January 22, 2021 – City Manager’s Update

City Manager’s Update (pdf)
January 22, 2021

Greetings, all.

With the recent sunshine and warm weather, it has been so uplifting to see people visiting our businesses and restaurants. Under the Purple Tier, restaurants may serve outside. Please remember to wear your masks in more crowded areas, like downtown, and when you are not eating and drinking. Masks are required in all indoor public locations and should be worn on sidewalks to and from cars, and to businesses and tables.

I look forward to the day when COVID-19 isn’t our lead  category; however, please read on and stay vigilant.

COVID-19

• -As vaccines roll out, albeit a bit more slowly than we hoped, it’s good to know that members of the community 65 and older are beginning to access the vaccine through their medical providers. To register for information regarding vaccine availability and when you might have access, please click here.
• -For information on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, please visit the County’s vaccine landing page here. FAQs are available farther down the page for a quick read.
• -Please remember that if you are vaccinated, you should still wear a mask and remain socially distanced from others, until our public health officials tell us otherwise. The vaccines help protect you from getting sick; however, medical experts are still evaluating what level of protection it offers unvaccinated people (i.e. stops the spread of the virus). For everyone’s safety, please wear your mask, wash your hands and don’t mingle indoors with people not in your household bubble.
• -Yolo County requires that businesses report any confirmed cases of COVID-19 to County Public Health Officials to ensure the health and safety of employers, employees, and community members. More information is available here. The reporting form is also available on the City’s website at cityofwinters.org / COVID-19 landing page.
• -Yolo County updated their website yolocounty.org. Links to key COVID pages are below for your convenience, if you saved these previously, as the links have changed.

• • -Yolo County COVID testing page: https://covidtesting.yolocounty.org
  • -Yolo County COVID vaccine page: https://www.yolocounty.org/coronavirus-vaccine
  • -Yolo County COVID roadmap to recovery page: https://www.yolocounty.org/coronavirus-roadmap
  • -Yolo County COVID business toolkit page: https://www.yolocounty.org/coronavirus-business-toolkit
  • -Yolo County COVID main page (to get to all pages): https://www.yolocounty.org/coronavirus
  • -Yolo County COVID dashboard page: https://www.yolocounty.org/coronavirus-dashboard
  • -Short link for vaccine availability form (in English, Spanish and Russian): http://bit.ly/VaccineAvailability

Please Note:

• -No Council meeting next week. The February 2^nd agenda will include additional recognition for leadings members of the community who have recently passed, and a proposed grant program for CDBG funding to support entities in response the COVID-19 pandemic. Council will also consider an agreement with Bureau Veritas for contact building division services to supplement existing staff resources.
• -The Police Department conducted a sweep of Putah Creek to ensure debris has not collected in the channel. Typically, winter rains are a deterrent to nuisance activity during the winter months, but with the limited rainfall thus far, officers took a walk through the creek bed. For the most part, the creek bed was clean; however, to report any illegal dumping or debris, please contact Public Works at (530) 795-4291.
• -The pump station area on W. Main at the Rancho Arroyo Detention Pond is in the final stages of being accepted by the City, pending a few items. The emergency back up generator will soon be installed, which will be tested on a regular schedule to ensure it is operational in the event of a power interruption.

Don’t Miss Out!

• -We are working to assist businesses amplify their social media promotions, particularly on Instagram (IG). If you’re a business owner and want us to repost, make sure to tag us. We repost various items through the City’s IG story. Not a business owner, but have an Instagram account? Please follow our local business to watch for promotions, specials, and updated information. “Like” what they post and tag your family and friends to help spread the word.

Did You Know?

• -Valley Clean Energy (VCE) began enrolling Winters customers in January. Benefits of VCE include local control over our electricity supply and more renewables for the same price as PG&E. All customers except solar customers were enrolled in January, and solar customers will be enrolled in their true-up month with PG&E in order to avoid any potential loss of credits.

VCE’s Power Content last year was 45% renewable and 75% carbon-free. PG&E’s was 29% renewable and 100% carbon-free. VCE keeps generation rates extremely low so that customers pay the same, even when above-market cost fees like the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment and Franchise Fee are added to VCE customer bills. You may download Power Content Labels for all California electricity suppliers (including VCE and PG&E) here: https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/power-source-disclosure/power-content-label

VCE prioritizes new local renewables and has several projects currently in development (1 solar project in Winters). By 2023 when these projects come online, approximately 62% of VCE’s total electrical load will be served by renewables.

VCE is participating in the California Public Utilities Commission’s Arrearage Management Plan. This plan, which is set to roll out next month, is designed to help families most in need – it forgives past-due balances for qualifying low-income customers. More information about the AMP program and other consumer protections enacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic can be downloaded HERE.

• -The City applied for a $100,000 grant through SACOG (the Sacramento Area Council of Governments) to undertake preliminary engineering work for an infill sidewalk on the north side of Grant Avenue from the Roundabout at Walnut to Lorenzo’s market. The grant will cover survey and engineering design work, and then we will need to secure another grant for construction. This infill sidewalk will complete a safe Grant Avenue crossing between the north and south sides of Grant on the east side of the City.

 Woot Woot!

PG&E has loaned the Winters Fire Department equipment to conduct live fire training on suppression and control of Class B Fires, which includes fires due to flammable liquids, petroleum greases, oil-based paints, and other flammable gases. Training will take place over the next two months, and we would like to thank PG&E for their assistance with this important training.