The Windsor Town Council on August 3 appointed the Town’s Parks & Recreation Director, Jon Davis, to become Windsor’s next Town Manager. Mr. Davis will formally step into that role on August 15. Mr. Davis will replace Mark Linder, who served as Interim Town Manager after then-Town Manager Ken MacNab retired in December 2021.

In addition to the title of Town Manager, Mr. Davis will be the General Manager of the Town of Windsor Water District, Executive Director of the Windsor Redevelopment Successor Agency, and Executive Director of the Windsor Joint Powers Financing Authority. Read the full press release.

“We considered two dozen highly qualified, top-notch candidates, and it became clear that Jon was the best fit for the job,” said Windsor Mayor Sam Salmon. “Not only does he have exceptional leadership and communication skills and specialized knowledge of the Town, but he is also well respected and appreciated among Town Staff and Town Council.”

Town Seeks Community Feedback on Food Trucks 

 
The Town of Windsor is seeking your feedback regarding a proposed one-year food truck pilot program in the Light Industrial Zoning District. This area has a high concentration of breweries and wineries and is home to the Windsor Beverage District, west of U.S. Highway 101 and north of Shiloh Road.

Current street vendor regulations in Windsor limit food trucks to stay in one location for a maximum of 30 minutes and to follow other strict location requirements. A summary of new potential ordinance regulations for food trucks include:

• Allowed in the light industrial zoning district Thursday through Sunday, 11 AM - 10 PM.
• Allowed only on private property for periods longer than 30 minutes.
• Requirements related to trash, noise, traffic, odors, and signage.
• Allowance of site furniture.
• Approved through a zoning clearance

August 16 Zoom webinar: The Town will host a webinar over Zoom on Tuesday, August 16, at 10 AM to discuss the pilot program and collect public feedback. Please use the zoom link below or call in to join.

Link: https://townofwindsor.zoom.us/j/83470704182
Phone Number: 877-853-5247 US 
Meeting ID: 834 7070 4182

You may also email comments and questions to foodtrucks@townofwindsor.com

August 12: Nomination Period Ends
for Town Council Election

Interested in running for Town Council in the November 8, 2022, General Municipal Election? The nomination period closes this Friday, August 12.

This deadline may be extended to Wednesday, August 17, for non-incumbent residents interested in running for Mayor if the incumbent Mayor does not file nomination papers within the regular nomination period. For further information, including a list of qualified candidates, please visit https://www.townofwindsor.com/1353/November-2022-General-Municipal-Election. 

Town Wide Street Resurfacing: Update #3

The Town expedited the street-resurfacing project with the intent of completing all paving and striping operations before the start of the new school year. However, due to problems with material availability, final traffic striping and markings will not be placed on Starr Road or Pleasant Avenue before August 11. The Town's contractor plans to install temporary traffic striping this week.

Town staff will work with the contractor to correct various issues on newly resurfaced streets as well as to install final traffic striping and make utility lid adjustments. The Project Website will be updated with this information once it is available.

August 21: Special Sunday Concert on the Town Green

The Town of Windsor is hosting a special concert on Sunday, August 21, from 2-4 PM on the Town Green featuring Super Diamond, a Neil Diamond tribute band.

There will be food vendors, beer and wine sales, and a free bike valet! For more information, go to https://www.townofwindsor.com/338/Special-Events

Dead Oak Tree to be Removed

Due to potential safety hazards, the Town will remove an old oak tree that has died and shows extensive bark beetle infestation. The removal of the tree, which is located on Old Redwood Highway, north of Merner Drive, is scheduled to occur by the end of the month.

The Town’s arborist evaluated this tree and found its canopy completely dry and its buds desiccated. "It will not come back to life," states his report. In addition, the tree's large size and proximity to the road pose a safety concern to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. 

Apply to Become a Commissioner

The Town has reopened the application period for vacancies on the Public Art Advisory Commission and the Senior Citizen Advisory Commission. New: Two Youth Commissioner seats for the Public Art Advisory Commission are open -- a new position created by the Town Council earlier this year.

Visit the Town’s webpage for more information on requirements and how to apply: https://www.townofwindsor.com/64/Committees-and-Commissions.

The Windsor Day Parade is Back!

It's time to celebrate the strong spirit of community in the Town of Windsor! Mark your calendars because the Windsor Day Parade will return with a slightly different format and the same traditional route -- just a new time of year.

The Windsor Day Parade will be held on Saturday, October 1. The Kiwanis Club of Windsor, along with the Town of Windsor and other local service clubs, will join forces to bring back this beloved community event.

The deadline to submit your parade entry form is September 17. The theme this year will be "Friends and Neighbors". Visit bit.ly/windsordayparade for parade guidelines and the entry application.

Low-Income Households Can Get Help on Water Bill

If you are part of a low-income household struggling to pay overdue water or wastewater bills, you may be eligible to get help. The Town of Windsor recently enrolled in the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), which provides one-time financial assistance to low-income households to help pay overdue residential water or wastewater bills.

The amount of help varies depending on the past due balance of your residential water and wastewater bills, but if you qualify, your charges could be reduced by up to $2,000.

LIHWAP is funded by the federal government and administered by the California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD), which works with a network of community-based local service providers to help low-income families. For more information or to apply online, please visit https://www.townofwindsor.com/1394/Financial-Assistance-Programs. You may also go to: https://csd.ca.gov/waterbill to learn more.

Now Monthly: Water and Wastewater Billing

On August 10, the Town started monthly billing for water and wastewater customers.  Monthly billing will provide customers with smaller, more manageable payments as well as more timely information about water use and possible leaks. Customers have told us that getting a monthly bill better aligns with their other bills and after our billing systems got a technology upgrades, Town staff determined that this was a feasible task. 

The goal for the Town is better account management, water conservation, and effective administration of the tiered water rate structure. By receiving bills in a timelier manner, the hope is to see a decrease in the number of active delinquent accounts and reduce the number of closed collection accounts. For more information, please go to: https://www.townofwindsor.com/1367/NEW---Monthly-Billing-Starting-August-20

The Water Smart Portal is a payment and water conservation portal for customers that provides detailed information about their bills, water habits and conservation tips. Customers who utilize the Water Smart Portal will now see a graph on their customer page that will let them know how they are doing as a household with the state mandate to reduce water consumption by 20% due to the drought. For more information or to sign up for Water Smart, please go to: https://townofwindsor.watersmart.com/

August 25: Streets to Creeks and
Water Conservation Pop-Up Event

After setting up your lawn chairs for the August 25 Town Green concert, visit Town staff at our pop-up table between 3:30 – 6 PM to learn how to protect our creeks, participate in the upcoming Russian River Cleanup, and pick up some water conservation goodies.

Back to School Safety

A message from your Sonoma County Fire District: Welcome back to school to all the kiddos in our fire district! Here are some safety tips to help keep children safe.

• Heads up, phones down when walking on sidewalks, in crosswalks and along roadways.
• Don’t text and drive.
• Slow down in school zones.

• Drivers must stop when a school bus stops in front of them and extends its stop sign with flashing lights.
• When on a two-lane road without a median, traffic on both sides of the road must stop.
• When on a two-lane road with a center turn lane, traffic on both sides of the road must stop.
• Cars can pass the school bus after the stop sign is no longer out
• When there are four lanes, the side of traffic without a stopped school bus can continue driving.
• When there is a raised divider, like a median between the different directions of traffic, the side of the road without a stopped school bus can continue driving.
• Cars on a two-lane road with a median also do not have to stop if the bus is stopped on the other side of the road.

 
And remember, if you see flashing red lights and hear a siren, safely pull to the right to let first responders by. We wish all the students, parents, and teachers a great 2022-2023 school year!