Tom
Tuesday, 29 June 2010 06:23
AWA Sets Aside 2 Days to Finalize 2010-2011 Budget
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency will discuss budgets this week, talking about La Mel Heights District 3 Today (June 29th), and setting aside Wednesday and Thursday for the agency’s general budget. The personnel committee meets 8 a.m. Wednesday in closed session to negotiate General Manager Gene Mancebo’s contract. The full board meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday to discuss the “approval to fully implement the water rate increase for the Amador Water System previously adopted by resolution.” The meeting includes review and possible approval of the 2010-2011 budget and capital improvement program. The agenda includes a resolution that would authorize “the payment of certain necessary expenses until approval” of the budget. The board has the same agenda on Thursday (July 1st), and it could continue work on all of the items. The board also holds a special meeting 7 p.m. today (June 29th) at Lockwood Fire Station Number 2 to discuss the La Mel Heights Water System. The public meeting with La Mel Heights customers was planned to “discuss operational and financial options and answer questions on information provided previously.” The AWA will discuss alternatives to get the budget balanced at the small improvement district, whose members stopped a rate increase last October with a proposition 218 protest. The increases would have been 8 percent the first year, and 15 percent each of the next 2 years after that. The agency will discuss 5 options for the La Mel system, as prepared by staff. In the report, Mancebo said: “Staff’s primary recommendation has been… consolidation of La Mel and the Amador Water System,” because as “part of a larger system, property owners would enjoy financial stability as costs are spread over a much larger customer base.” The options include a “minimal rate increase (5 percent per year for 3 years) coupled with drastic operational budget cuts.” But La Mel begins repaying an internal loan this year, with annual payments of $9,620, which Mancebo said “represents nearly 20 percent of their operating revenue.” Staff prepared analyses of that option, which included deferring loan payments to the 4th year of a financial plan already approved by the AWA board for La Mel. Mancebo said “bare bones operation might balance the budget,” but emergencies could lead to special assessments to pay for repairs. Other options for La Mel include forming its own legal entity to manage and operate the system; annexation to Volcano, Fiddletown or another community service district; or abandonment by the AWA. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Tuesday, 29 June 2010 06:27
Ione Man Arrested on Narcotics Charges
Amador County – The Amador County Combined Narcotics Enforcement Team teamed up with the Lodi Police Department last week to arrest an Ione man and 3 Lodi residents for their part in a 2-county Oxycontin sales operation. ACCNET, along with members of the Lodi Police narcotic detective unit, culminated an investigation regarding a source for street sales of Oxycontin in Amador and San Joaquin counties, with arrests Thursday (June 24), ACCNET director Jackie Long said in a release Monday. Forest Neil Springsteen, 20, of Ione, and Brandon Swartz, 20, of Lodi were “arrested for facilitation of sales of controlled substances.” 2 other Lodi residents, Jorge Estrella, 25, and Janelle Gerlack, 24, were “arrested for sales and possession for sales of controlled substances.” Long said: “A search of Estrella and his vehicle at the time of his arrest resulted in the seizure of 24 Oxycontin pills, and $1,722 in cash.” Authorities also discovered that Gerlack was carrying a purse containing “17 Xanax pills that were packaged for sales.” A “follow up search” of Estrella’s home led to “the seizure of 2.5 grams of methamphetamine, items associated with the use of controlled substances, packaging material, digital scales, and approximately 250 Oxycontin pills, 115 methadone pills, 30 Soma pills, and 74 Xanax pills.” Long said the “street value of the seized pharmaceutical pills is approximately $12,331.” Springsteen was booked into the Amador County Jail, and Swartz, Estrella, and Gerlack were booked into the Lodi City Jail. The ACSO booking form said Springsteen was facing 4 felony counts and a misdemeanor for being under the influence of a controlled substance. His bail was set at $35,000. Another Amador County man was arrested on felony drug charges last week, in an apparently unrelated case. Trevor William Popovich, 37, of Amador City was arrested June 23rd in the 800 block of Highway 49. Popovich faces felony charges of possession of a controlled substance and transporting it for sale, along with possession of a narcotic controlled substance. Popovich’s bail was set at $35,000. The Amador County Jail also booked 2 men last week on burglary charges. On June 22nd, Jeffrey Scott Perry, 43, of Pioneer, was booked on a felony second degree burglary charges. Perry’s bail was set at 25,000. A Pleasanton man was arrested June 23rd. John Wirth IV was booked on a felony first degree burglary charge, and was being held without bail. TSPN TV News story This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Tuesday, 29 June 2010 06:20
Law, Safety Officials Prepare for 4th of July Weekend
Amador County – Fourth of July weekend is right around the corner, and the U.S. Forest Service, public land offices and law enforcement agencies are preparing for any and all situations that may arise on one of the biggest recreational holidays of the year. The Forest Service is urging visitors to keep wildfire prevention in mind during celebrations on public land. “Possession of fireworks of any kind, including sparklers, is illegal,” said the agency last week, adding: “Campfires and charcoal barbecue grills are not permitted on Forest Service beaches or in the general forest.” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said last week “the Forest Service recently provided more than $35 million in grants to state forestry agencies for preparedness, suppression, equipment, and training for more than 42,000 personnel.” The agency also provided more than $10 million in grants to local volunteer fire departments. The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit says “an additional safety concern is the volume of runoff from snow melt causing rivers, creeks and waterfalls to run high, fast and cold.” They say “water that you may have crossed easily at one point in the day may not be crossable when you're ready to return.” Marine law enforcement officers will also be out in force at various public lakes and waterways as part of a national coordinated effort known as Operation Dry Water. They will be looking for boat operators whose Blood Alcohol Content exceeds the state limit of .08 percent. Operation Dry Water will include increased patrols, breathalyzer tests, as well as boater education. “We want people to be safe and have fun while recreational boating, but alcohol use has become the leading contributing factor in fatal recreational boating accidents,” said marine law enforcement officials in a release last week. According to the most recent U.S. Coast Guard statistics, Boating Under the Influence is still the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents, with 17 percent of boating fatalities a direct result of alcohol or drug use. Finally, getting to and from your weekend vacation is an important time to stay alert, as the Fourth of July is one of the most dangerous driving days of the year. A survey release Monday from the University of Minnesota's Center for Excellence in Rural Safety found an overwhelming 83 percent of Americans consider the winter months to be more dangerous , and only 8 percent believe summer is the most dangerous time on the roads. This is contrary to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which says traffic and holiday-drinking are the primary causes of accidents during the holiday. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Tuesday, 29 June 2010 06:24
Supes Approve New Traffic Fee Category for Certain Fast-Food Locations
Amador County - The Amador County Board of Supervisors heard an annual report last week on the Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee (RTMF) program and approved an amendment which will create a new fee category for fast food restaurants located within a shopping center or community. Charles Field, Executive Director of the Amador County Transportation Commission, said the report contains the results of “the RTMF oversight committee’s recommendations for program funding and other program implementation work for fiscal year 2009/10.” The issue of creating a new fast food fee category was originally raised last November, when the interests behind a Carl’s Jr. restaurant proposed for construction in the Martell Shopping Center submitted a letter to the Public Works department asking them to reconsider the existing method of determining traffic mitigation fees for such an establishment. Frank Oley of Oley & Associates, speaking on behalf of the restaurant, said current fee structures are “not consistent with actual traffic mitigation” and “this will place a heavy burden on all but the largest fast food traffic generators.” Roger Stuart of the Public Works Agency said Oley & Associates originally approached his agency with the restaurant proposal in the summer of 2008 when the traffic combined regional and local mitigation fees totaled around $144,000 total. Oley said there are a “number of reasons” traffic mitigation fees should be applied differently to Carl’s Jr. He said the business “won’t serve as many because the cost of the product is a little bit higher” and the business’ location within the shopping center means it would not have “immediate and direct access to a public roadway.” Oley said that under current standards, “it would take several years of non-profit just to pay the traffic impact fees.” Field said the resolution signed last Tuesday means the present one-time fee of $48,944 per 1000 square feet will go down to $18,240 per 1000 square feet for local fast food restaurants not adjacent to state highways. Supervisor Richard Forster said the decision eases the burden on some new businesses and has the support of local cities like Ione and Jackson. As stated in the resolution approved by the Board, the RTMF was established in October 2006 “for the purpose of collecting fees from new development to off-set the impacts of said new development upon the regional traffic circulation system.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Tuesday, 29 June 2010 06:37
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alex Lane 6-29-10
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Tuesday, 29 June 2010 06:27
Ione Man Arrested on Narcotics Charges
Amador County – The Amador County Combined Narcotics Enforcement Team teamed up with the Lodi Police Department last week to arrest an Ione man and 3 Lodi residents for their part in a 2-county Oxycontin sales operation. ACCNET, along with members of the Lodi Police narcotic detective unit, culminated an investigation regarding a source for street sales of Oxycontin in Amador and San Joaquin counties, with arrests Thursday (June 24), ACCNET director Jackie Long said in a release Monday. Forest Neil Springsteen, 20, of Ione, and Brandon Swartz, 20, of Lodi were “arrested for facilitation of sales of controlled substances.” 2 other Lodi residents, Jorge Estrella, 25, and Janelle Gerlack, 24, were “arrested for sales and possession for sales of controlled substances.” Long said: “A search of Estrella and his vehicle at the time of his arrest resulted in the seizure of 24 Oxycontin pills, and $1,722 in cash.” Authorities also discovered that Gerlack was carrying a purse containing “17 Xanax pills that were packaged for sales.” A “follow up search” of Estrella’s home led to “the seizure of 2.5 grams of methamphetamine, items associated with the use of controlled substances, packaging material, digital scales, and approximately 250 Oxycontin pills, 115 methadone pills, 30 Soma pills, and 74 Xanax pills.” Long said the “street value of the seized pharmaceutical pills is approximately $12,331.” Springsteen was booked into the Amador County Jail, and Swartz, Estrella, and Gerlack were booked into the Lodi City Jail. The ACSO booking form said Springsteen was facing 4 felony counts and a misdemeanor for being under the influence of a controlled substance. His bail was set at $35,000. Another Amador County man was arrested on felony drug charges last week, in an apparently unrelated case. Trevor William Popovich, 37, of Amador City was arrested June 23rd in the 800 block of Highway 49. Popovich faces felony charges of possession of a controlled substance and transporting it for sale, along with possession of a narcotic controlled substance. Popovich’s bail was set at $35,000. The Amador County Jail also booked 2 men last week on burglary charges. On June 22nd, Jeffrey Scott Perry, 43, of Pioneer, was booked on a felony second degree burglary charges. Perry’s bail was set at 25,000. A Pleasanton man was arrested June 23rd. John Wirth IV was booked on a felony first degree burglary charge, and was being held without bail. TSPN TV News story This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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