Amador County – If it’s ready for the shovel, the Amador Water Agency believes it could be funded by the California Clean Water Revolving Fund, to the tune of $450 Million. The AWA Board of Directors meets Thursday and will discuss, among other things, the prospect for its “Shovel Ready” projects to get federal funding from the national Economic Stimulus Bill. The bill, introduced on September 26th of 2008, “would address the nation’s need to bolster the economy and create jobs,” General Manager Jim Abercrombie said in a report for Thursday’s meeting. Abercrombie said “it is our understanding that a new bill will provide Federal Capitalized Grants for water and wastewater infrastructure projects.” He said the state Clean Water Revolving Fund “is anticipated to receive $450 Million to fund shovel ready projects.” Though the bill is not yet written, Abercrombie said staff has compiled a “2009 Ready to Construct Project” list and plans to use the list “to meet with both federal and state agencies responsible to distribute the grants once the bill is approved.” The $42.8 million list of projects includes $31.5 million in funding to be sought from federal sources. The top projects include the Upcountry Gravity Supply Line, listed at an estimated $11.6 Million, seeking $8 Million in federal funding; and a Camanche Lake area surface water treatment plant, estimated to cost $10.5 million, for which the AWA would seek $7.5 million. The gravity supply line is listed for a start date of this summer, and all 9 projects list start dates of the upcoming spring, summer or fall. A pipeline for the Amador Canal is listed at a total cost of $5.6 million, looking for $4 million from the federal government. A water conservation pipeline is also listed to cost $5.6 Million, seeking $4 million from feds, and would replace the Ione Raw-Water Canal and “conserve an estimated 1,000 acre-feet of water annually.” The Lake Camanche Water System would cost $4.5 million, with $3.5 million sought from feds. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – The Sutter Creek City Council will begin 2009 with selection of its new mayor and mayor pro tempore for the calendar year, over sitting Mayor Gary Wooten and Mayor Pro Tempore Bill Hepworth. The meeting should begin with administration of the oath of office for Wooten, Councilman Tim Murphy and Councilwoman Sandra Anderson, all elected in November. The council, including Councilman Pat Crosby, will then select its new mayor and vice mayor. The council will also discuss council committee assignments, which will include filling vacancies left by former Councilman Brent Parsons, who did not seek re-election. Parsons represented Sutter Creek on the Amador County Transportation Commission and Amador Rapid Transit board as an alternate. Parsons was also a member of the city Administration & Personnel Committee and the Amador Regional Sanitation Authority, was an alternate on the Amador County Airport board and was a member of the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort Ad-hoc Committee. Today’s agenda also includes the appointment of planning commissioners by the three newly elected or re-elected council members. Wooten at the start of his previous term appointed Commissioner Bob Olsen and Councilman Murphy appointed Commissioner Mike Kirkley. First-term Councilwoman Sandra Anderson can choose to reappoint the commissioner appointed by her predecessor or make a new appointee. Anderson was elected to the position vacated by Parsons, whose sitting appointed planning commissioner is Corte Strandberg. Appointees serve on the commission for the same term as their appointing council member. The rest of the agenda includes a Gold Rush-City Council indemnity agreement, brought to the council by City Attorney Dennis Crabb, a report by Finance Director Jeffry Gardner and consideration of a resolution supporting Prospect Motors. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – The Sutter Creek City Council today considers a resolution supporting Prospect Motors. The draft resolutions says Amador “communities are seeing higher unemployment, lower tax revenue, business closures, home foreclosures and other harmful effects from the current economic downturn.” It notes Prospect Motors and Amador Toyota sustain 80 jobs in Amador, “produce hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual sales tax revenue” and dealership and its employees’ spending recycles “many times in our local economy.” The resolution says the “federal government is spending taxpayer dollars supporting General Motors and GMAC, the large corporations that can keep our auto dealerships in business.” The resolution concludes that “Sutter Creek strongly supports the continued operation of Prospect Motors, Amador Motors and Amador Toyota; urges (GM and GMAC) to take action to restore the dealerships to operation; and urges our state and federal elected officials to ensure that the financial bailouts intended to help the national economy will also benefit our local businesses and communities.”

Also today, the council will discuss two legal documents for city business with developers. City Attorney Dennis Crabb will bring a “Developer Reimbursement Agreement” for application processing. Crabb in a report says “an area of continuing concern has been advancement of city funds for professional services related to development applications,” and noted new council policy requiring written, advance-deposit agreements with applicants. The agreement “may be complex for small projects,” but will insure costs are “paid for in advance and fully shifted to the applicant.” Another Crabb report will introduce an “Agreement for Indemnity” with Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort developers. It says as Gold Rush “moves toward council consideration, it is necessary to have an agreement in place to protect the city against the costs of any legal challenge to the project approvals, should such be given.” The report notes that the “agreement covers only the processing of legislatively based entitlements and extends only until the statute of limitations to challenge such decisions has expired.” Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - The California State Rural Health Association honored retired Amador County Mental Health Director Pat Houghton as one of four California rural champions in community leadership at its statewide conference. Houghton, who volunteers her time to administer the Senior Peer Counseling Program after retiring in 2002, was the only volunteer among those honored. Aware that the county lacked the resources to offer adequate counseling for seniors, Houghton used a grant from the Area 12 Agency on Aging to get special training at the Center for Healthy Aging in Santa Monica and founded the senior program. The majority of the 29 other senior peer counseling programs in the state operate under the auspices of and receive support from a county health department or other public agency. “The local program operates under the wing of Amador County Senior Citizens, which provides space and insurance, but thanks to Pat’s volunteer efforts, the free services are available to local seniors on a yearly budget of less than $1,000,” said Marj Stuart, Chair for the Amador County Commission on Aging. The majority of the funds are used for training volunteer peer counselors. Houghton says she has a waiting list of seniors needing counseling from the 11 peer counselors currently available. Senior men and women are being encouraged to participate in a 22-week training course beginning in February. No experience in mental health is necessary. For more information, call 296-4963. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

 

State - Caltrans announced yesterday that, 15 months after breaking ground on the state’s first Proposition 1B project, work is now complete on the $66 million Interstate 5/Lomas Santa Fe Interchange and Carpool Lane Project in Sacramento. “Today’s milestone represents the type of action California voters asked for when they passed Proposition 1B,” said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. “Unfortunately, the budget situation in Sacramento threatens to derail progress on other Proposition 1B projects that could otherwise provide sorely needed jobs and stimulate California’s fragile economy,” said Caltrans Director Will Kempton. Citing California’s inability to fund transportation projects due to the state’s budget predicament, the California Transportation Commission, or CTC, yesterday declined to allocate $293.5 million for 27 transportation projects, including $253 million from Proposition 1B, the 2006 voter-approved transportation bond. The Proposition 1B allocations would have gone to seven projects across the state, including $189.6 million to construct a fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. When completed, this project will save an estimated 10,000 hours of delay for commuters each day. “Proposition 1B funded projects support thousands of jobs and create improvements to California’s infrastructure that will last for decades,” said Caltrans Director Will Kempton. “Without a budget solution, funding for Proposition 1B projects has come to a standstill. This places needed jobs at stake and could further jeopardize the state’s fragile economy,” he added. The CTC did, however, allocate about $4.5 million for three safety projects with the stipulation that the allocations are contingent on the state's fiscal condition and the ability to fund projects. For information about these three projects and the 27 projects that did not receive funding allocations, visit the web address on your screen. Staff Report (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - The Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians has announced economic investment plans and construction updates for its Tribal gaming facility. The announcement comes on the heels of a January 8 decision by a Federal Judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Amador County against the U.S. Department of the Interior regarding the Buena Vista Tribe's Compact with the State of California. In a statement released yesterday by Tribe representative Ryan Rauzon, one tribal leader responded to the court’s decision: “We have always maintained the County's lawsuit was without merit and we are gratified by the court’s decision to dismiss the complaint. We hope the County focuses its efforts on working with the Tribe on implementing off-reservation mitigations and investing millions of dollars set to be paid to the County by the Tribe,” said John Tang, CEO of the Buena Vista Rancheria. “Delays on our project have already cost the County potentially millions of public services dollars and hundreds of good-paying jobs,” he added. The Board of Supervisors said they are “exploring their options” but have yet to issue a comment regarding what, if any, action will be taken next. The Buena Vista Tribe and Amador County negotiated an Intergovernmental Services Agreement in January 2008. That agreement failed to get the required majority vote of the Amador County Supervisors, which then led to the Tribe seeking binding arbitration. As part of the final agreement, representatives of the planned Nevada-style gaming facility will have to make millions in investments for local safety and infrastructure. The tribe announced construction and planned economic investment dollars for the region stemming from its gaming facility to be located on 67.5 acres of land near Ione. “The casino will give the region a significant economic boost, and one that couldn’t come at a better time,” said Tang. The Tribe plans to open the facility in fall 2010. Story By Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County - State wildlife authorities have arrested a meat shop owner in Sacramento on suspicion of buying venison from a couple accused of poaching deer in Amador County. Tawn Saephan, 45, owner of Samthong Meat Market on 6245 Franklin Boulevard, was arrested Friday on suspicion of purchasing deer meat after a seven-month investigation. He allegedly bought the meat from 42-year-old Lofoo Saeturn and 61-year-old Merry Nian Saechao. Foy says wardens arrested the couple for shooting deer out of season and at night in El Dorado, Placer and Amador counties. They face felony conspiracy and poaching charges. The majority of deer poaching involves individuals killing deer for their own consumption, said Foy. He said the suspects were selling the deer for $150 a piece. According to reports, a couple hundred pounds of deer meat and at least seven deer carcasses were found at a home the suspects were renting on Elder Creek Road. Foy said the number of deer the couple are suspected of killing likely exceeds the seven animals found in the home. Staff Report (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 – 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 – 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.).