Amador County – Amador Water Agency Board of Directors voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve $9,100 in work to redevelop Camanche Water Improvement District’s Well Number 14, while the well sits dismantled awaiting a new pump.

Director Rich Farrington voted against the move, believing that the well’s water quality might not improve with the work.

President Gary Thomas said “I don’t want to sit here and second guess a professional well driller.” Consultant Pat Dunn, president of Dunn Environmental recommended 2 days’ work on the project. Field Services Manager Chris McKeage said Dunn would use a “plunger” and a “jet action” to clean sediment from the well, and would have liked to spend two days on the project, at $3,600 a day.

To save money, AWA will handle chlorination of the well, a third process recommended by Dunn, then get about 4 hours work on the plunging and jet action from Dunn. McKeage said Well 14 was already running clear when they pulled the broken pump.

The board authorized $5,500 in repairs and $3,600 for the redevelopment, and another day’s work if needed, after Thomas recommended they give Mancebo and McKeage “some leeway to spend a little more,” depending on what happened that day. Spending the additional $3,600 would need the president’s concurrence.

AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo said for $3,600, that’s hard to beat. With AWA staff chlorinating the well the day before, the agency would get 85% of benefit for 50% of the cost. Instead of 6 hours on each process, Dunn will spend 4 hours on surging and jetting work.

Mancebo said Well 14 is west of a fault line that Dunn discovered in a groundwater study he reported to the AWA last week. McKeage said Well 14 pumps will also be replaces less deeply than the well went before. It will allow installation of a 40 horse-power pump, instead of the 60 horse motor that was there.

Farrington asked about Dunn’s recommendation to reduce gallons per minute pumping at Well 14 from 350 to 250 due to turbidity. McKeage said it was recommended to reduce it closer to 200 gallons per minute.

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Amador County – Mixed martial arts returns to Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort in July with the Ultimate Fighting Championship fight Number 148 on pay per view.

Jackson Rancheria announced the pay per view event will be available on screens in the Grand Oak Ballroom at the Hotel at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 7. Doors open at 6 p.m. Stadium food and drinks will be available for purchase. People must be 21 years old to attend.

In 2010, Chael Sonnen came within two minutes of dethroning one of the greatest fighters of all time, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. On July 7, the self-proclaimed “Gangster from West Linn, Oregon” attempts to finish what he started in the most eagerly anticipated rematch in UFC history.

The card includes Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin, who will settle the score in the final bout of their trilogy, and striking superstar Cung Le battles returning Canadian knockout artist Patrick Cote.

The Silva vs. Sonnen 2 fight will be held at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with Pay Per View available in “Rancheria Style” in Jackson. Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort is located at 12222 New York Ranch Road in Jackson.

Tickets are $10, available at the Casino Cage or online at JacksonCasino.com.

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Amador County – The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Amador-El Dorado Unit announced that all burn permits in Amador County and western El Dorado County will be suspended effective July 2.

Unit Chief Kelly Keenan said time is running out for people to be able to burn residential vegetation, and urged people to complete burn projects on permissive burn days, but hold off until winter to finish burning if they feel it is unsafe due to temperature, wind, or terrain.

For safe burning, keep piles no larger than 4x4 feet, have a charged hose and shovel within arm’s reach, and keep a 10-foot barrier of bare dirt around each pile.

He said burn vegetation from your property. Household trash of any kind is illegal to burn and so are burn barrels. Never leave burn piles unattended and make sure they are completely out.

For more information see Fire.ca.gov, or ReadyForWildfire.org.

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Amador County – A Stockton man hit a major progressive jackpot in “EZ Pai Gow Poker” at Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort this week, for a resort record-setting total payout of more than $86,000 dollars.

The man, who wished to remain anonymous, got a seven card straight flush, winning the progressive jackpot of $76,00, during a hand played Tuesday, June 19 at the Jackson Rancheria. He also had a $5 bonus wager at 2,000 to 1 odds for an additional $10,000 payout and a total payout of $86,000, the largest EZ Pai Gow ever at Jackson Rancheria. In addition, two other players received $400 envy bonuses.

Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort is located at 12222 New York Ranch Road in Jackson.

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Amador County – Sutter Creek City Council on Monday approved a $3 million dollar budget for the coming fiscal year with a third straight contingency.

Finance director Joe Aguilar said the budget reflected trending upward of city-wide sales tax, property tax and Transient Occupancy Tax, reflecting an assumed 2-3% increase in revenues.

Aguilar said the worst is over for the economic downturn for the state,” reflected in the upward trend. The budget assumed they will get the revenues the city is getting this year. He said Sutter Creek has done a little better than the rest of the cities in the county, who did not get an increase property tax revenue.

Councilman Jim Swift asked about Assessor Jim Rooney’s comments that home values may decline. Aguilar said “we were told a year ago that we would be moving down and we have not experienced that…. We did not experience what the Assessor told us to expect.” Mayor Linda Rianda said the budget revenue numbers were conservative, based on the current fiscal year.

Aguilar said the budget “closed an $80,000 gap in the Police Department” when it lost a federal grant. He said it is bare bones, and advised the City Council to place itself on the city payroll, instead of its current “stipend” pay due to IRS wanting Social Security taxes collected from politicians’ pay. Swift said Council members cannot be exempted from Worker’s Comp. Aguilar said he hates “being a stickler,” but he expects the IRS to go after 3 years’ taxes.

City Manager Sean Rabe said language to correct the city’s lost Education Revenue Augmentation Funding is incorporated in the Governor’s budget, which the Legislature passed last Friday. Another bill, AB1191 addressing those funds has another legislative subcommittee hearing next week.

Swift said “the budget seems very reasonable and I know you guys worked very hard on this,” after losing the federal grant. He said Rabe and Aguilar were moving forward with diligence in watching costs, and he had confidence in them.

Rianda echoed the praise and said it was the third time they have finished a budget that showed a contingency. She said “some see you as inaccessible, but a lot of that comes from hard work.”

Aguilar said the contingency is about $79,000 for the next year. Aguilar said the contingency could drop by the end of the fiscal year base on a few variable, but “not by more than $15,000 to $20,000 dollars (up or down),” based on April numbers.

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Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-21-12 - TSPN's Tommy Fox talks with City Manager Jeff Gardner for an update on happenings in Plymouth.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-21-12

• Sutter Creek approved a budget with a contingency for the third year in a row

• AFPD board moved toward paying for training for its full time fire employees

• AWA approved redevelopment of Camanche Well 14

• A Stockton man won a record-setting $86,000 dollar Pai Gow Poker jackpot at Jackson Rancheria Casino

• Cal-Fire will suspend burn permits in the Amador-El Dorado Unit response area effective July 2

• Mixed martial arts will return to Jackson Rancheria Casino with UFC 148 on pay per view July 7  

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-21-12

• Sutter Creek approved a budget with a contingency for the third year in a row

• AFPD board moved toward paying for training for its full time fire employees

• AWA approved redevelopment of Camanche Well 14

• A Stockton man won a record-setting $86,000 dollar Pai Gow Poker jackpot at Jackson Rancheria Casino

• Cal-Fire will suspend burn permits in the Amador-El Dorado Unit response area effective July 2

• Mixed martial arts will return to Jackson Rancheria Casino with UFC 148 on pay per view July 7  

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 6-21-12 - TSPN's Tommy Fox talks with City Manager Jeff Gardner for an update on happenings in Plymouth.

Amador County – Sutter Creek City Council on Monday approved a $3 million dollar budget for the coming fiscal year with a third straight contingency.

Finance director Joe Aguilar said the budget reflected trending upward of city-wide sales tax, property tax and Transient Occupancy Tax, reflecting an assumed 2-3% increase in revenues.

Aguilar said the worst is over for the economic downturn for the state,” reflected in the upward trend. The budget assumed they will get the revenues the city is getting this year. He said Sutter Creek has done a little better than the rest of the cities in the county, who did not get an increase property tax revenue.

Councilman Jim Swift asked about Assessor Jim Rooney’s comments that home values may decline. Aguilar said “we were told a year ago that we would be moving down and we have not experienced that…. We did not experience what the Assessor told us to expect.” Mayor Linda Rianda said the budget revenue numbers were conservative, based on the current fiscal year.

Aguilar said the budget “closed an $80,000 gap in the Police Department” when it lost a federal grant. He said it is bare bones, and advised the City Council to place itself on the city payroll, instead of its current “stipend” pay due to IRS wanting Social Security taxes collected from politicians’ pay. Swift said Council members cannot be exempted from Worker’s Comp. Aguilar said he hates “being a stickler,” but he expects the IRS to go after 3 years’ taxes.

City Manager Sean Rabe said language to correct the city’s lost Education Revenue Augmentation Funding is incorporated in the Governor’s budget, which the Legislature passed last Friday. Another bill, AB1191 addressing those funds has another legislative subcommittee hearing next week.

Swift said “the budget seems very reasonable and I know you guys worked very hard on this,” after losing the federal grant. He said Rabe and Aguilar were moving forward with diligence in watching costs, and he had confidence in them.

Rianda echoed the praise and said it was the third time they have finished a budget that showed a contingency. She said “some see you as inaccessible, but a lot of that comes from hard work.”

Aguilar said the contingency is about $79,000 for the next year. Aguilar said the contingency could drop by the end of the fiscal year base on a few variable, but “not by more than $15,000 to $20,000 dollars (up or down),” based on April numbers.

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