Amador County – The city of Ione received word last week that it still needs to work on its “Report of a Waste Discharge” stemming from a 2003 leak at its wastewater treatment plant.

The California Regional Water Quality Control Board in a letter to the city said Ione’s Report of Waste Discharge “is incomplete because it does not describe measures that will be taken to prevent the discharge of seepage from the percolation ponds to Sutter Creek.”

The November 5th letter said the report “does not provide feasible solutions to prevent wastewater from surfacing outside of the proposed Pond 8.”

The Regional Board said if “the discharge of seepage to Sutter Creek continues, it will be necessary” for the city to obtain a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit.

Jim Scully, who lives on Old Stockton Road, near the city’s wastewater treatment plant storage ponds, provided TSPN with a copy of the letter, which was from Cliff Raley, of the Regional Board’s “Waste Discharge to Land Permitting Unit.”

The letter was addressed to Ione City Manager Kim Kerr, with copies indicated to have been sent to Amador County Environmental Health, and the city attorney and engineer.

Kerr told the Ione City Council last week that the city still awaited on the response from the Regional Board on the city’s latest revised Report of Waste Discharge, submitted September 7th. She said: “Based on the discussion with the Regional Board, city staff is working on pulling together additional information and scheduling a follow-up meeting with the Assistant Executive Director Ken Landau from Permitting as well as Compliance staff.”

Raley cites Permitting staff’s letter saying that the “site hydrogeology condition is not favorable for the proposed design capacity of Pond 8 for its proposed location.”

Ione’s September 7th groundwater modeling report said “we conclude that groundwater baseflow to Sutter Creek will remain virtually the same before and after expansion,” and the “impact of seepage to Sutter Creek water quality was discussed in the Final EIR and it outside the scope of this report.”

Raley said the Ione “groundwater modeling report does not demonstrate that the proposed modifications will prevent seepage discharges to Sutter Creek.”

Raley said Ione on October 5th proposed “to reduce groundwater elevations near Pond 8 by pumping groundwater into Pond 4 at a maximum rate of approximately 580,000 gallons per day.”

Raley said: “This is not consistent with the proposal contained in the Report of Waste Discharge, which is to close Ponds 1-4 to reduce the seepage into Sutter Creek.”

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

Amador County – The city of Ione received word last week that it still needs to work on its “Report of a Waste Discharge” stemming from a 2003 leak at its wastewater treatment plant.

The California Regional Water Quality Control Board in a letter to the city said Ione’s Report of Waste Discharge “is incomplete because it does not describe measures that will be taken to prevent the discharge of seepage from the percolation ponds to Sutter Creek.”

The November 5th letter said the report “does not provide feasible solutions to prevent wastewater from surfacing outside of the proposed Pond 8.”

The Regional Board said if “the discharge of seepage to Sutter Creek continues, it will be necessary” for the city to obtain a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit.

Jim Scully, who lives on Old Stockton Road, near the city’s wastewater treatment plant storage ponds, provided TSPN with a copy of the letter, which was from Cliff Raley, of the Regional Board’s “Waste Discharge to Land Permitting Unit.”

The letter was addressed to Ione City Manager Kim Kerr, with copies indicated to have been sent to Amador County Environmental Health, and the city attorney and engineer.

Kerr told the Ione City Council last week that the city still awaited on the response from the Regional Board on the city’s latest revised Report of Waste Discharge, submitted September 7th. She said: “Based on the discussion with the Regional Board, city staff is working on pulling together additional information and scheduling a follow-up meeting with the Assistant Executive Director Ken Landau from Permitting as well as Compliance staff.”

Raley cites Permitting staff’s letter saying that the “site hydrogeology condition is not favorable for the proposed design capacity of Pond 8 for its proposed location.”

Ione’s September 7th groundwater modeling report said “we conclude that groundwater baseflow to Sutter Creek will remain virtually the same before and after expansion,” and the “impact of seepage to Sutter Creek water quality was discussed in the Final EIR and it outside the scope of this report.”

Raley said the Ione “groundwater modeling report does not demonstrate that the proposed modifications will prevent seepage discharges to Sutter Creek.”

Raley said Ione on October 5th proposed “to reduce groundwater elevations near Pond 8 by pumping groundwater into Pond 4 at a maximum rate of approximately 580,000 gallons per day.”

Raley said: “This is not consistent with the proposal contained in the Report of Waste Discharge, which is to close Ponds 1-4 to reduce the seepage into Sutter Creek.”

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 has reopened its business office in Jackson, with new members, and existing members volunteering to help.

New Chamber of Commerce Executive Board President Mark Borchin said this week the Chamber reopened its office at 571 South Highway 49 in Jackson, and is working to revamp its website.

The Chamber on October 19th received $15,000 in funding from the Amador County Board of Supervisors, from Transient Occupancy Tax funding. Borchin said the Chamber is reorganiz2ing with non-paid and volunteer staff, and he will serve as president through the end of the year.

He said he has asked the Chamber members to commit to a block of hours each month to help with volunteer office staffing, and the chamber also has gotten some new members to join.

The chamber held a couple of events this week, including its mixer Wednesday at the Bank of Amador in Jackson. The chamber also will host a ribbon cutting for the new Big 5 Sporting Goods store today, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Thursday (November 11th) at the new store’s location, at 11974 Highway 88, in Martell. The event is set for 4-6:30 p.m. Thursday. Borchin also plans to appear on TSPN’s noon news.

The former Chamber executive director, Jacqueline Lucido, is being investigated for improper use of a credit card connected to a former Chamber president. That has prompted a reorganization of the Chamber, including letting go of all paid staff, and revamping as a volunteer organization.

Borchin said the Chamber is working to get past the setback, and he plans to remain the board president until the end of the year, then Chamber members can hold a new election.

The Chamber Executive Board currently includes Borchin, owner of the Glass Doctor in Martell as president. Tom Blackman, a local Realtor is the vice president; Sharon Lundgren of Volcano Telephone is secretary and treasure; and Kevin Blasingame, a Jackson physician, is a director.

Supervisors surprised three local non-profit groups on October 19th when they approved $42,000 in Transient Occupancy Tax spending. That included $25,000 to the Amador Council of Tourism, $2,200 to the Amador Film Commission, and $15,000 to the Amador Chamber of Commerce.

The spending was approved with the idea to promote tourism through the groups, who were all given the stipulation to come back to the board to report how funds are being spent.

Supervisors put nearly 50 percent of total TOT funds into tourism, of $86,000 collected from unincorporated areas of the county.

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

Amador County – The Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency (ATCAA) made a presentation to the Jackson City Council Monday night regarding the planned construction of four single family, low-income houses on Argonaut Drive between Sutter Street and the Sierra View Estates subdivision.

The developments construction does not require the approval of the council, but was made in “a show of good faith,” according to councilmember Keith Sweet.

The housing units will provide a transitional living program for up to two years for families with children, according to Beetle Barbour, ATCAA’s Housing Resource Director.

Barbour said in a memo to the council that transitional living programs “provide stabilized housing with support services for families with children, including focused learning and development for households with a history of serious barriers to getting and keeping permanent housing.”

According to Jackson City Manager Mike Daly, ATCAA applied for funding from the State Housing and Community Development Department for funding from the Proposition 1C program. The application was based on the agency’s evaluation of housing needs in the area and the success of similar housing projects in Columbia. As a result, ATCAA was awarded $1 million to move forward with the project.

Daly said the property has been zoned as medium density residential and allows up to four dwellings per unit acre. Approval is not required because of the property size, and only a ministerial building permit is necessary.

No action was taken by the council. A timeline for when the housing would be completed and who will perform the construction is still being established.

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Amador County – Sutter Creek will host the 4th Annual Parade of Lights one month from today.

The event takes place on December 11th, but event organizers have already started spreading the word about the entry deadline, set for November 27th. “If you have a long entry, please call me to find out where you need to go before you come to the staging area to make sure there won’t be a problem with your entry turning around,” said Toni Linde, the main organizer behind the event.

The parade is local staple of the holiday season and attracts a loyal following from throughout the region. It typically features floats consisting of trucks and wagons adorned with lights. Last year, there was also a giant sleigh created by Merzlak Signs owner Kam Merzlak, a number of miniature horses pulling children in tiny sleighs, a glowing tractor from the Sutter Gold Mine and a number of horses wrapped in Christmas light collars.

A visitor to last year’s event named Janine Gariglo told TSPN she was surprised by the sense of community generated by the occasion. The event usually shuts down Main Street for most of the evening.

Staging begins at 5:30 pm, but participants are encouraged to come earlier to work on their entries. All entries must have lights on them and people who will walk in the parade. “The more the better,” said Linde. The 4th Annual Sutter Creek Parade of Lights takes place December 11th. The entry deadline is November 27th.

For more information or to make an entry, contact Toni Linde at 256-1750 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Amador County – Winter is fast approaching, and Caltrans and other road agencies are issuing requirements for motorists traveling upcountry.

Chains are required on all vehicles today except 4-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires from Silver Lake in Amador County to 1 mile west of Woodfords in Alpine County.

Chains or snow tires also may be required on vehicles traveling from 1 mile east of Arnold to Cottage Springs in Calaveras County, and from 7 miles east of Long Barn to 7.2 miles east of Strawberry in Tuolumne County.

Another similar requirement may be in place from 7.2 miles east of Strawberry to 26.4 miles east of Strawberry in Tuolumne County. Check with you your local road service agent for more details or to see if these conditions remain in effect.

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Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors on Tuesday announced an overall reduction of employee salaries and benefits totaling $285,000.

 General Manager Gene Mancebo made the announcement during a special meeting, saying there had been negotiations with all employee groups and unrepresented employees, and they had reached an agreement to reduce salaries and benefits, with the incorporation of furlough days. He said merit raises and Cost of Living Adjustments were eliminated, for an overall cut of 6-7 percent.

 Mancebo said $285,000 is the estimated reduction for all of those reductions and changes. Finance Manager Mike Lee said the two areas of the budget, salaries and benefits, “very quickly will reflect the savings.”

 President Bill Condrashoff said he would like to see all of the changes together to augment the budget at the November 18th meeting. Director Don Cooper said he agreed, but wondered if they should sub-note it, “because next year you will have these same battles.”

 The special meeting was called to further discuss the first quarter financial report, and look at hiring out a study of the agency, toward reorganization.

 Lee said salaries and benefits were reduced in the budget, and “that’s cash saved significantly from this year,” and that “will grow more in the next eight months.” Lee said that included four layoffs, and payment of money owed to those employees for things such as vacation time. Those savings will begin to show as well. He said the agency’s $10.5 million budget is balanced, “but cash doesn’t always come in on time.”

 Cooper asked why “reserve contributions and contingencies” in the operating expenses were 51 percent under budget at the end of the first quarter, September 30th. Lee said “if you increase any line item … then theoretically you’re going to eat into your surplus.”

 Cooper pointed out that the agency produced more water and collected less revenue. The report showed AWA water sales were $1.63 million for the quarter ending September 30th, and was down by $97,000 from the same time in 2009.

 Condrashoff said the quarterly really only included two months of operating costs, and was therefore misleading. Vice President Debbie Dunn said the report, then, could be “painting too rosy a picture.”

 Lee said “this is not a rosy picture, this is a specific picture of a static operating budget.”

 Mancebo pointed out that operating expenses, at $1.69 million, were 35 percent under budget for this fiscal year, and were 7.54 percent lower than 2009.

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