News Archive (6192)
Amador County – With projected funding drops and already falling ridership, the Amador Regional Transportation System reduced or altered 16 bus routes last week. Executive Director James Means in a report to the ARTS board of directors November 30th said Amador County expected lower overall sales tax receipts, and County Auditor Joe Lowe expected a $150,000 drop in Local Transportation Funding. A ridership analysis showed the number of riders on ARTS busses decreasing for the second straight year, in the first 4 months of this fiscal year. October riders totaled 7,410, down more than 1,000 riders from the previous year and down nearly 3,000 riders from 2007-2008 reports. Similar drops in ridership occurred in each of the first 4 months this fiscal year. A performance summary by Gordon Shaw and LSC Consultants found that ARTS had an operating cost of $318,000 in the first quarter of the fiscal year, with revenue of about $60,000. With 19,665 total passengers, the cost per passenger in ARTS operation was $16.19 per rider, or $3.65 per mile and $75.99 per hour. The marketing department showed a projected income of $28,000 for its “Rolling Billboard” advertisement sales, based on $14,000 in actual sales the first week. ARTS publicist Terry Grillo estimated possible gross income for billboard sales at $64,000 to $70,000 for a year. Shaw of LSC recommended “service reductions in the attempt to streamline service, reduce inefficiencies and address the dramatic drop in Transit Development Plan funds.” Means and staff recommended implementing a service plan by Shaw as “the most reasonable option.” The reductions would eliminate 13 bus routes and portions of 4 others, and also would eliminate a “Reserve-a-Ride” program. The service plan would also expand the Americans with Disabilities Act “deviation” distance by ½ a mile, past the legally require ¾ of a mile. It will also impose a $2 charge for non-ADA deviation requests. The ARTS board approved all of the recommendations on a 6-0 vote. In another change last week, ARTS will still meet federal requirements for handicapped riders. Means proposed cutting 4 of 8 “shuttle routes” between Jackson and Sutter Creek, and “the 4 remaining Shuttle routes will continue operating as deviated fixed-route, providing highly specialized service” for major residential and business areas in Jackson and Sutter Creek. Daniel H. Brewer, Caltrans Chief of Rural Planning & Administration, said the deviated fixed route would satisfy federal requirements for a “para-transit plan” for bussing services. The board approved the changes 6-0. 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 early Tuesday lifted a request to conserve water in its Upcountry water system, and announced that power had been restored at a pump station. Customers of the Upcountry-area Amador Water System were requested to conserve water in order to stretch the water supply as officials worked into the night Monday to restore power. AWA Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo said at 8:20 a.m. Tuesday that the agency was “lifting the request for conservation,” and was able to get power restored on Monday night. He said due to some control problems, the agency was not able to start making water until some time Tuesday morning, but the plant at Buckhorn was making water early Tuesday. The pumps were reactivated to restore water flow from the Tiger Creek area to the Buckhorn Water Treatment Plant, which serves about 4,000 customers in the Pine Grove and Mace Meadow areas. Mancebo said: “People did a fantastic job in conserving water (Monday), which really helped out,” and the AWA really appreciated that help from its customers. The water agency announced the loss of power early Monday, and requested water usage conservation from its Upcountry customers in the Amador Water System. The storm that struck the region Sunday knocked out power sometime Sunday night at the Buckhorn Water Treatment Plant, Mancebo said, and sometime before 9 a.m. an outage deactivated the transfer pump that feeds the Buckhorn plant. An emergency backup generator kept the Buckhorn plant operating, but the pump, located in a remote area between the plant and the Tiger Creek area, was not immediately fixable. Mancebo said Pacific Gas & Electric Company on Monday was going to try to restore power with switching electricity flows around a fallen high-voltage line. He said the company had a 60,000-volt line down as a result of the storm. The agency was unsure when power would be restored, but various storage tanks in the Amador Water System had water. Mancebo said about 4,000 AWS customers in the Upcountry were affected and faced a potential loss of water, without the conservation. The Amador Water Agency board of directors has its next meeting 9 a.m. Thursday. Among the agenda items is discussion items is getting “emergency generators for the Tanner administration office and shop,” with discussion and direction regarding purchase and installation of emergency generators. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Board of Supervisors Reconsider Decision on Arroyo Ditch Contract
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Amador County – After a lengthy debate on Tuesday, the Amador County Board of Supervisors agreed to rescind a previous motion which prevented contract negations from going forward concerning the Arroyo Ditch in Plymouth. Last month, Supervisors approved a First Amendment for Conveyance of the ditch and then just as quickly retracted that approval, citing concerns over a lack of guarantee in the contract to deliver water to landowners further downstream. Plymouth Attorney Steven Rudolph said the “unintended consequence” of that action led to Shenandoah Management Company “walking away from the table.” Plymouth officials previously stated that the quitclaim contract gave the city flexibility to negotiate with the Shenandoah Management Company for further improvement and maintenance of the 18-mile canal, which carries water from the Consumnes River into and past Plymouth. “Dealing with two levels of government puts them in a situation where they cannot win,” said Rudolph. Supervisor Brian Oneto reiterated his original concerns over water guarantees brought to him by constituents in the Willow Springs Water District, an inactive, 2,861 acre entity consisting of members living along the ditch outside of Plymouth. Oneto said Plymouth’s “guarantee” was no good unless they specify exactly how many cubic feet they will deliver further downstream. Rudolph said “we’re not going to commit to a specific flow agreement…but it will be in any document we execute with a private party.” Chairman Ted Novelli said they have been meeting with the city since June and the ongoing debate is getting costly. “We have to remember…this is for all of us, and if everyone in the county benefits from (the Arroyo Ditch) in the long run, that’s a good thing,” he said. Plymouth Mayor Jon Colburn, who was in attendance along with other city officials and most of the city council, said “the bottom line is that we lost our investor. This is risk capitol we don’t think we can duplicate.” He said Shenandoah Management Company had already spent “over $100,000 in good faith” on substantial capitol improvements. Colburn pointed to audience members who he said were on fixed incomes and were concerned about the cost of water going up if the ditch agreement is not settled. Oneto said: “I don’t doubt your (council’s) intentions, but down the road, a lot of people in your political position change.” Referring to charges that the Board’s action created an additional level of bureaucracy, Plymouth resident Butch Cranford told Supervisors “you find yourselves guilty of what you complain about through the action you took in putting this (contract) in abeyance.” Supervisor John Plasse disagreed, saying “this board is asking for one provision, not two layers of government.” He said this problem might have been avoided if Plymouth officials brought their concerns of flow agreement provisions before the Board of Supervisors in the first place. Supervisor Louis Boitano carried to rescind the previous motion to hold the contract in abeyance and reinstate the County’s agreement to approve the Contract for Conveyance of the Arroyo Ditch so Plymouth can return to its negotiations. The motion was supported by Supervisors Forster and Novelli. Oneto voted no and Plasse abstained. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County - Thousands of residents throughout the Mother Lode were still without power almost a day after a winter storm wreaked havoc across Northern California. In Calaveras and Amador counties, approximately 25,000 combined were affected by outages. According to Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), the majority of outages in Amador County were restored as of Tuesday morning. Some residents Upcountry were still reporting minor power breaks Tuesday morning, mostly due to snow and fallen tree limbs. In Calaveras County, an outage in Mokelumne Hill held up to 500 residents in the dark as of 5 pm Tuesday afternoon, and another outage in West Point was affecting up to 50 people. According to the National Weather Service, the unusually heavy storm front occurred when a dry air mass from Canada combined with moisture from the Pacific Ocean. The system was so cold it brought snow to lower elevations. Snow was reported as far west as Rancho Murieta. More than two feet of snow fell in the Pioneer area. The storm was good news for ski resorts. Kirkwood Mountain Resort reported 28 to 40 inches of snowfall. The arrival of Sunday's storm has delivered over three feet of snow,” said Julie Koster, Kirkwood’s Director of Sales and Marketing. Caltrans is reminding residents that chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel-drive vehicles with snow tires on most open roadways in the higher elevations. Due to the icy and snow covered roadways, residents are asked to limit their travels to essential travel only. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sutter Creek Looks to Sign Wastewater Capacity Agreement with AWA
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Amador County – Sutter Creek is still looking for resolution of a wastewater capacity agreement with the Amador Water Agency, but a meeting on the subject was canceled Monday by bad weather. Local critic Mimi Arata pointed out last week that Sutter Creek City Council must still approve an agreement with AWA for the agency’s share in a capacity increase project in Sutter Creek system. The system is operated by Amador Regional Sanitation Authority, and the council at its late November meeting tabled an agreement contract, pending AWA approval of changes. AWA Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo said Monday that staff from AWA and city staff were scheduled to meet Monday to “hammer out language” on the capacity agreement. He said the meeting was canceled due to bad weather. City Attorney Dennis Crabb rewrote the agreement and submitted it to AWA and staff for review. Crabb in a report said “AWA made minor comments, all but one of which has been incorporated into the second draft.” Crabb said “the agreement provides that AWA will pay $750,000 to the city, representing one half of the cost of the plant upgrade in return for additional reserved capacity up to a maximum of 173,000 gallons per day,” after payment is made to the city. The contract also delineates “excess” capacity that the city can sell to the AWA, and a reimbursement plan for the AWA, in the event it does not use its capacity. The draft of the agreement allows the city council to set the “rate at which the capacity will be sold.” Crabb in his report said the agreement has 3 “exhibits,” including “a project description, the final accounting of project costs, and the best practices the parties commit to in order to reduce unwanted demand.” Crabb said the “only change not made was a provision which allows the city to differentially bill problem users in Martell.” The City Council tabled the issue after hearing from District 4 AWA Director Debbie Dunn, who said she had not seen the amended contract and the AWA board had not voted on it. Also canceled Monday was Sutter Creek City Council’s meeting that included consideration of “Decision Documents” for the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort. The regular meeting was rescheduled to next Wednesday, December 16th. The council will receive staff presentations on Gold Rush “Decision Documents,” with consultant Bob Delp speaking about the Final Environmental Impact Report and Technical Memorandum. The council could consider a resolution certifying the FEIR, “adopting a mitigation monitoring plan. They could also consider a resolution approving the Gold Rush “Specific Plan,” General Plan Amendments and a phased “Large Lot Tentative Subdivision Map.” 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 are scheduled to continue their debate today on the Arroyo Ditch and related agreements with the City of Plymouth. Specifically, supervisors will reconsider a motion made last month holding in abeyance the contract for conveyance of the Arroyo Ditch originally entered into on November 12, 2009 between Plymouth and Amador County. The 18-mile canal, which carries water from the Consumnes River into and past Plymouth, has been dry for years beyond city limits. District 5 Supervisor Brian Oneto pushed to add the issue to last meeting’s agenda after several property owners living in the Plymouth area alleged that a lack of water in the Arroyo Ditch is in violation of the controlling agreement between Plymouth and Amador County. Oneto asked to insert a clause that would earmark some water for sale to downstream users. He noted there is “nothing in (the agreement) stating Plymouth would deliver water further down the ditch.” Plymouth Attorney Steven Rudolph said Plymouth approved of the amendment as is without any further changes. Plymouth officials previously stated that the quitclaim contract gives the city flexibility to negotiate with the Shenandoah Management Company for further improvement and maintenance of the old canal. Board Chairman Ted Novelli’s signature on the contract was held in abeyance at that meeting until the city can further negotiate with the Shenandoah Management Company. Plymouth is expected to report on what was discussed during a special meeting held on November 30. Also on the Board’s agenda will be a discussion and possible action relative to authorizing an increase of $240,864 for an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Grant, which includes a decrease in contingencies of $120,432 and an increase in revenue in the amount of $120,432 in order to “move forward the application process for the subject grant.” Finally, the Board will discuss the proposed transfer of the Rosedale water treatment equipment purchased by the County with Community Development Block Grant Revenue funds to the Volcano Community Services District. The Board of Supervisors meeting is open to the public and takes place at 9 am on Tuesday, December 8 in the County Administrative Building, 810 Court Street in Jackson. For more information, contact the Board of Supervisors office at (209) 223-6470. The next Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 22. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador Water Agency Urges Upcountry Conservation in Outage
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Amador County – The Amador Water Agency on Monday urged its Upcountry customers in the Amador Water System to conserve water, due to a power outage that deactivated a transfer pump that feeds the Buckhorn Water Treatment Plant. AWA notified TSPN of power outages affecting the plant and the pump station, and urging conservation in water usage for the 4,000 AWS customers in the Upcountry. AWA Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo said a power had deactivated pumps that deliver water to the treatment plant, and the agency was unsure when power would be restored, so the agency was urging conservation. He said power went out at the Buckhorn treatment plant before that, but it was not a problem because the plant was operating on emergency generators. He said power at the plant may have gone out late Sunday night, and the pump station’s power went out sometime before 9 a.m. Monday. The pump sends water from the Tiger Creek area to the Buckhorn plant, which disseminates it to customers. Mancebo said various storage tanks in the Amador Water System have water, but they “do not know when power will be restored at this time, so (AWA is) asking for conservation. Affected areas are in the Pine Grove and Mace Meadow areas, and all AWS customers. Mancebo said the agency was trying to get updates from Pacific Gas & Electric. He said about 4,000 customers are affected, and anyone in the Upcountry area that is on the AWS should conserve water. He said “we have water in our tanks but we just have to use it sparingly,” and “it just depends on how people can conserve water” to see how long they can make the water last. At about noon Monday, Mancebo said PB&E reported that it had a 60,000-volt, high-voltage line down, and were “working on a couple of options,” one being a short-term fix of rerouting power on the grid to bypass the down line, which could quickly bring power back at the Buckhorn feeding pump. If that did not work, the “long-term” fix would be to repair the downed line. Mancebo said the switching may not work if the problems of downed trees and lines were too widespread. As of noon Monday, AWA was still asking for water conservation by its AWS Upcountry customers. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – A powerhouse winter storm dropped snowfall across Amador County on Monday, forcing road closures and causing blackouts. Caltrans crews were out early clearing roadways with snow plows. At close to noon, Amador County Undersheriff Jim Wegner said he was short-handed due to deputies stranded at home due to impassable roads in the upcountry. He said Highway 88 was closed east of Dalton Road, and Ridge Road was open, but icy in spots. He said there were power lines and trees down all over the place, and public works and sheriff’s personnel were all over the county assisting with clean-up. He recommended that people should not go out on the roads. Wegner said spin-outs and vehicles leaving the road were reported all over the county. Power was out throughout Jackson, including at the sheriff’s office, and he had called in an injured officer to assist with dispatch duties. As of Monday afternoon, PG & E reported 4 major power outages in Amador County. Three outages in Jackson affected 50 to 499 customers with restoration expected by late Monday afternoon. In Ione, 1 outage affecting 1 to 49 customers also caused periodic outages. In nearby Mokelumne Hill, 2 major outages reportedly left between 500 and 5000 customers without power. Power outages were also reported on Irishtow Road, Homestead Road, and near Volcano. At about 11:45 a.m., a downed and arcing power line was reported. The National Weather Service predicted a cold storm front from Canada would bring one to two inches of snow to the down country area, but snowfall has been more than expected and at lower elevations. The hills overlooking the San Francisco bay area received a rare dusting, while residents in Stoctkon and Modesto woke up to snowfall. Caltrans is reminding residents that chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel-drive vehicles with snow tires on most open roadways in the higher elevations. Due to the icy and snow covered roadways, residents are asked to limit their travels to essential travel only. Kirkwood Mountain Resort reported 28 to 40 inches of snowfall. The arrival of Sunday's storm has delivered over three feet of snow,” said Julie Koster, Kirkwood’s Director of Sales and Marketing. There is a 30 percent chance of snow showers before 10 pm on Monday with widespread frost after 4 a.m. TSPN will continue to follow this unusual weather pattern and bring you the latest details. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – Kirkwood Mountain Resort, the popular ski and snowboard resort located on the eastern edge of Amador County, reopened last Friday thanks to recent snowfall and ideal snowmaking conditions. Julie Koster, Kirkwood’s Director of Sales and Marketing, said the resort will reopen with intermediate terrain along with a handful of terrain park features including boxes and trails. “Forecasters are calling for a dramatic change in the weather pattern next week,” said Tim Cohee, Kirkwood’s Senior Vice President. “The amount of snowfall predicted will likely allow us to open much more terrain by next weekend, December 12 and 13,” he added. Kirkwood is well known for having one of the highest average snowfalls and a broad selection of advanced terrain. Kirkwood received an approximate 804 inches of snow during the 2005/2006 ski season. Other upcoming events include the Tahoe Adventure Film Festival on December 12, a series of sports films at the Montbleu Hotel & Casino in South Lake Tahoe. The event is co-sponsored by Kirkwood and festival organizers. Kirkwood Mountain Resort is located 177 miles from the Bay Area along scenic Highway 88. For more information about Kirkwood Mountain Resort, call (209) 258-6000. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – Jackson police have in custody the suspect in a string of auto burglaries that occurred last August in Jackson. Aaron Vance, a 21-year-old resident of San Andreas in Calaveras County, confessed and subsequently self-surrendered on November 23 after an investigation by Jackson Police Detective Douglas Grey. On the morning of August 7, Jackson Police Officer Mark Harmon responded to ten different auto burglaries in which “each of the victim vehicles had been ramsacked and numerous unsecured items stolen,” according to a press release. Harmon eventually obtained a “surveillance photo from a local business camera where the suspect had attempted to use a credit card that was stolen during the crime spree.” Grey then distributed the photo to “surrounding allied law enforcement agencies as well as local probation and parole offices.” A Calaveras County Probation Officer identified the suspect as Vance. After agreeing to an interview at the Jackson Police station, Vance was confronted with evidence and confessed to committing the burglaries. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
