Amador County - The Plymouth City Council and its Planning Commission will hold a joint work session today on two residential projects, Zinfandel and Shenandoah Ridge, proposed by Bob Reeder and his partners.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. today, at Plymouth City Hall. Plymouth engineering consultant Richard Prima is scheduled to make a presentation on the Reeder Sutherland project, with a total of 502 single family lots, which would be constructed in phases over the next decade or so.

In a report for today's meeting, Prima said the "purpose of this meeting is to go over the project details and seek individual comments from Council members, Commissioners" and the public. The public is welcomed and encouraged to comment, but the meeting "is not a noticed public hearing, and therefore staff is not requesting any official deliberations or action by city officials at this time." The agenda noted that a public hearing on the Zinfandel and Shenandoah Ridge projects is to be held May 18th.

Prima said the Zinfandel and Shenandoah Ridge "projects have nearly completed the Environmental Review process and will be brought to the Planning Commission and City Council for final review and consideration of approval" in May or June.

He said: "Many project details, through the course of the lengthy review process which started in 2006 … have been amended based on the General Plan adopted in 2009, the Draft (Environmental Impact Report) and comments received in the 2010, Circulation Plan Update adopted in 2011 and other inputs." Both projects "have a number of documents that would be considered for adoption as part of the project approval process," and the documents were given to the City Council and Commission members in mid-April. The documents are available on the city's website, and today's meeting will focus on the Tentative Map, the Development Plan, Design Guidelines and Conditions of Approval.

Prima noted that "one important part of the project documentation is yet to be completed," the Development Agreement, which gives "an opportunity for the city and the developer to agree upon specific project details that are outside the city's current codes and policies."

He said the Development Agreement contains "various fiscal and other administrative measures, such as provisions for ongoing maintenance of all project improvements by the developer" or homeowners. It is "dependent on the fiscal elements of the project which are, in turn, dependent on the project design elements." He said "it is useful that these design elements be understood beforehand."

He noted that the "fiscal elements also are dependent on a tax-sharing agreement between the city" and Amador County.

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Amador County - The California Department of Water Resources announced results of the final snowpack survey of the season, which on Monday showed that water content is still 144 percent of the April 1 "full season average."

Manual and electronic readings showed California's near-record snowpack is slowly melting with warming spring weather. The "readings will help hydrologists forecast spring and summer snowmelt runoff into rivers and reservoirs. The melting snow supplies approximately one-third of the water used by Californians."

Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin said: "All indications are that we're moving toward summer with a good water supply for our farms and cities." He said people "must be aware, however, that California can quickly turn from wet to dry, and we can't afford to forget the lessons of conservation that we learned in the 2007-2009 drought."

Ted Thomas, DWR Information Officer said in a release Monday that "snowpack water content is measured manually on or near the first of the month from January to May, and in real-time by electronic sensors." Manual readings off Highway 50 near Echo Summit showed 117 inches of snow depth at 7,600 feet elevation, with 231 percent of the long term average, and 60 inches of "water content."

A reading at 6,700 foot elevation in Lyons Creek also had 231 percent of long term average, with 105 inches of snow, and 52 inches of water content.

Thomas said electronic readings show water content in the northern mountains is 159 percent of the April 1 season average, and likewise at 144 percent in Central Sierra, 127 in south Sierra, and 144 percent statewide.

"The first of April is normally when snowpack water content is at its peak," Thomas said. "California's reservoirs are fed both by rain and snowpack runoff. A majority of the state's major reservoirs are above normal storage levels for the date."

Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project's principal reservoir, is 112 percent of average for the date, or 93 percent of its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity. Lake Shasta north of Redding, the federal Central Valley Project's largest reservoir with a capacity of 4.5 million acre-feet, is at 108 percent of average, and 94 percent capacity.

The Department of Water Resources estimated it will be able to deliver 80 percent of requested State Water Project water this year. In 2010, it delivered 50 percent of a requested 4.1 million acre-feet, up from a record-low initial projection of 5 percent due to lingering effects of the 2007-2009 drought.

The State Water Project delivers water to more than 25 million Californians and nearly one million acres of irrigated farmland. Statewide snowpack and reservoir level readings may be found at the Department of Water Resources website.

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Amador County - A federal judge upheld a California Department of Transportation program that supports businesses owned by minorities and women, in a ruling announced April 6.

Matt Rocco, public information officer at Caltrans headquarters in Sacramento announced the results of the ruling recently, saying it was a "victory" for Cal-Trans. A U.S. District Court judge affirmed that the Caltrans "Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Program" was "clearly constitutional."

Rocco said Caltrans implements a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program "as a condition of receiving $3 billion in federal transportation funding annually. The program ensures a level playing field for disadvantaged and small businesses competing for public contracts."

Caltrans Director Cindy McKim said: "This decision affirms that Caltrans' efforts to level the playing field are constitutionally sound and will ensure that billions of dollars in federal transportation funds continue flowing to California."

Kim said: "We will continue to reach out to disadvantaged businesses and hope our program serves as a model for other states to follow."

In 2005, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a ruling on "Western States Paving vs. Washington State Department of Transportation," provided new guidance to states on implementation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs. Rocco said "in response, Caltrans conducted a study to identify the existence and scope of discrimination, if any, in the highway transportation contracting industry in California."

The study was completed in 2007 and identified significant disparities in contract dollars awarded to firms owned by African-Americans, Asian Pacific- Americans, Native Americans, and women. To address those disparities, Caltrans proposed the use of both race-neutral and race-conscious means in its contracting programs.

In 2009, the Federal Highway Administration approved the proposal, which includes an overall goal of 13.5 percent Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program involvement.

In June 2009, the Pacific Legal Foundation filed its complaint in federal court on behalf of Associated General Contractors of San Diego, asking the court to declare the Caltrans Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program unconstitutional and order it halted. On March 23rd, Judge Mendez determined that the program satisfied constitutional requirements and denied the plaintiff's request.

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Amador County - The Plymouth-Foothills Rotary club held a successful work day last weekend in Plymouth. Rotary Club public information officer Anne Filer announced the successful results Monday via e-mail, saying the "Rotarians at Work Day" was a success.

Filer said "Plymouth-Foothills Rotary Club turned out in force to assist with Plymouth Clean Up Day," which was held last Saturday, April 30th. "Trucks and cars kept driving in with loads of yard waste, old furniture and junk and filled up bins and a trash compactor from Aces Waste Service Incorporated."

Plymouth City Manager Jeff Gardner called it a "big success." Rotarians "assisted the city of Plymouth employees and volunteers in hauling junk into the bins and driving to remote pick-up locations for those who had no way to bring the trash to the drop-off site."

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Amador County - The Amador County Elections Department announced that the nomination and filing period opens May 9th for the filing of candidates for an upcoming election in August to fill three seats on the Jackson Valley Irrigation District Board of Directors.

Amador County Elections Supervisor Debbie Smith announced the General District Election in a release Monday, with a statement from Amador County Registrar of Voters and County Clerk Sheldon D. Johnson. Johnson said the "Jackson Valley Irrigation District General District Election is scheduled for August 30, 2011 for the purpose of electing three directors. Candidates must be owners of real property within the District. Such owners need not be residents of the District."

The nomination period opens Monday, May 9, 2011 and closes 5 p.m. Friday, June 3, 2011. Between these dates nomination papers will be available and can be obtained from either the office of the secretary of the district at 6755 Lake Amador Drive in Ione, or at the County Elections Department at 810 Court Street in Jackson.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the Election Department at (209) 223-6465.

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Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-4-11 - Laura Swett and Susan Wright discuss the process of assessing a home and deciding when to make necessary home modification to make it easier for seniors to remain at home.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-4-11 - ATCAA Energy Director Craig Case stops by the "Today's Seniors" set to share some weatherization tip for your home and to discuss the ATCAA weatherization program.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-4-11 - "Tody's Seniors" host Virginia Manner and Amador Lifeline Coordinator Tonya Kraft discuss some recent developments in the Amador Lifeline system as well as some of the system's many benefits.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-4-11 - Vince DeStigter of Western Health Care stops by the "Today's Seniors" set to show off some items that can make getting around easier for seniors living at home.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 5-4-11 - AM Live host Heather Murdock speaks with a number of Friday Night Live participants about the program.