Amador County - The Regional Council of Rural Counties, or RCRC, announced Monday that it has selected Senator Dave Cox, who represents the Northeastern part of the state, as one of two recipients for the annual "Patti Mattingly Award" for 2008. The Patti Mattingly Award is given to a policymaker who has demonstrated leadership on rural issues and an understanding of the unique challenges that rural communities face. “It is with much appreciation that RCRC selects Cox for his important work on behalf of rural counties in the State Senate,” said Supervisor Dave Finigan of Del Norte County and Chair of the Regional Council of Rural Counties. He added that Senator Cox’s efforts helped the state’s rural counties meet the challenges of a very difficult 2008 Legislative Session. “As Senator for 12 Northeastern California counties, I was just doing my job,” said Cox. “It is the collaborative effort of rural county supervisors and the professional staff of RCRC Regional Council of Rural Counties that has enabled us to accomplish many things for rural communities.” RCRC’s Patti Mattingly Award was established in memory of former Supervisor Patti Mattingly of Siskiyou County who was remembered for tremendous courage, commitment, and an ability to promote constructive solutions surrounding rural issues. The recipient is selected by the RCRC Board of Directors. Placer County Supervisor Jim Holmes commented, “Senator Cox is a tireless public servant who sets an excellent example for all elected officials. The member counties of RCRC applaud his efforts in Sacramento.” Amador County Supervisor Richard Forster said that, “One of his important efforts was securing the passage of a Senate Bill which provided an exemption to counties under 40,000 in population from experiencing deferrals in state payments to counties to assist with the state’s cash flow crisis. Forster added that without passage of this bill, many rural counties could have faced dire fiscal straits.” Staff Report (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

We have a correction to the story aired January 28 on the arrest and conviction of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation employee Joseph Maita of Ione for workers’ compensation insurance fraud. Although sentenced to 40 days in jail, Maita was permitted to serve on a work program in lieu of jail pending good behavior. According to the District Attorney’s official press release, Maita also “received benefits and medical treatment as a result of” an “alleged (knee) injury.” There has been dispute over the use of the word “alleged”, as Maita contests his injury is valid and still existing. When contacted, the District Attorney’s office said they are not disputing whether the knee injury was valid, but whether a doctor’s note was forged. Maita was convicted on January 15.

Amador County – Members of the California School Employees Association were expected to be out in force at the Wednesday, January 28 meeting of the School Board to protest proposed layoffs within the Amador Unified School District. Superintendent Dick Glock is recommending the board vote to terminate eleven workers in the maintenance department. Eleven employees would be fired effective March 30, 2009, including nine maintenance and grounds workers, and two maintenance department clerical workers. Glock had announced to the union that he will rewrite job descriptions and give the positions new titles. Workers hired into the “new” jobs will do the same work as the fired workers, but at only 75% of the current pay. He said laid off workers would be allowed to apply for the “new” jobs, but will not be guaranteed they will be hired. CSEA maintains Glock’s plan violates the union contract and state law. The union will take the matter to grievance arbitration and, if necessary, to the California Public Employment Relations Board. At a union meeting in Jackson on Monday, January 26, sixty workers pledged to be at the district board meeting to protest the firing of the eleven maintenance workers. Maintenance department workers and their supporters addressed the board at its meeting at 5:30 pm, before board members went into closed session to consider Glock’s recommendation. The meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, January 28 at 5:30pm. TSPN will have a full story on the outcome of the meeting in our upcoming broadcast. Staff Report (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - The Amador County Combined Narcotic Enforcement Team, or ACCNET, and the Mule Creek State Prison Investigative Services Unit have concluded a two month investigation involving the smuggling of heroin into the prison. According to the Sheriff’s Department, the smuggling was being done by resident Marcelina Penunuri and inmate Daniel Misquez. Based upon the investigation, ACCNET agents served a search warrant for Penunuri’s person for hidden drugs when she arrived at the prison on Sunday, January 18, 2009. They seized three toy balloons containing a total of 11.3 grams of heroin. ACCNET agents conducted a follow up search of her residence at 760 Beardsley Street in West Sacramento. Seized from the residence were 2.6 grams of marijuana that was packaged for sale, scales, packaging material, a box of .25 caliber ammunition that was hidden in a dirty clothes basket, ballistic body armor, gang paraphernalia, and 15.1 grams of heroin hidden inside a child’s teddy bear. Penunuri was booked at Amador County Jail for conspiracy to smuggle heroin into state prison, possession of heroin for sale, and possession of marijuana for sale. Misquez was placed in administrative housing at Mule Creek State Prison pending formal charging. Staff Report (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – The Amador Joint Water Committee discussed upcoming law that deals with septic tanks on an individual level and plan to have the item on an upcoming agenda. State Assembly Bill 885, signed by Governor Gray Davis in 2000, begat the law, which the state Regional Water Quality Control Board will implement by July 2010. Amador Water Agency General Manager Jim Abercrombie said it will govern “Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems,” or individual septic systems. State regulations would be accompanied by fees. A Draft Environmental Impact Report, released in November 2008, lists project objectives “Based on the requirements of AB 885 and the intent of the state legislature in drafting the legislation.” Those include adopting Onsite Wastewater Treatment System “regulations and a statewide conditional waiver” and helping “to ensure that public health and beneficial uses of the state’s waters are protected from (septic) effluent discharges.” The objective notes that regulations and the waiver “consider economic costs, practical considerations for implementation, and technological capabilities.”

The DEIR was subject of statewide public workshops, which concluded yesterday with a meeting in Eureka. Amador Joint Water Committee member John Plasse said the legislation originated in Santa Barbara County. The DEIR notes that the California Environmental Quality Act requires that the EIR identify areas of controversy known to the lead agency, including issues raised by agencies and the public. The DEIR said: “In general, areas of potential controversy known to the State Water Board include” the “the need for consistent statewide regulations.” Other issues included monitoring and “questions about the need for and applicability of domestic well monitoring,” and the “increased cost to develop property, and the increased cost for local agencies of enforcing the regulations.” Joint Committee member Terence Moore and the committee agreed that AB 885 should be on an upcoming joint water committee agenda. A public hearing on the DEIR is set for 1:30 p.m. Monday, February 9th at the Byron Sher Auditorium, in the California EPA Building, 1001 “I” Street in Sacramento. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – The Sutter Creek Planning Commission pushed its study of the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort to next month, though it marked some headway. Mark Northcross of Goodwin & Associates reported Monday on a fiscal analysis, and commissioners agreed that determining the methodology behind the numbers was best now, while numbers were uncertain. City Attorney Dennis Crabb said they will not set the development agreement “until the developer knows how much his homes will sell for.” Northcross said a way to look at the development agreement numbers would be to reassess them through the phases of the development. Amador County Recreation Agency Executive Director Tracey Towner-Yep said Northcross’s loose analysis of park maintenance costs are too low. The $10,000 per acre was 50 percent short of any state park care costs she had ever seen, which were $20,000 per acre. She also said Northcross’s maintenance cost on trails was measured by acreage, but it was typically measured by the mile. She said maintenance costs on dirt trails was $1,000 to $3,000 per mile per year, while paved trails cost $6,500 to $7,500 per year per mile to maintain. Towner-Yep said she commented in a letter on Gold Rush and would send another if needed. Commissioner Frank Cunha said Monday that the next meeting, set for February 23rd, would look at the design guidelines, performance standards and grading standards in the Gold Rush Specific Plan. “It’s been quite a process,” he said, noting that commissioners have put in a lot of work but they are getting to the end. He said “hopefully, if we get a project, it will be a good project.” The meeting will continue the commission’s look at community design standards and the “vesting large lot tentative subdivision map.” Crabb may also have a report on the developer agreement, which he said was not ready for commissioners on Monday. The Commission has a regular agenda at its next meeting, February 9th. The Commission resumes work on Gold Rush work February 23rd. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – There were 35 foreclosures in Amador County during the fourth quarter of 2008, marking a consistent downward trend within the last three months. According to La Jolla- based housing research company DataQuick, foreclosures in the capitol region fell to their lowest levels in a year during the last three months of 2008. But researchers approach this trend with cautious optimism when considering that statewide defaults were back up to 39,993- approximately the same level they had been at during the months of March through August. Fourth quarter foreclosures in Amador, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties were at 4,413, down 7,796 in the third quarter. Statewide, there were 237, 131 foreclosures in 2008. DataQuick analysts believe the temporary foreclosure drop may be due to a state law passed in September that forced lenders to keep people in their homes. Federal mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie May also passed moratoriums on foreclosures through the first quarter of this year. According to one local real estate expert, realtors are bracing for a second smaller but still significant wave of foreclosures to hit the area soon. There are a growing number of short sales in the Sacramento area, which some real estate trackers warn is a sign of more foreclosures to come. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - Public input is encouraged in preparation for the release of the Environmental Impact Report for the Ione General Plan Update. A notice of preparation for the report was released on January 16. “The draft land use plan will focus on downtown redevelopment on Main and Jackson streets, planned areas for residential uses and a preferred alignment for the west Ione backbone roadway system, formerly referred to as the Ione bypass,” said Ione City Treasurer Sharon Long in a press release. Beginning January 6, Ione City Council established a draft land use plan as part of the city General Plan. The EIR will analyze the potential environmental impacts of the proposed land use plan. A scoping meeting will be held to provide the City with input from other public agencies and service providers on what the EIR should address. This public meeting is schedule for Tuesday, February 10, at 4:00 pm at Ione City Hall. Contact City Planner Christopher Jordan at 274-2412, ext 104 or go to www.ionegeneralplan.com for more information. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – District Attorney Todd Riebe urged the Board of Supervisors to approve the transfer of the Public Conservator and Public Guardian over to Social Services, citing “conflicts of interest.” The District Attorney’s office took over the responsibility of both positions after the former Conservator was charged with embezzlement shortly before 2001. The office prepares, reviews, and signs all legal documents and other papers necessary in the guardianships and conservatorships of the person and estates of minors, incapacitated adults, and adults with mental disorders. County Administrative Officer Terri Daly said “the D.A. has really stepped up to the plate to handle that office with more structure and a system of checks and balances.” But she said problems arose when clients of the Conservator’s office became clients of the D.A.’s office. To avoid this conflict of interest, clients are referred out of the county, which often proves more costly and time consuming. Supervisor John Plasse questioned how a Conservator client “would go from that to a client of the D.A.’s office.” District Attorney Todd Riebe said that often times a client with dementia may be charged with neglect or even spousal abuse. He said one conservatee even committed assault with a deadly weapon. “Sometimes…they can’t help it,” he said. “A private conservator must be hired to represent the best interests of the conservatee- that costs money,” he added. Riebe also noted that Amador County “is not with the trend” and is only one of five counties remaining in California that have not yet integrated Conservator and Guardianships into either a Behavioral Health or Social Services department. Daly said that by absorbing these positions into Social Services, there would essentially be a “one stop shop” situation, referring to the natural role of Social Services to address human issues and care for people with disabilities. Supervisor Ted Novelli asked if there would be any fee for the transfer. Daly said it would actually save the county around $10,000 when you consider current fees for outside legal services. Health and Human Services Director Matt Zanze introduced Caroline McDonald, who will be running the new office with his supervision. The move was approved by the board 5-0. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - District Attorney Todd Riebe announced Tuesday the conviction of a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation employee for workers’ compensation insurance fraud. On January 15, 2009, Joseph Robert Maita, 49, of Ione, was sentenced to 40 days in jail and three years of supervised probation after pleading guilty in Amador County Superior Court to one count of insurance fraud, a misdemeanor. Maita was also ordered to pay full restitution to CDCR and a fine of $500 to the California Workers' Compensation Fraud Account. As part of the plea agreement, Maita must also reimburse $3,000 to CDCR for investigative expenses. A multi-agency investigation revealed the defendant filed a workers’ compensation claim on March 4, 2008, alleging a knee injury while unloading a food truck at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione. He received benefits and medical treatment as a result of the alleged injury. On April 1, 2008, the treating doctor released Maita back to work on modified duty and indicated Maita was to return to full duty on April 7, 2008. Maita did not return to work or turn in the note to his employer and continued to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Investigators also discovered an altered doctor’s note, which extended Maita’s time-off from work. When asked about the fraudulent document, Maita admitted to investigators he changed the return to work date on the doctor’s note. The investigation included assistance by Senior Special Agent Russ Pettis and Special Agent Tricia Ramos from the CDCR Workers' Compensation Fraud High Impact Team, the California Department of Insurance Fraud Division, and the District Attorney’s Workers’ Compensation Fraud Unit. The Fraud Unit investigates insurance fraud cases in Amador, Placer, and Calaveras County through a grant provided by the California Department of Insurance. Staff Report (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).