Amador County –Sutter Creek City Council on Monday directed staff to work with Sutter Hill East Annexation property owners, to agree on fee amounts that will fund infrastructure. City Planner Bruce Baracco said they have to inform the Local Agency Formation Commission how infrastructure improvements would be funded. City Manager Rob Duke said he thought city staff and property owners in Sutter Hill East could come to an agreement, but it must satisfy LAFCO, and it was “hard to go against staff recommendations.” Baracco said: “We think we are being held to a higher standard here,” by LAFCO. In defense of LAFCO, Duke said the city “painted itself into a corner” by saying in its application for annexation that all infrastructure would be funded. Property owner Aaron Brusatori said new development cannot be charged for existing deficiencies. He has done traffic studies for his property and solved its problems, and now he was “being asked to solve those problems again,” by paying traffic fees. He said: “If the impacts are not being caused by development, they are being caused by existing conditions.” Councilman Pat Crosby said they should just “go ahead and run a sewer line to 2 developments that want it,” stop the full annexation and just annex “those 2 properties that want in.” Mayor Gary Wooten said that would be too easy, and the Brusatori's do not want to pay, but “will benefit.” The city also has a grant to straighten Old Sutter Hill Road, where collisions are prevalent. City Manager Rob Duke also said failing septic tanks on the hill are threatening public health by leaking into the creek. Duke said they are “probably 9 months away from going to LAFCO,” and if they “open it up again,” they will have to go back to Square 1. Baracco said they hope to get back to LAFCO by September and complete the annexation by November. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.