Amador County – The Sutter Creek City Council on Monday discussed recent and future work on the city Wastewater Master Plan, which could include the project of Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort, and the city of Ione.

The Council directed staff to work on a Request For Proposals for wastewater options, while going through a list of options, and a decision matrix, the bulk of which was done by Planning Commissioner Robin Peters.

Mayor Tim Murphy said “we need the answers to a list of scoping work questions, to be able to make the Request For Proposals (RFP).” City Manager Sean Rabe said the draft RFP could be crafted by staff and brought back for approval, and the RFPs could try to determine those costs. Options included regional plans or keeping within municipal boundaries, and options were listed in a decision matrix, while scoping work outlined many unknown costs.

Planning Commissioner Frank Cunha said what they really need is “a number and a term,” because the city should not sign up with someone if it was not a long-term agreement. He said the RFP should try to tell the Council “what it would take to convince Sutter Creek to join them.”

Mayor Tim Murphy said Ione is interested in a long-term agreement, continuing partnering with Sutter Creek, and Ione is interested in having “some kind of Joint Power Authority.”

City Engineer Grant Reynolds said he and his firm partner, City Engineer Gene Weatherby attended some Ione City Council meetings and learned that Ione is “looking at where the 30-year numbers were going,” as it approved working toward a design-build-finance-operate contract for its wastewater treatment plant.

Rabe said agreements depend on the number of people and growth of the cities, and “Ione still does not have that number either.” He said the future would depend on whether Ione goes for a sewer plant with a 500,000 gallon-per-day capacity.

Cunha said “we want to know with confidence” that a cost of a certain amount would support a specific plan. Council members Jim Swift, Vice Mayor Linda Rianda, and Murphy thanked Peters for his extensive work on the City Sewer Committee, and voted 3-0 to direct staff to work on the draft RFP. Council members Gary Wooten and Sandy Anderson were absent.

The city has agreements and conditions of approval in place that require Gold Rush Ranch to work build a city sewer plant, but it also requires the Wastewater Master Plan to be in place. Time sequences and terms for completion of the city plant are in delay while Gold Rush faces an environmental lawsuit by Martell resident Ken Berry.

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