. To make a reservation, you can purchase tickets here

Finally, the Memorial Day Weekend is the Davis World Cup Soccer Tournament where Winters AYSO sent 8 teams to compete against teams from throughout California. Soccer is pretty competitive and the Davis World Cup is a pretty prestigious tournament which closes the 2019-20 season.

Of the 8 teams, Winters walked away with 2 second place and 3 third place finishes, meaning each made the semi final games amongst elite teams in five brackets. Simply amazing!!!!

I referee the tournament and have an opportunity to meet and ref with folks from throughout the western states. People always ask me where I am from, with many assuming I am from Davis because I am “local”. When I tell them I am from “Winters”, literally every ref will comment “hey, I reffed a game with a Winters team and they played hard yet fair”. It’s always, “you have incredible players, coaches and teams”.

Saying I am from Winters is a real pride thing! Each of our teams become ambassadors representing the quality of play, competitiveness, the attitudes of our players/coaches/parents and they help define the impression people walk away with about our community. Most have never even heard of Winters but once they meet our teams on the field, they never forget! Our players and teams can compete with anyone on any field at any time and when the game is over, they know where we are from.

I tell our players that soccer is really a metaphor for life and that being from a small, yet mighty town gives them a huge advantage. They grow up challenged, supported and they have the opportunity to show they are second to none. Our kids compete on the same fields as teams from larger communities and leave victorious. They can do the same in life!  It doesn’t matter who they are competing against, in the end, you play with the same ball, on the same field and its more about determination.

I am always proud to say I am from Winters.

Have a nice weekend!

John

  • 30
    May 19
  • -

06/04/19 City Council Meeting

Tags : 

City Council Meeting

  • 29
    May 19
  • -

06/04/19 Joint City Council and Planning Commission Workshop

Tags : 

June 4, 2019 - Joint City Council and Planning Commission Workshop Agenda / Packet (pdf)

  • 28
    May 19
  • -

2019 Swim Programs

Tags : 

Summer 2019 Swim Brochure - English / Spanish -  Swim Lesson Registration Form

  • 28
    May 19
  • -

City of Winters Newsletters

Tags : 

City of Winters April/May Newsletters

  • 24
    May 19
  • -

Friday Update on May 24 2019

Tags : 

City Manager Update Friday, May 24, 2019
All:

Just a couple items this week:

  • Parking Enforcement in the Downtown will see us moving from warnings to actual tickets. Citations are $30. Lot’s of reasons to enjoy our Downtown and this is definitely not the ticket you want to get, so encourage folks to park in the City lots for extended periods to avoid the fine.
  • The City Council approved street work and the construction of the Downtown Parking Lot at the City Council meeting on Tuesday. Look for lots of paving and work to commence sometime in June.
  • Things are beginning to take shape on the Hotelwinters.com  . Street work, alleys and some nice finishing touches are starting to get done toward a summer opening! Exciting.
  • Staff participated in an important meeting between the League of California Cities and the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC). The goal is to work towards a “rural summit” combining cities and counties to work on issues which are distinctly unique to those in the smaller less urban areas. Councilmember Jesse Loren has been a key State-wide leader and advocate to advance issues for rural cities and things are starting to come together like never before. Really good stuff!!
  • Some of the common issues being discussed are access to Broadband, impacts of State Legislation on smaller jurisdictions, Infrastructure and affordable housing.
  • This weekend is the Davis World Cup Soccer Tournament and Winters is sending four, very competitive teams. Keep them in your thoughts as they play over the weekend toward the championships! Really proud of our kids in these competitions with quality coaches and really good players who represent our community well.

Finally, today, I attended the funeral mass and services for Don Rominger who passed away last week at age 89. He lived and farmed in Winters for 87 years and made a huge impact on the lives of many and was active in the Winters Community. Shirley Rominger Intermediate School is named for his wife who passed away almost 20 years prior. Don served on the Winters Fire District Board for 50 years and was honored last year by the District.

The services were a catholic mass followed by eulogies from two of his grandchildren, Cody Rominger and Julia Harder. The entire Rominger Family and its extensions all played a role in the services which were simply a beautiful tribute to an incredible man of faith, family, hard work, farming and commitment to the Winters Community. The services and eulogies paid a deserving tribute and celebration to family and a moral and committed life.

I personally met Don in October, 2001 when I attended my first Winters Fire District Board Meeting. Don’s first questions to me were “Where are you from” and “how long are you going to stick around”? My first impression was of a man who spoke with little to no filter in how he talked with you and he was the type of person willing to ask questions and say things that others typically kept to themselves. I absolutely loved the directness of his approach and quickly learned that many of his seemingly outrageous assertions about the District/City business relations on fire services in the past were 100% accurate. Don was a real character.

In my first few interactions with Don, he gave me some of the best advice for being City Manager in Winters: Understand that everybody knows or is related to everybody, be straight forward and don’t play politics, come straight at people on the issues. I have cherished that advice and respect and am grateful to Don immensely for giving it to me.

A common thread in today’s service was the word “commitment” which seemed to embody Don’s life. Family, faith, community, farming and a focused life are what made up Don Rominger.

Winters is blessed with a number Don Rominger’s who have made lifelong “commitments” to making this a special place. The culture, the multiple generations and the selflessness which embody the spirit of those who are “all in” are what makes Winters the community it is.  As I looked around the church today, I saw many faces of those who have given their lives to the Winters community. Funerals and weddings are special because they bring a lot of people who have shared common life interests together. Sad and good at the same time!

Don Rominger was a very blessed man with a beautiful family, leaving an incredible legacy and a community who is grateful for his lifelong contributions. Godspeed to Don!

John

  • 24
    May 19
  • -

05/28/19 Planning Commission Meeting

Tags : 

Planning Commission Meeting

  • 17
    May 19
  • -

Friday Update on May 17 2019

Friday Update on May 17 2019

All,

Just a quick overview of the City Council Agenda for this week:

  • Consent Calendar has the City Wide Assessment Levy for FY 2019-20, an Amendment to the City Agreement with Solano Water for monitoring wells along Putah Creek, a contract to move forward with the application to PG&E to underground utilities on Newt’s Expressway, an agreement for leak detection services for the City’s water system, paving services for Newt’s Expressway and the First Street Parking Lot and the setting of the City’s Gann Spending Limit for the upcoming Fiscal Year Budget.
  • Two Presentations: the first will recognize “Elder Day on June 1st and the second will be a presentation from the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District.
  • Discussion items include Overage and Contamination in the City’s Waste Management Program, the Downtown Trash Enclosure Proposal and an overview on City/State Housing Issues.

A pretty full agenda!

Have a nice weekend.

John

  • 16
    May 19
  • -

05/21/19 City Council Meeting

Tags : 

 

  • 05/21/19 City Council Meeting (PDF): Agenda (Rev) / Packet
  • 15
    May 19
  • -

ReFuel Your Fun and Save

Facebook Event Page (link)
ReFuelYourFun.org
(pdf)

  • 10
    May 19
  • -

Friday Update on May 10 2019

All,

A couple items:

  • The Stone’s Throw Housing Development will be holding a ribbon cutting and open house on Saturday, May 11 from 11:00 to 1:00. Take Neimann west, past SRIS, through the roundabout to Wyatt Street and look for the balloons. Tours of the models and food!
  • Saturday is the Winters Garage Sale. This year’s theme is “Only Really Good Stuff”. Expect sales throughout the core area of town and I am told there will be excellent prices and nothing but absolute treasures!
  • City Staff met with property owners on Grant Ave to discuss zoning and exchange contact information.
  • Mark your calendars for May 23 from 4:00 to 5:30 for the next “Ask the City Manager” segment. I ran into some folks at Berryessa Brewing and they told me they would bring tougher questions next time. Bring it!
  • June 4 starting at 4:00 will be a joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission will be held at City Hall to review the Economic Development Advisory Committee’s Report and Recommendations. HERE is a copy of the report and HERE is a website with the background information from the report and information about the Committee.
  • Today, I attended the groundbreaking for the new campus for the Center for Land Based Learning who has called “The Farm” on Putah Creek its home for the past 25 years. With very mixed emotions, I watched as they unveiled a $4.5 million plan for new classrooms, farm fields an event center and partnerships in Woodland as they work to move their headquarters out of Winters and toward a very bright future. Their project will be amazing in advancing farming education for farmers, students and the world through their Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship (SLEWS) Program, FARMS Leadership and Watershed Programs. The Center is a visionary and they will continue as a  world leader in farming education and stewardship. Their new location looks amazing! Kudos to the entire Center for Land Based Learning organization, their Board and leadership.

Finally, a word used quite a bit today at the Center for Land Based Learning event was “Vision”. The idea of picturing the future in your mind and steering yourself to making it a reality. Without question, they are doing that with their project in Woodland to lead their organization for the next 25 years!

With our City Staff, we talk about setting goals and I often paint the concept of “giving a diamond ring to the love of your life on the second deck of the Eiffel Tower at sunset of Valentine’s Day”. Some view it as a “Disney Dream”, but I would argue that it is something anyone can do if you just plan to do it.

Vision requires a very soulful introspection of where you want to get to and your overall commitment to seriously making something happen. It’s the idea of setting big goals and then establishing then executing a plan. It takes discipline, commitment and the ability to maintain focus and hope in even the most challenging circumstances. It means collaboration, partnerships and establishing relationships which generate the force multiplier that carry the vision to the heights that no one person could attain. In the end, I have learned that everything is a “team” sport and the greatest satisfaction is celebrating hitting key milestones surrounded by those who all made it happen.

Great vision is the ability to seek extra ordinary results and outcomes. I am convinced that any vision is possible and the difference is the amount of desire and commitment to reach the achievement. To have vision requires courage and the ability to transcend the cynicism and skepticism you will encounter. Its easy to be against something and hard to be a champion for something some may think is unimaginable or may seem inconvenient.

Life is a series of events and ultimately moving yourself forward. Reality will tell you that if you are not moving forward, you are moving backward. A vision forward brings an opportunity for adventure and achievement, while sitting still means you are going nowhere and will ultimately get bed sores. Vision establishes the “future” for more people than just yourself and in many ways is a part of your “stewardship” for the possibilities and opportunities which will exist for others. When I talk to City Council Members about “leadership”, I often stress that the decisions we make or fail to make today will determine what will be or not be tomorrow. Vision is important because it really does determine tomorrow!

In Winters, we have many visionary people like Julie and Craig McNamara, Mary Kimball and the Center for Land Based Learning folks. Of late, people like Moyra Barsotti and Emarie VanGalio and the entire Project Playground Team who gave us all a lifetime opportunity to build the greatest playground of our time!

In a city, vision involves looking forward towards the interests of the entire population, both current and future. Where will people live, work and how will the community sustain a quality of life? What happens when you don’t execute the plan or it is left half done? How will we make great things happen which will positively affect people’s lives?

Vision is a collaboration of unique, diverse and talented people coming together to make something that some people feel is a “dream” a reality! Not easy.

Have a nice weekend!

John

  • 03
    May 19
  • -

05/09/19 LPCCC Meeting

  • 03
    May 19
  • -

05/07/19 City Council Meeting

123›»

Search

Latest News:

June 18, 2019 City Council Mee...
Friday Update for June 14 2019
June 14/15, 2019-Big Blue Recy...
Friday Update on Thursday June...
06/13/19 LPCCC Meeting
Hiring: Lifeguards
06/04/19 City Council Meeting...
Friday Update on May 31 2019
06/04/19 City Council Meeting
06/04/19 Joint City Council an...

Department Links:

-City Clerk

-City Council

-City Council Agendas

-City Manager

-City Manager's Update

-Economic Advisory Committee*

-Future Leaders*

-Hispanic Advisory Committee*

-Personnel

-Planning Commission

-Putah Creek Committee

-Administrative Forms and Reports

-Website Posting Requirements


Note: to view online City documents, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed on your computer. Click to visit Adobe's download page (external website).

Home ⋅ Contact ⋅ Links · Personnel · City Council Meetings · Building Forms · WJUSD School Fee Resolution (pdf) · Recreation Programs · Most Recent Info

318 1st St.  Winters, CA  95694

Copyright 2019 City of Winters