Amador County – Better late than never, the Amador Water Agency board of directors heard Thursday that its second quarter cash amount was helped by a half-million-dollar grant for the Amador Transmission Pipeline.

Finance Manager Mike Lee said it helped AWA’s cash total $1.47 million as of Jan. 1, and finances are “tracking better than expected.”

Lee said “we did receive a $500,000 grant from the Department of Water Resources,” which was “placed in the Amador Water System reserves.” It was specific to the AWS and came as a “water use efficiency grant,” for the pipeline. He said “it came late but it will still help.”

AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo said Assemblywoman Alyson Huber was instrumental in getting that Department of Water Resources grant pushed through, and that “check processed” by the state.

Director Art Toy asked about the sustainability study in Camanche, and Engineering Manager Erik Christesen said it had a $27,000 agency in-kind match, and about $200,000 left on the grant.

Christesen said staff had begun to negotiate easements for the Gravity Supply Line, which he said is going better than he expected, with an excellent job being done by Ken Hunt.

Christesen reported that the application had been finished and submitted for a Proposition 50 grant for the small diameter pipeline in the Amador Canal. The AWA board authorized up to $10,000 in staff time to finish the application, and it was completed at a cost of $1,500. The application seeks a $2 million Prop 50 grant to build the pipeline to serve about 100 customers on the old Amador Canal.

Christesen said staff work was 1 or 2 months behind on GSL work, with the work on Prop 84 and Prop 50 grants coming up. Mancebo said a financial plan needs to be in place by July 22 toward getting the USDA grant for the GSL pipeline. The plans include rate increases, if needed. He said they would “like to have the bids before they go forward.”

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors heard that $1.2 million in remodeling work through state recreation grants was finding some blockage to progress, though the elements were not yet among the causes.

Amador County Recreation Agency Director Tracy Towner-Yep said the Proposition 40 grant funds were likely to be extended another year on about $700,000 in project funding, for various building remodels around the county. Some of those will have to be completed by March 31 to keep the funding alive. One of those is the remodeling of the Pine Grove Town Hall, and the other is a remodel at the Volcano Armory.

Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said he was worried about meeting the March 31 deadline. He said these are “expensive projects that need to be finished on time.”

Towner-Yep said a county building permit was not yet issued for the Pine Grove Town Hall job because the Amador Water Agency “threw us a curve” and needed $650 to review the plans. Once that paperwork is given, the building permit will be issued. She said demolition has begun at the Town Hall. Supervisor Louis Boitano suggested she talk with AWA’s official in District 4, Robert Manassero.

Supervisors also wondered about the jobs being won by non-local contractors. Towner-Yep said: “We did advertise up here,” and “it’s against the law for us to call people and say ‘Bid on this job.’ ” She said most of these guys are hiring local contractors and buy local materials, so some of the money is staying in the county.

She said the Pine Grove Town Hall may need unexpected drywall to reinforce it, as recommended by the contractor. She said Supervisors had loaned ACRA $200,000 that the state owes the agency for the projects, and Plymouth City Council had loaned another $90,000. Work locations include Pioneer Park, Plymouth, River Pines and Volcano.

Supervisor Ted Novelli asked why nobody was working last week to lay brick or block on one project, with good weather in which to work. Towner-Yep said the bricklayer had guaranteed that he would start work on Tuesday. Supervisor Richard Forster said they “need to call the bricklayer and tell him the Super Bowl party is over.” Plasse said rain was forecast for this weekend.

Towner-Yep said boulders in Volcano that crumbled to the touch were an issue, causing a redesign of the Armory remodel. She said it was decided that it would be better to build around them. Novelli said that “change orders need to be brought immediately.”

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Amador County – Supervisors on Tuesday discussed the recent Mother Lode Tea Party meeting held last weekend, including addressing interpretation of existing rules.

Leroy Carlin, a former county planning commissioner, initiated the discussion during matters not on the agenda, saying he had seen a couple of supervisors there. He said he learned that “they now declare milk as a hazardous waste.” Supervisor Brian Oneto said: “Tell that to my dog.”

Carlin criticized the county “building luxury things for entertainment” through Proposition 40 recreation funding, saying he would “liken it to the orchestra playing during the sinking of the Titanic.”

Oneto said a “20 percent increase in staff” at the Air Resources Board seemed to indicate the board was preparing to come after businesses over air quality code violations, “while people are trying to survive.”

Supervisor Richard Forster said he went to the Tea Party presentation to hear about changes with the 1602 permit process, and how Fish & Game has been enforcing law in Siskiyou County, on the Oregon border. Forster said Siskiyou is “the poster child” for new “strong arm tactics,” because “Fish & Game needs revenue” and this is their new process.”

Forster said the 1602 water discharge permit is a good law and has been around for a long time. It protects streams from impacts such as bulldozer work. He said “Fish & Game has reinterpreted it” and when a man in Siskiyou County was weed-whacking berry bushes beside a stream, he was “fined $20,000 for impacting the stream.” Forster said the Regional Council of Rural Counties is engaged in analyzing counties that are engaged in this tactic.

Supervisor Louis Boitano said there are other sides to the issue that are relevant, but not always published. But Boitano said “I cannot disagree with you about the Air Resources Board” and its bureaucracy level.

Oneto likened it to when the “king sends forth his legions of minions.” He said large corporations can adjust to the changes, but “when you add up all the impacts on small businesses, they cannot do it.”

Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said it is the state getting involved in local-level enforcement. Plasse gave an example, saying that since September 2010, the Central Sierra Regional Water Quality Control Board has made three surprise inspections on a business in Plymouth.

He said they never contacted the owner, including once finishing a surprise inspection before accepting the owner’s contact information. Plasse said the Regional Water Quality Board has “now slapped them with a storm water discharge permit requirement” that would cost $1,000 a year and would probably put them out of business.

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Amador County – A traffic stop early Tuesday in Ione led to the arrest of a Burson man on multiple felony charges, including possession of methamphetamine for sale, and the possession of a dangerous weapon. ¶ Ione Police Chief Michael L. Johnson said a traffic stop of vehicle containing a parolee and a man on probation resulted in “dope and possession of dangerous weapon arrests.”

Johnson said Ione Police Department spotted a traffic infraction on a black Chevy Blazer at it passed by at about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8 in Ione. “The vehicle, occupied by three male adults, yielded without incident as the officer approached to investigate.”

After obtaining identification information from the three men, the officer “was quickly alerted by dispatch that one of the occupants was a felony probationer” and another was on active parole with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

An Amador County Sheriff’s Office deputy and a Jackson Police Department officer responded to assist, Johnson said. “All occupants were removed from the vehicle and a search ensued.”

“Bags of methamphetamine, digital scales, packaging material” and other indications “of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances were located inside the vehicle,” Johnson said. “An illegal and dangerous weapon was also removed from the vehicle.”

Joseph Fisher, age 32, of Burson was placed in custody on multiple felonies of transportation of controlled substances, possession of controlled substances for sales, possession of controlled substances, and possession of an illegal dangerous weapon.

26-year-old Jimmy Rayburn of Valley Springs was placed in custody on a violation of parole. Both subjects were booked into the Amador County Jail, Johnson said, and the vehicle was released to the custody of the third male adult.

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Amador County – A water main in Busi Field at Busi Ranch in Jackson was ruptured by a heavy equipment operator Thursday, leading to a spray of water, and emergency repairs.

Larry White of the city of Jackson Public Works said that workers were digging to install a sewer line when they encountered the old city water line, which is a 10-inch diameter pipe. He said the water line was not labeled in the city’s infrastructure system, and it was not detected before the digging equipment hit the line and caused the rupture.

White said the leaking line was isolated and turned off, and one customer was left without service pending repairs, but that customer was out of town.

Amador County – A new law ensures affordable health insurance coverage for children, regardless of pre-existing conditions, and enrollment is now open.

Assemblywoman Alyson Huber in a release Wednesday said she “wants to make sure parents know about a critical open enrollment period occurring right now for children with pre-existing conditions that ends on March 1.” During the open enrollment period, parents can sign up for more affordable health insurance for their children.

She said: “As a result of the federal health care reform,” children “with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage – they also cannot be charged rates that are more than double the rates of healthy kids.”

Huber said “parents of healthy children without insurance should also sign their kids up,” otherwise they may be subject to a 20 percent surcharge on their insurance rates for a full year.

She said: “Allowing children with pre-existing conditions to get health coverage is a positive change in our health care system.”

Huber said: “The law allows kids to receive the health care they need, at a price their parents can afford,” and “if parents don’t act by March 1, coverage for their kids could be significantly more expensive.”

Last year, California Assembly Bill 2244 was passed and signed into law to implement this component of federal health care reform in California, Huber said. The new law has been in effect since Jan. 1, and it “gives California children access to affordable care by ensuring that certain children cannot be denied coverage or priced out of the market. It also prohibits insurers that sell individual market policies in California from refusing to sell or renew coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.”

Parents should be aware of a number of important educational resources on how to obtain health coverage for children during and after the open enrollment period. Parents are encouraged to check the website of the California Department of Insurance to find fact sheets on how to insure their children.

For info, call CDI at 1-800-927-HELP or the state health insurance hotline at 1-888-466-2219.

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