On the other hand, the council accepted a letter of resignation from Planning Commissioner Linda Smylie and discussed advertising for that seat. This position will be a fulfillment of the current term, with 2 years remaining. Council also voted to reappoint Mark Lively and Fraser West to the Parks and Recreation Commission for terms of 2 years each. Next up was a report from City Manager Kim Kerr, regarding insurance coverage for Employment Practices Liability. The city currently has insurance coverage for general liability, workers compensation, and property.

However, this coverage does not include claims for wrongful termination of employment, sexual harassment, discrimination and similar complaints. The City has a self-insured deductible of $500,000, so if the City were held liable for an employment practice, the first $500,000 would come from the City’s General Fund. This would not be a budgeted item and could have serious implications for the City. Staff recommended that the City acquire coverage for all claims between $25,000 and $500,000 to provide additional protection to the City and protect its resources. Councilmembers agreed and voted to approve $2,245 for the additional insurance. And last but not least, the long awaited agreement on the future of wastewater disposal in Ione Valley is almost complete. The Amador Regional Sanitation Authority, or ARSA, and the City have signed the contract. The signature coming from Mule Creek should be attached to the document in the near future. And City Attorney Tim Taylor has begun working on the related Joint Powers Authority agreement to oversee implementation of the contract, which could be before the council in November.