News Archive (6192)
10th Assembly Dist. cadidates state views in ACCC forum
Written by Tom
Amador County – Both candidates for State Assembly in District 10 squared off last Tuesday in a debate hosted by the Amador Child Care Council. Speaking before a packed chamber at the County Administrative Building, Democratic incumbent Alyson Huber and her opponent, Republican Jack Sieglock, made clear their similarities and differences.
Sieglock repeatedly stated that a vote for Huber means a vote for the leadership that drove California into a fiscal crisis. “If you want the same old business as usual, you can vote for my opponent,” said Sieglock. “But if you want a new direction and new leadership, I’d appreciate your vote.”
For her part, Huber declared that she is also opposed to the way state government does business. She said she “makes decisions based on the needs of those in my district, not party lines.”
Both candidates pointed out their recent endorsements. Sieglock said he was proud to be endorsed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association because he has “balanced 16 budgets without raising taxes.” Huber said she has received bipartisan support, including an endorsement earlier that day from Amador County Sheriff Martin Ryan.
During public comment, both candidates were asked their views on taxes and whether they support Propositions 23 and 26, which deal with eliminating three business tax breaks and giving voters permission before any new taxes can be imposed.
Huber did not answer directly, but said “we have got to stop legislating by propositions; that is ballot box legislation.” Sieglock said the tax increases we face today were put in place “by the leadership that Alyson supports.”
Sieglock believes the budget gap can be closed without any new fees and without raising taxes. “The problem in Sacramento is that (our legislature) really isn’t drilling down,” he said.
Huber insisted “the $40 billion (budget deficit) was too big to do on cuts alone without closing all our schools…and prisons.” She said she “is doing what is fiscally prudent.”
“Do I like everything that was in the budget, no. Did I do the responsible thing, yes,” she said.
This is the second time Huber and Sieglock have vied for this seat. In 2008, Huber beat Sieglock by a scant 474 votes districtwide.
The forum also included candidates for Sutter Creek City Council and a representative speaking on behalf of 3rd District Congressional candidate Dr. Ami Bera.
Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors discussed an agency reorganization plan Thursday that caught employees off guard when the meeting was agendized last week.
The plan, devised by an ad hoc committee made up of President Bill Condrashoff, Director Terence Moore and General Manager Gene Mancebo, includes combining construction and operations departments under one “Field Operations Manager.” It eliminates a total of four positions, though others are slated to be filled.
Employee representatives submitted letters of disapproval of the handling of the reorganization plan, which the board assigned to an ad hoc committee that no employees knew about. Moore said it would have been nice to be able to have the board meet in closed session to find an approach to budget woes and job reductions.
General Manager Gene Mancebo said at a “bare bones minimum,” they need to cut $300,000. He said the reorganization could not be discussed outside of an open session. But he said negotiations with employee groups on reduction of salaries and benefits made him believe they will be able to achieve that amount in cuts.
Mike Crisman of Camanche recommended the agency do a “time and motion study,” and he wondered about managers he called “the fat five” and what they would face in cuts.
Operations Manager Chris McKeage said the “fat five” had every intention of taking the same cuts as all employees, and had made that clear to Mancebo.
Employee Stacy Lollar read a letter of concern, saying that from research she had done, it appeared the reorganization “committee was created in secrecy,” was unethical, and failed to follow “meet and confer” requirements of the Employee Relations Act.
Condrashoff said he was trying to remember when the committee was formed. Board Clerk Chris Thompson said it was formed sometime after the August 26th board meeting.
Vice President Debbie Dunn said they were looking everywhere to cut money, and wanted to look at positions. Agency attorney Steve Kronick and employee attorney Suzanne Price were consulted.
Dunn said the ad hoc committee on reorganization “was created in closed session, and it was reported out of closed session,” but “sadly, no one was there to hear it.”
Moore said “we had to start it somehow, and the board decided that the best way to do it was with an ad hoc committee.”
Moore said they “needed to discuss reorganization with the general manager, and “there was no easy way to let employees know what was going on,” so they “had to let them know in the agenda.”
The council directed Mancebo to meet with staff on the plan and return to the board October 15th.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors voted 4-0 to get a new cost estimate on the proposed Gravity Supply Line project, in effect tabling the issue until after the November 2nd election.
The board directed Finance Manager Mike Lee to create a new financial plan to back a USDA grant and loan for the project.
Director Gary Thomas suggested showing lower bids and the effects on fees in the Central Amador Water Project system, based on a lower cost estimate than the original engineers’ estimate of $13.9 million.
Director Terence Moore said Lee show the “impact of reduction of cost by a bid amount reduction of $1 million.” He said Lee should be able to show variations in the estimated bid amount.
General Manager Gene Mancebo and staff presented a list of conditions from the USDA to meet in order to get a $5 million grant and $8 million loan for the Gravity Supply Line. He said it would take $70,000 in agency work to get bid results, and he said that funding could come from a number of places.
He said the Central Amador Water Project wholesale system has a contingency fund of $92,000, which could be used, but it must still be paid back. Mancebo said they could also use one-fifth of tax funds due from the state to pay for the preparation.
He said the agency needs the bids to know if it is feasible to carry on with the Gravity Supply Line project.
Thomas said he thought it was a good project, and he needs a little more information. He said he would hate to look back, five years down the road and “wonder why we didn’t do it.”
Moore said a 21 percent rate increase over three years that was rejected by CAWP in a Proposition 218 protest had a financial plan based on the agency’s budget at the time. He said they now have a new budget and will plug that into the financial plan.
“Most directors agree it is a good project if we can afford it,” Mancebo said. He said they cannot see if they can afford it “until we get a bid.” He said construction costs are low right now, which will also be factored into the financial plan.
He said “are we willing to spend $69,000 to get those answers?”
President Bill Condrashoff said he was willing to go forward only as far as to get the financial plan together, but he wasn’t willing to spend $70,000 until he saw the practicality of the project.
Moore motioned to direct Lee to gather the new financial plan information, to have it ready for the first budget and finance committee meeting in November. The motion passed 4-0.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – All seven candidates who have filed to run for three seats on the Amador Water Agency board of directors reportedly will attend a candidates’ forum Monday, October 11th at the Upcountry Veterans Hall.
The Upcountry Community Council organized the forum and has received commitments from all seven candidates.
District 1 candidates are incumbent President Bill Condrashoff and Paul Molinelli Senior. District 4 features incumbent Vice President Debbie Dunn and her opponent, Robert Manassero. Director Terence Moore is retiring from the District 5 seat, for which three candidates will compete. The candidates are John J. Asmus, Arthur Toy and Dale Turner.
The Upcountry Community Council AWA candidates’ forum will be moderated by either UCC Chair Lynn Morgan, or Vice Chair Sherry Curtis.
Morgan said the forum will give each candidate five minutes to introduce themselves and their platforms. They will then draw a question out of a “grab bag” and have three minutes to answer it.
Morgan said there will be seven questions in the bag, and each candidate answers a different question. Each candidate will then be given a five-minute time period to make a closing statement.
Morgan said “if there are issues that candidates want to rebut, the only time they will have to do that is in their five-minute closing statement.”
She said there will be time at the end, possibly only 20 minutes, for a question and answer session. People will be urged to be very concise and brief in their questions.
The forum will be limited to 120 minutes.
The UCC came up with the questions in a pretty informal way at its September UCC meeting. She said questions had to be relevant to agency business, and were modified to make them consistent and clear.
The forum is 6-8 pm on Monday, October 11th at the Veterans Memorial Hall on Buckhorn Ridge Road.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Whooping cough rates on the rise, vaccinations encouraged
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Amador County Public Health Department is encouraging residents to attend one of a series of upcoming vaccination clinics designed in part to prevent rising rates of whooping cough throughout the state.
Diane Evensen, the department’s health educator, said there were 5,272 reported cases of the virus in California as of Wednesday, up drastically from 3,834 cases approximately one month before. There are currently no cases in Amador County.
“Vaccinations are so important for the prevention piece of the puzzle,” she said. “Pertussis is tragically lethal to infants, and the sad thing is it’s completely preventable.”
She said rates are highest in infants under six years of age because their young systems have yet to develop a natural immunity to the virus. Infants typically get three doses of the vaccine but are not fully protected until after 5 months.
Known medically as pertussis, the disease is considered incredibly contagious, affecting close to 90 percent of those exposed to it, says the CDC. Close to 70 percent of infants under age 1 are hospitalized. According to state reports, the number of whooping cough cases tends to peak every two to five years. Symptoms of pertussis include flu-like symptoms, such as runny nose, sneezing, fever and a mild cough.
“Vaccination is the best prevention measure that we have, hands down,” she said.
The most common vaccine for whooping cough is TDAP, and Evensen said her department is offering it as part of a series of flu vaccination clinics to occur through November. She also encouraged individuals of all ages to get the standard flu vaccine.
“We’ve started FluMist vaccinations for all public schools, and so far only about 50 percent of the students have been vaccinated,” she said. She said minors are not allowed to get the flu vaccine without parent consent.
When questioned about whether the low vaccination numbers are of concern to her department, Evenson said it is still early in the season and these figures do not rule out the possibility that “kids have gone and seen their own private medical providers.”
For a complete list of upcoming flu vaccine clinics at the Amador County Public Health Department, visit them online, call 209-223-6407, or drop in during normal business hours at 10877 Conductor Boulevard in Sutter Creek. Each vaccine shot costs $10.
Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Jackson Woman's Club proclamation honors club's strong past
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Woman’s Club of Jackson invites people to “join them in celebrating 100 years of philanthropic service to the community of Jackson” this Saturday.
Publicist for the club, Judy McCurdy, said the Jackson Woman’s Club requested a resolution from Jackson City Council to commemorate the accomplishments of the club that was incorporated in 1910, with the goal to “advance the city of Jackson … along the lines of civic, social and educational improvement.”
McCurdy compiled a list of “whereas” clauses of facts about the Jackson Woman’s Club, to be included on the resolution, which the city will present as a proclamation on Saturday. She “gleaned (those facts) from reading the history of the club’s philanthropic efforts for the city of Jackson and Amador County.
McCurdy said: “It is amazing that the women of this community were responsible for the founding of the first high school, library and park even before they were granted the right to vote. Hopefully we can continue the fine example their history has provided us.”
The group’s new century starts, in part, by collecting books to support Friends of Amador County Library in its “Shelving Campaign” to raise money for new bookshelves for the teen and adult non-fiction sections of the library.
The “Jackson Woman’s Club Centennial Celebration 1910 – 2010” is set for 2-5 p.m. Saturday, October 9th at the Jackson Civic Center.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Gold Rush will keep Sutter Creek City Council abreast of legal developments
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Sutter Creek City Council approved a reimbursement agreement Monday to keep tabs on the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort and mitigations it must make as its project develops.
The agreement is on pause as Gold Rush faces a lawsuit by Ken Berry of Martell on environmental issues, after the settlement of which, the time line starts for improvements by both the city and developers.
Councilwoman Sandy Anderson said Gold Rush would be “very happy to work with” Hauge Brueck Associates, with whom the city approved a contract Monday. Anderson said “they are very much ready to move forward on a reimbursement contract,” and “will keep us abreast” on a timeline of their legal challenges.
Berry filed a lawsuit in Amador County Superior Court February 2nd seeking to force Sutter Creek to rewrite its Environmental Impact Report for Gold Rush. The suit asks the court to set aside certification of the EIR and order Sutter Creek to “comply with the requirements” of the California Environmental Quality Act.
Berry in the suit said his standing in the case is that he is a municipal water customer of Jackson, which is served by the Amador Water Agency. AWA also serves Gold Rush, so the “project has an impact on long term water supplies and therefore directly affects” him.
In the suit, Berry alleges the project’s subdivision, rezone and specific plan are not consistent with the Sutter Creek General Plan.
Planning Commissioner Frank Cunha said Monday that Hauge Brueck Associates partner Anders Hauge “spent a year going through the city General Plan,” and constantly reminded the commission that the policies would be city-wide and not just affect Gold Rush.
Cunha said he would like to see Hauge’s firm “on board with this.” He also reminded the council that the city, as part of the development agreement, has a year time limit to come up with a solution to our wastewater issue.
Councilman Pat Crosby said that year timeline starts at the conclusion of legal challenges. Crosby also recommended making the city council part of the agreement process.
City Manager Sean Rabe said any services for Hauge Brueck will be “spelled out” and “they will get a copy of the task order,” so the company “won’t be an open check book.”
City Finance Director Joe Aquilar said staff handling of the reimbursements keeps the city council shielded from accusations of wrongdoing.
Mayor Gary Wooten said wording in the contract does allow Rabe to share the documentation with any council member.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sutter Creek OKs reimbursement contract Hauge for work on Gold Rush mitigations
Written by Tom
Amador County – Sutter Creek City Council on Monday approved a reimbursement contract with a company that helped the council and planning commission process of the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort.
City Manager Sean Rabe said the Gold Rush item was brought up by Councilwoman Linda Rianda because the development agreement with Gold Rush “contains specific trigger points for things to be done by both the city and the developer.”
The triggered tasks “were put on hold until the referendum was completed and are still on hold pending the outcome of the lawsuits filed against the project.”
Rabe said the council “wanted to make sure that the city has a mechanism to track what the trigger points are, and that a reimbursement agreement is entered into with the developer, so that when the lawsuits have made their way through court the city knows what is needed and by when.”
The city council directed staff September 7th to “prepare a reimbursement agreement with the developer for the hiring of a project manager to track the project for the city.”
Rabe recommended contracting the firm of Hauge Brueck Associates, which helped the city “process the Gold Rush Ranch project.” The contract would be “for reimbursable planning services.”
Rabe said “it’s not specific to Gold Rush” but is for “any project that’s brought to the council by developers.” He said it is a professional service, for which he “did shop around, but we don’t have to do a formal (Request For Proposals) process.”
The council voted 5-0 to approve the contract with Hauge Brueck Associates, basing it largely on HBA’s familiarity with Gold Rush.
Under the contract, “HBA would perform work for the city only when a reimbursement agreement has been entered into by a project proponent and the city, with the appropriate deposit on file.”
Planning Commissioner Robin Peters said they all watched HBA’s Anders Hauge “handle this project.” He said “this isn’t going to cost the city anything,” but he was curious about the “underplay” between Hauge and City Planner Bruce Baracco.
Rabe said Baracco has valuable “institutional knowledge” from his long service with the city, and as a contracted planner would help Rabe in his triple-duty position as city manager and directors of community development and planning.
Mayor Gary Wooten said a “major consideration in selecting” Hauge was not having to bring in a new person and spend the money to get them up to speed on Gold Rush.
Rabe said “it is critical that we have continuity with his firm, and I think it would be a conflict to have me do it.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – Sutter Gold Mining Company moved closer to production with the issuance of two state permits for waste disposal, though the company may still be a couple of years away from full production, if an economic assessment finds it feasible.
Sutter Gold Mining on its website announced it “recently received approval from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board of construction-level design documents for two permitted mine waste disposal units.”
The permits are for a “waste rock pile,” and a “surface fill unit” at the Sutter Gold Mine, known to the company as the “Lincoln Mine Project,” in Amador County.
David Cochrane, vice President for environment, health and safety for Sutter Gold Mining, said permitting work lies ahead, including through the Amador County Air District, the state and the federal government.
Cochran said “our goal is to complete our economic assessment in the fourth quarter of this year,” then its board of directors would decide whether to go into production. After that, they must get funding through a method not yet finalized, possibly through investment, equity, or debt.
After funding is secured, he expects a 12- to 18-month process to get to the point of beginning production.
Cochrane said they must build a mill and surface unit, and some things they need are “long lead items” not sitting around, which when ordered a company “might have to fabricate it especially for us.”
He said it “gives us plenty of time to order things, build things,” and check the facility to see that everything is working correctly.
He said they hope to have most of the permitting wrapped up by next summer, and “we already have most of our major permits in place.”
Some still needed are minor permits that must be based on a final design. The company must submit plans to the county for a building permit. Right now they have only conceptual designs.
The company must get county permits for grading, air, storm water prevention, and the authority to construct from the Amador Air District.
Cochrane said he is “basically responsible for environmental permitting and also health and safety programs.” He identifies and obtains all necessary approvals and permits.
Air emissions will be looked at for the two recent approvals for waste disposal. The company must look at dust emissions, and what to do to control impacts.
There are permits for processing ore specific to stationary equipment that “does not go places under its own power,” while the state regulates mobile equipment, such as bulldozers.
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Amador County – Three Jackson Elementary School kindergarten classes took walking field trips to the Jackson Fire Department Tuesday to learn about the letter “F”, and to hear about fire safety from some local experts.
Teacher Nan Muzinich (Mew-Zin-Itch) and her a.m. class of kindergarten students was one of three classes to take the tour of the firehouse. Firefighter Sean Parkyn and Engineer Robert Greathouse spoke to the children about fire safety, dialing 9-1-1, and what to do in case of a fire.
The lessons included “stop, drop and roll,” staying low to find the “good air” in a smoke-filled home, feeling a door before opening it, and talking with the family about determining a meeting place if the family evacuates the house in the event of a fire.
They talked about what constitutes an emergency, and when to dial 9-1-1. The firefighters also demonstrated the fireman’s protective equipment, with turnouts, boots, mask, breathing tank and helmet.
After discussing fire safety, the children were given the chance to try on the firemen’s boots, heavy jacket, and helmet. The children then were allowed to climb through the front seating area of one of the fire trucks.
Jackson Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary members Genny Tremaine and Stephanie Middlekauff helped with the tour, as did several parents.
The firefighters said two morning classes and one afternoon class were planning field trips to the Jackson Fire Station on Tuesday.
Muzinich said she and her class also plan a field trip by bus to a pumpkin patch later this month.
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