Amador County – Plymouth Mayor Patricia Fordyce and Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin reported speaking recently with Congressman Dan Lungren about the possibility of a tribal casino coming to Plymouth.

The Ione Band of Miwok Indians filed its Final Environmental Impact Report for the casino with the federal government, and Fordyce said the city and Lungren both asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs for an extension on the comment period. Fordyce said “we were both denied.”

They also found that Washington, D.C. knows nothing of the issue, and she asked to whom the Department of the Interior answers. City Manager Dixon Flynn said the Interior secretary answers to the president.

Fordyce said Lungren told them that the city can do a nexus study for federal land. Lungren said Congress cannot create an earmark for funding unless they have a nexus study, and it must be federal land. The Ione Miwok tribe is seeking a fee-to-trust status for the land, to become home to a tribal gambling casino.

Fordyce and Baldwin reported on their meeting during council reports last week.

The council last week voted 4-0 to accept the completion of a wastewater collection system by Twain Harte Construction company. Flynn said the project came in $22,000 under budget, and there were five change orders during the process that were unanticipated. He said being short of the estimate means the city will not be reimbursed for the $22,000.

Baldwin said he thought the city would try to use the funds on other collection lines, and Finance Director Jeff Gardner said the funds came form the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act program, were held to strict use, and could not be applied to another project.

The council also voted 4-0 to approve waiving a first reading of a code enforcement law, which would give the city council final power of approval or denial of appeals of enforcement actions. Baldwin said he did not want to “politicize this” but the council was given power over the final decision of code enforcement.

Flynn said that was his “doing,” because he thought it was best to give the council the last word. He said the city manager has decision power, but if someone is not happy with a decision, they can appeal it to the city council for a final ruling.

Flynn said the appeal is not directly made to the council, as people “must go through the process” of enforcement first. After the decision process, the last resort is the appeal to the city council.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.