Tom
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 06:09
Gold Rush Gratified with Measure N Win, Turns to Legal Challenges
Amador County – The Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort city-wide referendum in Sutter Creek took the go-ahead votes in the apparent final count Tuesday, with voters narrowly approving the measure. In effect, Gold Rush approvals by the Sutter Creek City Council were certified by the vote. Gold Rush Managing Partner Bill Bunce said: “We’re just really gratified. It’s been a very thorough process,” and he was “gratified that the process has ended the way it has.” He was happy with “voters’ support,” because they “knew it was going to be close and it was close.” Bunce said it is “very difficult to win a measure.” He thought Registrar Sheldon Johnson “was exceedingly thorough” in the count. Bunce said he did “not expect any change from this point forward” in the vote count. The next step for the project was “a couple of legal challenges that we’ll turn our attention to.” Once resolved, they will turn to mapping and approval. He said the legal challenges have an unknown time frame. One challenge is Ken Berry’s lawsuit again the project’s Environmental Impact Report, which had been “stayed pending the outcome of the referendum.” Now that Measure N was successful, they expect Berry’s suit to be prosecuted. He said Berry’s lawsuit is “a typical legal challenge to an EIR,” and “these are very common.” He said: “We’ll find our way through the lawsuit,” and “we’ll be around for the long haul.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 06:08
Police Arrest El Dorado County Man and Woman fter a Garage Burglary
Amador County – Sutter Creek Police arrested 2 suspects Sunday (June 13th) after a burglary and theft on Spanish Street. 2 El Dorado County residents face multiple felony counts in the case and were booked into the Amador County Jail, after several agencies and citizens closed a successful dragnet on the pair. Sutter Creek Police Sergeant Brian Klier in a news release Monday said the 2 suspects were identified as Rawlin James Shobert, 28, of El Dorado; and Melissa Delanne Hasley, 27, of Somerset. Klier said that just before 8 p.m. Sunday, the “suspects entered a residential garage on Spanish Street in Sutter Creek. The suspects took numerous tools and other personal items. The victim saw the suspects leave the garage, and notified Sutter Creek Police Department.” A Jackson Police Department officer and several citizens of Sutter Creek helped in the search for the suspects, who “were eventually located by SCPD Officer Tizok Del Rio in the Sutter Creek Cemetery.” Sergeant Klier said: “During a search of the suspects and bags that they were carrying, the stolen items were located, along with narcotics and narcotic paraphernalia.” 2 California Highway Patrol officers also assisted, and “transported the victim and several citizens to the cemetery, where they all positively identified the suspects.” The suspects were arrested and taken to the county jail. Shobert faces three felony charges, including possession of a controlled substance, second degree burglary, and violation of probation. Shobert was being held without bail. Hasley faces felony charges of second degree burglary and receiving known stolen property valued greater than $400. She also faced misdemeanor charges of possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, obstructing a public officer. Hasley also faced misdemeanor warrants in El Dorado and Sonoma county superior courts. Her bail was set at $60,000. Klier said “additional charges will be filed upon completion of the investigation.” TSPN TV News Report (JR) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Law Enforcement
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 06:05
Amador County Experiences Drop In Home Sales, Rise in Escrows Closed
Amador County - Amador County has experienced the biggest drop in home sale prices of any county in the Sacramento region, according to recently released statistics from researcher MDA Dataquick. For statistical purposes, the company considers the region to include El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. Home prices throughout the region have dipped slightly from one year earlier, yet this may not be a bad sign, as the total number of home sales continue to rise. The difference in median home prices in Amador County in April of 2010 compared to one year earlier has dropped by 10 percent, from $180,000 to $162,000. The median price is the point at which half the homes sell for more and half sell for less. Just one month earlier in May, the median home price in Amador County was $179,000. The price of new homes in Amador County over the course of one year dropped from $400,000 to $360,000, and detached home resale prices dropped from $177,500 to $158,500 over that same period.
Dataquick said fewer repos and a renewed sense of confidence at the higher end of the market, combined with sellers posting more realistic market prices, are considered the main factors behind the downward pricing trend and simultaneous rise in the number of escrows closed. Sacramento real estate agent Tim Collom told the Sacramento Bee that the “gap between buyers and sellers is a lot more narrow than last year.” The only county to see a rise in median home prices was Sacramento, which experienced a 4.5 percent increase to $172,500 in April compared to $165,000 one year before. Amador County also led the pack in the number of escrows closed, with a 55 percent increase over April of 2009. El Dorado, Nevada and Placer counties also experienced increases in this area, while Sacramento and Yolo counties saw 13 percent declines and Sutter and Yuba counties broke even.
Dataquick analyst Andrew LePage said these are the same trends his company is seeing throughout the state.
Overall, 3,255 homes changed hands during April in Amador, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. New homes accounted for 5 percent of sales in the region. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 06:03
AWA Looks to Be Able to Serve Its “Will Serve”Commitments
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency last week discussed allowing new treated water connections of up to 24 in Ione, and another 186 on the Tanner plant system, as the agency reaches the “bottom of the barrel” of its capacities. General Manager Gene Mancebo said “being at the bottom of the barrel capacity is new for this agency.” The agency attorney will look into state peak flow requirements and whether the agency can allow those new hook ups, by looking at Title 22’s applicability. Mancebo said the agency is “not looking to make it a state campaign,” and hopes to handle it with the district representative of the California Department of Public Health. Ione-area developer Rob Aragon (representing Ione Villages 1 LLC and the Building Industry Association) said he wanted to confirm that a connection will be given if someone does improvements and gets a final map. President Bill Condrashoff asked what staff does when they get will-serve requests, which come in at a rate of 1 to 2 per month. Engineering Manager Erik Christesen said they had “been referring them to this board meeting.” Mancebo said: “Giving will-serves is not a board action,” but “changing agency policy is a board action.” He said they have to worry about places with existing parcels, such as at Castle Oaks, and they must prepare for people who will come and say “here’s my map, here’s my check, I want service.” He said the agency is worrying about how it should function when it tries to answer such a question for service. He said “staff has been concerned, so it was brought to the board to get direction. The board will allow 2 units to connect a month, until agency counsel Steve Kronick hears from Public Health in the next 2 weeks. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Water
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 03:01
AM Live - 6-16-10: Wine, Dine and Good Times with Gale
Published in
Wine, Dine, & Good Times
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 02:57
BOS Report for 6-15-10 with Richard Forster, Supervisor
Published in
Local
Tuesday, 15 June 2010 05:53
BLM Warns of Colder, More Dangerous Water Flows
Amador County - Due to area rivers experiencing unseasonably colder, swifter, and more dangerous flows, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Mother Lode Office is asking river users to exercise caution when enjoying local river recreation. These conditions contributed to three near drownings on the Merced Wild and Scenic River in recent weeks. Rivers that would normally be receding in velocity and cubic feet per second are now high and rising, according to Mother Lode Recreation Planner Jeff Horn. “The combination of an unseasonably cool spring, significant snow packs in the Sierra Nevada, and the warming temperatures have created June conditions that haven’t been seen in 20 years,” he said. “People should be careful around all of the rivers in the foothills and never boat alone.”
With rivers such as the Merced Wild and Scenic River flowing at 12,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), river users should be aware of river safety and it is advised that parents be especially watchful of small children around areas of high flow. The BLM offers a number of river safety tips. Always wear a Coast Guard approved adjustable life jacket, helmet, protective footwear and proper clothing suitable for the type of white water you are in. Be sure your white water skills and experience are equal to the river and the conditions you are going to run. Tell someone where you are going, when you expect to return, and where to call if you don't. Know how to self rescue on white water rivers. Know when and how to swim for an eddy. Also, be prepared for extremes in weather, especially cold. Know about the dangers of hypothermia and how to deal with it. When air and water temperature add up to 120 degrees or less, hyperthermia is a high risk. Wear a wet suit and booties in spring to early summer and always in Class V water. Carry a first aid kit and know how to use it. Learn or review medical aid responsibilities and CPR. And avoid rattlesnakes and poison oak, but know how to deal with emergencies if someone is unlucky. For more information, contact David Christy, BLM Central California Public Affairs Officer, at 916-941-3146. A TSPN TV Staff Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
News Archive
Tuesday, 15 June 2010 05:55
AWA, State Differ On Title 22’s Applicability
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors discussed capacity constraints for its Amador Water System, and directed staff to discuss “Title 22” law with the California Department of Public Health. Staff will monitor applications for service, and bring the issue back if applications exceed 2 a month. An engineering report asked for a release of 24 new hook-ups in the Ione water system, and another 186 connections to the Tanner water system “until the interim capacity study is completed and a plan can be presented to the board for increased capacity from these 2 water treatment plants.” The study is expected no sooner than the 4th quarter of 2010. Engineer John Griffin in the report said staff is working with Public Health “to determine if recent conservation efforts by Mule Creek State Prison can be used to reduce existing peak 24-hour demand for the AWS-Ione service area.” It was unclear if Public Health would reduce existing peak 24-hour demands, which are calculated by the state using “Title 22” methodology. The board directed AWA attorney Steve Kronick to look into the issue. Kronick said he hoped it would only take one meeting with state Public Health officials to settle the question. District 5 Director Terence Moore raised the issue, saying Title 22 “doesn’t really apply,” because the law “does not refer to water treatment plants,” and only “applies to source capacity.” Moore said: “Staff is going to have to convince me big-time that it applies to water treatment plants.” Kronick said staff raised this question, but it was the first time he heard if from the board. Kronick said AWA staff feels that because of conservation at the prison, they “in essence have freed up capacity in the AWS system,” and “that’s why drilling down on the issue that Terry raised is so important.” Engineering Manager Erik Christesen said Title 22’s applicability was the “exact issue we raised,” and Public Health said a water source is “everything,” including water treatment capacity. Moore said he didn’t “see how the state can arbitrarily decide that it applies to water treatment plants.” President Bill Condrashoff said the systems have committed more that they have to offer. Moore said they did not surpass the systems’ “theoretical peak.” Christesen said they are “working on changes to get us to our permitted peak, and possibly beyond.” Christesen agreed with Moore that they should bring the issue back to the board when they have more definitive answers form Public Health.. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
News Archive
Tuesday, 15 June 2010 05:58
Child Care Needs Assessment Shows Lack of Licensed Services
Amador County – Fifty-eight percent of the children of working parents in Amador County cannot find the licensed child care services that they need, according to the 2009 Child Care Needs Assessment recently released by the Amador Child Care Council. There are an estimated 1,723 children aged birth to 13 years with all parents in the workforce who need child care, yet there are only 718 licensed child care spaces in the County. That means that 1,005 children must go without child care their parents need in order to be able to work. The demand for child care was determined by taking 2000 census figures, applying growth percentages, and then calculating demand for each age group of children, based on industry standards. Community profiles were created for each area in the County by looking at the numbers of children needing care, and the supply in the area. The gaps in services range from a low of 38 percent in Jackson, to a high of 71 percent in the Sutter Creek area. The need for infant and toddler care remains the highest, with only about 1 percent of spaces specifically designated for that age group. The Needs Assessment looks at the needs of low income families, as well as families of all incomes. Not only is there a gap in services overall, but there is a shortage of funding to assist low income families in paying for their child care. At the end of 2009 there were 187 children waiting to receive subsidies for which their families were eligible. The cost of care in Amador County averages $22 to $27 per day per child, with the cost of care for an infant topping $1000 per month. Other information for the report was gathered from surveys of parents, child care providers and local employers. The surveys showed that about 25 percent of the families responding had to go without needed child care at some point, and often were forced to stay home without pay if they could not find needed care. In addition, about 40 percent of the local employers surveyed had experienced attendance problems due to the child care needs of their employees. The Amador Child Care Council (ACCC) is working to increase the number of child care facilities in Amador County through ABCD Constructing Connections, a project of the Low Income Investment Fund, with major funding from First 5 California. In addition, the Council is working to increase the early care and education workforce, and to increase funding for early education services through education and outreach. The ACCC is one of fifty-eight local child care planning councils in the state of California, which are mandated by legislation to assess the need for child care in their counties every five years. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
News Archive
Tuesday, 15 June 2010 05:59
Sutter Creek Measure N Could Have 120 More Ballots To Count
Amador County – Amador County Registrar of Voters Sheldon Johnson said Monday that as many as 120 ballots remain to be counted in Sutter Creek’s Measure N election, and the election office must still prepare to count those ballots. Work remains to prepare to do the final counting. Johnson led a group of 4 staff members and election officials in a hand-count of Sutter Creek’s “Measure N” Monday, which verified that the electronic ballot counters did their job perfectly. The votes counted so far were verified, and there were 2 corrections. One “over vote” was ruled to be a “yes” vote, and one “under vote” was deemed a “no” vote. The vote count still stood with the No votes ahead by 8 points in the Measure N race, which will decide whether Sutter Creek City Council’s actions to approve the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort will be left standing or dismissed. The election department’s Debbie Smith said Sutter Creek still had a total of 38 provisional ballots and 82 vote-by-mail ballots left to count, and they planned to start the verification on the mail ballots at 10 a.m. today (June 15th). Smith said the election department must first “log in” the 82 vote-by-mail ballots, then they can process the provisional ballots. The vote-by-mail ballots are logged in by verifying each signature. She said: “I’m not sure people realize we have to verify each and every signature.” That means comparing them to signatures on file at the office. She said “it if does not look right, then I discuss it with Sheldon.” Johnson said for people to get a provisional ballot at the polls, “one thing they swear to is that they have not voted.” Smith said “nothing can be done until they get the absentee ballots keyed in.” After all those are processed, then they will update the vote count. She said 25 provisional ballots were used at one Sutter Creek precinct and 13 were used at the other. The election office will try to finish verifying ballots today and count them. The office fielded a lot of calls last Thursday about Measure N, which hindered work. They also had a furlough day off Friday. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
News Archive
