Amador County – The Amador Regional Planning Committee will meet Tuesday, December 2nd and hear a workshop presented by Rene Chapman, at-large member of the panel, who represents the unincorporated areas of Amador County. Chapman, a grant writer and consultant, will present “Your Town Design Workshop,” with discussion and possible action, as is the case with all agenda items. Chapman’s presentation will include discussion of “possibly holding a local workshop” on the topic. Also on the agenda will be a presentation by Regional Planning Committee Member Connie Gonsalves, mayor of Jackson, who will give a presentation on the Amador Fire Protection District. The information will include an update on AFPD plans and accomplishments. Sutter Creek resident Ed Arata is also scheduled to make a presentation on a revised central county regional wastewater treatment and disposal plan. The Amador Regional Planning Committee membership includes the cities of Sutter Creek, Jackson, Ione and Plymouth, and the Amador County Board of Supervisors. The committee members and alternates included Supervisor Brian Oneto and Supervisor Chairman Ted Novelli, Sutter Creek Mayor Pro Tem Tim Murphy, Gonsalves, Ione Councilwoman Andrea Bonham, Plymouth Councilwoman Pat Fordyce, and at-large public member, Chapman. Potential topics, listed on the meeting announcement as future agenda items include recirculation of the updated Memorandum of Understanding for the formation of the planning committee. Others are general plan update presentations from member entities, as well as “individual presentations on current and proposed wastewater treatment and recycled water distribution facilities and programs. Other future items include drafting “a program document supporting the sharing of revenues from major new and relocated commercial developments, and establishing a system to share personnel and material resources between jurisdictions. The Regional Planning Committee’s next meeting is January 6. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Transportation Commission meets Monday, November 30th in a specially scheduled regular meeting, and could consider a request to add a project to its federal Recovery Act wish list. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field in a letter Monday to the commission reported on the commission’s 5 projects submitted in April for federal funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. One of those projects (paving Argonaut Lane) was completed with a state grant from the “Safe Routes to Schools” program. Four other projects are at various levels, he said, with a countywide traffic sign reflective upgrade having received approval by the California Department of Transportation, and out for bid. Two are designed and approved but await funding authorization. They are a road pavement rehabilitation of Latrobe Road at Old Sacramento Road, and also at Michigan Bar Road. A 4th project “will not be able to receive” state and federal environmental “categorical exemption” from Caltrans, Field said. That job, shoulder improvements at Michigan Bar Road, was the region’s “backup” project “in case additional ARRA funds become available,” he said, and “since the project can no longer meet ARRA time limits, a substitute alternative project should be determined.” Field said a substitute project could be overlay of a county road, and he submitted a list of 12 eligible projects, including 7 needing overlay. He said work on the Highway 104 left turn lane at Prospect and Bowers Drive, and the Plymouth Main Street and Highway 49 intersection project “cannot meet ARRA time limits for development and delivery.” Field said “Caltrans is intensively reviewing delivery of ARRA project by regions throughout the state,” and it is “becoming apparent that some regions will not be able to deliver all of their projects, meaning “there is a possibility that another Amador region” project could be funded. The substitution may occur between January and March of next year. Field recommends in the letter that ACTC “staff be authorized to work with the Amador County Public Works Agency to prepare another county road overlay project for possible funding” as a substitute project. The list of eligible overlay projects included jobs on Shakeridge, Sutter Creek, Fiddletown, Camanche, Ridge and Latrobe Roads, and Camanche Parkway. Other qualified projects included curve correction on Fiddletown road, capacity expansion on the New York Ranch Road, and rehabilitation of Latrobe Road at Lorentz Road. The ACTC board of directors meets 6 p.m. Monday (November 30th) in the Supervisors’ chamber in Jackson. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Jackson Rancheria this week announced the return of its annual Holiday Hay Rides at the Jackson Rancheria Casino, Hotel & Conference Center. Rancheria publicist Carol Cook said the Holiday Hay Rides are a great way to “Celebrate the holidays Rancheria Style. Jackson Rancheria Casino, she said, is “offering one of the most popular local holiday traditions in Amador County, the annual free Holiday Hay Rides.” The Hay Rides feature a festive ride around the extraordinarily decorated Rancheria, which will glow with more than 2 million lights. After that comes a visit with Santa Claus for children and refreshments for everyone. Cook said this year the rides will be offered 5-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, December 7th through December 17th, beginning and ending at the Jackson Rancheria Fire Station on Dalton Road. Cook said parking for the Hay Rid is available in Lot Number 6, across Dalton Road from the firehouse. She said attendees should dress warmly and bring their cameras because it is a great family photo opportunity. The Rancheria will also be collecting toys for the annual Jackson Rancheria & Amador County Sheriff's Office Christmas Toy Drive. For more information, call (800) 822-WINN or visit www.JacksonCasino.com. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sutter Creek – The Walgreens drug store started growing against the Sutter Hill skyline this summer. And this week, plans for the store at the corner of Highway 49 and Ridge Road received a minor change, as the Sutter Creek City Council Development Review Committee approved the loss of a single parking space from its paved lots. The committee also asked the developer, Petrovich Development Company, to give an update and presentation to the Sutter Creek Planning Commission about the status of the Walgreens. Planning clerk Mary Beth Van Voorhis said the presentation will be given on December 14th. Van Voorhis said the Walgreens lot was originally designed to have 70 lots, and the development review committee briefly addressed a request by Petrovich on Tuesday to drop the number to 69 parking spaces. The meeting’s agenda said the site plan received committee approval for 53 standard parking stalls, Van Voorhis said, but the committee actually approved 70 spaces total in the site plan. Vanvoorhis said the last she had heard, the company planned to open the Walgreens in the spring. In March, the Amador County Transportation Commission board of directors approved an agreement with Sutter Creek, Petrovich and Caltrans, with the developer deeding some sections of the property for right-of-ways. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field said Petrovich hoped to begin building the Walgreens there. Sutter Creek Assistant City Manager Sean Rabe said Petrovich first started talking about the Walgreens project in September 2008, but in March, the economy was “nowhere near what it was back then.” The agreement allowed Petrovich to pay a Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee of $1,200 to ACTC. Rabe said the total reduction of fees is $88,000 dollars. The agreement included right-of-way, frontage improvements and fee credits, as discussed by the ad hoc Transportation Policy Advisory Task Force. The right-of-way is required for the highway and intersection expansions which were determined to be needed by a Traffic Impact Study of the Crossroads Shopping Center, at the corner of Highway 49 and Ridge Road. Credits will be given to Petrovich for the right-of-way property, and supplant Regional Traffic Mitigation Fees. Sutter Creek approved the Crossroads Shopping Center in 2004. In other news, Sutter Creek City Hall offices will be closed Monday, November 30th in observance of “Furlough Friday,” because city offices and departments were to be closed the Friday after Thanksgiving. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Ione City Council approved 2 applications for state planning assistance grants Monday, including an “Old Town Revitalization Study” and a “Police Station Siting Study.” The council opened a public hearing to discuss 2 Community Development Block Grants for “Planning and Technical Assistance,” and the submittal of applications for 2 grants for $35,000 each, and $70,000 total. City Clerk Janice Traverso said no one from the public asked to comment. The council voted 5-0 to approve a resolution to apply for grants. City Manager Kim Kerr in a staff report said the City Council held Public Hearings on August 4th and November 3rd this year to determine city priorities for the PTA funding. The two projects that were determined to be a high priority and eligible under CDBG regulations are an Old Town Revitalization Plan and a Police Station Site Study. Kerr said the “Old Town Revitalization Plan will focus on continuing the Main Street beautification efforts from the retail centers to the residential areas.” It will “evaluate the conditions of the residential area, consider what improvements may be needed, and, with extensive public input, create a strategy to improve these areas with public and private investments.” Kerr said the Police Station site study “will explore potential locations” for a new police station. “The final report will establish where the facility should be placed, what the facility needs are” and available funding for design and construction. Kerr said “special emphasis will be placed on making the police station accessible to Ione’s lower-income areas.” The PTA application requires a cash match of $1,400 from the city, to be paid from the General Fund. If one or both of the studies are ineligible for CDBG planning funds, Kerr said the “city may apply for funding for a study to establish a redevelopment area within the city. The council had also considered pursuing grant funds for creating a Reclamation Master Plan and an Implementation Plan for improvements at Howard Park, Kerr said, but “both of these projects are ineligible for funding under the PTA grant based upon the grant guidelines.” She said staff will explore other funding sources for the projects as additional grants are released. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Jackson City Council on Monday re-nominated Mayor Connie Gonsalves and Vice Mayor Wayne Garibaldi to a second 12-month term. Councilmember Marilyn Lewis recommended Gonsalves remain the mayor for another year because she felt Gonsalves has done “a great job so far and should keep up the good work.” This was a change from last year’s mayor selection, when Lewis recommended Garibaldi, not Gonsalves, serve as mayor because of his years of experience in local government. Garibaldi backed Lewis’ vote for Gonsalves to remain Mayor, saying “let’s not change horses in the middle of the race.” The 5-member council unanimously approved the re-election of Gonsalves and Garibaldi to another 12-month term as Mayor and Vice Mayor, respectively. Gonsalves, who was visibly taken aback by the re-nomination, said she will be honored to continue to hold the position of mayor. “All of my service comes from the heart,” she said. According to the City of Jackson Code of Conduct, the Mayor and Vice Mayor serve “at the pleasure of the Council and (have) all the rights and responsibilities of any Councilmember.” The Mayor’s duties include leading the council “into working as an effective and cohesive team”, chairing council meetings, making judgment calls on proclamations and acting as the official head of the council. The Vice Mayor’s duties include chairing council meetings at the request of the Mayor and “performing the duties of Mayor if the Mayor is absent or disabled.” 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 re-nominated Mayor Connie Gonsalves and Vice Mayor Wayne Garibaldi to a second 12-month term. Councilmember Marilyn Lewis recommended Gonsalves remain the mayor for another year because she felt Gonsalves has done “a great job so far and should keep up the good work.” This was a change from last year’s mayor selection, when Lewis recommended Garibaldi, not Gonsalves, serve as mayor because of his years of experience in local government. Garibaldi backed Lewis’ vote for Gonsalves to remain Mayor, saying “let’s not change horses in the middle of the race.” The 5-member council unanimously approved the re-election of Gonsalves and Garibaldi to another 12-month term as Mayor and Vice Mayor, respectively. Gonsalves, who was visibly taken aback by the re-nomination, said she will be honored to continue to hold the position of mayor. “All of my service comes from the heart,” she said. According to the City of Jackson Code of Conduct, the Mayor and Vice Mayor serve “at the pleasure of the Council and (have) all the rights and responsibilities of any Councilmember.” The Mayor’s duties include leading the council “into working as an effective and cohesive team”, chairing council meetings, making judgment calls on proclamations and acting as the official head of the council. The Vice Mayor’s duties include chairing council meetings at the request of the Mayor and “performing the duties of Mayor if the Mayor is absent or disabled.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Ione City Council approved 2 applications for state planning assistance grants Monday, including an “Old Town Revitalization Study” and a “Police Station Siting Study.” The council opened a public hearing to discuss 2 Community Development Block Grants for “Planning and Technical Assistance,” and the submittal of applications for 2 grants for $35,000 each, and $70,000 total. City Clerk Janice Traverso said no one from the public asked to comment. The council voted 5-0 to approve a resolution to apply for grants. City Manager Kim Kerr in a staff report said the City Council held Public Hearings on August 4th and November 3rd this year to determine city priorities for the PTA funding. The two projects that were determined to be a high priority and eligible under CDBG regulations are an Old Town Revitalization Plan and a Police Station Site Study. Kerr said the “Old Town Revitalization Plan will focus on continuing the Main Street beautification efforts from the retail centers to the residential areas.” It will “evaluate the conditions of the residential area, consider what improvements may be needed, and, with extensive public input, create a strategy to improve these areas with public and private investments.” Kerr said the Police Station site study “will explore potential locations” for a new police station. “The final report will establish where the facility should be placed, what the facility needs are” and available funding for design and construction. Kerr said “special emphasis will be placed on making the police station accessible to Ione’s lower-income areas.” The PTA application requires a cash match of $1,400 from the city, to be paid from the General Fund. If one or both of the studies are ineligible for CDBG planning funds, Kerr said the “city may apply for funding for a study to establish a redevelopment area within the city. The council had also considered pursuing grant funds for creating a Reclamation Master Plan and an Implementation Plan for improvements at Howard Park, Kerr said, but “both of these projects are ineligible for funding under the PTA grant based upon the grant guidelines.” She said staff will explore other funding sources for the projects as additional grants are released. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Transportation Commission meets Monday, November 30th in a specially scheduled regular meeting, and could consider a request to add a project to its federal Recovery Act wish list. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field in a letter Monday to the commission reported on the commission’s 5 projects submitted in April for federal funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. One of those projects (paving Argonaut Lane) was completed with a state grant from the “Safe Routes to Schools” program. Four other projects are at various levels, he said, with a countywide traffic sign reflective upgrade having received approval by the California Department of Transportation, and out for bid. Two are designed and approved but await funding authorization. They are a road pavement rehabilitation of Latrobe Road at Old Sacramento Road, and also at Michigan Bar Road. A 4th project “will not be able to receive” state and federal environmental “categorical exemption” from Caltrans, Field said. That job, shoulder improvements at Michigan Bar Road, was the region’s “backup” project “in case additional ARRA funds become available,” he said, and “since the project can no longer meet ARRA time limits, a substitute alternative project should be determined.” Field said a substitute project could be overlay of a county road, and he submitted a list of 12 eligible projects, including 7 needing overlay. He said work on the Highway 104 left turn lane at Prospect and Bowers Drive, and the Plymouth Main Street and Highway 49 intersection project “cannot meet ARRA time limits for development and delivery.” Field said “Caltrans is intensively reviewing delivery of ARRA project by regions throughout the state,” and it is “becoming apparent that some regions will not be able to deliver all of their projects, meaning “there is a possibility that another Amador region” project could be funded. The substitution may occur between January and March of next year. Field recommends in the letter that ACTC “staff be authorized to work with the Amador County Public Works Agency to prepare another county road overlay project for possible funding” as a substitute project. The list of eligible overlay projects included jobs on Shakeridge, Sutter Creek, Fiddletown, Camanche, Ridge and Latrobe Roads, and Camanche Parkway. Other qualified projects included curve correction on Fiddletown road, capacity expansion on the New York Ranch Road, and rehabilitation of Latrobe Road at Lorentz Road. The ACTC board of directors meets 6 p.m. Monday (November 30th) in the Supervisors’ chamber in Jackson. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sutter Creek – The Walgreens drug store started growing against the Sutter Hill skyline this summer. And this week, plans for the store at the corner of Highway 49 and Ridge Road received a minor change, as the Sutter Creek City Council Development Review Committee approved the loss of a single parking space from its paved lots. The committee also asked the developer, Petrovich Development Company, to give an update and presentation to the Sutter Creek Planning Commission about the status of the Walgreens. Planning clerk Mary Beth Van Voorhis said the presentation will be given on December 14th. Van Voorhis said the Walgreens lot was originally designed to have 70 lots, and the development review committee briefly addressed a request by Petrovich on Tuesday to drop the number to 69 parking spaces. The meeting’s agenda said the site plan received committee approval for 53 standard parking stalls, Van Voorhis said, but the committee actually approved 70 spaces total in the site plan. Vanvoorhis said the last she had heard, the company planned to open the Walgreens in the spring. In March, the Amador County Transportation Commission board of directors approved an agreement with Sutter Creek, Petrovich and Caltrans, with the developer deeding some sections of the property for right-of-ways. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field said Petrovich hoped to begin building the Walgreens there. Sutter Creek Assistant City Manager Sean Rabe said Petrovich first started talking about the Walgreens project in September 2008, but in March, the economy was “nowhere near what it was back then.” The agreement allowed Petrovich to pay a Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee of $1,200 to ACTC. Rabe said the total reduction of fees is $88,000 dollars. The agreement included right-of-way, frontage improvements and fee credits, as discussed by the ad hoc Transportation Policy Advisory Task Force. The right-of-way is required for the highway and intersection expansions which were determined to be needed by a Traffic Impact Study of the Crossroads Shopping Center, at the corner of Highway 49 and Ridge Road. Credits will be given to Petrovich for the right-of-way property, and supplant Regional Traffic Mitigation Fees. Sutter Creek approved the Crossroads Shopping Center in 2004. In other news, Sutter Creek City Hall offices will be closed Monday, November 30th in observance of “Furlough Friday,” because city offices and departments were to be closed the Friday after Thanksgiving. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.