$1
including tax
Celebrate World Bee Day News, Page 3
Duck Derby, Kiddie Parade winners Features, Page 1
Volume 139, Number 15 — Locally owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Lisa Sorvari
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, May 11, 2022
LUCAS FRERICHS for YOLO COUNTY SUPERVISOR
District 2
We Support Lucas: Pierre Neu (Winters City Council), Alfredo Arredondo & Marcela Jauregui, Lisa Baker, Marlene & Bob Bell, Rob Carrion, Rebecca & Woody Fridae, Larry Harris, Robyn & Bruce Rominger, Al Vallecillo, and more!
at the local and regional level. He listens and works to find common ground. Please join me in supporting a great leader for our shared future.” Don Saylor,
Council approves $75K agreement for downtown “visioning” project By Rick von Geldern Express staff writer
See PROJECT, Page 5
Editor-in-Chief
Crystal Apilado/Winters Express
City Council has approved the area of Main Street between Railroad Avenue and First Street to close down to accommodate for outside eating in warmer months.
Editor-in-Chief
EXPRESS
Trustees unanimously approved an extension of the Winters Joint Unified School District superintendent’s contract, and many
personnel-related agenda items at the May 5 Board of Trustee meeting. Jonathan Feagle, Chief Business Officer, read Section One of the Winters JUSD Superintendent’s Employment Agreement stating: “Should the Superintendent receive a satisfactory evaluation pursuant to this Agreement, the Board, at the next regularly scheduled
Board meeting following the Superintendent’s evaluation, shall include an agenda item for discussion of the extension of the Superintendent’s contract for one year.” “Superintendent Diana Jiménez received a satisfactory evaluation for the 2021-22 school year, and the Board of Trustees discussed
See TRUSTEES, Page 5
Index Features ........................ B-1
We at he r Date
Rain
High
May 04
.00
83˚
51˚
May 05
.00
90˚
50˚
May 06
.00
74˚
53˚
Community .................. A-3
May 07
.00
77˚
51˚
May 08
.00
78˚
49˚
Opinion ......................... B-3
May 09
.00
67˚
43˚
67˚
39˚
Classifieds ................... B-4
May 10 TRACE
Real Estate ................... B-2 Sports ........................... A-2
Low
Rain for week: TRACE Season’s total: 18.29 in. Last sn. to date: 7.99 in. Winters rainfall season began 7/1/21. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m.
VOTE BY JUNE 7
Residents could receive citation for use of illegal fireworks under municipal code addition By Crystal Apilado
Trustees extend Superintendent contract, personnel items By Crystal Apilado
Assemblymember, District 4
/Lucas4Yolo • Info@Lucas4Yolo.com • (530) 341-2118
Paid for by Lucas Frerichs Yolo County Supervisor 2022 / 216 F Street, #30, Davis, CA 95616 / FPPC #1440740
Councilmembers approved a $75,000 agreement with Walker Consultants to prepare the Downtown Vision and Policy Plan at the May 3 Winters City Council meeting. When the pandemic hit in March 2020 it stifled downtown tourist, dining and business activity. In response, the city moved to do what it could do to help ease the suffering. With the cooperation of the Winters Downtown Business Association, that fall the city built lighted outdoor dining pergolas on Main Street with COVID-19 relief funds. The city also started closing off a portion of downtown Main Street to permit outdoor
housing stock, and improving our quality of life in Yolo County. He will be a great addition to the Board of Supervisors, providing a valuable rural perspective.” Cecilia Aguiar-Curry,
Winters City Council
Yolo County Supervisor, District 2
Lucas4Yolo.com •
“Lucas is committed to growing high quality jobs, improving transportation infrastructure,
“Lucas and I have worked together for years on important local leadership. Together, we work community first, equitycentric, and respectfully on long- and short-term planning. Join me in supporting Lucas’ collaborative leadership approach.” Jesse Loren,
“Lucas is driven by a passion for service and a love for the people and places of Yolo County. He has
Councilmembers approved a resolution ordinance and added a municipal code that would give law enforcement officials the ability to issue administrative citations to residents for the use of illegal fireworks on their property. At the May 3 council meeting, Winters Police Chief John P. Miller presented the Winters City Council with Ordinance 2022-04 which would add Sections 8.24.130-8.24.150 to G Chapter 8.24 of Title 8 of the Winters Municipal Code relating to Social Host Liability and Administrative Ci-
tations for the Use of Illegal Fireworks. According to Miller, similar ordinances have been approved in neighboring cities including Woodland, Vacaville, Sacramento and Suisun City. Miller said that currently under the State Fireworks Law, the unlawful possession and use of fireworks is a misdemeanor. He says the challenge is that law enforcement must on-view individuals in the act of setting off the fireworks in order to hold them accountable. Under the new ordinance, law enforcement would be able to issue an ad-
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By Rick von Geldern Express staff writer In compliance with Assembly Bill 481, the Winters City Council adopted Ordinance 2022-03 at the May 3 council meeting approving a military use policy for the Winters Police Department (WPD). Last year, AB 481 was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom to increase transparency, accountability and oversight surrounding law enforcement’s acquisition and use of defined “military equipment.” The law requires that governing bodies approve funding, acquisition, or use of military equipment within its jurisdiction when the military equipment meets specified standards. As noted in the city’s staff report to council, the term “military equipment” does not necessarily identify equipment that has
or is being used by the military or is even of military-grade. Winters Police Chief John P. Miller noted in the staff report that the WPD does not currently have, nor does it intend to acquire in the near future, any of the “military equipment” as defined in Govt. Code §7070; however, in the interest of transparency, staff listed our standard issue “patrol rifles” and rifle ammunition in our “military equipment” list. The detailed listing of what “Military equipment” is defined in accordance to AB 481, and the required listing of “military equipment” currently in possession by WPD is included on the police department’s website under the “transparency portal” section on the link titled “Military equipment: funding, acquisition, and use per Government Code 7072/ Assembly Bill
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City adopts military-use ordinance in compliance with AB 481
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ministrative citation to property owners at a later time and not be required to view the incident. In the City of Winters, “Safe and Sane” fireworks are are allowed. Miller said they are trying to target illegal and dangerous fireworks, and in particular, aerial fireworks that are often seen in the sky over neighborhoods. Safe and Sane fireworks are not explosives, not aerially launched, and are tested and approved by the Office of the State Fire Marshal. “For anyone that’s been around the City of Winters,
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481.” WPD would be required to obtain approval from the city council if it chose to procure military equipment in the future. In the interest of transparency, the city listed 14 Colt Sporter M4 carbine rifles and ammunition that are classified as “standard issue service weapons.” As such, they were said to be exempt from the military equipment use policy. The law requires annual reporting of any use of the equipment, complaints, violations of the use policy, internal audits and whether the agency intends to acquire military equipment in the subsequent year. The report, as required by law, has been posted on WPD’s website winterspolice.org under the “transparency portal” section.
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