News Archive (6192)
The County of Amador
received some disappointing news yesterday in the form of a resignation letter.
County Administrative Officer Pat Blacklock has submitted a letter of resignation to the Board of
Supervisors. Blacklock says he shared with them ( the supervisors ) yesterday
morning. “They have been very kind and supportive.” stated Blacklock.
Blacklock has been the county administrative officer for last five years and
now has taken a job as the Dean of Careers and Technology at Cosumnes River
College. In his letter of resignation Blacklock cites some of the many
collaborative achievements he and the Board of Supervisors championed, a new
animal shelter, a new county admin center, the construction of the new court
house currently under way, the formation of the Amador County Recreation Agency
and the formation of the Amador Learning Center which brings college classes to
the county. Blacklock’s last day with Amador County will be March 16th.
Pine Grove Community Services District Notification: Lead In Some Test Waters
Written by
The Pine Grove Community Services District in Pine Grove has been
notified by the CA Dept of Health that four of their latest test results showed
increased levels of lead in the water. The routine testing
required by the state indicated that 4 of the Pine Grove area customers had
lead levels above state approved level standards. These tests are annual and have been conducted by the
same Community Service District customers at their own homes for many years.
The customers are asked to let their water supply sit undisturbed for 12 hours
and then fill a one quart container with water and return it to the district
for forwarding to the state.
The frigid temperatures continue to dominate the news with temperatures the lowest they have been in almost a decade throughout northern California. A freeze warning, that began yesterday morning remains in affect through 9am this morning as an arctic air mass lingers over California. According the National Weather Service another cold night was expected last night with 5-10 hours of below freezing temperatures- likely in the teens. This morning, we had low temperatures again ranging in the teens to low twenty’s and today’s highs will warm only a few degrees above yesterday’s mid 40’s, however the overnight low is expected to rise almost 10 degrees tonight putting Amador County in mid to high 20’s. Sub-freezing temperatures are possible again Wednesday night, though, according the National Weather Service the temperatures are not expected to be as cold as the recent near-record temperatures that we saw over the weekend. The rest of the week is looking to be in the high 30’s to low 40’s with below freezing temperatures at night.
The Amador County Local Agency Formation
Commission is moving forward in continuing to become in compliance with state
law. While LAFCO has been somewhat dormant for the last couple of years a wake up
call and renewed commitment has had them working diligently towards becoming a functional
commission. The California
State Legislature directs the Local Agency Formation Commission to promote
orderly growth and development, discourage urban sprawl while preserving
open space and agricultural lands and encouraging efficient service areas for
local governments. LAFCO operations are governed by the
Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000.
After discussion and debate, the Board of Supervisors decided to put the matter of rate increases for waste services up for public hearing. Representatives from the Amador Disposal Service and ACES Waste Service gave a lengthy presentation on the reasons they supported such action, considering regularly occurring rate increases in past yearly quarters. Paul Mollinelli Junior and Senior were on hand to represent the Amador Disposal Service. They cited upkeep and gas prices as two of many reasons for an increase. The Board was conflicted on deciding the matter, and decided to schedule a public hearing for June 10th to gather public opinion.
A new art work was dedicated yesterday afternoon
at the Jackson Rancheria Casino.
The giant sculpture of a Bald Eagle taking flight from atop a rocky
outcropping above a waterfall and flowing river adds a dramatic accent to the
front of the casino. The Bald Eagle was selected as the national emblem for the
US
in 1782 because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks. It is the
only eagle that is unique to North America and
was just recently removed from the endangered species list. The Eagle water
feature stands 31 feet high with a wing span of 26 feet.
In a special meeting at the Amador Water Agency on Thursday, the Board of Directors voted to eliminate the 1.5 million-gallon water storage tank that was planned for the Plymouth Pipeline project. Gene Mancebo provided the board with a detailed explanation of the research that brought about staff’s recommendation to possibly eliminate the tank. Through this research, the agency determined that the tank could not be filled during peak water usage periods. This realization prompted the agency to look at alternatives, including pumping water hydraulically to the tank, lowering the tank location, pipe improvements to reduce head loss, or elimination of the tank. All of the proposed alternatives did not improve the situation. The tank was to be located on Ed Swift’s property, a project he has been involved with since the agency first approached him in 1992.
Surprisingly, Swift’s response to the possible elimination of the tank was mild. He expressed his satisfaction in working with the Amador Water Agency and thanked everyone for their hard work. Swift’s concerns centered on fire protection issues, citing a devastating fire that occurred in Sutter Creek in 1962 that burned somewhat out of control. Additionally, he had concerns about the Sutter Creek fire hydrants and whether they were up to code. In response to these concerns, Jim Abercrombie, General Manager for the agency, explained that eliminating the tank would have no impact on local fire response outcomes, saying that “we don’t have the tank now, so not having the tank is no different than what we have now.”
The board was generally in agreement with the agency’s recommendation of eliminating the tank altogether, and did mention possibly reimbursing Swift for any expenses he had incurred related to the tank project. Besides Swift, the only other public response was from Stephanie McNair, one of the developers for Plymouth’s Cottage Hill development project. McNair had questions for the agency related to Plymouth’s water usage numbers. After hearing all comments, the board unanimously voted to eliminate the water storage tank. At their next meeting on April 24th, Abercrombie will have more information on the Plymouth Pipeline Project.
Animal Control Fee Increase Proposal Moves To BOS For Approval
Written by
Yesterday the Amador County
administrative committee met and reviewed proposed increases to the animal control fee schedule.
The draft proposal presented by Animal Control Director John Vail increases
fees to a level above Calaveras County but still below, on average, all other
surrounding counties.
We’d also like to let you know that beginning tomorrow we’ll be conducting a series of interviews with the candidates for Board of Supervisors District One. The District one seat is the most contested, with a total of four candidates vying for the position. This is an opportunity to educate you on the candidates, their positions, and their experience. Your absentee ballots will be coming in three weeks, and our exclusive live interviews are the best way to get to know your candidates. Tune in to TSPN Tuesday the 15th through Friday the 18th at the news hour for this special series.
Good news - it looks like Jackson’s 3rd Graders have been awarded new
playground equipment at Detert Park! In
December of last year, the City of Jackson issued a request for proposals for
new playground equipment for children age two to twelve, with a maximum budget
of $60,000.
The city received seven bids, which were eventually narrowed down to four comparable bids. The city turned to Jackson’s youth for help in making the final determination.
Three Third grade classes at Jackson Elementary were polled by viewing large, color presentations of each proposed playground. The winner, North State Playgrounds, was chosen by a landslide majority vote of over 70 percent!
The new equipment
will included a large climbing structure, with attached bars, walls, poles, and
multiple slides, a teeter-totter, and several benches. For children age two to five, there will also
be a smaller play unit. Most importantly, the bid
includes safe, wood-fiber surface materials instead of wood chips, and
the area will include an ADA-approved ramp. The new playground will replace the
old, metal equipment currently located in the sandy area behind the Jackson
Pool. The city hopes to have the playground installed and open to the public in
time for Clean Air Green Day, on April 19th.
