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Amador County – The Amador Integrated Waste Authority recently released its plan to help businesses meet new mandatory recycling law requirements for certain commercial and multi-unit housing businesses.

Amador County Solid Waste Program Manager Jim McHargue said in late May that the new Mandatory Commercial Recycling law takes effect on July 1. He said the new law requires businesses and multifamily complexes to recycle, if they meet certain criteria.

Assembly Bill 341, authored by Assembly Member Wesley Chesbro of Arcata, will require all businesses that generate four cubic yards or more of garbage per week to recycle. AB341 will also require all multifamily complexes of 5 units or more, such as apartments, to also recycle.

McHargue said the Amador County Integrated Waste Management Regional Agency, a joint powers authority consisting of all five incorporated cities and Amador County, formed an ad hoc committee more than a year ago to work on developing a program to comply with the new state mandate.

He said the “ad hoc committee has worked hard to strike a balance between enabling businesses and multifamily complexes to meet the requirements of the new law, while at the same time not burdening them with the excessive costs of a new unfunded state mandate.”

All businesses and multifamily complexes that meet the threshold for the Mandatory Commercial Recycling will receive a letter from ACES Waste Services with information on how to comply with the new regulation. These businesses will receive a 96 gallon recycling cart at no additional cost on their garbage bill. If a business or complex desires more recycling services beyond the base level, additional services will be made available upon request at additional cost.

A second component to AB 341 is a statewide recycling goal of 75%. Currently all cities and counties in California are required to meet the 50% diversion goal established in AB 939, the Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989. McHargue said the new law, AB 341, sets a new diversion goal of 75% to be achieved by January 1, 2020.

He said the Amador County Integrated Waste Management Regional Agency currently has a diversion rate equivalent to 70%.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Amador County – Amador County Chief Administrative Officer Chuck Iley last week answered a claim by a union negotiator that the county actually has a budget surplus.

At a May 22 budget workshop, Steve Bristow, Service Employees International Union business agent said a state-mandated audit showed a county budget surplus, but agreed a final budget is a work in progress, even at the end of the fiscal year, and the real end of the fiscal year is in September, when spending records.

Bristow said the county had a surplus carryover projected at $3.2 million dollars by the state auditor. Bristow said: “I think there are ways that we can work this out. So far we’ve received nothing but positive input from Supervisors.

Bristow pointed at concessions of about $1.2 million to $1.3 million dollars that employees made three years in a row, about a 10 percent concession at $1.3 million total per year.

Supervisor John Plasse said the board made it available to choose 36-hour work weeks or go to layoffs, and employees voted to go with former. Plasse said county deficit spending has to stop.

Bristow said: “What you’ve done with that surplus was fiscally prudent.”

Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster said they waited last year to let union members decide on layoffs or furloughs and the County lost two months of revenue savings. He said the layoffs will help keep the county solvent.

Bristow said other counties have 8-9% reserves, and Amador County has 24 percent in reserves.

John Hopkins, director of county General Services said about the reserves Bristow was talking about, there is no “bucket of money,” and the county does not have enough money when they look at all the projects, including some mandated capital improvement projects.

Plasse said 24 percent of our General Fund budget is a pretty small number, while in some counties, 8% is $10 million dollars.

Iley in a response last week said: “Spending $1.2 million dollars per year more than we are taking in does not count as a surplus, no matter how much SEIU wants to call it that.”

He said the County had a carryover of $4.7 million in fiscal year 2010-2011, and they anticipate “that will shrink to about $2.7 million to bring into fiscal year 2012-2013.”

He said the Board of Supervisors has been prudent in building a $7.5 million reserve, but the county must defend five suspects in the Carbondale marijuana farm murder trial. He said the “defense costs for each case could top $1 million. The state may help but there are no guarantees.”

He offered to explain the audit to people and “demonstrate that SEIU is distorting the facts in order to put political pressure on the Board.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Amador County – The Ione City Council this week will interview three finalists for its City Manager position, after initially getting 105 applications.

Interim City Manager Jeff Butzlaff officially ends his term at the end of June. He said the Search Committee whittled 105 initial applicants to 10, and the City Council conducted teleconference interviews to select three finalists.

Butzlaff said it was amazing screening was faster than he expected. The initial stack was well over 100 applicants and appeared to be a daunting task. The stack was narrowed to potential candidates, then further refined to 10 semifinalists. With phone interviews, the Council narrowed the list to the three finalists.

He said 10 semifinalists were from all over the world, though “one was kind of local.” He said “all three of finalists as it turns out are all from California.”

One potential finalist was from Oregon, but notified the city he was selected as a county administrative officer in Oregon, and withdrew. It was just a matter of the applicant getting their offer first.

Butzlaff said: “I think we’ve got three good candidates. They have passed muster and been through a pretty rigorous review.

The Council, city employees and community members on Tuesday will use a three-point process to interview the finalists. Butzlaff said it is a process he has used successfully throughout his career.

The initial interview will be with candidates and all city employees who are available. It is an opportunity for them to get acquainted with each other, know each other and learn about the applicant’s experiences and education. It assures that they do not have to introduce a new city manager to employees that don’t know them.

Applicants will also meet with the community panel of five community members. Then applicants individually will interview with the community panel, a cross section of community representatives.

From there the applicant interviews with the City Council. All are closed meetings, as was the screening committee. He said it was done with community participation, but the hiring process still is inherently confidential. The Selection Committee met three times and it took a while to screen. Butzlaff said the community participation on the search panel, and in the interview, gives the public more ownership of the outcome.

Butzlaff said they are looking for the candidate that is best for the city. It is a two-way street and they have “got to make sure all of the dots connect.”

He said they could be pretty close to having somebody on board by end of July. Butzlaff can’t officially continue as Interim city manager beyond June 30, because it would affect his retirement status.

June 19 is a regular meeting of council but after the interviews, where they go from here really depends on council.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

 

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-11-12 - Supervisor Richard Forster sits down with Tom Slivick to discuss the agenda for the upcoming board of supervisors meeting. 

 

 

 

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-11-12

• Ione City Council narrows 105 applications down to three finalists in City Manager search, and plans interviews this week.

• Iley answers Union claim that budget is surplus.

• Amador Integrated Waste Authority releases plan to meet new mandatory commercial recycling law requirements.

• St. Sava Mission plans 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee Celebration July 6-8 in Jackson.  

 

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-11-12

• Ione City Council narrows 105 applications down to three finalists in City Manager search, and plans interviews this week.

• Iley answers Union claim that budget is surplus.

• Amador Integrated Waste Authority releases plan to meet new mandatory commercial recycling law requirements.

• St. Sava Mission plans 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee Celebration July 6-8 in Jackson.  

 

 

 

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-11-12 - Supervisor Richard Forster sits down with Tom Slivick to discuss the agenda for the upcoming board of supervisors meeting. 

slide1-ione_city_council_narrows_105_applications_down_to_three_finalists_in_city_manager_search.png

Amador County – The Ione City Council this week will interview three finalists for its City Manager position, after initially getting 105 applications.

Interim City Manager Jeff Butzlaff officially ends his term at the end of June. He said the Search Committee whittled 105 initial applicants to 10, and the City Council conducted teleconference interviews to select three finalists.

Butzlaff said it was amazing screening was faster than he expected. The initial stack was well over 100 applicants and appeared to be a daunting task. The stack was narrowed to potential candidates, then further refined to 10 semifinalists. With phone interviews, the Council narrowed the list to the three finalists.

He said 10 semifinalists were from all over the world, though “one was kind of local.” He said “all three of finalists as it turns out are all from California.”

One potential finalist was from Oregon, but notified the city he was selected as a county administrative officer in Oregon, and withdrew. It was just a matter of the applicant getting their offer first.

Butzlaff said: “I think we’ve got three good candidates. They have passed muster and been through a pretty rigorous review.

The Council, city employees and community members on Tuesday will use a three-point process to interview the finalists. Butzlaff said it is a process he has used successfully throughout his career.

The initial interview will be with candidates and all city employees who are available. It is an opportunity for them to get acquainted with each other, know each other and learn about the applicant’s experiences and education. It assures that they do not have to introduce a new city manager to employees that don’t know them.

Applicants will also meet with the community panel of five community members. Then applicants individually will interview with the community panel, a cross section of community representatives.

From there the applicant interviews with the City Council. All are closed meetings, as was the screening committee. He said it was done with community participation, but the hiring process still is inherently confidential. The Selection Committee met three times and it took a while to screen. Butzlaff said the community participation on the search panel, and in the interview, gives the public more ownership of the outcome.

Butzlaff said they are looking for the candidate that is best for the city. It is a two-way street and they have “got to make sure all of the dots connect.”

He said they could be pretty close to having somebody on board by end of July. Butzlaff can’t officially continue as Interim city manager beyond June 30, because it would affect his retirement status.

June 19 is a regular meeting of council but after the interviews, where they go from here really depends on council.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

slide2-iley_answers_union_claim_that_budget_is_surplus.png

Amador County – Amador County Chief Administrative Officer Chuck Iley last week answered a claim by a union negotiator that the county actually has a budget surplus.

At a May 22 budget workshop, Steve Bristow, Service Employees International Union business agent said a state-mandated audit showed a county budget surplus, but agreed a final budget is a work in progress, even at the end of the fiscal year, and the real end of the fiscal year is in September, when spending records.

Bristow said the county had a surplus carryover projected at $3.2 million dollars by the state auditor. Bristow said: “I think there are ways that we can work this out. So far we’ve received nothing but positive input from Supervisors.

Bristow pointed at concessions of about $1.2 million to $1.3 million dollars that employees made three years in a row, about a 10 percent concession at $1.3 million total per year.

Supervisor John Plasse said the board made it available to choose 36-hour work weeks or go to layoffs, and employees voted to go with former. Plasse said county deficit spending has to stop.

Bristow said: “What you’ve done with that surplus was fiscally prudent.”

Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster said they waited last year to let union members decide on layoffs or furloughs and the County lost two months of revenue savings. He said the layoffs will help keep the county solvent.

Bristow said other counties have 8-9% reserves, and Amador County has 24 percent in reserves.

John Hopkins, director of county General Services said about the reserves Bristow was talking about, there is no “bucket of money,” and the county does not have enough money when they look at all the projects, including some mandated capital improvement projects.

Plasse said 24 percent of our General Fund budget is a pretty small number, while in some counties, 8% is $10 million dollars.

Iley in a response last week said: “Spending $1.2 million dollars per year more than we are taking in does not count as a surplus, no matter how much SEIU wants to call it that.”

He said the County had a carryover of $4.7 million in fiscal year 2010-2011, and they anticipate “that will shrink to about $2.7 million to bring into fiscal year 2012-2013.”

He said the Board of Supervisors has been prudent in building a $7.5 million reserve, but the county must defend five suspects in the Carbondale marijuana farm murder trial. He said the “defense costs for each case could top $1 million. The state may help but there are no guarantees.”

He offered to explain the audit to people and “demonstrate that SEIU is distorting the facts in order to put political pressure on the Board.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

slide3-waste_authority_releases_plan_to_meet_new_mandatory_commercial_recycling_law_requirements.png

Amador County – The Amador Integrated Waste Authority recently released its plan to help businesses meet new mandatory recycling law requirements for certain commercial and multi-unit housing businesses.

Amador County Solid Waste Program Manager Jim McHargue said in late May that the new Mandatory Commercial Recycling law takes effect on July 1. He said the new law requires businesses and multifamily complexes to recycle, if they meet certain criteria.

Assembly Bill 341, authored by Assembly Member Wesley Chesbro of Arcata, will require all businesses that generate four cubic yards or more of garbage per week to recycle. AB341 will also require all multifamily complexes of 5 units or more, such as apartments, to also recycle.

McHargue said the Amador County Integrated Waste Management Regional Agency, a joint powers authority consisting of all five incorporated cities and Amador County, formed an ad hoc committee more than a year ago to work on developing a program to comply with the new state mandate.

He said the “ad hoc committee has worked hard to strike a balance between enabling businesses and multifamily complexes to meet the requirements of the new law, while at the same time not burdening them with the excessive costs of a new unfunded state mandate.”

All businesses and multifamily complexes that meet the threshold for the Mandatory Commercial Recycling will receive a letter from ACES Waste Services with information on how to comply with the new regulation. These businesses will receive a 96 gallon recycling cart at no additional cost on their garbage bill. If a business or complex desires more recycling services beyond the base level, additional services will be made available upon request at additional cost.

A second component to AB 341 is a statewide recycling goal of 75%. Currently all cities and counties in California are required to meet the 50% diversion goal established in AB 939, the Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989. McHargue said the new law, AB 341, sets a new diversion goal of 75% to be achieved by January 1, 2020.

He said the Amador County Integrated Waste Management Regional Agency currently has a diversion rate equivalent to 70%.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.