Amador County – Sutter Creek City Council on Monday declined waiving an appeal fee for a church sesquicentennial banner, but a resident paid the $150 fee and the appeal will be set for a hearing date later.

Sutter Creek United Methodist Church sought a time limit exemption for a church sesquicentennial anniversary banner, but the Planning Commission denied the request. The Sutter Creek City Council denied an appeal for a fee waiver request by a Church representative based primarily on past practice.

City Manager Sean Rabe said “waiving the appeal fee would have been inconsistent with past Council actions.”

Rabe said the waiver of the appeal fee was the only thing on the agenda, not the actual appeal. A member of the audience, Rod Davis, paid the $150-dollar appeal fee on behalf of the church after the Council denied the fee waiver. The appeal can now be heard by the Council at a later date.

Loraine Davis said her husband, Rod, paid the fee because of the benefits the banner would have for the city. Loraine Davis said: “We are Episcopalians, and not Methodists, and do not attend this church. We felt that this was not a religious issue, but one of historical significance for the City and a financial benefit to our tourism traffic.”

Al Bierce wrote an appeal letter to the Sutter Creek City Council, asking for the Council to waive the fee. Bierce in the letter said he appeared before the Planning Commission on March 13, representing Sutter Creek United Methodist Church, and requested “to allow for the extension of the amount of time that banners can be displayed.” The request was denied by the Commission.

Bierce said the standard display period is 45 days and the request was for a banner celebrating the 150th anniversary of the church, and “it is our hope to have the banner displayed until the end of 2012.”

Rabe said staff will be scheduling the actual appeal for an upcoming agenda.

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