Amador County – A domestic violence call from Fiddletown Monday resulted in a police pursuit that ended when a couple fleeing a potential crime scene crashed on a roadside, injuring themselves and two small children. The incident began at approximately 6:45 am when a Fiddletown woman called 9-1-1 to report that her daughter was assaulting her. The call came from 20000 Timberline Drive. “As Amador County Sheriff’s Deputies responded, the reporting party called back and stated that the suspect had left the residence with her two children and a 25 year old male in a black Volkswagen Jetta,” according to a release from the Sheriff’s Office. Responding deputies encountered the vehicle “traveling west bound at a high rate of speed” on Fiddletown Road, east of Fiddletown. The Volkswagen swerved at the Sheriff’s vehicles, crossing into the east bound lane and causing one vehicle to leave the roadway to avoid collision. A second deputy activated his emergency lights and pursued the Jetta. The release said the deputy found the Volkswagen “approximately 3/10ths of a mile from where the deputy turned around” and the vehicle had “left the roadway and rolled over onto its roof.” Inside the Jetta was the daughter, her boyfriend and her 5-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. All four occupants were transported to area hospitals for treatment. No information has been released on what injuries were sustained. , Chace McKenzie Summey, 25, the boyfriend who was driving the Jetta, was arrested at Sutter Amador Hospital and charged with two counts of child endangerment causing injury, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm on a peace officer and one count of obstructing a peace officer. Summey’s bail was set at $50,000. Fire department first responders and officers from the California Highway Patrol also responded to the incident. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – With municipal concerns about its Regional Traffic Plan update, the Amador County Transportation Commission on Monday set 2 of its District 2 members to work with staff on wording of land-usage issues. The ACTC board of directors received a letter of complaint from Ione City Manager Kim Kerr that questioned cities’ representation on a 24-member roundtable of stakeholders that will guide community input in the Regional Traffic Plan update. Kerr told the commission that a community meeting in Ione raised the city’s interest in making sure its new land-usage maps in its all-new General Plan would qualify the city for state funding, or if the county’s new plan would affect that eligibility. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field said he thinks “Ione made a mountain out of a mole hill,” and ACTC knows “how to work with cities.” He wanted to help remove some of the “paranoia” being put forth by Ione. Forster said he did not want to rely on an ACTC consultant to pick members of the roundtable committee. Forster said a community roundtable was tried when he was on the Amador Water Agency board of directors. The roundtable was supposed to look at how to have the Amador Transmission Pipeline and minimize its affects on the Amador Canal. Forster said instead, the committee had its own preferences and came back with a plan to have both the pipeline and the ditch, “which defeats the whole purpose of the pipeline.” He said that roundtable set back the AWA 10 years on the project. Kerr said she did not believe the city made a mountain out of a mole hill. She said the Regional Traffic Plan is tied to funding, and ACTC told Ione that the funding will start with the 2004 Regional Traffic Plan. And she said the plans must coordinate with airport boards, though neither the Eagles Nest or Amador County Airports had given input. ACTC Chairman, Supervisor Louis Boitano asked for volunteers to work on the issue with the RTP program coordinator, Neil Peacock, and Forster. Ione Councilman David Plank volunteered to help. Field said he did not think the plan is going to have an alternate land use plan. He said “ACTC has no land-use authority,” but it does pass funds for roadway improvements to the cities. Field said “ACTC did not have a chance to work with Plymouth and Ione” on their general plans, due to staffing. Instead, they chose Amador County’s General Plan. But he wanted to “alleviate some of these fears that ACTC is trying to do something without concern for cities.” He said the objective was to have a Regional Traffic Plan, and land usage would fall to cities and the county. 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 approved a distribution formula that will divvy up funds collected through Measure M, a ½ cent sales tax measure intended to support struggling fire districts in Amador County. The formula was approved last week by the Amador Fire Protection Authority (AFPA) and added to the Supervisors agenda for final authorization. The formula is based on figures from the California Department of Finance and divides money collected through Measure M between the Amador Fire Protection District, Jackson, Ione, Sutter Creek, Lockwood and Jackson Valley fire districts based on a 50/50 split between call volume and population. Some money will also come from Prop 172, a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment approved in 1993 that created a ½ cent sales tax to help fund public safety agencies statewide. During the last AFPA meeting, board member Connie Gonsalves said there is currently around $1 million in Measure M and Prop 172 funding in an account through the auditor’s office. County Administrative Officer Terri Daly said the formula was approved only after much deliberation over its accuracy. Jackson City Manager Mike Daly said CAL FIRE assisted in determining accurate call volumes in certain districts and excluding certain types of calls like medical aid when the fire department was not dispatched and vegetation management calls. He said there was a meeting between representatives of the different fire districts in which they came to an agreement on the current formula. He said another issue was finding accurate census counts in unincorporated districts like Lockwood and Jackson Valley. Terri Daly said measures were taken to ensure that the money being spent was going towards personnel only, a Measure M stipulation. She said each fire department has “agreed to submit reports each year or…perhaps attach their financials.” Supervisor Richard Forster asked how often the formula will remain in affect. County Counsel Martha Shaver said it will be in affect until such time it is changed by the board and the “percentages can be updated any time you have new information.” Mike Daly said it would be good to base any updates around the beginning of the fiscal year. The board approved 5-0 to put the formula in effect immediately. The Measure M ½ cent sales tax increase was part of the November 4, 2008 ballot and was passed by voters with 69 percent approval. It is intended to support the first publicly funded fire program in Amador County. In related news, Supervisor Louis Boitano said he is stepping down as the board’s representative on the Amador Fire Protection District because he “needs a break.” Novelli agreed to take his place. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - Amador County Treasurer-Tax Collector Michael E. Ryan is reminding property owners that they have until Thursday, December 10 at 5 p.m. to make the first installment payment of their annual secured property taxes for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The first installment of secured property taxes was due and payable on November 1, 2009, and will become delinquent if not paid by 5 p.m. on December 10, 2009; thereafter a 10 percent delinquent penalty will be added. Ryan notes that payments may be made by mail sent to the Amador County Tax Collector, 810 Court Street, Jackson, CA 95642, and must be postmarked by December 10, 2009 in order to avoid late penalties. Payments may also be made in person at the Amador County Tax Collector's Office, which is located on the second floor of the County Administration Center, 810 Court Street in Jackson, between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, Monday through Thursday, holidays excepted. For the convenience of taxpayers, a payment drop box is located on the outside wall of the alcove to the immediate left of the main entrance to the Administration Center. Additionally, payments may be made with a credit card in our office, or over the telephone by calling 1-800-609-4599. Credit card and e-check payments may also be made over the Internet by visiting the web-sites shown on your tax bill. Amador County property tax information is available on-line. To view your tax information, visit www.co.amador.ca.us, select “Government”, then “Treasurer/Tax Collector”, and then “Public Tax Information”. For additional information, please contact the Tax Collector’s Office. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Ione City Council today will hear about its former trash hauler and also could discuss current services. City Manager Kim Kerr and staff are “recommending at a minimum” that the council “discuss the minimum requirements for Solid Waste Permits and ensure that they allow the city some control when a provider withdraws from providing services.” The city revoked the permit held by Amador Disposal Service to collect solid waste in Ione effective November 30, after the company stopped operating in Ione August 1st. The permit was not exercised since then. Kerr in a November 17th letter said “revocation does not prevent Amador Disposal from submitting a new application” for a permit. Kerr in a report to the council said Amador Disposal recently asked to be allowed to operate in Ione again. Current haulers ACES Waste Service heard about Amador Disposal’s request, and ACES President Paul Molinelli Senior discussed it with Kerr and Mayor Lee Ard. Molinelli in a letter November 12th said his company was “very concerned” Waste Connections (operating Amador Disposal) was asking to again operate in Ione. Molinelli said Waste Connections gave the city only 30 days’ notice when it ended operations, and ACES “at the behest of the city, made a very large capital expenditure to assure that Waste Connections customers would have uninterrupted service.” Molinelli said Waste Connections was “totally uncooperative with the city and their own customers during the transition.” He said the more than 30-day lapse in service put Waste Connections in “clear violation” of “Ione Municipal Solid Waste Code,” and subject to permit revocation. Molinelli in the letter said ACES made a “capital investment of 2 trucks, 2,000 plastic carts, and 80 commercial bins at a cost of almost $500,000” to serve Ione, and the “thought of losing market (revenue) so soon makes us very nervous to say the least.” He said ACES is small and locally owned, and pales in size compared to Waste Connections, “the 3rd largest publicly traded waste company in the United States.” Molinelli said if ACES had known “there was a possibility that within 3 months Waste Connections would be back serving accounts in the city,” the company “would have been very” cautious about making such a large investment, and “most likely would not have done so.” Molinelli asked that Ione be “sympathetic to our concerns” and allow ACES to recoup some of its investment “by not allowing Waste Connections to resume operations” in Ione. Kerr and staff reviewed city and state law, and the permits, and in a report for today’s meeting recommended reviewing “whether the city should be issuing Franchise Agreements or Solid Waste Permits and whether they should be Exclusive Franchise Agreements or Solid Waste Permits.” Also, “staff will provide information on the process for Amador Disposal to obtain a new permit based on their prior withdrawal from providing services and subsequent revocation of their permit.” 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 heard a Budget Update from City Manager Mike Daly last week, who said shortfalls in revenue have resulted in a “continuing decline” in its General Fund. Daly said the main culprit is income from sales tax, which has declined more than expected. “We were projecting that we would receive $550,000 in revenues this year and we noticed that our returns the first few months were not living up to this,” said Daly. To make matters worse, irregularities in the monthly sales tax payments with the State Board of Equalization are resulting in a further drop in revenues. These discrepancies credited various sales tax streams outside city limits to Jackson instead of Amador County. Based on information received by the City last week, the city will lose approximately $178,000 because of this discrepancy. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the ability to wave our magic wand and create revenue, but we’re trying,” said Daly. Any kind of tax increase requires a vote by the City Council. The Christmas Delights open house event in downtown Jackson last weekend drew attention to many struggling businesses. Daly said he saw good crowds at the event but is still awaiting feedback from business owners. Earlier this year, the city made “significant cuts and conservative revenue projections” in an effort to achieve a balanced budget. 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 suspending the City Council’s monthly “salary” of $75. Councilmember Keith Sweet said “last time was a tough call taking (money) out of retirees pay, but this time could be a helluva lot worse.” Daly said the City’s General Fund balance is currently “just above zero” but that number will change after “big chunk payments” in January, including property tax income. He said the council will continue to discuss strategies to balance next year’s budget in upcoming meetings. The next council meeting is Monday, December 14 at 7 pm in Jackson City Hall. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Plymouth City Council last month unanimously passed an emergency medical marijuana ordinance, which would place a moratorium on the establishment of marijuana dispensaries in the city, until appropriate city zoning can be determined. City Clerk Gloria Stoddard said the past city ordinance allowed marijuana dispensaries to be located only in industrially zoned areas. But when the city council approved an update to its new General Plan August 13th, it effectively set about the elimination of industrial zoning from the city. The vote November 12th passed an emergency ordinance until either the city updates its zoning ordinances or amends its General Plan with appropriate language. Stoddard said either way the city must update the marijuana dispensary ordinance. City Attorney Steven Rudolph offered the council an “interim urgency ordinance” with which the city council could prohibit “the establishment and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries.” The ordinance, passed on a 5-0 vote, establishes a “45-day moratorium on the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries within the city.” Rudolph in a report to the council said the temporary ordinance would help by giving “sufficient time for city staff to study and determine which zoning districts, as they are identified in the city’s new General Plan, are most appropriate for the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries.” He said city code currently allowed medical pot facilities to be established in the city’s light industrial and industrial zones. But the newly adopted General Plan calls for those industrial zones to be rezoned, “and does not provide for the establishment of new industrial zones. A report to the council from legal firm Meyers Nave (Gnaw Vey) of Sacramento said that in October, the Obama administration and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a new policy toward legal handling of medical marijuana growers and users, “those caregivers in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state law.” An October 19th memo from the justice department said medical pot prosecution “is unlikely to be an efficient use of limited federal resources.” The California Legislature passed the state Medical Marijuana Program in 2003 with Senate Bill 420, which regulates the establishment of medical pot facilities. The legal message to Plymouth was that “cultivation of marijuana is still legal for any purpose under federal law,” but “the federal authorities are directed not to use limited resourced to prosecute” people clearly following state medical marijuana law. And “federal authorities will still prosecute serious violations of federal law.” 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 last month unanimously passed an emergency medical marijuana ordinance, which would place a moratorium on the establishment of marijuana dispensaries in the city, until appropriate city zoning can be determined. City Clerk Gloria Stoddard said the past city ordinance allowed marijuana dispensaries to be located only in industrially zoned areas. But when the city council approved an update to its new General Plan August 13th, it effectively set about the elimination of industrial zoning from the city. The vote November 12th passed an emergency ordinance until either the city updates its zoning ordinances or amends its General Plan with appropriate language. Stoddard said either way the city must update the marijuana dispensary ordinance. City Attorney Steven Rudolph offered the council an “interim urgency ordinance” with which the city council could prohibit “the establishment and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries.” The ordinance, passed on a 5-0 vote, establishes a “45-day moratorium on the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries within the city.” Rudolph in a report to the council said the temporary ordinance would help by giving “sufficient time for city staff to study and determine which zoning districts, as they are identified in the city’s new General Plan, are most appropriate for the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries.” He said city code currently allowed medical pot facilities to be established in the city’s light industrial and industrial zones. But the newly adopted General Plan calls for those industrial zones to be rezoned, “and does not provide for the establishment of new industrial zones. A report to the council from legal firm Meyers Nave (Gnaw Vey) of Sacramento said that in October, the Obama administration and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a new policy toward legal handling of medical marijuana growers and users, “those caregivers in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state law.” An October 19th memo from the justice department said medical pot prosecution “is unlikely to be an efficient use of limited federal resources.” The California Legislature passed the state Medical Marijuana Program in 2003 with Senate Bill 420, which regulates the establishment of medical pot facilities. The legal message to Plymouth was that “cultivation of marijuana is still legal for any purpose under federal law,” but “the federal authorities are directed not to use limited resourced to prosecute” people clearly following state medical marijuana law. And “federal authorities will still prosecute serious violations of federal law.” 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 heard a Budget Update from City Manager Mike Daly last week, who said shortfalls in revenue have resulted in a “continuing decline” in its General Fund. Daly said the main culprit is income from sales tax, which has declined more than expected. “We were projecting that we would receive $550,000 in revenues this year and we noticed that our returns the first few months were not living up to this,” said Daly. To make matters worse, irregularities in the monthly sales tax payments with the State Board of Equalization are resulting in a further drop in revenues. These discrepancies credited various sales tax streams outside city limits to Jackson instead of Amador County. Based on information received by the City last week, the city will lose approximately $178,000 because of this discrepancy. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the ability to wave our magic wand and create revenue, but we’re trying,” said Daly. Any kind of tax increase requires a vote by the City Council. The Christmas Delights open house event in downtown Jackson last weekend drew attention to many struggling businesses. Daly said he saw good crowds at the event but is still awaiting feedback from business owners. Earlier this year, the city made “significant cuts and conservative revenue projections” in an effort to achieve a balanced budget. 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 suspending the City Council’s monthly “salary” of $75. Councilmember Keith Sweet said “last time was a tough call taking (money) out of retirees pay, but this time could be a helluva lot worse.” Daly said the City’s General Fund balance is currently “just above zero” but that number will change after “big chunk payments” in January, including property tax income. He said the council will continue to discuss strategies to balance next year’s budget in upcoming meetings. The next council meeting is Monday, December 14 at 7 pm in Jackson City Hall. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Ione City Council today will hear about its former trash hauler and also could discuss current services. City Manager Kim Kerr and staff are “recommending at a minimum” that the council “discuss the minimum requirements for Solid Waste Permits and ensure that they allow the city some control when a provider withdraws from providing services.” The city revoked the permit held by Amador Disposal Service to collect solid waste in Ione effective November 30, after the company stopped operating in Ione August 1st. The permit was not exercised since then. Kerr in a November 17th letter said “revocation does not prevent Amador Disposal from submitting a new application” for a permit. Kerr in a report to the council said Amador Disposal recently asked to be allowed to operate in Ione again. Current haulers ACES Waste Service heard about Amador Disposal’s request, and ACES President Paul Molinelli Senior discussed it with Kerr and Mayor Lee Ard. Molinelli in a letter November 12th said his company was “very concerned” Waste Connections (operating Amador Disposal) was asking to again operate in Ione. Molinelli said Waste Connections gave the city only 30 days’ notice when it ended operations, and ACES “at the behest of the city, made a very large capital expenditure to assure that Waste Connections customers would have uninterrupted service.” Molinelli said Waste Connections was “totally uncooperative with the city and their own customers during the transition.” He said the more than 30-day lapse in service put Waste Connections in “clear violation” of “Ione Municipal Solid Waste Code,” and subject to permit revocation. Molinelli in the letter said ACES made a “capital investment of 2 trucks, 2,000 plastic carts, and 80 commercial bins at a cost of almost $500,000” to serve Ione, and the “thought of losing market (revenue) so soon makes us very nervous to say the least.” He said ACES is small and locally owned, and pales in size compared to Waste Connections, “the 3rd largest publicly traded waste company in the United States.” Molinelli said if ACES had known “there was a possibility that within 3 months Waste Connections would be back serving accounts in the city,” the company “would have been very” cautious about making such a large investment, and “most likely would not have done so.” Molinelli asked that Ione be “sympathetic to our concerns” and allow ACES to recoup some of its investment “by not allowing Waste Connections to resume operations” in Ione. Kerr and staff reviewed city and state law, and the permits, and in a report for today’s meeting recommended reviewing “whether the city should be issuing Franchise Agreements or Solid Waste Permits and whether they should be Exclusive Franchise Agreements or Solid Waste Permits.” Also, “staff will provide information on the process for Amador Disposal to obtain a new permit based on their prior withdrawal from providing services and subsequent revocation of their permit.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.