Amador County – Jackson City Council last week approved an application to the state for $8.3 million in wastewater plant grants, with three different sources available to the city, if it qualifies.

City Manager Mike Daly said the master application to the Regional Water Quality Control Board would put the city in contention for financing from three different programs, and as the city gets closer to project funding, the state can determine if the city qualifies. The grants are based on community demographics and the type of project. It would look at USDA funding for the city and funding through the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan.

Daly told the Council that the Environmental Impact Report for the city’s preferred wastewater project is nearing the point for him to review it, and it ought to be on the street by the end of the month. He said the pre-design is still ongoing, and is an important part for the financing. Some of the funding can go 40 years, which will help costs.

Councilman Keith Sweet asked about the specific number of $8.3 million, and if that was picked up from the projects the city looked at. He also wondered about reducing costs.

Daly said the monetary amount came from the preferred project for which the EIR is being prepared, and came from estimates prepared by consultant ECO:Logic, now doing business with the city as Stantec.

In public comment, Judy Jebian asked if the city does not have a project, you don’t know what the costs are, but she understood “getting in a cue and using a placeholder” for the funding. She asked if there was a “possibility a big the project like this is not necessary.”

Daly said they clearly want to try to reduce and minimize costs. He said Friday the EIR likely would be out in the first or second week in May to start a 45-day open comment period which would be reviewed and responded to. The EIR study covers primarily the preferred wastewater project, as selected last year by the Council. That plan is to spray-irrigate agricultural property just south of the wastewater treatment plant.

It is up to 300 acres, which would be irrigated during summer months, while in winter, treated effluent would still be discharged into Jackson Creek. The EIR looks at impact potential for sensitive plants and animals with the spraying, and also looks at the affect of not releasing treated effluent into Jackson Creek during the summer.

The property is owned by the Busi family and the city has been working with them with draft language on an agreement. A long-term lease is required by the Regional Board.

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Amador County – Amador County Transportation Commission approved environmental and design work for the Pine Grove Corridor Improvement Project last week and discussed how the project will be undertaken simultaneously to put actual details of the project into the environmental documents.

Dokken Engineering President Richard Liptak said they plan to have four public meetings to get input from the public whose 90 properties line Highway 88, where the project design will look for ways to improve the existing three-lanes, and enhance the flow of traffic.

Supervisor Richard Forster asked how they would handle landowners who were resistant. Liptak said they will listen. He said “we still want to help those people even if they don’t like the project.” Every project has it, and there are people who say they have never heard of this project before and yet there is a folder sitting there documenting the engineers’ visits with them.

Supervisor John Plasse asked about “deliverables” in the scope of Dokken’s work. Liptak said those will be owner’s exhibits of meetings with the landowners, showing them maps lines of their properties, so they can see where the line goes, and where they actually park on the state right-of-way. Resistant people see their neighbor’s rendering and are enticed to see their own map lines.

Liptak said traffic simulation in 3-D by Fehr & Peers is good for the public because they can come and see what the project will look like. Fehr & Peers “can take snapshots of traffic,” and engineering can show what it looks like.

The environmental testing will include a geotechnical “pavement deflection test,” where a big hammer hits the pavement to measure how far it moves, and gauge its stability. He said it is the only way Caltrans will agree to rehab of existing highway. It will save millions, and keeps them from having to remove the whole road.

If the road passes the deflection test, it can be grinded down two inches and repaved with two inches of new asphalt. Liptak said the deflection testing saved about $5 million on a road project Dokken engineered in Kings Beach. He said it is a test not needed for the “Project Approval and Environmental Design” stage, but without it, Caltrans would require gutting out the whole road.

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Amador County – Jackson Fire Department saluted two of its firefighters with annual awards Monday during the Jackson City Council meeting. ¶ Jackson Fire Chief Marc Crain announced the winner of the Firefighter of the Year Award and Responder of the Year awards. Crain said the Jackson Fire Department responded to a record 1,215 calls in 2011, so being the top responder and top firefighter were no small accomplishments.

The Fire Fighter of the Year award went to Robert Greathouse, an Emergency Medical Technician and Engineer. Crain said Greathouse is an outstanding fire fighter and spent a lot of extra time training, and serving the city through 2011. A January Fire Department report to the Jackson City Council listed the annual response calls among firefighters. Greathouse responded to 499 calls in 2011.

Crain announced the winner of the David Gardella Memorial Award for the Top Responder, who was James Rice. Rice, an EMT and Firefighter, was on duty with the American Legion Ambulance service on Monday, the night of the award presentations, and could not accept his plaque. The plaque will hang in the Argonaut Station year-round, with his name on it, Crain said. According to the January report, Rice responded to 336 calls in 2011 for the Jackson Fire Department.

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Amador County – The Amador County branch of the American Association of University Women are raffling an Opportunity Quilt called the “Tree of Life,” which was inspired by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts.

Thimbleberry and Thimbleberry-like fabrics create the “scrappy” tree leaves, and stylized flowers are hand appliquéd in the center and around the perimeter of the quilt. The quilt measures approximately 70 by 100 inches and has a pale blue-grey background, burgundy border, and accents of brown, gold, and green.

Hand-crafted by Amador AAUW members Marylyn Copper, Sarah Dougherty, Sue Harrington, and Aieleen Parker, and quilted by Cheryl Ehlman, this stunning quilt will be a treasured keepsake for the lucky winner.

Tickets for the quilt drawing are now on sale at $1 each or six for $5 and are available from AAUW members. Home Tour ticket holders will be able to purchase tickets for the quilt drawing at the Tea hosted by AAUW members on the day of the Tour, April 21. All proceeds go to the AAUW Scholarship Fund and are fully tax deductible. The winning ticket will be drawn at the Home Tour Tea on Saturday, April 21. It is not necessary to be present to win.

For more information, contact Susan Staggs at (209)296-0940.

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