Friday Update on Veterans Day- November 11, 2016
All,
First, gratitude and appreciation to all of our Veterans! Freedom around the world is because of your service to the world! Our nation is the leader of a free world, and it is because of those who have served and sacrificed! Thank you!
For those outside City Hall, I thought I would share the notes from our management staff meeting which consists of all City Department and Division Heads. A little insight into things going on in each Department.
City Council Agendas:
November 15, 2016
· Holiday Tree Lighting & Tractor Parade Street Closure & Parade Permit–Saturday, December 3
· Presentation by Solano Community College Superintendent/President Celia Esposito-Noy
· Seed Money for Winters Community Dinner
· Approval of Sole Sourcing Well #9 Pilot Hole Drilling
· Filling a City Council Vacancy and Appointing a Councilmember to Serve as Mayor
December 6, 2016
· Bond Refinancing – Successor Agency
· Waste Management Contract
· Funding Application to State Revolving Loan Program for Chrom 6
· Appointment to Fill City Council Vacancy
Department Updates:
Public Works:
· Jim & Ricky will be cleaning sewer lines and storm drains on the south side of Grant Avenue.
· Water valve installed on hydrant on Mermod and finished lateral service to the Old Catholic Church on Main Street.
· Measured footsall court w/Dago.
· Did a walk-through and signed off on the public works portion of Yolo Federal Credit Union.
· Staff will be erecting wall for outdoor showers at the swimming pool next week.
· Bob & Ramiro will be attending emergency operations training in Woodland next week.
· Crew will split in two and alternately attend open trench training.
· Bob & Ramiro will be taking their T1 and T2 tests, respectively.
· Weeds coming up through the park are being sprayed at Walnut Park; Sal is also pruning and cleaning the dog park area.
· The roundabout is out to bid; bids are due by 12/1.
· First Salmon Festival was successful with 300-400 people attending.
Finance:
· Working with group for bond refunding, which is being submitted today to the Department of Finance.
· Draft financial statement is ready to review.
· May need to get a quote from the HDL property tax division.
· PG&E property will remain on the county tax rolls until the doors are open. Once open, it will then go into the state utilities pool, where we will see a lower assessment value.
· Working with FEMA on a grant.
Administrative Services:
· Putting together a 2017 training calendar. Will contact department heads for feedback and to schedule monthly lunchtime training.
· Youth basketball signups are under way.
· Will meet with After School & Munchkin program coordinators, who will then meet with the school district next week to discuss some issues.
· Employee internal newsletter will be starting, which will contain stories, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.
· Working with Ethan on the new marijuana issue from the Human Resources side; updated smoking ordinance generalizes “smoking.”
· Request to Bargaining Units to tie up uniform and holiday pay language; sick leave can be addressed after 9/30/17.
Economic Development/Housing:
· Attended a Parking Committee data collection meeting; tentative date to collect the parking committee data is 12/9.
· Met with Align Capital on Monday re: Workforce Development. Working with SCC President Celia Esposito-Noy and WHS Principal Nicole Reyherme on employer job spreadsheets as an organizational tool to identify positions available. Also looking at apprenticeships with businesses. Over 100 jobs will be available once the downtown hotel is completed (Buckhorn & hotel)
· Dan & John gave a Blue Mountain Terrace presentation to the Winters Senior Foundation yesterday, resulting in some minor changes.
· Conference call w/Domas scheduled for today regarding revised funding strategies and the split of the property.
· YFCU Grand Opening/Chamber Mixer on 11/14.
· New City Councilmember orientation re: Blue Mountain Terrace Senior Center on 11/15.
· Yolo County Sector Working Group meeting on 11/16.
· Person reported living out of his vehicle at the end of Dutton Street.
· Chamber Board meeting taking place in Council Chambers this morning.
· Piano drop is scheduled for Saturday, November 26th @ Berryessa Brewing.
Planning:
· Planning Commission approved Jordan’s garage, Winters Healthcare item, and Wingard’s Lot Line Adjustment.
· Planning Commission training is needed; they are seeing themselves as regulatory.
· Finalized YFCU with a couple of minor adjustments needed – will be monitored by Gene.
Building:
· Architect for City Hall remodel will get something to Gene by the end of the week. Will move forward with non-permit work.
· Kristine will be out of the office on Tuesday afternoon attending training; office will be closed.
· A duplex (two units) is being constructed as one house on the old Catholic Church property.
· A Certificate of Occupancy has been issued for YFCU.
· Will give mylar maps for hotel civics to Alan for signatures.
· Winters Highlands tract with 2-story homes is going well; smallest ones are 1,800 sq. ft.
Police:
· Department was on stand-by for mutual aid for Davis for post-election protests.
· Repeat offender 16 year-old cited for possession of marijuana for sale resulted in family being evicted from apartment by property owners.
· Department is performing aggressive community outreach, including visits to Waggoner, Bilingual Story Time, Girl Scout Challenge, and movies in the fire bay with night shift.
· Took a tour of YFCU last Friday, provided education and security input re: robbery awareness. Will attend school board meeting to discuss restorative justice.
· Active shooter scenario is approaching.
· Officer Hermosillo/Winters PD Canine Unit is working with the Fairfield Canine Unit.
· In-House roll call training tonight, which defines tactics and includes a taser update.
· Received information for FEMA’s ICS-400 Advance Command & Complex Incidents Training with Yolo County on March 29-30, 2017. Will contact YEMSA to sign up (due by 1/27/17)
· Processing future reserve to serve in the DA’s High Tech Crime Unit.
Fire:
· Putting together a regional, multi-agency swift water and creek rescue training exercise for this winter.
· Annual Shrimp Feed on Saturday (cocktails @ 5pm, dinner @ 6pm)
City Attorney:
· Draft marijuana ordinance has gone to the City Manager, Police Chief and Planning Department, which addresses commercial marijuana activities in addition to outdoor grows. City of Davis currently has a moratorium in order to figure it out, but are taxing it.
· Working with Alan on the speed limits, which aren’t an issue right now. When speed surveys are completed in a couple of years, we will look at it again.
· Development Agreement for Dry Creek/Catholic Church property in Planning for review and to the developer.
· Working with Shelly re: reimbursement agreement and inter fund agreement re: Chrom 6.
· Working with Carol re: Waste Management agreement.
City Manager:
· Measure D passed with 70% of the vote. School district should start moving on the first phase of the plan. No CEQA has been completed yet and City will offer assistance where needed.
· Staff Pie Making Exercise: Wednesday, November 23rd @ 3pm at the Fire Station kitchen.
· Holiday Breakfast on Thursday, December 22nd
Notes on the election:
· The passage of Measure D for the Winters JUSD is a big deal for the community! The investment of almost $32 million from Measures D and R will be significant.
· The passage of Proposition 57 will ultimately see 16,000 people previously in prison released and on the streets of California. It’s tough to do time in prison now and police will become the social and mental health workers of the world now. Its amazing that raping an unconscious person, assault with a deadly weapon, hostage taking and domestic violence and hate crimes are considered “non’violent” and are not crimes which would keep someone in prison.
· Possession of heroin, date rape drugs, methamphetamine and cocaine are now misdemeanors! Things which were once crimes are not considered such anymore and will have a significant impact on the culture of California. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
· The passage of Proposition 64 legalizing the recreational use of marijuana will put most of the issues related to marijuana to bed in relation to use and possession. In Winters, the issues will surround outdoor cultivation which we will address through the nuisance ordinance (there is a reason why they call it skunk weed!)
· The election of Bill Dodd to the State Senate will enable the City to continue what has been a solid relationship with someone who has been helping the City on a number of key legislative issues.
Finally, the election of Cecilia Aguiar Curry to the Assembly is not only good for Winters, but really important for the State of California. As Mayor and City Councilmember, Cecilia has shown how she is an extremely effective leader who will represent many constituent bases in the District and people throughout California. She is bright, charismatic and someone who works for what is the best solution on critical issues. The State Legislature can use the pragmatism which Cecilia will bring. In an era where partisanship has made the public cynical about the political process, there is no doubt that Cecilia will transcend party politics to do what is best for all Californians, which will be refreshing.
There are a lot of mixed emotions in losing someone of Cecilia’s caliber to a higher office, but all of us need to rejoice and show pride that the values which come from someone from Winters will now have influence in Sacramento. We need to be proud that a Winters High grad will bring small town influence to the leadership of the greatest state in our union. Cecilia always stressed “getting Winters at the table”. If there is anyone who can get and keep California at the Federal table, it will be her!
Cecilia’s last City Council Meeting will be on December 5. Not a time to be sad in losing an incredible Mayor, but a time to celebrate someone moving on to do incredible things on a bigger stage!
Have a nice weekend.
John