Friday Update on April Fools Day 2016

Friday Update on April Fools Day 2016

Friday Update on Good Friday 2016

All,

No matter where you sit on the religious or government spectrum, I still think one coolest old school things about the City of Winters is that we give our staff a half day off for Good Friday! Only in a small town!!!

This update covers a lot of details currently working in each of the City Departments.

Public Works:

• With the overflow at the East Street Pump Facility, they are working to add a couple aspects to the SCADA system which controls and sends alarms of malfunctions to our staff and mechanical devices.
• Staff met with PG&E to review a comprehensive maintenance project for the Valley Oak Drive Look for the area to get a big haircut in the coming months!
• PG&E has revised policy regarding “structures” on top of their pipeline facilities. This means the skate park on Valley Oak will be coming out soon. This will be replaced with a new futsol (soccer on pavement) court at City Park. This is very generous from PG&E who will be paying for the entire thing!
• Public Works is partnering with the Winters Theatre Group to make some modifications to the Community Center Stage. Look for some new flooring on the stage in the next productions.
• Winters Ranch has passed their final inspections on water and sewer utilities. They have been wonderful to work with and the crews doing the underground work (including Winters own KO Construction) did an outstanding job!
• Yolo Federal is working on utilities for their project and coordinating with our staff.
• The Wooden Playground at City Park has a group working to replace it with a new structure. Eric Lucero reports that they are a real impressive group with ideas on fundraising and community collaboration. This is awesome news!

Financial Management:

• Working on the 2 year budget for Fiscal Years 2016-17 and 2017-18. Budget sheets are in from the various departments for preliminary review. Next step will be the workshop with the City Council and then hearings.
• A strategy for addressing an issue with the State Department of Finance regarding the Railroad Ave Parking Lot is under way.
• A couple minor issues regarding fee collection and timing for new subdivisions has been resolved.
• Shelly is working with a combination of our financial advisory team on a reinvestment strategy for our bond reserves. The current investment contract for the 2004 Tax Allocation Bonds has expired and Shelly, along with our Bond Counsel, Financial Advisor and Disclosure Counsel are developing recommendations. That meeting is better than a Giants/Dodgers Game any time!

Housing/Economic Development:

• The environmental certifications for the Blue Mountain Terrace Senior Apartments Project have been completed and submitted to the State Housing and Urban Development Department. This represents another step in the 1,000 mile walk on this project. Good going Dan and team!!!!
• Dan and Ethan are working on revisions to the wording on the covenant language regarding “moderate” income homes.
• The draft Purchase/Sale agreement is off to the Winters Healthcare Foundation for the purchase of the Grant Ave Property. At this rate, we may actually start paying Dan for closing deals.
• Staff met with Urban Community Partners regarding parking solutions for the Railroad Ave Parking Lot Project.
• The Parking RFP is out on the street for consulting services. HERE is the link if you are interested.
• Greg Melton of the Melton Design Group who is the designer of Walnut Park was the speaker at Rotary this week. He did a fine job and we are almost at 95% construction documents to go to bid. Look for construction this summer.
• The Housing Related Parks Grant ($115k) is being spent. Maintenance equipment and additional stuff for Walnut Park is on the menu.
• The big notice in The Winters Express regarding the Downtown Hotel Site read more ominous than it really is. Basically, we acknowledged certain restrictions on residency on the first floor based on the determination by the Department of Toxic Substances that 1880’s burn piles with ash had lead in them. Everyone is happy now and we can move to construction of the Downtown Hotel.

Building

• Winters Ranch has pulled 5 more permits and 13 more will go in early April.
• The West Main Sewer Pump Station is in for plan check and will go to construction sometime in the summer.
• The Certification for Flood Plan Elevation has been signed (by me) which means that building permits for the training centers can commence. Good work by all involved, especially City Attorney Ethan Walsh, City Engineer Alan Mitchell, Building Official Gene Ashdown and the entire PG&E Engineering Team. Not easy stuff but the got it done.
• Code Enforcement has contacted the folks at Dollar General and told them to clean things up and pull some weeds!
• Tiny Houses are still “houses” and they need permits. Anyone watching TLC, Discovery, etc needs to be reminded that even though it only takes a half hour for Treehouse Masters or the Tiny Home Builders to throw one of those together, the Building Department still needs to make sure it is safe and permitted!

Planning:

• Sign, Noise and Nuisance Ordinances are all in the revision stages. Signs were at the Planning Commission this week and the others will follow.
• Staff is working on a revision to the Callahan Subdivision Development Agreement. They are close and it should be before the Planning Commission in April.

Engineering:

• The Request for Proposals for City Engineering is out and due in late April.
• Grant Ave/West Main Street Traffic Signal is deep in design and we are looking at a late 2016 build. They were directed to take it in two phases, signal, then street improvements.

Police:

• The PD received a Homeland Security Grant for a live “active shooter” training simulation. Look for this to occur in early 2017.
• The PD has taken delivery of 5 new dual band radios as part of another grant. The radios will have both 800 mgz and VHF.
• Attendance from the PD at the Appreciation Dinner was a record! Congratulations to Jose Hermosillo who was named Officer of the Year. This is a well deserved honor for Jose who is making a HUGE impact for Winters PD!
• Look for an upcoming Autism Walk to support charities and awareness in town.

A letter to the editor in the Winters Express expressed disappointment regarding the lack of public participation in the selection of the next Police Chief. A couple notes of response:

• The recruitment for the next Police Chief is just under way. Click HERE for a link to the advertisement on the position.
• The process will include quite a bit of participation from many stakeholders. This will include participation in the interview process by City Council, police staff, public members and others stakeholders from the law enforcement and greater Winters Community.
• The Police Chief is a critical member of the Winters Team. Input from stakeholders will be a critical element to the selection process. Absence of that input would not benefit anyone.

I will tell you that the selection of the “right person” is my highest priority as City Manager. I specifically keep politics out of the selection process for any of our staff. The next Chief will be someone who will be the right fit for the Winters organization and community, someone who will lead Winters PD, mentor and train our officers and represent our goals within the community with integrity and respect.

Fire:

• Congrats to Chief Aaron McAlister and the entire Winters Fire Team for putting on the Appreciation Dinner. The program was well done, the video produced by Captain Brad Lopez was excellent, and the coordination by Barb Karlen and the entire Winters Volunteer Association was terrific. Winters Fire is a class organization and a hallmark to our wonderful community!
• Congratulations to Casey Meyers, Firefights of the Year and Steve Grisham, “Rookie of the Year” for their awards. Winters benefits immensely from our Reserve and Volunteer Firefighter Program and these two individuals represent the men and women of Winters Fire very well. We really are blessed to have Casey and Steve helping save lives and property!
• Chief McAlister, Chief Kriens and Shelly Gunby are working on a small remodel to the reception area at the Public Safety Facility to make it more customer friendly and operational.
• Fire will be hosting two regional training exercises. The first will be rescue operations in Putah Creek. The second is a swift water rescue class for first responders. Polar bears have nothing on our staff!

A couple more notes:

• Winters is a “Right to Farm” City and agriculture in and around the City is allowed. This means that people conducting orchard and livestock operations on our borders is just a reality of life. Yes, cattle and sheep can graze and Yes, the helicopters and spraying will occur in the orchards. Yes, the tractors working in the middle of the night is allowed and I too want to break the beep beep beep off the tractor. In spring, that 3 day stink (chicken manure) from the north is the organic farmers doing their fertilizing is not the wastewater ponds overflowing. Yes, cow and sheep manure smells (it does!!) and we try to work with the farmers to convince them to move away from residential areas.
• Fourth Friday starts tonight! The Chamber is selling Fourth Friday tee shirts which look awesome!! Also on sale tonight is Wragg Fire Olive Oil made by Pat and Chris Calvert. Click HERE for a link to the Ciarlo website.
• Congrats to Winters born Cody Linton who won a National Championship in college wrestling earlier this month.

Happy Easter to everyone!

John

Friday Update on March 18 2016

All,

 This week has been crazy busy and I am uninspired, so here are a few highlights.

 ·         The dedication for the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument will be on Saturday, March 19 at 10:30, at “Cowboy Camp” along Highway 16. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell with be there along with Smokey  the Bear. This is a huge day to celebrate!

·         Things are in the works for a Salmon Festival, November 1-5. It will include a week of various activities including a salmon feed on the Friday and a big day of activities on the Saturday. Sorry, no fishing contest!! Stay tuned as this develops.

·         The commercial project proposed for the Northeast corner of Main/Railroad was delayed at the City Council meeting as parking issues are still in need of resolve. This is a really nice project and we will work through some of the issues. Stay tuned.

·         Kudo’s to the Parking Committee and their RFP which will be released next week to work toward the development of a long range parking plan. Lot’s of work went into it and the members should be congratulated for their efforts. They are helping move downtown into the next phase as it evolves into that truly premier destination.

·         Congrats to the Winters Senior Foundation on their trip to Reno this week. 30+ people went and they had a GREAT time. Look for future events from this emerging and dynamic group!

·         The Hispanic Advisory Committee will be holding a planning meeting on Monday, March 21 at City Hall beginning at 6:30, this will be chance for persons to become active, provide input and help chart a course for the coming year.

Finally, a reminder for a couple items:

 ·         The Fourth Friday Downtown Festival begins next week.

·         Calendar Girls continues this weekend at the Community Center. Friday and Saturday beginning at 8 and the Sunday finale beginning at 2.

 Have a nice weekend!

 John

Friday Update on March 11 2016

All,

This week’s update is a focus on some of the real leadership we see happening within the City’s organization. It is absolutely amazing.

• Interim Police Chief Joseph Kreins made acting promotional appointments to four staff members (to form a leadership/supervisory group) and has made significant delegation of assignments throughout the Police organization to help build a transition strategy for the hire of a new Police Chief this summer. Chief Kreins has taken an extremely proactive approach to mentorship of our staff which is already producing important changes and modifications to make our Department more effective. Here are some of the highlights:
• Acting Sergeant Jeremy Warren is leading efforts in a review of policies and procedures regarding our highest technology areas including our In-Car Camera systems, Mobile Data Terminals and AVL systems. He has also taken the lead on a review of policies and procedures regarding fleet maintenance for our police vehicles. Each of these is exceptionally important to how we operate and are key supporting our staff.
• Acting Sergeant Albert Ramos is coordinating the review and recommendations regarding Field Training. In recent years and as we move forward, the enhancement of how we train new and current staff is critical to the safety of the public and our officers. Albert is one of our most tenured officers and serves as an important resource in the training and development of staff.
• Acting Corporal Gordon Brown, working with our Community Services Officer Gail Jimenez are coordinating two community outreach programs. The Citizens Academy is an opportunity for residents to learn more about public safety and have an opportunity to do a ride along to observe how we operate on a first hand basis. They are also leading a Volunteer Program which is recruiting residents to become a part of the Winters Police Department Team in providing services to the community. Gordon is our School Resources Officer and is working on Bike Rodeo’s for the schools to teach both bike and pedestrian safety skills to the youth of the community.
• Community Services Officer Gail Jimenez is a critical support element to our officers and has been a key part of the investigations of the most serious crimes committed in Winters. She was recognized last year by the District Attorney’s Officer for her role in the investigation and conviction related to the Leslie Pinkston Murder! Gail helps coordinate our community outreach efforts through our social media (Facebook), our Winters Police website and community programs like the recent Job Faire at Winters High School! Gail recently held a workshop for our Seniors on public safety!
• Acting Corporal and 2015 Officer of the Year Jose Hermosillo has been working on research for several potential grant opportunities related to safety equipment, and training.  He has also developed a draft program that could potentially restore a Police K-9 Program for the Winters Police Department.  The K-9 proposal includes canine acquisition, training, equipment and vehicle costs, K-9 handler role and responsibilities, etc.
• Our After School Program is operating at both Waggoner and Shirley Rominger Intermediate Schools. The program provides a combination of tutoring and enrichment activities for kids and it is making a real difference in the academic success of the participants. I have attached a copy of their newsletter for March. Really good stuff from a Staff that makes a difference every day!  –  ASP March Newsletter (pdf)

The Winters Public Works Department are the unsung heroes of our City organization. They are the ones who work behind the scenes making little things like the water and wastewater systems happen and keep certain areas of town from flooding! A couple highlights on recent accomplishments.

• Robert Anderson is a Maintenance Worker II in our Wastewater Division. In the past 12 months, Bob has acquired 5 different water or wastewater certifications and is a Grade II Operator for our utility plants.
• Ramiro Becerra is a Maintenance Worker II in our Water Division. Working with Maintenance Worker IV- Tony Luna, they are the ones who coordinate the delivery of water to everyone’s home and business. Both Ramiro and Tony have received their advanced water certifications to operate our facilities at the highest levels possible. They have really increased the sophistication of our Water Operations, insuring the safe and efficient delivery of water every day.
• Jim Keating is the Manager and Operator of our Wastewater Systems. He has also recently received his Grade III Certification in Water Treatment. Jim is currently leading the research on water treatment to remove Chrome 6 from water and he will be an integral part of how we deal with this issue.

In Winters, the main emphasis I give to our Staff is that we need to be a reflection of what is clearly one of the best communities, anywhere. Winters is great, because the culture of people living here is made up of people who really care and are deeply invested in the outcomes.

This update does not include all of the projects we have in the works, but there are MANY. As City Manager, I am amazed at all of the things which are happening in Winters. The key ingredients for our organization are TEAMWORK and mostly HARD WORK. We really are blessed with people throughout the organization who really work hard to make things happen.

I can tell you that I feel I have the coolest job in the world being able to see quality people who step up and make things happen!

Finally, a couple reminders.

• Calendar Girls continues this weekend at the Community Center Theatre.
• Next Friday is the first Fourth Friday.
• I heard Berryessa Brewing may be open on some or most Thursdays NOW!!! If I am wrong, you can buy me a beer there the next time I see you and let me know about it!

Have a nice, rainy weekend.

John

Friday Update on March 4 2016

All,

 A lot going on and a super busy week:

 ·         A reminder that the Winters Friends of the Library WFoL will be holding their annual fruit tree sale this Saturday, March 5 on Railroad Ave across from the post office. Members get in at 8:30 and non-members get in at 9. The bare root trees are of extremely high quality and are a bargain at $10. I have 10 in my yard and relish the return on my investment almost every day with fruit smoothies and jams!

·         Congratulations to Officer Jose Hermosillo who was named the 2016 Officer of the Year for the Winters Police Department. Jose has done an outstanding job representing the Department in the community and was recently given an acting promotion to Corporal within the Winters PD.

·         The City Council approved moving forward on some potential Cap and Trade Grant Funds for Senior Transit Services, so stay tuned on seeing if we cannot get funding for a dial a ride system in town.

·         5 more building permits were issued for the Winters Ranch Subdivision and we expect more next week. Those houses are selling really well!

·         Winters Fire Personnel just returned from haz mat and terrorism training in Alabama. It is amazing how times are evolving to where even small town departments are getting training is these types of issues. Expect a presentation before the City Council on what was learned.

·         The Bureau of Reclamation has rejected bids from companies who bid on the recently released prospectus to manage sites up at the lake. This is a major setback to almost 4 years of recent planning and the almost 12 years since BOR shut down most of the resorts at Lake Berryessa. A very sad and solemn meeting was held on Wednesday at the Spanish Flat Senior Center. Go to Save Lake Berryessa 2016 on Facebook to follow efforts to revitalize the Lake or try the Bureau of Reclamation website by clicking HERE

·         The drill rig in the north part of the City is probing for Water Well #8 in support of the Winters Highlands Subdivision.

·         Look for the final design items on the Downtown Hotel to be on the Planning Commission in April.

·         The Police Department has two programs they are advertising. The first is a Citizen’s Academy (Click HERE) and the other is a advertisement for police volunteers (click HERE). This is an exciting time for the Winters Police Department, so spread the word on both of these.

·         The Adult Lap Swim has opened a month early at the Bobbie Greenwood Swimming Pool from 6:30-8:00 Monday through Friday and 9-10:30 on Saturday and Sunday. Time to stretch into that swimsuit and get into summer shape early.

·         Congrats to the Winters High School Varsity Girls Soccer on their third consecutive Northern Section Championship by defeating Pierce High School in Arbuckle last weekend. We are really proud of our athletes for their hard work and determination in getting that third section title!

 Have a nice weekend.

John

Friday Update on February 26 2016

All,

 A couple items:

 ·   We have gotten a number of inquiries on issues regarding Highway 128 design elements and what types of planning has occurred for the area. Since 2010, a lot of work has gone into what is going on along the Grant Avenue Corridor. The roadway is governed by a comprehensive planning document called the “Complete Streets Plan” click HERE for a link. The entire area is governed by the Grant Avenue Design Guidelines click HERE to check those out.

·  To get information on all of the major projects happening in Winters, click HERE to go to our major projects page on our website. It is really impressive!!!

·  City Council Agenda for Tuesday has a bunch of items including Marijuana, Blue Mountain Terrace Apartment Funding, a Water Fountain for Downtown, Engineering Services RFQ, Waste Management Contract, a Senior Tranisit Grant Proposal, a Public Improvement Agreement for the Yolo Federal Credit Union Project, the Swearing in of a new Police Officer and Recognition of Nanci Mills for 30 years of service.

·  The Waste Management Proposal includes a recommended change to our green waste program, The plan calls for containerized green waste two weeks out of the month and street pick-up once a month. Residents can get 2- 96 gallon containers at the price for one at the beginning rate.

·  A big congratulations to Yolo Credit Union on their groundbreaking. A nice ceremony for an important project which has been in the works for years!

·  The Winters High School Girls Varsity Soccer will go for their third consecutive Northern Setion Soccer Championship this Saturday at Pierce High School in Arbuckle starting at 12:00. An easy drive to root on our Lady Warriors to victory!

 Finally,

The City Council will be recognizing Director of Administrative Services and City Clerk Nanci Mills at the meeting this Tuesday for 30 years of service to the City of Winters. This will be a very well deserved recognition for someone who has been  a very important part of the City for all these years.

I often describe Nanci as the “cornerstone” of our organization. She has coordinated everything from our personnel and risk management operations to recreation, After School Programs and is a key part of the overall management team. She has worked for 4 different City Managers and 30 years of City Councilmembers, Treasurers, Planning Commissioners and others. Her role in the planning and stability of the City is second to none. She serves as “Acting City Manager” when I am away and is someone who can be counted on for watching after the best interest of the City always.

 Nanci and Dave Mills have raised their kids here in Winters, Dave has his real estate business here,  and both were active in all facets of the town from AYSO Soccer to the Chamber, Rotary, our ag economy and many other activities. Dave and Nanci were the organizers for the Rotary Wine and Food Jubilee for years and helped generate the funds which created the Winters Rotary Foundation. Their generosity and contributions are un-paralleld.

 Most of all, Nanci is without question an incredible representative for Winters throughout the region and within the City. She represents us on many boards and committees and is the consummate professional. At City Hall, she has been the core at bringing outstanding customer service to our residents and a genuinely kind heart when people come looking for assistance.

 A big congratulations to Nanci for 30 years. The City is blessed to have her service and hope she will stick around for another 30 more!! J

 Have a nice weekend.

 John

 Finally,

John W. Donlevy, Jr., City Manager
City of Winters
318 First Street
Winters, CA 95694
(530) 794-6710 (direct line)
(530) 795-4935 Fax