Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider layoffs for 8 full-time county employees. In a Friday memo to all employees, Amador County Chief Administrative Officer Terri Daly recommended the 8 positions for layoff, naming the positions. Up for elimination are 2 Building Inspector 1 positions in the Building Department; a Finance & Administrative Supervisor in the Behavioral Health Department; a Public Health Nurse in the Public Health Department; a Web developer position in the Information Technology Department; a Library Assistant 2 position at the Sutter Creek branch of the Amador Library; the Airport Manager position at the Amador Airport; and an Ag Tech position in the Agriculture Department. Daly said “these positions were selected based on analysis of the organization, departments, services, structure and business activity levels.” They were identified as the county administration office looked “to find more efficient ways of operating.” Daly in the memo said the county “started more than 2 years ago looking for ways and implementing measures to be more efficient in delivering our services and to reduce our costs.” The county implemented 3 programs to reduce personnel costs, along with a hiring freeze. Daly said Friday that 27 employees took early retirement last year, while 11 more volunteered for layoffs in the last 2 weeks of December. She said Amador “had a salary savings of about $250,000 from people taking early retirement.” In addition, Daly said about 30 positions were emptied through attrition – “people left for one reason or another and we have just left the positions open.” She said a third program, voluntary furloughs of unpaid days away from work, had been effective, with 125 people participating in the program this year. Daly in the memo said “with all these efforts … we will probably end our year with about a $3 Million deficit, primarily due to dramatically reduced realignment revenues that are dependent on sales tax and vehicle license fees.” Daly said the “deficit will carry forward into next year’s budget and we will have to look for at least that much in expenditure cuts.” She said “because of automatic increases in personnel costs (Cost of Living Adjustments and benefits) and continuing decreases in revenues, we will still be in for a bad year.” She said in the memo that the county has “tried very hard to avoid layoffs, but the situation has become more severe than most people anticipated. We regret that this situation has arrived and assure you that the elimination of any position is no reflection on the individuals affected.” The Board of Supervisors will consider the layoff suggestions in its meeting starting 9 a.m. Tuesday. Story by Jim Reece

Amador County - Amador County Supervisor Brian Oneto was among the many elected officials who attended a rally in French Camp last Friday urging the federal government to choose the area as the site for a proposed medical facility for veterans. Newly elected Assemblywoman Alyson Huber and Calaveras Supervisor Steve Wilensky were also reported to have attended. An estimated 200 people gathered in a parking lot by San Joaquin General Hospital to show their support. The rally comes in the wake of efforts by Democratic Congressman Jerry McNerney of Pleasanton and Chula Vista Democrat Bob Filner. Together they are urging Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shineski to reconsider a decision by his predecessor to transfer the existing nursing home and outpatient care center off the Livermore campus and into San Joaquin or Stanislaus County. Both men outlined their recommendation for the new facility, which would also serve veteran’s in Livermore’s aging current facility if it closed. Veterans Affairs is studying various sites for a new hospital and will make a decision within 60 days. If approved, the new facility would open in 2015. The proposed facility is being praised by officials from Livermore to the Mother Lode for its central location and a projected 900 new local jobs. "We have to provide the best possible health care for our veterans," said McNerney, a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Elected officials from Manteca, Tracy, Stockton and Lodi city councils also appeared onstage to plead their case. In a letter to Shinseki, McNerney said that “America's veterans made a solemn promise by wearing the uniform of the United States and serving in harm's way overseas…we owe it to them to do everything we can to provide adequate health care when they return home.” Story by Alex Lane

Amador County – New unemployment statistics reflect the dire effect the nationwide economic recession has had on the Mother Lode region. The California Employment Development Department Thursday released its latest numbers for the month of December 2008. In Amador County, the civilian unemployment rate rose to 9.3 percent, up .8 percent from November. That number is .2 percent higher than the statewide unemployment rate of 9.1 percent and over 2 percent higher than the national rate of 7.1 percent. The number of unemployed in Amador County is 1,730 out of a total civilian labor force population of 18,620. The statistics reveal a steady and consistent rise in the unemployment rate from 7.5 percent in January 2008. That number dipped temporarily to 7 percent in April but quickly bounced back up towards its current level. These are the highest unemployment numbers since the nation’s last big recession in the early 90s at the end of the elder George Bush’s administration. Of the individual cities within the county, Sutter Creek’s unemployment rate was disproportionately higher than larger cities at 11.2 percent. Jackson and Ione followed at 8.1 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively. One Development Department representative said there is no information available to explain why Sutter Creek currently has higher unemployment rates. In neighboring Calaveras County, the unemployment rate was 10.8 percent, and in Tuolumne County it was 9.7 percent. All these numbers are higher than statewide averages. Marin County has the lowest rate in the state at 5.4 percent, while Imperial County in southern California registered the highest at 22.6 percent. Story by Alex Lane

Calaveras County - The Water Quality Control Board will hold a public meeting concerning a comprehensive new set of regulations governing the installation and inspection of all new and existing septic systems in California. The State Water Resources Control Board has proposed the regulations which would take effect on January 1, 2010. The regulations are required by a law passed by the Legislature in the year 2000. The regulations are intended to prevent the discharge of hazardous waste into state lakes and streams. They would require inspection of all septic systems every five years for a fee of approximately 325 dollars. Homeowners with septic systems within 600 feet of bodies of water already designated as "impaired" will be subject to more comprehensive regulation. Senator Dave Cox, an opponent of the regulations, voted against the bill while serving in the State Assembly. “ I felt at the time that its comprehensive nature and the “one size fits all” approach would not work well in rural California, and places an excessive burden on homeowners throughout the state,” said Cox. Over the next year, Californians will have the opportunity to comment on these regulations at workshops held throughout the state, and at hearings before the State Water Board. Calaveras Supervisor Steve Wilensky is encouraging the public to attend the upcoming meetings. The first local workshop is in the community of Mariposa on December 8, 2008. The Water Quality Control Board public meeting takes place December 9 at 7 PM in the Calaveras Board of Supervisors Chambers in San Andreas. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Although the Jackson City Council race is too close to call, there’s one new position on the council that is not under scrutiny. At a special meeting Wednesday evening, the council appointed local business owner Pat Crew to fill the vacancy left by Andy Rodriguez’s resignation on October 6th. The city, which took applications for the empty seat through October 30th, and also allowed election candidates to apply, received seven applications, two of which were from candidates, Keith Sweet and Judy Jebian. The remaining applicants included Tony D’Arcy, Ron Regan, Pat Crew, Jim Laughton, and Thornton Consolo. A common goal stated by all applicants was a love of Jackson and Amador County and most felt that growth in the city should be moderated. Jebian felt that growth should be “carefully controlled,” and Consolo expressed his opinion that he is not against growth, but “big department stores” are bad for local small businesses. Each candidate came to the podium to make a statement and answer questions from the current council. The main concern shared by the council was each candidate’s time commitment. Most stated that they had flexible work schedules and would devote the needed time for council meetings, whether they were at night or during the day. Pat Crew informed the council that because of his established business and “great employees,” he would be able to meet any and all council commitments. Crew, who was chair of the county’s General Plan Advisory Committee, believes his experience “would give a unique and essential perspective on growth and land use issues.” Owner of Jackson Tire for over 36 years, Crew stated that there is “nothing more important than this city to me.” When asked how he felt about winning the appointment, he said he was “ happy to be chosen.” Crew’s first meeting with the council was this Monday, November 10th. Story by Jen Wilson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

By Holly Boitano -

Sutter Creek’s Powder House Estates Subdivision is up for sale. The City Council approved the project’s final subdivision map in June of this year, and grading was supposed to take place this summer. However, due to the poor state of the housing economy, developer Stan Gambel of Trafalgar Homes chose to put Powder House up for sale instead. According to Sutter Creek mayor Gary Wooten, “(the developer) does not have the money to continue, and due to the state of the economy, has been unable to obtain loans. They basically have two options, to sell the project or hang on to it until funding becomes available- and they have chosen to put the project up for sale.” The Powder House Subdivision plan consists of 11 single-family residential lots and one town home parcel consisting of 54 lots. As part of their agreement with the City, Trafalgar was also planning to fund road improvements to Gopher Flat Road as well as walking paths to downtown Sutter Creek. However, as of now, Trafalgar Homes does plan to go ahead with the development plan for Golden Hills Estates, which is adjacent to the Sutter Crest Estates subdivision off of Gopher Flat Road. Golden Hills consists of 79 residential lots, and has been called “the final phase of the Sutter Crest Estates.”

Amador County – On Wednesday May 6th, members of the Jackson City Council are scheduled to host a neighborhood meeting at Mel & Faye’s Diner. The meeting starts at 4 p.m. in Mel & Faye’s Banquet Room. Jackson City Councilman Keith Sweet announced the meeting this week, saying that the public is invited to come to the meeting and he also encouraged them to “stay for dinner.” The council members will 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. Sweet said he attends each Neighborhood Meeting, and this week’s meeting will also be attended by Councilman Wayne Garibali. The meeting is part of a twice monthly series of meetings that will be held throughout the year on the first and third Wednesday of each month. The next scheduled meeting is May 20th at 6pm at the Jackson Civic Center. The full schedule can be found on the city’s website 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 – The Amador County Joint Water Committee heard staff reports from the Amador Water Agency Monday about local and regional water issues. Engineering Manager Gene Mancebo said the Plymouth Pipeline project has been dealing with arsenic in soils, and the AWA is working closely with the environmental health department on solutions. Mancebo said it was because of the makeup of a road base that was used on one of the roads along the alignment. He said the finding came during country road right-of-way work and it could hold up the Plymouth Pipeline project. The committee, made up of AWA President Terence Moore and Vice President Bill Condrashoff, and Amador Supervisor Chairman Ted Novelli and Supervisor John Plasse, also discussed the status of the Mokelumne River Water Forum. The East Bay Municipal Utility District board created the forum with a Memorandum of Understanding in April 2005. It includes AWA as a member, as well as 15 other entities including Alpine and Amador Counties, the Calaveras County Water District, the Jackson Valley Irrigation District and the Mokelumne River Water and Power Authority. AWA General Manager Jim Abercrombie said the forum has looked at ways to increase water to Oakland, including increasing flows on Lower Bear River, and building the “Duck Creek Project, which started as a project that would dam up the Middle Bar of the Mokelumne River.” He said the Foothill Conservancy, AWA and the CCWD protested it, “so it was modified for an off-stream reservoir project.” Abercrombie said the size of a dam for a Duck Creek Reservoir is unknown and he said the forum should “start doing some water modeling for this so we can optimize storage for future Amador County needs.” Condrashoff said the aquifer, which San Joaquin County wants to use to inject surplus water flows, is “very large and (basically) can hold every drop of the Mokelumne River.” He said he saw problems, including adding of too much water to the groundwater supply, which would create Delta saltwater to back up into freshwater aquifer areas. Mancebo said “it would be impractical to build it large enough to capture the wettest of springs.” Moore said the groundwater extends into Calaveras County’s western end, and Calaveras would benefit from an aquifer injection. Abercrombie said some southern Delta water purveyors were interested in the project as well, as “we have been talking about this for a while, but they will wait until it gets more legs.” 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 appointing one of 7 applicants seeking to fill Bill Hepworth’s vacancy. The applicants, alphabetically, include Mimi Arata, who in her letter of interest said she meets all qualifications in the notice of vacancy, and “over the last several months” attended “both city council and planning commission meetings.” Dennis Griffin, owner of The Griffin Company, Bellotti’s and Caffe Via Di Oro, and a developer in the city of Sutter Creek, said he has “worked with dozens of cities and counties” and has seen “out of control growth” and no growth, and “we have to establish a middle ground.” He said if appointed, he “will commit 100 percent of the time needed to be a successful” city councilman. Mike Kirkley is a member of the Sutter Creek Planning Commission. He is also a former council member, (1992-1996), a former County Planning Commissioner and is retired from CALFIRE. Jack Mitchell in his letter said he did not see a conflict between his publishing the local newspaper while having a job in politics. He wrote that: “Certainly, some that are unaccustomed or familiar with the workings of a newspaper might view my sitting on the Council as a conflict of interest.” He challenged the council to “review past editorials and articles to see if you can find conflicts from opinions or coverage that have occurred with regards to my interest in serving” on the council. He also said “I in no way dictate or demand coverage” while overseeing the operations of the newspaper. Linda Rianda, retired Corrections warden and peace officer, and former junior high and high school teacher, said she participated in the city’s visioning process, attended council meetings, and volunteers at the Sutter Creek Visitor’s Center. Reed Shugart is a board member of the Sutter Creek Fire Protection District and past director of AFPD. He said he is “a Gold Rush supporter and wish it was already under construction.” He said “I look forward to relaying my views to Gold Rush opponents.” Weathersly said he was “well aware of the dedication and time commitments necessary to fulfill the obligations to this position.” Weathersly is a member of Protect Historic Sutter Creek, which has been “actively participating in the planning commission proceedings and meeting with other community residents in an attempt to reduce the negative effects of the Gold Rush subdivision on the city,” according to a Foothill Conservancy website posting. The group produced “No On Gold Rush” signs and distributed them around Sutter Creek. The city council will interview each candidate in the open session today, and staff expects them to make an appointment in the meeting today as well. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Calaveras County - A crowd of nearly 300 people filled the San Andreas Town Hall Monday evening in vehement protest of the proposed Pardee Reservoir expansion under the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s 2040 Water Plan. A meeting in Calaveras County was not included in EBMUD’s original schedule, but was scheduled after an overflowing meeting in the Amador Water Agency two weeks ago and public outcry. Three members of the EBMUD Board and 3 consultants sat quietly as officials and emotional residents from Calaveras and Amador Counties made pleas for the mammoth water company to scrap their proposal or consider alternatives. Consultant David Blau began by presenting a slideshow that outlined the history of the project and the potential impacts a 33-foot dam expansion and subsequent river flooding would have on the environment. “This does not mean (a dam) is being built, it only suggests what the district would spend its funds studying,” said Blau. The East Bay is dependent on the 600-square-mile watershed, which is where 90 percent of its water originates. Blau said there would be “potential benefits” for Amador and Calaveras counties if the proposal were implemented, but did not go into further detail. “This is all based on a very, very preliminary study,” he said. Public comment began with Calaveras District 2 Supervisor Steve Wilensky, who secured the venue for the meeting. “We have water and you need water, which brings us together,” he said. Wilensky referred to the latest meetings as “almost afterthoughts” and said “real partners don’t treat each other this way,” to thundering applause. His main suggestion was to “follow in the path of the country” and invest in technology and the local economy. Calaveras Water Agency Director Bob Dean reiterated Wilensky’s point, saying “the problem can not be solved with the same ideas that created it.” Bill Condrashoff of the Amador Water Agency read portions of a letter declaring his agency’s opposition to the proposed plan, and asked if any EBMUD board members had read it, to which he received a mute response and promptly provided them with copies. Chris Wright, Executive Director of the Foothill Conservancy, called it an “environmental justice issue.” He pointed to a map detailing current dams along the river every few miles, and said it was all the more important to preserve the 3-quarter mile reach of the Mokelumne proposed for flooding. One Calaveras citizen recalled her frustration at there being only one copy of the 1,500 plus page Environmental Impact Report for public viewing in the San Andreas library – the only copy readily available for public viewing in either county. She said the document was not received there until March 28th and she had to remain in the library to read it. A host of other Calaveras residents, including members of local Indian tribes, told stories of the river’s personal and historical significance. Most asked for EBMUD to either extend the public comment period or abolish the plan altogether. EBMUD Board President Doug Linney said in closing that he appreciated all public comments and they would all be taken into consideration. The comment period presently closes April 6th. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.