At Wednesday night’s Pine Grove Council meeting, members discussed the controversial Pine Grove Bypass project, which was just unanimously voted down by the Amador County Transportation Commission, or ACTC, in June. After that decision was made, it was noted that the Pine Grove area was not fairly represented on the commission because Upcountry District 3 Supervisor Ted Novelli is only an alternate. The remainder of supervisor representation comes from Richard Forster in Ione, and Louis Boitano in Sutter Creek and only parts of Pine Grove. All other commission members come from the cities of Ione, Jackson, Plymouth, and Sutter Creek. Due to this apparent lack of Upcountry representation in ACTC, the council will ask one of the supervisors to step down from the commission and be replaced by an Upcountry representative.

Louis Boitano will look to get this item agendized at ACTC’s next meeting. In addition, the council feels that proper procedures were not followed and is interested in changing the report that was originally submitted to Caltrans. According to Caltrans procedures, if there is any objection to a project, ACTC must complete a Community Involvement Plan, which would require a series of Town Halls on the subject. Pine Grove Council member John Carlson says, “We just want (ACTC) to go through the proper steps.” According to local activist Debbie Dunn, a few town hall meetings were conducted on the project “about six years ago.” Dunn is asking for more community involvement in deciding the fate of the bypass. “We need as many Upcountry people as possible at that (ACTC meeting),” which is scheduled for August 20th at 6PM at 810 Court Street, in the Board of Supervisors chambers.