Amador County – A deadlock vote at the Ione City Council’s meeting last week prompted a reaction from the Central Sierra Regional Water Quality Control Board, whose executive director is planning to come to Ione’s special city council meeting on wastewater this Thursday, to make an address.
Ione City Manager Jeff Butzlaff said the city’s attempts to meet the Regional Board’s requirements with the wastewater treatment plant project alarmed the Executive Director Pamela C. Creedon, of the Central Valley Water Quality Control Board, who plans to attend and speak at the special meeting and workshop set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26 at City Hall. Creedon is a licensed civil engineer and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer with more than 29 years of professional experience.
Butzlaff said critics have made demands about what they want, and when it is given, they continue with negativity. He said issues with the city General Fund shortage are different than the city Wastewater Fund, which is also not in the best shape, but which is better off than the General Fund. He said the city is not going broke.
City Hall on Friday hosted a retirement party for four employees, including Building Inspector Don Myshrall, City Clerk Janice Traverso, Steve Younger and Glory Potts. Last week the four were also honored with City Council resolutions. The four took early, partial retirements to help the city cut General Fund costs, and will work part-time. That help with closing the gap may combine with effort in the Legislature by Assemblywoman Alyson Huber to try to restore $190,000 lost by the city from the state raiding Vehicle License Fees.
With Councilwoman Andrea Bonham sick, Ione City Council last week deadlocked 2-2 on key wastewater issues as the city faces deadlines to meet Regional Board requirements. An impending recall election aimed at former mayor and Councilman David Plank has compounded tensions.
Butzlaff said the council in October voted to seek a new State Retirement Fund mechanism for financing the wastewater treatment plant, knowing it came with higher upfront costs, due to the work needed to be done to qualify. He said the council may be getting “sticker shock” on the costs, including $163,000 for a consultant Winzler & Kelly, a State Retirement Fund expert to handle the application.
The Council deadlocked last week on a contract extension for wastewater program manager Art O’Brien of Robertson-Bryan Incorporated, whose additional work will cost a total of $156,000, up from the original work planned at $54,000. The city has pulled out negotiating with PERC Water Incorporated, and O’Brien assessed PERC’s $14 million project and identified a smaller project that would cost about $6 million.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
