Amador County – Revitalization continues to change the cityscape of downtown Jackson, where at one end of the street, a complete refurbishing is in the works for the National Hotel, and at the other end, old buildings show the benefit of some good paint jobs.

The National Hotel owner, Stan Lufkowicz hosted a Chamber Mixer last week with a presentation on the hotel’s refurbishment, which plans a new restaurant, an elevator, and a complete restoration. The Jackson City Council recently also funded the design and engineering of a Creek Walk project, which would connect the downtown area with a walkway under the Highway 49/88 bridge, to the Mel & Fayes and Muni Park area.

Down Main Street, the Garibaldi Building, owned by Councilman Wayne Garibaldi, was getting a coat of blue primer, by Tom Powell Painting. The building next door, at 224 Main houses Heaven & Earth, and is also getting primer, with plans to repaint both buildings.

The Garibaldi building is home to Treasures Merchants, whose owner Lenny Hendricks said it is a private remodeling project, and was planned before the city began its Façade Improvement Program, which helped refurbish the front of the Main Event Sports Bar.

Hendricks said the Garibaldi building painting will take about two weeks. The building will be burgundy, with gold trim, and beige awnings. The Heaven & Earth building will be a darker blue, with faux awnings, and a faux shake shingle roof.

Hendricks, who has owned the business for 20 months with his wife, Rhonda, said Garibaldi was not planning to repaint the “Garibaldi’s” name denoting the home of his father’s photography studio for more than half a century. He said Garibaldi may opt to place a bronze plaque on the building’s front.

Hendricks said he was excited about the revitalization in the works in downtown historic Main Street Jackson, where across the street, Amador County Chamber of Commerce relocated its office last month. He said besides the National Hotel and its planned new restaurant, he had heard that Rosebud’s Café was working toward reopening. He said it will be good to bring more places to eat to downtown Jackson.

Story by Jim Reece

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Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors discussed a potential new rate plans for its Gravity Supply Line project on Thursday, including consolidation of agency rates, or formation of an assessment district.

Public comment mostly opposed the GSL. Ken Berry and former AWA director Debbie Dunn read from a list of complaints. Dunn, deposed in November, said she was elected to keep costs to customers down, and the project “has to be something that is affordable.”

Former AWA board President Bill Condrashoff said “the public educated you” in a series of meetings around the Central Amador Water Project service area, held by AWA’s ad hoc GSL committee. Condrashoff said: “Stop spending money on this project. It’s over.” He said a Proposition 218 protest that stopped a rate increase in CAWP service area should prove that the project is not wanted.

AWA board President Don Cooper said “we are learning a lot from customer meetings.” One is that “the existing customer base does not want to carry the burden for future customers,” even though they may have been carried by the customer base when they came to the system.

Cooper said the other thing they learned was that “people are in favor of the Gravity Supply Line.” He said they could take it with a grain of salt. People “don’t want to pay the cost, but 75-80 percent are in favor of the GSL. That’s exactly what they are telling us.”

Director Robert Manassero said they heard that ratepayers “don’t want to pay 100 percent of their share,” but an assessment district would benefit customers by letting owners of undeveloped land pay in the future. “That’s the plus I see here,” Manassero said, and “trying to spread that cost on more people.” He said the “new conceptual plan” is a “is worth looking at further.”

Director Paul Molinelli said he wanted Supervisors to know about, and agree with the AWA board seeking an extension on the time constraints for the USDA grant, so they can look into consolidation or an assessment district.

Director Art Toy said he would like to “unhinge the time constraint with the cost” which “makes that conceptual study easier for me.” He later dissented in a 4-1 approval, preferring to “go ahead with the GSL project as described, then if the conceptual study proves true,” they can put it in place later.

One man asked for details about consolidation. Agency Counsel Stephen Kronick said “as to what that exactly entails, we haven’t formulated that yet.” Story by Jim Reece

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Amador County – The Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency last week made a presentation to the Jackson City Council about a 4-unit transitional housing project it is seeking to place at Sutter Street and Argonaut Lane, and today ATCAA will make the same presentation to the Jackson Planning Commission.

Housing Resources Director Beetle Barbour said ATCAA has a purchase agreement on a vacant property at Sutter Street and Argonaut Lane in Jackson, near the former Prospect Motors’ original location. She said the agency made the first presentation to the City Council last week to make sure council members hear about the project first, before the plan is also made public.

Barbour said ATCAA sent out dozens of letters to neighbors of the property requesting comment, and received only one phone call. The letter, in part, said ATCAA “proposes to place four high-quality manufactured homes on 1.5 acres as a transitional living program for families with children.” The letter noted that the agency would be speaking with the Planning Commission at 7 p.m. today (Monday, April 18) at City Hall.

The letter said ATCAA for more than a decade has operated “transitional living programs for families with children as the adults are reentering the job market.” It said “families participating in the program are chose with care,” and “every adult must obtain and retain employment while they are enrolled in the program.” Children must be enrolled in school or in licensed child care during the day, and “homes occupied by the families must be maintained, inside and outside.” Also, “only adults enrolled and participating in the program are allowed to stay at the homes.” ¶ ATCAA’s transitional living programs, called “Sutter Family Homes,” have six families now participating. Its facilities include an older Vicotorian home in Tuolumne that was converted to three apartments; and “three new high-quality manufactured homes in Columbia.”

Barbour said the transition means a limited time stay for the families, with the intent of helping them save money to establish a home of their own.

The presentation to the Planning Commission will detail some of the rules by which participating families must abide.

Story by Jim Reece

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Amador County – Several organizations plan meetings this week. The City of Sutter Creek Gold Rush Implementation Committee meets 1 p.m. today in the Community Building, 33 Church Street.

The agenda includes considering approval of a committee mission statement. “Discussion” items include the “project implementation matrix” and the status of litigation against the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort. Items also include discussion of the status of a development agreement and the status of Master Plans for the wastewater treatment plant and Amador Regional Sanitation Authority.

The Upcountry Community Council’s “Fire Protection Committee” meets 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Veterans Hall on Buckhorn Ridge Road in Pioneer. The meeting is open to the public. Topics include “Firewise Program: Dealing with Wildland/Urban Interface,” for which Cathy Koos-Breazeal of the Amador Fire Safe Council will make a presentation entitled “Hazards – A Community Solution to a National Problem.”

The committee will also discuss staffing of fire stations and get an update on hydrant inspections, from Amador Fire Protection District Battalion Chief David Bellerive.

The Amador Regional Transit System and Amador County Transportation Commission board of directors will meet 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Supervisors Chambers. ARTS will hold a public hearing to receive comment on Amador Transit’s grant application for buses and a radio system.

The board will also get Ridership Analyses for March for the bus system, and the Amador-Sacramento Express. The ARTS General Manager will give an update on Pending Grant Expenditures, the Route Planning Committee and the July 1st Rollout of “Your New Amador Transit.” The new Mobility Manager will give reports on Ridership Benchmarks, an Overview of the Program, Progress to Date and Goals and Objectives.

 The ACTC board will look at a funding from the Public Transportation Modernization, Improvement and Service Enhancement Account. It will also look at Proposition 1B Transit Security Project priorities, and review a potential call for projects and possible reprogramming of ACTC Transportation Enhancement funds for 2012-2013. The ACTC board will also discuss a “contract amendment with Fehr & Peers to provide traffic engineering analysis for up to 30 prioritized segments or intersections” for the Regional Transportation Plan.

The Amador Fire Protection Authority board of directors meets 4 p.m. Thursday in the Supervisors Chambers. The board will discuss Measure M Staffing, with an “update by each fire agency regarding their efforts toward providing paid fire personnel for their respective areas.”

The AFPA Board will also get a report on Paid Fire Personnel, with discussion and possible action relative to a proposal for a “format for future Measure M staffing presentations,” as presented by Director Hal Gamble. The board will also discuss the ISO Rating Process, and get an update relative to the “ISO re-rating application process.” The agenda also includes an update relative to testing fire hydrants.

Story by Jim Reece.

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Amador County – A Sacramento Superior Court ruled Monday in favor of Foothill Conservancy’s suit against East Bay Municipal Utility District and its long-term water management plan to expand Pardee Reservoir.

Judge Timothy J. Frawley awarded a writ of mandate on three claims made by the Foothill Conservancy, including that the District’s Environmental Impact Report “fails to adequately describe and mitigate the potentially significant impacts on cultural and recreational resources that would result if the Mokelumne River is inundated by expansion of the Pardee Reservoir.”

The judge also ruled that “the EIR fails to adequately identify and mitigate the potentially significant safety impacts due to elimination of emergency evacuation routes.” Frawley also ruled that “the EIR’s alternatives analysis is deficient because it eliminated the Los Vaqueros Reservoir project and failed to consider a reasonable range of alternatives to the Regional Upcountry water supply components.”

The writ commanded that East Bay MUD “set aside its certification of the EIR and all related project approvals based on (California Environmental Quality Act) violations” and “prepare, circulate, and certify a legally adequate EIR.”

Foothill Conservancy Executive Director Chris Wright said the “judge basically agreed with a lot of what we were saying.”

Frawley in the ruling said the “EIR failed to adequately identify potentially significant impacts due to the possible expansion of Pardee Reservoir,” and “as a result, the District’s Board was given an erroneous view of the potential environmental impacts for the Enlarge Pardee Reservoir component. This improperly skewed the EIR’s alternatives analysis.”

Wright said the Conservancy also argued that the District should take a better look at the Los Vaqueros Reservoir project, where Contra Costa Water District is working to expand its off-site reservoir. The Conservancy alleged that the “District improperly excluded the Los Vaqueros as a potentially feasible alternative.”

Frawley agreed, saying “an EIR is required to ensure that all reasonable alternatives to a proposed project are thoroughly assessed by the responsible official. Therefore, an EIR must describe a range of reasonable alternatives.”

Frawley wrote that East Bay MUD’s “decision to omit the Los Vaqueros Reservoir project” and “exclude the project from consideration in the District’s program EIR is not supported by substantial evidence in the record.” The District rejected the Los Vaqueros project, in part, for a lack of details on the project, and partners. The judge pointed out that the same could be said of all of East Bay MUD’s “Preferred Portfolio” in its 2040 Master Plan. Among those is that the “configuration of the Enlarge Pardee Reservoir component is not determined. Neither is the operation scheme,” which the plan said will “depend on the engineering design and the participants involved.”

“In short,” Frawley wrote, “all of the District’s ‘preferred’ water supply components are shrouded in as much, or more, uncertainty than the Los Vaqueros Reservoir project.”

Story by Jim Reece

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Amador County – Local authorities are investigating as many as 40 credit card/debit card fraud cases with links to businesses in Amador County, reported in the last five weeks.

Undersheriff Jim Wegner on Thursday released details of an investigation by the Amador County Sheriff’s Office, which around March 4, “received a report of fraudulent use of two debit/credit cards. The victim reported the cards had been used at Safeway Fuel Station in Martell, and within two days of using the cards, the accounts were fraudulently accessed.”

The release said: “One account was accessed in Ceres, California and one was accessed in Georgia. The victim reported being aware of six other local victims, however none of those victims reported cases to the Amador County Sheriff’s Office.” Sheriff’s Detectives checked with Jackson Police Department and learned that numerous reports had been made to JPD.

“Since the initial report,” the Sheriff’s Office said it “has taken or connected six additional reports with similar circumstances. Several of the victims speculated that there may be credit card skimmers within the Safeway gas pumps.”

“On March 24, Sheriff’s Detectives and Safeway Corporate personnel checked the gasoline pumps at Safeway in Martell. Upon checking each pump, no skimmer devices or micro-cameras were located. Additionally, their anti-tamper measures within the card reader system had not been compromised.”

“Although there was no evidence to support the fact that the credit/debit card system had been compromised, since March 24, Safeway reported that they have conducted two additional checks of their systems and have added additional counter-measures.”

The Sheriff’s Office said that during the first week of April, the department “was contacted by a local bank/financial institution,” which “advised that they had 18 victims of fraudulent access of credit/debit cards, which had not been reported to law enforcement.”

“A review of the information provided by that bank did identify some commonalities between venders where account debit/credit cards had been used. Additionally, links between the 18 victims identified by the local bank, the 7 cases reported to the Amador County Sheriff’s Office and the 15 cases reported to the Jackson Police Department have also been identified.” The Sheriff’s Office and JPD “are working collaboratively and sharing information on these cases.”

“Sheriff’s Detectives are conducting additional investigation into local venders/businesses which have a nexus to the accounts which have been compromised. The identity of the businesses will not be released to protect the integrity of the investigation as well as to protect those venders from unsubstantiated allegations which would negatively impact their business.”

“The majority of fraudulent charges to the compromised accounts have occurred in England, Canada, Georgia and Colorado. Accounts that have been compromised have been from four local banks or financial institutions. All four of the banks/financial institutions have been cooperative with the investigation and are working with both law enforcement agencies.”

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Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors voted 4-1 Thursday to look at new funding avenues to fund its Gravity Supply Line project, including forming an assessment district in the Central Amador Water Project service area, or consolidating the agency’s rates.

Those potential changes may require delays in the GSL project, and the board will first seek an approval from Amador County and will also ask the USDA if it can get an extension on its potential $5 million grant for the project.

AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo said Thursday that staff and an ad hoc committee on the Gravity Supply Line discussed new funding alternatives. The committee of Chairman Don Cooper and Director Robert Manassero discussed the ideas with Mancebo and agency counsel Stephen Kronick, and made a presentation of the idea for a “new conceptual revenue plan” for the Agency water systems.

Kronick said the committee had discussed rate structures and options, and asked him about the legal feasibility of different options. One is “consolidating the agency’s rates,” and the other is “creating an assessment type of district in the Central Amador Water Project service area,” with the purpose of creating revenue so that water rates do not pay for the GSL, but instead that it would be financed through the new district. He said the idea was to capture participation charges at an earlier date for new development.

Kronick said they need more time to look at the potential options. Staff felt they needed some direction because it might take a delay of some of the project’s work, including the bidding period, “to fully develop these concepts.” He said the assessment district are formed by a regular election.

The delay would require a letter of extension from the USDA Rural Utility Service, Kronick said, and if they go forward with the exploration, it would not be proper to go forward with construction bidding on the GSL. Mancebo recommended getting a private construction estimate by hiring a licensed contractor, which could be used by the AWA board as a way to see the building cost in today’s market. He said the problem was maintaining a bid over a long period.

Cooper asked if they could also get an estimate for a rebuild of the CAWP pump system. Mancebo said they did not have bid-able plans and documents for that work.

Director Art Toy said he did not like the way this was going, and later voted against the action, in which the board had staff look at the cost to get a construction estimate. Toy preferred going forward with the bidding.

Staff will also approach RUS about an extension, after first getting Amador County’s agreement that a delay would also delay the repayment of the Water Development Fund loan. 

Story by Jim Reece

Amador County – Local authorities are investigating as many as 40 credit card/debit card fraud cases with links to businesses in Amador County, reported in the last five weeks.

Undersheriff Jim Wegner on Thursday released details of an investigation by the Amador County Sheriff’s Office, which around March 4, “received a report of fraudulent use of two debit/credit cards. The victim reported the cards had been used at Safeway Fuel Station in Martell, and within two days of using the cards, the accounts were fraudulently accessed.”

The release said: “One account was accessed in Ceres, California and one was accessed in Georgia. The victim reported being aware of six other local victims, however none of those victims reported cases to the Amador County Sheriff’s Office.” Sheriff’s Detectives checked with Jackson Police Department and learned that numerous reports had been made to JPD.

“Since the initial report,” the Sheriff’s Office said it “has taken or connected six additional reports with similar circumstances. Several of the victims speculated that there may be credit card skimmers within the Safeway gas pumps.”

“On March 24, Sheriff’s Detectives and Safeway Corporate personnel checked the gasoline pumps at Safeway in Martell. Upon checking each pump, no skimmer devices or micro-cameras were located. Additionally, their anti-tamper measures within the card reader system had not been compromised.”

“Although there was no evidence to support the fact that the credit/debit card system had been compromised, since March 24, Safeway reported that they have conducted two additional checks of their systems and have added additional counter-measures.”

The Sheriff’s Office said that during the first week of April, the department “was contacted by a local bank/financial institution,” which “advised that they had 18 victims of fraudulent access of credit/debit cards, which had not been reported to law enforcement.”

“A review of the information provided by that bank did identify some commonalities between venders where account debit/credit cards had been used. Additionally, links between the 18 victims identified by the local bank, the 7 cases reported to the Amador County Sheriff’s Office and the 15 cases reported to the Jackson Police Department have also been identified.” The Sheriff’s Office and JPD “are working collaboratively and sharing information on these cases.”

“Sheriff’s Detectives are conducting additional investigation into local venders/businesses which have a nexus to the accounts which have been compromised. The identity of the businesses will not be released to protect the integrity of the investigation as well as to protect those venders from unsubstantiated allegations which would negatively impact their business.”

“The majority of fraudulent charges to the compromised accounts have occurred in England, Canada, Georgia and Colorado. Accounts that have been compromised have been from four local banks or financial institutions. All four of the banks/financial institutions have been cooperative with the investigation and are working with both law enforcement agencies.”

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Amador County – The Ione City Council last week unanimously approved $1,161 to bund historic signs in downtown, which will point out the history on buildings on Main Street.

Tom Swett, president of the Ione Community Program, gave a presentation, sayignt hey should start with City Hall building, for which the sign could have pictures to show the changes over time. He said “ Dave Bruebeck’s mother probably gave piano lessons where I’m standing.”

The funds will come from the city Façade Improvement Program. City Planner Christopher Jordan said the allocation of funds would still leave $3,900 in the Façade program.

Mayor David Plank started the meeting last week by announcing that he would be trying to increase the productivity of meetings to prevent long sessions, noting one that recently lasted four hours.

Plank said Council policy follows Rosenberg’s Rules of Order, and he has asked the City Manager and City Attorney to help him follow the rules, which formalize procedural structure for meetings.

He said agendas have been marked with time references and an estimated amount of time thought to be needed for each item. He said by his not following the Rosenberg’s Rules of Order, the City Council has ended up with “unproductive” meetings. He asked staff to help keep him “on task” with the rules, and for comments to remain factual and not be personal attacks.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.