Amador County – The Ione City Council on Tuesday agreed to look at delaying a rent increase for Castle Oaks Golf Course due to economic issues.

The council voted 4-1 to review the lease with Castle Oaks parent company Portlock International to see if the city can still audit the golf course. The owners asked that they pay rent for fiscal year 2009-2010 without an increase that was set to begin that year.

Castle Oaks Golf Pro Dominic Atlan said rent was to raise from 2 percent of annual revenue to 3 percent last year, the 16th year of a lease agreement. He asked that the company pay 2 percent for the 2009-2010 year due to economic stress.

The golf course net revenue was just over $2 million last fiscal year, meaning if it was allowed to pay 2 percent, the company would owe $44,000 in rent. The extra 1 percent would make them owe another $22,000.

The council voted to have staff re-evaluate the city’s ability to audit the company. Atlan said he would love to sit with the city, go over the lease and make it clear whether the city can audit the company. ¶ He said the origin of the city’s power to audit came from the need to see that Portlock could “afford to pay for the tertiary plant,” and the city had run an audit twice in 15 years.

Councilman Jim Ulm said the city should be able to justify reducing the fee with an audit.

Atlan said the company would be more than willing to allow an audit, “but there is a cost for us to bring all of our accountants and books here” from Utah. He said the city could pay for that.

City Manager Kim Kerr said staff would come back soon with information on whether an audit could be done, and set a 60-day time limit if an audit were done.

Atlan said the company has “not passed any of our costs to customers.” The council agreed to accept the check for $40,000 from Castle Oaks, while waiting to see if an audit could be undertaken.

Councilman Lee Ard dissented, saying it held Castle Oaks up to standards that other companies in the city did not have to meet. He said the city recently gave $35,000 to companies in the façade program, without the same criteria.

Ulm said he thought it set a bad precedent to allow a delay in rent increase.

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

Amador County – The Foothill Conservancy stated their disappointment Thursday over the Amador County Board of Supervisor’s decision to oppose designation of the Mokelumne River as a National Wild and Scenic River. ¶ The nonprofit group, along with many elected officials, 5,000 individuals and 100 local businesses, said the designation would protect the river from new dams and diversions and “restrain federal agencies and federal funding for dams.”

Supervisors voted 5-0 against the designation on Tuesday, citing concerns over the size of the area, eminent domain, and the Foothill Conservancy’s efforts to seek legislation in Washington, D.C. for the designation.

Supervisor John Plasse accused the Foothill Conservancy of “repeatedly advocating without the cooperation of the board of supervisors.”

The board did, however, agree to discuss legislative options with all stakeholders involved.

“We’re disappointed that the supervisors chose to oppose the designation, because it would really benefit the people and economy of the county,” said Foothill Conservancy Executive Director Chris Wright. “But we’re encouraged that they want to discuss legislative language with all of the river stakeholders.”

The Foothill Conservancy is spearheading the effort to oppose EBMUD’s 2040 plan, which includes an option to expand the Pardee Reservoir and flood portions of the Mokelumne River in order to provide more water to customers in the East Bay. They filed a joint lawsuit last November with California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Friends of the River aimed at stopping the proposed expansion.

Wright says “the final say on any proposed Mokelumne dam will be made by appointed bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., not in Jackson by the county board of supervisors. We can change that with federal legislation that addresses everyone’s concerns.”

Landowners along the river are split on the issue and have expressed concern. Speaking Tuesday, Dennis Rodman of Roaring Camp said the designation bill “sounds really great unless you read the document, then it scares you,” and “gives away your rights.”

“We sponsored a workshop for landowners a couple of years ago, and we have always been willing and happy to work with them to protect the river in a way that also protects their interests,” said Wright. “It’s possible to write the legislation to do just that. Meeting to discuss legislative options will be a great step forward in our community’s effort to Save the Moke.”

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

Sacramento - The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officially announced Thursday that it will close the Preston Youth Correctional Facility in Ione in response to a declining population as more youth are remaining at the local county level.

The closure would affect roughly 400 staff, most of whom live locally. As many as 224 juvenile wards will be incorporated into remaining youth facilities throughout the state, which include the O.H. Close and N.A. Chaderjian youth correctional facilities in Stockton.

“These changes will allow the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to operate more effectively and efficiently as the state adapts to changes in our youth population,” said CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate. “We have made great strides in developing improved treatment and rehabilitation programs for juvenile offenders and it is important that DJJ operates as cost-effectively as possible to continue that progress.”

According to the CDCR, “The number of youthful offenders in the DJJ has declined over the last decade from a peak of nearly 10,000 to its current population of approximately 1,350.” The decrease is credited to recent state legislation that narrows the defined offenses for DJJ incarceration.

“This is part of the fundamental shift of keeping lower level offenders at home near local treatment services and it facilitates support from their families and the community at large,” said the CDCR in a release.

The Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday expressed their opposition to the closure in the form of a letter to be sent to Cate and copied to several state legislators. They requested CDCR hold local community hearings to discuss the impacts the closure would have.

The board said “any decision to shut the doors at Preston Youth Correctional Facility in Ione will have a tremendous negative impact on the community of Ione and the County.” They said they are “dismayed at the lack of transparency” in determining the closure and insisted a more complete analysis be made.

They referenced the number of services provided for the youth of Preston, and the “many generations within families in our community who have made their profession in the field of corrections.”

Opened in 1894 as the Preston School of Industry, it has since become the state’s oldest operating facility for juvenile offenders.

Preston is one of four California youth facilities recently considered for closure. The DJJ has closed nine institutions and conservation camps in recent years. They did not say whether the Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp will be affected.

Staff members were officially informed on Thursday.

The closure will happen June 30, 2011.

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

Sacramento - The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officially announced Thursday that it will close the Preston Youth Correctional Facility in Ione in response to a declining population as more youth are remaining at the local county level.

The closure would affect roughly 400 staff, most of whom live locally. As many as 224 juvenile wards will be incorporated into remaining youth facilities throughout the state, which include the O.H. Close and N.A. Chaderjian youth correctional facilities in Stockton.

“These changes will allow the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to operate more effectively and efficiently as the state adapts to changes in our youth population,” said CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate. “We have made great strides in developing improved treatment and rehabilitation programs for juvenile offenders and it is important that DJJ operates as cost-effectively as possible to continue that progress.”

According to the CDCR, “The number of youthful offenders in the DJJ has declined over the last decade from a peak of nearly 10,000 to its current population of approximately 1,350.” The decrease is credited to recent state legislation that narrows the defined offenses for DJJ incarceration.

“This is part of the fundamental shift of keeping lower level offenders at home near local treatment services and it facilitates support from their families and the community at large,” said the CDCR in a release.

The Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday expressed their opposition to the closure in the form of a letter to be sent to Cate and copied to several state legislators. They requested CDCR hold local community hearings to discuss the impacts the closure would have.

The board said “any decision to shut the doors at Preston Youth Correctional Facility in Ione will have a tremendous negative impact on the community of Ione and the County.” They said they are “dismayed at the lack of transparency” in determining the closure and insisted a more complete analysis be made.

They referenced the number of services provided for the youth of Preston, and the “many generations within families in our community who have made their profession in the field of corrections.”

Opened in 1894 as the Preston School of Industry, it has since become the state’s oldest operating facility for juvenile offenders.

Preston is one of four California youth facilities recently considered for closure. The DJJ has closed nine institutions and conservation camps in recent years. They did not say whether the Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp will be affected.

Staff members were officially informed on Thursday.

The closure will happen June 30, 2011.

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

Amador County – The Foothill Conservancy stated their disappointment Thursday over the Amador County Board of Supervisor’s decision to oppose designation of the Mokelumne River as a National Wild and Scenic River. ¶ The nonprofit group, along with many elected officials, 5,000 individuals and 100 local businesses, said the designation would protect the river from new dams and diversions and “restrain federal agencies and federal funding for dams.”

Supervisors voted 5-0 against the designation on Tuesday, citing concerns over the size of the area, eminent domain, and the Foothill Conservancy’s efforts to seek legislation in Washington, D.C. for the designation.

Supervisor John Plasse accused the Foothill Conservancy of “repeatedly advocating without the cooperation of the board of supervisors.”

The board did, however, agree to discuss legislative options with all stakeholders involved.

“We’re disappointed that the supervisors chose to oppose the designation, because it would really benefit the people and economy of the county,” said Foothill Conservancy Executive Director Chris Wright. “But we’re encouraged that they want to discuss legislative language with all of the river stakeholders.”

The Foothill Conservancy is spearheading the effort to oppose EBMUD’s 2040 plan, which includes an option to expand the Pardee Reservoir and flood portions of the Mokelumne River in order to provide more water to customers in the East Bay. They filed a joint lawsuit last November with California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Friends of the River aimed at stopping the proposed expansion.

Wright says “the final say on any proposed Mokelumne dam will be made by appointed bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., not in Jackson by the county board of supervisors. We can change that with federal legislation that addresses everyone’s concerns.”

Landowners along the river are split on the issue and have expressed concern. Speaking Tuesday, Dennis Rodman of Roaring Camp said the designation bill “sounds really great unless you read the document, then it scares you,” and “gives away your rights.”

“We sponsored a workshop for landowners a couple of years ago, and we have always been willing and happy to work with them to protect the river in a way that also protects their interests,” said Wright. “It’s possible to write the legislation to do just that. Meeting to discuss legislative options will be a great step forward in our community’s effort to Save the Moke.”

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

Amador County – The Ione City Council on Tuesday agreed to look at delaying a rent increase for Castle Oaks Golf Course due to economic issues.

The council voted 4-1 to review the lease with Castle Oaks parent company Portlock International to see if the city can still audit the golf course. The owners asked that they pay rent for fiscal year 2009-2010 without an increase that was set to begin that year.

Castle Oaks Golf Pro Dominic Atlan said rent was to raise from 2 percent of annual revenue to 3 percent last year, the 16th year of a lease agreement. He asked that the company pay 2 percent for the 2009-2010 year due to economic stress.

The golf course net revenue was just over $2 million last fiscal year, meaning if it was allowed to pay 2 percent, the company would owe $44,000 in rent. The extra 1 percent would make them owe another $22,000.

The council voted to have staff re-evaluate the city’s ability to audit the company. Atlan said he would love to sit with the city, go over the lease and make it clear whether the city can audit the company. ¶ He said the origin of the city’s power to audit came from the need to see that Portlock could “afford to pay for the tertiary plant,” and the city had run an audit twice in 15 years.

Councilman Jim Ulm said the city should be able to justify reducing the fee with an audit.

Atlan said the company would be more than willing to allow an audit, “but there is a cost for us to bring all of our accountants and books here” from Utah. He said the city could pay for that.

City Manager Kim Kerr said staff would come back soon with information on whether an audit could be done, and set a 60-day time limit if an audit were done.

Atlan said the company has “not passed any of our costs to customers.” The council agreed to accept the check for $40,000 from Castle Oaks, while waiting to see if an audit could be undertaken.

Councilman Lee Ard dissented, saying it held Castle Oaks up to standards that other companies in the city did not have to meet. He said the city recently gave $35,000 to companies in the façade program, without the same criteria.

Ulm said he thought it set a bad precedent to allow a delay in rent increase.

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