Amador County – With Plymouth’s water pipeline project has come an influx of housing developments, leading to a series of workshops and tutorials for the city council, starting last week with a presentation on the Environmental Impact Report process. City Planner Paula Daneluk gave information on the EIR last Thursday, while today, new city consultant Richard Prima will host a workshop on “Planning Process Infrastructure.” Daneluk said the Cottage Knoll development had initiated its EIR process, with the city taking the lead. City Council members asked why the city did that, and Daneluk said it was the typical way to handle the process. If not, she said the city would be at the mercy of the applicant’s consultant. As lead agency, the city has access to the EIR as it develops. City Attorney Mike Dean said Plymouth “has had little going on in the last decade in regard to traditional planning,” but he told the City Council that it would be acting as “little legislators” in the EIR process. Dean said “you can just say ‘no’ for any reason or no reason. It doesn’t really matter how much time or how much money they have spent. You can simply say ‘no’ if it’s something you don’t like.” Daneluk said the process generally takes 18 to 24 months, “but there are a lot of variables,” including that the city has no control over how long it takes the applicant to produce additional studies. And she said sometimes the state or federal government will request in September a study that can only be conducted in June. Councilwoman Patricia Fordyce asked about a template “development agreement” that the city has and whether it could be used with the Cottage Knoll project. Dean said there is a “boiler plate” development agreement but the specifics that the city wants from the applicant varies with each project, depending on the project’s impacts and the project itself. The special meeting, open to the public and led by Prima, is 5 p.m. today in city hall, 9426 Main Street. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - Public input is encouraged in preparation for the release of the Environmental Impact Report for the Ione General Plan Update. A notice of preparation for the report was released on January 16. “The draft land use plan will focus on downtown redevelopment on Main and Jackson streets, planned areas for residential uses and a preferred alignment for the west Ione backbone roadway system, formerly referred to as the Ione bypass,” said Ione City Treasurer Sharon Long in a press release. Beginning January 6, Ione City Council established a draft land use plan as part of the city General Plan. The EIR will analyze the potential environmental impacts of the proposed land use plan. A scoping meeting will be held to provide the City with input from other public agencies and service providers on what the EIR should address. This public meeting is schedule for Tuesday, February 10, at 4:00 pm at Ione City Hall. Contact City Planner Christopher Jordan at 274-2412, ext 104 or go to www.ionegeneralplan.com for more information. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – A joint meeting of the Ione City Council and Planning Commission Tuesday directed staff to streamline the upgrading and repair of downtown Ione storefronts. Planning Commissioner Christopher Jordan will make a draft ordinance for the City Commission first to “chew on,” then send to the City Council. Mayor Lee Ard told about his vision, which he said got him out of retirement and into City Hall. His intention was the “rebuilding of Ione to make it viable, and make it a place where people will come and shop.” He said city leaders have changed – “we are all of one mind, we want to better downtown Ione…. What we’re looking at here is a long-term return on investment.” Their aim, he said, is to increase traffic on Main Street, to get businesses to open there and to keep them open. Ard said “we want to know what we need to do to help. We want to be a partnership.” Jordan recommended a possible hearing before the City Planner, with a minimal fee, instead of the nearly $1,000 spent on public hearings. Councilwoman Andrea Bonham said in opening her “Clark’s Corner” coffee shop in the last year, she wanted to fix a window above her door. To do so, she would have been required to pay about $600 for a public hearing. She gave up on that and the window is still not fixed. She recommended that replacing exterior doors, trim and windows be part of the streamlined repairs that could be OK’d in minor reviews. Vice Mayor Skip Schaufel said he would like the minor review to be as broad as possible, since decisions could be appealed to the planning commission and then the city council. Others agreed and Jordan said they might want to have a “staff-level decision,” known as a “plan check,” for minor review items, and a second tier for big projects that would have a full hearing. Ione hosts a community beautification public meeting January 22nd at Evalynn Bishop Hall, regarding neighborhood-wide clean-up and other issues for beautifying Ione. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

 Amador County - Very strong high pressure will dominate the weather over the interior of northern California and will continue the unseasonably warm and dry weather conditions throughout the week. A few locations tied or established record high temperatures on Sunday, and more record high temperatures are possible at some locations through Wednesday in Amador County, the foothills and the Central Valley. In Modesto, a record high of 71 was recorded on Monday. In Stockton and Sacramento, the temperature reached 69 on Monday. Grass Valley, also located in the foothills, saw temperatures close to 75 degrees. Many Amador County towns are expected to post record temperatures in the coming week. While the warm temperatures were ideal for weekend activities, some residents fear what this may mean when summer comes and Amador County must once again depend on its water supply to quench residents and fight fires. Visitors to Kirkwood Ski Resort reported slushy snow and added extra layers of sunscreen to protect themselves from the afternoon sun. “I drove over the pass from Reno through South Lake Tahoe and I have to say, I haven’t seen that much bare ground in the Sierras in my life,” said Carolyn Villanova, a special education teacher. “It’s a little scary,” she said. Keep your channel on TSPN for detailed updates on local weather patterns and conditions during TSPN News. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).    

Amador County – Amador County and California District 3 Congressman Dan Lungren, said last Friday “was a missed opportunity to help the economy and the American people” and he said “our focus should have been creating jobs, not increasing government spending.” Lungren joined 176 of his fellow Republicans and six Democrats in opposition to what Lungren called “wasteful government spending” by voting against last Friday’s $787 billion stimulus bill. Lungren in the release said: “Make no mistake; I understand the severity of our economic situation and the pressure weighing on all Americans during these tough times. Today I did not vote against economic recovery, I voted against wasteful government spending.” Lungren aid Brian Kaveney in a Friday press release said that the 1,000-page bill was a laundry list of government programs, most of which would do little if nothing to stimulate the economy. Lungren said: “instead of allowing American families and small business owners to keep more of what they earn, Congress has just loaded more debt on their backs.” Lungren supported alternative legislation that “micro-targeted economic recovery.” He said he understood that “we need to take action to revive our faltering economy. Let us not use this crisis as an excuse to recklessly throw away taxpayer’s money only to say we did something.” Lungren serves as Ranking Member on the House Administration Committee in addition to serving on the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees. Staff Reports (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – There were 35 foreclosures in Amador County during the fourth quarter of 2008, marking a consistent downward trend within the last three months. According to La Jolla- based housing research company DataQuick, foreclosures in the capitol region fell to their lowest levels in a year during the last three months of 2008. But researchers approach this trend with cautious optimism when considering that statewide defaults were back up to 39,993- approximately the same level they had been at during the months of March through August. Fourth quarter foreclosures in Amador, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties were at 4,413, down 7,796 in the third quarter. Statewide, there were 237, 131 foreclosures in 2008. DataQuick analysts believe the temporary foreclosure drop may be due to a state law passed in September that forced lenders to keep people in their homes. Federal mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie May also passed moratoriums on foreclosures through the first quarter of this year. According to one local real estate expert, realtors are bracing for a second smaller but still significant wave of foreclosures to hit the area soon. There are a growing number of short sales in the Sacramento area, which some real estate trackers warn is a sign of more foreclosures to come. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – About 20 people spoke in support of streamlining exterior commercial upgrades in downtown Ione, during a special joint meeting of the Ione City Council and the Planning Commission. Speakers suggested lowering fees and inspiring investments into downtown businesses. The discussion talked about various architectural styles in downtown and adhering to them when making repairs. Councilman Jim Ulm said they might be doing too much, and City Planner Christopher Jordan said they can scale back, “but what is on the books now is ineffective,” sending applicants through planning and council public hearings before permitting. Dominic Atlan of Castle Oaks said it costs about $1,000 for two public hearings. He suggested having a “sale” to inspire people to beautify their buildings, with free or minimal fees. Atlan said “it’s going to cost less in approval fees than it will cost in materials.” The owner of the Curves building said he and his wife want to revamp the building and are searching for old photos of it. He said he likes the old Coca-Cola ad but he wants to keep kids from prying bricks from the building’s wall, which he said might benefit with more lighting. Karl Knobelauch, owner of Curves, encouraged lower fees, saying “it will help to accomplish what I believe is a common goal for us.” He said the “current process is unacceptable and burdensome on property owners.” Mayor Lee Ard said there has to be a fee so the city can see that things are being built to code, but the city can possibly help with grants. Commissioner Joe Wylie suggested a flat rate fee of $25, and “if it costs us $100, then we put in $75,… but we don’t stop people form fixing their window.” Jordan said he will draft a new ordinance, and “bring something forward and let the planning commission chew on it.” 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 week took department reports on various topics, including water storage at Mace Meadow Golf Course, USDA reimbursements in Plymouth and stalls to wastewater hookups in the Camanche area. Engineering Manager Gene Mancebo reported a high-cost solution to water storage issues at the Mace Meadow Golf Course, where expansion of its storage pond could cost $700,000 to $800,000. Mancebo said that storage capacity was needed in winter months for the excess water from backwash flow at the Buckhorn Water Treatment Plant. He said the Agency was looking for grants to fund expansion as the cost would be a big hit to ratepayers. He said another option would be to seek permits for discharging. Finance Director Mike Lee said the Plymouth Pipeline Project financing was closed through the federal government department that would send the $3.5 Million in paperwork to be processed. The results will reimburse the AWA and the city of Plymouth for costs already spent on the water project, Lee said, “Then the agency is handling the project from here on out.” Plymouth City Manager Dixon Flynn said last week that Plymouth expects a check by the end of February. Lee said the AWA receives about $230,000 annually in property tax reimbursements, which were taken away by the state a couple of years ago. The property taxes return and a substituting surcharge to AWA customers “goes away in March.” Lee warned that with the state economy as it is, the “property tax issue might be something that goes back on the table.” Mancebo said the AWA has been getting calls about wastewater service in the Camanche system, where the Regional Water Quality Control Board last year authorized about 20 new water service hookups annually after Well Number 14 went on-line. Mancebo said Camanche Unit 6 has water available but there are no sewer hook-ups available. In Sutter Creek, AWA tested fire flow water pressures and found a flow of about 1,200 gallons a minute in the Nickerson & Main Streets area. They also expected that adding a 6-inch water line to the Badger Street area could boost flow from 200 gallons a minute to around 1,000 gallons a minute. In Ione, a Preston-area pump station will have 53 feet of pipeline impacted by CALTRANS road widening. Mancebo said the “unbudgeted” impact will affect the pipeline, currently under sidewalks and within the CALTRANS right-of-ways. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).   

Amador County – The Ione City Council today will consider starting the environmental work on Ione’s new Land Use Plan and will discuss a city “beautification project.” The meeting starts at 6 pm today and includes a 7 pm public hearing on the Land Use Element. Adoption of the General Plan will require preparation of a full Environmental Impact Report. City Planner Christopher Jordan said staff is preparing to initiate that process, but “before work on the EIR can begin, the council must identify and direct staff to analyze a preferred Land Use Plan.” But “because formal adoption is not being completed at this time … no environmental review is necessary.” City Manager Kim Kerr will give the council a staff report on the Ione Beautification Project, for the city draft Code Enforcement ordinance. A Town Hall meeting will get feedback from Ione residents and “discuss ways to assist in beautifying the city.” Kerr, in a city newsletter, said the “city is looking for ways to assist homeowners, business owners and residents in cleaning up their neighborhoods,” which will include removal of trash and abandoned vehicles and improvement to the overall appearance of Main Street and Ione neighborhoods. Kerr said “community ideas and support are needed to enhance and improve the appearance of the city.” The intent of the Town Hall meeting is to take comments and see how the “City can help clean up or enhance the downtown corridor and neighborhoods.” Staff will discuss the “definition of public nuisance and other concepts in the Code Enforcement ordinance to get feedback from the public.” The Town Hall meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, January 22nd, at Evalynn Bishop Hall. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – With winter storming last week, the Plymouth City Council and the Amador County Recreation Agency put a double-team defense on the city’s need for indoor recreation. Specifically: basketball. The city council approved a $14,000 repair to the roof of a building at the Amador County Fair grounds, which would house a new, portable basketball floor that ACRA has been authorized to purchase. ACRA Executive Director Tracy Towner-Yepp told the council she has been authorized by her board to spend $8,000 on the professional quality basketball floor that is owned by Avery Middle School. Avery school is now paying to store the floor, and its children play basketball in a new gymnasium. Councilwoman Patricia Fordyce said “if it all jells – if the council is willing to fix up the roof of the building,” and ACRA buys the floor, there was also the possibility of reimbursement to the city from the Amador County Fair Board, through a grant. City Manager Dixon Flynn recommended the council approve spending $14,000 to fix the building, “with the idea that we will work with the fair grounds to be reimbursed if they get the grant.” Mayor Jon Colburn asked about the bids for the work and also about the manpower it would take to staff the building. Towner-Yepp said she had only one bid for the project, but other companies told her their bids would be higher than the one she had. She said she will be looking for volunteers and had a couple of people in mind already. The basketball court would be open 10 months a year, closed in July and August, and she said the fair board already had promised a free storage area for the basketball court. Towner-Yepp said she is “pretty much stuck with” the PG&E bill. Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin asked about the Plymouth Grade School gymnasium. Towner-Yepp said the basketball standards had been removed and basketball is no longer played there. Councilwoman Patricia Shackleton said the basketball hoops were removed to use the space for other purposes. The council approved the roof fix, to be paid over 3 years, on the condition that Towner-Yepp “can make all the arrangements.” Towner-Yepp thanked the council and said: (quote): “I look forward to coming out and shooting some hoops.” Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).