By Holly Boitano -

Tuesday Sutter Creek city officials and the public got the rundown on two topics that have the potential to make or break the Gold Rush Ranch and Golf Resort: money and wastewater. City Attorney Dennis Crabb outlined the Development Agreement process, saying developers will offer the City some “public benefits” it will provide in exchange for project impacts. The contract may span 5-25 years, and use benchmarks and checkpoints to insure adherence by both parties. Crabb said the disadvantage of a development agreement was inflexibility in the face of unforeseen change. He said the City must carefully sort the issues and terms of the contract before signing it. Throughout the discussion, Councilman Pat Crosby repeatedly said, above all else, the Development Agreement should be the Council’s top consideration, contrasting Mayor Gary Wooten’s stance -- to consider dollars in conjunction with other aspects of the planning process. Members of the public said the Development Agreement should be negotiated in conjunction with the city’s general plan, now being updated. Others said the cost of public benefits would be applied as credit toward developer impact fees.

The topic switched to wastewater, with City Manager Rob Duke and consultant Rob Williams summarizing the project’s wastewater history. They also reviewed the City’s options in the areas of wastewater planning, golf course development, improvements to the current treatment system, and funding. In the end, public officials requested a spreadsheet that outlines the City’s options for wastewater disposal, in comparison with options for Gold Rush’s development. City officials also chose to slightly decrease the pace of the Gold Rush meeting schedule, cancelling a meeting at the end of September. The next meeting, 7-9 p.m. Monday, September 8 in the City Auditorium, will be for the Planning Commission to discuss the Gold Rush Draft Environmental Impact Report.