Friday update 10-23-2020

Whoot Whoot!!!! City Council selected a new City Manager at the city council meeting Tuesday night.  Our new City Manager, Kathleen Trepa will start on November 9, 2020.  You can read more about Kathleen here:   https://www.cityofwinters.org/city-of-winters-appoints-kathleen-salguero-trepa-as-city-manager/ .  We will be getting her email address set up in the next week or so, so we aren’t ready to start receiving emails for her at City Hall right now.  You all are stuck with me as City Manager for 2 more weeks.

I am excited about Kathleen joining us.   I have been doing double duty as both the Director of Financial Management and City Manager for the last 3 months, and I can honestly say, boy oh boy, that is a lot of stuff to work on at the same time.  I have worked with various county staff that I hadn’t worked with before and I have interacted with the other City Managers in Yolo County as a result of stepping into the interim position.  There are a lot of good people working throughout Yolo County as we try to navigate this pandemic driven world we live in right now.  I am sure that all the folks in Yolo County will welcome Kathleen and continue the great communication and working relationship that Yolo County agencies have developed.  They were all super welcoming to me when I stepped in after John’s departure, and I know they will be the same for Kathleen.  Kathleen will also be working with a super supportive City Council.  The City Council has been very patient with me as I have had questions to be sure I understood the priorities for the City Council as I have been working in the City Manager position.  While I have worked for the City for almost 24 years now, I haven’t had the pleasure of working so closely with the City Council until now.  This is a very dedicated group of people on our City Council, and making sure that we, Council and Staff, always strive to do what is the absolute best for everyone in our community is always their priority.

This week also included conversations about the Covid-19 pandemic and where we are with the Tier System.  We are still in the Red Tier, and the number of cases in Yolo County have increased.   The County issued new guidance on gatherings this last week.  I have heard a lot of “talk” about those guidelines, and I know that people aren’t happy with the new guidelines, especially with the holidays coming up.  It is disappointing that we have to worry about these things, but, we need our businesses to survive in order to keep people employed and families provided for.  I wish it was different, but, apparently it isn’t.  I don’t know the science, and I am not happy with the fact that we are still struggling to survive as a community due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions, but, again, I need to remind everyone that each person’s actions can impact the way our community will be allowed to interact with one another.  Masks are uncomfortable, and I don’t like wearing them, but, we are told we have to in order to go out and about and have our businesses open, so, I wear a mask.

The City has also been working with Yolo County on the Small Business Grant, and folks that applied for the program should begin getting information on grant awards next week, and those that were awarded grants should be getting checks the first week in November based on the latest information that I received.

The City and the Winters Downtown Business District Association is also working with Yolo County to secure some CARES Act funding.  We are close to an agreement with the County and then we will start the process of helping the community with the funding we get.

The City received a grant to do improvements in our parks, and Eric Lucero has come up with some really good ideas for how to improve both Blue Oak Park and Valley Oak Park that include items for younger children, older children, and for our Senior community.  We will be getting all the information to the State so that we can get the funds and get moving on the projects as soon as possible.

Just a little over a week before election day.  Don’t forget to vote, no matter what/who you vote for, your vote is your voice and it is important that you be heard.

Shelly Gunby
Interim City Manager
Director of Financial Management