Amador County – Amador Fire Protection Authority board of directors last week discussed Proposition 172 public safety funding and its possible loss, along with consolidation.

Supervisor Ted Novelli read an e-mail from Sheriff Martin Ryan, that said lost revenues of Proposition 172 to county public emergency response agencies would be $462,000 in 2012-2013, and the loss would increase by $80,000 to $90,000 each year until 2016. Ryan said the distribution formula for 172 funds was written in good economic times, and he might be asking supervisors to revisit that formula.

Novelli said: “We don’t know what is going to happen with these Prop 172 funds,” and like the sheriff pointed out, the county faces a $3.8 million deficit next year.

Jackson Valley Fire’s Jake Herfel said he was sympathetic about economics, was interested in the chain of command, and his department is bound by a service agreement with the Buena Vista Band of Me-Wuk Indians and its casino project.

Novelli said it affects not just the sheriff’s department but jails and probation. Ryan in the e-mail said he also lost money from Prop 109’s realignment of jails. Novelli said: “I don’t think anybody here wants Prop 172 funds to go away,” including the sheriff, but with the budget the way it is, he did not know the future.

Jackson Vice Mayor Connie Gonsalves suggested members gather Prop 172 accounting, “so we can prove we need the money when the fight comes, in my mind.” Sutter Creek Fire District’s Reed Shugart said “this board may want to ask supervisors if that money will be there because you can’t talk about consolidation without knowing if the money will be there for their future.”

Gonsalves said: “I’m not so sure I agree with Reed.” She said voters approved the county-wide Measure M tax to fund fire services, which it can rely on. She said “the Prop 172 money is a factor but I don’t know if it’s a break-it factor.”

Jackson City Manager Mike Daly said $163,000 was allocated to all AFPA agencies last year. Jackson received $20,000. In October 2011, Supervisors decided to fund the Amador Plan with it, including Camino dispatch. Daly said money coming back to the cities and agencies, if any is coming back, would be $39,000 to split among all departments, instead of $163,000.

Sutter Creek Fire’s Hal Gamble said “I hope the Amador Plan is going away next year.” Jackson Valley Fire’s Jake Herfel disagreed because the sheriff does not want to take over the work, and “I think we’re getting a good deal for the money now.”

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Amador County – The California Department of Transportation removed more than 2,400 bags of trash from District 10 highway roadsides last week, including 234 bags filled along Amador County’s State Roads 16, 124 and 88.

Caltrans held a statewide Litter Removal Day on Thursday, April 19, to pick up litter and debris along the state highway system and to educate the public about this costly issue.

Caltrans District 10, based in Stockton, picked up 2,442 bags of trash in the eight counties in which it works, said Angela DaPrato of Caltrans District 10, including more than 234 bags of trash in Amador County for the entire day along Highways 16, 124 and 88.

There was also an Amador County Adopt-A-Highway group that participated with Caltrans for this event. They were the Clos Du Lac Cellars. They picked up on Highway 108 from Jackson Creek Road to Martin Lane.

Caltrans reported a total of 2,441 bags of trash picked up from along roadsides in District 10. By County, those included seven bags in Alpine, 47 in Mariposa, 110 in Calaveras, 158 in Tuolumne, 436 in San Joaquin, 583 in Merced, 867 bags of trash in Stanislaus County.

Daprato said the best anti-litter campaign is to ensure trash never makes it onto the highways in the first place. Caltrans encourages people to carry a litter bag in vehicles and always dispose of trash properly. Never discard cigarette or cigar refuse improperly. Always cover and properly secure loads of trucks and pick-ups.

Last year, Caltrans spent almost $43 million on litter removal throughout the State Highway System, Daprato said. More than 150,000 cubic yards of litter were collected and disposed. That’s about 9,500 Caltrans garbage trucks full of litter.

In addition to economic costs, litter presents a wide range of serious threats to the environment and human health. Wildlife can suffer from plastics in the environment. Roadside vegetation can be damaged by large debris. Fires can be started from burning cigarettes that can threaten human health.

Harmful chemicals and biohazards can cause a serious threat to human health and litter can clog roadway drainage systems that can lead to wet-weather highway flooding, congestion, and accidents. Litter can also aid in the spread of disease.

See Caltrans’ website for more info on the Adopt-A-Highway Program or call Kathy Cockayne, District 10 Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator, at (209) 948-7462.

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Amador County – California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection will require residential burn permits beginning May 1 in the Amador-El Dorado Unit.

Permits are issued free, valid for three years from the date of issuance and allow burning dry vegetation (not household trash) that originates on the landowners property. Pick up residential burn permits at most local staffed fire stations.

CDF Amador-El Dorado Unit Chief Kelly Keenan urged safety in burning. Keenan encouraged people to get an early start now when it is safe to burn the piles versus later in the year when it is riskier due to drier, hotter conditions.

Keenan said “last year 23 percent of our wildland fires in Amador and El Dorado counties were from residential landscape debris piles that escaped the control of the person in charge.”

To reduce risk, take steps to safely burn debris piles when the ground is still damp from the recent storms, he said. Use piles no larger than 4x4 feet. Scrape a 10-foot wide bare earth ring around each pile. Keep a shovel and charged water hose nearby. Make sure an adult attends the pile until it’s completely extinguished.

Immediately before burning, call Amador County Air District at (209)223-6246 to see if it is a “permissive burn day.” For alternatives to burn piles, contact Amador Fire Safe Council at (209)295-6200.

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Amador County – The Woman’s Club of Jackson recently donated $885 to the Jackson Revitalization Committee.

On April 12, Club president Jane Gleason, and members Evelyn Caccia, Ruth Holtorf, Mary Heidecker and Connie Gonsalves presented the money to Jackson City Councilman Wayne Garibaldi, a member of the Revitalization Committee.

Gleason said the money will be used to assist in the City enhancement efforts that are currently under way. All proceeds were raised from the Club’s rummage sale, “Time Worn Treasures,” held “Dandelion Days” weekend.

Gleason said for 101 years the Woman’s Club service organization has fulfilled its commitment to the City of Jackson through Social, Civic, Educational and Philanthropic efforts.

Gleason also invited all women of Amador County to a Friday, May 4 lunch meeting, with guest speaker Shirley Harper, a retired employee of The National Hotel, who was not only the Bookkeeper but also an entertainer at the historic Hotel. Harper will share some of her songs and some intimate details about the Hotel that will only be shared with The Woman’s Club of Jackson.

Registration is at 11:30 a.m. and lunch is noon at the Native Sons Building, Excelsior Parlor Number 31, on Court Street. For info call 223-4193 or 223-4092.

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Amador County – Amador Fire Protection Authority board of directors discussed their chiefs’ work on a consolidation document last week, asking them to report their progress at the next quarterly meeting in July.

Amador Fire Protection District’s Dominic Moreno said Ione Fire Chief Ken Mackey had written part of the plan for consolidation, as the six chiefs have been meeting to discuss consolidation the past three months, using guidelines previously approved by the AFPA board.

Supervisor Chairman Louis Boitano and the Board of Supervisors sent a letter to AFPD Chief Jim McCart to ask for a consolidation plan for fire departments, and accounting of 172 spending, giving a year to respond with a definitive plan for consolidation.

Board member Hal Gamble said Sutter Creek Fire District has spent zero 172 funds. Jackson City Manager Mike Daly said Jackson has spent Measure M and 172 funds on salaries, benefits, and protective equipment. Mackey said the same was for Ione, along with recruitment. Lockwood fire said an audit was under way there.

Jacks Valley Fire’s board member Jake Herfel said his department has spent $35,000 in 172 funds: “We are a small department and that’s a small wedge, but it’s big to our budget.”

Jackson Vice Mayor Connie Gonsalves said she thought they better give Supervisors what they want, and “maybe include a note that we’re working on a consolidation plan and our thoughts” on that. The chiefs and board members all reported a majority of support for planned, non-forced consolidation.

Moreno said departments could give Prop 172 spending reports without a special AFPA meeting and the info was directed to be given to AFPA staff to be placed in spread sheets.

Ione Mayor Ron Smylie asked if the chiefs would be building the consolidation agreement in their meetings, and Gonsalves asked if the chiefs’ association has a chief.

Moreno said the chiefs’ group is not an association, and “everything we do we bring back to our boards to talk about it.” He said the framework would get the basic ideas.

Gonsalves said Jackson Fire Chief Marc Crain attends every city council meeting and reports on progress at the chief meetings. Gamble said board members need to ask their chiefs for updates. Herfel said his chief tries to attend board meetings but sometimes he is working a 24-hour shift.

She said the arena of the chiefs’ group was the best place to keep the dialogue going, then they can give a more thorough report, which the AFPA board can forward to Supervisors. Gonsalves asked that they try to get the plan to the board early to have time to discuss it.

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ACRA Bingo Nights

Amador County – Amador Fire Protection Authority board of directors last week learned their member agency boards and councils support fire consolidation, in a planned, unforced manner.

Supervisor Ted Novelli said the county faces a budget deficit of $3.8 million next fiscal year, and read a letter from Sheriff Martin Ryan, who said Amador County is the only county in California that gives Proposition 172 funding to fire departments. Ryan said he may be asking Supervisors to revisit the distribution formula for 172 funds, now going 35 percent to fire, 35 percent to law enforcement and the rest to emergency services.

AFPD Chief Jim McCart said Prop 172 funds were diverted from fire departments last year by Supervisors to fund the Amador Plan, which includes county-wide dispatching, and winter staffing of a upcountry firehouse by Cal-Fire.

Sutter Creek Fire District’s Hal Gamble recognized the entire county is in a fiscal crisis, but said the Prop 172 initiative was sold to voters “on the backs of fire fighters,” and because Amador is the only county giving the funds to fire departments does not mean the county is doing wrong. It means we are doing it right.

McCart said a recent letter from Supervisors sought accounting of fire spending of Measure M and 172 funds, and sought a consolidation plan that clearly spelled out timelines for consolidation. The letter asked McCart to get information from AFPA fire departments on their plan.

Ione Mayor Ron Smylie said Ione City Council favored consolidation, but in a planned fashion, not in mandatory fashion done rapidly. Ione Fire Chief Ken Mackey said a good example was Sacramento Metro Fire Department, which took 15 years to consolidate 18 departments.

Mackey said: “We are for it. We have no objections to the county consolidation over a period of 10 years.” He said 10 years is a maximum, and “if we get things in place in 1-and-a-half or two years, fantastic, but let’s not overshoot the runway.”

Jackson Valley Fire board member Jake Herfel supported voluntary reorganization, saying “we are slowly learning to work with each other,” and it will be better when they have good faith in one another.

Herfel said: “We all want to know that our stations are staying open and will be supported,” and that the taxpayers will be getting what they pay for. Novelli said that is the first he had heard of closures. Smylie said: “We did discuss it.”

Herfel said Jackson Valley and Lockwood Fire count as one vote on the AFPA board, and he was concerned about the chain of command, and who would oversee and govern the consolidated department. Gamble said they should have a committee assigned to go through those issues.

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Amador County – Amador Fire Protection Authority board of directors heard from its chiefs last week that they are already crafting a consolidation plan for county fire departments.

The board heard individual reports of Proposition 172 funding usage, from most department representatives, and agreed accounting of Measure M and 172 funds would be best done by sending data to the AFPA secretary, Carla Farris, who could put reports on spread sheets. The reports will be made to answer a letter to Amador County Supervisor Chairman Louis Boitano, who sent a letter on behalf of Supervisors to Amador Fire Protection District Chief Jim McCart asking for accounting of fire funds. It also gave fire departments a year’s time to be able to present a plan, including a time schedule, for consolidation of fire departments in the county.

Sutter Creek Fire Protection District Chief Dominic Moreno said the six AFPA chiefs have been meeting for three months to discuss consolidation, and they were working on a plan, which is partly written by Ione Fire Chief Ken Mackey. Moreno said bringing in a consultant would give a cookie-cutter plan, and the chiefs think they should create the plan, so paperwork is not starting over again.

They wanted chiefs to work on the framework so they can bring it back to the AFPA board for approval, and send it on to Boitano and the Supervisors.

AFPA Chairwoman Connie Gonsalves said: “That sounds great.” Board Member, Supervisor Ted Novelli said that he and Dave Bellerive and another AFPD battalion chief attended a California Local Agency Formation Commission presentation on consolidation. He said 39 different times LAFCO has helped fire agencies consolidate up and down the state.”

Novelli said he was just throwing that out there, and the chiefs and board members agreed with the possibility. Moreno said it was probably too early to get LAFCO involved.

The meeting was led by Jose Enriquez of El Dorado County LAFCO, whom Novelli since has learned would be willing to help Amador County with fire consolidation when they called him.

The Chiefs agreed to work on the plan and time schedule, and bring back a written progress report for the AFPA’s next board meeting in July. The departments will also begin submitting Prop 172 and Measure M spending information.

Gamble said “in the spirit of consolidation, some things are already under way, like training.” He said boards and city councils need to ask their chiefs for updates.

Ione Mayor Ron Smylie said the county should help each other with major catastrophes. The county is too small to just handle them by themselves. He said it was commendable that consolidation was actually happening without it being ordered.

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Amador County – The Amador Water Agency Board of Directors on Tuesday closed the submittal period of interest letters for the board’s District 3 vacancy with a list of five names to be considered.

AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo said the period closed at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 17 for letters of interest to be accepted for consideration in the District 3 vacancy left by the resignation of Director Don Cooper. Letters of interest came from Liam Bailey, Robert Fowler, Rich Farrington, Joe Bonini and Mike Miller.

An ad hoc selection committee, made up of President Gary Thomas and Vice President Paul Molinelli will conduct interviews of the five men who submitted letters of interest. The Selection Committee will be expected to make a recommendation to the full board’s remaining four members at the regular meeting Thursday, April 26.

Mancebo said the AWA board has 60 days from the effective date of the resignation to make an appointment to fill the vacancy. It the appointment is not made within those 60 days, then the appointment task would fall to the discretion of the Amador County Board of Supervisors, who would have an additional 30 days to make an appointment. Mancebo said if a appointment was not made by Supervisors in the 30-day extension period, then the vacancy would go to an election.

Cooper resigned effective March 31, due to health concerns, with nine months left on his term. Letters of interest were sought beginning Monday, April 2, and the board established the ad hoc selection committee, and set the closing date for interest letters on April 17, and set April 26 as the tentative appointment date.

Mancebo said Registrar of Voters Sheldon Johnson was planning to attend Thursday’s meeting and if an appointment decision is reached by directors, Johnson will be there to lead the appointee in the oath of office.

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Amador County – A committee of the Amador Water Agency board of directors last week was to discuss a response to information that it considered not factual regarding the Camanche water district.

Gene Mancebo, general manager of the Water Agency said Thursday that the agency Community Outreach Committee would be discussing comments posted online by a member of the Lake Camanche Village Owners Association board of directors. Mancebo said the posting gives incorrect facts including information about the operation of Camanche Well Number 14.

Camanche Owners Association Treasurer and board member Vera Ferguson signed a posting of information which was posted on the Association’s website, in its March 2012 newsletter, under the heading of “Community Bulletin Board.” Ferguson referred to a “Ratepayers Coalition,” and also listed the website of Ken Berry’s “Ratepayer Protection Alliance” in her posting, which is titled “Attention Lake Camanche Water Ratepayers: Important New Information.”

Ferguson’s posting said “AWA had been pumping Well Number 14 at full capacity since July 29, 2011.” Mancebo said Thursday that the well has been pumping at full capacity only for the last two months, but before that had been pumping at 50 percent capacity.

Ferguson also commented in the letter about a $150,000 loan from the Amador County Board of Supervisors. Mancebo said Supervisors still offer the funds, dependent on a rate increase in the Camanche system. He said the Camanche posting does not talk about a $500,000 grant that AWA already has secured for repair of lines and other work in the Camanche system.

The Committee on last week was going to consider methods of response to the posting to get factual information to customers, Mancebo said. Part of the discussion would be about asking Lake Camanche Village Owners Association to allow AWA to post information on the Association’s website. He said mailings would just increase costs, but the Agency could also post information on its own website.

The Association’s Community Bulletin Board stated that “Articles contained herein now, and in the future, are for your information only and are not direct activities of the LCVOA Board of Directors. They are not necessarily sponsored or funded by the Association.”

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