05/21/2021 City Manager’s Update
City Manager’s Update (pdf)
May 21, 2021
Greetings, all.
On the COVID-19 front, vaccination clinics continue around the county, as does speculation about state-wide COVID-19 regulations after June 15, when the Governor has indicated the State can fully re-open and the colored tiers go away. Here’s what we do know:
- The State has not offered any indication what the mask mandate will be after June 15,
- CalOSHA has delayed making a decision on the recent guidance from the CDC about how to balance vaccinations, masks, and workplace safety; and
- Masks are still mandated inside (except when eating / drinking) and in all workplaces.
So unfortunately, we remain on hold awaiting guidance for the future. In the meantime, we keep moving forward on returning to normal activities based on current regulations, like….
In-person Council meetings! We expect to return to the Council Chambers for the July 6 Council meeting, AND incorporate Zoom participation to ensure everyone can participate as they prefer. We are working through the technology issues but expect to have those worked out by then. We will also work with the City’s various advisory committees and commissions to ascertain how best to transition committee work following June 15, so please stay tuned for more information.
Please Note:
The “Garage Sale of the Rich and Famous” is back on for Saturday, June 19th!! Yes, that’s Father’s Day weekend…Coordinated by Bruce Guelden, he has reserved some space at City Park for that Saturday and coordinates all the advertising. So, if you want to maximize your garage sale earnings, schedule your garage sale for June 19. If you would like to reserve one of the few spots at City Park, contact Bruce Guelden at 530-795-4919.
Don’t Miss Out!
The Yolo County Resource Conservation District (YCRCD) has been working with the Yolo County Office of Emergency Services to start a countywide Yolo County Fire Safe Council (YCFSC), which will support local Fire Safe Councils; while the Solano Resource Conservation District has been working on the ground with local landowners affected by the LNU Complex Fire to start a Solano County Fire Safe Council; both are actively collaborating.
Working with the Winters Fire Department, we are holding a meeting at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, May 26 on Zoom. At this meeting, we’ll give an update on the Yolo County FSC, and work being done by Solano RCD, and then move into “breakout rooms” based on location so that attendees can meet others in their area who wish to work together to start a local Fire Safe Council. Breakout sessions will be moderated by RCD and California Fire Safe Council Staff. Solano County/Pleasants Valley area residents are welcome to attend this meeting, although our main focus will be the Greater Winters Area.
To register for the meeting, please email Tanya Meyer, program manager at YCRCD, at meyer@yolorcd.org, and include your name and property location.
History buffs should check out the Friends of the Yolo County Archives and the wonderful programming they produce, like “Creating Neighborhoods in Historic Woodland.” I suspect this will offer great insights into how communities evolve through the generations, a process that never really stops…Visit their website at friendsyca.org and who knows what historical treasure trove you might learn about Winters…
Presentation Zoom link:
https://yolocounty.zoom.us/j/94353493531
In Other News…
Construction is moving along at Phase I of the future Three Oaks Park, which is being constructed by Homes By Town as part of the Winters Highland subdivision. A flyover was recently done and is available here. Phase I will offer a variety of amenities, including small and large dog parks, basketball court, picnic facilities, play structure, and water play feature. Once completed, the landscaping needs 90 days for establishment.
Aquatic interviews are under way and we are excited to see new and returning pool staff! Adult lap swim should open Tuesday, June 1, and we are working on options for the Swim Team, swim lessons and recreational swim times. The schedule will be posted soon, and it’s likely that programs will be added incrementally. The aquatic program is going through a transition, like much of City Hall, so we appreciate your patience.
Woot Woot!
This week’s Woot! Woot! goes out to our public safety employees for their professionalism and outstanding service given this week’s emergency activity…
A vegetation fire started Sunday evening north of Moody Slough Road at County Road 88 during gusty winds, which drove the grass fire toward a lone residence. Major kudos to Ofc Letterman and Sgt Hermosillo for their quick action to evacuate the residence, and the Winters Fire Department, Cal Fire and multiple responding agencies whose 30 fire fighters contained the fire to 17 acres in about an hour. We are happy to report the home was spared and there were no injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The rapid response is a testament to the value of mutual aid networks and preparedness.
Our public safety teams responded to two significant Hwy 128 accidents this week. The WFD responded to an accident involving a motorcycle and pick-up truck on the Napa side of the Monticello dam; unfortunately, the motorcyclist did not survive despite attempts on scene. And closer to town yesterday, a driver lost control of her vehicle, crashed, and was ejected into the adjacent canal. WFD, WPD, AMR and a nearby passerby worked to retrieve the individual out of the canal. She survived and was transported with serious injuries. Many thanks to the teams that responded to these incidents. The outcomes aren’t always positive but we are thankful for their efforts.
Winters PD was just notified that they expect to receive a $106,000 grant under CHP’s Impaired Driving Section, Cannabis Grants Unit, which will fund additional education about and enforcement for impaired driving. We haven’t been successful in recent years for this grant because of low incident rates in the City; however, last year saw three fatality accidents all of which included alcohol or drug-related impairments as either primary (2) or contributing (1) factors. Sadly, these tragedies have led to our successful application this year. So the Woot! Woot! goes to Sgt Hermosillo for his grant writing skills and WPD’s ongoing efforts to make Winters a safer community for all. Stay tuned for more information on the importance of safe and unimpaired driving…
Lastly, today’s Woot! Woot! goes to Public Works employee Adrian Garcia who fished a set a keys from a 2’ deep post hole at the dog park this morning, using an improvised line and hook. He fished out the keys allowing mom, kids, and dogs to continue their day. Public Works employees are often our unsung heroes, working with public safety at major incidents, keeping our critical facilities and infrastructure operational, and retrieving objects and small animals from holes and drains and out of trees (wait, maybe Fire still does that here…). A big shout out to the Winters staff that help make Winters a wonderful place to live, work and play.