Amador County – Local business owners Jamie Wedge and Debbie Sullivan used a corporate parks and recreation grant from their parent company to help a local after school program, with a $1,000 dollar grant. Wedge, and her mother, Sullivan, own and operate the local JCPenney Catalog Service, located inside their other business, Play It Again Sports, at 845 North Highway 49 and 88 in Jackson. Wedge, and her husband, Brandon, with two kids of their own, Madison and Austin, care about local kids. That is why they recently partnered with the retailer to donate to the Amador County Recreation Agency's Club Live After School Program. They gave $1,000 to the After School Program through the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. ACRA Executive Director Tracey Towner-Yep said: “On behalf of ACRA, I would like to thank Debbie and JCPenney for considering us a worthy cause.” Towner-Yep said: “In these trying economic times, it's even more important that we shop locally. Play It Again Sports and the JCPenney Catalog Service Center are the perfect places to do that.” The grant helped fund the Club Live After School program last school year at Detert Park in Jackson, which was held weekday afternoons and was attended by 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - For those interested in a community garden in the Pioneer area, a “Garden Start-Up” workshop is scheduled for July 11th at the Mollie Joyce House on Highway 88. Amador County University of California Cooperative Extension in collaboration with the Amador County Recreation Agency will be constructing a small garden, from fencing to planting and everything in between. UCCE Amador’s Sean Kriletich said the workshop is for people who “want to be part of the fun and satisfaction that comes with producing some of our own food.” All that is required “is an interest in producing some of our own food in a way that will also make our community stronger.” Participants can bring hand tools, such as a shovel, pick-maddock or rake. The project is also looking for donations of 8-foot T-posts for fencing. The Mollie Joyce house is at Mollie Joyce Park, on Highway 88 in Pioneer, near Pioneer Lodge, on the west side of the road. The workshop is 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, July 11th. For information, call Kriletich at (209) 223-6837 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 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 will host a public hearing today on the city’s General Plan update and its Final Environmental Impact Report. The meeting, 6:30 p.m. today at Plymouth City Hall, opens with a presentation from Plymouth veterinarian Elida Malick, who will talk about “General Plan Issues and Concerns.” The council will give her 10 minutes to make the presentation, after Malick requested extra time. City Manager Dixon Flynn told the council June 11th that Malick wants to give her side on issues she considers important in terms of development, and she felt she was not adequately able to address the issues in the council 3-minute public speaking time limit. Later, the council will open a public hearing on the General Plan Update, take a staff report and hear public comment on the plan and its Final EIR. The topic is for discussion only and no action will be taken. The agenda lists a continuation of the public hearing to a certain, unlisted date. In other Plymouth news, City Manager Dixon Flynn said rumors that the city was intending to sell its water rights to the Arroyo Ditch were unfounded. Flynn said city staff is still negotiating with Shenandoah Water Company on operation of the ditch and legal rights to its water. “We are not going to sell our rights,” Flynn said Tuesday. He said Shenandoah Water is “still in their homework stage,” gathering information, looking at the facilities and plans and trying to understand the rights before making a decision. Flynn said the company has until the fall to make a deal and decision with Plymouth on operating the Arroyo Ditch. Mayor Jon Colburn said water is still trickling into town in the ditch, and workers for Shenandoah Water will try to use a different diversion fork, from one that is now running too low to divert. Colburn said also that there is no intention of exporting the water from the ditch. Also today, the council will consider an extension of professional services with Development Impact, Inc., for community development director services. Staff will also report on oversight committee confirmations of the Community Mapping Tool and consider the 2009-2010 fiscal year draft budget. The council could also designate voting delegates and alternates for the League of California Cities Annual Conference, September 16th to 18th in San Jose. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Jackson City Manager Mike Daly, speaking at Tuesday’s Jackson City Council meeting, said the city is “really close” to adoption of a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2009-10. “We’re getting to a point where staff can present the balanced budget to the council,” said Daly. In a memorandum to the council, Daly said that the City has experienced more than a 25 percent decline in General Fund revenue over the past few years, falling from $4.34 million dollars to $3.17 million. “Conditions worsened beyond expectations and after 3 years of deficit spending, the goal this coming year is a balanced budget,” Daly said. To achieve this, Daly and staff have been negotiating a number of cost saving measures. These include reducing every General Fund Department to the bare minimum for non-personnel operating costs, meeting with employees to discuss options for reductions in personnel costs, reducing the city’s contributions to outside agencies like the Amador County Recreation Agency, reducing retiree health insurance, reducing training budgets, and considering suspension of the City Council’s monthly “salary” of $75. The council formally agreed to this suspension. Councilman Pat Crew said the suspension was more of a “symbolic” gesture. Amador Water Agency Board Member Bill Condrashoff, who represents Jackson’s District 1, attended the meeting to give an update on rate hikes. Condrashoff said: “I would hate to see an already underpaid job go for nothing. Symbolism, that’s your call, but in my opinion, you guys should be going the other way.” Daly said the “gorilla in the closet is the state of California and how (its) budgeting might impact local government further.” In order to adopt the budget, staff recommended that a special City Council meeting be called for Monday, June 29 at 7 p.m. The special meeting was unanimously approved by the City Council. 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 on Monday reviewed recommendations for the use of the 2008 Measure E funding and determined allocation of these funds. The recommendations came from the council-appointed Measure E Advisory Committee, which consists of Stan Lukowicz, Paul Molinelli, Jr., Tom Peyton, Tracey Berkner, Atul Patel and Councilman Keith Sweet. Voters approved Measure E in 2002, raising the City’s Transient Occupancy Tax from 8 to 10 percent. A resolution passed by the council soon thereafter declared “that the first priority expenditure of the additional 2 percent…shall be tourism and business promotion, economic development and downtown revitalization.” Vying for a portion of the funding were previous year’s recipients: the Amador Chamber of Commerce and the Amador Council of Tourism, or ACT. Funding for ACT has traditionally been divvied out to associations under the agency’s umbrella, including Main Street Theatre Works and the Historic Jackson Business Association, or HJBA. Also requesting funds was a website called InTownLive.com, which features online interactive panoramas of small towns in California. Council members had mixed feelings about giving a portion to InTownLive.com. Jackson resident Frank Blauvelt, Jr., yelled out from the audience that although the site is well assembled, he didn’t think giving them money was effective. The Measure E Committee recommended giving $9,000 to the HJBA, $8,000 to ACT, $4,000 to the Main Street Theatre Works, $9,000 to the Amador County Chamber of Commerce and $2,000 to InTownLive.com. Speaking on behalf of the Amador Council of Tourism, Maureen Funk said, “we are able to multiply six times the dollar investments we receive by partnering and negotiating with advertisers.” The council voted 4-1 to approve the committee’s recommendation, with Councilman Pat Crew opposed. Crew was also against allocating funds for InTownLive.com, but admitted he’s “not much of an internet guy.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Joint Water Committee holds a regular meeting Monday at the Amador Water Agency office, with a wide variety of local and regional topics. The committee, made up of the top 2 board members of the AWA board of the directors and the Amador County Board of Supervisors, will discuss 10 water issues and 5 wastewater issues. Members are Supervisor Chairman Ted Novelli (District 3) and Supervisor Vice Chairman John Plasse (District 1); and AWA Board President Terence Moore (District 5) and AWA Board Vice President Bill Condrashoff (District 1). Among the 10 “water matters” on the agenda, the committee will discuss improving the remainder of Amador County water rights that the Jackson Valley Irrigation District is currently using. They will also discuss new development inquiries of more than 100 units; the status of the water supply for Carbondale Industrial Park; and the water supply pipeline project under construction to serve the city of Plymouth. The committee will also receive a briefing of the status of Mokelumne River Water Forum; and discuss the Amador County General Plan Revision in relation to water and wastewater planning; and the Calaveras County Water Element Draft. They will also look at the “co-assignment” the 1958 agreement between Amador County, the East Bay Municipal Utility District and the AWA. They will also discuss the proposed National Wild & Scenic River designation for the North Fork of the Mokelumne River; get status reports on the Lower Bear River Reservoir Expansion Project and also the Gravity Supply Line Project; and discuss the East Bay MUD 2040 Plan. The 5 “wastewater matters” include a discussion of capacity constraints on the wastewater system operated by the Amador Regional Sanitation Authority and Sutter Creek. They will also talk about Camanche area wastewater matters; Amador County Airport water and wastewater service needs; and regional coordination of water reuse and recycling. They will also discuss Assembly Bill 885, relating to regulation of Individual Septic Tank Systems; and talk about future meeting topics. The committee meeting is open to the public and meets 1 p.m. Monday (June 29th) in the AWA office at 12800 Ridge Road in Sutter Creek. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - Frank Blauvelt, Jr. received a standing ovation and a certificate of appreciation at Monday’s Jackson City Council meeting for his service on the Kennedy Mine Foundation Board of Directors as a representative of Jackson. City Manager Mike Daly previously announced at the June 8 meeting that Blauvelt is resigning and the city would be reviewing candidates to fill his position. Two applications were received from Jackson residents Mary Heidecker and John Gonsalves. Based partly on a recommendation by Blauvelt himself, the council approved a motion by Councilwoman Marilyn Lewis to appoint Gonsalves as the city’s new representative. Gonsalves is a long-time Jackson resident and active participant in a number of community programs and activities, including as Chairman of the Amador County Planning Commission and his run for Board of Supervisors in 2008. Blauvelt held the seat for a number of years for the city. He also volunteers twice a week at the front desk at the Amador County Administration Building and has served the county as a volunteer in a number of other capacities. Mayor Connie Gonsalves read and presented Blauvelt with his certificate of appreciation as the first item on council’s agenda. Blauvelt jokingly recalled his concern when originally taking the position that it would cut into his fishing time. “I haven’t had a fishing license in a while, but I may go get one tomorrow,” he said. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – If you build it, they will come. But when? That was the question in Sutter Creek Planning Commissioner Frank Cunha’s mind Monday night when he asked for a timeline from developers of the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort. If commissioners approve it, when will they start to see tangible results? Cunha asked what he tells people who confront him in their shops and tell him he is holding up the process, and that if they approve Gold Rush, will it have people golfing in Sutter Creek, shopping in Main Street stores within a year. He asked about a stipulation that would give Gold Rush a 5-year extension on permits in certain instances. Gold Rush principle Bill Bunce said conditions of approval require Gold Rush to have a new wastewater treatment plant operational and serving the city before the project can get building permits. Bunce said design and construction of the wastewater plant would take 18 months, but grading can begin before that time. He said: “In a best-case scenario, it will take a year to a year-and-a-half to get earth moved, after city approval.” If they cannot get earth moved in a year-and-a-half, they would seek the extension. Weather is a seasonal variable of the timeline too. He said having the wastewater plant in place – to give the city its 480,000 to 600,000 gallons a day treatment capacity – is a provision “typical in light of the current economy.” He told the commission: “I can’t tell you if the economy is getting better or worse.” But the project’s phasing is documented in the conditions of approval. Bunce said: “We take our hat off to the care and consideration of the city … but we also look forward to the wrapping up of the approval process.” City Manager Rob Duke said a deal that would give the city wastewater plant to Gold Rush developers was the best value for the city, because developers in turn would give a boost in the level of treatment, expand the daily treatment capacity and also expand the Amador Regional Sanitation Authority’s storage capacity at Henderson Reservoir, and piping. “From our standpoint, this is a great deal,” Duke told commissioners. He said the ARSA and plant improvements funded by Gold Rush could equal $30 million dollars in value to Sutter Creek over the next 30 to 40 years. The commission revisits the Gold Rush specific plan in July and August. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Sutter Creek Planning Commissioners on Monday heard about a sweetheart of a sewer deal the city has in the works with Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort developers, and that money recently spent on the system was not a waste. About 60 people attended a meeting discussing Gold Rush’s Specific Plan, and City Manager Rob Duke said putting $750,000 dollars into the wastewater treatment plant before a planned retooling of the plant by Gold Rush was not a “waste” of money. He said more than half of the improvements would be used in the new plant. The work removed solid matter accumulated in the plant, which diminished the capacity. The work was needed to lift a “cease and desist order” for violations at the plant. Duke said the city teamed with Amador Water Agency to split the upgrade cost and also will split any added capacity 50/50. The city’s previous work is believed to have raised the plant capacity from 480,000 gallons a day to 600,000 gallons a day, Duke said, “but we won’t know until we turn it on.” The improvements do not yet have appropriate permits. He said improvements to Amador Regional Sanitation Authority and the treatment plant could be worth $30 million dollars over next 30 to 40 years. The value was roughly estimated by engineers, including $9 million dollars to expand Henderson Reservoir and boost storage, $5 million dollars in pipeline installation, and $2 million to $3 million dollars in disposal land. Duke said eliminating water runoff and underground seepage into the city system reduced daily operation capacity by 50,000 gallons a day. And he expected many more of those were in place around the city. In the agreement, Gold Rush would demolish part of the wastewater treatment plant. It would then build a new plant and restore Sutter Creek’s 480,000 gallons a day treatment, and meet its own sewer needs. At Gold Rush’s build-out, it is estimated to need 4 million gallons a day of wastewater treatment capacity. Duke said “we are skeptical that we will have that kind of growth in 15 years.” Duke said the upgrade from secondary to tertiary level treatment allows Gold Rush to irrigate its golf course, and upgrades the city’s water treatment level. 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 on Friday approved a $10.9 million dollar budget for the upcoming fiscal year, with at least 8 percent rate increases planned to take effect agency-wide. In a “move designed to minimize future rate increases,” the board cut $631,000 dollars in operating costs from the agency’s 2009-2010 budget. The final budget, with rate increases planned for all AWA water and wastewater systems, was approved Friday with a 5-0 vote, after a series of 3 day-long budget workshops. AWA General Manager Jim Abercrombie said the approved budget will reduce rate increases that were already scheduled to go into effect for 2 systems starting July 1st. AWA District 1 director Bill Condrashoff told the Jackson City Council and the public Monday that they all knew the AWS rates were going up in July, but he said the good news is that they were not going up quite as much. A scheduled 12 percent increase for Amador Water System water rates will be reduced to an 8 percent increase, and Martell Wastewater System rates will go up 15 percent instead of a previously approved 25 percent. Directors and staff hoped the budget cuts would be enough to hold water rates for other systems in the AWA at an 8 percent increase for next fiscal year. Agency General Manager Jim Abercrombie said those systems – Lake Camanche Village water and wastewater, Central Amador Water Project retail water and 10 small wastewater systems in Improvement District Number 1 – have not seen a rate increase since 2006. Rates for those systems have not yet moved through the California Proposition 218 notification and hearing process for rate changes. The $631,000 dollars in cuts affects all agency departments, including holding off on replacing equipment, delaying some employee training, and potential elimination of all “cost of living” and merit pay raises. Staff layoffs are a possibility if enough other cost reductions can’t be found. Abercrombie will meet with the employee associations to discuss voluntary retirement and severance programs. He said: “Our challenge now is to tighten the belt while we continue to meet increasingly tough and costly new state regulations and fulfill our commitment to public health and safety.” He said “closing the budget gap could get much more difficult if hoped-for grant funds aren’t forthcoming or if the state appropriates the agency’s annual property tax revenue later this summer.” AWA directors plan to revisit the 2009-2010 budget again in October. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.