Amador County – Amador County Public Health issued a statement today (December 3rd) notifying the public that someone is illegally making telephone calls and claiming to be with the Public Health Department.

Public Health Nursing Supervisor Lori Jagoda said Public Health wants to immediately inform the community that on Thursday, December 2nd, multiple incidents occurred where a male caller telephoned local residents, falsely identifying himself as “The Health Department.” The caller then proceeded to tell them that they have a communicable disease.

The number that appears on the caller ID is the Public Health main number. Based on the information received, it is thought the male perpetrator is using technology based software to display the incoming number as the Public Health Department main number.

When an actual employee of Public Health does telephone a patient, Jagoda said, the employee will identify themselves by name after confirming that they are speaking to the patient themselves. “For example,” she said, “I would identify myself” by saying “This is Lori, a nurse from the Health Department.”

If members of the community receive any suspicious telephone calls, they are asked to call Public Health during business hours to report the incident and the descriptive information.

Normal business hours for Public Health are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and the office is closed between noon and 1 p.m.

The Amador County Sheriff’s Department is aware of the criminal activity, and Public Health is cooperating fully with the Sheriff’s Department in the investigation.

Contact Public Health at (209) 223-6407, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Amador County – The Ione City Council Monday approved a contract with its employees’ union, and an agreement with Amador County on the city’s sphere of influence.

The council in a special meeting Monday approved a five-year contract with Service Employees International Union. City Manager Kim Kerr said negotiations toward “long-term solutions” led to the agreement, which lasts through June 30th, 2015.

The building inspector/public works project manager agreed to a furlough through the end of the year, to work 16 hours a week for seven weeks. Salary changes include new hires paying their own retirement share, and existing employees eventually paying some of it, in 2 percent increases annually.

Kerr said the furlough will save $7,000, and starting in 2011, the PERS annual savings will be roughly $5,200, and grow to $20,800 in 2014-2015.

The council also approved a sphere of influence agreement with the county, which Kerr said the Board of Supervisors approved and signed Tuesday.

The council discussed the changes from the original document to the revised agreement, first presented at the first meeting of the council and supervisors. The memorandum of understanding was approved on a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Jim Ulm dissenting.

Kerr said the council directed staff at a second joint meeting to remove requirements for Amador County to designate certain land usage within the city’s sphere of influence.

The changes in the agreement stressed the importance of communication between the two agencies concerning development, Kerr said. They also had discussed land use, and authority over designations. The sphere of influence includes land outside a city limits, but considered part of its future growth area.

There was also attention given to the area to be annexed to city, so that it could be assured that a buffer area would be created between any rural and agricultural areas that would become adjacent to the development of any residential areas, Kerr said. The Amador County Local Agency Formation Commission adopted guidelines for the creation of those buffers, she said, and “we kind of built some of that same language into our city general plan.”

Ione City Council inducts its new council members at the beginning of the next meeting, starting at 6 pm Tuesday, Dec. 7th. Kerr said the council will accept a resolution from Amador County certifying the results of the election, and City Clerk Janice Traverso will certify the election for the city, and then administer the oath of office for the new council members.

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Amador County – The Amador County Transportation Commission heard progress on a regional growth modeling project in Amador County on Tuesday. Staff and consultants reviewed a mapping work to create an “Amador County Regional Blueprint,” and took comments.

Consultants used a UPlan mapping tool created by the U.C. Davis Information Center for the Environment to prioritize limited funding for traffic, and understand development patterns and influences that can “factor into market trends and decisions.”

They said it can also “help ACTC verify, support, “understand land use decisions the cities and county have made from a high level perspective,” and “provide a more robust tool to link transportation and land use.”

The study used the existing General Plans of the county and cities to map data to 2030 and 2050, and listed attractors to and discouragers of development, and “masks” that create areas that can’t be developed.

Board Member John Plasse said he was concerned about a map of slopes over 45 degrees. He said “one appears to be on my family’s property at Silver Lake, and I’m a little concerned about that.” He said the local high school and grammar school are built on slopes greater than that.

Plasse said he would like to see the details of areas designated to be too sloped for development. The consultant said it contained areas in quadrants of 50 by 50 meters, in which all of the land must be sloped over 45 degrees.

ACTC Executive Director Charles Field said: “What you are seeing here is a work of art as much as it is a work of science,” and it “should only be used from 30,000 feet,” and once you try to focus any closer, you lose detail.

Field said: “I think the real value of this model is going to be known in the next five or 10 years.”

Board Member Richard Forster said listing “Camanche infill” as an attractor was a misnomer as there is “no ability to develop there now because of water and wastewater capabilities.” Field acknowledged that Ione City Planner Christopher Jordan made note of the moratoriums in Camanche due to water and wastewater problems.

Chairman Greg Baldwin found a problem with traffic maps calling Highways 49 and 88 main arteries, but not Ridge Road, even though it carries the same number of cars per day.

Baldwin said they “really need to weigh traffic volumes, because a lot of people are finding shortcuts and they are taking them.” The consultant said it was based on Caltrans designations of “arterials,” while Ridge Road is designated as a “collector.”

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Amador County – Authorities say a man who put up a sign warning of burglars in Amador County may be impatient with a case close to him, but authorities are doing their best in the case.

Bob VanDePol put up a sign Monday near the corner of Molfino Road and Highway 88 that said: “Warning! Burglars in this area!” after a relative of his was burglarized in April. He said he did it due to what he called a string of burglaries between Molfino Road and Ousby Road.

Sheriff Martin Ryan said he was not sure why VanDePol put up the sign now, but he had spoken with the victims of that crime in April, and they shared information with him on whom they believed was responsible. Ryan said: “The laws don’t allow us to do some of the things that they wanted us to do in this case.” He discussed the limitations in the case with the victims.

Ryan said the Sheriff’s department is “going to pursue it as we do all of our other cases, to the fullest extent,” and they “have to make sure that we’ve got the right people.”

VanDePol said he thought the sheriff’s department had “completely washed their hands of this” case, and he had a good idea who burglarized the house and he wanted the sheriff to search someone’s home.

The Sheriff defended the department’s work, and said: “We’re continuing to work and follow leads in that case. It’s still active, it’s still being worked.”

Sheriff’s personnel searched the premises and surrounding yard, finding footprints, fingerprints, and a broken barbed wire fence.

VanDePol said there had been four or five burglaries in the area since April, with no related arrests. But Sheriff’s department records showed three arrests in six burglary cases in the area since April, including two men arrested in June, and another arrest in November.

In another case, one of the victims reportedly did not know the crime had occurred until notified by authorities. Another case involved theft of money from a tip jar, and was dropped because the suspect was known to the victim. A third case ended when the victim requested that the deputy not dust for fingerprints.

The six cases between Ousby and Molfino Roads compares to 121 burglary cases reported in the sheriff’s jurisdiction since April. Those 121 include not just residential burglaries, but any instance where a person enters a building, vehicle or business with the intent to commit a felony, including attempting to smuggle drugs into jail.

Sheriff’s records showed such crimes are up from 68 such cases reported in the same time frame in 2009.

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Amador County - The California Highway Patrol is once again partnering with the Calaveras County Santa’s Express Program for the 12th Annual CHiPs for Kids Toy Drive.

This is a wonderful opportunity for schoolchildren and members of the community to collect and donate new, unwrapped toys for hospitalized and disadvantaged children. The collected toys will then be delivered to the Santa’s Express Program.

Collection barrels are at the California Highway Patrol Office in San Andreas, the CHP/Sheriff Sub-Station in Arnold, Albert Michelson Elementary in Murphys, Mark Twain Elementary in Angels Camp, Copperopolis Elementary in Copperopolis, San Andreas Elementary in San Andreas, and Jenny Lind Elementary and Toyon Middle School in Valley Springs.

Toys will be collected until Monday, December 20, 2010. They will then be delivered on Tuesday, December 21st to the San Andreas Town Hall for distribution.

With public help, they will be able to put smiles on countless young faces this holiday season. The CHP thanks you in advance for supporting the CHiPs for Kids Toy Drive.

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Amador County -The Rotary Club of Plymouth-Foothills released the results of their generous drive last week to pack as many meal boxes as possible for those in need on Thanksgiving Day.

This included “everything from buns, butter, cranberries and more to the turkey,” said Rotary member Anne Filer.

The meal boxes were packed at the group’s November 23rd meeting. At least 17 volunteers were on hand to pack each box accordingly. The meal boxes were then loaded in several vehicles and taken to the Amador County Fairgrounds for pickup by 24 families in need.

“It's just one of the many ways that this Rotary club makes a difference right here in the community,” said Filer.

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Amador County – The results on the November 2nd Election were officially certified by the Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday after a presentation and update from the Elections Department.

Sheldon Johnson, Amador County Registrar of Voters, said this election, as compared to previous, “went really smoothly when all things were considered.” He said general elections usually generate a much larger voter turnout than special or primary elections.

County Surveyor George Allen said Amador County ranked third amongst counties in California for voter turnout in this election behind Sierra and Nevada counties. He said our county “usually ranks amongst the highest.”

Johnson said perhaps the most interesting trend is in the growing number of absentee voters. Out of 21,354 total votes in Amador County, 9,701 were absentee voters. He said that equals “about 80 percent” of the 12,154 absentee ballots sent out. 57 percent of the total local voters were absentee voters.

Allen referenced a “History of Elections” sheet he distributed to the supervisors and county staff. He said the total number of voters in Amador County has increased from 17,265 in 1992 to 21,354 in 2010. This indicates an increase in both population and voter turnout.

Johnson also reported that the state will be reimbursing the county for the cost of the special election held in May, to the tune of $74,000. The announcement was met with applause. In addition, he said that his department is always “implementing cost and time saving measures.”

He said there is no indication yet as to whether the state will reimburse the county for the cost of the upcoming special election in January, where voters will decide the next State Senator for District 1. Johnson said seven precincts will be open in that election, and he expects about a 40 to 45 percent voter turnout.

Johnson also took the opportunity to “thank the members of the board and other county staff who were there on election night…and provided help.”

Johnson will appear on TSPN TV News on December 14th to discuss preparations for the upcoming special election in January.

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Amador County – The Amador County Planning Commission voted 4-1 Tuesday to authorize the permits for the Buena Vista Biomass Power combustion generating plant in Jackson Valley, with approval of its environmental document and a statement overriding any unavoidable impacts.

Commissioners certified the Final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report in a 5-0 vote earlier in the evening, then discussed merits of the project before the final vote.

Commissioner Andy Byrne dissented, saying: “There are definitely benefits to the project, but there are no benefits to the valley where it will be located.” Impacts discussed included a “humming buzz” that would affect at least three homes near the plant, including two on land owned by the Buena Vista Band of Me-Wuk Indians, across Coal Mine Road.

Mitigations to those home owners include options such as having the applicant build a berm, or a fence; or to diminish interior noise, re-insulate the home, or install double-pane windows.

Commissioner Dave Wardall said the land is zoned industrial, and the project requires no zone change. He said the three homes likely affected by noise had not contacted the county. He also thought the merits of the project – burning trimmings from forest management – “helps clean forest duff,” and the “benefits outweigh the significant environmental issues.”

Chairman Ray Ryan pointed out benefits of a condition of approval emphasizing hiring locally. It included an action plan to be run by county planning staff to recruit locally, emphasizing, in order, seeking workers from Jackson Valley, Amador County and the tri-county area including Calaveras and Tuolumne counties. Ryan said it also helps toward meeting the state goals for a renewable energy project.

Commissioner Ray Lindstrom said “the benefits of the project are stronger than the problems,” and they “have to go forward.”

Ryan said as Ione faces the potential closure of Preston Youth Prison, he thought the project paperwork should note the potential for increased revenue in Ione, though lunch or other sales workers and truckers from the plant.

Commissioner Denise Tober said people say “it’s only 18 jobs, but 18 jobs is 18 jobs,” and it would help to chip away at job losses, and “get us back where we used to be.” Tober said “jobs are desperately needed” in the county, and its use of renewable energy is another overriding condition.

Michael Muson, applicant for the Buena Vista Biomass Power Plant, said he believes “there is ample folks available with good job experience” here to hire locally. He said he wants “to put Amador County people to work,” and has always planned to hire locally at the plant.

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