Tom
Monday, 12 July 2010 06:25
Board of Supervisors Pre-Agenda Report with Richard Forster 7-12-10
Published in
Amador County Board of Supervisors Reports
Monday, 12 July 2010 06:16
AWA Could Begin Prop 218 verification for CAWPthis Week
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency last week had yet to start verifying the protests submitted July 1st aimed at stopping a rate increase in the Central Amador Water Project service area. General Manager Gene Mancebo said the verification could get underway today (Monday, July 12th). The Proposition 218 protest verifications had not yet begun due to vacation time being taken, he said. At the July 1st protest, Board Clerk Chris Thompson said it would likely take about two 8-hour days to verify the protest. She said other protests, such as the Camanche water system, were easier to verify because they were all on the same piece of paper. On July 1st, organizer David Evitt delivered 1,691 protests. They need 1,313 valid protests to stop the rate increase. Thompson said they were each on individual forms, which all must be compared with the AWA database. Karen Gish of the AWA said Thompson and Mancebo were on vacation last week. The verification must look at whether signers of protests were the owners of the properties, or if they were renters. The process will also look to eliminate duplication. Protest organizer Ken Berry said there would be duplicates, but he and board members expected there to be enough protests to end the rate increase. Evitt said he, Berry, and other volunteers spent 200 to 400 hours collecting signatures door-to-door. He would say: “Hi, I’m David Evitt and I’m here to talk to you about why your water rates are going up.” He said 98 percent of the people he talked to signed a petition. Last week, Director Don Cooper said the board should “talk about how to interface with the public” and educate them about the agency. He spent 2 hours at a holiday party explaining the difference between the Central Amador Water Project service area and the Gravity Supply Line project. He said “our customers are not totally aware of what we are,” and did not know that the Central Amador Water Project was a territory and was not (in itself) the Gravity Supply Line. Vice President Debbie Dunn agreed, but said “you should build a relationship with them before you educate them,” and “you just can’t keep slamming them with information.” Cooper agreed, and said they really need a “marketing plan.” Rich Farrington agreed, saying some explanations by the board at the July 1st rate hearing seemed to help CAWP residents better understand the situation. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Water
Monday, 12 July 2010 06:15
AWA Discusses CAWP Capacity Constraints
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors last week discussed capacity constraints of the Central Amador Water Project service area. The board gave staff direction to bring back information about a water rights application filed with the state. General Manager Gene Mancebo said the board wants to see how much time and money it would take to increase water rights. The CAWP has a capacity “limitation of 1,150 acre feet annually,” and as recently as 2004, the usage was “up to 1,133 acre feet.” The agency set about the “process of expanding the water right,” Mancebo said. “Since then, water demands have dropped off significantly,” which could be due to cooler, milder weather, or the economy. Current usage is “probably less than a 1,000 acre feet annually,” or “at least 10 percent less that it was a few years ago,” but he said the agency must be prepared “if it gets hot again and people use water more like they have in the past.” Staff is also concerned about allowing new connections to CAWP. Mancebo said the application would expand AWA’s capacity usage from 1,150 acre feet a year to 2,200 acre feet a year. Amador County water rights total 5,000 acre feet, with CAWP using the first 1,150 acre feet, and the Jackson Valley Irrigation District using the balance of 3,850 acre feet. Mancebo said AWA also has “the water right that came with the Amador Canal, which is substantially larger, and we are not using all of that.” One thought was to “use some of that canal water in CAWP” on an interim basis. Mancebo said an increase to 2,200 acre feet of rights in CAWP matched the capacity of the proposed Gravity Supply pipeline, but if that were not built, the agency could improve the CAWP pump stations to handle that flow. He said they were hoping to hear something from the USDA soon about a possible $5 million grant for the GSL project. Staff Thursday reported that the CAWP system’s Pump Number 2 at Silver Lake Pines was reparable. The “pump can” had developed a leak, which the company, Don Pedro, repaired and reinforced by welding a bowl to its bottom, and creating a mid-can seam, instead of a bottom seam. It was the second time in three years that Pump 2’s can developed such a leak, likely due to the constant pressure of the pump. It still needed to be sandblasted, coated with epoxy and installed. Staff said the pump motor looked really good and they did not bother to rebuild it. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Water
Monday, 12 July 2010 06:13
Sac State to Reduce Enrollment Due To Budget Cutbacks
Sacramento - Faced with severe budget reductions from the state and an increase in student applications, Sacramento State officials have declared campus enrollment impaction starting with the fall 2011 semester. University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Joseph Sheley and Vice President for Student Affairs Lori Varlotta offered a recommendation regarding impaction to President Alexander Gonzalez. The recommendation, which was accepted by Gonzalez, was approved by the CSU Chancellor's Office in Long Beach. University officials presented their information to and sought feedback from students, faculty and staff during meetings and forums held throughout the spring semester. A campus is designated as impacted when the number of applications from qualified applicants exceeds the funded capacity of the campus to accommodate them. Application data indicate Sacramento State could see an enrollment jump of 4 percent to 6 percent, and would not be able to financially provide quality academic programs, courses and support services to the extra students, says Ed Mills, associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Support. Students from Sacramento State's local area for admission, such as seniors at local high schools or transfer students from local community colleges, will continue to be admitted under the existing minimum requirements for CSU admission. The local area for admission includes students at high schools and community colleges in Amador, Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, El Dorado, Solano and San Joaquin Counties. The campus will be able to apply additional admissions criteria to students outside these counties and accept them on a space-available basis. Some students outside the counties may qualify for admission based on hardships and/or special circumstances. Sacramento State will continue to conduct outreach efforts in Alpine, Amador, Colusa, Nevada, Sierra and Sutter Counties to ensure that students in those areas have the information they need to apply for CSU admission. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Education
Monday, 12 July 2010 06:12
Kids Bowl Free Program Provides Free Games
Amador County - Kids Bowl Free.com and over 750 participating bowling centers from coast to coast have teamed up to provide kids with two free games of bowling every day all summer. Local bowling centers provide the Kids Bowl Free – two free game program as a way to give back to their local community for all of their support throughout the school year and winter months. Local bowling centers are partnering with schools, churches and businesses to distribute information now so that families can register online for the Kids Bowl Free program in their community. The Kids Bowl Free Program currently has over 750 participating bowling centers in 45 states. Given the current state of the economy Kids Bowl Free is a fantastic way for families to have a great time together without breaking the bank. During the summer of 2009 over 475,000 families and 1,076,000 children participated in the Kids Bowl Free program. Families that register will receive coupons valid for Two Free Bowling Games each day sent to their email address every Sunday morning from the starting date at their center until the conclusion of the program in their community. Most Kids Bowl Free programs end in late August 2010. If you would like to learn more, contact Bruce Davis at (239) 272-2738 or Darin Spindler at (920) 632-7018 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Recreation
Monday, 12 July 2010 06:08
Resource Connection of Amador and Calaveras Appoints New Interim Executive Director
Amador County - The Resource Connection of Amador and Calaveras counties has appointed Kelli Fraguero as the interim executive director after the resignation of Jim Ormand earlier this month. Fraguero is the program director of the Prevention and Intervention Division of the organization which includes the Calaveras Crisis Center, the Court Self Help Legal Center and the Once Again Thrift Store, and has been with the Resource Connection for eight-and-a-half years. Prior to her employment with the Resource Connection, Fraguero served as the executive director of the Calaveras Visitors Bureau and was employed by the Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau as the marketing manager and film commissioner. Fraguero lives in Sonora with her husband Rick and her three dogs. “It is my responsibility to keep the organization moving forward so that the board can take the time to find the right leader for this organization,” Fraguero said. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
Friday, 09 July 2010 06:24
Sutter Creek COuncil COmments on Grand Jury Findings
Amador County – Mayor Gary Wooten defended his style of leading the Sutter Creek City Council on Tuesday, and exchanged words with a member of the public over general criticism by the Amador County Grand Jury. A man pointed out one report finding that said: “Grand Jurors attending City Council meetings observed some members of the City Council managing by intimidation and being unresponsive to citizens’ concerns.” The man said Wooten’s manner was indicative of that. Wooten said he always lets people have their say in meetings, listens to them and makes his decisions. The man asked Councilwoman Sandy Anderson about a bridge dedicated to her late daughter, using funds raised by Gold Rush Ranch, as reported by the Grand Jury. Wooten said: “That’s a real low-life comment.” The man responded by calling Wooten “low-life white trash,” then left the meeting. Anderson said she did not benefit financially from the plaque that honored her daughter. She said it was done “for my grandchildren and my son-in-law,” and it was funded by a long-time family friend, Helen Bierce, whose husband works for Gold Rush, but Helen does not. Lorraine Davis, who also works for Gold Rush, helped with the plaque. Planning Commissioner Mike Kirkley asked the council why it had not publically discussed allegations in the Grand Jury report. Mayor Pro Tempore Tim Murphy said they had brought up issues at 3 public meetings, but “what we haven’t done is humiliate anyone publicly.” Murphy said the council’s critics are “not going to get anybody crucified.” Kirkley asked about findings on former City Manager Rob Duke. Wooten said Duke “was put under a lot of pressure (and not by the city council) and he left.” Councilman Pat Crosby said Duke went to a bigger city. Crosby handed out his own written responses to the Grand Jury report. Crosby said many of the findings “concerning the city manager could have been minimized by greater oversight by the city attorney” of Duke’s actions “or at least been forcibly brought to the attention of the city council before implementation.”
Duke is police chief in Huron. Crosby said the city lacked a bridge naming procedure, which has since been created, after Wooten assigned a committee to formulate that procedure. Crosby agreed with many recommendations, and made some of his own. One was to either give up on having a city police department or “raise property taxes by $800,000 per year to maintain a service that the sheriff could supply for far less.” He also suggested the city fire its employees and contract for municipal duties. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
Friday, 09 July 2010 06:22
Pine Acres Hearing Continues Tuesday
Amador County - An appeal hearing for the Pine Acres North subdivision project is scheduled to resume at the Board of Supervisors meeting next Tuesday after an all day discussion before a packed chamber last week. According to Lynn Morgan, Upcountry Community Council Chair, Supervisors opted to continue the hearing “ because they received so much additional information from the witnesses that they really needed some time to look through it and analyze it before they made a decision.” Morgan was among the scores who filled the chamber last week to hear more about the proposed project, to be located in the area of Tabeaud Road and Highway 88. Pine Acres residents Jerry and Kelly Trottier recently filed an appeal regarding the Amador County Planning Commission’s approval of the project, prompting consideration by the Board of Supervisors. Jerry Trottier previously told TSPN that one of the paramount reasons behind his decision to appeal is that in the case of a fast moving wildfire, he would have to exit down Tabeaud Road onto Highway 88. “With the density of the Pine Acres subdivision, it would make it more difficult to get onto Highway 88 from Tabeaud road,” he said, adding: “The situation is difficult now, and this would make it a lot worse.” As proposed, the development would create 90 units, including 66 single family lots, 3 four unit lots or “quadplexes,” and one 12 unit apartment complex on a total of 44 acres, or what Trottier describes as “an extremely high density.” Some units are proposed to be built on 1/5 of an acre or less. Trottier also says the developers plan to build additional tank storage a mile and half down Tabeaud Road, which in his opinion would cause closure of the road for an extended period of time due to construction. The vast majority of those in attendance last week seemed to agree with the Trottier’s concerns, and voiced their opinions during public comment over the course of over four hours. Supervisors were reportedly convinced that many valid issues were raised, and opted to continue the hearing without deciding whether to give a decision. Supervisor Ted Novelli said Thursday that the board was recently “sequestered by county counsel,” which disallows board members from speaking publicly about the issue. He said he personally would like more transparency, but for now encouraged concerned citizens to attend the continued hearing next Tuesday at the board chambers in Jackson. The official time was not available at the time this story was written. Pine Acres is proposed by Thomas Martin & Associates, a developer located in Folsom. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
