Tom
Monday, 26 April 2010 06:11
Sac Region Foreclosures, Defaults Contnue to Decline
Amador County – Defaults and foreclosures in the Sacramento region continued to drop in the first quarter of this year, according to MDA Dataquick, a statistics research company. DataQuick counted 4,331 new foreclosures during the first quarter of 2010 in the Sacramento region, which includes Amador, El Dorado, Nevada, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. According to a report in the Sacramento Bee, “that was down from 5,081 in the fourth quarter of 2009, and well below the peak of 7,769 foreclosures in the third quarter of 2008.” Dataquick says it is unclear how much of these declines are due to market conditions and how much is due to changing policies by loan servicers. "Several factors are at play here and it's hard to know how they play into each other right now. A year-and-a-half ago the subprime loan mess was the black hole. Now, playing catch-up, is the financial distress households are experiencing because of the recession. Add to the mix shifting policy decisions, both by lending institutions and in public policy," said John Walsh, DataQuick president. The company says California's mid- to high-end housing markets were more likely to have seen a rise in mortgage defaults last quarter, though the concentration of default activity - measured by defaults per 1,000 homes - remained relatively low in those areas. At the same time, capitol region home sales continue to rise. Only one regional county, Yuba, reported a decline in home sales in March of this year compared to one year before. 41 homes were sold in Amador County in March 2010, compared to 26 sales in March 2009 and 24 sales in February 2010. The median sales price in Amador County is now approximately $178,000, 3.8 percent lower than one year ago. Only one sale in March of this year was a new home. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 26 April 2010 06:14
Plymouth Extends AFPD Contract to October As Negotiation Continues
Amador County – The Plymouth City Council last week OK’d extension of its fire protection services agreement to October as the city continues discussing a contract renewal with the Amador Fire Protection District. On April 8th, AFPD Chief Jim McCart said he was caught off guard when the city, after 7 months of contract discussion, presented its own contract, crafted by City Attorney Steven Rudolph. AFPD Battalion 20 Chief Antonio Moreno said the contract proposed by the AFPD was just a standard extension. But city came back with a contract likely designed for a city much bigger than Plymouth. The contract included 3 full-time firefighters and an officer. The city council on Thursday authorized a month-to-month extension of the contract for up to 4 months. The contract was signed July 13th, 2005, and expires June 1st. The city fire committee, made up of Mayor Patricia Fordyce, Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin and Flynn, will discuss a contract renewal with McCart. On Thursday, City Manager Dixon Flynn said McCart had told him that even if the city council did not extend the contract, the city would be assured fire service coverage by AFPD. The district seeks a 10-year commitment, which the council questioned. Fordyce said the city will get development, and it could get a casino, on tribal land held in trust. Flynn in a report to the council last week said the AFPD’s board of directors voted April 6th to hire paid fire personnel and contract with Sutter Creek Fire Protection District to provide paid fire personnel to Sutter Creek stations. Flynn said the AFPD “opted not to consolidate fire services in Amador County,” and since the vote, Jackson and Ione have “taken action to hire paid fire personnel directly.” Flynn said talks with AFPD on the contract were delayed until after the board vote. AFPD took Plymouth’s draft contract, and said “they could not prepare a budget for their services and that the cost of 3 firefighters would be $701,000.” Flynn said Plymouth’s listed services did not specify “paid firefighters,” and “it is more realistic to assume the firefighters would be volunteers or a combination of volunteers and paid firefighters,” whatever “the budget would allow.” Flynn said the services the city listed “are what any community should expect,” and “if they do not have the staff or monies, Plymouth can negotiate a reduced service.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 26 April 2010 06:15
AWA Offers Mancebo Full General Manager Position
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors voted 5-0 Thursday to offer Gene Mancebo the agency’s general manager position, an upgrade from his interim status as head of the agency. The board spent 2 periods in closed session on discussion to evaluate Mancebo’s work performance, with one starting 9 a.m. Thursday, and being adjourned at 10:30 a.m., to be reconvened at 1 p.m. During the meeting, the item was pushed back even later as the board heard a presentation from a consultant, and discussed some of its 9 other items on the agenda. The meeting eventually ended at 7:30 p.m. The board reentered closed session from 6-7 p.m., and in open session discussed the G.M. post. Mancebo said Friday that there were no specifics as yet to release, and he and the board will work out the details of a contract and terms. He said at the board’s meeting this week he “will provide something to the board officially accepting” the position. Mancebo said he feels good about the offer, and has been in the position as interim manager for some time. He took over as interim G.M. upon Jim Abercrombie’s exit more than 7 months ago. Mancebo said: “We have a lot of challenging issues to deal with” and “it’s certainly no walk in park,” but he looks forward to challenges that lie ahead. The AWA board reportedly received 18 letters supporting Mancebo’s handling of the interim general manager job, and one letter from David Evitt opposing his appointment. Also Thursday, the board approved changes to its “Conservation Plan.” Finance Manager Mike Lee said the latest draft “represents our goals and objectives as well as our best estimates regarding the costs to implement and comply with Assembly Bill 1420, which includes a part-time water conservation coordinator position.” Leslie Dumas of RMC Water and Environment, presented the latest draft. The board made comments and Dumas said she would incorporate those into a cleaned up draft, which can be disseminated. Dumas said the plan would help meet requirements of the 20 By 2020 Plan put in place by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, including reducing water usage statewide by 20 percent. Dumas said there was a target deadline to publish AWA’s “urban water management plan” by July, in order to qualify for certain state funding. Dumas will try to have a clean version of the draft conservation plan for the Amador County Fair in July. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 26 April 2010 06:17
Investigation Launched Into Drug Weight dDiscrepancies At Ripon Crime Lab
Amador County – The District Attorneys of five central California counties who rely on the services of the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services Central Valley Crime Lab in Ripon announced Friday that an investigation has been launched by the State Department of Justice into unexplained weight discrepancies within the lab on drugs sent there for analysis by law enforcement agencies in the five counties. Earlier this month, management of the Central Valley Crime Lab became aware of a protocol breach concerning the handling and analysis of a methamphetamine evidence sample. Subsequent investigation and retesting revealed additional methamphetamine samples handled by the same analyst showed lower weights than originally reported. Birgit Fladager, District Attorney of Stanislaus County, James Willett, District Attorney of San Joaquin County, Donald Segerstrom, District Attorney of Tuolumne County, Larry D. Morse II, District Attorney of Merced County and Barbara Yook, Acting District Attorney of Calaveras County, the five counties served by the Ripon lab, were briefed last Wednesday in Modesto by management officials from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services. As a result of that briefing the five District Attorneys are beginning a thorough review of all cases handled by the analyst in question bating back to 2006. The District Attorneys have pledged to begin notifying defendants and defense attorneys in the affected cases. “As prosecutors we have an affirmative obligation under the law to provide any potentially exculpatory information to the defense and we all take the ethical obligation seriously,” said Fladager. “We appreciate officials from the Central Valley Crime Lab Bureau of Forensic Services bringing this matter to our attention. We have all worked with the Ripon crime lab for many years and retain faith in the integrity of the lab and its personnel,” she added. Questions concerning the investigation should be directed to Christine Gisparac, Public Information Officer for the Department of Justice at (510) 622-4500. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 26 April 2010 06:12
Ione Rejects Lawn Mower Bid of $33,000
Amador County – The Ione City Council rejected a bid for $33,000 to care for the entrance of Castle Oaks Subdivision, from Castle Oaks Drive and Highway 104, to the entrance of Castle Oaks Golf Course. City Manager Kim Kerr said only one company submitted a bid for the work. The Bid was $33,000 for a year’s work, and the bidder also did not fully meet all of the requirements of the “request for proposals.” Kerr recommended the council reject the bid, tweak the request for proposals, and send it out again. Requests for proposals were sent to all landscaping companies with Ione business licenses. She said the council could also look at hiring an employee for probably less than 20 hours a week to handle the work. The city would also have to buy a push mower, and should look at prices for that purchase. Kerr said for $33,000, she “would never recommend signing that contract.” JTS Communities has been maintaining the area, and before 2006, the city contracted the work with Simmons Landscaping. JTS notified the city recently that it will no longer maintain the area at their expense, and offered to continue to do the work, if the city would pay costs. JTS estimated the work to be 8 hours a week to keep up the grass and plants, including fertilizing the area regularly at a cost of about $12,000. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 26 April 2010 06:05
Amador County News TSPN TV with Alex Lane 4-26-10
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Monday, 26 April 2010 06:17
Investigation Launched Into Drug Weight dDiscrepancies At Ripon Crime Lab
Amador County – The District Attorneys of five central California counties who rely on the services of the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services Central Valley Crime Lab in Ripon announced Friday that an investigation has been launched by the State Department of Justice into unexplained weight discrepancies within the lab on drugs sent there for analysis by law enforcement agencies in the five counties. Earlier this month, management of the Central Valley Crime Lab became aware of a protocol breach concerning the handling and analysis of a methamphetamine evidence sample. Subsequent investigation and retesting revealed additional methamphetamine samples handled by the same analyst showed lower weights than originally reported. Birgit Fladager, District Attorney of Stanislaus County, James Willett, District Attorney of San Joaquin County, Donald Segerstrom, District Attorney of Tuolumne County, Larry D. Morse II, District Attorney of Merced County and Barbara Yook, Acting District Attorney of Calaveras County, the five counties served by the Ripon lab, were briefed last Wednesday in Modesto by management officials from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services. As a result of that briefing the five District Attorneys are beginning a thorough review of all cases handled by the analyst in question bating back to 2006. The District Attorneys have pledged to begin notifying defendants and defense attorneys in the affected cases. “As prosecutors we have an affirmative obligation under the law to provide any potentially exculpatory information to the defense and we all take the ethical obligation seriously,” said Fladager. “We appreciate officials from the Central Valley Crime Lab Bureau of Forensic Services bringing this matter to our attention. We have all worked with the Ripon crime lab for many years and retain faith in the integrity of the lab and its personnel,” she added. Questions concerning the investigation should be directed to Christine Gisparac, Public Information Officer for the Department of Justice at (510) 622-4500. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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