Tom

Wednesday, 17 March 2010 01:56

Amador Water Agency to Hold GSL Meeting at Mace Meadow Golf Course

Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors decided to hold part of its regular session meeting next week at Mace Meadow Golf Course, to resume discussion of the proposed Gravity Supply water pipeline in the Upcountry. The AWA board will meet 9 a.m. March 25th in at the agency office in Sutter Creek, break for lunch, then reconvene the meeting 2 p.m. in the clubhouse at Mace Meadow in Pioneer, to discuss and possibly approve the Gravity Supply Line project. AWA Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo said the location selection is a response to Central Amador Water Project customer requests to hold board meetings Upcountry. The agenda at 2 p.m. will include “discussion and possible adoption of environmental documents and project approval for a gravity-fed raw water pipeline, the Gravity Supply Line project, on the CAWP water treatment system.” AWA staff will try to answer board questions pertaining to the gravity pipeline raised at a February 1st workshop. Issues include the “reliability of PG&E’s Tiger Creek Regulator as a water source,” the availability of grants to finance upgrades to existing pumps in the system, deadlines for federal grant offers, and “the economic impact to CAWP of future connection fees from new connections made possible by the GSL.” The board will also discuss the CAWP rate study and financial plan and an “ongoing operational deficit in the CAWP retail system.” They could also discuss repayment of internal loans made by Amador Water System, and funding for future capital improvements. If the board OKs a financial plan, CAWP retail customers will receive a notice of a proposed rate increase in early April. The AWA board last week decided to increase its regular meetings to 3 times a month starting in April as a means of focusing on cutting the agency budget. Mancebo said change was to “address concerns over economic pressures facing the Agency.” The board now meets the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month. Starting in April, the board will also meet the 3rd Thursday of each month. The board made the decision while discussing the need for a “short-term loan to cover an anticipated cash flow shortage later this spring,” Mancebo said. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Wednesday, 17 March 2010 01:54

Common Ground Senior Services Granted Funding by Board of Supervisors

Amador County – Common Ground Senior Services was granted $15,000 Tuesday by the Amador County Board of Supervisors. In her annual report, Executive Director Elizabeth Thompson outlined some of the many ways the food delivery and senior service agency contributes to the welfare of the community. She said she is seeing a huge increase in clients for a variety of services. One of the agency’s biggest services is the Meals On Wheels program for homebound seniors. Most of the meals are hot, with some frozen meals offered on weekend deliveries. In addition, they have congregate eating sites in various areas. Through recent funding allocations, Thompson said the hospital provided funding to acquire a ten-passenger van for senior transportation. She said the biggest increase is in “medical transportation” and clients, mostly 75 and older, needing physical therapy. She said last year they also contracted with Amador Transit for a “reserve a ride” program on Saturdays, mostly to provide transportation to physically or developmentally disabled clients. Thompson stressed the importance of the county’s contribution in her agency’s annual budget. “As far as I’m concerned, it is money well spent,” said Supervisor Richard Forster. “A lot of people would not even have one hot meal a day if it wasn’t for this service.” He said funding is important to maintain consistent service because “once a service disappears, it is hard to bring people back.” Supervisor John Plasse said the supervisors last year discussed giving Common Ground the profits from the Prescription Discount Card Program through the county’s private partner, Coast2Coast Rx, which he brought to the county last summer. He said that program has “resulted in $3000 in royalties.” The Supervisors unanimously approved a motion to approve the $15,000 allocation and the royalties from the prescription program for Common Ground. Thompson agreed to follow up with a written report detailing how the funding will be used. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Wednesday, 17 March 2010 02:02

Supervisors Support Another Developing Broadband Expansion Plan

Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors formally expressed support on Tuesday for one of three developing plans aimed at expanding broadband internet service in the Central Valley and Sierra foothills. The Central Valley Next Generation Broadband Plan, as proposed by the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), would encompass a service area of 18 counties, or 24 percent of the state’s geography. Frank Leschinsky, Public Sector Manager for Volcano Communications Group, said his and other companies in the partnership aim to extend existing fiber optic broadband cables from the Central Valley to both the Amador County Office of Education and the County Library. “The FCC is developing new broadband plans. It is essential to this county and other counties that high capacity infrastructure is built to support this demand,” said Leschinsky. The CENIC plan differs from two similar proposals presented in recent weeks by Mother Lode Internet and the Central Sierra Economic Development District. All three plans aim to secure a piece of the $7.2 billion in federal stimulus funds dedicated to broadband expansion. The Supervisors have made clear that they will not support any project over another. “The best case scenario is that all three projects are funded, encouraging competition and driving costs down,” said Supervisor John Plasse. Supervisor Ted Novelli noted that any project will generate much-needed local jobs. Leschinsky assured Supervisors that the various project backers consider “all projects as complimentary, not competing.” Once the awarded broadband project is completed, numerous internet service providers will be able tap in to the network and then expand service to more rural areas of the county using various modes of transmission. Leschinsky said the educational broadband network provided through CENIC also would allow for greater interconnectivity between educational institutions. He said professors from major schools like UC Berkeley could one day be transmitting lectures online to students at a future Community College in our area. The board unanimously approved to draft a letter of support for the CENIC project. Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the board approved the final draft of a letter of support for a plan proposed by Mother Lode Internet. That support letter was tabled at the previous meeting in order to make language changes. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Wednesday, 17 March 2010 02:04

Buena Vista Biomass Agrees to a Subsequent Environmental Impact Report

Amador County – Proponents for the Buena Vista Biomass Power plant on Coal Mine Road must conduct a “Subsequent Environmental Impact Report” for the company’s plan to revive permitting and power production at the former Co-Gen plant. Mike Boitano, acting director of the Amador County Air District, said proponents of the internal combustion power generating plant have agreed to do a Subsequent EIR, and the Amador County Planning Commission has taken over those duties. The county Technical Advisory Committee decided March 10th that the best plan to answer concerns over reopening the plant would be to go through with the Subsequent EIR. Nate Lishman, a planner for Amador County said the planning department was preparing notices Tuesday for a public scoping meeting as the starting point for the Subsequent EIR. The scoping session is set for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 31st at the board chambers on Court Street in Jackson. Lishman said “any concerned residents as well as agencies can come” and they will be able to express their concerns about the power plant, and help to guide the Environmental Impact Report. Lishman said it was the only meeting scheduled, then the department will start the EIR process. He said it would “probably be 4-6 months before we hear about the environmental work.” The basis for TAC’s decision included issues raised in meetings discussing permits for the plant. Lishman said “there was concern over greenhouse gas analysis,” especially in light of current legislative regulations. The company seeks to remove lignite from its list of fuels to burn, and operate on “100 percent renewable woody biomass fuel sources,” including forest, agriculture, and clean urban waste. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Wednesday, 17 March 2010 02:18