News Archive (6192)
Amador County -- A crowd greeted the new Amador Water Agency Board of Directors in its first meeting Thursday. Several members of the Protect the Historic Amador Waterways group addressed the board. Wendell Peart of Pine Grove said the “unsusual replacement of so many of you seems to say the public wanted change.” Peart said people say “PHAW folks” caused the high cost of the Amador Transmission Pipeline, but the past board could have settled and did not and litigation let the $8 Million estimate to grow later to $19 Million. District 1 Board Member Bill Condrashoff said he was there “because I don’t want to see the agency’s customers subsidize growth.” He said the pipeline money is already spent and he cannot change that, but he is “here to prevent it from happening again.” Project Manger Krista Clem of Golden Vale and Mokelumne Bluffs subdivisions, said it was “illegal for the water agency to deny water to limit growth.” She offered a 30-acre pond as part of a water reclamation project for AWA, near Highway 88 and an existing AWA easement. PHAW member David Evitt and Peart urged the board to select a president from its new members. Evitt preferred Condrashoff, saying it would still be the same board approving an upcoming audit, later on the agenda. Condrashoff said “you might have a different president, but it will still be the same board.” The board later kept Terence Moore as its president and made Condrashoff vice president. Engineering Manager Gene Mancebo reported that the Plymouth Pipeline is in the final mode of insurance documents and Mountain Cascade is gearing up for construction. Condrashoff asked if the Plymouth Pipeline could serve all of its 1,000 proposed units in 9 projects there. Mancebo said as designed it could not, but they were looking to add capacity and supplement the pipeline to get more water to Plymouth, which may include using wells. 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 Board of Directors approved a contract for the Plymouth Water Pipeline Project yesterday afternoon and also approved the financing to get the project started. The board voted 5-0 to authorize General Manager Jim Abercrombie to execute a notice of an award for construction of the project, pending approval of the contract and project by the Plymouth City Council later last night. Results of Plymouth City Council’s decision were unavailable at press time this morning, but should be available in the noon report. The AWA board also voted to amend the agreement to note financial obligations. Finance Manager Mike Lee broke down costs, noting Plymouth would pay a 1.34-Million-Dollar participation fee to the AWA, and receive 200,000 dollars in reimbursement from the USDA for the reservoir project, a Community Development Block Grant of 874,000 dollars and 4.25 Million Dollars in federal USDA grants. Plymouth’s consultants, however, said Wednesday that another 1.25 Million Dollars in grants had been attained, for 5.1 million dollars in grants. The city will also get 5 million dollars in USDA loans. Lee said the breakdown formula had Plymouth paying 74.5 percent of the total actual project costs and the AWA paying 25.49 percent. Easement costs of the various project segments came out with Plymouth paying 5.79 Million Dollars and the AWA paying 1.9 Million Dollars. Loan attorney Jim Boyd introduced two documents for separate USDA loans of 3 million dollars and 2 million dollars each, which the board approved as the AWA Financing Authority. Lee said the AWA will pay 800,000 dollars at the outset of the project, using reserve funds. District 1 Board Member Elect Bill Condrashoff asked why that was paid up front. Abercrombie said the amount could have been financed, but the payment up front avoided financing fees. Lee said in the long run, the agency would benefit more from Plymouth water payments over 40 years in the contract than the 800,000 dollars would earn in the bank at 4-and-1/8 percent interest. The four new board members elect all attended the meeting, during which the sitting members elected District 5 Board Member Terence W. Moore as the new board president. The other four board members, Condrashoff, District 2’s Gary E. Thomas, District 3’s Don Cooper and District 4’s Debbie Dunn likely could take the oath of office in the first week of December. The election results must be certified by Registrar of Voters Sheldon Johnson, and then the Amador County Board of Supervisors must also certify the results before elected politicians can take office. Story by Jim Reece
An employee of Mule Creek State Prison in Ione was one of six state employees honored Wednesday for their commitment to increasing contracts to California State businesses and companies operated by disabled veterans. Robin McCune, of Mule Creek’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, was awarded the Advocate of the Year Bronze Medal by the State and Consumer Services Agency, or SCSA, in a ceremony at Sacramento State University. According to the SCSA, McCune helped facilitate research on how to expand and improve the use of the disabled veterans business enterprises Web site content by transferring the data into user - friendly formats. McCune succesfully merged databases so staff could distinguish vendor information by goods or services. The ceremony and subsequent awards come as the result of a direction by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006 that his administration do at least 25 percent of its purchasing and contracting through certified small businesses and at least 3 percent with disabled veterans business enterprises. The State Agency Recognition Awards honored employees for their innovation and outstanding service in working to meet the governor’s goals. In the words of SCSA Secretary Rosario Marin, “our Governor knows small businesses are a vital resource to state government and the California economy and has raised the bar for departments and agencies to expand the role of small firms and disabled veteran businesses doing business with us." Story by Alex Lane.
By Jim Reece -
The group Amador Support, Transportation And Resource Services prepares for its fifth annual Camp Out For Cancer with its own little legacy. The group has a 4-year tally of 36,000 dollars that it raised for regional cancer research. That equates to 10 percent of the running total the last 4 years going to research, while the rest of the funds stay local. Executive Director Ginger Rolf said that STARS transports cancer patients to doctor’s appointments around the county and the region, and started its own walk-a-thon, the all-night Camp Out For Cancer five years ago. STARS had one cancer van at the time. Now they have four vans, purchased with the Camp Out funds. The other 10 percent goes to research at the Sutter Cancer Center, where Dr. Vincent Caggiano head research. The funds stay pretty local for research, Rolf said, because “patients from Amador County go for radiation and other things we don’t offer usually go to Sutter Cancer Center.” The hospital, at 2800 L Street in Sacramento, is part of the Sutter Hospital organization.
The STARS Camp Out For Cancer has 29 teams signed up, with 800 participants expected, Rolf said. The event will be held September 20th and 21st at the Argonaut High School football field, with teams walking around the Argonaut track, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday and ending at 9 a.m. Sunday. STARS has a Camp Out goal this year to raise 100,000 dollars. The event will have 7 bands and also a karaoke party. For information about the Camp Out For Cancer or to make contributions, call the STARS Jackson office at (209) 223-1246. Online, see www.AmadorSTARS.org.
In a letter to the Amador County Board of Supervisors, Joan Villa, Vice President of the Ione Band of Miwok Indians Tribal Water Association is claiming that Amador County and the county’s Department of Environmental Health are interfering with “the efforts by Indian Health Service to upgrade (their) tribal water system and replace (an) aging water storage tank.” In the letter, dated August 19th, the band is charging that Amador County does not have any authority over their tribal lands, per a 1992 federal court order, which dismisses all claims to jurisdiction over tribal trust properties, including the band’s property on Jackson Valley Road in Ione. T
he Ione band is also claiming that Amador County has delayed the water upgrade project for more than two years, which they say has caused “irreparable harm,” and for which they may seek civil and/or criminal action “as allowed by law.” Villa has requested that the Board of Supervisors investigate the county’s involvement in the delayed water project, and that the matter be placed on the next regular board meeting agenda.
Mother Lode Youth Soccer League opening day in Howard Park showed some of the reasons the family-friendly league has become so popular among Amador County’s young families. Coach Megan Eckhart of the Dwight Jennings DDS Ione Blizzards and her players’ parents formed a bridge at the sideline for the Blizzards to run through. And their foes, the Pizza Factory Ione Bandits also ran through the bridge -- to cheers, despite the Blizzards winning the match, 3-0.
Eckhart is a 12th year coach in the MLYSL. She said she didn’t even have her own kids when she started coaching. Now she has four children, including two in the league – Corey, 7, of the U-8 Blizzards, and another on the U-6 Guard Dogs.
Daniele Molin is another parent-coach, assisting with the Blizzards and the U-6 Guard Dogs. Her son, Micah is a Blizzard. And her future player, Corra, 4 weeks old, she held on the sidelines. Molin has been coaching for five years.
Michelle Moreno has been involved in MLYSL soccer for 10 years, now with her sons, Christopher, 9, and Kyle, 11, playing on teams. Moreno is one of the volunteer board members and is registrar of the league. All of her children started in the league at age 4, including Cody, 16, now trying out for the Thundering Herd soccer team at Amador High School. Coaches among the league’s ranks include Argonaut High School varsity coach Roque (Rocky) Mireles (also a parent), Argonaut JV coach and volunteer board member Mark Herberger, and Amador head soccer coach Tod Ruslender and JV coach Barron Peterson. Ruslender is president of the board and a coach and Peterson is also a board member and referees matches in the Saturday league.
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors studied proposed rate increases on Monday, then continued the meeting to May 12th. The workshop was to inform the board on reasons for staff’s recommendation to raise rates in Camanche, LaMel Heights, Upcountry improvement districts. Those include about 600 water customers in Lake Camanche Water Improvement District Number 7; roughly 300 wastewater customers in Lake Camanche Water Improvement District Number 11; about 400 customers in Wastewater Improvement District Number 1; and about 50 water customers in the La Mel Heights Water District. Finance Manage Mike Lee led the board through the 4 district budgets, discussing existing deficits and forecasts. Each showed the last 3 years’ numbers, and projections for this fiscal year and the next 6 fiscal years. Lee said Wastewater District Number 1 “won’t see a positive ending balance until the end of fiscal year 2014-2015.” Camanche water District Number 7 also showed its first positive end balance at the end of 2014-2015. Wastewater District 1 began the year with a balance of negative-$292,000 dollars and was expected to close the year a negative-$401,000 dollar balance. Board members pointed out a funding slump in salaries and benefits, and Lee said it was due to loss of a part-time employee, whose position was vacated and unfilled. Lee said AWA’s 3 wastewater systems have a total of about 1,000 customers. The staff has been the same 5 people, whose hours are spread between the 3 systems. Lee said Martell sewer needs more labor and Camanche may need slightly more that $180,000. He said his forecast to need $180,000 dollars in labor at WW District Number 1 “might be more optimistic than actual needs.” He said he was “predicting Camanche will have a smaller share on paper.” All 4 districts started the year with negative operating budgets and are projected to end the year further in the hole. Camanche Wastewater District Number 11 opened at negative-$385,000 dollars and is expected to close at negative-$413,000 dollars. Camanche Water Number 7 opened at negative-$400,000 dollars and should close at negative-$416,000 dollars. The La Mel Heights Water opened at negative-$103,000 dollars and is expected to end at negative-$128,000. General Manager Jim Abercrombie said the board finished discussing Wastewater District Number 1, and directed staff to review salaries and benefits and look at “debt service financing that we were considering.” No rate meetings were set, and the board continued the rate workshop, asking for changes to be brought back to that continued meeting on Tuesday, May 12th. 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 board of directors last month discussed membership in Sutter Creek’s Amador Regional Sanitation Authority, and directed staff to prepare information for a study of joining options. General Manager Jim Abercrombie said he “went through past files to see why past boards were reluctant to join” the ARSA Joint Power Authority. He said “ARSA was facing state scrutiny in its line of wastewater to Ione.” Some past board members recommended changes to the JPA, to avoid the “sharing of liability that we would not want to be a part of.” Abercrombie said “there is some public interest for us to bet involved to have an influence over ARSA” and its “Purple Pipe” water reclamation program, that would link regions of the county with reused water for irrigation. Director Debbie Dunn said “months and months ago,” members of the Amador County Board of Supervisors said “come and take our places” on the ARSA board. Supervisors have sought to have AWA take its place on the ARSA board since at least 2004, when supervisors discussed pulling out of the JPA, but remained when AWA would not take its place. ARSA, founded in 1978, has sought to have the AWA join since several years ago when supervisors discussed leaving the JPA, because AWA was in full control of Amador County water. AWA declined, leaving supervisors to remain on the ARSA board. Director Bill Condrashoff asked how much time and money it would take to prepare the ARSA JPA for discussion, and he asked why it had not be prepared already. Abercrombie said “right now, our main focus is trying to get grants” and “this has not been a high priority.” He said it might take about 40 hours of staff time to prepare, and said with board direction, he would have staff prepare information for the AWA board to “decide whether we are going to participate in ARSA or not.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County - A power line through the high country proposed by Kirkwood Ski Resort is a red flag among local environmentalists. The Kirkwood Meadows Utility District has proposed a power line to run from Kirkwood to Salt Springs Reservoir. The line will run above ground in some locations and may run underground in others. Two routes are under consideration, one generally to Bear River Reservoir and then along Highway 88, and the other in the backcountry through Long Valley. Katherine Evatt, Board Director of the Foothill Conservancy, says that the project could benefit the environment, but could also be detrimental if not implemented properly. The power line would replace diesel generators at Kirkwood, which have a history of air pollution and diesel spills. But Evatt says the power line could also have potential impacts on scenic beauty, wildlife habitat, adjacent wilderness, historic and cultural resources, and the backcountry character of the area. As previously reported, two public meetings were held at the Jackson Civic Center on Wednesday and the KPMUD office in Kirkwood. We’ll have details on the outcome of these meetings in an upcoming broadcast. Staff Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Amador County – The Sutter Creek City Council worked before a packed room Monday choosing a replacement for Bill Hepworth, who resigned last month for health concerns. The council chose Linda Rianda, a retired peace officer, associate warden and former teacher. Mayor Gary Wooten opened discussion saying, “speaking for myself, this is really stressful, picking one of you.” The 7 applicants for the 2-year council seat were quickly reduced to 5. Wooten said Reed Shugart, a board member of the Sutter Creek Fire Protection District, pulled his name after finding he could not hold 2 elected offices simultaneously. City Manager Rob Duke said he received a call from Dennis E. Griffin at 1 p.m. Monday: Griffin “pulled his application citing personal reasons.” The remaining 5 applicants were questioned by the council. Wooten asked each what they thought was the biggest issue in Sutter Creek, and their solution. Bart Weatherly said the biggest issue was “remaining solvent and incorporated as a city,” but he had no solution. Councilwoman Sandy Anderson said “we know how you feel about a certain issue. How do you feel about growth?” Weatherly said he was “sort of a non-believer in promises that are given” and he “would love to see commercial growth that produces taxes.” Getting to her point, Councilman Pat Crosby asked if Weatherly could “see any condition in which you could accept (Gold Rush) into the city?” Weatherly said “that was an issue I had to resolve – yes, I do.” Mimi Arata said the major issue was the “upside-down budget,” which she would approach by deciding how and where to increase income and decrease expenses. Rianda said the economy was the biggest issue, which she would approach by first learning the current budget, then looking at long-term revenue increase possibilities and decreases in spending and working on ways to increase tourism and entice businesses to the city. Mike Kirkley said the top issue was the “fiscal crisis,” which the council could solve by getting “back to basics,” providing the services of a city. He said the city should use “conservative revenue projections,” and push through developments that would generate revenue. Councilman Tim Murphy asked what were his top 3 areas for budget fixes. Kirkley said those would be reducing employees and the police budget, and working with other jurisdictions. Jack Mitchell said he would try to “see what positions can move into other positions” in city staff, but he didn’t think there were “any easy fixes.” Rianda was a unanimous selection to the position and was sworn in after the vote. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
