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Drug and Alcohol Use in County High Schools
Peace Officer of the Year and Citizen of the Year Awards Presented
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Ongoing Amador Government 101 Workshop Resumes Tonight
Ione City Council Update
Halloween Costume Exchange, October 8th
Paws in the Park Fundraiser Was a Success
Emergency Drill Planned For Sutter Amador Hospital Today
Repair Costs Escalate For Amador County Museum
There seems to be no end in sight
to the ongoing repairs at the
historical Amador
CountyMuseum.
What began as a roof repair soon escalated into a full construction overhaul
after serious deficiencies in the 150 year old structure were
discovered. In a presentation Tuesday before the Board of Supervisors, General
Services Director Jon Hopkins outlined the updated plan of attack and urged the
Board to waive the formal bidding procedure and approve a contract addendum for
the sum of 113,955 dollars in additional repairs. The Board also agreed to
purchase glass from the Glass Architects company in the amount of 22,600
dollars and Youngdahl Consulting Group in the amount of 5,200 dollars.
“We’ve spent a considerable amount of time trying to formulate the best method of attack with the carpenters and engineers,” said Hopkins. After comparing proposed construction bids between a number of competing companies, the County decided upon Otto Construction, one of the few contractors who specialize in the restoration of older buildings. The Board had initially considered putting the additional repair work back out for bid so the contractors could compete for the lowest offer. Hopkins also urged the Board to consider the many other structures in Amador County that need repairs. “When I look at the total here, we’re going to spend 450,000 dollars just on this (museum). We need to eventually think about stopping and diverting that money to other properties that need it,” he said. Supervisor Ted Novelli congratulated Hopkins and all others involved on the effort they have put into this project. Hopkins will continue to update the Supervisors on the progress of the project during future Board meetings.
Resolving Rising Water and Sewer Rates
At Monday night’s
Jackson City Council Meeting, the Water/Sewer Rate Committee gave a report
outlining their recommendations to resolve rising water and sewer rates. The committee has been charged with analyzing
water and sewer rate issues affecting the city’s budget. According to the report, “the largest single item
impacting the water department budget is the rate increase approved by the
Amador Water Agency Board of Directors in June, 2007,” which raised the
rates by 22% last August, and will include a 12% increase on July 1, 2008, and
next July 1st. The committee
believes that there are three primary issues that are the cause of these rate
increases: the Plymouth Pipeline, the Ione Treatment Facility, and Amador
Transmission Pipeline Capacity. Specifically, the committee
found that AWA is only charging Plymouth
customers 2500 dollars per hookup to the new Plymouth Pipeline, when in fact
the AWA’s own study shows that 7040 dollars is actually needed to cover
the costs for new wholesale customers.
At a discrepancy of over 4500 dollars per hookup, and an estimated 536
new wholesale hookups in Plymouth, that adds up to about 2.4 million dollars in
costs that “will be borne on all of the other ratepayers.”
According to the committee, AWA insists that Plymouth customers
hooking up at the lower rate will benefit the rest of the ratepayers, but has
not shown any evidence of this. As for the Ione Treatment Plant, the committee feels that AWA should
reconsider expanding the Tanner plant, a project that will cost an
estimated 40 million dollars, 12 of which will be passed on to customers. The
committee says that the Ione plant would cost only about 4 million and should
be able to adequately meet that area’s projected growth. And finally, the committee claims
that AWA has “overestimated the capacity of the Amador Transmission Pipeline,”
thereby causing existing ratepayers to pay rates that “reflect more than
their fair share.” The committee
recommended that the City Council meet directly with the AWA Board of Directors
to “clarify some of the outstanding issues.”
The council agreed and will seek to meet with the AWA Board in the near
future.
ATCAA Receives $250,000
The Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency, also known as ATCAA has secured a
250,000 dollar grant from the California Emerging Technology Fund, or CETF to
help five rural Sierra counties improve high speed Internet accessATCAA
Central Sierra Connect involves Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa and
Tuolumne Counties. It is part
of a statewide effort to help rural counties gain 100 percent coverage for high
speed internet and encourage wider use of technology by all residents.
The CETF, created as part of private telecommunication company mergers, is
charged with helping rural areas “catch up” to urban areas of the state. “Ultimately, we all want high speed
Internet to be as universal as telephone service and is easily to use for all
residents including low-income, senior and disabled people,” said Project
Coordinator Michelle Shelton.
“That is vital to the future of our communities.” Central Sierra Connect is the second of seven rural regions in the state to secure a planning grant – the first, Redwood Coast Connect serving Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity and Mendocino counties, was funded last year. Each local county will be contributing time and funding to the project, and each will be able to develop its own more detailed plans for future projects. Calaveras County’s Mary Sawicki, the Program Manager for Calaveras Works and Human Services, said broadband connections are essential for helping disenfranchised people find jobs and resources. “It has been said over 80% of employment opportunities are advertised on the internet,” she said. “The internet opens up resources and educational opportunities that appear almost limitless.” For more information, visit the website: www.centralsierraconnect.org. for all households and businesses. The one-year project, called ATCAA Central Sierra Connect, will launch with the first meeting of the project Advisory Council in the morning and a community forum at Ironstone Vineyards on June 12, from 1-4 pm.