03/18/2022 City Manager’s Update

City Manager's Update (pdf)
03/18/2022

Greetings, all. Have a lovely weekend out there. Fingers crossed we get enough steady rain for a good soaking…

Please Note:

• As the weather warms, the Sacramento Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District reminds residents that mosquito breeding season will begin soon. Please make sure to not leave standing water around in old pots, tires, or other containers. Visit fightthebite.net to request a mosquito inspection or sign up for spray notifications. SYMVCD staff will present its annual update to Council on May 3^rd.

Youth Day needs volunteers! https://www.wintersyouthday.com/ Please help this wonderful community tradition come alive again for 2022 ~ Saturday, April 30. Rotary and the Fire Department volunteers will kick off the day with a pancake breakfast, followed by a parade down Main Street that I understand is one of the best, and a day of activities in City Park. The duck race on Putah Creek is Friday. Stay tuned for more details on how to buy a duck, which helps fund the event and scholarships for local youth.

• The Natural Resources Commission will receive a presentation from the City’s water consultants at its Monday evening meeting related to the City’s historic water consumption and the Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan. The Commission will also consider a staff-initiated project to update the 2007 Water Master Plan. The packet is available here.

Green River Tap Room is completing its new stage, which is oriented away from downtown Winters. The stage should be ready in the next couple weeks. The goal is to reduce the outside amplified noise levels from coming across the creek into town. While some sound will still be heard, fingers crossed this investment will produce a noticeable reduction in sound. To provide feedback to the owner, please email jn@oldgreenriver.com.

Don’t Miss Out!

• We have increased the starting part-time salaries for the summer aquatic program and for our after school and summer camp programs. New staff will start at $18 per hour! The aquatic staff are seasonal and must be lifeguard certified. The City will pay for new lifeguard certification; training is scheduled for the week of March 28. Instructional aides work year-round up to 20 hours per week and must pass a proficiency test. More information is here. Please help us spread the word!
• A lifeguard certification program is being offered at the Bobbi Greenwood Swim Center on 3/26, 3/27, 4/2 and 4/3 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Cost is $175 or free to City of Winters lifeguard applicants. To apply for a Winters pool position, please click here. All others, please register by emailing ventures-mca@gmail.com.
• This is the last weekend for the History Museum’s “Lost Japanese Community of Winters” exhibit. The Lost Community of Monticello will open Thursday, April 7. For all the newcomers in town, that was the tiny community that existed where Lake Berryessa is now. It was vacated when the dam was built.
• The Chamber-sponsored Toast of Winters is Friday, April 8, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Winters Community Center. The event will honor 2021 & 2022 Citizens of the Year, Businesses of the Year, Senior Citizens of the Year and two Theodore Winters recipients. Help celebrate all of the outstanding community contributors who help make Winters a village. Tickets are $80. More information is here.

Did You Know?

• We are finishing the scope of work for the downtown visioning project, which will go before Council in April. If you want to be included in the distribution list for updates, please email cityclerk@cityofwinters.org and include your name, property address, and business name (if applicable). It is really important to get all the downtown property owners, managers, and businesses on our list so please email Ellena with your information.

Upcoming Council Meeting

Next Council meeting is April 5^th, at this point, via Zoom. However, we are getting closer with our hybrid platform. Items thus far include a pool rental and services agreement with SASO Swimming, establishing fees and creating a scholarship program for youth on free or reduced fee lunch program

Woot Woot!

A big thank you to everyone who responded to the Hay Kingdom fire on Tuesday night. Multiple agencies responded as well as our very own paid and volunteer Winters Fire Department staff. Yocha Dehe, UC Davis, Vacaville City, Vacaville Fire Protection District, West Plainfield and Yolo Fire Protection District all rolled for this incident. Regional mutual aid is a significant resource multiplier and especially vital for rural communities like ours so thank you to all those first responders who kept the fire blocked in its building of origin. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.