Amador County – Amador County Board of Supervisors briefly deflected criticism last week that they had taken fire department funds when they spent Proposition 172 funds on the “Amador County Plan,” the annual agreement to staff off-season stations with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Dominic Moreno, chief of the Sutter Creek Volunteer Fire Department, spoke during “public matters not on the agenda,” saying that Proposition 172 money was lost by local fire departments when Supervisors used it to pay for the Amador County Plan, and he requested that the issue be placed on an upcoming agenda. He said he had a letter of support from the Amador County Fire Chiefs Association.

Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said the Prop 172 funds are part of the county General Fund, as identified by County Administrative Officer Chuck Iley.

Supervisor Richard Forster said the “money was used so we have complete, 24-hour coverage.” He said Lockwood Fire Department said they would not have 24-hour coverage, then reversed themselves, to support keeping the 172 funds.

Forster said: “I’d rather have that 24-hour coverage for those people in the Upcountry.” The agreement with CDF keeps staffing and an engine during the off-season winter months at its Pine Grove Mount Zion station.

Supervisor Louis Boitano said: “I have been in favor of canning the Amador Plan now for about 10 years now,” but he said Amador Fire District’s vehicles are not 4-wheel-drive. Moreno said they do have 4-wheel-drive trucks, though some trucks do not typically go Upcountry, while others do. Boitano said “they have to be in the right place at the right time.”

County Counsel Greg Gillott said they were getting into merits of an issue that was not on the agenda. Plasse said he just “wanted to clarify for the public” that there was an omission of facts of what Prop 172 funds were meant to do. Plasse said during the backing and pursuit of countywide measures, and the statewide Prop 172, he said the number one recommendation was consolidation. But they have multiple cities that do not support the consolidation, and the effect is that they have funding “going to lots of chiefs and very few Indians.”

Moreno said Sutter Creek Fire Department will lose $18,000 from the funding change. Boitano pointed out that Sutter Creek Fire also got another $60,000 more than last year from increased funding. Supervisor Brian Oneto said: “We are doing this to buy services for Amador County residents.”

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