$1
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Ag leaders address water concerns News, Page 3
Where local history comes alive Features, Page 7
Volume 143, Number 22 — Locally-owned since 1884
The hometown paper of Dan Carey
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Election filing opens July 13 for council, school board seats Express staff Voters will decide multiple local governing board seats this November, including three City Council positions and three Winters Joint Unified School District trustee seats, as the filing period for the 2026 General Municipal Election opens July 13. The election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, with candidate nomination papers accepted from July 13 through Aug. 7 at 5 p.m. If an incumbent eligible for re-election does not file by the deadline, the filing window will extend to Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. for other qualified candidates under California Elections Code provisions. On the ballot this year are three City Council seats and three school district trustee seats. The City Council seats are currently held by Al Vallecillo, Carol Scianna and Richard Casavecchia. The school board seats are Trustee Area 2 (Carrie Green), Area 3 (Joedy Michael) and Area 4 (Sterling Davis).
Filing opens July 13 In the City of Winters, prospective candidates for City Council must be at least 18 years old, reside within city limits and be a registered voter at the time nomination papers are is-
Courtesy graphic
The Trustee Areas included on the ballot for the General Election include Area 2, Area 3 and Area 4. sued. Beginning July 13, candidates may schedule an appointment with the City Clerk to obtain required nomination documents. Appointments are required. The City Clerk serves as the city’s official elections administrator, responsible for conducting municipal elections and assisting candidates, officeholders and
ballot measure supporters and opponents.
School board candidates file through county For the Winters Joint Unified School District, trustee candidates must file nomination paperwork in person with the Yolo County Elections Office in Woodland during the same July 13–Aug. 7 filing window.
Trustee-area maps and additional filing information are available on the district’s website under “District Information” on the Board of Trustees page.
Election structure and rules The Winters City Council is made up of five members serving staggered four-year terms, with no term limits. If only one or no candidate files for a seat, state law al-
lows the council to appoint a candidate under Section 10229 of the California Elections Code. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. The City Clerk can be reached at 530-794-6702 or cityclerk@cityofwinters. org, and full election information is available at www.cityofwinters.org/237/ Elections.
Commission approves short-term rental, denies large occupancy request Land use decisions and development updates top discussion topciss By Sonora Slater Express staff writer commission
EXPRESS
The
also discussed and voted on a conditional use permit for a new short-term vacation rental located at 300 Creekside Way. The unit has four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms and would typically be allowed a maximum occupancy of 10 guests. The owners, however, requested a variance to extend that maximum to 14 guests. Public commenters shared a variety of concerns, asking the commission to deny the request. Neighbors noted that the
location is in a quiet residential area, unlike some of the other short-term rentals in Winters that are closer to the downtown core. There was also concern that the high number of guests would create a party atmosphere and result in issues with noise. Residents also mentioned that having too many short-term rentals can change the character of a place and lessen the possibility of deep relationships with neighbors, and some suggested a
Index
We at he r
Features ........................ A-7
Date
Rain
High
Low
June 24
.00
93˚
54˚
June 25
.00
96˚
56˚
June 26
.00
93˚
61˚
June 27
.00
90˚
59˚
Eventos hispanos ....... A-5
June 28
.00
85˚
57˚
June 29
.00
87˚
60˚
Opinion ......................... A-8
June 30
.00
90˚
61˚
Real Estate ................... A-10
Rain for week: 0.00 in. Season’s total: 20.24 in. Last sn. to date: 19.27 in.
Classifieds ................... A-8 Community ..................A-3
Sports ........................... A-11
Winters rainfall season began 7/1/25. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily by local weatherman Joe Bristow.
limit on the number of short-term rentals. One person pointed out that occupancy rates for short-term rentals in Winters are fairly low, with properties sitting empty much of the year, and that adding another option may only exacerbate this problem. Currently, there are seven approved shortterm vacation rentals in the city. The property owners, Keri and Kyle Cliff, said that although they don’t live in Winters, they do frequent the city and live an hour away, making it possible for them to respond to any issues at the house in a timely manner. They also said that they plan to screen guests carefully and are not looking to advertise it as a party house, but as a place for large families to spend time together. The permit was approved by the commission, but not the variance for extra guests, so the location will have a maximum occupancy of 10 guests.
The commission also shared concerns about continuing to approve short-term rentals owned by outof-towners when some local residents still struggle to find housing.
Housing updates The commission also recommended approval of a ministerial housing element update, which is required by mandate from the state. Existing law requires that all California municipalities adopt ordinances for housing which address reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities or special needs. Although Winters has a plan for how to address this laid out in its Housing Element, progress on the plan is not complete, and the state has asked the city to take action. The plan is meant to make reasonable accommodations via variances or updates to housing for the sake of accessibility easier, removing regulatory
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barriers to fair housing opportunities. The commission approved the item, and it will next come before the council.
Public comment
A Davis resident named Alan Miller attended the meeting in order to speak during the public comment period on a dispute between him and Commissioner Matt Stone. The two had a heated exchange in the comments section of a column written by Stone in the Davis Vanguard, and Miller accused Stone of making anti-Jewish remarks toward him. Meeting resources The full meeting agenda and packet are available on the Winters Planning Commission page on the city of Winters website at www.cityofwinters.org/189/Planning-Commission. Residents are able to view the video recording of the meeting using the link under the “Available Archives” section on the same page.
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