At Wednesday night’s Pine Grove Council meeting, members discussed the controversial Pine Grove Bypass project, which was just unanimously voted down by the Amador County Transportation Commission, or ACTC, in June. After that decision was made, it was noted that the Pine Grove area was not fairly represented on the commission because Upcountry District 3 Supervisor Ted Novelli is only an alternate. The remainder of supervisor representation comes from Richard Forster in Ione, and Louis Boitano in Sutter Creek and only parts of Pine Grove. All other commission members come from the cities of Ione, Jackson, Plymouth, and Sutter Creek. Due to this apparent lack of Upcountry representation in ACTC, the council will ask one of the supervisors to step down from the commission and be replaced by an Upcountry representative.

Louis Boitano will look to get this item agendized at ACTC’s next meeting. In addition, the council feels that proper procedures were not followed and is interested in changing the report that was originally submitted to Caltrans. According to Caltrans procedures, if there is any objection to a project, ACTC must complete a Community Involvement Plan, which would require a series of Town Halls on the subject. Pine Grove Council member John Carlson says, “We just want (ACTC) to go through the proper steps.” According to local activist Debbie Dunn, a few town hall meetings were conducted on the project “about six years ago.” Dunn is asking for more community involvement in deciding the fate of the bypass. “We need as many Upcountry people as possible at that (ACTC meeting),” which is scheduled for August 20th at 6PM at 810 Court Street, in the Board of Supervisors chambers.

The ongoing battle over a request for a liquor license at a Pioneer store came to a close at the tail end of Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Danny McCauley, owner of Liquor and More and property manager of Sierra Homes and Properties, stressed to the council that his sole intention in opening up another liquor store in Pioneer is to stimulate the economy. “It would not have been me, it would have been Buckhorn residents who work in the liquor store,” he said. The proposed store site, located in the BuckhornPlaza, was left empty when Buckhorn Liquors moved to the Buckhorn Village a few hundred yards away.

McCauley decided to lease the space for his new store, and started renovating the interior, which is now nearly complete. After McCauley filed with the California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control, or ABC, he received copies of numerous complaint letters sent to the state from local residents. Opponents to the store felt it was unnecessary to have yet another liquor store in Amador County with the many current liquor vendors in the area. The vote before the Board was whether or not to approve a letter of public convenience or necessity to satisfy the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s requirements for an off-sale liquor license. The Board voted 3 against and 1 for. Supervisor Boitano was the sole Supervisor who approved, while Supervisor Escamilla abstained due to a potential conflict of interest. “I called people who were openly opposed and told them no hard feelings. I think the Board of Supervisors should be commended for all their efforts,” said McCauley. He is now debating his two current options, to close in escrow, or to move his license to another county.