Town Manager Ken MacNab

October Rain!

Hello, Windsor. The rain over the past few days has been a welcome respite from our dry, parched conditions. We look forward to the day Cal Fire officially calls the end of fire season.

This Saturday, Oct. 23, marks the second anniversary of the Kincade Fire. We are indebted to our firefighters and cooperating agencies that kept us safe from that wildfire. Town employees are also disaster service workers, and we thank our staff members who provided essential help during and after the fire, whether it was in our emergency operations center or out in the field.

Students at the Bay Area Art Academy in Santa Rosa painted a mural to thank our firefighters, and we will have a short event to celebrate the mural and our firefighters next Thursday, Oct. 28. Please see more information below. Have a great weekend!

Issue #6: October 21, 2021

Oct. 28: Kincade Fire Mural

Image of student painted mural of firefighters saving Windsor.

You are invited to an event on Thursday, Oct. 28, at 4:30 PM, that recognizes the heroic efforts of the firefighters and other personnel who helped to save Windsor from the Kincade Fire in 2019. The event will center around a painted mural created by Bay Art Academy students to thank firefighters and will be held downtown by the large mural, now mounted near the corner of Windsor Road and McClelland Drive.

Local fire officials will speak, as will representatives from the Town. The Sonoma County Professional Firefighters will also present a check to the Windsor Parks & Recreation Foundation for the mural’s installation. The artwork will soon feature signage and two QR codes that you can scan for more information as well as a timeline of the Kincade Fire. We hope you join us!

Turn Off Your Irrigation

It’s that time of year -- and it's important more than ever -- to give your irrigation system its seasonal rest. Preserve and prolong our local water supply by turning off your irrigation timer if you have an automatic system.

For more information about garden maintenance, go to the Sonoma County Master Gardeners website: https://sonomamg.ucanr.edu/

Driving Tips for Rainy Days

Image of a road through a wet windshield

A safety message from the Windsor Police Department: It is nice to see some much needed rain; it just might put an end to our fire season. However, the rain makes driving conditions more dangerous. Please review the tips below on how to navigate the roads in wet weather.

8 Safe Driving Tips for Rainy Days

Slow down
Turn on your headlights
Leave more space between you and the car in front of you
Be particularly cautious when it first begins to rain
Check the tread on your tires
Make sure your windshield wipers are in good condition and working properly
Avoid distractions such as using your cell phone
Always wear your seatbelt!

Update: Roundabout Construction Activity

Over the past few weeks, construction activity on the roundabout has included excavating and sub-grading the roadway, removing storm drains, and installing electric conduit and foundations, irrigation chases and railroad conduits. In addition, Comcast, AT&T and PG&E are relocating their facilities that are in the way of project construction.

Work on storm drains and other underground work is expected to resume in about a week and the contractor has prepared the site for rain/storm events. Pedestrian-activated flashing beacons will also soon be installed at the temporary crosswalks on Windsor River Road. Until then, the contractor has been providing flaggers at the temporary crosswalks, Monday through Friday, during peak school traffic hours in the morning and afternoon, to help guide safe crossings.

Shiloh Terrace Affordable Housing Project

On October 12, the Planning Commission approved the site plan and design review for Shiloh Terrace, a 134-unit affordable housing project on a four-acre site on Shiloh Road and Old Redwood Highway. The project includes a 21-unit, three-story building and a 113-unit, four-story building, with buildings lining Shiloh Road and Old Redwood Highway and parking in back.

The project is all-electric and energy and water efficient, with significant solar power generation and electric-vehicle charging stations. Most of the units will be ADA accessible. A new bus stop and bus shelter will be located at the front of the site on Shiloh Road. Crosswalk improvements will be installed on Old Redwood Highway and Shiloh Road. Groundbreaking is anticipated in spring 2022.

Rebate Doubled on Turf Replacement

Do you want to make your lawn more drought-friendly? Here’s an incentive: The Town of Windsor has doubled the amount for turf rebates from 50 cents per sq. ft. to $1 per sq. ft. In addition, we have tripled the rebate cap from $500 to $1,500!

Learn more: https://www.townofwindsor.com/103/Windsor-Rebates. Be sure to read the program guidelines before removing your lawn. To schedule a pre-inspection, email Sonoma Water staff at water.smart1@scwa.ca.gov.

Meet Windsor's New
Sustainability Coordinator

Windsor now has the support of a part-time sustainability coordinator. Katharine Gabor joined the Town of Windsor last month and her initial priorities include checking on the status of sustainability actions identified in the September 2019 Climate Emergency Resolution, participating in the update of the Town’s biannual Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report, and developing an outreach strategy that will include a new sustainability web page on the Town’s website.

“My priorities for community outreach will be to spotlight the great programs and resources we have available in Sonoma County that can help residents be more climate-savvy,” she said. “I also want to highlight progress the Town has made and continues to make on GHG emissions reduction.”

Ms. Gabor is also contacting the local group WeAct (https://www.weact4windsor.org/)to learn about community-based sustainability efforts. She welcomes your input and can be reached at kgabor@townofwindsor.com.

Oct. 27: Discussion on Second Dog Park

The Town recognizes the benefits of dog parks in the community and the Parks & Recreation Commission will discuss adding a second dog park on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 6 PM. Dog park options include Wilson Ranch Soccer Park and the Keiser Park oak grove. The only dog park in Windsor, the Charles “Chuck” Williams Memorial Dog Park, is in Pleasant Oak Park.

The commission meeting will be held online and the public is invited to provide input. To log into the meeting and view the staff report, visit www.townofwindsor.com/721/Agendas-Minutes-Videos and find the Parks & Recreation Commission meeting link.

Nov. 4: Emergency Preparedness Event for Seniors

On Thursday, November 4, at 10 AM, Windsor COPE, Sonoma County Fire, Windsor Police Department, and the Town of Windsor Senior Recreation Center will host an emergency preparedness event for seniors at the Windsor Senior Recreation Center at 9231 Foxwood Drive.

This meeting will include information about the Windsor COPE program (Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies), evacuation zones, and how to prepare your home to better withstand a wildfire and other natural disasters. For more information, contact cope@townofwindsor.com or call (707) 838-5302.

Downtown Banners: Choose the Color

Help us select a color for the new banners coming to downtown Windsor! We have 52 banners in the downtown area that are almost 20 years old and have deteriorated due to weather exposure. We're aiming to replace these old banners in early 2022.

The Parks and Recreation Commission and Town Council have agreed on the basic messaging and design, which plays with the "Big Heart, Small Town" theme from DiscoverWindsor.com and uses similar phrases such as "Small Shops, Big Smiles.” Give us your feedback on the color of the banners, which will be double-sided, one side in English and the other in Spanish.

Here's the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VTL5HCB. Thank you for your participation.

Oct. 21 and 28: Webinars on How to Use Graywater

Learn the ins and outs of safely using graywater on your landscape via a webinar series by grassroots organization Daily Acts and the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership.

The first webinar, on graywater basics, aired on Oct. 16, but once you register, you can view all the webinars. The next webinar is tonight, and the next one is on Oct. 28:

Laundry-to-Landscape: Thursday, October 21, 6-7:30 PM
Permitted Graywater Systems: Thursday, October 28, 6-7:30 PM

For more information about this series, please go to: https://dailyacts.org/events-cal/lets-talk-graywater-introduction-to-concepts-considerations/

Call for 2021 Holiday Celebration Sponsors

The Parks & Recreation Department is seeking sponsors for the Town of Windsor's 20th Annual Holiday Celebration! This is a great way to promote your business and be a part of this beloved community event.

Sponsorship pledges are due on Thursday, November 4. For more information on event sponsorship, please visit http://bit.ly/HCsponsorship or contact Hilary Dunn at (707) 838-5942 or hdunn@townofwindsor.com.

Take the Survey on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan

It’s not too late to provide feedback on the Town’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, which aims to make Windsor more accessible to walkers, runners, and cyclists of all ages. Learn more about the master plan update: https://w-trans.mysocialpinpoint.com/windsor

This website includes a short survey and interactive map where you can identify places to bike or walk, specific improvements you would like to see, and reply to comments from other community members.

You can also watch a recording of the Oct. 19 public workshop on this plan. The passcode to view the recording is k!#?1v.4. Click here to view the meeting.