By Jennifer Wilson - Jackson’s Building and Planning Departments came under fire earlier this week when a permit violation issued in front of the Jackson Planning Commission unexpectedly switched directions. On the agenda at Monday night’s meeting was a Landscape Planning Ordinance violation by Brett Yochheim, who owns property on Jackson Gate Road. City staff assert that Yochheim proceeded with grading before obtaining a permit and damaged several trees on the property. City Planner Susan Peters gave a brief overview of the events leading up to the violation. Initial reaction from the Planning Commission was somewhat harsh. Commissioner Walt Hoeser commented that “we need to stop this (type of abuse)… I can’t believe the amount of grading that has already happened (without a permit).” Yochheim claims that he has followed the city’s instructions to the letter, including the submission of a building permit, grading plan, and paying the appropriate fees. On October 10th, Yochheim claims his plan was accepted by Senior Building Inspector Larry White and he was told verbally to proceed “with brushing and cutting.” “I was never informed by the building department (about the trees). I (wasn’t trying) to sneak this in. I’ve lived in Amador County for 22 years and have been a contractor for 15, and I was under the impression that I followed the right steps,’ said Yochheim. Commissioner Dave Butow called the entire issue a “moot point” and questioned the organization of the City of Jackson. “The city manager should have dealt with this before it got to this point… he paid his money, and should have gotten his permit.” Then, looking at Peters and City Manager Mike Daly, he added, “you guys are on the hook.” Peters and Daly defended their positions, stating that paying the money doesn’t equal having a permit in hand. In the end, the commission decided to impose a five-year tree monitoring plan, as well as mandatory maintenance of the trees.

By Jim Reece - The Sutter Creek City Council saw the light, historically, Monday night in its regular session, hearing a presentation from a Midwest streetlight vendor and a Pacific Gas & Electric spokeswoman. They heard a presentation on vintage style street lights then got some lectures form citizens who worried about city coffers, before another item on the agenda, raising wastewater rates and avoiding a negative balance in the sewer department’s operating funds. Shelley Scott of PG&E said the utility would offer grant funding and also would pay for parts of the new lights, if the city added an extra street lamp to the downtown’s roughly baker’s dozen of them. Ed Swift showed a vintage style streetlight cover that he said was probably very much like the lampshades used in Sutter Creek’s downtown. Swift said when he moved to Sutter Creek in the 1950s, there were simple wooden posts with lights on them, unlike the cast iron posts introduced by Gary Goran from the company Holophane, of Newark, Ohio. Goran said the glass lights were guaranteed not to turn yellow for 100 years, except for on lamp, which showed a yellow light, but lightened as the bulb heated up. Councilman Pat Crosby asked what the cost was for the cast iron posts. Scott said they ranged in price from 2,000 to 5,000 dollars. Swift, resident John Monross and others urged the council not to dally with vintage lighting until the city’s economy recovered, or until the future of the American economy was better known. Crosby said the issue of vintage lights should be turned over to the newly formed architectural advisory committee, to discuss the lamps with the vendors. Scott said that PG&E needed an application from the city to work with city Staff on the lights. The council thanked the presenters and Mayor Gary Wooten said the city would call the companies when they were ready to consider the lights. The council later in closed session discussed the Knight Foundry, which at one time in the past had discussed building vintage cast iron streetlights for the city.

Amador County – Ione City Manager Kim Kerr will report today that the city is almost fully compliant in its reports to the state for its wastewater treatment plant testing, though one report will never be made. In a February 11th letter to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, Kerr said Ione “is unable to submit the 2008 first quarter self monitoring Groundwater” report from Castle Oaks Golf Course. “Due to a miscommunication” between City Chief Operator and the city, “the city failed to sample the groundwater monitoring wells associated with Castle Oaks between January 1st and March 31st, 2008.” Kerr said “We believe that the lack of … data for first quarter 2008 has minimal effect on the evaluation of groundwater impacts.” She said irrigation at the golf course stopped November 11, 2007 and did not start again until April 6, 2008, so “the monitoring data during the first quarter 2008 would have reflected a period of time during no irrigation.” She said: “It is also believed that the first quarter report would have shown the same results as second, third, and fourth quarter reports,” which showed “no degradation.”

In a February 9th letter to the Central Valley Board, Kerr explained the reasons for delinquent monitoring reports, noting staffing inconsistencies, ARSA emergencies, staff health issues and work related to wastewater master planning efforts among the reasons. Kerr said: “nonetheless, city management believed that the Chief Operator had the skill and expertise necessary to maintain compliance with the monitoring and reporting program,” while also addressing emergencies and planning. Kerr said it was discovered last February that quarterly reports were going unfiled. City Council approved contracting out quarterly reports. But a request for proposals was not released until Fall of 2008, due to “workload issues and other priorities.” Kerr said in the letter that “city management did not fully appreciate the scope and extent of the delays and expected the chief operator to maintain compliance with reporting requirements until the city could finalize a contract” for quarterly reporting. Kerr said the city is in compliance and will remain so. She said effective immediately, “the city manager will review and sign off on all future monitoring reports,” and “Implement performance standards for submittal of all required reports.” The city is “soliciting proposals for wastewater operators who can manage and perform all required operational tasks.” Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – The Plymouth City Council last week discussed having an Architectural Review Committee, during a public hearing on new building design guidelines. Ultimately, the council referred the ordinance back to the Planning Commission for further work. Consultant Richard Prima and City Planner Darcy Goulart explained the ordinance, which included the description of the Architectural Review Committee, and how the committee would apply and judge the new city building design guidelines. Prima said “these are a fairly flexible set of guidelines – they are not all requirements.” He said it was something the committee can work with and the city council could establish as its own in the approval process. City Manager Dixon Flynn said the council would be the highest appeal body of the Committee, so “each applicant for a building permit,” could appeal Committee decisions, first to the planning commission then to the council. Mayor Jon Colburn asked what would happen if someone tried “painting half of the downtown pink.” Goulart said planning could go back and research historic colors. Councilman Mike O’Meara said that occurred when people took issue with the color of Incahoots Restaurant, but it turned out “bright yellow is good for the period they were shooting for, believe it or not.” O’Meara said they “should call it a color palate,” but “not make it too restrictive.” Colburn asked how they could emulate the “gateway to the wine country” if commercial development were not covered by downtown design guidelines. Prima said it could be amended and Flynn said they could expand historic downtown standards to the Highway 49 corridor and elsewhere, even city-wide. In public comment, Gary Colburn said “I don’t go along with this setting up a design review board with absolute control” over the color he paints his front porch. Councilman Greg Baldwin said he thought a council member, a planning commissioner and a council-appointed citizen should make up the review committee, so applicants have “fewer hoops to go through and simple projects are not too costly.” City Attorney Steven Rudolph said a council and commission member both would be part of the appeal process. If they sat on the committee, they could not sit on an appeal panel. Staff recommended and the council agreed to create a professional review committee with background in architecture, building and the like, with a member of the public. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – On Wednesday, several members of the Jackson City Council will be available to answer questions related to city services or budget, discuss neighborhood issues, provide information regarding Neighborhood Watch programs, or listen to any special interests or concerns of Jackson residents. It will be held 4 p.m. Wednesday, February 18th at the Argonaut Heights Fire Station. Councilman Keith Sweet announced the neighborhood meeting in an e-mail Monday, saying “This is the first of a twice monthly series of meetings that will be held throughout the year on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month.” The next scheduled meeting is March 4th at 10 a.m. at Hein & Co. Bookstore, 206 North Main Street in Jackson. The full schedule can be found on the city’s web site at www.ci.jackson.ca.us. Staff Report (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.).

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.).

We have an update to an earlier story that Prospect Motors would be holding another rally on February 17th. Sources tell us that a national news station will be visiting Amador County by next Tuesday to cover the closure of Prospect Motors and its effect locally. There is not another rally scheduled, despite rumors to the contrary. The CBS news crew is expected to do one-on-one interviews.

Amador County - Local officials are questioning a federal ruling in support of the release of tens of thousands of prisoners from California’s prison system. A panel of federal judges issued the temporary order to allow the release of 57,000 inmates, citing conditions so poor that inmates regularly die from a lack of proper care and inadequate medical facilities. Governor Schwarzenegger said the conditions constitute cruel and unusual punishment. “Evidence offered at trial was overwhelmingly to the effect that overcrowding is the primary cause of the unconstitutional conditions that have been found to exist in the California prisons,” wrote the judges. The Judges want the state to trim its prison population in half over the next three years. Prison overcrowding has become a serious issue in state prisons such as Mule Creek near Ione, where inmates have been sleeping in 3-tier bunk beds in the prison gymnasium. The facility was originally built for 1700 inmates, but currently is holding over 4000. California’s prison population is now about 158,000, well above the 84,000 for which they were designed. Tuolumne County Sheriff Jim Mele, who presides over the region near the Sierra Conservation Center, wonders who will take over the monitoring of parolees and what will happen in the state’s inmate firefighting program. He said the measure will endanger public safety. Proponents of the decision say that the estimated $35,000 it costs to house an inmate for one year is money being thrown away, and there has been no reduction in the crime rate. "We're confident that not only can it be reduced safely, but if the governor spends the billion dollars he would save from reducing the prison population into crime prevention programs, it would actually make the community safer than it is now," said Don Spencer, Prison Law Office director. Another concern is prison staff reductions. Ione has developed a codependency with Mule Creek State Prison and the Preston Youth Facility that has turned Ione into a “company town”, said Supervisor Richard Forster. In reference to the proposed closure of Preston Youth Facility by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Forster said Preston and Mule Creek have become local institutions. “Preston is high on the list of potential closures, and if it were to close it would have a devastating impact on Ione and Amador County,” said Forster. There is no word yet as to when the order would be implemented. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – The Jackson City Council heard a report Monday that it may once again receive funding from the Jackson Rancheria Casino. After discussing city budget woes, City Manager Mike Daly said he had “good news: The Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund is back, after one year, after a slip of the blue pen by Mr. Schwarzenegger.” Daly recommended reviewing project ideas for the grant funding, with the application due to be submitted next Wednesday (February 18th) to the Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee. That committee includes elected officials from cities within four miles of the casino, along with two members each from the board of supervisors and from the casino. The committee includes Mayor Connie Gonsalves and Vice Mayor Wayne Garibaldi of Jackson, Mayor Gary Wooten of Sutter Creek and Supervisors Richard Forster of District 2 and John Plasse of District 1. The Jackson Rancheria’s Rich Hoffman and Bo Marks round out the committee, which Daly said “has agreed to use the same application and review process used two years ago,” the last time funds were allocated. The amount to be shared with the communities will be $616,826 – the same amount total shared in 2007. Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison said one project he would like to see paid for with the funding would be to outfit a vehicle for a new police dog, recently flown into Jackson from Germany. He said the dog will be handled by Reserve Officer Al Lewis, a recent retiree from the Bay Area. The vehicle would be outfitted with a special protective cage to keep the dog and passersby safe. It would also have an alarm to warn the handler of harmful conditions within the vehicle. Garibaldi suggested parking and road improvement since the Rancheria has directed all of its traffic to enter the Rancheria via Highway 88 and Dalton Way. Gonsalves asked about funding for programs about related crime. Morrison said since that was last mentioned, he has received “boxes and boxes of free literature” for that purpose and his department is going through it. Daly said “the funds are there for mitigating impacts in the community,” while the state keeps other funds for programs such as Gamblers Anonymous. Garibaldi said this could be the last year for the funding, due to “sunset laws.” Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).