Amador County – In its first meeting of 2009, the Amador Water Agency Board of Directors will consider resolutions to honor the service of its 4 outgoing board members. The resolutions will be part of a short agenda in the board’s 9 a.m. meeting Thursday at the AWA office on Ridge Road. Outgoing AWA Chairman John Swift leaves after 2 terms and 8 years on the board, and the resolution notes that he “made significant contributions to the installation of the Wildflower Storage Tank and pump station in Ione” as well as in the Lake Camanche area “with the addition of a new supply Well, Number 14, and acquisition of a $250,000 grant to conduct a water supply sustainability study.” Separate resolutions would honor Paul Scott, Madonna Wiebold and Dave Thomas, who all “volunteered to serve the AWA customers by completing the terms of board members retiring or moving from the area.” Scott served in the past as president and board member of the AWA, back when the board met on a rickety kitchen table and chairs in Jackson. Scott in the past helped toward the completion of the Buckhorn Water Treatment Plant and the Amador Transmission Pipeline. He took over the post of Dan Brown. Thomas fulfilled the terms of two retiring board members, Wiebold took over for one, and both helped with the Regional Wastewater and Recycling Master Plan and policy. Also Thursday, the board will consider authorizing General Manager Jim Abercrombie to execute a cost-sharing agreement with three other agencies to study the feasibility of increasing water storage at Lower Bear Reservoir. The study would cost $120,000 total, with an even split of $30,000 in cost each to the AWA and the East Bay Municipal Utility District, the Calaveras County Water District and the Mokelumne River Water and Power Authority. The study would look at raising the Lower Bear dam by 32 feet. The AWA board also will consider reconfirming “authorization to staff to complete the Plymouth Pipeline Project not to exceed the total estimated project cost of $10.66 Million.” That price-tag includes Plymouth’s portion of the project cost. Story by Jim Reece.
