Council expresses desire to create Paseo Park ad hoc committee

By Jacob Hoffman Express staff writer

Following a lively discussion on the Paseo Park project, Winters City Council asked City Staff to bring the topic of Paseo Park back on the next agenda so they could formally create a Council ad hoc committee to determine priorities for the SACOG grant.

At the Feb. 7 Winters City Council meeting, City Manager Kathleen Trepa presented a chronological timeline and information on funding for the Paseo Park project.

Trepa summarized that on Oct. 18, 2022, the Council authorized design-build agreements for Paseo Park construction services beyond the City Manager’s $20,000 procurement limit in order to expend a $100,000 SACOG grant by its Dec. 31 deadline. The councilmembers at that time also requested that an ad hoc committee be appointed to approve designs and contractor agreements, to which then-Mayor Wade Cowan and current Mayor Bill Biasi were appointed. It was agreed by the Council and city staff that staff would provide a report on the use of the grant, which Trepa described as “the primary purpose” of the agenda item.

A number of members of the public addressed the council during the public comments section of the meeting, including Paul Kastner, who told Councilmembers he works for a company that would provide the pro bono services and claimed there “had not been much agreement or cooperation from the City,” emphasizing the need for “community involvement” in the creation of the park. Kastner also provided copies of Express published letters to the editor and a column by Richard Kleeberg, as well as a pro bono agreement for architectural work.

Other community members who spoke included Dillan Rivas, Chris Turkovich, Corinne Martinez, Bill Haley and Kate Laddish.

Rivas suggested that bollards should be installed on the

Main Street side of the Paseo Park walkway to support pedestrian safety and prevent cars from driving through the passage and using the park as a parking lot. Turkovich expressed an appreciation as a business owner and Winters Downtown Business Association President for the “much-needed” electrical upgrades and expressed excitement moving forward. He also supported seeing rotating art exhibits. Martinez acknowledged the City’s efforts to pursue funding and encouraged co-funding opportunities. She asked councilmembers to not lose sight of the bigger vision and said that it would be worse to allow the longer the park stays in its current condition because it didn’t have charm appeal.

Haley spoke to the history of what the Winters Center for the Arts did in 2010 to help develop the park. Haley noted that metal sheet piles could protect the historical building’s foundations from tree roots

See PARK, Page 5