Sutter Creek – The Sutter Creek City Council approved a tentative budget for 2009-2010, with direction to the finance committee to look into changes in operations of the police department and sewer plant. The council voted 4-1, with Councilwoman Sandy Anderson against the moves. The council committee on finance will look at and report back on contracting work to save the city money. That includes the possibility of a merger or collaboration for the Sutter Creek Police Department, or otherwise contracting services with the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. Ed Arata urged the city to look at a sheriff agreement, saying the city has a $924,000 police department budget, or 57 percent of the total $1.6 million city budget. The committee will also look at contracting operations for the sewer plant, and will report back to the council with findings. Councilman Pat Crosby said police departments cost “a horrible amount of money.” He said his opinion is that “it is very difficult to effectively operate a police department with the budget a really small city has.” Crosby said he thought the police department would have to be a portion of a larger force to be effective. The council also voted 4-1 with Anderson to not issue bonds in the amount of $750,000, in the city’s efforts to pay itself back for the amount spent on the city sewer plant. Ed Arata said he gathered “354 signatures from people asking the city not to take out this loan.” Mayor Gary Wooten asked Arata: “Did anyone come up with a way to boost reserves without taking a loan?” The bonds would be used to restore reserves depleted on sewer maintenance. Arata said: “I guess I don’t worry about the reserves as much as the city manager,” and the city needs “to stop relying on sewer reserves.” Anderson said they can’t wait for Gold Rush, and she thought “it’s a luxury for non-staff and non-council members to not have to worry about reserves.” Wooten agreed, and said the public won’t worry until a problem arises, then they will be knocking on the door of city hall, wondering why they cannot flush their toilet. Planning Commissioner Frank Cunha said the city has the highest paid sewer employees around, and a lot of cities “farm out” the work. He said the city needs “a serious accounting of the sewer department.” Duke said the plant has 4 full-time employees and it must be worked on 7 days a week. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fiddletown - Krista Clem O’Sullivan, whose husband was allegedly shot dead after a dispute with his neighbor, now faces the prospect of eviction from her Fiddletown ranch. Clem O’Sullivan told TSPN she can’t afford the mortgage and is facing mounting debt after her husband John O’Sullivan, 47, was allegedly shot multiple times by former neighbor Kenneth John Zimmerman, 56, in August. Zimmerman was subsequently arrested and booked in the Amador County Jail on one count of murder. Clem O’Sullivan is struggling to make payments on properties the couple owned and managed together in Drytown and Shelter Cove. She said she is trying to work a business deal to turn the latter into a “retreat home.” She said the bank was working with her husband to schedule a payment plan but has not worked with her since his death, and recently issued a 60-day notice saying she must vacate the property. “The only hope I have right now is to sell off our possessions,” she said. Any attempts to raise capital are doubly hard because Clem O’Sullivan is also the full-time caretaker for their four children, ages 2 through 14. She said she received a low offer on her Chevy truck. She said the tractor her husband was riding around the time of his death was taken for evidence and “you need a tractor if you live on a ranch.” The Church of the Nazarene has offered some assistance in helping her move. John O'Sullivan, a citizen of Ireland, was an Amador County housing developer, and most recently worked with Clem O’Sullivan on the Golden Vale housing development. The couple were frequent attendees at meetings related to property development. Clem O’Sullivan called her late husband a “popular, ultra-generous man of his word, full of integrity and heart.” At a wake at his parent’s home in Ireland, there was reported to be a 6-hour procession to view his casket made up of friends and family from both Ireland and California. “I’m completely overwhelmed,” said Clem O’Sullivan. “I just can’t take it all on at once.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sutter Creek – Sutter Creek City Council decided to wait until decisions were made on the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort, before issuing bond sales to pay itself back for a sewer system rehabilitation. Bond Attorney Robert Norcross said a bond offer at 5.06 percent expires October 31st, and the offer likely would remain in effect after that date, but interest rate could change. City Manager Rob Duke said the bonds would repay $750,000 spent to purge solid matter from the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which was designed to have 480,000 gallons a day capacity, but began to max out when new business customers in Martell hooked into the system. Duke said a combined effort by the city and the Amador Water Agency, costing a total of $1.5 million will repair the sewer plant, with an expansion creating an estimated 60,000 gallons a day more capacity. The fix was needed because the Martell hook-ups immediately caused the system to be in violation of state law. Duke said repairs “took almost all of the sewer reserves, which are now upside-down.” Norcross said a “reimbursement resolution” passed by the council gives the city “full authority tonight to reimburse” itself with bonds. Councilman Pat Crosby said he is “opposed to debt” and would vote against it, saying the city would be better off tightening its belt. Councilwoman Linda Rianda asked if they would need to raise rates without the bond. Duke said he thought it better to have money in the bank, in case they have fines, which had been threatened at $30,000. He said state threats of fines had stopped because the city was working to stop violations, but quarterly violations continue. Mayor Pro Tem Tim Murphy said they have not done the bond because they do not know what Gold Rush is going to do, but he would not oppose the bond issue, even if it raised rates by a couple dollars. Duke said the city is “ahead of the curve” on maintenance, but has needed money in the bank for emergencies twice in the past 10 years. Finance manager Jeff Gardner said the $750,000 bond would put the city about $400,000 in the positive. Planning Commissioner Mike Kirkley said the city could borrow from its own other reserves and pay itself back at a lower interest rate than the bonds. Murphy said when Gold Rush decisions are made, the bond issuance might be the right thing to do. The council voted 4-1 to decline the offer, with a consensus to put it off a couple of months. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - Congressman Dan Lungren issued advice to 3rd District residents Thursday on ways to prepare for flu season. “While health care reform continues to occupy center stage in Congress, another health concern has worked its way to the national forefront because of its deadly potential: flu season,” said Lungren. He said that although the death toll for novel H1N1 might seem relatively small compared to the 36,000 who perish annually from seasonal flu, there is concern that the novel H1N1 strain could “go in a new deadly direction” and “tragically spike as the traditional flu season plays out.” Lungren recommended taking preventative measures, such as “the simple act of washing your hands,” and getting vaccinated for the flu. “This year there are new strains and complexities that we must prepare for at every level of government,” he said. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fiddletown - Krista Clem O’Sullivan, whose husband was allegedly shot dead after a dispute with his neighbor, now faces the prospect of eviction from her Fiddletown ranch. Clem O’Sullivan told TSPN she can’t afford the mortgage and is facing mounting debt after her husband John O’Sullivan, 47, was allegedly shot multiple times by former neighbor Kenneth John Zimmerman, 56, in August. Zimmerman was subsequently arrested and booked in the Amador County Jail on one count of murder. Clem O’Sullivan is struggling to make payments on properties the couple owned and managed together in Drytown and Shelter Cove. She said she is trying to work a business deal to turn the latter into a “retreat home.” She said the bank was working with her husband to schedule a payment plan but has not worked with her since his death, and recently issued a 60-day notice saying she must vacate the property. “The only hope I have right now is to sell off our possessions,” she said. Any attempts to raise capital are doubly hard because Clem O’Sullivan is also the full-time caretaker for their four children, ages 2 through 14. She said she received a low offer on her Chevy truck. She said the tractor her husband was riding around the time of his death was taken for evidence and “you need a tractor if you live on a ranch.” The Church of the Nazarene has offered some assistance in helping her move. John O'Sullivan, a citizen of Ireland, was an Amador County housing developer, and most recently worked with Clem O’Sullivan on the Golden Vale housing development. The couple were frequent attendees at meetings related to property development. Clem O’Sullivan called her late husband a “popular, ultra-generous man of his word, full of integrity and heart.” At a wake at his parent’s home in Ireland, there was reported to be a 6-hour procession to view his casket made up of friends and family from both Ireland and California. “I’m completely overwhelmed,” said Clem O’Sullivan. “I just can’t take it all on at once.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sutter Creek – The Sutter Creek City Council approved a tentative budget for 2009-2010, with direction to the finance committee to look into changes in operations of the police department and sewer plant. The council voted 4-1, with Councilwoman Sandy Anderson against the moves. The council committee on finance will look at and report back on contracting work to save the city money. That includes the possibility of a merger or collaboration for the Sutter Creek Police Department, or otherwise contracting services with the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. Ed Arata urged the city to look at a sheriff agreement, saying the city has a $924,000 police department budget, or 57 percent of the total $1.6 million city budget. The committee will also look at contracting operations for the sewer plant, and will report back to the council with findings. Councilman Pat Crosby said police departments cost “a horrible amount of money.” He said his opinion is that “it is very difficult to effectively operate a police department with the budget a really small city has.” Crosby said he thought the police department would have to be a portion of a larger force to be effective. The council also voted 4-1 with Anderson to not issue bonds in the amount of $750,000, in the city’s efforts to pay itself back for the amount spent on the city sewer plant. Ed Arata said he gathered “354 signatures from people asking the city not to take out this loan.” Mayor Gary Wooten asked Arata: “Did anyone come up with a way to boost reserves without taking a loan?” The bonds would be used to restore reserves depleted on sewer maintenance. Arata said: “I guess I don’t worry about the reserves as much as the city manager,” and the city needs “to stop relying on sewer reserves.” Anderson said they can’t wait for Gold Rush, and she thought “it’s a luxury for non-staff and non-council members to not have to worry about reserves.” Wooten agreed, and said the public won’t worry until a problem arises, then they will be knocking on the door of city hall, wondering why they cannot flush their toilet. Planning Commissioner Frank Cunha said the city has the highest paid sewer employees around, and a lot of cities “farm out” the work. He said the city needs “a serious accounting of the sewer department.” Duke said the plant has 4 full-time employees and it must be worked on 7 days a week. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sutter Creek – Sutter Creek City Council decided to wait until decisions were made on the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort, before issuing bond sales to pay itself back for a sewer system rehabilitation. Bond Attorney Robert Norcross said a bond offer at 5.06 percent expires October 31st, and the offer likely would remain in effect after that date, but interest rate could change. City Manager Rob Duke said the bonds would repay $750,000 spent to purge solid matter from the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which was designed to have 480,000 gallons a day capacity, but began to max out when new business customers in Martell hooked into the system. Duke said a combined effort by the city and the Amador Water Agency, costing a total of $1.5 million will repair the sewer plant, with an expansion creating an estimated 60,000 gallons a day more capacity. The fix was needed because the Martell hook-ups immediately caused the system to be in violation of state law. Duke said repairs “took almost all of the sewer reserves, which are now upside-down.” Norcross said a “reimbursement resolution” passed by the council gives the city “full authority tonight to reimburse” itself with bonds. Councilman Pat Crosby said he is “opposed to debt” and would vote against it, saying the city would be better off tightening its belt. Councilwoman Linda Rianda asked if they would need to raise rates without the bond. Duke said he thought it better to have money in the bank, in case they have fines, which had been threatened at $30,000. He said state threats of fines had stopped because the city was working to stop violations, but quarterly violations continue. Mayor Pro Tem Tim Murphy said they have not done the bond because they do not know what Gold Rush is going to do, but he would not oppose the bond issue, even if it raised rates by a couple dollars. Duke said the city is “ahead of the curve” on maintenance, but has needed money in the bank for emergencies twice in the past 10 years. Finance manager Jeff Gardner said the $750,000 bond would put the city about $400,000 in the positive. Planning Commissioner Mike Kirkley said the city could borrow from its own other reserves and pay itself back at a lower interest rate than the bonds. Murphy said when Gold Rush decisions are made, the bond issuance might be the right thing to do. The council voted 4-1 to decline the offer, with a consensus to put it off a couple of months. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jackson - The Amador County Sheriff’s Department was recently audited by the State of California 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Office. The goal of this inspection was to help ensure emergency calls are answered “as expediently as possible and to prove public safety agencies with updated technical and operational standards,” according to a release by Undersheriff Jim Wegner. The audit focused on 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point’s (PSAP) response to incoming calls. “As the only Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) within Amador County, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office Communications Bureau is charged with answering all 9-1-1 emergency calls that originate within the County,” said Wegner. Dispatchers provide pre-arrival instructions while fire responders are dispatched for all law enforcement and medical calls. “In the case of fires, all calls are routed to the Cal Fire Communications Center in Camino, California,” said Wegner. Amador County Sheriff Martin Ryan announced that our local center answered 99.4 percent of all emergency 9-1-1 calls received within the first ten seconds, significantly higher than the state standard of 90 percent. Wegner said, “Sheriff Ryan is extremely proud of the employees in the Communications Bureau and commends the Dispatchers for their technical proficiency, calming demeanor, ability to multi-task in the performance of their often stressful duties, and for providing excellent service to the citizens of Amador County.” This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County - Congressman Dan Lungren issued advice to 3rd District residents Thursday on ways to prepare for flu season. “While health care reform continues to occupy center stage in Congress, another health concern has worked its way to the national forefront because of its deadly potential: flu season,” said Lungren. He said that although the death toll for novel H1N1 might seem relatively small compared to the 36,000 who perish annually from seasonal flu, there is concern that the novel H1N1 strain could “go in a new deadly direction” and “tragically spike as the traditional flu season plays out.” Lungren recommended taking preventative measures, such as “the simple act of washing your hands,” and getting vaccinated for the flu. “This year there are new strains and complexities that we must prepare for at every level of government,” he said. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jackson – Hotdogs and housing units. The Amador County Planning Commission will hold 7 public hearings next week, including looking at a request for a hotdog stand permit in Martell, and the split of several parcels, including one that would create 16 one-acre lots in Drytown. The commission will consider a request for a permit “to allow for outdoor sales consisting of a hot dog stand. Applicant Gregory McKeag seeks to operate “Mac Daddy Dogs” west of Highway 49 and north of Martell Road in the Meek’s Hardware parking lot in Martell. Another hearing will be held on a request by Thomas Estate Company proposing the division of 18.84 acres into 17 one-acre, single-family residential parcels in Drytown. The item includes an “environmental document determination and possible project decision, for the parcel, located on the north side of New Chicago Road, extending to the south side of Spanish Street in Drytown. The commission will also have a public hearing on a request to split a 128.94-acre parcel into parcels of approximately 56, 36, and 37 acres in size. The applicant is Western Pacific Enterprises, Inc. and David Leea, and the parcel is on the north side of Curran Road approximately half a mile west of the most southerly junction of Curran Road and Camanche Road in the Camanche area. Another hearing could decide on a split request by Hilary Heijman and Charles Carroll. They propose splitting 26 acres into four parcels, with three a 5 acres each, one at 5.8 acres, and one at 5.2 acre. They also request “a variance from county code” that requires a “3:1 depth to width ratio for lots under 20 acres. The property is approximately 2,000 feet south of Highway 88 between Spagnoli Mine Road and Irishtown Road, bisected by Valley Vista Court in the Pine Grove area. Other splits include smaller lot splits in the Buckhorn and Pioneer areas. Another item is a request for zoning amendment under “General Provisions & Exceptions” and for temporary uses, seeking to satisfy “hardship situations, by adding provisions for temporary housing due to sudden reduction in income. The commission meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Supervisors’ chamber, 810 Court Street, in Jackson. For information, call the planning department at (209) 223-6380. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.