Amador County – The Amador Joint Water Committee talked about regional wastewater in its final meeting of 2008 in late November, with the subject of wastewater reclamation becoming the latest buzzword for local collaboration. AWA General Manager Jim Abercrombie said the solution now was a regional wastewater recycling plant. Engineering Manager Gene Mancebo said the “focus is now on how we can get reclaimed water and how we can use it.” He said the objective is to minimize the impact on potential drinking water resources. He reported that the Amador Water Agency had submitted a grant application to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, requesting 250,000 dollars for a water recycling project. He said the Sierra Nevada Conservancy seems to be very interested. Part of the project is to get the county and cities to work together and to replace drinking water with reclaimed water, to be sent on to the Jackson Valley Irrigation District for agricultural uses. The early step is to do outreach and bring parties together. Mancebo said the “Purple Pipe” program was such a project, but it was not a solution to the average residential user, as to even turn on the spigot or adjust a sprayer head of a Purple Pipe requires a licensed operator. The Purple Pipe program would pump reclaimed water around the county, but it can only benefit agencies. He said they could try to get it to serve public needs, such as irrigation at cemeteries, school grounds, parks and open areas. Abercrombie said collaboration among political entities was more important now that funding had changed. Instead of getting state funds of 2 Million Dollars per regional project, the funding now is disbursed at 2 Million Dollars per community. Local developer Krista Clem said her Golden Vale subdivision, currently in the application phase, has two ponds, at 18 and 27 acres, which could be available for storage as part of a regional water reclamation project. Joint Water Committee member, Supervisor Richard Forster asked Clem is she would “work on developers and bring them to the next meeting and see who’s willing to participate.” Clem agreed to do so. The next Amador Joint Water Committee meeting is January 19th at the AWA office. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday accepted the Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee annual report and also agreed to shift the next project from Argonaut Lane in Jackson to Bowers Drive in Sutter Creek. Amador County Transportation Commission Executive Director Charles Field presented the 2007-2008 annual report and gave an overview of the 2008-2009 recommendations for programming and funding, which supervisors approved in a 5-0 vote. Field said the Mission Boulevard project in Jackson received an $800,000 dollar matching grant, and ACTC is “still in negotiations with St. Sava” Mission. Recommendations included $250,000 dollars more for that project, bringing total financing to $1 Million dollars. Field said part of the funding will come from “supplemental building fees.” Supervisor Brian Oneto asked what that entailed. Field said members pay into the Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee Program, “which is very constricted on how they can spend the money in the county.” Supplemental fees, or extra building fees, can be used in areas to fund area projects. Such would be the case, he said, for the Ione Bypass, estimated at $50 Million dollars. Field said the recommendation included shifting funding from the Argonaut Lane project in Jackson to the Bowers Drive project in Sutter Creek, for next year. He said Argonaut Lane is partly through development, but it will require acquisition of a home and another piece of property. The homeowner was prepared to fight, when the project stalled and the contractor terminated the contract, leading to the next most feasible project, at Bowers Drive. Field said “with this board’s support, we will go for federal funding” next year, as they did with Mission Boulevard. “The oversight committee recommended Argonaut Lane stay on hold and those funds go to Bowers,” he said. Supervisor Richard Forster, an ACTC member for the supervisors, said it’s really difficult to spread funding on projects “when you have a small pot of money.” The fee recommendations included $211,000 dollars toward the Sutter Creek project, at Bowers, Highway 104 and Prospect Drive. Field said because of the economy, he recommends “no change to traffic mitigation fees at this time.” He also said the oversight committee “recommended that the Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee Program remain under the auspices of the interagency Memorandum of Understanding for the time being with additional language to be drafted for a revision to the MOU that would allow the ACTC to take action on mid-year revisions. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – A gathering of Amador County’s big business interests, the Board of Supervisors’ Economic Stakeholders wrapped up work on the county’s Economic Element of its Draft General Plan Wednesday in Jackson. Its next stop will be March 3rd, 4th and 5th before a joint meeting of the Amador County Board of Supervisors and the county planning commission. Consultant Jeff Henderson led a discussion on tourism. Maureen Funk of the Amador Council of Tourism suggested that the term “waterways” might be too broad and might exclude some types of county water bodies. She also argued to keep the term of “protect” for waterways. John Griffin of the Amador Water Agency said he did not like the term “protect” in reference to “natural resources,” because it could be detrimental to water supply projects. Griffin said the “way it is written could restrict AWA land use and growth decisions.” He said, for example, that the term “protect could be interpreted to mean that there would be no more water supply projects on the Mokelumne River.” Hamilton said there was a number of steps to get from the term “preserve” to that statement. He said “it’s a very precise statement,” the statement: “We are not going to support more water projects.” Hamilton said it was a “very quick conclusion.” Art Maranaccio of Amador Citizens for Responsible Government criticized the element meetings for not being specific enough in its language, except in the map that identified agriculture land. Katherine Evatt of the Foothill Conservancy said she thought the meetings were productive. Evatt asked what happened with public comments given the day before and also Wednesday. Hamilton said all public comments will be posted on the county Website. The comments will be prepared with the draft element goals and policies and the Board of Supervisors will be privy to all of the public comments that were made. County Planner Susan Grijalva said supervisors and planning commissioners will look at the Economic and Governance elements in another serial meeting, set for noon to 4 p.m. March 3rd, 4th and 5th in the supervisors’ chambers. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - The 1857 Massa Mine has a new look thanks to Jason McCleery, a Boy Scout with Sutter Creek Troop 63. Jason coordinated the construction of the heavy timber portal for the Massa Mine located on the Kennedy Mine Foundation property in Jackson. This special dedication will open the Massa Mine for public and student tours led by Kennedy Mine Docents as a part of the Mine’s preservation of local history program. Special ceremonies at Teresa’s Place in Jackson Saturday on March 14, 2009, will begin with a special court of honor to award Jason McCleery with the Eagle Scout Award at 10:00 a.m. To earn Scouting’s highest award, Jason had to earn 21 merit badges, serve as a leader in his troop, and complete a major community service project. A separate Massa Mine dedication will begin with a no-host luncheon and key note address by Jason with details of the portal project at 12:00 noon. The Massa Mine on-site ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Please RSVP for the luncheon by Friday March 6th with a check for $12. Call 209-257-1851, ext. 100 or ext. 101, for additional information. Staff Report

Amador County – Sutter Creek Councilman Tim Murphy led a discussion on revenue sharing at the Amador Regional Planning Committee meeting Wednesday in Sutter Creek. A consensus agreed further study should follow, working toward a presentation that can be taken around to cities and the county board of supervisors, as an educational tool. Murphy, chairman of the Regional Planning Committee, volunteered to put together the presentation, saying he has the time to do it and he really likes this issue. Murphy said “if you can get the individual cities and the county to talk about this, I think it’s going to save the county.” He said they have to “come up with a plan” because the economy will turn around and developers will want to build here. Ione Councilwoman Andrea Bonham said there has not been interest in revenue sharing on her city council. District 5 Supervisor Brian Oneto said “I have not heard a whole lot of support for it.” At-large committee member Rene Chapman said she thought it was a good idea but it “focuses too much on revenue.” She suggested the sharing of services and burdens, while seeking to place businesses in locations most effective for everyone. She said it could be presented as kind of an idea, and get input from cities and the county on “how this could work for you.” Murphy noted that it was a tough sell, and in past presentations, “most items were controversial to somebody or other in the audience.” He said all government bodies in the county have “negative impacts on our neighbors because we are so small.” He said the revenue sharing was about finding a way to place growth where it will be most effective without fighting over tax dollars. The Martell commercial site “set up the county for the next 20 years, but where does that leave the cities?” He said one idea would be setting up a sharing plan to have in place for the next Big Box stores to come to the county. Murphy said cities and the county have the ability to negotiate taxes and there is nothing preventing us from renegotiating the city-county tax split to benefit the cities. He said that the issue cannot exist without talking about revenue sharing. Story by Jim Reece

Amador County - Congressman Dan Lungren announced last Wednesday the hiring of Peter Tateishi as his new Deputy Chief of Staff. “I am fortunate to have Peter on my team...I will surely benefit from his counsel and knowledge of local issues,” said Lungren. Until recently, Tateishi worked as spokesman for the Ione Band of Miwok Indians concerning the controversial casino the tribe has proposed to build in Plymouth. That casino has faced intense local opposition for years. Tateishi faced controversy himself in 2007 when he resigned from his former position as Congressman Lungren’s Intergovernmental Affairs Director and subsequently accepted the position as a contract employee for the Ione Miwok tribe. He held that position for approximately one year. Peter Tateishi rejoins Congressman Lungren's staff after taking time off to spend with his wife who is serving in the Armed Services. He is a native of the Sacramento area, active in his community and a graduate of Jesuit High School in Carmichael. "Peter is a tremendous asset and is well respected throughout the third Congressional District. He is a hard worker who is always one step ahead," said Lungren. Alex Lane, Staff

Amador County - Amador County is currently conducting a comprehensive update of its General Plan that sets forth the policies, goals, and objectives for land use and project development decisions for the next 20+ years. The Board of Supervisors has opted to develop two optional elements, an Economic Element with agricultural policies, and a Governance Element. The Board has created two “stakeholder” groups to review and comment on proposed draft policies for each of these Elements. This review will take place at stakeholder meetings scheduled to be held on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at 810 Court St, Jackson. The meeting for review of the Economic Element will be from 9:30 a.m. to noon with the meeting for the Governance Element being from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. If needed, these meetings may continue on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at the same time and place. For more information about the General Plan Update, visit the County’s website, www.co.amador.ca.us/depts./planning, or contact the Amador County Planning Department Office at (209) 223-6380. Staff Report

Amador County – The Amador County Mayors Select Committee met last week and deferred a decision on the 2009 members of the Local Agency Formation Commission for a clarification on term limits. New mayors Lee Ard of Ione, Aaron Brusatori of Amador City, and Connie Gonsalves joined reappointed mayors Jon Colburn of Plymouth and Gary Wooten of Sutter Creek at the more-than-annual meeting. Former Ione Mayor Andrea Bonham said the Select Committee met three times last year because of changing city council memberships, and this year’s committee will meet at least once more to decide the LAFCO seat. Supervisor Clerk Jennifer Burns said LAFCO Executive Director Roseanne Chamberlain missed last Wednesday’s meeting due to a family illness. Ard pursued appointing Councilman David Plank to the seat of Jerry Sherman, whose term would have expired in February, had he not lost in his November re-election bid. Wooten said he asked Sutter Creek Councilman Tim Murphy if he wanted to be on LAFCO and Murphy said that last year’s alternate, Plymouth Councilwoman Pat Fordyce, was being rotated into the position. Colburn said, “it seems to me you don’t want to be locked out for 4 years.” Ard argued that last year’s selection committee policy change gave the city council the right to replace the member if it is from that city, if an election causes a vacancy, rather than allowing the alternate to take over. Ard said he was steadfast on his stance, while Gonsalves said the Jackson City Council had made up its mind to have newly appointed Councilman Pat Crew be a member of LAFCO, because of his experience. Selections on LAFCO will be made at the next meeting, on a date to be determined, possibly this week. The committee discussed membership of the Central Sierra Economic Development District, deciding to appoint Plymouth Councilwoman Patricia Shackleton to the board. If she would not accept the post, Brusatori said Amador City Councilman Tim Knox would accept the position. Wooten agreed to continue as alternate. Story by Jim Reece

Amador County - In an open letter published in the Amador Ledger-Dispatch, General Motors responded to the outpouring of mail it has received as a result of the recent closure of Prospect Motors in Jackson. Mark Laneve, GM’s Vice-President of North American sales, said he was “overwhelmed by your enthusiasm for our vehicles and your support for your local dealership.” Laneve said Prospect made “their decision, but ultimately it will be up to the dealer how he wants to proceed.” Some community members are questioning the wording of Lavene’s statement, which could imply that the Prospect Motors closure was entirely voluntary. The closure came after Prospect Motors owner Frank Halvorson received a call on Thursday, December 18th from GMAC Financial Services, the corporation that finances his vehicle inventory and the construction of the dealership’s new showrooms. Halverson said GMAC was pulling its inventory because he was “16 days late” in paying loans on the auto center facility. Halverson-owned affiliates Amador Toyota and Amador Chrysler will be closing as well. “We would welcome them re-opening their business and continuing to serve the community,” said LaNeve. He included contact information for Susan Keenehan, who he said works with the dealers in this area. Halverson, who has been working extensively with employees and community leaders, was unavailable for comment by deadline for this story. You can contact Susan Keenehan at (510) 381-4802 or e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Story by Alex Lane

Amador County- The Jackson City Council approved the recommendation of the Jackson Revitalization Committee to extend 3-hour free parking in the downtown area. The covered meter experiment is part of the continuing effort by the Committee to improve and encourage visitors to downtown. In an exclusive interview with TSPN, newly appointed Jackson Mayor Connie Gonsalves said the covered meters will continue through March 30th. She said the committee is waiting for reports from the Amador County Transportation Commission on the parking study, which is still in the first of four phases. The experiment was originally intended to end last Labor Day, but positive reviews encouraged an extension through Slovenian Christmas, and now the current extension through March. While the City is not charging for meters, they have raised parking tickets from $11 to $24. The Parking Committee is a subdivision of the original Economic Development Committee. Since it is no longer a true subcommittee, it will likely be absorbed by the Strategic Planning Committee, chaired by Gonsalvez and Supervisor John Plasse. In response to a question as to whether there has been too much focus on Main Street, Gonsalvez replied “absolutely not.” She said “a lot of folks think (economic development) applies only to downtown, but we have to look at it as a city-wide plan and take things region by region.” The Jackson Revitalization Committee meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at the Jackson Civic Center. The public is encouraged to attend. Story by Alex Lane