Amador County – Plymouth City Council last week selected Councilwoman Patricia Fordyce as the mayor for the next year. The council voted 4-1 Thursday to select Fordyce as mayor, and they also selected Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin to serve another year as vice mayor. Councilman Mike O’Meara was the only “no” vote, and voted against the appointment because he said Fordyce was hesitant to take the position. Fordyce will look over committee assignments for the board, and the city council will discuss the appointments at its first regular meeting of next year, January 14th. The council does not meet again this year, and the planning commission meeting that was scheduled for today has been canceled. Also last week, the city in closed session discussed extending an “exclusive negotiating agreement with the Shenandoah Water Company.” City Clerk Gloria Stoddard said after closed session, the council announced that it had given direction to its negotiating team, and also directed staff to make the extension of exclusive negotiating with Shenandoah Water. Stoddard said it would be the third extension of agreement, if the company agrees. City Manager Dixon Flynn said last week that he and 3 or 4 staff members were going Monday to visit the city of Yountville, near Napa. Flynn said the city is small but has been very successful. He said it is a city of 3,600 residents, with “Transient Occupancy Tax” receipts of $3.6 million annually. City Finance Director Jeff Gardner said Plymouth’s TOT tax income is $150,000 annually. Flynn said “they have generated quite a few jobs throughout their community with good salaries,” and they thrive on what Flynn calls “agri-tourism.” Flynn said they want to hear about their programs and how they mad them succeed. Flynn said the point of the trip was not to make the city look like Yountville, because “we are Plymouth.” He said he wants to “make Plymouth a better place to live, work and play.” The group, including Community Development Director Barry Siebe, Stoddard and a couple of council members, including Jon Colburn and Mayor Fordyce, took the trip to Yountville Monday. Stoddard said it was a worthwhile trip, and the council likely will get a full report. She said in a way, Plymouth is better off than Yountville because they are in the middle of wine country, while Plymouth is “the gateway to the wine country.” Yountville is about 9 miles from Napa itself. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.