You may remember that on
January 22, 2002, a parent called the California Highway Patrol (CHP),
reporting a School District bus parked along a route with its rear axle lying
beside it. On January 13, 2003 the Amador County Unified School District shut
down all bus service for regular education students after meeting with CHP
officials and the County District Attorney. The CHP had documented a four-year
history of continuing violations of state bus safety requirements; the CHP said
it was the worst record they had ever seen anywhere in California. The bus
terminal received four failing ratings during these years and the Highway
Patrol had noted over 800 violations in the transportation operation in that
period. The CHP had earlier taken their concerns and their documentation to the
District Attorney, who initiated legal action to force the school district to
correct the problems.
The bus fleet remained out of service for a month and a
half, while numerous repairs were made. The District Attorney, Todd Riebe, decided to work with the District in fashioning a
Consent Decree, which laid out a course of corrective actions over a period of
14 months. The District was required to complete the new facility within
that 14 month time period but due to environmental concerns and numerous other
delays could not complete the project within that time frame. To begin the
project he District first had to complete the required CEQA (California
Environmental Quality Act) Report, and address concerns regarding security and the
visual appearance of the facility. The project is being funded through the
Local Bond Fund, Measure F; and the original bids were approved at 1,289,000
for initial costs for the site preparation.
The timeframe for the building to
be fabricated was also lengthened substantially as the district fought its way through
governmental red tape, Hurricane Katrina and last winter’s wild weather which all
contributed to the delays. Finally, now, the District is at the point of
ordering interior appointments as the ACUSD Board looked at the approval of a
Bid for Lube Equipment and Air Lines Installation at the New Transportation Building.
That bid was approved by the board and now the opening date of the building
according to Pat Van Lieshout,
Project Manager, should be by the first of the year. The total cost of the
project will end up at about 2,029,957 dollars according to Barbara Murray,
Asst Superintendent and Chief Business Official for the District.