It was a packed house Wednesday evening at the Amador County Transportation Commission meeting where close to 70 people showed up in full force to ask for Upcountry representation on the commission. Members of the Upcountry Community Council, or UCC, and the Pine Grove Council, or PGC, plus many Pine Grove and Pioneer residents want a representative from their region of the county, especially in light of the recent ACTC decision to widen Highway 88 to five lanes in parts of Pine Grove, a project that ACTC Commissioner and Amador County Supervisor Louis Boitano says, “is not cast in concrete.” Boitano says they will be using federal grant money to hold a series of public meetings, or “town halls,” to “find out what the Pine Grove residents want.” Pine Grove Council member John Carlson says, “I think they’ve already made the decision (to widen the highway). Holding town halls is like asking us what paint color we want,” referring to mundane details of what Carlson considers a pre-determined decision. Ginger Rolf, speaking on behalf of the Pine Grove Council, says, “Our objection is that (widening the highway) would wipe out the town of Pine Grove as we know it.”
And as for fair and equal representation on the commission, the Board of Supervisors has the authority to appoint and/or replace up to three members of ACTC at any time. At Wednesday’s meeting, however, the commission expressed that they would not be making that recommendation to the board, as they want to first look into forming a Joint Powers Agreement, or JPA, with the five cities of Amador County and the county itself. ACTC Director Charles Field says that they have been researching the feasibility of a JPA for some time. The agreement would give ACTC the power to make their own decisions, including changing the size of the commission, as well as the make-up of its members. UCC member Debbie Dunn feels ACTC could have taken action at Wednesday’s meeting. “We offered them an opportunity to improve the democracy of the commission, and they chose not to do it. They didn’t even vote on it, “ says Dunn. Field noted that any member of the public could formally request that the Board of Supervisors appoint an Upcountry member. We’ll have more on this issue as additional details develop.
It was a packed house Wednesday evening at the Amador County Transportation Commission meeting where close to 70 people showed up in full force to ask for Upcountry representation on the commission. Members of the Upcountry Community Council, or UCC, and the Pine Grove Council, or PGC, plus many Pine Grove and Pioneer residents want a representative from their region of the county, especially in light of the recent ACTC decision to widen Highway 88 to five lanes in parts of Pine Grove, a project that ACTC Commissioner and Amador County Supervisor Louis Boitano says, “is not cast in concrete.” Boitano says they will be using federal grant money to hold a series of public meetings, or “town halls,” to “find out what the Pine Grove residents want.” Pine Grove Council member John Carlson says, “I think they’ve already made the decision (to widen the highway). Holding town halls is like asking us what paint color we want,” referring to mundane details of what Carlson considers a pre-determined decision. Ginger Rolf, speaking on behalf of the Pine Grove Council, says, “Our objection is that (widening the highway) would wipe out the town of Pine Grove as we know it.” 
And as for fair and equal representation on the commission, the Board of Supervisors has the authority to appoint and/or replace up to three members of ACTC at any time. At Wednesday’s meeting, however, the commission expressed that they would not be making that recommendation to the board, as they want to first look into forming a Joint Powers Agreement, or JPA, with the five cities of Amador County and the county itself. ACTC Director Charles Field says that they have been researching the feasibility of a JPA for some time. The agreement would give ACTC the power to make their own decisions, including changing the size of the commission, as well as the make-up of its members. UCC member Debbie Dunn feels ACTC could have taken action at Wednesday’s meeting. “We offered them an opportunity to improve the democracy of the commission, and they chose not to do it. They didn’t even vote on it, “ says Dunn. Field noted that any member of the public could formally request that the Board of Supervisors appoint an Upcountry member. We’ll have more on this issue as additional details develop.
