Tom
Friday, 05 March 2010 01:09
Amador-Wide Fire Plans Cause Disagreements on Costs, Hiring
Amador County - Ongoing debates over different proposals for a county-wide fire services plan have created a rift between the county and some of its fire services entities. In a TSPN interview, Amador Fire Protection Authority (AFPA) Chairman Connie Gonsalves said the “ultimate goal of the plan is consolidation of county-wide fire services with the concept that each department keeps its own identity.” The meat of the debate centers on a plan approved by the Amador County Fire Protection District (AFPD) – also the Amador County Board of Supervisors – which proposes new Battalion Chief and Training Captain positions to be filled by members of CALFIRE in order to coordinate and supervise all seven county fire districts. This is contrary to a plan created by AFPD Chief Jim McCart which proposes the Battalion Chief be hired locally and does not include a Training Captain. “CALFIRE is expensive…but CALFIRE knows fire and understands rural environments,” said County Administrative Officer Terri Daly in a presentation before the AFPA last week. She said the board agrees to fund the cumulative cost of these contracts and redundant costs will be eliminated with the goal of eventually “shifting (the plan) to local paid personnel” over three years. Her proposal was immediately criticized by members of the Sutter Creek Fire District (SCFD) as costly and vague. “It’s a wide open documents and I for one still have a lot of questions,” said SCFD Administrator Dominic Moreno. Another SCFD supporter called it “backdoor politics if we can have the county and state come in and put a spike in our back.”
SCFD Commissioner Ron Watson says his district has a host of problems with the county’s plan. “The cost difference to hire state union employees under the county’s plan adds an additional $222,954,” he said. “Not to mention it overcomplicates the chain of command with no interface with the existing AFPD Battalions.” He said perhaps the biggest problem with the county plan is that “funding only lasts one year, then you have to find somewhere to make reductions somewhere else.” AFPD Chief Jim McCart believes “we need to hire local government employees, not give our money back to the state.” He said he sees his proposal as the “most viable option” but he is open to other opinions. In addition to the SCFD, representatives from Ione and Plymouth have questioned both plans and what it means for their cities. The discussion will continue at the next AFPA meeting on March 18th and the AFPD meeting on April 6th. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Fire
Friday, 05 March 2010 01:07
Argonaut Girls Hoops Heading to ARCO, Championship Title
Amador County – The Argonaut High School varsity girls basketball team moved to 30-0 on the season last night (Wednesday, March 3rd) with a 54-53 overtime win over Colfax in the state playoff tournament in Tokay. The Mustangs and Coach Mel White head to the California Sac-Joaquin Section Division 4 championship, with an 11:30 a.m. tipoff Saturday at ARCO Arena. TSPN’s Our Sports Show host Frank Halvorson spoke with Coach Mel White after the game Wednesday. Argonaut plays for the Division 4 Championship at about 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Arco Arena against Modesto Christian. The game is a rematch from last year’s spoiler. Modesto Christian knocked Argonaut out of the playoffs almost a year ago to the day, last March. Modesto Christian won Wednesday, 58-51 over Christian Brothers. Tune in to Our Sports Show next Wednesday at 7 a.m. for a report on Argonaut’s playoff games, including the win over Colfax, and hopefully their championship performance. Good luck to the Argonaut girls. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Friday, 05 March 2010 01:05
Plymouth Lodge Hill Project Interests USDA
Amador County – Plymouth City Council discussed the Lodge Hill remodel project last week, learning its finish date was pushed back about half a month by weather to June 15th. The project has not found anything unusual beside small animal nests, said Mayor Patricia Fordyce, but they have run into a problem of trying to make wainscoting from old wall boards on the new walls. Rancho Cordova-based Kaler-Dobler Construction cannot place the wainscoting back on the walls, but Lodge Hill Committee members will do that. Fordyce said part of the problem is lead paint on the old wood, which must be removed. Plymouth had a visit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which toured 2 facilities in town for potential funding. Fordyce said they were interested in the Lodge Hill project’s second phase. The current project is installing a kitchen, restrooms, new French doors, windows, walls, a foundation, a roof and other features to the main floor of the lodge. Funding was adequate to address only the main floor, so the upper level will be left as it is. Lodge Hill’s current remodeling phase is using $95,000 in Proposition 40 funding allocated by the Amador County Recreation Agency board of directors. It also received a $250,000 historic preservation grant from the state. Fordyce said USDA saw the upper floor restoration as a potentially fundable project, but officials did not make the same distinction for the city firehouse construction project. The project began about 7 years ago, funded by the city, with volunteer firefighters and Pine Grove Fire Camp crews adding labor. Fordyce said the city council last week discussed getting funds to finish the interior of the building, including drywall, to be able to house its full-time firefighters, paid by Measure M funding. The city has money for the firehouse, including $2,700 given by the Ione Band of Miwok Indians several years ago, left over from an original amount of $5,000. She said Supervisor Brian Oneto would try to help the firehouse project with discretionary funds, “if they come back.” An Amador County mid-year report last week showed a county budget shortfall of more than a $4 million. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Friday, 05 March 2010 01:02
Amador Sheriff Books 7 More on Unrelated Drug Charges
Amador County – The Amador County Sheriff’s Office this week reported 7 more drug-related arrests over the last month, including a Mule Creek State Prison employee who was charged with selling a controlled substance to a person who was in custody, and also for bringing a weapon into a prison. Wayne Dion Bullard, 38, of Ione was arrested Monday at the prison and booked on 2 felony counts, and was being held on $100,000 bail. Also Monday, authorities arrested Laurence Dale Mayfield, 55, of Stockton on a felony count of possession of a controlled substance, at Ridge Road and Ampine Road. His bail was set at $10,000. 2 arrests occurred in the 12000 block of New York Ranch Road in Jackson Tuesday. Gary Allen Siler, 41, of Lodi was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance at 4:20 p.m. Siler’s bail was $10,000. Lisa Marie Delarosa, 44, also of Lodi was arrested at 3:30 p.m. in the same area, charged with being under the influence of a controlled substance. On February 4th, Phansy Hea, 27, of Stockton was arrested on 4 felony charges at Bowers Drive and Ridge Road. Charges included possession and transportation of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana for sale. He was being held without bail. Summer Lyneisha Morrow, 18, of San Jose, was arrested February 27th on felony charges for bringing a controlled substance in a youth facility. Morrow was arrested at the Preston Youth Correctional facility, and bail was $20,000. Larry Davis, 48, of Oakland was arrested February 22nd on a felony charge of bringing a controlled substance into a youth facility. He was arrested at 201 Waterman Road in Ione. He also was charged with misdemeanors of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana while driving. Bail was $20,000. Recent sheriff’s call log reports included recent reports, including a burglary at Lakeview Drive. The resident reported theft of medication valued at $4,000, with nothing else missing. The resident said a rear sliding door was left unlocked. A caller Tuesday reported vandalism on Tonzi Road. A woman said she found burned books at the gate of her property, and her gate was torn down. A caller on Sugar Pine Drive requested “extra patrol” for the area of Ponderosa Way at Mike Clark Field to Sugar Pine Drive South, weekdays at approximately 4:15 p.m.” because “there is apparently a large band of teenagers that cause mayhem through the neighborhood as they make their way home.” This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Law Enforcement
Wednesday, 03 March 2010 17:00
ARTS Board Establsihes Mobilitly Management Contractor Roles
Amador County – The Amador Regional Transit System Board of Directors on Tuesday clarified the role of the Mobility Management consultants contracted through the Amador Regional Transit System (ARTS). The contract employs two contractors whose job it is to target mainly elderly, low income and handicapped populations and coordinate ways to better serve their transportation needs.
Mel Welsh will now be the lead contractor answering directly to ARTS Manager James Means and Caitlin Grillo will be working with Welsh as a sub-contractor. The discussion included clarification on a number of legal questions from Means about the contract, which is funded by a two-year, $250,000 transit administration grant administered through Caltrans. Welsh said the contract was recently renewed for another two-year cycle and ARTS has applied to extend the contract an additional two years beyond that. Welsh said she is confident about the future of her current position because “Caltrans has been very inclusive of our program.” She said Amador County and Caltrans have maintained a “good, professional working relationship.” Welsh said mobility management is a concept that has been around for decades but has begun to regain popularity. She described a number of current projects consistent with the ARTS mission to make low cost public transportation services available throughout the county and beyond. Welsh said one of their biggest current projects is coordinating a van system at the Behavioral Health Center. She is organizing a focus group with clients of the center to get a picture of their transportation needs. The county purchased a van with funding from the California Mental Health Services Act, but said the center must find a driver before the van is put in their control. Another example of mobility management occurred in River Pines recently, where Welsh coordinated a carpool to transport a man who relied on public transportation to get to and from work. Bus routes have been cut in that area because of budget restraints. “that is just another way mobility management creates effective solutions for people who rely on ARTS for their transportation needs,” Welsh said. Means describes the mobility management team’s location at the newly-opened transit center as a “one-stop shop” for answers on transportation questions. “There is a lot of support for what they do and I know there are a lot of people in the county who appreciate it,” said Means. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Wednesday, 03 March 2010 17:00
Freedom of Speech, Brown Act Central to AWA Discussion of GSL Paper
Amador County – Three Amador Water Agency board members cited First Amendments rights to free speech in last week’s discussion of a paper published by District 3 Director Don Cooper in late January with information about the proposed Gravity Supply Line project. District 4 Director Debbie Dunn requested the issue be placed on last Thursday’s agenda and criticized Cooper for sending a 4-page e-mail co-directors of the Upcountry Community Council, who passed the papers on to their group’s members before Cooper spoke to UCC in early February. Dunn, co-founder and former co-director of Upcountry Council, was admonished by 2 current UCC members, including Linda Stroh and Sherry Curtis. Stroh said Dunn was “very unprofessional and “verbally abusive” to Cooper at the meeting.” She said Dunn singled out 4 of Cooper’s issues and used UCC as a platform “to address this paper and slam Mr. Cooper.” Dunn said “what I did was, I stood up as a board member” to “make sure the public has the truth” and facts and knows the source of the information. Dunn said she wanted UCC to know Cooper’s paper did not represent the AWA board on the GSL. Dunn said one of the items was “PG&E rate conditional increases and hearings” regarding “class-action lawsuits that raise rates.” Cooper said “there was a lot of first-person intensity” in his writing, but UCC requested some information they “could utilize as generating discussion.” He noted the council’s limited time, and said he wanted UCC’s to see GSL information that would generate discussion. Cooper said: “I did not do this all by myself.” He said per existing board policy, anything they do as board members should be run through the General Manger, and he did that. He said he wrote the document and exchanged it 3 or 4 times with Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo for review. He said he thought “it was appropriate in a business sense to be able to do that,” and that sharing it with all board members would be a violation of the Brown Act “and I did not think that was absolutely necessary.” Curtis said “The way that this was brought up here, and in Upcountry, was a disgrace.” She said UCC “knew that our request was not an official position of AWA.” She said Dunn could have submitted her own report on the issue before the UCC meeting, and had time to do so, but chose to address Cooper instead. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Wednesday, 03 March 2010 17:00
AWA Meeting Heats Up Over Gravity Supply Line Paper
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency Board of Directors last week discussed a paper prepared by District 3 Director Don Cooper that gave information about the pending Gravity Supply Line project, then discussed public relations policy and board conduct. District 4 Director Debbie Dunn requested the board review Cooper’s document discussing Central Amador Water Project issues, which he prepared in advance of a presentation he gave at a February meeting of the Upcountry Community Council. Dunn also requested the board discuss and possibly direct staff “regarding policy for board members addressing the public as citizens versus a board member representing the agency.” Dunn said “it was not about singling out a particular director.” She said: “What I would like to see come from this is for us to update our own policy and our own code of ethics.” Dunn said she “would also like to possibly determine if there was any need for corrective action,” likening the situation to “a newspaper that has published something in error” and presenting a “statement of correction.” Dunn said “Cooper chose to publish a 4-page document” with “32 points” called “What Don Cooper Knows About the Gravity Supply Line.” Cooper e-mailed his paper to Upcountry Community Council’s co-directors, Lynn Morgan and Bob Curral, who e-mailed it to others, including Sutter Creek bulk e-mailer Loraine Davis, who “chose not to send it on,” Dunn said, adding that Supervisor John Plasse of District 1 asked Davis “specifically in support of it to please publish it to the world because this was the director that knew all about it.” Dunn said “when 4,000 people” on Davis’ list “get that paper, the probability that another director sitting up here saw it was very good.” Cooper thought that was the crux of the issue, saying for individual directors, “Freedom of speech is a constitutional right,” and he thought the board would not assume his paper represented the board’s opinion. Cooper said: “I will never give up my American right and freedom relative to that, I don’t care what kind of policy comes before this board.” He said: “If it got the wide spread that it did, so be it. I think there’s a lot of good information for a lot of good discussion.” Directors Terence Moore called the issue a “witch hunt” and moved to “table this item forever.” Moore and Director Gary Thomas both supported Cooper’s paper as a First Amendment guarantee. The issue was eventually tabled until later in the meeting, but not resumed. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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News Archive
Wednesday, 03 March 2010 17:00
Ione to Consider Lawsuit Against Police Department Initiative
Amador County – The Ione City Council Tuesday discussed a potential lawsuit against a petition drive aimed at getting rid of the Ione Police Department, and voted to place the issue on its March 16th agenda. The council heard that proponents for the “law enforcement services” initiative must gather 206 signatures by August 14th to place it on the November ballot. The council discussed whether to sue to stop the petition, after the city attorney advised that the proposed measure would violate the California Constitution. Vice Mayor David Plank motioned to file a lawsuit against the initiative, and Councilman Lee Ard seconded the motion, leading to a discussion. The initiative would disband the Ione Police Department and hand over municipal policing duties to the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. Plank “thought it might be appropriate to file a lawsuit now because we feel it is unconstitutional.” City Manager Kim Kerr said it is unconstitutional, in part, because the sheriff cannot be compelled to take over. Councilwoman Andrea Bonham “had additional questions and wasn’t ready to go there yet.” She wondered what would be the last date for a petition to make it on the November ballot, if a lawsuit were to stop the petition. Kerr said they also wanted to confirm who would be sued. That would be the proponent living in Ione, Denise Robertson. The petition’s other signature gatherer, Jim Scully, lives outside of Ione. After discussion, Bonham moved to agendize (for the next meeting) the question of whether to pursue the lawsuit. The 2nd motion passed 3-2 and the first motion was moot and not voted on. Kerr said Plank and Ard voted “no” because “their feeling is they would like to pursue (the lawsuit) now.” The council sought more information on the initiative and the absolute final filing date, should a lawsuit stop the initiative. Kerr said the lawsuit would “ask the court to rule whether it is constitutionally sound based on the way it is written.” She said Ione City Council “does not want the sheriff to provide police services. They want their own police department.” The council is trying to pursue its options logically so they don’t react out of anger and “jump the gun,” she said. The question will be on the March 16th agenda. Kerr said they will hear from the public about “what they want us to do.” She said: “We could be doing this in closed session,” but they will continue discussing it in open session because they “want the public to hear what their reasoning is, if they decide to pursue litigation.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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