Amador County – The Amador County Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a town hall meeting Thursday night to discuss a Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, after dozens of letters received by local businesses regarding their compliance with the law.

Chamber executive board President March Borchin said the meeting was set after dozens of businesses “have been targeted” with letters about the Americans with Disabilities Act, and their business compliance to it. At least one of the letters has been forwarded to Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe’s office. Riebe has helped to arrange the town hall meeting.

Scott Johnson, a quadriplegic litigator from Carmichael has reportedly filed more than 1,000 ADA lawsuits in federal court over ADA compliance, and has requested settlements from businesses in the thousands of dollars. Johnson recently lost a countersuit against him for filing a frivolous lawsuit, which was awarded to a Sacramento business owner because Johnson reportedly did not have evidence to support his case, and his letters generically addressed their targeted businesses, and access and signage issues.

The Amador County town hall meeting is planned to specifically address the letters sent to Amador County businesses regarding ADA compliance. The town hall meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, in the supervisors chambers at 810 Court Street in Jackson.

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

Amador County – The Amador County Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a town hall meeting Thursday night to discuss a Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, after dozens of letters received by local businesses regarding their compliance with the law.

Chamber executive board President March Borchin said the meeting was set after dozens of businesses “have been targeted” with letters about the Americans with Disabilities Act, and their business compliance to it. At least one of the letters has been forwarded to Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe’s office. Riebe has helped to arrange the town hall meeting.

Scott Johnson, a quadriplegic litigator from Carmichael has reportedly filed more than 1,000 ADA lawsuits in federal court over ADA compliance, and has requested settlements from businesses in the thousands of dollars. Johnson recently lost a countersuit against him for filing a frivolous lawsuit, which was awarded to a Sacramento business owner because Johnson reportedly did not have evidence to support his case, and his letters generically addressed their targeted businesses, and access and signage issues.

The Amador County town hall meeting is planned to specifically address the letters sent to Amador County businesses regarding ADA compliance. The town hall meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, in the supervisors chambers at 810 Court Street in Jackson.

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

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to make no change to the Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee affecting county housing development, and also approved a related environmental document.

The board discussed heavy pressure from both sides of the argument to keep it the same or to enact lesser impact fees, which are determined by a nexus study, and approved in 2008. That impact fee rate was kept at $2,500 per single-family dwelling unit equivalent, or “$250 per trip end.”

The Board Administrative Committee, made up of Chairman John Plasse and Vice Chairman Louis Boitano recommended adoption of the traffic mitigation fee with no fee increase. Supervisor Richard Forster said the board must try to find a “happy medium” between the many businesses, and individuals who have voiced opinions to keep the fee the same, raise it or lower it. Supervisor Ted Novelli agreed, saying board members have been “bombarded” by people who want a higher or lower fee amount.

Plasse said the “nexus fee is not designed to control costs,” and it was built around a “wish list” that contributing agencies and jurisdictions were asked to assemble, listing their road project needs. He said the capital improvement plan used an engineering cost index to give the maximum cost of projects, which totaled $166 million. He said projects are coming in under estimates, such as the recently completed Mission Boulevard extension in Jackson, which was bid for half the cost estimated.

Boitano said: “I think we all agree that we will never get to that total of $166 million” in the coffers for the Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee program. He said the California Transportation Department looks at projects and the fair share amount of local contributions, and if the funds are not there, they move on to the next project on the list. He said the Mission Boulevard project was built because money was set aside for it.

Supervisor Brian Oneto asked about Caltrans designation of the new Highway 49 bypass as having a level-of-service of a grade D. He said: “What the heck is level A, no cars on the road?”

Boitano said Amador County is losing population and has 2,000 uninhabited homes, not counting within cities. He said he has three empty houses on his street. ¶ In the public hearing, Leroy Carlin said “trip ends per household” seem to be based on information that is “already flawed.” Boitano noted that in the nexus, even homes with teenagers get only 10 trip ends.

The vote included approval of a notice of categorical exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act, because “individual project CEQA review will occur when sufficient funding is available.”

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Amador County – Amador County Fair board members, staff and guests enjoyed multiple awards for its 2010 fair, during the annual conference of the Western Fair Association.

Karen Spencer said in a news release Monday that the 2010 Amador County Fair was recognized in eight categories in the annual Western Fair Association Achievement Awards competition. Three first and three third place wins were chalked up by the Fair’s marketing and communication pieces for the 2010 “It’s A Jungle Out There” themed Fair.

WFA is composed of member fairs and large special events in the western United States, plus major shows in Canada. The Amador County Fair competed against other fairs of similar size.

Top honors went to the Amador County Fair for poster art by Rand Huggett and its KSEG radio commercial. Other awards were for newspaper ads, display advertising, and direct mail, plus the Fair’s RV Policies Handbook and the Junior Livestock Auction Policy Handbook.

CEO Troy Bowers and Fair Board Members Robert Manassero, Frank Halverson, Ciro Thoma, Marilyn Hoopes, Chuck Simmons, Jeannie Deaver, Mike Boitano and Jan Howard attended the annual Achievement Awards Dinner in Nevada. To receive the award, they all dressed in purple hats and purple boas, the favorite color of former CEO Susan Clark, who was inducted into the WFA Hall of Fame during the conference.

Spencer said the board is “looking forward to another award-winning Fair,” and “the 2011 event is sure to catch the eye of the judges in the next competition. “Dancing with the Steers” the new theme, which is sure to inspire some crazy competition.

The Amador County Fair will be held July 28-31 in Plymouth. For more information visit AmadorCountyFair.com and follow them on Facebook.

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