Friday Update on January 27 2017

City Council Agendas:

February 7, 2017

• Waste Management Contract Negotiation Update
• Adoption of Ord. 2017-01 – Second Residential Units
• Introduction of Ord. 2017-02 – Affordable Housing Requirements
• Successor Agency – Bond Refunding Agenda

February 21, 2017

• Adoption of Ord. 2017-02 – Affordable Housing Requirements

 Lot’s going on in each of the Departments

 ·         Water Department is valve exercising and flushing is 70% complete. This is a chance to maintain the valves and “flushing” of hydrants helps clean debris from the water system and improves overall water quality.

·         Recent storms has made the creek rise and lots of mud and sediment has been deposited on the lower section of the Putah Creek Trail. PW has been on the trail cleaning up after the flooding.

·         Main & Grant signal project has gone out to bid; bids are due on 2/23.

·         Water Resources Agency WRA is working diligently on the creation of a new Sustainable Groundwater Management Agency (SGMA) as required by the State. Carol Scianna attended a SGMA meeting including all Yolo County water districts.

·         Staff is moving forward on the evaluation of Cr6 analysis for a potential Well #9.

·         Finance and Engineering will be working on a kick off meeting regarding an RFP for Impact Fee Study.

·         Staff is also working on the Compensation Report for State Controller’s office. This details salaries and benefits for all of the staff into a State data base.

·         The Planning Commission unanimously approved ordinance amending Affordable Housing requirements and restrictions on Inclusionary For-Sale units regarding how interest rates are accrued on a promissory note/silent second.

·         The firm interested in a residential project for the Valadez property on Hemenway is working with staff regarding an affordable housing plan which will eventually go before the Affordable Housing Steering Committee.

·         Staff and the City Attorney held a Conference call w/Domas an update on the Senior Center.

• The Active shooter exercise at WHS on 1/21 which involved several local agencies went very well.
• The Women’s march on 1/21 was peaceful and well attended. Mostly non political and was an impressive show of support for womens and community wide issues. Well done!
• Winters PD hosted a taser instructor class for local law enforcement agencies.
• Police Chief John Miller is working on a Homeland Security grant.
• The Winters PD has been in the community at various apartment complexes giving bilingual personal security presentations.
• The next movie night (“Trolls”) will be on 2/4 or 2/10 in the Fire Department Apparatus Bay.

·         Super Police Dog Kepi and her handler Chaplan Robert Duvall were recently on KCRA’s “Common Grounds Program”. Click HERE to see the program. Well done!

·         Monticello exercise will take place this weekend and will include two high angle rescues and search and rescue drills in Putah Creek.  Look for helicopters and four wheelers in the area.

 Finally, tomorrow night is the Winters Chamber of Commerce “Year in Review” where they recognize folks in the community including Citizens, Business, and Senior Citizens of the Year and the Theodore Winters Award. A couple comments on some of the recipients.

Chris Turkovich from Turkovich Wines will be receiving the Theodore Winters Award which recognizes people for their community contributions over the past 5 year. Chris is very well deserving for a number of reasons. His activity with the Downtown business community has been vital to the renaissance and advancement of what is happening, From Roots to Wine, www.Discoverwinters.com ,  Fourth Friday, Highway 128, the expansion of the “parklet” in front of their tasting room has really helped set the “vibe” for our Downtown. Chris has really stepped up to help create Winters as a destination and helped establish a really high bar of expectation for the quality people expect when they are visiting our community. Not only are Chris and Luciana making incredible wine, but they are contributing to the greater good of the entire community. Chris has been a leader in addressing parking issues and he and his wife Luciana has been a active with the City’s Hispanic Advisory Committee. Chris has taken a very positive role in advancing the greater Winters area and is making us look really good.

Ace Hardware is the “Business of the Year” which is really well deserved. Gino Mediati and the entire team at Ace are an institution in our Downtown. Not only do they provide incredible customer service and are an essential resource in town, but they are also extremely generous with the community. They absolutely go beyond the call of duty in helping with fundraising by local groups, sell tickets for the Palms and collaborate with the many other businesses. Gino has become a leader in our business community through his positive contributions to the Parking Committee and in helping with many other events. A very well deserved honor for one of our more important businesses.

Sharon and Wally Pearce are the “Senior Citizens of the Year”. Both have become incredible leaders in advancing issues and activities for the largest growing demographic in our community- seniors. They are founding members of the Winters Senior Foundation, they have helped in the coordination of numerous activities and events, conduct monthly foundation meetings, lunches and  representing seniors with the City Council and within the County. Sharon and Wally are helping change and improve the lives of seniors in Winters today and for years to come!

Congrats to Chris, Gino/Ace and Wally and Sharon. All are incredible examples of the type of people who make Winters a very special place.

Have a nice weekend,

John