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Amador County – Amador County Administrative Officer Terri Daly resigned Tuesday after accepting the position of Assistant CAO for El Dorado County. Daly has served Amador County in her current position since March 2007. In an announcement to be released later today, Daly said it is “with a mixture of sadness and excitement” that she tendered her resignation in order to pursue “other opportunities for me and my family.” A source close to TSPN said Daly has accepted a position as Assistant CAO for El Dorado County. This was confirmed by the El Dorado County CAO’s office. According to her contract, Daly will give 60 days notice to provide Amador County with the opportunity to find someone to fill her position. Daly’s last day will be July 23rd. Daly was not available for comment at the time this story was written. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Local

Wednesday, 26 May 2010 05:59

Supes Approve Waste Rate Increases

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved rate increases as requested by both of the County’s waste service providers. ACES Waste Services will implement a 6.67 percent rate increase for the Pine Grove Transfer Station and Amador Disposal Service, a Waste Services company, will raise rates 4.91 percent for the Buena Vista Transfer Station. As explained by Jim McHargue, Solid Waste Program Manager, any refuse rate adjustments are based on a “Refuse Rate Adjustment Methodology” approved by the Supervisors in 2008. The Methodology and subsequent “Refuse Rate Index” are used to calculate adjustments based on labor, diesel fuel use, industrial vehicle replacement, industrial vehicle maintenance and urban customer usage, as well as indexed adjustments for landfill disposal costs. ACES recently made rate increases in two of its franchise areas in October of 2009 while its last rate increase for the Pine Grove Transfer Station was 5.44 percent in December of 2007. Amador Disposal raised its rate 4.81 percent at the Buena Vista Transfer Station in July of 2005 and one franchise area in October of 2009. The Supervisors expressed concern over costs related to Proposition 218, which requires local governments to gather votes from affected property owners for any proposed rate increase or assessment before it can be levied. McHargue said the “cost of 218 notification is borne by the County.” He said similar notification procedures last year to approximately 2000 customers cost $3000 for printing, copying and mailing with an additional $2000 incurred for the cost of staff time. Paul Molinelli Sr. and Jr, co-owners of ACES Waste Services, both on hand for the discussion, had previously agreed to share in the cost of the notification process. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Local

Wednesday, 26 May 2010 05:58

Canadian Bail Money Scam Reported

Amador County – And now the latest from the Amador County Sheriff’s Office. A woman reported paying $5,600 to make a bail payment for her grandson, only to find out it was a hoax. The woman told Amador County Sheriff’s dispatch that she received a call from a “Sergeant Bower in Canada,” saying her grandson was in jail custody and requesting she send $5,600. The woman paid the money, then found out May 14th that her grandson was never there. Also May 14th, a man reported that his rental home on Pine Drive was being used to cultivate marijuana. The owner lives in Arizona and said he discovered that day that the renter “is growing pot inside the house.” The owner said “it is a good amount and also there was soil seen and lights also.” That same day, a female Census worker reported being locked behind a gate on Hale Road and could not drive out. The census worker said it was unknown who lives at the residence, and the house was vacant. She drove up the road in a green and gold Subaru Outback, went to the residence on the property, and “after she went through the gate, someone came and locked the gate, locking her in.” She said it was “unknown who locked the gate or how she can get out.” A caller on Highway 104 reported grand theft of aluminum ramps for loading equipment, valued at $1,000. Unknown when the theft occurred, it was first noticed May 11th, and could have been missing 1-2 weeks. Safeway reported Tuesday (May 18th) that a man had attempted shoplifting, by trying to push away a shopping cart full of food without paying. He was stopped by security outside, then left in a Honda Accord. He was described as a white male in his mid-20s with short brown hair. On Wednesday (May 19th) Pine Grove Market on Highway 88 reported theft of $100 worth of groceries and wine. The suspect was a white male, approximately 40 years old, with a medium build. He was wearing a blue baseball cap, white shirt and blue jeans shorts, and left east-bound on Highway 88. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Law Enforcement

Wednesday, 26 May 2010 05:56

Governor Opts Not to Eeclare End to Drought

Amador County – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has chosen not to declare an end to the 3-year drought, despite record rainfall for the spring season and intense storms predicted throughout the state into June. Critics say the Governor’s decision is a political tactic to support an $11 billion water bond measure he has pushed for years, set for public consideration in November, as reported in a story in the San Francisco Chronicle. The bond will build new dams and water storage facilities, as well as provide a restoration plan for the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta. As of April 30, state measurements show the Sierra snowpack is 143 percent of normal compared to 67 percent of normal in June, 2008, when the Governor first declared a drought in the state. As of that same date, Folsom Lake was 89 percent full compared to 2008’s measurement and Shasta Reservoir was 98 percent full compared to 61 percent two years earlier. The Governor and his staff have said low levels at other reservoirs like Lake Oroville - which is currently only 65 percent full – are the reason for keeping statewide drought status. “California’s snowpack at the start of this month stood at over 140 percent of average,” said Jonas Minton, a water policy analyst for the Conservation and Planning League and a vocal opponent of the bond measure. “The average voter will be able to tell this is not a drought.” Schwarzenegger’s decision means California will officially enter its fourth year of drought on June 4. A winter storm warning is in effect as the Sierra braces for more snow storms through the week. Temperatures in Amador County and across the capital region are setting record lows. A moist pressure system is expected to bring more rain to the region through Thursday. This weekend will see a return to warmer temperatures, although the forecast high of 75 is still almost ten degrees lower that the average temperature for Memorial Day. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Story by Alex Lane

Published in State

Wednesday, 26 May 2010 05:54

Aragon Criticizes 2006 AWA Bond Statement

Amador County – Ione developer Rob Aragon questioned the Amador Water Agency board of directors last week on a statement that accompanied 2006 bonds to finance the Amador Transmission Pipeline. He asked how the agency had included improvements to the Ione water treatment plant in its bond statement for the project. Aragon said a statement with the bonds “suggested the municipal bonds were sold for the direct purpose of the Amador Transmission Pipeline,” but his concern was that it appears money was allocated for an upgrade at the Ione plant. Aragon said the “financing plan” for the 2006 bonds included an expansion of the Ione water treatment plant from 2.5 million gallons a day rating to 4.5 million gallons a day. He said improvements have yet to be made at the Ione water treatment plant. AWA board President Bill Condrashoff said that is the first he had heard of the issue, and asked if they should make any response. General Manager Gene Mancebo said the board should let staff look into it, and report on the “chain of events” involved. Aragon, representing Ione Villages 1 LLC and the Building Industries Association, said he would continue working with the “new philosophy in town” on the AWA board, and continue his “extension of collaboration to help solve those problems with you,” regarding an update to the “will-serve fee” ordinance update. But he said the board was not behaving transparently, in the previous week’s handling of the draft ordinance. And he was also concerned about the bond, which listed a 3.5 percent growth rate on Ione, and a 2-phase upgrade plan for the Ione Water treatment plant, recommended by Boyle Engineering. Aragon said the statement in 2006 expected “improvements to be completed in 2007,” and the plan affected bond buyers and also conditional will-serves. He criticized that the bonds were sold but the improvements were never made at the Ione plant. The AWA board was scheduled to host a public workshop on the potential new will-serve policy ordinance this morning, which could charge a 10 percent fee for conditional will-serves, and other fees over a phased, 3-year period. Aragon criticized the changes as being against state law for will-serve fees. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Water

Wednesday, 26 May 2010 05:53

D.A. Recieves Complaints of Voter Interference

Amador County – The County has received complaints from voters regarding contacts made to them by others supporting a political cause, according to a warning issued Tuesday by District Attorney Todd Riebe. The election season is fast upon us and the Amador County District Attorneys Office and the Elections Office would like to remind citizens that interfering with a person’s lawful right to vote may subject them to criminal liability. Unlawful conduct includes conduct intended to coerce, intimidate, induce or compel a person to refrain from voting or knowingly challenging a person’s right to vote without probable cause or on fraudulent or spurious grounds or advising any person that he or she is not eligible to vote or registered to vote when in fact that person is eligible or registered. Suspected violations of the law should be reported to law enforcement. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Law Enforcement