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Winters seeks coordinated enforcement and navigation resources as creekside encampments threaten park and habitat
Summary
Police, fire and public works presented an update on outreach and encampment responses, and community groups urged coordination with Solano County, environmental protections for Pouda Creek and regular county navigator visits. Staff proposed letters to county partners and a multi‑agency coordination meeting.
City police, fire and public works officials presented a multi‑department update on Jan. 20 about outreach, enforcement and cleanup efforts related to encampments along Pouda (Pewter) Creek.
Police described the local outreach program (HOPE: outreach and police engagement), recent encampment cleanups and tactics for serving notices on public‑property camps, coordinating with property owners for trespass advisements on private property, and holding personal property of value as required. Officials said the county point‑in‑time count pulls Winters into a broader Yolo County total and that the January timing limits accuracy here; staff estimated Winters typically sees roughly six to eight unsheltered people at a time but acknowledged the county counted 75 unsheltered individuals across the county in the last point‑in‑time report.
Fire and public works described risks and operational burdens: several smoke investigations and small fires at encampments, recurring cleanups that fill large dumpsters, hazards such as human waste and environmental damage to riparian banks, and repeated re‑encampment after cleanups. Public‑interest groups including the Natural Resources Commission and Pouda Creek Council urged the city to protect the creek’s restoration gains and proposed an inclusive roundtable of partners to coordinate environmental design solutions and service navigation.
Council and staff discussed options including placing boulders to deter parking and camping in particular access points, exploring reuse of existing water towers or storage for fire flows, testing potential Well 9 as a water supply alternative, and coordinating with Solano County on enforcement for the opposite creek bank. City staff proposed drafting letters to the Solano County supervisor and the Yolo County supervisor requesting coordination and periodic navigator support on the Winters side; staff also proposed convening a multi‑party meeting in March or April to plan ecological and outreach interventions.
No new ordinances or funding allocations were adopted on Jan. 20; staff committed to draft letters and to convene the coordination meeting for council review.
