Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-27-12

• Amador Supervisors voted to extend layoff notices for 8 employees while awaiting possible restoration of Triple Flip funds in the state budget.

• Jackson City Council approved a loan of Traffic Mitigation Fees to help Sutter Creek finish its Prospect Drive realignment intersection.

• Plymouth developer gets 25-year entitlement to Shenandoah Ridge, and Zinfandel residential developments.

• Amador Supervisors await budget, rider bill outcome for potential return of $1.1 million, but still face layoff list of $1.6 million in salaries.  

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-27-12

• Amador Supervisors voted to extend layoff notices for 8 employees while awaiting possible restoration of Triple Flip funds in the state budget.

• Jackson City Council approved a loan of Traffic Mitigation Fees to help Sutter Creek finish its Prospect Drive realignment intersection.

• Plymouth developer gets 25-year entitlement to Shenandoah Ridge, and Zinfandel residential developments.

• Amador Supervisors await budget, rider bill outcome for potential return of $1.1 million, but still face layoff list of $1.6 million in salaries.  

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-27-12 - TSPN's Tom Slivick talks with Plymouth City Councilman Jon Colburn, a member of No Casino in Plymouth. 

Amador County – Amador County Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to extend layoff notices for 10 more days for the top eight positions on a priority list and will consider bringing those back if everything goes through with the state for the county’s lost funding in the amount of $1.1 million.

Employees’ 21-day layoff notices were to expire Wednesday, June 27, and Supervisors had to decide whether to let the notice period pass and in effect terminate all 24 positions. County Administrative Office Chuck Iley submitted a prioritized list of positions by department, in order of importance to be recalled to work. Supervisors discussed the list and used it to determine which positions to extend layoff notices.

The motion to extend the layoff notices was contingent on the county getting back funding from the Education Revenue Augmentation Fund and triple flip funds, which could be restored by pending state legislation, and language in the Governor’s budget. The recall of eight employees would be pending the return of the ERAF funds, of property and sales tax and vehicle license fees lost to the county because of “basic aid” status of the Amador County Unified School District.

The motion included putting $250,000 into public works, though they would not allocate it to roads right now, as previously discussed in the meeting. The use would be determined later. The motion put $250,000 to public works for repairs and the rest into contingencies. Supervisor John Plasse made the motion originally to have $250,000 go to roads, but made a later motion to not state exactly where money in public works would go.

Plasse noted that Iley’s list of positions showed total salaries $1.6 million, which “is in excess of the totality of the money that may be coming back.” He also noted that the contingency goal of $1 million was only met by half, and the county continues to eat into its budget and carryover.

Supervisor Brian Oneto said they need some type of union concession to keep all 24 positions, even if they “get some funds back, there’s going to be some layoffs. It’s just a matter of who.”

Supervisor Chairman Louis Boitano agreed with the recall. Plasse suggested taking about half of the employees and restoring positions, if the $1.1 million in Triple Flip funds were restored, then putting $300,000 to restore the contingency fund to $800,000, and the rest to priorities as established by Public Works.

Oneto, Plasse and Boitano voted for the motion, and Forster and Novelli dissented. Forster preferred more funding to go toward getting employees recalled.

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Amador County – Jackson City Council voted 5-0 Monday to approve a Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee Program oversight committee’s approval of a loan of $200,000 in fee program funds to Sutter Creek’s Prospect Drive realignment project.

The Council also voted approval of impact fee changes in the program to increase single-family home fees, and decrease high-traffic commercial fees.

Manager Mike Daly said the changes were requested by the Amador County Transportation Commission in its annual report of the Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee program. The report noted that the program collected $123,714 in 2010-2011, which Daly said is the smallest amount it had ever collected.

Daly said the traffic impact fee program had funded two projects, in Jackson, including parking at Main Street and Highway 49/88 where Mel & Fayes used to be, one of the first projects funded by the local program. It also paid 50% of the Mission Boulevard extension. He said the loan would come from traffic impact fee funds approved for the extension of Sutter Street in Jackson, and Ione’s West Ione Roadway Improvement System. The total loan to Sutter Creek project would be $250,000, and would be repaid as a top priority.

Councilwoman Connie Gonsalves said the Bowers Drive intersection with Ridge Road was the poorest planned intersection of the county. She said: “Has anyone had talked to Caltrans about how messed up it is?”

ACTC member, Councilman Keith Sweet said the intersection was done in that manner so Sutter Creek could get the Walgreen’s. Sweet said it was not done properly because Gold Rush was not built yet, and it was agreed by all that it was a bad intersection.

Gonsalves asked why they did not leave the single-family impact fees the same and just decrease commercial fees. Sweet said an appeal of fees by a pizza restaurant in Martell argued that it was exceptional to McDonald’s because the latter drew traffic from Highway 49, but the pizza place argued that it would generate traffic from inside the shopping center. Sweet said ACTC spent the last year putting together an appeals process, and decided to keep a broader list of use types for fees to reduce appeals.

Councilman Wayne Garibaldi said the fees are too high and developers are seen as having big pockets, but a $50,000 impact fee is too large. He did not want to drive away businesses because of large traffic impact fees.

The council voted to change the current high-volume retail traffic impact fee from at $6,080 to $3,344 per 1,000 square feet; and approved the single-family impact fee increase by $838 to $3,878 per home. Amador County and four other city members of ACTC must ratify the rate change.

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Amador County – Last week Reeder Sutherland and developers officially received a 25-year entitlement to two of two Plymouth residential subdivisions totaling about 500 single-family homes.

City Manager Jeff Gardner said a development agreement reached between Plymouth and Bob Reeder, Reeder Sutherland president and his partners withstood a 90-day waiting period after approval of the project and annexation into the city, before they received entitlement on the 500 units. He said no challenges were filed.

Gardner said he has been actively working for about seven years on the project with Reeder, and his son-in-law, Stefan Horstchraer. The Shenandoah Ridge and Zinfandel housing developments received Plymouth City Council final approvals last year, and approval by the Amador County Local Agency Formation Commission for its project, environmental work and annexation in March.

He said the 90-day comment period expired June 20 without a protest or challenge. Reeder-Sutherland now has the green light and a 25-year entitlement to do the build-out on their project. Zinfandel designs have 365 homes, and Shenandoah Ridge has 137 homes.

Gardner said Reeder would like to start by 2013 but he thinks it would probably be closer to 2014 because of a lot of work ahead. The developments require engineering, encroachment permits from Caltrans for the Highway 49 corridor, infrastructure and an agreement with Amador Water Agency to get water for projects.

Reeder in past meetings was optimistic that the projects could be built in 10 years. Gardner said the water system was designed for a 4% growth rate. Plymouth has a potable water pipeline connecting the city service lines with AWA’s Tanner treatment plant in Sutter Creek.

The developments’ beginnings would mark the end to a long building moratorium in Plymouth, and end 20-plus years in Plymouth’s drought of “virtually no commercial and no residential development.”

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Amador County – Amador County Supervisors approved extending layoff notices for eight employees while awaiting the potential return of $1.1 million from the state budget, but still face a layoff list of $1.6 million in salaries.

Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster said he would be more in favor of trying to retain some of the positions beyond the eight. Supervisor Chairman Louis Boitano agreed. The total list of those getting layoff notices was 24 positions, 16 of which are full-time-equivalent. Nine others are 60% or less full-time-equivalent positions.

Supervisor Ted Novelli said he would prefer giving funds to both areas, employees and public works, and noted that they would need approval of the union to bring people back as extra help. County Administrative Officer Chuck Iley said they would have to discuss that with the union.

Steve Bristow, business agent for Service Employees International Union Local 1021, representing county employees said the union can agree to the layoff notice extension.

Iley said the Legislature was expecting to pass the state budget Wednesday, June 27 and the remaining budget rider bills next week. He said the board could have a special meeting next Tuesday, June 31 if needed.

Iley said none of the department heads are saying they don’t need employees. Forster said layoffs and recalls would go by seniority. Supervisor Brian Oneto said “we’re still eating into our carryover and we either need to make some cuts now and bleed a little red ink, or keep staffing and bleed a lot of red ink.” Boitano suggested crossing out part-timers and keeping what’s left, or about 16 full-time positions.

Supervisor John Plasse asked how much of the potentially restored $1.1 million should be dedicated to “other use.” He said: “I don’t see the need to restore the full $1 million to the contingency right now.” He motioned that, pending restoration of the $1.1 million in Triple Flip funds, they recall the top eight prioritized positions, with salaries totaling $563,000; then put $250,000 to public works for prioritized repairs; and the remaining $300,000-pluss to contingencies.

Forster asked what it would cost to extend the whole list by 10 days. Iley said “we’re paying employees who are not working and it is not cheap.” Forster supported recall of employees, but “my inclination would be to put more of that money into employee costs.”

County Counsel Greg Gillott said no extension to the layoff notices would mean everyone would be laid off then essentially terminated. Extending the layoff notice allows employees to keep vacation time that they have accrued.

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Amador County – The Sierra Nevada Conservancy announced last week that approximately $5 million in conservation grants are now available to organizations working with ranchers and farmers in the Sierra Nevada region on “working landscapes.”

The grants are funded by Proposition 84, for projects that must provide a public benefit. Sierra Nevada Conservancy Executive Officer Jim Branham said “ranching and farming has a rich and important place in the heritage of the Sierra, so preserving that heritage is critical to our future. Cattle graze the Sierra in the spring and summer, and farmers work their fields many months of the year.”

Branham said “if ranchers and farmers need assistance with projects or plans that help conserve or restore land and water resources, we invite them to work with eligible organizations to apply.”

Eligible applicants include public agencies, qualifying nonprofit organizations whose charitable purposes are consistent with the purposes of the SNC, and eligible tribal organizations.

The “Proposition 84 Preservation of Ranches and Agricultural Lands Grant Program” is more narrowly focused on ranches and agricultural lands, Branham said. Examples of possible projects to be considered for funding must meet certain criteria. They should reduce erosion, restore riparian integrity, restore meadows or provide for natural stream flow and stream structure. The projects should manage grazing along riparian corridors or meadows, including fencing or new water storage, for the purpose of reducing erosion, improving habitat function, and/or improving water quality.

Another example is water conservation projects to reduce agriculturally induced surface water and groundwater contamination. Another is to protect ranches and agricultural lands and associated watershed resources (such as streams, meadows and wetlands) through the use of conservation easements.

Another is grazing management or agricultural management practices that improve overall habitat conditions for habitat or stream connectivity for fish and wildlife species across working landscapes; or “pre-project administrative work such as permits, and environmental protection documents. He said “applications that are solely for the purpose of acquiring equipment or title to real property are not eligible for funding.”

Conservancy staff will be available to work with applicants during the first phase of the process, which ends July 16.

Branham said because this is a new focus for our grant program, “we are eager to reach out to the ranchers and farmers in the Sierra to help them partner with eligible applicants and move through this process.”

He said it was “a great opportunity to work with our staff to create the best application possible.”

For complete information contact the Sierra Nevada Conservancy or go to SierraNevada.ca.gov.

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Amador County – The Amador Fire Protection District board moved toward paying full-time staff for part of their training, and discussed what classes and training would qualify for reimbursement.

The AFPD board, made up of Amador County Supervisors, met Tuesday, June 19 and directed staff to look at reimbursing full-time employees for classes, and to compile a list of classes that would qualify.

Supervisor John Plasse said it raises questions of whether every class in a bachelor’s degree in fire science is relevant to fire.

AFPD Battalion Chief Dave Bellerive said the classes must apply to fire to qualify for reimbursement for volunteers, in current policy. He said non-fire related basic class requirements for degrees, like English classes would not apply. He said it would be very difficult to establish a list.

Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster said AFPD should get to the point of paying for training, not just 50%, as the volunteers are now reimbursed. Supervisors moved last week toward also getting full-time fire staff to get reimbursed for training and classes that qualify.

Supervisor Brian Oneto said: “I think I’d be a little reluctant to pay 100%.” Forster said based on what the chief discussed, all fire science is relevant. Bellerive said all personnel should be able to look at where fire has been and where it started, to help preserve the scene for investigations. He said fire fighters and engineers would not be investigating fires, but it would help them to preserve the fire scene and spot potential issues that could help the investigation.

Oneto said it depends on how deep they want to go. Forster said: “That’s why we need to come up with a list.”

Plasse agreed, saying: “Training should be paid for” and classes should be part of the personnel’s own upwardly mobile endeavors. He said they are reimbursing volunteers for these classes and he thought they should extend that to employees, but classes should be spelled out.

Oneto said a class should be allowed for reimbursement only as long as it directly pertains to firefighting. Bellerive said classes included auto extrication and driver operator classes, among others directly related to the jobs.

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Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors last week announced it will delay implementing a scheduled 9% rate increase for Wastewater Improvement District Number 1 customers until after the 2012-2013 budget is completed.

The board voted June 14 to hold the rate increase, and Board President Gary Thomas said last week the approval of the budget could have the effect of making a lower rate increase possible for Wastewater District 1, which includes most of the wastewater systems operated by the Agency.

AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo said “all or a portion of the rate increase could be implemented following financial review of the district” and AWA is “keeping our ratepayers concerns in mind. Let’s get through the budget process and a thorough review of the district finances first.” He said: “Recent cost-cutting and staff layoffs may mean we only need to implement a portion of that 9 percent increase.”

AWA budget workshops continued Monday and “a financial review of all three AWA wastewater districts is anticipated to occur later in the fiscal year,” Mancebo said.

Also in the June 14 meeting, AWA Directors heard a report from engineering consultant Peterson Brustad Incorporated on alternatives for managing “backwash” at the Buckhorn Water Treatment plant.

In the current system, backwash water is used to clean the treatment plant filters. Backwash is then piped to a pond at Mace Meadow Golf Course and used for summer irrigation. Mancebo said “the Mace Meadow pond is not large enough to accommodate all of the plant’s backwash water and 100-year rainfall events, putting the Agency at risk for fines by state regulators.”

The consultants recommended AWA install a system that would filter solids out of used backwash water and dry the solids for removal to a landfill. The filtered water could then be recycled back through the water treatment plant. Peterson Brustad also made recommendations for adjustments in water treatment and treated water storage to help the Agency meet the new state standards.

Mancebo said “the Agency is facing an October 2013 deadline to get disposal of the backwash water in compliance with new state requirements.”

Recommended improvements were estimated to costs $430,000, Mancebo said, which is “considerably less than estimates to enlarge the Mace Meadow pond. With the new system, the Agency will have the choice to continue sending water to Mace Meadow Golf Course for irrigation, or not, in the future.”

Application has been made to the State Department of Public Health for grants or low interest loans to pay for the necessary improvements. Directors unanimously approved including the project in the upcountry water system’s 2012-2013 budget and will proceed only when funding becomes available.

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