Amador County – The Ione City Council on Tuesday hired a new interim city manager, and also signed a contract with a new legal firm for city attorney duties, the latter getting to work quickly in checking out the particulars of a recall notice filed June 21 against the Mayor.

Ione Mayor David Plank filed a response last week to a notice of intent to circulate a petition for his removal from office by recall, and City Clerk Janice Traverso said new City Attorney James Maynard is looking over the original filing to make sure it contains all of the necessary information before the petitioner can commence gathering signatures.

Once that approval is given, the proponent, James Nevin, and his group “Voice in Ione,” would have 60 days to gather signatures from 25 percent of the city voter registry, which totals about 2,100, meaning about 526 signatures would be needed to put the recall onto a ballot.

The Council on Tuesday hired Jeff Butzlaff as interim city manager, with a six-month agreement, starting July 11 and lasting to Jan. 11, 2012, paying $52,000. Former City Manger Kim Kerr, who will continue to live in Ione, prepared a report on the recommended contract, saying the City Council reviewed 10 resumes from the League of California Cities and three received by mail. The Council interviewed five candidates and selected Butzlaff “based on his qualifications and experience.”

The Amador County Civil Grand Jury report was released June 6, and part of it criticized the city for having no reconciliation of monthly bills, and no monthly finance reports. The agenda packet included such reports through May of this year. The Council on Tuesday did not discuss the report, and it is unknown when it will be on the agenda, Traverso said.

On Tuesday, the council approved a contract for a new city attorney with the firm Cota Cole LLC of Roseville, and its partner, James Maynard will work with the city. The firm already works in Amador County, and its associate, Derek Cole, is the Sutter Creek City Attorney.

Maynard replaces former city attorney Kristen Castanos, and Butzlaff replaces Kerr, who resigned effective June 30 to take a job as an assistant to the El Dorado County Chief Administrative Officer Terry Daly, who is the most recent past CAO of Amador County.

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