Amador County – An appeal to readdress traffic and water concerns in the Wicklow Way Subdivision Project brought comments from both sides in a public hearing Tuesday in Supervisors’ Chambers, with the applicant, Lemke Construction winning out. The Amador County Board of Supervisors denied the appeal by Ken Berry of Jackson, referring to a December 1st letter from the Amador Water Agency and getting direct testimony from the Amador County Transportation Commission and Wicklow Subdivision Planning Manager Susan Larson. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field said that Berry pointed out that the Final Environmental Impact Report “fully discloses impacts” on traffic and notes that “impacts would remain significant and unavoidable.” Field said “yes, we think that is full disclosure. The EIR does its job: These are all potential impacts.” He said it gives the Planning Commission reason to reject the EIR, but the EIR in turn offers mitigations to be put in place and paid for by Lemke Construction. In approving the EIR, the commission approves statements of overriding consideration. Field said its fair share program is not in place, but EIR mitigations would not rely on its being in place or even rely on all of the member agencies participating.

Larson said Lemke Construction met with the Amador Transportation Department, ACTC and “even went to the CALTRANS office in Stockton and got their clearance” in addressing the traffic element of the EIR. Larson said “this is a model traffic study,” and whether or not ACTC’s fair-share program is in place, the applicant must mitigate traffic. She said Lemke did not shirk responsibility but went above and beyond that, agreeing to pay for 4 deputies and their equipment and vehicles. She said the Amador Water Agency, the county and consultants have told them that the water supply is adequate. And with woodland, the project extensively covers carbon dioxide emissions. County Planner Susan Grijalva said the EIR came out in March and new guidelines based on Assembly Bill 32 for carbon emissions came out in June, but the subject remains a legally changing landscape. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - A violent storm Monday, snow, hail, lightning and freezing conditions are reminding Amador County citizens that although it came late this year, the winter season is upon us. A strong storm cell Monday dumped 2 to 3 inches of hail and snow to elevations as low as 1000 feet. The sudden onslaught resulted in a number of accidents and traffic jams. Several vehicles, including a Fed Ex truck, failed to navigate some roadways, blocking traffic. Traffic jams stretched down Highway 88 from Pine Grove as a result of the blocked roadway. Even vehicles dropping ice and snow from upcountry caused some minor accidents below snow level. “People need to realize they could be jeopardizing other motorist’s safety as they drive down the road with their vehicle covered in snow,” said CHP San Andreas Commander J. R. Pelfanio. The CHP also warns drivers may be cited for losing the chunk of ice and snow from their vehicle. These are considered part of your vehicle’s load under California Vehicle Code section 23114. Black ice, which occurs when rain or meted snow freezes the roadway, is also typically found on less traveled roads that don’t get regular traffic, which is likely where water will pool and then freeze. Sheriff Deputies and fire officials also reported difficulties in responding to the several minor accidents caused by the sudden storm. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – The annual Scottish Walk took place in Volcano last Friday, continuing a peculiar but celebrated local tradition. Residents from across Amador County gathered at the end of town to form a procession behind a bagpiper and men braving the elements in traditional Scottish attire. Also known as Scots Walk, the tradition celebrates Scottish heritage and the spirit of Christmas. Reportedly, it began in Scotland in 1967 when Terry Crossley of the Royal Navy wanted to simulate a 22-mile trek he had done in South Africa. That event was meant as a way of raising money for charities. Although considerably smaller, the Volcano walked still captures the charitable Christmas spirit. The bagpiper led the procession to the other end of town to a church where a ceremony took place. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - The Amador County Supervisors on Tuesday denied an appeal of traffic and water impacts in the Wicklow Way Subdivision, but recommended that the Planning Commission require a fiscal impact analysis and study carbon emissions requirements and mitigations. Commissioners also encouraged the applicant to use local materials, vendors and workers. Denying the appeal by Jackson resident Ken Berry, Supervisors upheld the Planning Commission's certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report for Wicklow Subdivision. Supervisors made recommendations that the project make further provisions and mitigations for carbon emissions. They recommended to the planning commission that a fiscal analysis be done prior to approval of the project. The Supervisors also voted to require that the applicant continue to meet with John Kirkpatrick on the issue of an easement to drive cattle through the property of the project site itself. Kirkpatrick owns property on either side of the Wicklow Way site and told supervisors that the Planning Department said cattle were not an environmental issue. To him it was because moving cows between the properties meant either taking 10 truck trips or making one cattle drive.

Supervisors additionally wanted to stress to staff that the conditions of the approval and mitigation measures adequately address carbon emissions, based on everything that has to do with guidelines in Assembly Bill 32 as released in March. County Planner Susan Grijalva said those requirements were a constantly changing environment. Supervisors also recommended trying to stay local in purchasing from vendors and material. Amador planning department’s Heather Anderson said: “It is really not something that we can require.” But supervisors indicated addressing hiring locally, and that business open up locally. Anderson said the next step is a decision on the Wicklow Way Subdivision project as a whole, which includes zone changes, the subdivision map, a parcel map and the project master plan. The planning commission is looking at January or February to notice and hold a meeting. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – The Amador Water Agency nears the end of 2008 with $517,547 in grant funding from the Proposition 84 Water Bond passed by California voters in 2006. AWA General Manager Jim Abercrombie said on Dec. 4, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy awarded a $270,000 grant to the agency to develop a wastewater recycling plan for Amador County. The money will be used to create a regional plan for re-using treated wastewater for farming and industry. The plan includes outreach to municipalities, county governments and members of the public to identify users and forecast demand for recycled water. lt also will look at the best ways to finance and build infrastructure needed to deliver recycled wastewater. Abercrombie said “Developing a regional plan is giant step toward” the agency’s “20 percent by 2020" goal – that is, recycling 20 percent of the county's wastewater by the year 2020. Abercrombie said: “Looking forward, we need to be getting double use out of our water resources, reducing the demand for new supplies and complying with the water quality objectives for effluent discharge and reuse." He said when finished, the AWA Amador County recycling plan is meant to become a model for other Sierra Nevada communities.

ln late November, Abercrombie said the agency received word that it received a $247,547 “Local Groundwater Assistance Grant” from The California Department of Water Resources. The grant comes from Proposition 84 funds that pay for a “sustainable safe yield analysis and a groundwater management plan for the Lake Camanche Village water system.” AWA's Lake Camanche Village system is supplied by wells and the state has placed a restriction on the number of new homes that can be built at Lake Camanche Village because of questions about the quantity and longevity of the underground water supply there. The grant money pay for a study to gauge how much is there and how long it will last. Abercrombie said the “2 grants are an indication of the success of the Agency's active pursuit of government grants to pay for critical system improvements while keeping rates affordable.” AWA has won more than $8.2 million in grant money in the last 4 years for projects including the Plymouth Pipeline, Buckhorn Water Treatment Plant, La Mel Heights Water lmprovement Project, Gayla Manor Leachfield, Lake Camanche Wastewater lmprovements, and the Lower Bear River Reservoir Study. AWA Financial Services Manager Michael Lee said “ln spite of the recent downturn in the economy, there's still grant money out there to pay for projects that would be very challenging for our rural communities to pay for on their own.” Staff report (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - The Amador Democratic Club presented this year’s winners of the Bill of Rights scholarship contest at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday. Democratic Club President Liz McCulloch said she was proud of each recipient for the essays they had written outlining the importance of freedoms afforded to Americans under the Bill of Rights. The contest is tailored towards High School students throughout Amador County. Emille Fragapane of Visions in Education Charter School took first place, winning a total of $400. Her winning essay is titled “A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand.” McCullough said Fragapane has entered the contest every year since its inception. Second place went to Kirsten Kelley of Amador High School. That award was $300. Third place winner Madison Shiflet of Amador High School was awarded $200. Fourth place was split three ways between Joey Wall of Amador High School, Kayla Tippen of Amador High and Lourdes Perez of North Star Independent Study School. They were each awarded $100. Presentation of the plaques and handshakes were given by Supervisor Richard Forster. Checks were also to be presented at the meeting, but the club treasurer was delayed because of road conditions. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - The Board of Supervisors tackled the ongoing issue of temporary housing for farm workers at their meeting on Tuesday. The discussion centered on whether or not to provide discounts in fees associated with developing farm worker housing projects. The application was based on a letter and ongoing talks with property owner Ken Deaver. Amador County Deputy Administrative Officer Kristin Bengyel outlined a revised set of fees meant to satisfy both state and county requirements under the guidelines of temporary housing, and the ongoing requests of property owners like Deaver. These include a fee structure that reflects Health and Safety Code fee provisions, the General Plan Housing element and agricultural modifications. In all cases, the proposed structure would either waive or reduce fees on everything from recreation to school fees to traffic impact fees. In some options, fees would undergo a standard increase of 3 percent. Supervisor Brian Oneto spoke out against any sort of fee increase. He singled out Traffic Impact and Recreation fees. He also was against the Manufactured Housing fee, saying he was uneasy about fees that apply to housing that he saw as temporary for temporary workers.

But the other supervisors generally considered Oneto’s viewpoint as unrealistic. “Fees aren’t up to us, they’re up to the State of California,” said Supervisor Louis Boitano. Supervisors Forster, Escamilla and Novelli agreed with that statement. “Even farm workers are going to have kids, families…going to use parks…and going to be in jail, just like anyone else would have these issues,” said Supervisor Forster, adding: “I have a problem with completely waiving these fees.” Oneto questioned, “So basically permanent fees for temporary structures?” Boitano said that $250,000 had been spent on portable classrooms near his home in Sutter Creek, and “they were not going anywhere.” Oneto referred to the workers as seasonal workers who “come and go.” Forster said, “In this county, temporary workers pick grapes and leave, but farm workers are year-round employees. We just want to provide a good place for them to live.” Oneto repeated that the concern he has is for fees related to houses that may not always be there. Bengyel suggested bringing back a modified fee structure based on the Supervisors’ input. The issue will be added to an upcoming agenda. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - The Amador County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the suspect in a bank robbery that occurred last Friday in Plymouth. At approximately 11:39 am, sheriff’s officers received reports that the Wells Fargo Bank at 9454 Main Street had been robbed. Witnesses at the scene say the robber was relatively low-key and was last seen running westbound on Main Street. Several images of the suspect were captured on the bank surveillance system. According to a statement released by the Sheriff’s Office, “Bank personnel told detectives a white male suspect entered the bank and approached a teller. Bank personnel reported that the suspect (a white male about 6 feet tall) handed the teller a note demanding money and stating that he had a firearm. The teller provided the suspect with a small amount of currency which he placed into his pocket.” The suspect never displayed the firearm but did make a verbal reference to having one. During a neighborhood search, deputies learned of a white Dodge van with an overhead rack system occupied by a white male subject with a beard that had been observed in the area immediately prior to and immediately after the robbery. The sherrif’s office describe the suspect as a white male, approximately 6 feet tall, weighing approximately 175 to 180 pounds, with reddish brown hair and a beard, wearing dark sunglasses, a white tee shirt, charcoal grey hooded sweatshirt with the word “Clive” on the front and black gloves. Anyone with information regarding this or any other crime is urged to contact the Amador County Sheriff’s Office at (209) 223-6500 or the Amador County Secret Witness Program at (209) 223-4900. (end) am Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – County Administrative Officer Terri Daly advised on Tuesday that Supervisors take caution when making decisions that could exacerbate a county budget already stretched to the limit. “Just like any family or business budget, we don’t want our expenditures to be higher than our revenues,” said Daly. Overall, county revenues are down 40 percent while expenditures have risen 21 percent. She said the 2008-09 budget accounts for a $6 million deficit, most of which was carried over from last year. “We can’t spend it down because it would just come out of next year’s budget instead,” she said. Daly said this includes a $390,000 General Fund deficit. Supervisors are anticipating that December property taxes dues, which provide the bulk of general fund revenues, will provide better insight into how the fund will be affected.

Daly found personal costs to be the “most alarming” figure. She said 70 percent of county expenditures this year are due to personal costs, up from 40 percent in the 1990s. In an effort to curb this impact, she is in the process of implementing cost-saving strategies, including reducing use of county cars, voluntary furloughs and redeployment of resources. The Board is anticipating that actions the State takes to balance its $28 billion deficit will negatively impact counties. Given the proposals that have been made so far to balance the State budget, Daly anticipates a negative hit of between $2 million and $4 million to Amador County’s revenues. Daly suggested implementing mandatory furloughs and pay cuts across the board for management and middle management. She said a last-resort option would be deductions in workforce, but voiced her objection to the idea. “I have opposed any layoffs because of the devastating affect they would have on morale in this county,” she said, adding: “We would lose people we’ve recruited and trained who possibly will not be available in the future.” Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - County Administrative Officer Terri Daly and Director of Behavioral Health George Sonsel urged the approval of a Behavioral Health Reorganizational Plan at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday. The Health and Human Services Department is feeling the recession more than other branches of government, operating on a $500,000 deficit for the last five years. As a result, Daly and health officials underwent a major consolidation of staff positions. The proposed reorganizational plan came about when, during a recent audit, state officials were surprised that Amador County still works under a traditional 1-on-1 health model and recommended reorganization into a case management type of model. The plan would mean a shift from the traditional model of clinical treatment where the client remains dependent on a professional caregiver, to one where the professional serves as a resource in helping the client achieve independence based on a thorough knowledge of how to manage their recovery.

Sonsel said the proposal will restructure staff in mental health, drug and alcohol recovery and private practice. Severely mentally ill patients will take priority. Sonsel said they will not need the same level of professional staff, cutting down from 7 to 4 therapists. Sonsel stressed that those who were not deemed as severely ill would not be turned away, but the reorganization and cutbacks may mean they would have to wait longer for services. Boitano questioned what kind of affect could take place when services were denied to someone who potentially needs them. Sonsel admitted that there could be some affect, but did not elaborate. The council approved the reorganizational plan unanimously. Details on how the reorganization will improve the department’s deficit and effectiveness will be discussed more in a future meeting. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).