Tom
Monday, 25 January 2010 01:21
Pioneer Man Gets 24 Years for Child Molestation
Amador County – Pioneer resident Ted Lewis Girdner was sentenced this week to 24 years and 2 months in federal prison for molesting an 8-year-old girl. U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks handed down the sentence Tuesday in Reno, including an order that Girdner be on lifetime supervision once released. Official records list Girdner’s residence as Jackson. Girdner was initially arrested in July of 2009 after the Helena Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Montana notified the Amador County Sheriff’s Department that a man in this jurisdiction was exchanging child pornography via the Internet. On July 21, a federal search warrant was obtained and physical evidence supporting this charge was discovered at Girdner’s residence. Girdner subsequently admitted to molesting the child in Reno and transmitting the images via the Internet. Girdner plead guilty on October 15, 2009 to production of child pornography. He admitted to coercing the girl to undress and engage in sexually explicit conduct. Girdner has no prior criminal convictions. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Law Enforcement
Monday, 25 January 2010 01:19
AWA To Study Hydropower On Ione Pipeline
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors approved a study of its raw water pipeline to Ione January 14th to see if it was a feasible power source. The board approved a study of building a hydroelectric plant at the Ione Reservoir. The study would determine how much electricity could be generated, find funding sources, and see how long it would take for income generated by a small hydropower plant to pay off the cost of construction. AWA directors made their decision based on a report by staff engineer John Griffin. The pipeline is about 38,800 feet in length and drops 1,149 feet in elevation, from the Tanner Reservoir to the AWA’s property at the Ione Reservoir. Interim Engineering and Planning Manager Erik Christeson said: “Theoretically, a hydropower plant … has the potential to generate a significant amount of electricity that could provide steady income to the agency.” He said “a feasibility study will tell us whether or not a project like this would be cost-effective under real-world conditions.” Griffin said over the years, staff has “peripherally explored” generating power with water flowing in the Ione pipeline, but “the anticipated initial capital expenditure has always been cost-prohibitive.” He said staff met recently with Energy Service Company to discuss possible planning, design, construction and funding. Energy Service Company has offered to fund a feasibility study, in exchange for a “sole source contract.” Griffin said AWA attorney Stephen Kronick “has confirmed that the agency is permitted to enter into sole source contracts.” Griffin said staff also had discussion with “an engineering firm that has performed similar hydropower projects on existing pipelines for neighboring water agencies.” Griffin said “soliciting proposals for a feasibility level study” is anticipated to cost less that $20,000” and gives the agency “full access to the report.” He said the AWA engineering committee members, President Bill Condrashoff and Director Terence Moore “recommended staff move forward with preparation of a Request for Proposals for the feasibility-level study from an independent consultant.” He said they expressed a “desire to obtain as much information as possible for the project.” The board approved the recommendation. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Water
Monday, 25 January 2010 01:16
Ione to Revisit Howard Park Pool Plan, Fate of $500,000 Grant
Amador County – The Ione Recreation Commission will consider Tuesday whether to maintain pursuit of a new swimming pool in Ione, with the fate of a $500,000 grant hanging in the balance. City Manager Kim Kerr in a report Friday gave details on a state grant the city council accepted in May 2005 to build a new pool, parking, and picnic area at Howard Park. Kerr said “the city must expend the funds by March 2012,” and should “revisit the grant and determine” whether or not the city is interested the project. The city council in December 2004 designated 5,000 square feet in Howard Park for the pool, including a 110 by 100-foot, area, 300 feet south of the cemetery and 200 feet east of Highway 124. It would include land for a facility, parking and transition zones. If the city decides against building the pool, it “would be required to release the grant funds.” Kerr said staff has spoken with the state,” which “indicated that the city must use the ($500,000) to build a new pool and not another project, but the city could relocate” the pool. Kristi Roots, coach of the Ione Swim Team, and others who use the Ione Junior High School pool told city staff “they are happy with the current pool and see no need for a new pool,” Kerr said. The city spent $70,000 to repair the junior high pool in 2007. Kerr said staff is seeking input from the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the city must “make a decision in the next few months.” Kerr said costs were unknown, and staff would provide more information at the meeting Tuesday. The recreation commission will also discuss the Howard Park Master Plan, and an agreement with the Amador County Recreation Agency to build restrooms at Ed Hughes Memorial Arena, with grant funding, on a project expected to cost $16,000. The city council is expected to adopt the park Master Plan February 2nd. The Rec Commission meets 6 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Recreation
Monday, 25 January 2010 01:14
Jackson Makes Temp Repair to Eroding Hillside
Amador County – Repairmen could be seen scaling the hillside above Jackson’s main thoroughfare on Thursday in order to replace a large sheet of tarpaulin used to prevent mudslides. Heavy winds and rainfall brought by the latest storm system managed to dislodge a portion of the prevention system on the steep hillside behind the public restrooms located at the Highway 49/88/Main Street intersection. Mike Laney noticed the tarp had blown loose while driving to work in the morning. “Because the dirt on top of the rocks can get oversaturated, I contacted the city and suggested they get someone out to replace the tarp,” he said. He notified Larry White, Jackson’s Senior Building Inspector, who in turn notified members of his department to make the repairs. Laney is the Senior Engineer for Holdrege & Kull, a technical engineering and consulting firm which joined the city in finding solutions to the hillside erosion after a major rock slide on March 4, 2009. During the initial slide, tons of rock came down and caused minor damage to the backside of the restroom facility. Since then, future slides have been prevented through a combination of tarps, tires and rope. Jackson City Manager Mike Daly said the tarp is only a temporary fix in place to minimize saturation to the hillside. Current estimates for a permanent solution to the problem run from $100,000 to $150,000. Daly said that, at least for now, funding a more permanent fix is off the table. “It has been a problem for a long time and we have various recommendations for stabilizing it further, but for now our money is being used to keep the city operating right,” he said. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
Monday, 25 January 2010 01:12
Sutter Creek to Take Bids on Sewer Maintenance
Amador County – The Sutter Creek City Council agreed to take bids for septic system maintenance, after a woman representing a local company said she would like to bid on the work. Amy White said her company, Aloha Septic of Sutter Creek, has a vacuum truck and should be allowed to bid on the city contract, which the city council had on its consent agenda for approval. City Manager Rob Duke said the agreement “memorializes the city’s relationship with Sweet Pea Septic,” to be the city’s on-call company for “emergency spill work in the city.” Duke said Sweet Pea helped the city prepare an emergency sewer spill plan, when one was required some years ago. The company has a vacuum truck service and with an office on Sutter Hill, it was the leading company because of the requirement of a quick response time for emergency calls. Duke said contracting with out-of-town companies was not feasible, but he did not realize a septic company was based in the city. White said her company should be allowed to place a bid on the work. The city council agreed, and Duke pulled the agreement from the agenda and told the council he will take it out for bids. The agreement with Sweet Pea noted that the city’s sewer system requires a “management plan to have repair and maintenance capabilities for the system 24 hours per day, 7 days per week,” and it is “not economically feasible for the city to have shifts available on that basis,” hence the contracting for the emergency septic services. The contract listed Sweet Pea rates for “pump out, cleanup, and sewage disposal services,” a minimum of 1 hour billed per call on weekdays at $140 an hour during business hours. At night and on weekends, the company would bill a minimum of 2 hours per call at $180 per hour. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
Monday, 25 January 2010 01:10
OES Says Sandbags Are Available to Fight Off Rising Waters
Amador County - Lynne Olsen of the Office of Emergency Services said she has had requests from individuals for sandbags in order to eliminate flooding on their property. She said there is no coordinated effort by the county to provide sandbags. A box of bags and two piles of sand are available at the Amador County Airport, located at 12380 Airport Road in Jackson. Olsen said individuals may call the Office of Emergency Services at 223-6384 if they have any questions about sandbagging. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
Monday, 25 January 2010 00:58
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alan Sprenkel 1-25-10
Published in
Video
Friday, 22 January 2010 00:54
ARTS Board Considers New Logo
Amador County – The Amador Regional Transit System (ARTS) Board of Directors discussed a possible new logo for the ARTS system at length Wednesday evening before tabling the discussion until further research is conducted. ARTS Transit Manager James Means said a rebranding is necessary because the current logo “seems out of touch with reality.” Mike Radogna of Element 58, the media design and development company hired to create a new brand, said his staff looked at as many as 200 logos from transit systems across the country. They concluded that nearly every system tried to form a singular name out of multiple words and the majority pulled a visual element from somewhere in their region. He said “nearly all of each areas public was able to make an association between the logo itself and the service it provided.” He said “ARTS” is a commonly used word and is in most cases associated with the visual arts. He suggested shortening the name to “Amador Transit.” He presented the board with a slideshow including pictures of the proposed new logo as it would appear on buses, business cards and letterhead. He said the color green was chosen “to represent green energy and the many benefits of using mass transit.” At-Large Commissioner Dave Richards said there was already a company called Amador Transit and asked if this would cause legal problems associated with name similarity. Radogna said the most important reason for the logo change is making it more recognizable to the general public, but admitted that there may be name conflicts. Board member and Supervisor John Plasse asked if there was any research conducted as to the cost of implementing the rebranding. Radogna said he had not conducted any formal study. Means said his agency was running out of the current letterhead which already includes the wrong telephone number and hoped to commit to the rebranding before more stock was ordered. He said there is a new grant where more buses will be acquired and suggested phasing in the new logo. Plasse said phasing in the logo will only cause confusion compared to doing it all at once or “doing nothing at all.” He said that “if you asked a lot of people about ‘arts’ they’re not going to say it’s the picture store on the corner of Main Street.” Board Member Pat Crosby said he never liked the current logo and “any change is a good thing.” Board member David Plank suggested using the name “Amador Public Transit” or “A.P.T.” to avoid confusion. Board member and Supervisor Richard Forster suggested using the color gold to represent Gold County. During public comment, Gary Reinoehl suggested the board consider a logo he sketched on a piece of paper while sitting in the audience. Forster said he was sure everyone in the room had some suggestion for a logo if you asked them. The board approved a motion by Forster to table the rebranding discussion until more research is done on the anticipated cost, color designs and a potential name conflict with existing businesses. The discussion will be raised again at the next meeting. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
News Archive
Friday, 22 January 2010 00:56
ACTC Looks at Consolidation with ARTS
Amador County – The Amador County Transportation Commission considered consolidating with the Amador Regional Transit System during their meeting Wednesday, but held off on making any decision until more information could be gathered. ACTC Program Manager Neil Peacock sought board approval for staff to initiate proposed “organizational improvements.” These improvements are based on suggestions from the Triennial Performance Audit, a performance review conducted every three years and required by state law. Peacock said the purpose of the evaluation was also to identify elements including, but not limited to ACTC’s roles and responsibilities and commission membership. The third-party audit, as conducted by Moore & Associates of Sacramento, suggests a number of benefits from consolidation, including cost savings, staffing “cross-utilization”, and improved cooperation between the two agencies, whose current relationship they said “appears to range from neglectful to adversarial.” Moore & Associates said the parallel boards of both entities do not support streamlined communications and “do not support transit’s integration into the full spectrum of mobility solutions for Amador County.” During public comment, Ione City Manager Kim Kerr said the consolidation made a lot of sense. Dave Richards, At-Large Commissioner for ACTC, called the combination a “no-brainer” and said it would streamline operations when one or both entities apply for funding. Peacock said that available cost savings of $30,000 outlined in ACTC’s mid-year budget report would be used to initiate the consolidation, with a total expenditure of $10,000 anticipated. He said input identifying all the issues to be investigated will be developed in conjunction with input from the Commission, the audit report and the public within the next couple months. He said it is anticipated that this effort will be completed within the next fiscal year. The board agreed to table the proposed consolidation until the investigation is completed and all input is gathered. The topic will be raised again at the next meeting in February. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
News Archive
Friday, 22 January 2010 00:58
AWA Discusses Brown Act, 21st Century Communications
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board discussed the Brown Act and e-mails last week, deciding to limit such interaction to setting board meetings. District 5 Director Terence Moore took criticism in December from District 4’s Debbie Dunn, when the board discussed its next vice president. Now Vice President Dunn said an e-mail to board members by Moore was leading and may have included “intent or purpose.” Moore in December said his e-mail simply reminded board members “what I said last year, that District 3 hasn’t been represented in a long time.” Moore said: “I don’t think that’s leading.” A 12-year board member, Moore recalled last year saying that “District 3 has not had a president for years,” and he thought “someone from District 3 needs to be president.” The e-mail noted that administrative appointments were on the agenda. District 3 Director Don Cooper was nominated for the vice presidency but pulled his nomination at that December 10th meeting, and Dunn went on to take the vice presidency. Cooper said he asked for the item on last week’s agenda to clarify “board correspondence and Brown Act compliance.” Cooper said he sought “some clarity in communications,” and wanted to share information but not influence opinion. Dunn said she also requested the Brown Act topic, saying “it jeopardizes all members on the board.” AWA Attorney Stephen Kronick summarized an e-mail he sent to the board explaining the issue. Kronick said serial meetings and communications are not a really clear subject, and the “law changed last year with a court interpretation.” It said politicians “cannot use serial communications to get a collective concurrence of a matter of agency business,” if it is intended to influence opinions. Kronick said the ruling “surprised the Legislature, which turned around and passed a law saying you can’t use serial communications for even discussing agency matters.” He said that included e-mailing or texting. Kronick said they can use e-mail for finding meeting time availability, and there may be other areas, but it cannot be used to determine a “collective concurrence” on board business. He said the board “cannot have serial communications to discuss an item of agency business.” Cooper asked about the propriety of his “write-up of the efficiencies of the pumps” in the Central Amador Water Project, which he sent to Engineering Committee member Bill Condrashoff, but not to Moore. Kronick said it was a “good move.” Cooper said he did send it to Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo, who could send it on to board members. Moore and Condrashoff said they would “cease and desist” all communications, except for meeting arrangements. District 2 Director Gary Thomas said: “I’m really guilty. I have never e-mailed anyone about anything, ever.” 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
