Amador County – Sutter Creek City Council today will consider finalizing an amendment to a development agreement with developers of the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort that was initiated in 2010 but tabled while the city awaited the outcome of the Measure N referendum against the development.

The council will host a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. today, that is Monday, Nov. 7, to consider the second reading of an ordinance that would amend the development agreement with Gold Rush to add a 10 percent “golf play and event surcharge” on all activities associated with rounds of golf, and also would apply to special events at Gold Rush.

City Attorney Derek Cole in a memo to the council for the meeting said the Development Agreement was introduced Jan. 4, 2010, and approved Jan. 19, 2010. The amendment was sought in March, approved for first reading and placed on hold, while the referendum against the Gold Rush project was decided.

Cole said: “Because the referendum against the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort Project was unsuccessful, it is necessary for the council to take action on the proposed amendment.”

He said the “amendment makes technical and clarifying changes” to the development agreement ordinance. “It would clarify that a 10 percent surcharge would be proposed on all activities associated with rounds of golf on the Project-approved golf course except to the extent sales taxes are already collected. The amendment would clarify that the 10 percent surcharge would apply for all special events, concerts, and shows in the project area.”

Cole said the council will have the option to approve the ordinance as is, make minor grammatical changes and approve it, or deny the ordinance. It could also make other changes, but the ordinance would then require to be heard again at a city council meeting.

The ordinance said the surcharge would apply “to all activities involved in a round of golf on which sales tax is not charged,” and requires the developer to charge and “transmit to the city” a “10 percent surcharge on admission charges to all special events, concerts, shows or similar activities conducted in the project.”

The ordinance said an operating memorandum would approve “specifics of collection, transmission and accounting” of the surcharges.

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