Amador County – Calaveras County officials made last-ditch pitches to persuade Amador County Transportation Commission to go back to negotiations for a Tri-County Memorandum of Understanding, to no avail Wednesday.

Melissa Eades, executive director of Calaveras Council of Governments said “Calaveras is not ready to push away from the table” and California Transportation Commission’s deadline for Regional Transportation Improvement Plan applications should not be the deadline for the Tri-County “MOU 2.” She said the application developed over the last three months by Tri-County staff was identical to the one ACTC staff would apply with. She said “Tri-County MOU 1” was legendary throughout the state after brining $100 million in projects over 10 years.

Tom Garcia, Calaveras director of public works, said “unwinding the MOU is not an easy as you think.” He asked how they would reimburse agencies that did not get their share of a $1.7 million STIP allocation to ACTC. He said ending the MOU would have definite regional repercussions.

Paul Stein, a public member of Calaveras COG, a former Calaveras Supervisor, said he knew what MOU 1 accomplished and could accomplish, and he thought the agreement was “implicit that Calaveras County would go first in MOU 2.” He said “being the most outspoken about Calaveras going first, I would be willing to amend that, and argue that to our board.” He said “with that, I wish you well” and “there is no ill will.”

Commissioner Richard Forster said it was not about Calaveras going first. He wished that in the previous two weeks, Calaveras County had approached them to resume discussion. He also asked about the $1.7 million. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field said the funds were for Project Approval & Environmental Determination on the Pine Grove Corridor Improvement project. He said the MOU was in place when money was spent, but even if they had to pay it back, it would only be up to $1 million. He said it would also be better to separate now, before having to pay back future funds.

Commissioner Michael Vasquez said they wanted “to do everything they can to keep the MOU active” and asked: “Is the whole mechanism broken?”

Plasse said it was not just about who went first on a project. ACTC’s limited staff was working on an out-of-area project that is “much more costly than the one we have limited ourselves to in Pine Grove,” at $30 million, vs. $80 million there. Plasse said they also wanted it shelf ready, including right-of-way acquisition and phasing that may be more competitive and more likely to get CTC funding.

Field said “we would want something similar and they have not come close.”

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