On July 19, 2023, the Town Council adopted Resolution 3873-23 creating free three-hour parking in specific areas of downtown Windsor. These changes will help address parking concerns by encouraging parking turnover in prime downtown spots and support the economic vitality of the downtown area.

The specific blocks recommended for the conversion to timed parking include McClelland Drive between Market Street and Windsor Road, DuVander Lane, and Windsor Road between Emily Rose Circle and Windsor River Road. These blocks represent 119 parking spaces that would be converted to three-hour-timed and an additional four 15-minute parking spaces will be created to accommodate quick visits to restaurants and pharmacies.

A three-hour limit was chosen as it allows customers sufficient time to dine and shop while reducing the number of residents and employees parking in these premium spaces.  Wayfinding signage will be created to direct visitors to nearby parking lots, such as those near Town Hall and clear signage will indicate where the 3-hour parking will be enforced.

The regulations are expected to go into effect in early fall and staff is planning a public outreach campaign to inform residents as well as a leniency period, during which warnings will be issued instead of tickets. You can learn more about the project here as well as recommended areas for employee and resident parking here.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions to Tim Ricard, Economic Development Manager by emailing [email protected]

The Parks and Recreation Department is excited to announce that the 2023 Fall Recreation Guide is here, and registration will open on Monday, August 14 at 10AM!

Check out the guide online now to plan your Fall recreation and enrichment classes! Click here to view the Fall Recreation Guide. For questions regarding the guide contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (707) 838-1260 or email [email protected]

Starting August 2, tree maintenance will occur to ensure tree health and pedestrian and vehicle safety. Expect traffic delays in certain project areas for the next couple of weeks and always proceed with caution. 

The main project areas will include:

• Windsor River Road from Richardson Lane to Market Street
• Brooks Road South at Windsor Creek to Foothill Drive
• Old Redwood Highway at Dawn Way
• Hembree Lane at Jensen Lane to Old Redwood Highway 

For more information or questions regarding the project call Public Works Street Division at (707) 838-1009.  

The Town of Windsor contracted with Weeks Drilling and Pump Company to complete the Town’s “Municipal Water Supply Well Feasibility Exploratory Borings and Existing Well Testing” Project. Public Works began the exploratory drilling last week at the first site, off Herb Road, drilling with a mud rotary drill rig. The project plan is to drill down to 600 feet deep and then test the various aquifers to see if the water quality meets drinking water standards to determine flow for a municipal well. Drilling will then continue in a second location off Los Amigos Road, and then sampling will be conducted at a third location where an older existing well is located, at Pleasant Oak Park for water quality testing. 

Following drilling and testing, a Groundwater Master Plan will be prepared by the end of the year that will describe the project outcome in detail and will be presented to the Town Council. For more information on the project contact the Project Manager, Elizabeth Cargay at (707) 838-5385 or by email at [email protected]

The Town of Windsor has received a technical assistance grant from the federal Department of Energy (DOE) to further evaluate the risks and benefits of a project that would convert the Town’s wastewater sludge (biosolids) into high-performance, consumer-ready fertilizer, and soil amendment, to cut Windsor’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and help stabilize future impacts to ratepayers.

The Biosolids Handling Facility project is designed to convert the wastewater sludge produced at the Town’s Water Reclamation Facility into Class A biosolids, a classification that allows its beneficial and unrestricted reuse as fertilizer and soil amendment. It would also reduce GHG emissions by 90% for the sludge removal process by capturing and sequestering carbon-based compounds as well as eliminating the need to truck the material to an offsite facility. Currently, the Town spends about $1 million annually for a contractor to haul the sludge for disposal as Class B biosolids.

“This project would be good for our ratepayers, good for the environment, and it would help the Town meet its GHG reduction goals,” said Shannon Cotulla, Windsor’s Public Works Director. “We appreciate the technical support from the Department of Energy to help us bring this project closer to completion.”

For more information or questions contact Public Works Director, Shannon Cotulla at (707) 838-1006 or by email at [email protected]

To conclude Parks Make Life Better Month, the Parks and Recreation team hosted a pop-up canopy at the Summer Nights on the Green concert on July 27. Town staff enjoyed the sounds of The Funky Dozen, surrounded by colleagues, friends, and family (including adorable grandchildren!).

Thank you for joining us in celebrating Parks Make Life Better Month throughout July, recognizing the significant role that parks and recreation play in fostering a healthy and thriving community. 

Stay Informed

When emergencies occur, stay informed. The Town of Windsor will update the community when emergency events occur on the following social media channels. Please follow us!

• Town of Windsor website
• Facebook
• Nextdoor

Another way to ensure your contact information is always correct is to update phone numbers and email addresses by contacting the Administrative Services Department, Utility Billing Division.

• Call (707) 838-1004 or (707) 838-1000
• Email [email protected]
• Register with Watersmart/Windsor

Alerts & Notifications

Alerts and notifications are essential for being prepared and informed during an event. There are multiple resources to gain important information.

• SoCoAlert – A community notification enrollment issued by CodeRed and hosted by County of Sonoma. SoCoAlerts are issued by the following phone number (866) 419-5000, so please save to eliminate the possibility of SPAM RISK. For more information or to sign up visit SoCoAlert Notifications
• Nixel – Sign up for Nixel alerts by texting Windsor zip code 95492 to 888777 to OPT-IN or visit Nixle
• PG&E – Public Safety Power Shutdown (PSPS) assists to mitigate wildfires. To learn more and get alerts visit PG&E PSPS notifications and updates

The Town of Windsor is looking for talented people. For information on open positions, click here for the full list. If you have questions about working for the Town, please reach out to our Human Resources team at [email protected]. 

Join our team! Go here to apply.

Here are some public meetings and workshops we would love for you to participate in. For more information on the agenda, click on the hyperlink to the corresponding meeting of interest. You can always find more meeting information on the calendar on the Town website homepage. 

Council Meetings

The Town Council meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6PM.

• August 16: Joint Windsor Town Council, Windsor Redevelopment Successor Agency and Water District
• August 16, 6:30PM: Special Joint Town Council and Planning Commission Meeting

Planning Commission Meetings

The Planning Commission meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:30PM.

• August 8: Meeting Cancelled
• August 22: Planning Commission

Parks and Recreation Commission

The Parks and Recreation Commission meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 6PM.

• August 9: Parks and Recreation Commission

Public Art Advisory Commission

The Public Art Advisory Commission meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 4:30PM.

• August 23: Public Art Advisory Commission

Senior Citizen Advisory Commission

The Senior Citizen Advisory Commission meets quarterly, on the third Tuesday at 2PM. (January, April, July, October)

• October 17: Coming Soon

PGE Virtual North Coast Town Hall – August 9  

PG&E will hold a virtual meeting on August 9 from 5:30 – 7PM to share information on wildfire weather, preparedness, and safety resources. PG&E will feature efforts and progress occuring in and around our communiy, provide resources to assist and support you and yoru family while connecting you with PG&E leadership. 

For more information on safety resources visit PG&E Safety Action Center at www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com or to join the webinar visit Wildfire safety webinars (pge.com)

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event - August 22

Never throw away household hazardous waste items in the garbage. Zero Waste Sonoma and its partners hold events to dispose of items properly and safely. An event is coming to Windsor on August 22. 

For more information on scheduled events and a helpful guide visit Zero Waste Sonoma . To schedule an appointment for the August 22 event, visit Schedule Appointment with Zero Waste Sonoma

More than 369,000 incidents of financial abuse targeting older adults are reported to authorities in the U.S. each year, causing an estimated $4.8 billion in losses, according to a January 2022 analysis of federal and state data by Comparitech, a cybersecurity research company. 

The National Council On Aging (NCOA) provides helpful tips to help prevent scams. For more information on Senior Money Scams visit the NCOA at Senior Money Scams: 8 Tips to Protect Yourself (ncoa.org).

Examples of Scams:

1. Fake Lottery or Sweepstakes
2. Grandparent Scam
3. Fake Virus or Ransomware
4. PG&E Scam (your power will be turned off unless you pay this amount immediately)
5. Email/Phishing

If you suspect a call or email is suspicious or have questions don’t hesitate to call the Windsor Police Department at (707) 838-1234.   

We had an amazing time at Windsor’s National Night Out 2023! 

A big thank you to all the neighbors, families, and friends who came out to the Town Green and stopped by our booth to chat, ask questions, and share your thoughts. It was a fantastic event bringing our community together to promote safety, unity, and positive connections. Seeing everyone’s enthusiasm and dedication to creating a safer Windsor warms our hearts.