Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on whether to layoff 8 full-time county employees, due to an expected $3 million budget deficit. Supervisors issued a release Friday telling of administration recommendations to eliminate 8 positions in 7 departments. County Administrative Officer Terri Daly in the release wrote that “in addition to the 8 regular employees, the county will also cut budgeted hours for 7 extra help employees” who “do not work regular schedules, but are called in to work when needed.” Supervisor Board Chairman Ted Novelli said the “county regrets that the state budget crisis and the troubled economy have forced us into the position where we must layoff employees. Our employees are our strongest asset and we would not take this step if we had not exhausted every other course of action available to us.” Amador County initiated a “hard hiring frees” 18 months ago, which Daly said resulted in more that 30 positions coming open and remaining open. Last year, 3 incentive programs for early retirement, voluntary furloughs and voluntary layoffs, helped reduce costs, but “were not sufficient to prevent layoffs altogether.” Daly in the release said “we hope that we will not have to impose additional layoffs. However, we are still waiting for the state Legislature to act on the state budget. The state may defer payments to counties for mandated programs, which would put us in another credit crunch.” In a memo Friday to all employees, Daly said state budget “deferrals of payments to the counties are possible, if not probable.” She said the county is preparing for short-term deferrals of 1 to 2 months, as well as “an extended deferral (through September).” Employees who are laid off will be given 3 weeks’ pay, and will be placed on recall lists in case the budget situation improves. Daly in the memo said despite continuing efforts, Amador County “will probably end our year with about a $3 million deficit.” Supervisors meet starting 9 a.m. Tuesday in the County Administration Center, 810 Court Street in Jackson. Story by Jim Reece

Amador County – Four newly elected members of the Amador Water Agency Board of Directors took their oaths of office last Friday in a short ceremony at the agency office on Ridge Road. Amador County Registrar of Voters Sheldon Johnson led the four in their oaths of office, with each swearing to uphold the California and U.S. Constitutions. About a dozen people attended, including Amador County Chief Administrative Office Terry Daly and District 3 Supervisor Ted Novelli. The four new AWA Board members all raised their right hands and repeated the oath. G. W. “Bill” Condrashoff of District 1, Gary E. Thomas of District 2, Don Cooper of District 3 and Debbie Dunn of District 4 finished the oaths then one by one signed their “Certificate of Election” and shook hands with Johnson. The new AWA board will have its first regular meeting 9 a.m. Thursday. The meeting’s agenda includes a 2007-2008 annual audit and the election of board officers of president, vice president, secretary and clerk of the board. District 5 board member Terence W. Moore was appointed November 13th as board President, by outgoing board members. Moore was appointed because he was the lone holdover on the board and also had 2 years’ experience in office, required by board policy to be president. Moore at the time said that might have to be adjusted when the new board selects its president. AWA General Manager Jim Abercrombie in a staff report recommended the board elect Terence Moore as president, due to his being the only member with 2 years’ in office. Abercrombie said that policy requires the general manager be appointed Board Secretary and that staffer Cris Thompson be appointed clerk of the board. The new board on Thursday will also consider approving committee assignments for board members, along with the 2009 calendar. Abercrombie said that to help facilitate the transition, Moore drafted “suggested committee assignments for the new board’s revision and discussion.” Board members also will get a general discussion of Brown Act and conflict of interest requirements, hear of board member training options and their required ethics training. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

After tallying more than 1,000 absentee ballots Friday, a couple of very close races took shape in two Amador County cities with another 261 provisional ballots yet to be considered. Plymouth Incumbent City Councilman Greg Baldwin climbed from 2 votes behind Maria Nunez to reverse that for a 4-vote lead, with those 261 provisional ballots potentially adding more to either campaign. The winner will get the third remaining seat on the Plymouth City Council. Mayor Jon Colburn and Patricia J. Shackleton took the other two seats, finishing 1-2 in vote counts. Baldwin ended on election day with 179 votes, to Nunez’s 181 votes. On Friday, George Allen said the Amador County Elections Office verified the signatures on the 1,142 absentee ballots that were either brought to polling places or arrived in the mail too late to count last Tuesday. The absentee vote tallies gave Baldwin 20 more votes for 199 total, while Nunez gained 14 votes for 195 total. In another close race, Jackson City Councilman Alfred A. Nunes trailed challenger Marilyn L. Lewis by 6 votes at the end of election day but Lewis widened the margin by getting 44 more votes after the absentee tallies. Lewis held a 13 vote lead. Nunes received 33 votes from absentee ballots and trailed Lewis 757 votes to 774. The winner gets the third and final Jackson Council seat. Wayne Garibaldi had the most votes with 1,253 and Keith Sweet was second with 850 votes. George Allen of the election office said the 261 provisional ballots, from different precincts around the county, will be counted this week or possibly next week. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

By Jim Reece -  

The Ione City Council OK’d a notice of completion for work on a Main Street project that several citizens, including a council member, called a problem project. City council members Jerry Sherman and Jim Ulm excused themselves from the meeting, due to owning property adjacent to or involved in the project, which was to repair drainage along Main Street. Sherman, before leaving city hall, address the remaining council members from the public podium, and said the work was supposed to improve the drainage. “I think the City will find that it did more damage than good.” Sherman owns a rental property on Main Street. City Manager Kim Kerr said that if the project was found to be improperly engineered, then the city would have to address the matter later. Mayor Andrea Bonham, Vice Mayor Lee Ard and Councilman Skip Schaufel voted 3-0 to approve Resolution No. 1688 to accept the work and authorized the filing of the Notice of Completion.

Amador County – The Amador Water Agency has called a special meeting for its board of directors Monday to host a workshop for potential water and wastewater rate increases that could affect about 1,250 customers in 4 different service areas. AWA General Manager Jim Abercrombie said Thursday that the meeting is preliminary to rate increases that staff will recommend. Abercrombie said the May 4th meeting is “just a workshop for the board to understand the cost and revenue issues that have caused the need to do rate increases.” The meeting will discuss how much of a rate increase is recommended, along with when the last rate increase occurred in each service area. He said: “Some of these we haven’t had rate increases for 3 years.” Abercrombie said “after workshop, the board will give us authorization to send out notices for the public to attend a (public hearing at a) board meeting” to discuss the rate increases. He said that would be a public hearing for a rate increases as required under Proposition 218. The documents would be mailed to customers giving notice of a public meeting, which would occur 45 days after the notice. Board President Terence Moore called the special meeting for the AWA workshop, set for 10 a.m. Monday, May 4th at the AWA office conference room, at 12800 Ridge Road in Sutter Creek. The water and wastewater rate workshop will discuss impacts on about 1,250 customers. That includes about 600 water service customers in Lake Camanche Water Improvement District Number 7. The workshop also will discuss wastewater rates for roughly 300 customers in Lake Camanche Water Improvement District Number 11. The workshop will also discuss another 300 customers served by Wastewater Improvement District Number 1, in Pine Grove, Gayla Manor, Surrey Junction and some other small areas. The discussion will also discuss potential rate changes for about 50 water customers in the La Mel Heights Water District. Abercrombie said “In the workshop, it will show the financial plan but it will also show what the current rate is and what the proposed rate will be for 3 years.” He said it was typical to get rate increase in 3-year plans. The rates may or may not change equally over the 3-year increments. 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 feted retired Mayor Pro Tempore Bill Hepworth with a resolution Monday and also selected his successor, picking former Mayor and Councilman Tim Murphy as Mayor Pro Tempore. Hepworth attended the meeting and was gifted with the resolution and a plaque for his 10 years service to the city council. He agreed to remain a member of the city Beautification Committee, as a member of the public. The council agreed to that when later appointing new committee assignments. The council first declared an emergency agenda addition to select a new Mayor Pro Tempore, after Mayor Gary Wooten said he would be absent from the next council meeting, along with new Councilwoman Linda Rianda. Councilwoman Sandy Anderson nominated Murphy’s appointment to Mayor Pro Tem, Rianda seconded the nomination, and his appointment passed 4-0, with Murphy abstaining. Wooten appointed Rianda to Hepworth’s committees for the Amador County Recreation Agency and the Kennedy Mine Foundation, and also tabbed her for the Administration committee, the Finance Committee and the personnel committee. Councilman Pat Crosby took new assignments on the trash rate increase board, and Murphy took Wooten’s spot on the Personnel Committee, while Wooten took his spot on the Sewer and Public Works Standing Committee. In matters not on the agenda, Sharyn Brown asked about the new roadside kiosk booth that “just appeared” on south Main Street. Brown said “that is a historic district” and the kiosk’s white paint is an eyesore and should blend with surroundings. She asked why it had not gone to the Architectural Review Committee for review, saying “it needed to start looking a little bit more historic.” City Manager Rob Duke said the white paint is primer. Bart Weatherly talked about the local newspaper’s online poll question that asked “are you for or against Gold Rush Ranch.” Weatherly said the poll was less about Gold Rush and more about promoting the website, “which is the direction the paper is going.” He said 4,600 voters split 55 percent for, 45 percent against Gold Rush, and “emotions are running high on both sides.” Wooten said Jack Mitchell, the local publisher, told him that 2,000 of those votes against Gold Rush “were made by 2 people, one male and one female.” Weatherly said “I don’t know anything about that.” The Sutter Creek Planning Commission hosts a meeting 7 p.m. Monday as part of the Draft Environmental Impact Review revision, to look at a revised traffic impact study and take public comment. The city council meeting set for May 4th has been cancelled. 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 will consider making an appointment from 7 applicants to fill the vacated seat of Mayor Pro Tempore Bill Hepworth. The council will interview each candidate in the open session today, and staff expects them to make an appointment in the meeting today as well. Assistant City Manager Sean Rabe said the council has 30 days to fill the vacant seat by appointment, after acceptance of the resignation letter. Hepworth left in his 11th year on advice of doctors and submitted the letter of resignation March 8th. 7 people filed letters of application by noon last Friday seeking appointment to the 2-year term. The applicants are Mimi Arata, Dennis E. Griffin, Mike Kirkley, Jack Mitchell, Linda Rianda, Reed Shugart and Bart Weatherly. They seek appointment to fill the position for 2 years, after which the city council last month voted to hold an election to fill the position, with the vote to take place at the next regular election day. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – About 30 people attended the Community Preservation Workshop last week in Ione, dampening spirits of the Ione City Council. City Manager Kim Kerr said the meeting was advertised and “this is the turnout.” Councilman David Plank said he could count 22 people who were Ione residents. Mayor Lee Ard said they were there for the $285,000 in unused CDBG funds. Ard said he “came from a city that lost its Main Street because it didn’t act fast enough and it moved away.” He said a developer has proposed 60,000 square feet of retail and business space fronting Highway 124 on Castle Oaks Drive. That space, he said, equals the “square footage of downtown.” Another developer is proposing a hotel. Ard said he would like to see the economic survey done, which, through credit card data would tell how local dollars are spent in the region. Ard said the Main Street program “would get people involved in the restoration of downtown.” He said: “We have a credibility issue,” and people are asking why the council is trying to rehab downtown, saying “it’s been done before and failed.” Ard said: “This is not your old Ione,” and there are things the city can do to “have a new, economically viable downtown. But he thought the “credibility problem” directly impacted turnout. Ard said: “I would love to see 200 or 300 people here tonight. I don’t want to be doom and gloom … it’s just a reality.” Councilwoman Andrea Bonham said she loves her town, and the new town it has become. She said “the best thing we can do is to start small,” with the Main Street and Façade Programs, and economic study. Councilman Skip Schaufel agreed, saying the council “should start all of these programs.” Plank said they really needed downtown property and business owners at the meeting. He asked those in the audience who was a downtown business owner. 2 people raised their hands, one of whom was Bonham. Plank said the “Magic Triangle,” Highways 124, 104 and 88, would be big issue in the next 10 years, and protecting downtown was the top priority. The council postponed action on the project for 2 weeks, until it can host another workshop, at city hall. 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 on Thursday approved $40,000 dollars in funding for continued work on two plans for the city’s upcoming boom of development. The first was $25,000 dollars for additional work on the new, state-required General Plan, the second was an estimated $15,000 dollars for work on the city’s Redevelopment Plan. Finance Director Jeff Gardner said the latter will take much more funding. He said the cash flow for the Redevelopment Plan will come from the General Fund. Mayor Jon Colburn said that revenue is “funded by development, so it’s going to be a while before it’s replenished.” Gardner said the city council “started this a while back” and restarted it a few times, and “this time, I think the council wants to complete it.” He said Terri Cox got the city a grant for the work and consultants PMC “gave us a punch list and a time line of things to be done,” and “if we get the work done, we’ll be shovel-ready for that Redevelopment Plan.” Councilman Greg Baldwin said “commercial is what really pays off,” once the plan is in place and drawing development fees for the city. Gardner said PMC had already been paid $35,000 dollars from another grant. Jon Colburn asked why the time-frame of the two plans was important. City Attorney Steven Randolph said “in order to adopt the Redevelopment Plan, it has to be in compliance with the General Plan.” And the Redevelopment Plan was crafted based on the city’s pending new General Plan, for which the council approved additional work by Kendig East and Development Impact Incorporated. That work includes response to agency and public comments, facilitation of additional public meetings, “complete production of the Final Environmental Impact Reports and amendment of the General Plan. Rudolph said the “city is not getting any benefits from (the Redevelopment Agency) until you adopt this plan.” Both approvals of payment passed unanimously. Plymouth City Council next meets for a “study session” 5 p.m. Thursday in City Hall, with the topic of Identifying Highest Priority Budget Projects.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Planning Commission last week announced the continuation of the comprehensive General Plan Update serial meeting, set to resume the fourth week of this month. The series – called “The Path to 2030” – is a continuation of the serial meetings held in October and November, 2008. The joint meeting of the Amador County Board of Supervisors and Amador County Planning Commission see work from both local “stakeholders” groups and staff work on direction of the Supervisors and commissioners that began last fall. County Planner Susan Grijalva in the announcement said: “Because the General Plan is the basis for all regulations – such as zoning, subdivision improvements – and decisions made regarding the use of property and when considering development projects, it is vitally important to be informed of this Update.” The joint session will convene for 4 hours on consecutive days, noon to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 24th, 25th and 26th. Meetings each day conclude with a public comment period on the day’s separate topics. On Tuesday, March 24th, the agenda includes a presentation on the “UPlan;” and a discussion of “Optional Elements.” Wednesday, March 25th’s agenda includes "miscellaneous Items needing direction to staff;” along with General Plan Requests. The Thursday, March 26th meeting will include Supervisor and Commissioner deliberations and recommendations regarding a preferred alternative. Grijalva said “This General Plan will become the foundation document for future development of the County, defining appropriate locations for land uses and setting out the County’s policy direction to guide decisions on a wide range of county activities, including land use regulation.” She said maps that have been developed to this point may be viewed and printed from the County’s Website, www.co.amador.ca.us. Grijalvas said the Update process is on-going and the public can “continue to monitor the Website and watch for notices of future public hearings,” because “changes to the proposed General Plan can, and will, be made up until the last meeting.” The Meetings will be held in the Board Chambers, 810 Court Street in Jackson. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.