05/20/2022 City Manager’s Update

City Manager’s Update (pdf) 
May 20, 2022

Greetings, all. It’s a’blowing out there. Please secure those garbage cans and patio chairs, and check fence gates to avoid lost dogs. Stay safe out there and have a good weekend.

To monitor CalFire for Fire Updates, like the current Dunnigan Fire, click on the links. To register for Yolo County emergency alerts, click here. For Solano County emergency alerts, click here.

COVID-19

• COVID is surging again, creating the usual disruptions in its wake. Please test often, stay home if you’re sick, and mask up if you’re trying to avoid spreading germs or catching them. The FederalGovernmentis again offering free kits – 8 this time, click here. While these home kits are convenient, they are less sensitive and require up to 5 days to incubate enough virus load to register a positive result. In the meantime, a false negative could mean an infected person is spreading the virus. This subvariant of Omicron is more contagious than last winter’s variant, so please respect public health guidelines and follow the protocols for direct exposure and infection.

Please Note: Development Tidbits & More

• As we move into the very warm weather, for worker safety staff has authorized a 6:00 a.m. start for subdivision work when temperatures are forecasted to reach 95 degrees or above. That does not mean theworkday will be extended, just that a contractor may begin one hour earlier at 6:00 a.m. subject to the site supervisor’s discretion. This will allow work to be completed before peak heat is experienced. When starting at 6:00 a.m., we’ve asked contractors to turn off back up beepers if they can (depending on work) and to avoid loud work to the degree possible.
• We have authorized 2 Saturdays for utility work for Meritage in Winters Highland, which cannot begin before 8 a.m. These two extra days will help get the schedule back on track given significant delays thatare being experienced overall in the construction industry – labor shortages and material shortages / delays are having a big impact. And as we enter fire season, PG&E will become less available to close out electrical infrastructure work.
• Drilling is done for Well 8. The sound walls withheld today’s high winds. The driller will demobilize next week. Thank you, neighbors, for your patience and understanding, and thank you, crew, for your professionalism and consideration.
• Please do not enter active construction sites, which are private property. These sites are potentially dangerous for those not authorized to enter, and trespassers may be cited. Three Oaks Park remains closed while the developer’s contractor continues to work on bringing the landscaping up to standards and complete punch list items.
• Public Works had to remove two trees in Rotary Park this week. Internal rot was apparent when the limbs came down. As a result, the trees were deemed end of life and hazardous, and were removed.
• Don’t forget to obtain a business license if you conduct business in the City. More information is available here. A Home Occupation Permit is also required if you work out of your home, linked here. The Municipal Code related to business licensing is here.
• We are responding to an increasing number of accidents on Hwy 128 and rural county roads, some of which are related to impaired driving. Please slow down, don’t imbibe and drive, and do not violate hands-free driving laws.

Don’t Miss Out!

• The City’s social media gurus are really getting a new vibe going. Please follow the City of Winters, and the Winters Police and Fire Departments, on Instagram and Facebook for City Hall and community updates. Thank you to the team that is taking our presence to the next level!
• The library summer reading program is kicking off June 1. Participants who register at https://yolocountylibrary.org/summer will receive a free book and welcome bag, and earn points for prizes at the end of summer.
• Yolo County is offering microbusiness COVID-19 relief grants for small, underserved businesses that earned less than $50,000 in 2019. More information is here. Grants are awarded first come, first served.
• PG&E is offering STEM scholarships to students pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering and math. 20 scholarships of $10,000 and 20 scholarships of $2,500 are available. Applications close June 1. Click here for more information.

Did You Know?

• Following a traffic engineering speed study, the City Council adopted an ordinance at the May 17 meeting establishing a 25 mph speed limit on W. Main Street and a 30 mph speed limit on Niemann Street. These speed limits comply with State law and will be radar enforced. For those random hot shots out there who have been exceeding the posted speed limits, please note a citation may be in your future if you don’t slow down. Your neighbors would appreciate if you please would.

Upcoming Council Meeting

The next Council meeting is June 7.  The Planning Commission meets Tuesday; the packet is here and includes the City’s first Capital Improvement Program, which must be reviewed by the Planning Commission for General Plan consistency. The complete CIP budget and operating budget will be presented to the City Council on June 7.

Woot Woot!

A big shout out to the community coordinators who help maintain the wooden play structure at City Park and to those volunteers who braved the heat one morning to spread the new chips around. It takes a village and we at City Hall certainly appreciate the partnership to help this treasured community asset stay in pristine condition.