01/13/2023 City Manager’s Update
City Manager’s Update (pdf)
January 13, 2023
Greetings, all. More rain has begun as the next atmospheric river hits northern California this weekend. Saturday will have moderate to heavy rain. Avoid leaving town if you can and be careful out there if you do. It looks as if we have a dry patch beginning on Tuesday. Yay! The forecast is here.
City Hall Tidbits
- City Hall is closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Day as well as Friday, January 20 as part of our regular alternating Friday closure schedule. The 2023 calendar has been updated here. Utility payments and correspondence for City Hall can be left in the secured drop box in front of City Hall.
- The Building Division was closed to the public this week and will likely be for a portion of next week due to staff absences. We have arranged for back up inspection services and temporary building official support. Please continue to call 530-794-6708 and leave a message. Staff are monitoring calls and emails (building.division@cityofwinters.org) for service. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to be back in the saddle soon.
- We need you! We have vacancies on several commissions: Planning, Senior Commission on Aging, and Climate Action. Please click here for more information.
- Solano County Water Authority (SCWA) and approximately 30 students from the Center for Land Based Learning will plant about 300 trees in Phase 3 of the creek restoration project on February 2nd. This phenomenal non-profit strives to “inspire, education and cultivate future generations of farmers, agricultural leaders and natural resource stewards.”
- In addition to salmon, beavers have now been spotted and FILMED in Putah Creek, playing with all the flotsam floating downstream. Thanks to Kate Laddish for sharing this video here of three beavers trying to stay afloat on a log. There is a lot of material out there for them to create some really good dams…We also have reports of otters and muskrats”! The wildlife is enjoying the Nature Park.
- A couple young solicitors working for a solar company have appeared in town. They do not have appropriate permits and are not affiliated with PG&E. They have been asked to leave by our friendly officers.
- The City of Winters is a member of the Solano Economic Development Corporation, which has partnered with EVCS to encourage the installation of EV charging stations. If you’re interested in exploring a partnership with a third party to install an EV charging station at a retail, commercial, industrial, or multi-unit dwelling location, please click here for more information.
Don’t Miss Out!
- The Winters Lions club is hosting a blood drive at the Community Center on Tuesday, January 17 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. All donors 21 or older will be entered into the BIG GAME for drawing a prize package valued at $27,400. Woo Hoo! Sounds like a trip for two to the Super Bowl! There’s a blood shortage so pleas consider donating.
- It’s Girl Scout Cookie season! There are four troops in town, selling online and taking pre-orders during January. Cookie deliveries and booth sales are scheduled for mid-February through March at Steady Eddy’s, Acro, and the Winters Collective. A big shout out to these young entrepreneurs and their helper families.
- Council goal setting has been scheduled for Saturday, February 18, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the large conference room, Abbey Street entrance at City Hall. The meeting is open to the public. The Council and staff will discuss goals and priorities in an informal workshop setting. There will be opportunities for public comment.
- Mark your calendars for the Winters Friends of the Library Fruit Tree Sale, Saturday, March 4 beginning at 9:00 until trees are sold out, in the parking lot on Railroad between Baker & Edwards. WFoL members get first dibs beginning at 8:30 a.m. If you’re not a member, you can join at the door! Bare root trees are only $20; limit 10 per customer.
- And if you want to learn more about fruit tree care, Yolo County Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA) is offering a free interactive workshop on January 21, from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. at the Hanna & Herbert Bauer Memorial Community Garden in Woodland. Pre-registration is required by contacting David Linebarger at (530) 666-8429 or linebarger@yolocounty.org. More information is here.
COVID-19
There is a new variant of concern, among the many sub-variants of the Omicron strain. XBB.1.5 is rapidly gaining dominance, and per usual more infectious than the previous. It has better sticking properties to latch on. The screen shot below is from Monday’s health briefing showing the rapid increase of COVID concentrations in wastewater, particularly in Davis. While flu and RSV appear to be on the decline, it is still a good time to make sure vaccinations and boosters are up to date, and to not go to work or in public if you are sick. Health officials are also strongly recommending mask wearing indoors.
Upcoming Council Meeting – January 17 – Hybrid!
Council meets next Tuesday, remote and in person. We continue to work on the system and will replace the clerk computer; however, we should be able to get through Tuesday with some adjustments. The packet is available here. It’s a very small agenda: a resolution establishing administrative citation fines and a local emergency declaration related to winters storms that will allow us to recover storm-response expenses. The federal emergency declaration for the initial 17 counties was extended to Yolo County this week, allowing county jurisdictions to apply for reimbursement of eligible expenses. The local emergency declaration is the first step in that process.
Woot Woot!
A big shout out to all the first responders, public works employees, Emergency Operations teams, regular people and supportive groups who have assisted with responding to the onslaught of winter storms. While the City of Winters has fared relatively well, so many areas have been devasted by flooding, wind damage, and power outages. So many people have pulled together to help those in need. A huge thank you for everyone’s contributions, big and small, far and wide.
On a related note, about mutual aid to others, at Wednesday’s senior commission, the group discussed concerns for elderly living on their own who might have a medical event or fall unbeknownst to others. Being left unattended for days could have devastating results for that person. If you live next door to someone who might need an extra hand or appreciate being checked on, please reach out to them. Establish a signal that all is ok, so when the blinds don’t open or some other private code doesn’t change, the neighbor can pop over to check.
The Winters community ethos of service to others / service to community runs strong here. These individual bonds and connections weave the fabric that make Winters the truly magical village it has been and continues to be.