Amador County – After a lengthy debate on Tuesday, the Amador County Board of Supervisors agreed to rescind a previous motion which prevented contract negations from going forward concerning the Arroyo Ditch in Plymouth. Last month, Supervisors approved a First Amendment for Conveyance of the ditch and then just as quickly retracted that approval, citing concerns over a lack of guarantee in the contract to deliver water to landowners further downstream. Plymouth Attorney Steven Rudolph said the “unintended consequence” of that action led to Shenandoah Management Company “walking away from the table.” Plymouth officials previously stated that the quitclaim contract gave the city flexibility to negotiate with the Shenandoah Management Company for further improvement and maintenance of the 18-mile canal, which carries water from the Consumnes River into and past Plymouth. “Dealing with two levels of government puts them in a situation where they cannot win,” said Rudolph. Supervisor Brian Oneto reiterated his original concerns over water guarantees brought to him by constituents in the Willow Springs Water District, an inactive, 2,861 acre entity consisting of members living along the ditch outside of Plymouth. Oneto said Plymouth’s “guarantee” was no good unless they specify exactly how many cubic feet they will deliver further downstream. Rudolph said “we’re not going to commit to a specific flow agreement…but it will be in any document we execute with a private party.” Chairman Ted Novelli said they have been meeting with the city since June and the ongoing debate is getting costly. “We have to remember…this is for all of us, and if everyone in the county benefits from (the Arroyo Ditch) in the long run, that’s a good thing,” he said. Plymouth Mayor Jon Colburn, who was in attendance along with other city officials and most of the city council, said “the bottom line is that we lost our investor. This is risk capitol we don’t think we can duplicate.” He said Shenandoah Management Company had already spent “over $100,000 in good faith” on substantial capitol improvements. Colburn pointed to audience members who he said were on fixed incomes and were concerned about the cost of water going up if the ditch agreement is not settled. Oneto said: “I don’t doubt your (council’s) intentions, but down the road, a lot of people in your political position change.” Referring to charges that the Board’s action created an additional level of bureaucracy, Plymouth resident Butch Cranford told Supervisors “you find yourselves guilty of what you complain about through the action you took in putting this (contract) in abeyance.” Supervisor John Plasse disagreed, saying “this board is asking for one provision, not two layers of government.” He said this problem might have been avoided if Plymouth officials brought their concerns of flow agreement provisions before the Board of Supervisors in the first place. Supervisor Louis Boitano carried to rescind the previous motion to hold the contract in abeyance and reinstate the County’s agreement to approve the Contract for Conveyance of the Arroyo Ditch so Plymouth can return to its negotiations. The motion was supported by Supervisors Forster and Novelli. Oneto voted no and Plasse abstained. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.