Sutter Amador Hospital is still in talks with union negotiators, and, although progress has been made, have yet to come to an agreement. The current union employee contract was up for renewal in February, but initial dissatisfaction and resulting discussions over the contract were initiated in December. According to Sutter Amador’s CEO Anne Platt, hospital management has thus far put down two proposals, neither of which has met the union’s satisfaction. The two major points of contention in current negotiations are pay and health care. The union is currently asking for a higher wages equal to wages in hospitals throughout California.

In the hospital’s most recent proposal from February 26, they’ve offered a 14.5 percent  wage increase over a four year period for all employees and higher equity payments for some positions. At Sutter Amador, the union represents non-exempt and non-management employees. Platt says the hospital recognizes the importance of the union and treating all employees by an equal quality standard, and as a result says Sutter Amador treats non-union employees by many of the same standards as union ones.

Employees can choose whether or not they wish to join the union when they are hired. “They want the same wage as their peers are making in other parts of the region,” says Platt. She points out that Sutter Amador Hospital is a non-profit hospital, and that escalated wages at Kaiser have been difficult and maybe unrealistic to match. “We feel like we’re being very cautious. We’re into maintaining a great experience for our employees. They’re our most important asset,” says Platt. Employees are currently represented by United Health Workers, a smaller branch of the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, which represents 1.5 million public service workers, nurses, hospital staff and nursing home care providers. Talks so far have gone smoothly and there is no indication they’ve been anything less than friendly, but both sides are hoping for a quick resolution.

Argonaut High School will have a familiar face in the principal’s office next school year after the retirement of current principal, Peggy Gardner. The Amador County Unified School District announced the appointment of Dave Vicari as the principal of Argonaut High beginning in the 07-08 school year. According to the release this will allow Vicari and Gardner to work together for a seamless transition. Vicari is currently a popular principal at Jackson Junior High School and a graduate of Jackson High School as well. His ties with his Alma Mater, now called Argonaut High School have remained close, both as a parent and the former head coach of the Varsity baseball team. He will continue as principal at the Junior High School for the remainder of the year.

 

A local Pioneer businessman who says he is looking to support Amador County commerce has run into some intense opposition.  Danny McCauley, owner of Sierra Homes & Properties in Buckhorn, and property manager of Buckhorn Plaza, has plans in the works to open an upscale liquor and wine store featuring Amador county wines, cheeses, breads, olive oils, and related items. McCauley has been in contact with numerous local vintners who want the store to be a distributor for their fine wines. McCauley lives and works in Buckhorn, and “wants to make it a destination spot,” and says “my sole intention is to promote the Buckhorn area for the Buckhorn people.” The proposed store site, located in the Buckhorn Plaza, 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. Last week, McCauley contacted one of those residents, Richard Vinson, to discuss his concerns with the store.  According to McCauley, he has heard the same comment from all those opposed to the store – that Buckhorn doesn’t need liquor store.  In response to that, McCauley says the majority of his products will be Amador County-produced wines and goods, as well as liquor and cigarettes, and adds that he wants to provide a larger supply of quality products so that locals don’t have to drive all the way to Jackson or Folsom for liquor and wine. The matter is scheduled to go before the Board of Supervisors at tomorrow’s meeting; however, McCauley is looking to postpone this until he has a chance to meet with the board, noting that he just received notice of the agenda item last Tuesday the 15th.

The major topic of discussion in Sutter Creek Monday night was on the future of Amador County’s water services. The Sutter Creek City Council heard a presentation by Gene Mancebo, Amador Water Agency Manager of Engineering and Planning, on the AWA‘s “20 Year Strategic Plan”. The plan outlines a number of infrastructure expansions that the AWA is seeking in order to deal with a projected increase in demand for water services. The plan states that the AWA is currently servicing 5,474 connections into the Amador Water System. With the current system, an additional 16,000 household connections could potentially be made. However, the AWA forecasts that the County’s major water resources will be exhausted by the year 2030 due to a large increase in demand caused by the construction of several large subdivisions.

Three of the County’s largest planned developments, the Gold Rush Ranch, Jackson Hills, and Wicklow Way, will create a need for approximately 2,420 new residential hook-ups total. To deal with the perceived increase in demand for water and waste-water services, the AWA is planning several measures. The first is to increase the use of reclaimed water countywide, with the goal that 20% of Amador’s Water Usage will be reclaimed by the year 2020. A second undertaking will be to raise Lower Bear Reservoir 32 feet in order to “insure a firm supply” of county drinking water. In addition, Mancebo stated that the Agency will seek partnerships with Calaveras County, East Bay Mud, and San Joaquin County to implement an ‘Integrated Regional Conjunctive Use Project’ for a more regional, efficient approach to problems of shortages, over-drafted ground water, and saltwater intrusion. The city council had a mixed response to Mancebo’s presentation. The biggest
complaint from council members about the presentation was that Sutter Creek’s contributions to water service regionalization went largely unmentioned. City Manager Rob Duke stated, “I think we should have it on record that Sutter Creek is firm in its steps towards regionalization, and has been since the 1950s.”

The Amador Air District has announced the availability of Grants Available to Reduce Pollution from Diesel Engines Operating in Amador County. The California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) has grant funds available under the state’s Carl Moyer Program to assist rural air districts in reducing air pollutants from mobile sources and agricultural engines.  CAPCOA has $977,000 available to qualified applicants that meet the requirements of the Carl Moyer Program.

Last week's Plymouth city council meeting showed a city divided by the looming concept of a proposed casino that the town has been fighting for three years now. A number of citizens spoke out during public comment telling the city council that it is time to sit down with the Ione Band of Mi-Wok tribe and "make the best of their situation." Plymouth business owner and resident Maria Simon stated, "For 3 and a half years we have been fighting the battle and I am tired of it. I understand everybody's fear, but just as you respect Mr. Reeder's right to seek permits for subdivisions in our city, you must give the tribe that same respect.

County Administrative Officer Terri Daly attempted to resign following last week’s pivotal ISA decision at the Board of Supervisor’s meeting, but was blocked from doing so in a vote by the Board. “During the past week, impassioned discussions suggested possible conflicts for me in the implementation of my responsibilities. I submitted my resignation to clarify those conflicts. My resignation was not accepted by the Board,” said Daly. Supervisors Escamilla and Novelli have both spoken out saying they don’t want to lose Daly and think of her as a valuable asset. Indeed, Daly’s resignation attempt has come at a difficult time for the county. The deadline for submission of the county and tribe’s arbitration proposals is Wednesday. Daly tendered her resignation in a closed session following last week’s meeting, which supervisor’s quashed in a 4-0 vote.

At Monday night’s Jackson Planning Commission meeting, Amador Citizens for Smart Growth, or ACSG, provided recommendations to the commission on possible additions to Jackson’s draft Land Use Element. Some of these recommendations include preserving historic buildings, requiring a certain design for new downtown projects, managing growth, and allowing for small ancillary dwellings in rear yards. One recommendation that drew some discussion was providing for mixed-use structures downtown, which would allow a second story on a commercial building to be used as residential. 

Some members of the commission suggested that having mixed-use structures might cut down on gas consumption, and therefore pollution. Other recommendations drew intense opposition from several members of the community.  One subject of debate was a proposed 150 foot-wide urban agricultural transition area that would be required for developments that were on the edge of the city limits.  Jim Laughton, a city of Jackson landowner, asked that the commission not put restrictions on his property.

Laughton has been involved in the development of the Land Use Element for the past ten years, and questioned why Amador Citizens for Smart Growth were getting involved “at the eleventh hour.” Laughton added that he thought that the city had “a pretty good land use element.” On the other side of the fence, Joani Bailey, who owns land just outside the city limits, adjacent to the proposed Jackson Hills parcel, said that the 150 foot buffer “looks good” to her, referring to the  possible close proximity of residential homes to her property. All suggestions agreed upon by the Planning Commission will be incorporated into the draft General Plan, which will eventually go before the Jackson City Council.  The Planning Commission will continue their review until the next scheduled meeting on April 21st.

Sutter Creek Planning Commissioner Frank Cunha approached the City Council on Tuesday night to discuss revisions to the City’s Tree and Landscaping Ordinance. On December 11th the Planning Commission met and reviewed the existing ordinance, as well as Senate Bill 1334 which relates to oak woodland conservation. The bill requires that timberland conversions (that take place outside of a Timber Harvest Plan) be mitigated by making a monetary contribution to the California Forest Legacy Program. SB 1334 also requires all 58 counties in California to adopt oak woodlands management plans and ordinances that require a discretionary permit for oak woodland conversions and set a minimum mitigation standard.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Fiddletown merchant Chew Kee sold firecrackers, lanterns and little red envelopes to help Chinatown celebrate Chinese New Year. Sadly, as we enter the Year of the Pig on Feb. 18 in 2007, there are no Chinese residents in Fiddletown to celebrate the festive occasion. Chew Kee's store is still standing, though. It is now a museum operated under the auspices of the Fiddletown Preservation Society. It was occupied by Chinese residents until 1965 when the last owner -- Fong Chow Yow, known to the townsfolk as Jimmy Chow -- passed away. The building stayed vacant until 1987 when the Fiddletown Preservation Society began restoring it for use as a museum. The Chew Kee is open Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. during the months of April through October.