Town Staff and contractors will be on Starr Road between Buckingham Drive and Windsor River Road from November 22 to 24 to perform routine tree maintenance. This work will help ensure the health of the trees and safety of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. All pruning projects are done with the consultation of a certified arborist.

Nearby neighbors have been contacted and the work is being scheduled during the school Thanksgiving holiday to avoid school traffic. Please use caution when traveling this area next week. We don’t anticipate any full road closures, but there may be intermittent traffic control in the area. 

Nov. 29: Community Meeting on Short-Term Rentals 

Due to a scheduling conflict, the community meeting on the draft vacation-rental ordinance will now take place on Monday, November 29, from 6-8:30 PM, via Zoom (go to: https://zoom.us/j/96831656552 to join the  meeting­).

Consequently, the public-comment period for this draft ordinance has been extended to November 29. Please email your comments to Ellen McDowell at emcdowell@townofwindsor.com.

Windsor Civic Center Project Update

On December 1, the Windsor Town Council will discuss whether to extend the exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) with the Robert Green Company, a San Diego-based commercial real-estate development company, on the proposed Windsor Civic Center redevelopment project. This project includes a hotel, residential development, and new civic buildings.  

About 100 people attended an open house hosted by the Robert Green Company on November 15 to learn more about the proposed project. The open house, which was held at the Mary Agatha Furth Center, included eight stations where the development team updated attendees about the project’s architecture, civic improvements, and parking.

If you couldn’t attend the meeting, you can still get more information about the project and give feedback to the developer via this new website. You may also contact Tim Ricard at tricard@townofwindsor.com. For more information about the project, visit the Town’s Civic Center website or Robert Green’s project website.

The Holidays on the Town Green!

Over the next couple of weeks, Santa’s helpers will be transforming our Town Green to a winter wonderland.

Town Staff and community volunteers have been working around the clock to bring you the Holiday Celebration on December 2, the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove and a whole lot of holiday cheer!

Dec. 2: Holiday Celebration on the Town Green 

Begin your holiday season with an evening of family-friendly fun at the 20th Annual Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting at the Windsor Town Green on Thursday, December 2, from 5-8 PM. This event will be held rain or shine. Live musical performances featuring local schools will be held from 5-7 PM on the Town Green stage. The Holiday Tree Lighting featuring Santa Claus and “snowfall” in the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove begins at 7PM.

Parking & Event Shuttles

Parking will be available at the Town Green, Windsor High School and Windsor Middle School/Hiram Lewis Park and free event shuttles will run to and from both schools to the Town Green. Please note, there is NO event parking in the Bell Village Shopping Center.

Thank you to our event sponsors: Vinecrest Tax Group, KZST, Windsor Certified Farmers Market, and People4Parks!

Holiday Celebration Activities

• Hot chocolate, soup and other food and crafts (Market Street)
• Elves' craft workshop (Huerta Gym Lot)
• Children’s cookie decorating (Huerta Gym Lot)
• Festive photo area (Huerta Gym Lot)
• Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove (Shade Tree Bosque- near Market Street)
• Santa's mailbox - write a letter to Santa! (Town Green)
• Special candy cane hunt (Huerta Gym Lot) 

Survey: Dog Off-Leash Pilot Program

The Town of Windsor Parks and Recreation Department wants your feedback on an off-leash pilot program for dogs. If approved, the pilot program would allow dog owners to take their dogs off leash for exercise in a designated area of Wilson Ranch Soccer Park, Mondays through Fridays from 8 AM – 12 PM.
 
Please fill out this survey. The survey results we collect by November 29 will be presented at the December 6 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. Survey results collected through December 31 will be presented at the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, January 19, 2022. These public meetings will be held in person and on Zoom; more information can be found here.

If you have questions regarding the off-leash pilot program, please call (707) 838-5980 or email mkovanis@townofwindsor.com.  

Town Testing New Aeration System to Treat Wastewater

The Town has entered into an agreement with Aqua-Aerobic System to test a novel approach to wastewater treatment that will help the Town’s wastewater reclamation facility maintain the highest quality of wastewater effluent. The facility uses a suspended growth-activated sludge system for the treatment of wastewater. 

The Town received the pilot project equipment for the aeration system earlier this month and Aqua-Aerobic staff have begun to set up and start the process in the coming weeks.

Code of Ethics Survey

Please take this short public survey on a code of ethics for our appointed and elected government officials, such as Town councilmembers. This survey is part of an effort to hold these leaders, who are public servants, accountable for their actions and inspire them to the highest level of integrity.

English-language survey: https://bit.ly/WinEthicsSvy.
Spanish-language survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6614662/Ciudad-de-Windsor-Aportaciones-basadas-en-el-valor

This further step of adopting an ethics code will help the Windsor Town Council to clarify these values and link them with standards of conduct. A values-based ethics code identifies areas in which officials set their sights higher than the bare minimum requirements of the law. In other words, it complements laws to define how elected and appointed officials should act when they are at their best. A code of ethics also provides a framework for day-to-day actions and decision-making.

Documents Added to Webpage on Koi Nation Project

We have added documents related to the Koi Nation’s proposed casino and hotel project on the Town website.

While the project would be located in unincorporated Sonoma County, it would still impact our community since it would be just outside Windsor town limits, west of U.S. Highway 101, off the Shiloh Road exit. Please go here to view the new documents.

Safety Tips: Christmas Trees and Holiday Decorations

With the holiday season in mind, your Sonoma County Fire District would like to share a few fire-safety tips to keep us all safe.

• Keep your Christmas tree hydrated! 

• Do not overload electrical outlets and extension cords -- overloading them can make them major fire hazards.

• Common holiday plants (poinsettias, holly berries, mistletoe, or pine needles) can make your pets sick – please keep them out of their reach.

• Don’t leave candles unattended.

• Don’t burn wrapping paper in the fireplace – it can cause a flash fire.

• Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are working properly.

We wish you all a very safe and enjoyable holiday season!

Prevent “Crimes of Opportunity”

Please use these simple techniques to prevent criminal behavior, especially during this busy holiday season. For more crime-prevention tips and information, click here.

• Never leave valuables in vehicles.

• Lock vehicle doors and windows.

• Keep outdoor lights on at night by vehicles and doors.

• Report suspicious activity to Windsor Police Department Dispatch: (707) 565-2121.
  

COVID-19 Booster Shots Now Available for Adults

Sonoma County has opened COVID-19 booster shots to adults 18 years and older provided they qualify based on the timing of their last vaccine dose. Recipients of the two-shot Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines may receive a booster if six months have passed since their second dose. Recipients of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster shot two months after their dose.
 
Anyone in a higher-risk group – including those 65 years and older, people with underlying medical conditions, and people who work in high-risk settings – is urged to get a booster as soon as possible. Individuals should contact their primary care doctor, local pharmacy or visit MyTurn.ca.gov to schedule a booster shot. No adults who want to strengthen their immune systems in advance of the holiday season will be turned away under the guidelines.

Town Offices Closed for Thanksgiving

Town of Windsor offices (except police and fire) will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, Thursday-Friday, Nov. 25-26. We will re-open on Monday, Nov. 29.

Happy Thanksgiving – we wish you a festive and bountiful holiday!