The June 16 meeting of the Windsor Town Council has an agenda full of housekeeping and budgets, as well as discussions about future disasters and planning.
When the meeting kicks off, the first order of business will be the selection and swearing in of the new vice mayor, now that Sam Salmon has stepped up to the top job.
There will be a pair of public hearings on the annual assessment of the Landscape and Lighting district, which will be followed by a significant number of items on the regular calendar.
It will kick off with the ongoing discussion to try to fill the vacant council seat. Public opinion is running strongly in favor of a special election, but with having just completed one the taste for such a thing has waned for some of the council.
The next item will be the approval of the Fiscal Years (FY) 2021-23 proposed budget, the Fiscal Years (FY) 2021-26 proposed capital improvement program (CIP) and discussion of the receipt and use of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 funds. The FY 2021-23 proposed budget is for two years beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2023 and consists of two one-year fiscal budgets allowing for improved spending control. Overall, the FY 2021-23 budget includes $147 million in appropriations made up of a $108 million operating budget, a $3.5 million debt service budget and a $35 million capital expenditures budget.
The CIP for the five years beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2026 is also included for the council’s approval. The development of the proposed operating budget and the CIP are coordinated. Proposed capital outlays in the first two years of the CIP are included in the 2021-23 proposed operating budget. The CIP was reviewed and approved for conformity with the town’s general plan by the planning commission on June 8 and referred to the town council for final consideration.
In addition, March 11, President Joe Biden signed the ARPA into law, which provides financial assistance to individuals, businesses and state and local government agencies to assist in the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The town of Windsor has been granted an allocation of $6,489,594, delivered in two allotments of $3,244,797 in July 2021 and July 2022. The use of these funds are incorporated into the biennial budget in accordance with the Treasury Department’s qualified use of funds: public safety, infrastructure and restoration of services to pre-pandemic levels.
Next up is an item that is aimed at securing loan money to complete the intersection project at Windsor Road and Windsor River Road, in an amount of $3.5 million. The council must pass a series of resolutions to authorize the deal, the details of which can be found here.
There will also be an extension of the exemption for the consumption of alcoholic beverages in certain public areas ordinance in order to continue supporting restaurants and bars that wish as their recovery from COVID-19 continues.
The council will also be providing input to staff on the draft annex to the Sonoma County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and authorize staff to submit the finalized draft plan to the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for review and approval. The Stafford Act requires state, local and tribal governments that wish to be eligible for federal hazard mitigation grant funds to submit a hazard mitigation plan which outlines the processes for identifying the natural and manmade hazards, risks and vulnerabilities of the jurisdiction.
The town currently has its own plan, set to expire in 2023, but long term it makes better financial and logistical sense to join the county’s multi-jurisdictional plan. According to the board packet, “The benefits of multi-jurisdictional approach to hazard mitigation planning include: the ability to pool resources and eliminate redundant activities within a planning area that has uniform risk exposure and vulnerabilities; creating opportunities for coordination and collaboration; and the ability to create stronger grant applications by joining with other agencies in applying for grants.”
The next meeting of the Windsor Town Council takes place on Wednesday, June 16 at 6 p.m. While council members and staff have started returning to the council chambers, the public is still not able to be in-person and the meeting will be held virtually.
Members of the public can participate in the meeting by visiting:
https://zoom.us/j/99903874757 or by dialing 877-853-5247 and
Enter Webinar ID: 999 0387 4757. The meeting will be live streamed at:
https://www.townofwindsor.com/721/Agendas-Minutes-Videos
The meeting can also be viewed on Comcast Channel 27
and AT&T U-verse Channel 99.
Public comment can also be sent via email to the council by 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting: to*********@to***********.com.
