All,
A couple items this week:
City Council Agendas:
April 17, 2018
- Homeless Coordination Project 3-Year Contract
- Starbucks Final Acceptance & Notice of Completion
- Nature Park Extension Project Approval
- CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report)
- Traffic Survey Ordinance
- Police Department’s Revised Axon Quote for the Purchase of Body Worn Cameras (BWC)
- Public Works Presentation
- Proclamation Honoring May 3rd as Big Day of Giving Led by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation
May 1, 2018
- Second Reading & Adoption of Traffic Survey Ordinance
- MOU’s (Memorandums of Understanding)
Some notes:
- Staff met on Thursday with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board staff regarding a permit filing they are moving on regarding the City’s former landfill on Moody Slough Road. Overall, a pretty good meeting. The bottom line is they have a charge for all closed landfills to implement Title 27 of the Government Code on environmental regulation which means they will not move off of the permit. The big item of concern for the City was the potential requirement for us to add a soil cap on to the 8 acre piece which we estimate would cost almost $2 million. In the end, we agreed to enhance our overall groundwater monitoring program, establish a monitoring plan and have a step by step work program which would be implemented based on performance issues of the test results. I would give our overall team an “A” for preparation for the meeting and having the right people in the room. Our environmental consultant for hydrology and permitting on the project is Winters own Kurt Balasak with Wallace & Kuhl Associates and our staff team leader is our environmental services manager Carol Scianna. Both just hit it our of the park in the meeting on their overall effectiveness in working with the regulators! Its always a great day when you have really talented people with their expertise and acumen on display!
- Winters continues to have people roaming the town trying to get into unlocked cars. People need to lock their vehicles or risk losing the stuff. The Police Department is doing an excellent job in trying to keep up with many KNOWN individuals who are robbing peoples cars. Unfortunately, there is little justice in California for people who steal from others.
- In 2014, California Voters passed Proposition 47 which requires misdemeanor sentencing for any theft of under $950. This means that if someone steals items under that value that they basically get a citation for the theft and basically there are no real ramifications for the offense. Thus, if someone steals your lawn mower, a box of tools from the back or your truck or your bike and you catch them, the limit of the Police authority is to simply give them a ticket and they just walk away. People need to understand this and lock your stuff up.
- Our Police and Fire Chiefs attended a meeting with the WJUSD regarding campus safety at a special District Meeting. Overall a good meeting and many concerns raised. Not an easy topic for the WJUSD.
- Our Public Safety has offered to participate in training on the WJUSD Emergency Response Plan and work toward a training drill in the fall.
- The July 3 Fireworks Display will be held at Shirley Rominger Intermediate School instead of Winters High School due to construction of the new Soccer/Football/Track Stadium thus summer.
Finally, they City lost one of the most impactful people in its history with the passing of Newt Wallace on Easter Sunder.
Without question, the Winters Express under the ownership of Newt Wallace has been the defining influence for the City of Winters over the past almost 70 years. Newt as the publisher made a weekly publication which has told the story of our community and the generations of people who make it special.
Newt, Ida and the entire Wallace Family have given Winters the gift of recording our history. They have also helped set the tone and culture of a very civil town where everyone knows each other and are proud to call Winters their home. People know each other because the Winters Express lets us know about each other.
Newt was an incredible gentleman who opened up the Winters Express each Friday the 13th for everyone from the most politically connected to any subscriber to share a drink and feel at home. He was the guy who delivered not only all of the Downtown papers, but also the obituary notices for each resident. From the Yesteryear column to the weather, Newt reminded us of our past, our present and the future. The Express was Winters “social media” 6 decades early!
Few people in town can special order their favorite cheap beer and they have it on hand in our local establishments. I tried to order one of his Olympia beers one time and was denied because there were only two left and the establishment wanted to get their paper that week.
Newt may have been the oldest paperboy in the world, but more importantly he was the patriarch of a family which has helped make Winters the incredible community it is. The Wallace’s and the Winters Express are the glue which binds us in words, memories and most importantly as a community.
The Wallaces have given to this community like few others have. Besides the Winters Express, I am convinced that Charley along with a number of others saved the Downtown. John has been the local attorney and the involvement of their entire family has been nothing short of a lifelong commitment to this small town! It all started with Newt taking a train to Davis, walking the 15 miles to Winters and purchasing a small newspaper…………. The rest is certainly our history!
If there is a heaven, I hope Ida and Newt are reunited in all their glory and that they publish a weekly publication which will undoubtedly make heaven a little smaller and kinder place.
Have a nice weekend.
John
