More than 800 children pre-registered and walked the second annual Trick or Treat trail with their families on Saturday, October 30, at the Keiser Park Oak Grove. The Parks & Recreation Department decorated the trail with Halloween décor and local businesses and non-profit organization set up 27 booths so children could receive candy and treats in unique and creative ways. LandCares’ booth was awarded “Best Decorated” and Windsor Performing Arts’ booth was awarded “Best Candy Delivery.”

Police Chief Raasch and Community Services Office Koch also enjoyed meeting so many families at the event. There was rain earlier in the day, but the skies cleared just in time for all superheroes, princesses, and skeletons to say hello, gather treats, and take photos with our longest-serving officer, Deputy Bones.

Everyone had a great time -- thank you to all who attended. We look forward to seeing you next year!

Nov. 4: Overnight Construction Work 

Windsor Celebrates Dia de los Muertos

On Saturday, Oct. 30, Día de los Muertos Windsor organized a Día de Los Muertos community event on the Town Green. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is an annual Mexican holiday in which people pay their respects and remember loved ones who have died.  

This well-attended annual event included a car show, food, a dance performance by an Indigenous dance troupe, a sugar-skull workshop for kids, and an adult folk-art class. Windsor Police Chief Raasch and Vice Mayor Reynoza participated in the award ceremony. In appreciation for the Town’s community efforts, a plaque commemorating the event was presented to Chief Raasch. 

Town Receives $10,000 Donation for Veterans Memorial

At Wednesday's Town Council meeting, the Russian River Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 768 presented the Town Council with a $10,000 donation to help build a veterans memorial on the Town Green. The memorial’s design has not yet been finalized, but will likely include a wall listing the names of local veterans who lost their lives in military conflict.

This memorial project has been under consideration for several years and a group of community members is raising funds to construct this memorial. This project is also included in the Town’s Capital Improvement Program for 2024/2025. 

Nov. 4: Webinar on Accessory Dwelling Units

Are you a homeowner interested in building a “granny” or “in-law” unit -- otherwise known as an “accessory dwelling unit” – on your property? If so, join the Napa Sonoma ADU Center tonight, Nov. 4, from 6-7:30 PM for an online discussion with prefab and modular ADU builders. Register here: https://napasonomaadu.org/events2/all-you-need-to-know-about-prefab-modular-adus

The Town of Windsor and other cities in Sonoma and Napa counties participate in the Napa Sonoma ADU program, whose resources include a calculator to estimate the cost of constructing a new ADU; an ADU planning guide; consultations with staff; and an address “look-up tool” so you can see if it’s feasible to build an ADU on a property. 

Yes, The Drought is Still Here

The storm and atmospheric river that blew through the Bay Area a couple of week ago brought inches of rain, which swelled our creeks and other waterways and added water to our reservoirs. Unfortunately, one storm does not end a drought.

Sonoma County Water Agency engineers estimate that we’ll need a total of 25 inches of rain to end this drought. So, until then, please turn off your sprinklers, and keep conserving water however you can. Please go to the Town’s water conservation website for more information: https://www.townofwindsor.com/100/Water-Conservation. 

Celebration of Kincade Fire Student Mural

Community members and local fire and Town officials on Oct. 28 celebrated a student mural that depicts firefighters defending Sonoma County from the Kincade Fire.

The mural, located at the corner of Windsor Road and McClelland Drive, in downtown Windsor, was created by students at Santa Rosa’s Bay Art Academy and features two QR codes that you can scan for more information about the art as well as a timeline of the Kincade Fire, which sparked on Oct. 23, 2019. The Sonoma County Professional Firefighters also presented a check to the Windsor Parks & Recreation Foundation to cover the costs of the mural’s installation.

If you were unable to attend the event, you can watch the livestreamed video here: https://www.facebook.com/townofwindsorfan/videos/661335468360219

Park Vandalism on the Rise – We Need Your Help

Town Receives Plaque for 2021 Helen Putnam Award

At Wednesday’s Town Council meeting, Nancy Hall Bennett, a public affairs manager for the League of California Cities, presented the Town Council and Town Staff with the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence, which recognizes exceptional achievements by California's 482 cities and promotes innovative solutions by city governments.

Windsor was chosen for the 2021 Helen Putnam Award in the category of Public Works, Infrastructure, and Transportation for the Town's 1.8-megawatt photovoltaic floating solar array project. Check out an explanatory video of the floating solar array: https://youtu.be/UFVN4-p0mWA

The nonprofit League of California Cities chose Windsor and the 10 winners in other categories from 125 submissions. The floating solar array – which addresses the Town’s climate-action goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions – has generated more than 2 million kilowatt hours and counting of renewable energy since it went online in October 2020; that equates to more than $210,000 worth of electricity for the Town.

Nov. 9: Meeting on Housing Element Update

The Town is excited to announce a joint Town Council and Planning Commission study session on the Town’s Housing Element Update on Tuesday, November 9, at 6 PM. This meeting will be held in-person at the Town council chamber (9291 Old Redwood Highway, Building 400) as well as via Zoom.

Attendees must wear face coverings at the in-person meeting. Instructions for Zoom access are included in the meeting agenda, which will posted on this page soon: https://www.townofwindsor.com/721/Agendas-Minutes-Videos

At this study session, the Town will discuss updates to the housing and safety elements of the General Plan, which is a state law requirement. All local governments must zone enough of their land to ensure that sufficient housing can be built to accommodate their community’s housing need. This need is based on Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) numbers. For Windsor, the RHNA number is 994 residential units at various levels of affordability. 

For more information, please go to https://www.townofwindsor.com/1306/2023-2031-Housing-Element-Update. Should you have any questions, please contact Amanda May at amay@townofwindsor.com. We invite you to join the process!

Now Hiring: Town of Windsor Parks & Recreation 

Join our recreation team to build your skills and resume! The Parks & Recreation Department has several part-time positions open, including recreation leader, facility attendant, seasonal parks maintenance worker and preschool teacher. Many of the positions offer flexible hours in a fun and rewarding work environment.

Reach out to Nelle Herman at nherman@townofwindsor.com for more information or visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/windsorca to learn more and to apply. 

Nov. 15: Short-Term Vacation Rental Community Meeting

The Town wants to hear from you on a draft ordinance on short-term vacation rentals, which are rentals of residential units for periods of under 30 days. Join us on Monday, Nov. 15, at 6 PM, to learn more, discuss, and provide feedback on this draft ordinance.

The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. Please click this link to join the meeting: https://zoom.us/j/96831656552. You may also provide comments via email to Ellen McDowell at emcdowell@townofwindsor.com

Public Feedback Needed on Two Sustainability Initiatives

Good planning is important to translate big ideas into actions. We encourage you to provide input on two Town initiatives that support sustainability:

WindsorReady Climate Resilience Strategies: Go to: https://windsorready.consider.it/ to review, vote and comment on strategies to proactively address climate change. Deadline to provide feedback is Nov. 30.

Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan Update: Visit https://w-trans.mysocialpinpoint.com/windsor to see a map of proposed projects, suggest a new project, comment, and take a survey about walking and biking in Windsor.

What is sustainability? The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development defines it as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Sustainable actions balance environment, social equity, and economic development with efficient use of resources. 

Sustainability requires good representation, so please take a few minutes to share your perspective on these important climate resilience and transportation initiatives.