04/30/2021 City Manager’s Update

 City Manager’s Update (pdf)
April 30, 2021

Greetings, all.

COVID-19

Yolo County has experienced a slight increase in our COVID-19 metrics, which means that we will remain in the Orange Tier until at least May 12.  While the CDC has updated its guidance for fully vaccinated people, Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People, the County is waiting for the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to update their guidance before making any changes or suggestions for residents in Yolo County.  Please continue to wear masks, get tested, and get vaccinated so we can stay ahead of the virus and stop the variants.

Please Note:

Beginning Saturday May 1, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection CAL FIRE Sonoma Lake Napa Unit will require a burn permit for any outdoor open burning in State Responsibility Areas (SRA) in the following counties: Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Yolo and Colusa counties. The CAL FIRE permit is required in addition to an Air Quality Management District permit and any local fire agency permit. For an online application to obtain a CAL FIRE permit, please visit https://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov/ . Permits are valid for the calendar year in which they are issued and must be reissued annually on or after January 1st of each year. Please remember to comply with all safety requirements.  Please visit WintersFire.org / permits for more information.

Don’t Miss Out!

COMMISSION RECRUITMENTS! Want to get involved in community affairs related to seniors, land use, and zoning? Both the Senior Commission on Aging and the Planning Commission have terms expiring and are looking for new members. For more information about the Senior Commission on Aging, click here. The recruitment closes May 15. The Planning Commission recruitment closes May 30. Click here for more information.  Applications are available on the City’s website www.cityofwinters.org         or may be picked up / dropped off at City Hall.

STATE JOB FAIR! Administrative Pathways Virtual Career Fair on May 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. will provide job seekers the opportunity to connect with over 30 State of California departments that are actively looking to fill administrative positions. Register for the job fair by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/StateofCaliforniaJobFair or by visiting the YoloWorks! webpage. 30 departments are recruiting job seekers for the following positions: Office Assistant; Office Technician; Program Technician; Program Specialist; Staff Services Analyst; Associate Governmental Program Analyst; Staff Services Manager; and all other related general administrative classifications. For more information, please contact Erica Johnson, HHSA Program Coordinator, at johnson@yolocounty.org or call/text: (530) 631-2289. Click here for press release.

Calling all High school and collegiate swimmers! We are still looking for lifeguards and a pool manager for this summer, and will extend the application period. The City will provide lifeguard certification training. What better way to earn money and get involved in the community! Please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/CITYOFWINTERS for more information.

Did You Know?

The Yolo Community Foundation is promoting the “Big Day of Giving” this May 6! Support local nonprofits that serve our community. Go to http://www.bigdayofgiving.org between now and May 6, and make gifts to support your favorite local nonprofits. Want to drive support for your favorite nonprofit? Participate in the #GiveYolo video contest! Make a short video about why the nonprofit is great, and it will have the chance to win a $500 donation. Details here: http://bit.ly/GiveYolo2021.

Upcoming Council Meeting

The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, May 4. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

The link to the agenda is here. If it looks a bit different, it’s because we have gone live with a new technology platform called Granicus, which allows for a more streamlined agenda packet preparation and better functionality for the public. Hyperlinks to reports and attachments are listed on the agenda. A big thank you to City Clerk Ashley Bussart for her efforts configuring and managing the system.

For May 4, the Council will consider resolutions initiating the weed abatement process and city-wide maintenance assessment process, and a reimbursement agreement with Yolo County for consulting services related to implementing an edible food recovery program, which was mandated under SB 1383. The Council will also discuss establishing two funds with Yolo Community Foundation related to outfitting and operating the new Senior Center. The Foundation will accept and manage donations on behalf of the City.

For the May 18 packet, we will debut the livestreaming function, which means people can watch the meeting via the City’s website, and we’ll record the meeting with Granicus, indexing the video for each item. Which means for video playback, you can jump to any item of interest on the agenda.

Woot Woot!

The City has finally received the contract from the State of California to fund the construction of the new Senior Center using CDBG grant funds!! Now we can begin work to finalize the designs to incorporate a backup generator and any missing sitework or landscaping, and prepare plans and specifications to go out to bid for the construction. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting project!

The Yolo County Fire Safe Council is getting its legs underneath it. Yolo County is the lead agency with operational support by Yolo County Resource Conservation District. At Thursday’s meeting, Fire Chief Becky Ramirez of Yocha De He Fire Department will nominated to serve as Chair and Winters Fire Chief Brad Lopez will serve as Vice-Chair. Our appreciation to both Chiefs for helping to lead this important grassroots effort to help neighborhoods and communities prepare for fire season.

Kudos to the Winters Police Department for their response to last night’s altercation on the 100 block of Grant last night. An armed subject barricaded in an apartment exited after negotiations and was safely taken into Winters police custody. Great work by our officers and partners!