ADMINISTRATION

Management & Operations

Upcoming City Council Meetings

• April 12 at 6:00 pm - Regular City Council Meeting
• April 26 at 6:00 pm - Regular City Council Meeting

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Planning, Building & Code Enforcement

Street Banner Program

At its March meeting, the Planning Commission approved a recommended design for a new Downtown and Humbolt Street banner. There were three street banner designs under consideration and the Commission chose one to recommend to the City Council. The recommendation, along with the other two design themes, will be presented to the City Council in April.

Zoning Clearance for Four-Plex Development

The Planning Commission considered and approved a zoning clearance to build a four-plex at 245 South Tehama Street in the City's Central Commercial zone.

Annual Housing Element and General Plan Updates

The Planning Division has been working on the City's Annual and required reporting and updates to the State (Housing & Community Development Department) regarding the City's progress with implementing its General Plan and Housing Element. Those updates will be considered before the City Council at the April 12 City Council meeting.

FINANCE

FY 2021-22 Mid-Year Budget Review & Adjustments

The City's Finance Consultant provided a very thorough overview of the current status of the FY 2021-22 budget, as well as recommended a few mid-year budget amendments. The Mid-Year Budget Powerpoint presentation can be viewed online (if you missed the March 22 City Council meeting).

Particularly noteworthy, the June 30, 2022 ending fiscal year projected revenues are $4,925,148 and projected expenditures are $4,749,242 leaving $175,906 of surplus and unbudgeted funds. There is a total projected increase in revenues for this fiscal year of $768,972. The recommended appropriation (budget amendment) in the amount of $173, 304 included budget decreases in the following departments: City Manager, Finance, Building, Police, Recreation, Public Works, and Fire; and budget increases in the following departments: City Attorney, Planning, General Office, Civic Center, Engineering, Library, Mall maintenance and Non-Departmental. Budget decreases were in large part due to salary savings, reductions in personnel costs and/or removing the unfunded pension liability from individual departments to a single line item in Non-Departmental. Budget increases were the result of increases in the use of contractual services, personnel costs, utility/building costs, and accounting for the City's bond payments and moving General Liability to the General Office Department.

In addition, staff recommended and Council approved hiring a permanent Fire Engineer to fill the "B shift" position that has been vacant for nearly two years, as well as an additional $8,000 for training of Fire Department staff, $17,000 for weed abatement, and a $75,000 placeholder for new finance software for the Finance Department.

FIRE

Fire Response, Prevention & Emergency Medical Services

City of Willow's provides aid and support to Kanawha FPD

At the March 1 City Council meeting, the Council approved executing an agreement with the Kanawha Fire Protection District (KFPD) to provide fire protection services to the District relying on volunteer Firefighters and at no charge to KFPD for a period of three months (from March 1 to June 1) for all calls in the KFPD south of County Road 45 and east of County Road 302.

The Kanawha Fire Protection District’s Fire Chief recently and abruptly took medical leave and the District has only a handful of volunteers with no one prepared and/or qualified to temporarily step into the Fire Chief’s position. The City of Willows Fire Department and Willows Rural Fire District are within the closest proximity to provide fire protection services to the Kanawha Fire Protection District at this time. Should the KFPD require additional services from the City beyond June 1, 2022, City staff will recommend a fee structure for services and longer agreement to the Willows City Council at the May Council meeting.

Concurrent Calls -

February 2022

• February 3 - While attending to a traffic accident, the Fire Department was dispatched to an EMS call - unresponsive person.
• February 4 - While attending to a traffic accident, the Fire Department was dispatched to another EMS call.
• February 20 - While at the scene of an EMS call, the Fire Department was dispatched to a public service request.

Grants

The Willows Fire Department applied for a PPE grant through the National Volunteer Firefighters Council for four additional sets of Structural Fire Gear. The PPE from the Office of Emergency Services Grant was delivered and received.

Willows Volunteer Fire Association - Fundraiser

The Willows Volunteer Fire Association hosted its annual BEAN FEED fundraiser on March 6. It was a huge success feeding nearly 900 people.

This event is the main source of funding for the Association and the 30 volunteer firefighters that answer the call to help the citizens of willows and Glenn County during their greatest times of need. More than 90% of Willows Firefighters are 100% volunteer. Funds raised assist with purchasing training equipment and other Association incidentals. The Willows Volunteer Fire Association is always looking to add to its ranks. Stop by the station at 6:00 pm on the first or second Tuesday of the month to learn more about the organization and get an application!

Training

The Willows Fire Department (WFD) conducted a live fire training at a donated structure. WFD personnel practiced skills like vertical ventilation, forcible entry, fire behavior, rural water supply operation, hose deployment, and horizontal and hydraulic ventilation. Several new volunteers performed victim rescues and experienced fire behavior in a real home for the first time.

LIBRARY

New Library Technician added to the team!

The Library is pleased to announce the addition of Caitlin Ehorn to the library team starting March 29, 2022! After advertising for a new Library Technician, the City received five applications for the position and held two interviews with qualified candidates. As a former City of Willows and Orland Library employee with extensive library software and systems experience, Caitlin was the clear choice for this position. Patrons and staff will be very pleased to have her return to the library as she was greatly missed when she left the City a few years ago for another position.

Zip Books Program Resumes

The Zip Books program has resumed ordering at the library. Books or audiobooks can be shipped directly to the door of library cardholders. Call or stop by the library to order items, up to 3, and they will be shipped at no cost to the patron by Amazon. Return them within six weeks and then order more items.

The purpose of the Zip Books program is to provide patrons with speedy access to materials that they might not otherwise be able to order through the library without the longer wait times often associated with new purchases or ILL requests. It also adds a patron-driven collection development approach to the library’s usual process resulting in a collection more closely matched to the needs of the community. Patrons can request items that are not in the library collection and they will be shipped to their home address using Amazon Prime (items are usually received within 2-3 days). Patrons must return the items when they are finished with them (within six weeks) so they can be cataloged and added to the library's collection for the rest of the community to enjoy. This program is funded by a grant from the California State Library.

PUBLIC WORKS

Streets, Parks, Sewage & Capital Improvements

Capital Improvement Plan

The City Engineer presented a draft of the City's first-ever Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) at the March 22 Council meeting. For more information, please review the electronic Plan online.

Sewage Bond Update

At the Council's February 8 meeting, the City received an update and presentation from its Bond Advisor regarding the final results of the sewage bond. In December 2021, the City closed on refinancing its long term sewage debt and Certificates of Participation, as well as securing additional project funds for much needed improvements to the overall sewage system.

The successful completion of the 218 process and the issuance of the 2021 Sewer Bonds achieved the following:

• More than $1 million in savings for the Sewer Enterprise Fund and its ratepayers.
• Cured the technical default with respect to 2007 Certificates of Participation.
• Generated $3.35 million in Project Funds in an equitable manner - spreading the cost of infrastructure across both current and future ratepayers (previously current ratepayers were bearing the entirety of these costs).
• Liquidity within the Sewer Fund - positioning the Fund to build appropriate reserves and improve its projected credit metrics to keep borrowing costs low for any future capital needs.
• Re-positioned and restored the Sewer Enterprise’s reputation and access to the bond market as a borrower, increasing its flexibility and access to capital should future financing needs arise.

North Lassen Street Rehabilitation Project

At the March 22, 2022 City Council meeting, the Council approved and awarded a contract for construction of the new street rehabilitation project to All-American Construction, Inc. The total estimated cost of the project is $981,629. The source of funding for this project is $675,000 of State monies (STIP), as well as $100,000 from SB-1 Transportation Funds and $206,629 in Gas Tax Funds. No General Fund monies will be used to complete the project. It will be completed by the end of the 2022 calendar year.

Pacific Avenue - Potholing and Measuring

City Public Works employees spent one full day potholing Pacific Avenue, as well as measuring asphalt and base for the upcoming resurfacing project.

Emergency Manhole Repairs

Emergency manhole repairs were made on the main sewer south of town. The manholes were severely damaged by unknown sources. Public Works staff spent two days repairing the damages and one of the manholes required complete replacement.

Sudden Storm and Flooding

On March 15, the City experienced a sudden storm, thunder and tremendous showers. In less than thirty minutes, three-fourths of an inch of rain fell causing flooding throughout the City. Within the hour, the City experienced more than double the normal amount of water seepage into the City's wastewater treatment system. Public Works staff were promptly dispatched and immediately addressed the situation, including cleaning the City's drain inlets to allow excess water to rapidly drain City streets and other public rights-of-way.