Friday Update on September 7 2018
All.
- On Monday, September 10, 2018, City Staff and our financing team will be making a bond presentation before the bond rating agencies in preparation for the sale and refinance of Water and Sewer Bonds. This is a really big deal as it determines credit rating and the attractiveness of buyers to purchase the bonds at the desired interest rates. A solid presentation has been prepared and we are confident that we will be able to get high marks which leads to lower interest costs which equates to tens of thousands of dollars.
- At the Tuesday City Council Meeting, the Council gave the green light on the implementation of a same day permitting program to help contractors and regular builders gain expedited permits for routine residential and commercial improvements. The Staff is working on a date for a workshop and a release date for an updated website to help folks to navigate the new system. At the workshop, attendees will receive a coupon for $25 off their next permit.
- Tuesday night also saw the recognition of members of our public safety team who literally saved the life of Mr. Ramiro Garnica from cardiac arrest. Lifesaving awards were presented by the Yolo Emergency Medical Services Agency (YEMSA) to Brad Lopez, Jon Hunt, Adrian Draper, Steve Grisham from Winters Fire and Lisa Dolezal and Hollay Shayegi from AMR Ambulance. Also present were Jose Ramirez and Gordon Brown who were on the call. These members of the team provided lifesaving measures which brought Mr Garnica back to life and with all of us that evening. Truly hero’s in all meaning of the word!
- Also awarded a lifesaving award was Oswaldo Garnica, Ramiro’s son who provided lifesaving CPR in the initial minutes of the call. Without question, Oswaldo is a hero to his family and the community for his quick action and willingness to begin CPR while emergency personnel were in route to the residence. Oswaldo is a graduate of the Winters Fire Cadet Program through the Winters High School Capstone Program where he learned the CPR which helped him save his father’s life.
- Also in attendance at the meeting were representatives from the Yolo Emergency Medical Services Agency (YEMSA) including the director Kristen Weivoda. In 2013, Kristen was the lead in helping form YEMSA which resulted in an ambulance being stationed at the Winters Fire Station 26. The previous response times from Davis were typically 20 minutes but now they are less than 4. Prior to 2013, the chance of surviving cardiac arrest in Winters was very low. Today, we see the results with the saving of Mr. Garnica. Without question, Mr. Garnica’s positive outcome is attributable to the professionalism and effort made by Kristen and the entire team at YEMSA.
- The City also recognized and thanked Mike Sebastian for his tenure as City Treasurer. Mike is an incredible asset to the Winters Community and the City is appreciative of his service over the past 12 years.
Finally, this week saw the notification of parents by the Winters Joint Unified School District regarding a possible threat on students. The notification brought a number of comments on social media which showed the good and bad of that entire medium.
The incident involved a juvenile student which carries significant confidentiality and is a delicate situation for both the WJUSD and the Police Department. I can share that the Staff at the District acted immediately as did Winters Police personnel in launching an investigation. The appropriate outside agencies were included and a thorough process involving authorities, parents and District personnel was implemented. This included the local FBI who investigated the issue and were the ones who directed the notification of parents. The determination of the investigation was there was no focused threat against any individuals.
The “duty to notify” is a new FBI protocol following the tragedy at Parkland High School in Florida. The School District was acting to prevent potential unnecessary concern from parents by receiving a “robo-call,” a call from an “anonymous” FBI agent, or a form letter from the FBI regarding a matter determined to be unsubstantiated but still merited notification out of a preponderance of precaution. The Police Department was involved in the decision process and completely supported the School District’s desire for a “personal” approach.
The District and Winters Police Department provided resources for the student and their family to address the delicate situation. The reality is that kids do some things which are not wise at times and they need to be dealt with in a measured and effective manner. It’s tough when those in authority cannot give many details about sensitive issues, which naturally leads to suspicion and guessing by many.
Unequivocally, I can share that Dr Todd Cutler, Chief John Miller and the staffs of the WJUSD and Winters Police put the safety and interests of students first along with addressing the sensitivity of the matter and the individuals involved. During a busy time when school was just starting and many key priorities were on tap, they worked diligently to address the issue, including interviews and meetings with a number of outside agencies, including the FBI. To theorize differently is simply ridiculous. Their professionalism and concern regarding the issue is without question. The community can be very confident in the manner and protocals of how they handled the incident. From the City perspective, we appreciate the team at the WJUSD!
Have a nice weekend.
John