10/15/2021 City Manager’s Update
City Manager’s Update (pdf)
October 15, 2021
Greetings, all. The Police Department has gotten into the spirit for the season! Well done to all the City staff who have helped decorate city facilities for the Scarecrow Festival. So good!
Please Note:
❖ The contractor for Three Oaks Park will hydroseed tomorrow (Saturday, 10/16) beginning no sooner than 8:00 a.m. Work had to be rescheduled from earlier in the week due to high winds. And we are eager to help this construction move along. Please note it is important to stay of the grass area so that the turf can get established. Thank you!
❖ The parts for the new playground equipment at both Blue Oak and Valley Oak Parks are on track to arrive next week. We are eager to open the new equipment to all those kids out there! Thank you for your patience.
❖ In response to some concerns regarding the Green River Tap Room on Putah Creek Road across the bridge, the owner has indicated he is working with a sound engineer to research options to redirect music away from the creek. He is also monitoring decibel levels to ensure noise stays within his permit restrictions, which was issued by Solano County. The owner hopes to make some changes to his stage area beginning in November.To share any concerns directly with the owner or monitor event activity, please visit https://greenrivertaproom.net/. Because Green River isn’t in the City of Winters or Yolo County, the best way to follow up on enforcement activities is to contact Solano County staff through their portal here. The following Solano County staff are involved with issuing or enforcing permits: Allan Calder, Planning Manager; Jim Leland, Principal Planner; and Saeed Iravani, Building Official. You could also reach out to either Yolo Supervisor Don Saylor or Solano County Supervisor John Vasquez.
❖ If you missed the Sacramento Archive Crawl presentation on the lost Japanese community of Winters, a video of the presentation by Floyd Shimomura and Emily Masuda is available here. And don’t forget to visit the Winters Museum at 13 Russell open Thursday – Sunday, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. to see the exhibit.
Don’t Miss Out!
❖ The Yolo County Advisory Redistricting Commission will meet on Monday, October 18th 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. The Commission will review the initial drafts of proposed supervisorial districts and take public comment. The agenda and Zoom link are here. Written comments may be submitted to redistricting@yolocounty.org.
❖ Waggoner Elementary School is going to get some upgrades! The Winters Joint Unified School District has scheduled a community forum for October 27th at 6 p.m. via Zoom at https://wintersjusd-org.zoom.us/j/91887513992. More information about the Measure W bond approved by Winters voters in 2020 is available here. Please plan on attending to learn more and share your thoughts on how these bond dollars should be invested in local schools.
❖ Teen Alert! The Winters Community Library invites all teens in 6th through 12th grade to join the Teen Library Council (TLC). A TLC is a group of teens who give us input and help us put on awesome programs. Let your voice be heard-- help create teen experiences catered to YOUR interests at the library. The council will give its members an opportunity to develop leadership skills, enhance college and job applications, and earn community service hours.
The council will meet once a month on the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 3:30 to 4:30 in the Winters Community Library Teaching Garden. The first meeting is on Tuesday, October 19th at 3:30 pm. Get your teen excited about community engagement and encourage them to join the first meeting to learn more.
Did You Know?
❖ Yolo County's call-to-order vaccination program is continuing to deliver and administer vaccinations to people in their homes or at their workplaces. Call 530-902-3230 to make an appointment. (Spanish: 530-379-3465; Russian: 530-908-0721). More information about COVID-19 vaccinations in Yolo County can be found here.
❖ Chevron is open! Please swing through to buy some gas and snacks!
Upcoming Council Meeting – October 19, 2021
The agenda packet is linked here. Consent items include agreements and works orders for technical studies related to development projects, an agreement with HdL for an online business license platform, an extension of the Main Street weekend closure program for the outdoor gathering area, a continuation of remote public meetings under AB 361, and an overview of the Conditional Use Permit process. In addition, there will be two public hearings (final reading and adoption of the updated Fire & Building Codes and EV charging rates for the new chargers). The two discussion items relate to upcoming special events and special event policies and city facility fees.
Please note: upcoming special event approvals include the holiday tree lighting on Friday December 4th, tractor parade on December 5th, and a holiday bazaar on Main Street on December 11th. This last event is a new one: coordinated by Holden Events approximately 65 vendors will be set up selling their wares on Main Street from 2nd Street to the mid-block crossing by Ace Hardware. Time for your last minute holiday shopping!
Woot Woot!
Or should I say Hoot! Hoot! On Thursday night, Julie Cotton, the Interim Operations Supervisor at the California Raptor Center, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, released a great horned owl in the Winters Nature Park. The owl had been found with an injured wing and rehabilitated at the Center. We are thrilled to be able to collaborate with the Center to serve as a release point for rehabilitated animals.