Amador County – More than 110 people attended the first General Plan Update meeting of 2011, with a nearly capacity supervisors chamber. The first meeting of the year of the Joint Panel of Amador County’s Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission was also the panel’s 13th meeting on the topic overall.

The Joint Panel began meeting in 2008, and last met in 2009, then staff went to work preparing the Preliminary Draft General Plan, which County Planner Susan Grijalva and her staff brought back Wednesday for more preliminary work. She said the changes that would come from changing words and the like was not enough to cause the re-circulating of the Environmental Impact Report for comment.

She said the meeting was intended to confirm that the preliminary drafts of the general plan document, glossary and implementation plan “contain the direction previously given to staff” in the dozen previous meetings, and to “identify any item that, if incorporated into the document later in the process, would be of such significance so as to substantially change the project description, thereby necessitating recirculation of the Draft Environmental Impact Report.” She said word changes “aren’t significant enough in the scope of environmental analysis” and that discussion should be held until the Draft General Plan and EIR are released.

Supervisor Chairman John Plasse read a list of minutes from the 10-member Joint Panel’s last 12 meetings, and said: “Who says we’re not transparent?” Grijalva said there were 27 General Plan Advisory Committee meetings held over 2 years, along with workshops in the community. The dozen Joint Panel meetings were held over 2-and-a-half years, and “correspondence was received during all phases.”

Several people spoke during “public matters not on the agenda,” and started to address the General Plan Update, but were asked to refrain from doing so until later. A public speaker’s sign-in sheet was indicated by Grijalva, who also asked that anyone reading from prepared statements could submit their document to Planner Cara Augustin, so that it could more easily be placed into the record of the proceedings.

Eight documents of correspondence were packaged for the Panel, and Grijalva started the meeting by bringing up four areas of concern that staff had found things in the final land use map which needed the panel’s further direction. She said staff had identified “four areas that don’t appear to be consistent with policies that we’ve applied to the rest of the General Plan.”

The meeting, attended by more than 100 people, included many in red signifying membership of the Mother Lode Tea Party Patriots, many of whom signed up for the public comment period. The meeting was scheduled to be continued to today if needed.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Mike Roots, Superintendent of the Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp, announced in a release last week that wards at the camp recently participated in the Spring Fire Readiness Exercise, to prepare for warmer weather.

CYA Lieutenant Wayland in the report said “all Correctional Fire Crews are required to participate in, and successfully complete, a fire readiness exercise prior to the start of the fire season. This year, Pine Grove Camp, along with Washington Ridge and Growlersberg Camps, held a joint exercise on the Bacchi Ranch in Coloma.” The first activity was a “tool-up,” he said, simulating “what occurs upon arrival at a fire.” Within seconds the crew exited the back of a vehicle, “called out their position on the crew, and received their tool, then lined up in crew order awaiting further directions.”

Senior Cal Fire officers “conducted an equipment inspection of each fire fighter and quizzed them, testing their understanding of fire line safety.”

The crew “then moved to another location where their fire shelter deployment skills were evaluated,” Wayland wrote. “Following a briefing and demonstration, the crew simulated deployment under emergency conditions. Captain Chris Waters had devoted hours practicing this life-saving skill and, as a result, everyone was fully deployed within 26 seconds.” Soon after, the crew “struck out on a four-mile hike with full packs, canteens, and sufficient supplies to work on the fire line for 24 hours. Although the temperature was warm and the terrain rolling to hilly, they completed it on time and with considerable ease,” which Wayland said was “a testament to Captain Water’s belief in physical conditioning and constant practice.”

Following a short rest and a snack, the crew “was ready for its biggest and most difficult challenge of the day,” that being “cutting a fire line uphill through dense vegetation.” Wayland said that “line cutting is the most important task for a wildland fire hand crew and is the true test of a crew’s individual fitness and team cohesiveness.”

Wayland said there “are no stars on a hand crew; each member has a specific task which must be performed in sequence and without delay.” While exhausting work, “the firefighters also found it satisfying to look down a 300-foot pathway, cleared down to bare soil, which was choked with brush and trees just minutes before and realize what they had accomplished.”

Even though the crew passed the exercise and is now ready for the 2011 fire season, there was no rest and relaxation. Wayland said the next day, “the crew was back at work, practicing and honing their hiking and firefighting skills.” Wayland said Waters and the other Pine Grove captains “understand that skills practiced during training and daily work are what keep everyone safe on the fire line.”

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Amador County – Amador County Animal Control announced Monday that it has recently taken custody of 16 miniature horses, which may be available for adoption.

General Services Administration Director John Hopkins said “recently 16 neglected miniature horses were relinquished into the care of Amador County Animal Control. The horses’ health is being evaluated and all will be available for adoption to homes that are approved by Animal Control.”

Hopkins in a release said “some of the horses may require medical care while all need special attentio¬n.” For adoption information, please contact Animal Control at (209) 223-6378.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to set a public hearing for a solid waste service increase in franchise service Area 1, and also to raise rates at transfer stations in Pine Grove and Camanche.

ACES Waste Service requested the increases, while holding of potential rate decreases in service areas Number 2 and 3. They requested waiting a year to be able to get data for a full year’s service in Ione, to save money on a costly audit that would have to be redone on Ione next year. ACES President Paul Molinelli Senior said it would also allow for potential gasoline prices to not have an impact on the company’s cash flow.

Supervisor Brian Oneto and Chairman John Plasse dissented. Oneto said he thought ACES should seek reimbursement for carbon emission upgrades he has made to his fleet. Oneto thought reductions should occur in the service areas where they would apply.

Supervisor Louis Boitano partially agreed, saying “I’m looking for a smoothing effect.” As a ratepayer, he would like a decrease, but not if two months later the company would need a 10 percent increase. Molinelli said “that’s exactly what we’re afraid of.” He noted that “fuel has increased 30 percent since Jan. 1,” and “if it does not go to below $3 a gallon, we are going to have a larger rate increase.”

County Counsel Martha Shaver said “if you are going to have an increase of any amount, you have to go out” with a Proposition 218 notice, which the board approved in the 3-2 vote. They also agreed to send letters telling the customers about costs ACES is “eating” to be in carbon air emissions compliance.

Molinelli said: “We did incur that expense. We ate that cost. We’re here. We’re standing.” It was about $150,000 to $200,000 in the 2-year process. Supervisor Ted Novelli said it should be an “itemized specialty,” reimbursable under the franchise contract, and Oneto repeatedly asked why it was not sought in surcharges by ACES. Molinelli said “we’re done. The thing is, we will never buy another vehicle again that is non-compliant.” Oneto said: “Until they change the requirements.”

The board, voting 3-2, approved sending a Prop 218 notice for the Service Area 1 rate increase, and set a public hearing for July 12. They also declined a recommended 1% rate change threshold, and agreed to have the Admin Committee work on a draft letter with ACES to tell customers about the carbon compliance costs.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.