News Archive (6192)
Amador County – Outgoing Plymouth Mayor Patricia Fordyce will start a possible new city tradition when she hands over the gavel and leaves the Plymouth City Council on December 9th. She plans to select the first Mayor’s Citizen of the Year award winner.
City Manager Dixon Flynn proposed that the outgoing mayor pick a citizen of the year, whether a volunteer or anybody the mayor feels is deserving of that award, for contributions the person has made to the betterment of the city of Plymouth. Flynn said it was not a council decision but a kind of “last action in the terms of service as mayor.”
He presented the idea during his city manager report, apologizing that it was not on the agenda. Flynn said “we’ll go ahead and move forward with it, unless we hear otherwise.” He said he has done this at other cities he has worked for.
Fordyce on Friday said “I think that we are going do it this year for the first time.” She said “it is to recognize someone that the mayor feels has been going out of their way to help the city.”
She said she has “someone in mind but I don’t want to say.” It was brand new, but she thought it was a good idea.
Plymouth Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin reported on Amador County Transportation Commission business, saying community meetings on Highway 88 had produced 13-14 project ideas, which were whittled down to four different ways to go around Pine Grove. Baldwin said Neil Peacock has been asked to do the last part of the work.
Baldwin said Caltrans will be trying to remove the defunct railroad crossing on Highway 49 in Martell, and will put up exempt signs there, so large trucks, fuel haulers and busses won’t have to stop. He said Caltrans has a new list coming out, with a “whole lot of grants,” including bicycle routes.
The ACTC board also had a special meeting last Friday to discuss candidates interviewed for the Amador Regional Transit System manager position. It is the second round of applications and interviews for the position.
Flynn reported that on November 9th, the Amador Fire Protection District board approved the contract for fire services, which the Plymouth City Council approved and signed October 14th. He said the city now has a copy of the signed contract in its files.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County - The first annual Coat-ed with Love coat drive was a huge success this year, with over 800 jackets collected for distribution to school age children and other local persons in need.
The idea for the charity event came from Wilma Fortich, marketing manager for ServPro Industries, Inc., who said she wanted to find a way for her and her company to give back to the community. Lori Halvorsen of the Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency (ATCAA) enthusiastically agreed to distribute the coats to her agency’s clients.
“We did a pretty good job for our first time. The support from the community was just amazing,” said Karin Tippit, Office Manager for ServPro.
In order to collect as many coats as possible, special boxes were distributed to over 50 business locations throughout Amador County. In no time, the boxes began filling with all kinds of coats, jackets and sweatshirts.
In addition, Abra Teague, owner of the Jamba Juice in Martell, donated a free hot beverage for every coat collected.
The drive began September 20th and ended November 18th, but Tippit said coats are still coming in. She said the public is welcome to drop off any coats at the ServPro or ATCAA offices in Jackson.
For more information about the Coat-ed with Love project, please contact Wilma Fortich at 304-4908.
The coats will be distributed exclusively to people in Amador and Calaveras counties.
Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Plymouth works Saturday on Ditch to prep for new council
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Plymouth City Council heard from a prospective manager of the Arroyo Ditch water right for the city last week, and set a special, closed session meeting for last weekend to continue discussion.
The council scheduled a special meeting of the city council in a closed session 8 a.m. Saturday (November 20th) at City Hall. They were to have a conference with its real property negotiator City Manager Dixon Flynn to discuss the Arroyo ditch and related water rights, prices and terms of payment.
Mayor Pat Fordyce said Shenandoah Management Company “can’t sit in on a closed session,” and “won’t be involved in it.”
Fordyce said: “This is really to sort out some things we want, and then an agreement would be created. …Once a contract is put together, then it will be an open item on the agenda.”
They decided to hold the special session on Saturday “because it needs to get done” because at the “next council meeting, the council is going to change.”
Fordyce said they “just decided to have a special meeting and a closed session and deal with it.” She said the council “only had one meeting this month because of holidays.”
The Mayor said: “This is going to take some time and for the new council, it would be hard to pick up on something we’ve been doing for a couple of years.”
The council was expected to spend four hours on the subject Saturday.
The new council member, Peter Amoroso, will be sworn in at the December 9th meeting, and Fordyce will hand over the mayor’s gavel (to whoever the new council selects as the new Mayor). Fordyce and Councilman Mike O’Meara both did not seek reelection.
The council Thursday also discussed options for handling the replacement of Sean McGinness, who was elected to the city council on November 2nd, but resigned November 3rd because he moved out of Plymouth.
City Attorney Laura Hollender said they may make an appointment to fill the position, or call a special election within 30 days. She said they could not take any action at the meeting last week.
Fordyce said the decision “will be left to new council.” She expects to preside over the Dec. 9th meeting, “until we swear in the new members.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – The Plymouth City Council heard from a prospective manager of its Arroyo Ditch Thursday, and planned to work through the weekend on an agreement with the company.
City Manager Dixon Flynn gave a report on an effort that began in December 2008 to find a company to manage the Arroyo Ditch and get its water flowing. Shenandoah Water Company has worked to make water flow in the ditch for the last three years.
Flynn said the state requires that the city show and measure “beneficial use” of the water, meaning it must install meters. The city believes its “pre-1914 water right on the Cosumnes River” gives it the right to divert at least 31 cubic feet per second from the river, or 23,000 acre-feet of water. Flynn said that right has not yet been “adjudicated,” and the agreement they seek to manage the Arroyo Ditch would include securing the rights.
The council in open session heard a presentation by Flynn and by Shenandoah Management Company, which made a proprietary agreement with the city to keep details of the company’s offer confidential.
Flynn said the company wanted to pursue the deal if it was “economically viable,” and would pay with “venture capital.” Flynn said the latter was “really broad.” The company also requested a 45-year contract, but Flynn said “over the last two years, the city has been fairly firm in its maximum of 20 years” for a contract.
Shenandoah Management Company partner Mark Suden of Pine Grove said he is a general engineer, with experience in mining, tunneling, drilling, blasting and ditch work. He and his partner, Josh Lyman, of Shenandoah Valley have been involved in the Arroyo Ditch for the last three years, beginning when Councilman Jon Colburn called him to blast some rock that had fallen in the ditch.
Originally Shenandoah Water Company, Suden said “we have not been in direct negotiations with the city since November 30th, 2009.”
Suden said: “We’re involved because we see the potential to make some money.” He said “we may be good guys, but we intend to make a profit on this.” He did not expect the city to pay the initial investments but “we do want to be paid back if we are successful in selling water.”
Suden said they wanted a long-term contract and would work with the city on a time frame.
The Shenandoah Management Company partnership includes Downey Brand Attorneys LLP, including water rights special counsel J. Mark Plymouth City Council heard from a prospective manager of the Arroyo Ditch water right for the city last week, and set a special, closed session meeting for last weekend to continue discussion.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County Elections office plans 7 polling places for Jan. 4 special election
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Amador County elections department will be reducing the election voting places to seven locations for one time only, for the special election after the first of the year in State Senate District 1.
Sheldon D. Johnson, Amador County Registrar of Voters, announced Friday that polling locations for the upcoming January 4th, 2011 Special General Election will be consolidated to seven in Amador County, as voters decide the successor to the late Senator Dave Cox in District 1.
Candidates are Ted Gaines, a Republican from Granite Bay, and Ken Cooley, a Democrat from Sacramento.
Johnson said “for this election only, there will be seven polling locations countywide instead of the regular 26 locations.” Sample ballots for poll voters will be mailed between November 25th and December 14th, and “voters are encouraged to check their sample ballot for the location of their polling place.”
The polling locations for the January 4th, 2011 special general election are Jackson City Hall, Evalynn Bishop Hall in Ione, Sutter Creek Auditorium, New Life Christian Center at 19751 State Highway 88 in Pine Grove, the Plymouth City Hall, Lockwood Fire House at 23141 Shake Ridge Road in Volcano, and Mace Meadow Golf Course in Pioneer.
“Pursuant to the California Elections Code, several precincts have been designated as mail ballot precincts for this election only,” Johnson said. Beginning December 6th, vote-by-mail ballots will be mailed to voters in designated mail ballot precincts and the permanent vote-by-mail voters. The Voter Instructions and Information Pamphlet will also be included with the official ballots.
The three precincts designated as mail ballot precincts are Amador City, Volcano, and River Pines.
Johnson said he “implemented these changes over concerns in not being able to secure enough poll workers due to the holidays, a predicted lighter than usual turnout, the high number of permanent vote-by-mail voters (54.59 percent of the registered voters), and in an effort to keep costs down.”
Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – As many as 23,000 foothill residents were left without power beginning early Sunday morning due to heavy winter rain and snow storms.
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) company officials reported blanket power outages occurring Sunday and Monday in portions of Amador, Calaveras, Nevada, Placer and El Dorado counties.
In total, 3,200 were without power in Alpine Amador, Calaveras and San Joaquin counties. The largest outage hit West Point, where 1,700 customers were without power much of Sunday.
PG&E said the outages occurred after multiple spans of wires fell in various areas. They warn residents to use caution when driving and stay clear of downed lines. Crews have been dispatched throughout the area to restore power.
Multiple brief outages also knocked out power for businesses in downtown Jackson Monday morning.
As of late Monday morning, multiple reports of downed lines in Amador County were still coming in. As of 10:25 am, Highway 88 was closed between Meadow Pine and Sugar Pine Drive because of downed power lines. Another line was reported down on Woodland Road in Pioneer.
As of 11:30 a.m. Monday, Highway 88 at the Carson Spur was also closed due to heavy snowfall.
The National Weather Service has put in place a winter storm warning that will remain in effect until 6 pm Tuesday above the 2,500 foot elevation. The agency expects another cold front dropping southward into the region tonight bringing another round or showers and snow to 2,500 feet or lower, and gusty winds of up to 50 miles per hour in some very high elevations.
Residents are advised to use extreme caution while driving.
If you want to report or have concerns about downed power lines, please call PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000.
Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
AWA OKs deferring $900K county Water Development Fund loan
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors voted to amend its agreement with Amador County on a $900,000 loan, with a proposed eight-month deferral of the repayment.
Supervisor John Plasse and County Counsel Martha Shaver spoke to the board. Shaver urged them to seek an outside loan to pay off the county “Water Development Fund” loan, if the AWA decides it will not continue with the Gravity Supply Line project.
General Manager Gene Mancebo met with Plasse and the county water committee to discuss the amendment, which, if approved by Supervisors, would allow the AWA to repay the loan August 31st, 2011, instead of December 31st.
The agreement has wording to enact a “maturity date” 75 days after certain triggers, including if the “AWA board of directors takes any action to delay or terminate the (Gravity Supply Line) Project.”
Another trigger is if the “AWA has elected to delay or terminate the project, or cease to pursue obtaining the grant for the project.” At third trigger is if “any other act has occurred that will prevent AWA from receiving funds from the grant, including any acts or omissions occurring prior to” execution of the amendment. Supervisors must also approve the agreement.
The board approved the amendment on a 3-2 vote with President Bill Condrashoff and Vice President Debbie Dunn against. On the same vote, they directed Finance Manager Mike Lee to investigate outside loans and conditions, should the agency need to pay the loan by the end of the year. Lee said it would take a couple of weeks.
Director Don Cooper said members of the Central Amador Water Project, who met Wednesday in a quarterly meeting, were in favor of further studying the Gravity Supply Line. He said “retailers want to pay the $69,000 to get the ball rolling on the project,” and determine whether to proceed with the GSL, for which the AWA has applied for a $5 million grant, to build a new, gravity-powered water pipeline to Buckhorn water plant. They also want to see the costs to customers, which he said may be shown in a financial plan at the next budget meeting.
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EPA orders Caltrans to upgrade stormwater management program
Written by Tom
Sacramento - The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to upgrade its statewide stormwater management program, and exert stronger controls over stormwater discharges from its road construction and maintenance sites.
The Clean Water Act enforcement action follows a series of EPA field audits of four Northern California Caltrans districts. Accompanied by State and Regional Water Board representatives, EPA inspected numerous Caltrans construction and maintenance sites, and found violations of the California-issued stormwater permit designed to protect the State's water resources from polluted stormwater runoff.
“The protection of our waters is one of EPA's major priorities, and limiting the damage done by stormwater from construction sites is a key goal,” said Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator for EPA Pacific Southwest. “We urge Caltrans to join us in the fight for improved water quality by controlling its stormwater runoff.”
Caltrans manages approximately 50,000 miles of California highway and freeway lanes across its 12 districts. Stormwater runoff from Caltrans roads and facilities contain pollutants such as metals, sediment, oil, grease, pesticides and trash.
“Our action compels Caltrans to strengthen its stormwater program at all levels of the organization if it is to successfully protect California's rivers and streams,” said Alexis Strauss, Water Division Director for EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. “We will ensure full compliance with this enforcement action, and continue to evaluate Caltrans implementation statewide under the current and forthcoming stormwater permit.”
Water pollution degrades surface waters making them unsafe for drinking, fishing, and swimming. As authorized by the Clean Water Act, NPDES permits regulate the discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States. Specifically, stormwater runoff is a primary cause of water quality impairments. Since 2001, EPA Region 9 has conducted over 50 audits of municipal stormwater programs, including state Departments of Transportation.
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Recent downpours could mean early closure of Eldorado Forest roads
Written by Tom
Amador County - Recent downpours of rain hint that the seasonal closure of Eldorado National Forest dirt roads could happen sooner than January 1st, if conditions are right. October and early November rains were intense at times and Forest Supervisor Ramiro Villalvazo says the roadbeds held up well enough to keep the routes open for now. New storms may change that situation.
“The annual seasonal dirt road closure begins no later than January 1st, however, a soaking precipitation, with an outlook for more, could bring that about sooner.” says Villalvazo. “Precipitation, soil moisture, road and trail conditions, and weather forecasts are factors that can trigger an earlier closure. We’ll be checking the routes regularly to determine when to start the seasonal closure.”
Once the routes are seasonally closed, they will remain closed until at least April 1st.
“My desire is to keep the Forest as accessible to the public as possible,” said Villalvazo. “The seasonal closure is designed to protect roadbeds and watersheds from damage and to maintain good water quality.”
Roads subject to closure are identified on a map that is free-of-charge and available at all Eldorado National Forest offices. The seasonal closure does not affect routes in the Rock Creek area of the Eldorado, near Georgetown, as it has its own route closure process.
Visitors are encouraged to check the Eldorado National Forest website for information about the seasonal road closure: www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado.
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Ione to study isotopes at suspected sewer leak at Sutter Creek bank
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Ione City Council on Tuesday approved a $5,000 study of isotopes related to a suspected seepage area below one of its sewer treatment ponds on the bank of Sutter Creek, with the city hoping the findings prove to be conclusive enough to state regulators.
The council authorized City Manager Kim Kerr to sign a contract for $4,973 with Hydrofocus Incorporated to conduct the isotope study on the water in Sutter Creek, above and below the suspected seepage area on the bank, where dampness has been seen for years. Kerr said the source of the water could not be conclusively known until the study was done.
She said city records show the seepage on the wall of the bank of Sutter Creek has been a known phenomenon since at least 2001, and no one has ever been “willing to say what the water is.” The Regional Water Quality Control Board considers it seepage until it is proven inconclusively that its source is something other than the sewer pond.
Kerr said the “isotope study will tell you where the water comes from.” She said “one way or the other, we have to have this answered.” If they don’t, they will need a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit, for incidental discharging.
City Attorney Kristen Castanos said the city is not sure that the Regional Board would issue an NPDES permit for the incidental discharge, because staff has not spoken to them about that.
It would increase city monitoring requirements. The city now pays about $30,000 a year in monitoring tests at Castle Oaks’ sewer pond system. Kerr said monitoring costs with an NPDES permit “would be higher, and would be in perpetuity.”
City Engineer John Wanger said the outcome of the isotope study findings depends on the belief of the Regional Board, which wants the source of the water on the creek bank proven beyond the shadow of a doubt.
He said environmental groups are saying that wastewater treatment plants are degrading waterways, while on the other hand, municipalities are trying to serve their cities’ needs.
Wanger said they “must determine if it’s naturally occurring ground water, or if it is seepage being forced out by water pressure of the pond.”
The council also approved an emergency repair of a leak on Pond 6 caused by rodents.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
