Amador County – Ione City Council on Tuesday designated representation on Sphere of Influence and annexation ad hoc committees to meet with Amador County. City Planner Christopher Jordan said staff is working on an amendment to the city Sphere of Influence and an annexation, both to be decided by the Local Agency Formation Commission. Jordan said part of the amendment includes coordination with the county. After an initial meeting, supervisors created an ad hoc committee including the county planning director, 2 board members, and up to 3 city representatives, along with LAFCO executive director Roseanne Chamberlain. Jordan said the county intends the committee to discuss the Sphere of Influence Amendment application, and specifically “land owner consent” for inclusion; sphere area policies “that need to be included in both the county and city general plans”; “the merits of the SOI amendment”; and the city’s ability to provide services to the sphere area, should it be annexed. Jordan said state “law does not require that the city and county meet to discuss the merits of the SOI application. In fact, the only agency that can analyze the merits of a sphere of influence is LAFCO.” He recommended leaving that topic out of the meeting. Jordan said questioning a city’s ability to provide sewer service to a property “if it annexes tomorrow” was unfair, and annexation of Q Ranch would take a year just to get entitlements. He said “we have shown good faith to work toward serving wastewater customers” with work on opening a new treatment plant. Jordan recommended and the board approved sending 2 council members, the city planner and the city manager to the SOI ad hoc meeting. Councilman Lee Ard said he didn’t want Supervisor Richard Forster to “come in and control the meeting.” City Manager Kim Kerr said “they can say anything in that first meeting. We don’t have to agree to it.” Vice Mayor David Plank said he “took heat from 2 supervisors” and he thinks “they are more concerned about taxes.” Plank said: “I think this is going to be a learning process – for them, not us” – as they address state requirements. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.-
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Amador County – Ione City Council on Tuesday designated representation on Sphere of Influence and annexation ad hoc committees to meet with Amador County. City Planner Christopher Jordan said staff is working on an amendment to the city Sphere of Influence and an annexation, both to be decided by the Local Agency Formation Commission. Jordan said part of the amendment includes coordination with the county. After an initial meeting, supervisors created an ad hoc committee including the county planning director, 2 board members, and up to 3 city representatives, along with LAFCO executive director Roseanne Chamberlain. Jordan said the county intends the committee to discuss the Sphere of Influence Amendment application, and specifically “land owner consent” for inclusion; sphere area policies “that need to be included in both the county and city general plans”; “the merits of the SOI amendment”; and the city’s ability to provide services to the sphere area, should it be annexed. Jordan said state “law does not require that the city and county meet to discuss the merits of the SOI application. In fact, the only agency that can analyze the merits of a sphere of influence is LAFCO.” He recommended leaving that topic out of the meeting. Jordan said questioning a city’s ability to provide sewer service to a property “if it annexes tomorrow” was unfair, and annexation of Q Ranch would take a year just to get entitlements. He said “we have shown good faith to work toward serving wastewater customers” with work on opening a new treatment plant. Jordan recommended and the board approved sending 2 council members, the city planner and the city manager to the SOI ad hoc meeting. Councilman Lee Ard said he didn’t want Supervisor Richard Forster to “come in and control the meeting.” City Manager Kim Kerr said “they can say anything in that first meeting. We don’t have to agree to it.” Vice Mayor David Plank said he “took heat from 2 supervisors” and he thinks “they are more concerned about taxes.” Plank said: “I think this is going to be a learning process – for them, not us” – as they address state requirements. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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