News Archive (6192)
Amador Supervisors tighten draft medical marijuana ordinance to protect neighbors
Written by Tom
Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors gave staff direction to further revise its draft medical marijuana ordinance on Tuesday, and plan to finalize its adoption March 27.
Planning Director Susan Grijalva said the Land Use Committee met twice with the public in December and the Planning Commission recommended some changes to the ordinance. She also offered medical pot growing regulations and rules in place in Mendocino County.
Changes the board approved for the draft ordinance include limiting marijuana growing to 12 plants per patient, or up to 24 plants on any one piece of land. They also limited grows to be located no closer than 600 feet from a “youth-oriented facility, a school, a park, or any church or residential treatment facility.” They also placed a “setback” of 100 feet from property lines, or 50 feet from structures, or, if the property is too small, the marijuana plants must be screened so they are not visible to the general public.
They also set the ordinance to require that a medical pot grower must be either the owner of the property, or have written permission from the owner for the marijuana growing operation. They required that lights for the growing “be shielded and downcast or otherwise positioned in a manner that will not shine light or allow light glare to exceed the boundaries of the parcel.”
The ordinance will say that “cultivation of marijuana shall not subject residents of neighboring parcels who are of normal sensitivity to objectionable odors,” also borrowed from Mendocino. Supervisors discussed adding an abatement clause, but staff has anticipated enforcement and it was not necessary to include.
Supervisors directed the changes with plans to adopt the ordinance at its next meeting, and the ordinance would take effect 30 days from that date. About a dozen people spoke in support of the draft ordinance, which Supervisors had promised to try to get passed before the coming growing season, as the Board last year passed an emergency ban on outdoor growing of medical pot.
Supervisor John Plasse asked about limiting the exception of medical growing to only Amador County residents. County Counsel Greg Gillott said without researching it, he was wary of recommending that, because it “potentially raises another issue about discrimination against out-of-county residents.
Plasse asked why they cannot require marijuana growers to register for an “over-the-counter permit.” Gillott said staff did not want to recommend permits because it would create public lists of growing locations. He said another concern was that “affirmatively permitting growing could violate federal law,” as ruled against Long Beach in its license system.
Plasse said: “We are not licensing it. We’re just passively condoning it by turning a blind eye.”
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Amador High teacher was charged last week with a misdemeanor for failing to report child abuse
Written by Tom
Amador County – An Amador High School teacher was charge last week with a misdemeanor for failing to report child abuse.
Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe announced March 9 that a teacher in the Amador County Unified School District has been charged with failing to report child abuse. Riebe said his office has “filed a misdemeanor charge of failure to report child abuse against Amador High School teacher, Lori Thomas, 43.”
Riebe said “under state law, teachers are mandated to report instances of child abuse that they gain knowledge of in the scope of their employment when they know or reasonably suspect the child to be the victim of child abuse or neglect.”
He said a “report must be made to law enforcement or other appropriate agency immediately or as soon as is practicably possible by telephone and followed up by a written report within 36 hours of receiving the information.”
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Jackson Council approves first reading of new city sign ordinance
Written by Tom
Amador County – Jackson City Council on Monday approved the first reading on a revised city sign ordinance that includes grandfathering existing non-conforming signs, with an emphasis on educating the community on new regulations.
The Council continued a public hearing from February and discussed previous meetings and direction by the Council to staff on the sign ordinance, and various changes. The Council saw a “track change” version that underlined added language, and struck lines through deleted text in the draft code.
City Manager Mike Daly listened to recordings of the meetings and gave information, after a Council request to make sure that the intent of the council was reflected in significant changes. Daly said the January meeting focused primarily on eliminating the amortization of the new sign ordinance, and favored going to grandfathering the existing, non-conforming signs, so there was not a big cost to businesses to meet the new ordinance.
Daly said after the meeting he met with Police Chief Scott Morrison and discussed enforcement. He proposed using the city Community Services Officer Heather Russell to monitor the sign ordinance. Daly said it would take some training for Russell, and Morrison thought it was a good idea. Russell, whose duties are parking enforcement and crossing guard, “is very good with her public relations skills, and communication about what’s going on,” Daly said.
He said he understood the Council did not want the new sign ordinance to be too onerous, and the Community Services Officer would help people to understand what they need to do with signs.
Daly said vehicle-mounted sign limitation creates a difficulty in enforcement, with business signs and logos on vehicles, parked in city lots near their businesses. He said staff offered some alternative language to focus that on keeping banners from being mounted on vehicles. He said special event signs are exempted, as in current code.
Planner Susan Peters said the “strike through” version of the ordinance was put on the city website two weeks ago, after the last meeting.
Daly said mailings to businesses and responses led to cleaning up some sign clutter, and found businesses generally supported that. He said a reduction of the sign permit fee from $95 to $25 helped, and staff will give sign code information to business license applicants to help with education.
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Supervisors revise draft medical pot ordinance to limit parcels to 24 total plants
Written by Tom
Amador County – Drawing revision ideas from Mendocino County and other medical marijuana regulatory agencies, Amador County Board of Supervisors directed staff to make some changes to its draft ordinance on Tuesday, with the big reduction cutting down the number of pot plants to be allowed on one parcel to 24 total.
A draft ordinance, recommended by Amador County Planning Commission, would allow 12 plants per patient and allow six recommendations per parcel, for a total of 72 plants. The change was made because growers said that more than one patient could live in the same home.
Supervisor Brian Oneto said a property owner in his district had a large grow more than 100 feet away that had an overpowering odor. He said he was not opposed to medical marijuana, because it does help people. What he did oppose was having too many plants. “It’s just an invitation for criminal activity.” He said at $1,000 per plant, someone could have $100,000 in their field. He said: “Personally, I think 72 plants on one property is too many.”
Supervisor John Plasse said he has friends who live near Ione where an attempted robbery last year at a major pot plantation led to a murder. He said now the county is prosecuting five defendants and also paying for their public defenders, “and the $2 million to $3 million cost is being foisted on the taxpayers.”
Plasse said until now, the Land Use Committee and staff have only been addressing the concerns of the marijuana growers. But he wanted to worry about the people we don’t see here, and that’s the 37,000 people here in Amador County that don’t have needs for medical marijuana.
Plasse said he thought the ordinance was “woefully inadequate” and they should “see to it that it addresses people who are not respectful of their neighbors.” He said large pot plantations are an “attractive nuisance” and should be limited.
Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster said the draft ordinance was too open-ended with the “commune style” allowance for 72 plants in one location, and liked Mendocino’s approach, which reduced the pot plants allowed from 99 to 25 on one plot. Forster said they should try to avoid another situation like Fiddletown and require reduced visibility of medical weed. He also agreed with its proximity limits, as Mendocino had, in keeping pot grows away from youth-oriented facilities, churches and schools.
Supervisor Ted Novelli also was concerned with those issues, along with fencing, acreage, view-sheds, the “security of the location” and lighting. He said: “I feel we will be getting some calls on those.”
Supervisor Chairman Louis Boitano said “that’s what got us here in the first place was a large amount of plants on one parcel.” Supervisors directed staff to change the number of plants, and other changes, for adoption at its next meeting, March 27.
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Amador County – Ione Police Department and civic supporters are planning a “Spectacular Seafood Buffet Dinner” to raise money to support the city’s K9 officer.
Sharon Long released details of the fundraiser Wednesday, saying that “with public safety a priority for any city, a group of volunteers are planning a fundraiser on Saturday, April 14 to ensure the continuation of the K9 program in Ione.”
Long said the goal is to raise $10,000 or more. The event will be held at Evalynn Bishop Hall in Ione and features a “fabulous sea food buffet” that will include, shrimp cocktail, green salad, baked salmon, pan fried calamari, scampi, oysters, steamed clams, scallops, pasta, cole slaw and garlic bread. The 2012 Mother Lode League Champion Argonaut High School football team will be on hand to assist Chef Doug Hawkins with service.
Ione Police Chief Mike Johnson has invited all K9 units from throughout Amador County to the dinner, and Ione PD Officer Josh Long along with K9, “Pras” will demonstrate their capabilities.
Both Officer Long and Pras have more than proven the value of this program. Johnson said since joining forces as a team in 2011, Officer Lond and Pras “have successfully located and captured felons, assisted in controlling potentially violent parolees, located suspect evidence and aided in the search of fleeing felons.”
Ione municipal budgets have been reduced and have caused a shortfall in all city departments, which have resulted in major cuts in spending. Sharon Long said “this is an effort to maintain this valuable public safety program in Ione.”
Doors open at 6 p.m. with a no-host bar and dinner is served at 7 p.m. There will also be a silent auction, raffle and door prize. Cost is $35 per person, and tickets are available at Clark’s Corner in Ione and at Ione City Hall or by calling (209) 274-2777.
Long said donations of any amount are tax deductible through the Amador Community Foundation.
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Amador County – Amador County Unified School District investigated a complaint of unreported child abuse, which led to a misdemeanor charge for an Amador High School teacher for failing to report abuse.
Amador County Unified School District Director of Personnel Nancy Gamache said Wednesday the “District did investigate the allegations and we took what we believe to be appropriate actions in response to that.” Gamache said the District follows a policy of not disseminating information about personnel actions, but confirmed Lori Thomas is a teacher at Amador High.
Thomas had a complaint filed against her Jan. 9 in Superior Court, and the Amador County District Attorney’s office released details of the charge last week.
Gamache said employees are required by state law to report child abuse. New hires get a pamphlet that outlines the reporting procedure and requirements. She said under Section 1116 of the penal code, teachers are mandated reporters of child abuse when they learn of incidents.
The pamphlets are provided by Amador County Child Abuse Prevention Council. The District mandates annual training for employees to remind them of procedures and requirements, and refresh memory on reporting. Gamache said she could not speak about the child involved in the incident.
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Amador County – An Ione man was killed Tuesday afternoon when he was partly ejected from his van after crashing off a rain-slicked highway onramp in Concord. Joseph Conway, 45, of Ione died at the scene, and California Highway Patrol’s Contra Costa County unit continues to investigate the solo vehicle fatality.
Contra Costa CHP Public Information Officer John Fransen said at about 12:52 p.m. Tuesday, “Conway was driving a white Chevrolet van on the Willow Pass Road onramp to I-680 northbound in rain conditions, when for unknown reasons the van began to fishtail” and “it appeared the driver attempted to straighten out; however, again lost control and veered toward the right, where it struck a raised asphalt curb and collided with a light standard.”
Fransen said “the vehicle continued down an embankment and struck a tree before rolling onto its side.” The van came to rest on its roof in an REI sports parking area.
Fransen said the driver, who was the sole occupant of the van, “was partially ejected from the driver’s side window and crushed by the van.” Conway “succumbed to his injuries at the scene.”
The online Concord Patch listed Conway as a resident of Ione and Amador County. Fransen said he could not confirm that and had information that Conway was recently a resident of Pittsburg, California.
Reports indicated that Conway’s death came during more than a dozen traffic incidents reported Tuesday during Bay Area storms.
Fransen said “details of the traffic collision are still pending” and anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the Contra Costa CHP unit at (925) 646-4980.
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Jackson hears Huber AB 1191 may need additional city lobbying
Written by Tom
Amador County – City Manager Mike Daly told the Jackson City Council that an Assembly Bill to help restore city and county funding has been sent to the Senate, but may need additional lobbying.
Alyson Huber’s Assembly Bill 1191, to restore Vehicle License Fee funds lost in Amador County and Mono County due to legislative changes has been approved by the California Assembly and is “now on the Senate side.”
Daly said “there is also a line item in the budget to backfill $4.4 million in funds lost in Mono and Amador Counties. But a legislative analyst said the counties still benefited from the “triple flip” funding mechanism because property taxes expanded at a greater rate than Vehicle License Fees.
Daly said the city should “ratchet up its lobbying down there,” in the Senate, and he noted that “it went through the Assembly without a single Nay vote.”
Reporting for Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison, who was absent Tuesday, Daly said the JPD had recent issues with a parolee, including one involved in a short vehicle chase that ended at Argonaut Heights, when the parolee fled on foot. He was later located in Pine Grove.
Daly also reported that another Americans with Disabilities Act litigant has been in town and is making lawsuit threats. He spoke with Amador County Chamber of Commerce President Mark Borchin about assisting businesses address the threats. Businesses must demonstrate that they are aware of the new ADA access laws and that they are making plans to comply, Daly said. He will try to talk to members of the Jackson Business & Community Association to get them involved.
Daly reported that the Indian Gaming Special Fund Committee had met, and the Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians will be funding communications upgrade equipment for the Jackson Police Department’s vehicles. The funds will be about half of what they were last year.
Councilman Keith Sweet reported that the Amador County Board of Supervisors approved $15,000 to be paid over three years for the “Save the Kennedy Mine Tailing Wheel” project. He also made a presentation to Sutter Creek City Council.
Councilman Wayne Garibaldi asked Sweet if the city had done any funding for the Wheel project, as he did not want to ask other entities to “do something that we had not already done ourselves.” Sweet said Jackson “put $25,000 in the kitty to get started, and I think we’ve spent about $1,200 of that so far.”
Sweet said Sutter Creek Council members wanted to get tickets for the fundraiser dinner April 14 at Thomi’s Restaurant, but tickets are sold out. He expected they might raise $60,000 at the dinner. The project needs $77,000 in matching funds for the grants received for the Save the Wheel project.
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Amador Supervisors approve a new “Local Community Corrections” partnership budget
Written by Tom
Amador County – Amador County Board of Supervisors approved a $517,000 budget for the initial Community Corrections Partnership plan, which could hire seven personnel by 2013, though future funding may be dependent on passage of a Constitutional budget reform initiative.
Community Corrections Partnership administrator, Chief Probation Officer Mark Bonini said they called this the “initial” plan because of the uncertain future of funding created by AB 109, the “Public Safety Realignment Act.” The Act also sent less risky offenders to county jails, so the state could meet Supreme Court-ordered prison population numbers.
Bonini asked for a separate budget line item for “Local Community Corrections” because “we are looking at this as a task force,” so the “money coming to the county is basically sandboxed off.” He said “rainy day” money can be set aside and rolled forward into that new CCP budget.
He said seven positions in AB109 personnel have already been approved by Supervisors, including a deputy sheriff, an assistant, three probation officers, a probation supervisor and a behavioral health rehabilitation specialist. He was asking for the budget approval.
Supervisor John Plasse asked if there were any specific earmarks for the funds to go to the rainy day fund, and he noted that the hiring was staggered to 2013, and wondered if they would sock away the funds until then.
Bonini said that was the plan, and they have not yet spent any funds. The rolled over funds will be the “stop gap,” as Governor Jerry Brown tries to secure this funding with a Constitutional amendment, but they do not know how it will end.
Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster asked the Sheriff if he had seen serious and violent issues rise with state prisoners going to the jail. Sheriff Martin Ryan said they have confiscated “8-10 homemade weapons within the cell block in Amador County Jail, which is a first for us.” He attributed it to the “sophistication of the inmates.”
Forster asked how they would deal with an expected increase in prisoners, with limited bed space. Ryan said if they can reduce pretrial inmates, they can significantly reduce future jail population.
Supervisor Chairman Louis Boitano said “if you don’t get constitutional protection, there is no guarantee you will get any of the funds.”
Ryan said it was estimated it would cost $6 million to get the initiative through. He said “the Governor can raise that kind of money. The Sheriff’s Association can’t.”
Forster said CDCR Secretary Matthew Cade announced the Corrections Department had met the court orders for its incarceration. Forster said “the shift to the counties threw most of the counties out of compliance.”
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Amador County kindergarteners score high in recent analysis of vaccination rates
Written by Tom
Amador County – Amador Public Health announced Tuesday that Amador County kindergartners have scored a 94.5 percent in a recent analysis of their vaccination rates.
Amador Public Health said in a release that according to a 2010 report, 94.5 percent of Amador County kindergarteners received all of their required immunizations. Amador rated the highest when compared to all surrounding foothill counties.
Public Health Communicable Disease Program Coordinator Lori Jagoda said: “This report is reassuring because it means that most parents are protecting their young children from diseases that can be prevented.”
Although local vaccination rates are very good compared to other surrounding counties, more work can be done to meet the Healthy People 2020 goal of increasing immunization rates and reducing preventable infectious diseases, Jagoda said.
The newly formed Amador Immunization Coalition is a local group that addresses vaccines across the lifespan. The Coalition is dedicated to reducing vaccine-preventable disease by improving immunization rates through education and community collaboration.
Dr. David J. Stone of the Sutter Medical Foundation Pediatric Clinic said that “looking at all California counties, Amador ranks as tenth. As a pediatrician, I would like to see Amador County in the top three.”
For more information on Healthy People 2020 visit HealthyPeople.gov. Immunization rates for each county in California may be viewed at: KidsFata.org.
Amador County Public Health is at 10877 Conductor Boulevard, Suite 400 in Sutter Creek. Contact Public Health at (209) 223-6407.
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