The Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday tabled a request from ACES Waste Services to hear about legal implications in a future closed session. The issue was tabled for a week after County Attorney Martha J. Shaver said any discussion she had on the matter with the supervisors should be held in closed session. Paul Molinelli Sr., owner of ACES Waste Service, requested that his household waste hauling service be allowed to haul 40 tons of waste a week to a Pine Grove transfer station, rather than making a trip to the Amador Disposal Service transfer station on Buena Vista Road in Ione. Larry Peterson of Amador Public Works said that last February, ACES requested a change in a 1999 franchise agreement. Molinelli addressed the board and said he believed the contract allows ACES the right to haul waste to the Buena Vista Road facility but the contract does not obligate ACES to do so. He said the change would only involve waste collected in the city of Jackson. “The Jackson contract says that we must seek out the least expensive waste disposal site,” Molinelli said. He also had a letter from the city of Jackson in support of the change. Jason Craft of Amador Disposal Service said his volume this year is already down 30 percent from totals in 2007-2008, adding that “if it falls again, we will have to raise rates.” Board Chairman Richard Forster said he saw the move by ACES as common sense, considering that the company operates from Pine Grove and seeks to use a transfer station there. Forster, a resident of Ione’s District 2, said he would support the change even if it meant he also had to pay more. The Board asked Shaver if she saw any problems in changing the contract and Shaver said the matter should be discussed in closed session. Forster then said the board should postpone the matter a week, and schedule the closed session for next week.

By Jim Reece - Plymouth City Council saw an 80,000 dollar budget deficit for the closing fiscal year and also saw a preliminary budget for the upcoming year, with a 5,600-dollar deficit expected. City Financial Officer Jeff Gardner said he expects revenue of 565,000 dollars next year, basing that on probable decreases in tax, licensing and other revenue streams. Gardner said Planning spending was a major part of the budget overrun, with the 2007-2008 budget request of 68,000 dollars being surpassed by actual spending in planning of 156,000 dollars. But Gardner said “some of the big ticket items that are responsible for that cost overrun we believe are reimbursable.” City Manager Dixon Flynn said one of those big ticket items was city staff work on the Evitt Property lawsuit, in relation to the Plymouth Pipeline Project. Patricia Shackleton asked if COPS funding of 100,000 was coming through, in light of the state budget stall. Flynn said “every year this comes up and every year they get their funding.” Gardner budgeted 566,000 dollars in revenue for 2008-2009, with 572,000 in spending, for a 6,500-dollar deficit. “I’m really being conservative on the revenue side,” Gardner said, though the economy may arguably be rebounding, he thought it remained “in the tank.” He said he expected a reduction in property tax to revenue to continue. Flynn said big cities in the San Joaquin Valley lost property taxes due to home foreclosures and losing redevelopment increments, sales and property tax. Flynn said San Joaquin County had 984 foreclosures a month in the first half of this year. Gardner said the State of Nevada led the United States in foreclosures, with California second. The Golden State ’s top two counties also lead the country’s foreclosure, with San Joaquin County the No. 1 in foreclosure and Sacramento County No. 2 in the nation.

The Ione City Council voted 3-2 Tuesday to apply for a 560,000 dollar loan to complete the city’s new firehouse, using City Hall as collateral, and also approved a 5 percent raise for its city manager. Opposition to the loan cited world and U.S. financial crises as reason to pull the plug --- for now – on the new firehouse. Mayor Andrea Bonham, Vice Mayor Lee Ard and Councilman Skip Shaufel voted yes to direct City Manager Kim Kerr and City Finance Director Mark Smith to work with the loan provider to finalize the loan documents. The 3-2 vote also approved a resolution using the city hall “or a similar city property” as collateral in the loan and authorized City Manager Kerr to sign the loan and collateral documents. Ard said the financial industry is in a bad state, such that a city can get a loan and then a week later have that loan approval rescinded, as happened to the city in this case. Councilman Jim Ulm spoke against the loan before the vote. “We didn’t think we could afford this firehouse. We can’t afford it,” Ulm said. Ulm thought the city should finish the slab - or firehouse’s foundation - for now, and then call it quits on the project until a later date. “This is a recipe for disaster,” Ulm said. “We don’t have to have that. We’re not in that bad of shape.” Sherman also voted no, saying before the vote that he opposed “going out and getting more loans at the city’s expense.” Bonham said she saw the approval as a “substitution of a loan that we previously approved.” Finance director Smith told the council that they could not mortgage city-owned property and Kerr said the move was a common means of financing for municipalities.

A hay truck in the upcountry region lost control Monday afternoon, resulting in a dramatic wreck similar to another hay truck accident that had occurred in the same spot last year. According to witnesses at the scene, the massive 18-wheeler collided with three passenger vehicles headed East on Hwy 88. Witnesses indicated the truck had been traveling too fast in the West bound direction when it lost control, skidded into a sedan, and pushed the vehicle into a tree on the side of the road, snapping the tree like a twig and leaving both the broken tree and piles of hay atop the sedan. In the process of that collision, the hay truck also swept another car off the road like a toy and collided head on with yet another vehicle. The truck then rolled over on its top and came to rest alongside the second vehicle which was now in a ditch upside down, on the side of the road. The dramatic rescue effort involved fire fighters and law enforcement from a number of surrounding agencies. The wreck initially stopped traffic, which was then filtered past the wreck over the course of several hours. Although no severe injuries have been reported, four people were taken to the hospital, three of those by helicopter.

 

Recycler Ricky, Amador County’s official recycling mascot, and the Amador Disposal Service have announced a new curbside recycling program. In late August 2008, the Amador Disposal Service will begin to distribute curbside recycling containers to its customers living in unincorporated areas of the county. This new curbside recycling program will replace the “blue bag” program now in use, with no additional costs to customers. Amador Disposal Service customers will be able to put all of their recycling in one large 64 gallon blue cart for pick up every other week with their normal service. All paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, glass, aluminum and metal cans should be placed in the cart. Sorting of recyclables is not necessary. Areas scheduled to receive recycling carts include Carbondale, Forest Home, Willow Creek, Drytown, the Shenandoah Valley, River Pines and Fiddletown. Detailed information on the new program will be distributed when the blue recycling carts are delivered. Residents in the above-mentioned areas will also be gradually transitioned to carts for their household garbage. The Amador Disposal Service is encouraging citizens to participate in this “convenient” recycling program. According to Jim McHargue, Solid Waste Program Manager for Amador County, recycling reduces the amount of space needed for landfills and contributes to the preservation of our natural resources. For more information, please call the Amador Disposal Service at 274-2454.

The City of Plymouth held a special joint meeting with the Plymouth City Council and Planning Commission in attendance, on top of the regularly scheduled city council meeting Thursday evening. The main topics of the joint meeting were two informational presentations, one regarding the proposed Shenandoah Valley Commercial Center, and the other specific to the Putnam Ranch. Bill Hanna from Commercial Development Solutions LLC, or CDS, was at the meeting to present the conceptual design intent for the proposed Shenandoah Valley Center. According to Hanna, “This project has been in development for over 2 years,” and is being presented to governmental entities for “feedback and to answer any questions which may arise”. After giving a brief history and background on CDS, Hanna discussed the design brief, which included such aspects as 1930’s style architecture, the use of “indigenous” materials to portray character and style, and building a recognizable gateway to the Shenandoah Valley. The proposed location is approximately 17 acres, and sits at 9702 Main Street. The property is currently zoned for commercial and light industrial use. The proposed project components include: 6 retail spots, 3 restaurants, 4 office buildings, 3 wineries, 11 wine tasting rooms, 1 micro brewery, a 3 story 83 room Hotel/Conference Center, a public restroom in the proposed park area, a parking garage outfitted for 143 cars, and 640 on site parking stalls. According to Hanna, the center is estimated to create between 250-300 new jobs, increase tax revenue stream, generate a means to fill voids in current community services and retail, and establish an economic stimulus for future planned growth. After the presentation, council and commission limited their input to a few questions about water usage and waste water. The matter will be discussed further at the upcoming Plymouth City Council meeting.

Amador County - County Administrative Officer Terri Daly and Director of Behavioral Health George Sonsel urged the approval of a Behavioral Health Reorganizational Plan at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday. The Health and Human Services Department is feeling the recession more than other branches of government, operating on a $500,000 deficit for the last five years. As a result, Daly and health officials underwent a major consolidation of staff positions. The proposed reorganizational plan came about when, during a recent audit, state officials were surprised that Amador County still works under a traditional 1-on-1 health model and recommended reorganization into a case management type of model. The plan would mean a shift from the traditional model of clinical treatment where the client remains dependent on a professional caregiver, to one where the professional serves as a resource in helping the client achieve independence based on a thorough knowledge of how to manage their recovery.

Sonsel said the proposal will restructure staff in mental health, drug and alcohol recovery and private practice. Severely mentally ill patients will take priority. Sonsel said they will not need the same level of professional staff, cutting down from 7 to 4 therapists. Sonsel stressed that those who were not deemed as severely ill would not be turned away, but the reorganization and cutbacks may mean they would have to wait longer for services. Boitano questioned what kind of affect could take place when services were denied to someone who potentially needs them. Sonsel admitted that there could be some affect, but did not elaborate. The council approved the reorganizational plan unanimously. Details on how the reorganization will improve the department’s deficit and effectiveness will be discussed more in a future meeting. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - Tempers flared at Monday’s Jackson City Council meeting during a heated debate over the closure of Main Street for downtown events. Alyshia Miller, Co-owner of Theresa’s Restaurant, spoke on behalf of some Jackson Gate Road business owners who believe they are unfairly excluded when downtown events block off the entrance to their roadway. On the flip side of the debate was Toni Fancher, President of the Historic Jackson Business Association, which includes downtown businesses but does not include proprietors on Jackson Gate Road. Miller focused on this in her argument, saying “it is ironic that such an event would exclude our historic businesses.” Jackson Gate Road was the main artery into Jackson before Highway 88 was built. She pointed out that two of the three symbols on the Jackson Flag – the Kennedy Mine Tailing Wheels and St. Salva Church - are on Jackson Gate Road, yet they still weren’t taken into consideration when establishing the Business Association. “We’re not asking for fair and equal treatment, just validation,” said Miller.

Fancher pointed out that this was a matter of public safety, not inclusion or exclusion. She said they need the entire 3-way intersection at the north end of Main Street for wagons to turn around at events like the upcoming “Christmas Delights.” She said it was in the interest of public safety. “I think this has gotten so blown out of control, fighting about something like this. It floors me that it’s gotten this far without trying to have a meeting with the people involved,” said Fancher. This led to a broader debate over alterations to the closure that would still include passage to Jackson Gate Road. Neither side could present data on the fiscal impact or benefit of the intersection closure. However, Fancher yelled out “1,500 people each year!” from the audience as one man commented on the Christmas event.

Mayor Rosalie Pryor Escamilla questioned why Jackson Gate businesses couldn’t be more proactive and come downtown to sell goods during these events. The item was postponed for further discussion after the holidays. The council encouraged the HJBA and Jackson Gate Businesses to schedule a meeting to discuss the matter further. On Tuesday, Police Chief Scott Morrison took on the task of measuring the exact dimensions of the intersection in an effort to accommodate both parties. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - The Amador County Fair Board of Directors on Friday released the official theme for the 2009 Fair, which is the 71st annual event. The July 23rd to 26th Fair theme will be “A Grape Time to Hukilau (hoo kee lau').” Amador County Fair Board President, Janice Howard said Friday that flower leis, hula skirts and fun will set the mood, as well as recognize Amador grape growers and wine makers. Howard said organizers “are all very excited about this year’s theme” and she can’t wait to see the decorations and ideas exhibitors, staff and community will come up with for this year’s fair. Sherrie Elliot, Amador County Fair office manager said organizers always look for a fun theme that staff can decorate around, that they can create contests for, and that can be included entertainment and “keep things fresh for fair visitors to enjoy.” In choosing the theme, the board appreciated the meaning of a Hukilau as a way of fishing invented by the ancient Hawaiians. A Hukilau is also known to local Hawaiians as a festive beach gathering. Howard said in that same spirit of working together and sharing the bounty, the Amador County Fair community works together to raise funds for community service groups including local 4-H and FFA Chapters, Jackson Lions Club, Jackson and Plymouth Foothills Rotary, and many other civic minded organizations. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

By Alex Lane - As one might expect in our current economic climate, the local statistics on foreclosures are looking grim. There were more than 7,700 new foreclosures in 2008 in the eight-county Sacramento region, which includes Amador, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. That brings the 2008 tally to more than 19,000. Since the beginning of January 2007, more than 29,000 capital-area households that have been displaced by foreclosure. Statewide, the epidemic has reached 79,511 foreclosures in the third quarter. That's more than 190,000 the first nine months of this year - and nearly 275,000 since the beginning of 2007. According to Amador County Assessor Jim Rooney, Amador County hasn’t been hit as hard as some of the surrounding counties and Sacramento. “However, the foreclosures we do see happening are being sold at very low prices, and they are affecting property values as a result,” he said. Rooney said this causes a chain reaction, where values affect assessments, which in turn affect the county as a whole. But Rooney believes that on the upside, this is an ideal time and opportunity for low-income buyers to get a piece of the market.