07/15/2022 City Manager’s Update

City Manager’s Update (pdf) 
July 15, 2022

Greetings, all.

Don’t Miss Out!

• Tis the season for Shakespeare! Winters Friends of the Library is back with The Tempest in City Park. Free Performances are Friday and Saturday (7/15 & 7/16) at 8 p.m. at the corner of 4^th & Main. The stage is none other than the most impressive wooden play structure in California. Bring your chairs and snackies, and watch youth ages 13-19 launch their acting careers.
• Mark your calendars for Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, offered by the Winters Theater Company. Four performances are scheduled in August (5,6, 12, 13) at 7 p.m. at the amphitheater behind the Winters Community Center. Tickets are $10; children under 12 are free.
• The Alberino Wine Stroll is August 6^th. For more happenings, visit Discover Winters and your favorite local destinations for food, fun, and sun.
• Please note! PG&E will turn off power along Newt’s Expressway next Tuesday, 7/19 at 9 p.m. until 5 p.m. as part of the undergrounding project. PG&E will be done with their work around August 4. AT&T willthen follow. The poles cannot be removed until AT&T completes their work and Wave removes their lines from the poles. Then AT&T will remove the poles.
• Election season opens on Monday. If anyone is interested in running for City Council, a candidate must be a resident of incorporated Winters, 18 years of age, and a registered voter residing within the City limits at the time nomination papers are pulled. Candidates will need to schedule an appointment to obtain nomination papers by emailing cityclerk@cityofwinters.org. The nomination period closes August 12^th. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact the City Clerk for more information by calling 530-794-6702 or via email at cityclerk@cityofwinters.org. For detailed information about running for elective office, and to view information regarding candidates, please visit the Winters Election page at  https://www.cityofwinters.org/elections/

Please Note:

• Natural Resources Commission meeting on Monday, July 18, is cancelled due to lack of quorum.
• The WJUSD is offering counseling for anyone in the community needing support following recent youth tragedies. Marcella Heredia will be at the High School on Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. if anyone would like to talk. In addition, the School District continues to work with RISE to offer services to those in need. Please contact Alejandra Flores at (530) 797-4110 or via email at aflores@riseinc.org. Mental health is serious and there are services for those in crisis. For you, a friend or anyone who needs immediate assistance, please call 911. In addition, Care Solace is a complimentary and confidential coordination platform provide by the School District. To access services, please call 888-515-0595 24/7 in any language.
• Homes By Towne continues to work on Three Oaks Park to address landscape, tree, and irrigation issues. The 90-day maintenance period cannot begin until the park meets installation standards. While it looks much better from the street, and progress has been made, there are still items to be addressed. Thank you for your patience.
• In other development related news, work continues on Walnut 10 and in Winters Highland. Construction is still strong on the residential side; Fairfield Inn is making progress although there is no firm opening date; the owner hopes this fall. The proposed Grocery Outlet at the southeast corner of E. Main and Grant is still in the concept development process to address traffic circulation impacts with SR-128, which is Caltrans controlled. The Farmstead project is likewise going through site plan concept review. Staff continues to work on obtaining the rights to the Senior Center plans. We are reviewing a development proposal from NeighborWorks regarding the self-help housing project on Taylor in Winters Highland that is back in the hopper with a new non-profit team. We anticipate bringing an item to Council in August to discuss terms. Related to major planning efforts, we have kicked off the update to the Water Master Plan, which includes drought contingency planning, as well as the Downtown Visioning project. Consultants are getting up to speed. When we’re ready to engage in public input, we will share when and how.

Upcoming Council Meeting – July 19

The agenda packet for next Tuesday’s Council meeting is available here. Items include three new job classifications and salaries, a new transitional kindergarten after school program along with a recommended budget adjustment, the Final Map for Stone’s Throw in Winters Highland, introduction of a new grading ordinance, an update from the Downtown Business Association regarding the seasonal Main Street closure schedule, an update on the Grand Prince Odeum, and two public hearings for liens associated with delinquent utility and Waste Management account.

Woot Woot!

Kudos to the students and artists involved with the Winters Participation Gallery for their work on the mural at the post office. I must not turn into downtown from Railroad very often because I just noticed how much they had painted today.  These murals enliven the town, promote its history, and encourage youth to engage in art. A village that paints together, stays together. 😊