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Lap Swim 2019

  • 04
    Mar 19
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Lap Swim 2019

Pool manager Sam Petersen (pictured) and the pool staff kicked off the start of adult lap swim for the year on March 1. The spring lap swim hours are 6-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9-11 a.m. weekends. Passes are $50/month or $5/day and may be purchased at City Hall or at the pool. The Bobbie Greenwood Community Swim Center is located between the library and the high school gym (708 Railroad Ave.). For more information, email contact Tracy Jensen at 794-6702 or tracy.jensen@cityofwinters.org, and see facebook.com/WintersPool.

  • 01
    Mar 19
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Friday Update on March 1 2019

All,

Just a couple announcements:

  • Rain or shine, the Winters Friends of the Library Fruit Tree Sale is tomorrow (March 2) on Railroad Ave. Trees are $10 and the sale is from 9 a.m. until noon (or they run out of trees). WFoL is one of Winters best organizations, providing support to the Community Library with hours, programming and many other community benefits. I have 10 fruit trees in my yard, all from this sale and I totally recommend!
  • Tickets for the Friday March 8, 2019 Winters Fire Fish Fry are now on sale. Click Here to go to their link where you can purchase tickets.

A quick storm update:

  • Winter storms continue to bring an incredible amount of rain and water into our area, creating significant runoff from already saturated hillsides, fields and farm lands.
  • The issues with the detention pond seem to have been solved with the pumping schedule and the closure of the canal breach making things manageable. For all intents and purposes, the pond has been almost empty even with 3-4 inches of rain over two day periods. The permanent pumps with temporary power are scheduled to  be put into operation on March 7.
  • Those affected by the January 16/17 storm are working with insurance companies to resolve claims and get repairs completed.

On social media a main question has been “why did the City not know the canal was breached”. In 2018, we had significant rains and not a single issue with the detention pond. In 2019, The most significant rains occurred during evenings which created runoff and frankly, the water just begins to rush, similar to a flash flood. The rains on the week of February 18 gave us an opportunity to track the water in the daylight which led us to the canal  breach. Once found, we were able to close the breach and get things back to normal. When water which is supposed to flow into different drainage systems flows in a different direction it can cause issues. The fact that the pond was not drained sufficiently and external water rushing into the system is what caused the overflow. We are confident we have resolved the issues and the fact that we have had 2 100 year events in the past 3 weeks with no additional flooding is testament that things are under control.

Finally, Winters lost a very important member of our community with the passing of Don Frisbee on Wednesday evening at home. The Frisbee Family is a long time business in town and they ran “Frisbee Motors” on Railroad Ave for many years as one of our City’s main car dealerships in the 1940, 50’s and 60’s.. Don was a Winters High School Graduate, went on to Stanford University then into the United States Air Force where he retired at the rank of Lt. Coronel and worked in the Intellegence Section during the Vietnam War. He later become an aerospace executive, working for Northrup Gruman and the development of the B-2 Bomber. He was a Charter Member of the Rotary Club of Winters and a really great guy. He is survived by his wife Betty and a wonderful family. He will be missed.

Have a nice weekend.

John

  • 28
    Feb 19
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City Council Meeting 03/05/19

  • 22
    Feb 19
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Friday Update on February 22, 2019

All,

A couple items this week:

  • Interviews for Winters Fire Chief were held this week. Final interviews will be held over the next week and a decision will occur in the next 10 days. The three (3) internal candidates who interviewed did an amazing job and frankly any of they would be an amazing Chief for the Department. The best news is we get to have all three in our organization to move Winters Fire forward. It was one of the proudest and most satisfying weeks of my professional career. The City is blessed with some extraordinary people serving our community and this week it shined even brighter.
  • Planning Commission this week includes Design and Site Plan Review for 100 homes, a lot split on Second Street and an Expansion of the Berryessa Gap Tasting Room.
  • Staff took a financial group which is considering investment opportunities and financing for the Freeway Hotel Project on a tour of the PG&E Gas Operations Academy on Tuesday. It was an amazing tour to see the quality of the facility and the various classes being offered to the Gas Operations Employees. The City is really fortunate to have PG&E in our town and see their commitment to providing some of the best vocational training for utility employees in the world. The facility is first class and the tour by Saul Martinez from the Academy was very well done. Many thanks to Andrea Coker, the Academy Manager for helping set the tour up on short notice.
  • The Economic Development Advisory Committee has finalized its draft recommendations and will be setting a date to present it in a workshop with the City Council. A really good group and a very far reaching report. Good Stuff!
  • Last week, I had some Questions and Answers regarding the overage and contamination charges being assessed by Waste Management. In some responses on social media and in the press, a key issue maybe could have been emphasized a little better (on my part) regarding some background:

The residential waste management program from the City has six main components involving trash, recycling, containerized green waste and organics, street collection of green waste, household hazardous waste and bulky item pick-up.  For commercial and industrial accounts, there is a wider spectrum of services which includes mostly containerized waste, recycling, organics and a variety of other services.

Contamination is a significant issue, because it can literally spoil 3-5 tons of material which increases costs, change an entire days schedule for pick-up and nullify key diversion programs meant to help the environmental side of our waste programs. Not all contamination is done on purpose, but some is pretty obvious. Green/Organics containers with trash hidden in the bottom is a good example. A “contaminated load” cannot be delivered to the green waste facility and is thus diverted to the landfill instead. The cost of higher dumping fees, fuel and employee time, along with lost diversion is expensive and adds up.

The contamination of recycling can nullify the efforts of a hundred houses when people put paint, household hazardous waste or food products into the recycling container. The best purposeful example is someone hiding paint or motor oil in the container. The spillage instantly ruins the load which is then put into the landfill. If the driver misses the contamination and delivers the load to the recycling facility and dumps the load only to find the contamination then, the hauler is then cited by the facility, the truck must be reloaded (at a  cost) then diverted to the landfill. Some residents come home wondering why their container was missed and these are some of the reasons why.

Overages are another issue. If someone is generating excessive refuse at their property, there are many alternatives to simply overloading the container. The residential program has 3 different size refuse containers. If someone has a lot of refuse, that also means lots of opportunity for recycling and additional recycling containers can be obtained at no additional cost. The same for green waste with the availability of additional containers. For commercial accounts, Waste Management has an audit service for a customer service representative to come to the business and help find solutions to reducing waste.

The reason for discussing the technology is just to highlight how some issues are discovered. A common response to someone receiving an additional charge is “how do you know it was my home or business that contaminated the load”. This is the 21st century and the use of cameras, GPS and computers are in our pockets daily and aid in the investigation.

The idea that assessing “fault” on this was not meant in the slightest in the Q&A. In most cases it means a need for education or assistance from our waste management personnel so the person can avoid a penalty (which is 9 out of 10 people) in the future. Are there some which are done on purpose? Without casting judgment, some are pretty obvious.

Waste management requires a lot of time for the City because the demands of regulations, new programs mandated by the State and our attempts to meet diversion goals are ever increasing. A little education can go a long way is resolving these issues.

Have a nice weekend

John

  • 22
    Feb 19
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02/26/19 Planning Commission Meeting

  • 15
    Feb 19
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Friday Update on February 15 2019

This weeks update in the rain and trash edition!

First, the saga of the rain and the detention pond:

  • Over about a 36 hour period, we experienced almost 3.5 inches of rain.
  • Fun Fact- A hundred year storm in one which brings 5” of rain in a 24 hour period! So, we have basically been pretty close and on January 16/17 we received almost 3 inches in 3 hours.
  • We have brought in four (4) additional pumps and were successful in keeping the pond at a manageable level, even with periods of heavy flow overnight. The pond is now drained and we have turned all of the pumps off and have placed a huge 8” pump next to the cemetery if we ever need to really move some water. We will monitor the pond through the weekend and we can immediately turn the pumps back on when needed.
  • City Staff worked 36 hours straight moving water, sandbagging and operating equipment around to prevent issues in the area with this weeks storm.
  • “The good news” of Wednesdays rain is that we were able to see the flows in the daylight and found a breach in a canal which is supposed to flow into Dry Creek but was literally flooding into the detention pond at a rate of thousands of gallons a minute. With the assist of an excavator and sandbagging, we have been able to close the canal breach which enabled us to draw the pond down to a point where we can stop/limit pumping operations. We have also found an additional external source (not supposed to go into the pond) sending approximately 1,000 gallons per minute into the pond but do not have a solution for that area. A major frustration was the fact that we could not seem to catch up with all the pumping. Hopefully fixing the breach will allow us to catch up.

The discovery of the canal breach answers a lot of questions for us. Knowing that an external source was pouring thousands of gallons into the pond which are not supposed to go into the pond is a big piece of information. The breach, combined with the non-operation of the facility are at the root of the issues we are dealing with.

  • We were notified today about an additional delay in getting the pond pumping system online. Our engineering staff is working to find a solution. I will keep people in the loop in the developments regarding this.
  • We have tried to avoid pumping into the streets, but bringing in the additional pumps has facilitated a need to do so. You can only put so many pumps on to one pipe!
  • Kudos to the Public Works Crew led by Eric Lucero and the entire Winters Fire Team who have been working tirelessly to protect everyone’s homes.
  • Thank you for the understanding of the neighbors and folks on Foxglove, Main and Ivy Loop. Lot’s of understandable frustration by a lot of people.

Trash, overages and penalties:

Question 1- Why am I now being billed by Waste Management for over filling my trash container.

Waste Management has been notifying residents about overages (trash spilling beyond the capacity of the containers and contamination on the trash system. Warnings and additional fees are now being assessed which is allowed for under their contract agreement.

We have had a number of commercial and residential customers call City Hall regarding getting bills for overages from WM. Essentially folks are mad that they have been doing this for a while and are now getting charged.  In regard to this (and overloading the containers), there is a common sense component which needs to be applied. A lot like rolling stop signs and driving 70 mph on CR 31 to DAVIS, you know you are supposed to stop and drive slower, then getting pulled over and being upset for the ticket. Not much we can say about that.

Question 2- I am mad at WM for the additional charge and want to hire another trash company to pick up my trash. Why does the City give them the exclusive business for the entire City?

The exclusive franchise for waste pickup brings an enormous benefit of economy of scale, convenience and a lack of a chaotic enterprise to a community. The waste industry is a little more complicated than it seems and is highly regulated. Imagine having 3-4 different haulers picking up on different days of the week, with different equipment and different methods (imagine having trash containers on the streets every day). Also, imagine not being able to get a pickup, especially in the County areas which are essentially a loser financially for the franchised hauler for those areas. The waste management of refuse in a community is a big deal which requires uniformity and consistency in its operation. Similar to having one water and sewer system.

Question 3- How are they determining that it was me that contaminated the load or I exceeded the capacity of my trash container and am charged for an overage?

Smart technology and computers on each trash truck is now allowing the drivers to explain and document issues on their routes. There are now multiple cameras on the trucks allowing the driver to identify contamination, overages and other issues. Contamination is a huge issue because one stop can determine the difference between a load going to the recycling facility versus the landfill which has significantly higher costs and lost opportunity for diversion. Recycling and green waste/organic programs save resources, capacity in our landfills and ultimately reduce costs to the consumer (the economic component is a huge consideration).

Have a nice weekend!

John

  • 14
    Feb 19
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February 19, 2019 City Council Meeting

  • 11
    Feb 19
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Winters After-School Program

Winters After-School Program (WASP)

Winters After-School Program (WASP)

2019-20 Registration begins: Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Packets will be available Monday, May 6, 2019, at: City Hall, Waggoner Elementary School front office, Shirley Rominger Intermediate School front office and all Winters After-School Program classrooms.

All Registration Packets and tuition MUST be turned into City Hall, open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.

Serving students: Kinder-5th grade, no exceptions (no TK).

Hours of Operation: after school to 6pm.

Days of Operation: Monday-Friday, closed for all holidays WJUSD recognizes.  PM Snack is included.

Tuition: $100 a month per student.  Discounted tuition is given to those qualifying for the Free/Reduced Lunch Program through the school district.  Discounts are as follows: $25 a month for those qualifying for FREE Lunch, $50 a month for those qualifying for REDUCED Lunch.  Free/Reduced Lunch letters must be provided to WASP staff to receive the tuition discount.  No discounts for multiple children.

Daily attendance is required; parent must notify staff of child’s extra-curricular activities and ensure student is only absent from WASP for reasons listed on the Early Release Policy.

Daily Schedule includes: Academics (Homework/Homework Assistance), Reading, Enrichment Activities, Recreation, Free Play and Nutritious Snack.  WASP does not offer tutoring.

Weekly Schedule includes: Science, Nutrition, Presentations or Field Trips.

Volunteers: High School or College volunteers are welcome and needed. One volunteer per class is needed per day.

This program is funded and operated through the ASES grant in cooperation of the City of Winters and the Winters Joint Unified School District as well as community donations.

Donations are greatly appreciated.  Please make donations payable to: City of Winters- Winters After School Program.  Please send donations to: City of Winters-WASP, 318 First Street, Winters, CA 95694.

For more information, please call Nicole Jordan Halley @ 794-6709.

Follow the Winters After School Program on Facebook

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM DESIGN 

GOAL:  To provide a successful and engaging program for the promotion of a quality education and the enhancement of social skills in a safe environment, both mentally and physically, to all youths of Winters for the betterment of our community.

Desired Results:

  • Participants receive homework assistance in order to improve their academic skills and confidence.
  • Improve social skills and build relationships with peers in a safe and fun environment.
  • Engage participants in diverse enrichment learning opportunities.

The City of Winters After School Program commences immediately after the regular school day and is open until 6:00pm.

Students will participate in:

  • An educational and literacy component element
  • An educational enrichment element, such as arts and crafts, field trips, music and/or dance.
  • Nutritious snack
  • Recreation time

“Committed to empowering children through education and beyond.”

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at:http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

 

Programa Despues de la Escuela de Winters

La Registracion del 2019-2020 comienza: Mayo 7, 2019

Los Paquetes estaran disponibles el Lunes Mayo 6 en: el City Hall, la oficina de la escuela Waggoner, la oficina de la escuela Shirley Rominger y todos los salones del Programa Despues de la Escuela de Winters.

Todos los Paquetes de Registracion y pago de matriculacion TIENEN que ser entregados en el Ayuntamiento (City Hall) que esta abierto de Lunes-Viernes de 8am-5pm.

Servicio: Para estudiantes de kinder-5to grado, no excepciones.

Horas de Operación son despues de la escuela hasta las 6pm.

Dias de Operación: Lunes-Viernes, cerrado para los dias festivos que el Distrito escolar de Winters reconoce. Merienda de la tarde esta incluido.

Pago de Matriculacion: Costos de matricula seran cobrado por cada niño inscribido en el programa.  $25 al mes por los estudiantes que califican en recibir almuerzo gratis.  $50 al mes para los estudiantes que califican en recibir almuerzo reducido y $100 al mes para los estudiantes que no califican.  No hay descuentos para familias con mas de un niño en el programa.

Se require asistencia diaria; los padres tienen que notificar al personal del Programa Despues de La Escuela sobre las actividades extra-curriculares del estudiante y asegurarse que el estudiante solamente este ausente en el Programa Despues de la Escuela por alguna de las razones que se encuentran en la Poliza de Salida Temprano.

Programa Diario incluye: Academico (Tarea, Asistencia con la tarea), Lectura, Actividades de Enriquecimiento, Recreación, Juego Libre y Merienda Nutritivo. El Programa Despues de la Escuela NO ofrece tutoria.

Programa Semanal incluye: Ciencia, Presentaciones y Paseos.

Voluntarios: Voluntarios de la High School y el Colegio son bienvenidos y necesarios. Se necesita un voluntario diario por clase.

Este programa esta fundado y operado por medio del subsidio de ASES en cooperación con la Ciudad de Winters y el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Winters y donaciones de la comunidad.

Las donaciones son muy apreciadas. Por favor mande sus donaciones a:

City of Winters-WASP, 318 First Street, Winters, CA 95694.

Para mas información, por favor llame a Nicole Jordan Halley @ 794-6709.

DISEÑO DEL PROGRAMA DESPUES DE LA ESCUELA

META: Proveer un programa exitoso e interesante para la promoción de una educación de calidad y el aumento de las habilidades sociales en un ambiente seguro, mental y físico, para todos los jovenes de Winters por el mejoramiento de nuestra comunidad.

Resultados Deseados:

  • Los Participantes reciben asistencia con la tarea para poder mejorar en sus habilidades académicas y en su confianza.
  • Mejorar en las habilidades sociales y construir relaciones con compañeros en un ambiente seguro y divertido.
  • Involucrar participantes en diversas oportunidades de enriquecimiento de aprendizaje.

El Programa de Despues de la Escuela de Winters comienza inmediatamente despues del dia regular de la escuela y esta abierto hasta las 6:00pm.

Los estudiantes participan en:

  • Un componente de educación y alfabetización.
  • Un elemento de enriquecimiento educativo, como artes y artesanías, paseos, música y/o baile.
  • Merienda nutritivo
  • Tiempo de recreación

“Comprometidos para fortalecer a los niños por medio de la educación y mas allá“.

De conformidad con la Ley Federal de Derechos Civiles y los reglamentos y políticas de derechos civiles del Departamento de Agricultura de los EE. UU. (USDA, por sus siglas en inglés), se prohíbe que el USDA, sus agencias, oficinas, empleados e instituciones que participan o administran programas del USDA discriminen sobre la base de raza, color, nacionalidad, sexo, discapacidad, edad, o en represalia o venganza por actividades previas de derechos civiles en algún programa o actividad realizados o financiados por el USDA.
Las personas con discapacidades que necesiten medios alternativos para la comunicación de la información del programa (por ejemplo, sistema Braille, letras grandes, cintas de audio, lenguaje de señas americano, etc.), deben ponerse en contacto con la agencia (estatal o local) en la que solicitaron los beneficios. Las personas sordas, con dificultades de audición o discapacidades del habla pueden comunicarse con el USDA por medio del Federal Relay Service [Servicio Federal de Retransmisión] al (800) 877-8339. Además, la información del programa se puede proporcionar en otros idiomas.
Para presentar una denuncia de discriminación, complete el Formulario de Denuncia de Discriminación del Programa del USDA, (AD-3027) que está disponible en línea en: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html y en cualquier oficina del USDA, o bien escriba una carta dirigida al USDA e incluya en la carta toda la información solicitada en el formulario. Para solicitar una copia del formulario de denuncia, llame al (866) 632-9992. Haga llegar su carta o formulario completo al USDA por:
(1)  correo: U.S. Department of Agriculture    (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; o     (3)   correo electrónico:  program.intake@usda.gov
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.
  • 11
    Feb 19
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Current Recruitment:

Current Recruitment:

  • 08
    Feb 19
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Friday Update on February 8 2019

All,

First, some announcements:

  • Congratulations to both the Boys and Girls Soccer Teams from Winters High on their combined League Championships for the Sierra View League. Really proud of these students and players who represent our town well throughout greater Northern California. Now on to the Northern Section Championships. Many of us have seen these players literally their entire lives and to see them become the champions they are on the field and in life is absolutely amazing! Go Warriors!
  • On Sunday, February 10 at 2:00, the City will host an information briefing for those affected and interested in the overflow of the detention pond behind Foxglove Street near Ivy Loop. We will give an overview of the cause of the overflow, information about the operation of the pond and moving forward. The meeting will be in the driveway at 620 Foxglove so bring a soccer chair. If it is raining, we will move down the street a bit to the Public Safety Facility, 700 Main Street in the Emergency Operations Center Conference Room.
  • The Buckhorn Food Truck is now on the corner of Railroad and Grant Ave. A chance to get your tri-tip sandwich fix and support a really good local business! Congrats to Silverio and the entire team on going through the process and getting this going!
  • On Friday (today) at 4:00 at the NE corner of Railroad and Main, the “Before I Die” public art wall will be unveiled. The project is sponsored by Yolo Hospice, Winters Participation Art, Winters High School Art Students and the Winters Healthcare Foundation. The wall will be up for about 6 weeks. Pretty cool project!
  • Movie Night with the “Night Shift” and Winters PD and Fire will be on Saturday, February 16 in the apparatus bay at the Fire Department. They will be showing “The Grinch” and provide snacks. Admission is Free. All are invited!

A few notes:

  • Today is Karla Sanders final day with the City of Winters in our receptions area in the Finance Department. We wish her the best with her future endeavors and thank her for her services with the City of Winters! Good job, Karla!
  • Congratulations to recently promoted Sergeant Jose Hermosillo on his swearing in at the City Council Meeting surrounded by his fellow officers, family and friends. Sergeant Hermosillo is a testament to hard work, professionalism and will represent the Police Department well in his new position.
  • Staff is working with the WJUSD and the Department of Industrial Relations in the development of apprenticeship programs within the Winters Community. Dan Maguire is the lead on this and advancing opportunities for WHS students. Well done.
  • Blue Mountain Terrace Senior Apartments are working toward the start of construction with a final financing call and readiness for a March groundbreaking.
  • Staff is working with State Parks to position the City for some Prop 84 Grant Funds.
  • Both Winters Fire and Police have started fitness challenges over the next month. When you see them out and about, give a cheer for getting healthier.
  • The Police Department will be limited operation next week as Karla Fergeson is on vacation for a week!
  • Winters Fire will be advancing the final draft of the Community Wildfire Protection Program before the Winters Fire District Board, City Council and the County Board of Supervisors over the next month. A real collaboration and a good start on shoring up the interface areas of the Greater Winters jurisdictions! Kudos to Art Mendoza for his work on this.

Finally, the past few years has seen leadership of our Police and Fire Departments within the region through training, mutual aid and our collaboration with our neighboring jurisdictions. The emergence of the influence of our staff within the region has become a hallmark of the pride and professionalism with pulses through our organization. I have learned that it really is all about the “people” of the organization who extend our reputation. I cannot adequately express the feeling of being at a meeting when someone from another agency tells me they are “working with” someone from our team on a very meaningful project or effort which advances the profession.

As one of the smallest agencies, I will profess that it is tough living within the limited resources. The adage of having to do “so much with so little” gives me even more motivation when I see our staff giving the extra effort to keep up with our neighboring jurisdiction which have resources beyond our comprehension. It means we are working hard!

Hard work is one of the character traits which defines Winters. Our agricultural roots help establish the benchmark for accepting the effort it takes to achieve the excellence which is embodied and permeates through the Winters community. Our kids are champions on the playing fields, classroom and FFA, our environmental projects make salmon spawn in our creek, we produce the best food in the world, we are the home to a world class vocational training academy with the PG&E Gas Safety facility and our City Staff are second to none in the professional fields. Our Downtown is best in the region and people want to be here because of an incredible vibe. None of this just happens. It really comes down to a culture of hard work and commitment to being the best.

Really proud of some of our recent achievements and how we set the bar for other communities. Small yet mighty!

No Friday Update next week.

Have a good weekend and go Warriors Soccer in the North Section Soccer Championships!

John

  • 07
    Feb 19
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Senior Resources

Senior Resources:

  • 06
    Feb 19
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February 14, 2019 LPCCC Meeting

  • 04
    Feb 19
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Strategic Planning Workshops Postponed

Strategic Planning Workshops Postponed- Stay tuned!

All,

The previously scheduled community workshops on strategic planning, community facility, etc are postponed pending the development of a new calendar. We have 22 people on our “must attend” list and unfortunately the schedules with many of our other regional evening commitments and meetings has developed many conflicts.

We are working a revamp of the schedule, so stay tuned for a new schedule.

Thanks,

John

  • 04
    Feb 19
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Wastewater Treatment Facility Influent Screening Improvements City Project No. 16-03 (re-bid)

Wastewater Treatment Facility Influent Screening Improvements City Project No. 16-03 (Re-Bid) (pdf)

  • 04
    Feb 19
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Summer 2019 Swim Brochure

Summer 2019 Swim Brochure – English / Spanish

  • 01
    Feb 19
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Friday Update on February 1 2019

All,

Some quick points from the week:

First, the items on this weeks City Council Agenda:

February 5, 2019

  • Final Acceptance of Well 2 Rehabilitation Project
  • Resolution 2019-02, Approving Certain Errata to the Implementing Agreement for the Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan
  • Promotional Swearing-In of Sergeant Jose Hermosillo
  • Request for Matching Funds for Vehicle Purchase
  • Animal Services Joint Powers Agency – Agreement Development
  • Informational Item:  General Plan Health and Safety Element
  • The “Before I Die Wall” Presentation by Liz Romero, Gerontological Specialist and Community Ambassador from Yolo Hospice

Now the notes:

  • The City will be contacting homeowners affected by the flooding in the Dry Creek Meadows Subdivision on Monday.
  • Hooby’s Brewing received their final building inspection approvals today. Look for them to open around the third weekend of February.
  • City Staff successfully completed the “tie in” of the West Main Sewer Pump Station. The project was a big step for our wastewater system which will eventually result is the diversion of almost 30% of the flow from the East Street Pump Station, increasing the efficiency and capacity of our wastewater system.

We are in full implementation mode of the Downtown Parking Master Plan. A couple key points:

  • Parking Regulation: All ordinances have been revised and will be in full effect within the next few weeks. Enforcement times, fines and posting of signs, striping of curbs are all on the cusp of completion.
  • Enforcement: Staff has been trained, citations ordered and delivered and the chalk stick is ready. We will begin with a process of warnings then move into citations in February.
  • Striping: the entire Downtown has been re-painted. Additional diagonal spaces have been added on Abbey and Main. In the end, we will net in excess of 20 additional spaces from the striping. The last striping will occur on First Street, Edwards and Baker in the coming months. We have focused on the enforcement areas first then will move to the rest of the core area.
  • First Street Parking Lot: The Winters Hotel construction will move off the property where the parking lot will be constructed in March. The lot will bring 38 parking spaces and a new alley. This should be a big deal for those along Central Main Street who will see almost a doubling in spaces,  a lighted parking lot, paseo parkway onto the mid block and added convenience for many. We expect the parking lot to be done in May/June and ready when the hotel opens.

Combined new spaces from both striping and the new parking lot will be somewhere near 68 spaces.

  • Waste Management has hired a new contractor to take over street sweeping, beginning in March.  Also discussed compacting for recycling & trash, and front loaders will still be needed for compost.  Contamination and overage fines for commercial accounts have begun ($150/overage, $50 contamination).  Also, recycling can’t include plastic bags.
  • Staff has been working on finalizing the City’s Climate Action Plan. The document will cover a six (6) year period to 2025 and include a revised implementation program which provides for public education, adoption of some key programs meant to reduce greenhouse gases. Look for the plan to go before the City Council in May.
  • Staff will be working with Yolo Housing on a new service agreement. Our partnership has resulted in some cost savings and efficiency which may result in a reduction in the rate portion dedicated to capital equipment replacement. Good stuff!
  • Staff is working with the Putah Creek Council on the installation of interpretive signs on the creek trail portion next to the PG&E Facility.
  • A tour of the new Yolo Food Bank on Wednesday showed the advancement of this critical service in Yolo County.
  • 3rd Annual Movie Night with the night shift will be held on March 16th at 5:30 p.m. in the Public Safety Facility’s fire bay – “The Grinch” will be featured.
  • The Community Wildfire Protection Plan Draft is almost ready for public viewing. Look for a release prior to the upcoming meeting of the Winters Fire District Board Meeting.
  • Attended a great SACOG Regional Manager’s meeting; SACOG rep said Winters was the perfect city for the “Green Means Go” pilot program that includes infill projects, travel options and EV options to decrease gas emissions in the region.
  • For all the no growthers out there, its time to get a refill on the big bottle of tums and the Costco size Excedrin because the State is ready to release the new Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) numbers with direct correlation to transportation and road funding. Staff attended a RHNA meeting with SACOG and although the City will be receiving $125K, these funds can’t be used to update the housing element.  Staff will look for an alternate way to utilize these funds within the context of RHNA and affordable housing.
  • The EDAC report will be re-written, and based on the recommendations from the EDAC, it’s a good time to go to the Planning Commission and City Council about the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) process as everyone’s numbers are going up.
  • Regarding transit, the City pays a large amount of money for Yolo Bus.   Micro transit models may be explored.  We need to look at the needs for seniors.  An app on a phone could enable someone to be picked up along the scheduled route.  There is a lot of potential here.

Getting ready for the Super Bowl. My recommendation is two growlers from Berryessa Brewing, including their new Couch Potato IPA. My prediction on the Super Bowl is to take the OVER on the parlay card and look for Tom Brady to get ring #6- Patriots 36 Rams 21

Have a safe weekend.

 

John

  • 01
    Feb 19
  • -

February 2019 City of Winters Newsletter

  • 30
    Jan 19
  • -

02/05/19 City Council Meeting

  • 29
    Jan 19
  • -

Yolo County Animal Services Governance Study

Yolo County Animal Services Governance Study (pdf)

This report was commissioned by the Yolo County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) in its role as leader
of the Shared Services Initiative in Yolo County, in order to determine a method of providing animal service in a
manner that maintains positive outcomes while controlling costs. This report consists of two components. The first
portion of the study, completed by the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program (KSMP), makes determinations
regarding the animal services programming and staffing levels necessary to successfully meet legal and public
expectations, provide humane care, maintain positive outcomes, and reduce or control public costs. The second
portion of this study, completed by Yolo County LAFCo, projects the costs for various potential models of animal
services in Yolo County, based on the staffing and programming levels recommended by KSMP.

  • 25
    Jan 19
  • -

Friday Update on January 25, 2019

All,

A quick update on the many initiatives and projects I have on my desk:

  • Interview and Selection for Fire Chief: We have decided to conduct formal interviews with internal candidates to fill the job of Fire Chief for Winters Fire. The process will include a dual interview panel including a “Technical Interview” with Fire and City Management professionals and a “Community Panel” which will include persons from the community who do business with Winters Fire. This will occur in mid February and we will plan on an appointment by early March.
  • Economic Development Committee Report and Recommendations: The draft is in circulation with the Economic Committee and we should have the report completed within the next 10 working days. We will then schedule a workshop for presentation in February.
  • Winters Housing Element Update: The City’s General Plan Housing Element expires in October of 2020, thus we need to begin the process for the update. This will include the hire of a consultant and a process of preparation. We will work toward having the request for proposals for a consultant out by April of 2019.
  • Greater Winters Community Wildfire Protections Plan: Through a grant with CalFire, Winters Fire has been working with residents of Golden Bear Estates, Positas Rd and other key stakeholders such as Audubon California on a wildfire protection plan. So far, the process has been exceptional and they are working toward a draft which should be ready for public review in March.
  • General Plan “refresh”: A key goal for 2019 is to take the City’s General Plan and update various sections to make it easier to read, include more graphics and goals and to essentially make it a more transparent document in compliance with State goals for General Plans. The City has received a $100k grant and will look to hire a consultant to facilitate a “refresh” of our overall plan. To see our overview and status on the City website, click HERE.
  • Monthly General Plan Updates: Starting on February 5, the City Council will be getting a monthly update on each of the City’s nine (9) General Plan Elements. February will include an overview of the Health and Safety Element.
  • Succession Planning: The City has some key retirements on the horizon. This means the need to hire and replace some key personnel. Look for an extensive discussion of this topic at one of the upcoming Strategic Planning Workshops.

A quick status on some key projects coming soon:

  • First Street Parking Lot: A new Downtown Parking Lot will be constructed to support the Downtown Hotel and increase public access. The City calendar has us starting on this project in March and it will bring an additional 38 spaces.
  • Flood Plan Update: An update to the flood master plans covering the north area of the City is in development.
  • Three Oaks Park: As part of the new housing projects being developed, an 11 acre linear park will be developed named “Three Oaks Park”. The project will be developed in three phases and will include picnic areas, playgrounds, grass play areas, dog parks and a community garden. Infrastructure plans are due in 2019 with construction beginning in 2020.
  • City Hall Annex Remodel: A key project at City Hall will be to make it more accessible to residents. In 2017, half of the former fire/police station was remodeled to include a new conference room. Staff is currently working on plans to add additional office space into the other half of the building and move certain administrative offices into that location to ease the ability of folks to do business with the City. Look for this project in 2020.

Have a nice weekend.

John

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