Tom
Monday, 15 February 2010 17:00
$4.8 Million Energy Efficiency Program Comes to Sierra Nevada
Amador County - Local governments and businesses in 14 Sierra Nevada counties will have new access to energy efficient technology through a new collaboration between Sierra Business Council and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). From 2010 to 2012, Sierra Business Council, a non-profit organization based in Truckee, will be offering free energy audits and low-cost retrofits to commercial PG&E customers in the Sierra Nevada through a new program called the Sierra Nevada Energy Watch.
“During this tough economic downturn, we are excited to be able to support our local businesses and governments by offering cost-cutting energy efficiency services,” said Steven Frisch, President of the Sierra Business Council. In addition to offering energy efficiency services and products, the program will help local governments conduct greenhouse gas inventories and develop climate action plans to help the state meet its AB32 emission reduction goals. The program takes a comprehensive approach to the region’s energy needs. The Sierra Nevada Energy Watch program is funded by California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. It offers services for municipal, special district, and non-profit facilities as well as small and medium businesses throughout the PG&E service area from Lassen to Mariposa Counties. Those interested in participating in the program or learning more should contact Sierra Business Council at 530-582-4800. A TSPN TV Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Local
Monday, 15 February 2010 10:02
Judge Susan Harlan - Amador County Superioir Court 2-15-10
Published in
Local
Monday, 15 February 2010 08:37
Local Group's Lawsuit Hopes to Stop Proposed Buena Vista Casino
Amador County - Friends of Amador County (FOAC), a local activist group, announced last Thursday that they have filed a lawsuit in federal court aimed at stopping further development of the proposed Buena Vista Casino. The lawsuit alleges the creation of the Buena Vista tribe was illegal under the Indian Gaming and Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988 and unconstitutional under the California State Constitution, among other laws and agreements. FOAC claims it is made up of residents who are “aggrieved by the erroneous, arbitrary, capricious and illegal decisions of the (U.S. Department of the Interior) Secretary Kenneth Salazar and…George Skibine, acting chairman and Commissioner of the National Indian Gaming Commission.” Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is also listed as a defendant for failing to properly “negotiate tribal-state compacts…in a lawful manner.” The lawsuit outlines a long and complicated history beginning in 1934 with landowners who were “not a federally acknowledged Indian tribe” and leading up to current plans headed by Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians leader Rhonda Morningstar Pope to construct a gaming facility on 67.5 acres in the rural setting at Buena Vista. FOAC says the real motivation for the creation of this “tribe” occurred in the 1980s “in order to take advantage of casino gaming opportunities developing in California at that time.” That applicant, Donna-Marie Potts, was not a descendant of any of the land’s original occupants. FOAC says that “until at least 1994 there was no official record of, or any proper acknowledgement or federal recognition of, any ‘tribe,’ ‘band’ or ‘community’ of Indians known as the ‘Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians.’” The tribe currently consists of Potts, Morningstar Pope, her children and other relatives. FOAC claims some of its members “will be irreparably and negatively impacted, injured and damaged by the increases in traffic, noise, vision and light pollution, crime and other significant impacts arising from the proposed operation.” FOAC also claims that Morningstar Pope, Potts and their relatives, using that status as a “purported Indian tribe…have been collecting over $1 million a year from the California Tribal Gaming Revenue Sharing Trust Fund.” The FOAC group is asking the court to issue an injunction with the ultimate hope of permanently preventing any proposed construction of a gaming operation. Amador County has been actively fighting the establishment of more casinos since 2003, and filed a lawsuit of its own in 2005 alleging that amendments to the gaming compact between the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians and the State of California were in violation of the IGRA. A U.S. Judge granted a motion to dismiss, stating that the Secretary Salazar’s choice to take no action to allow the approval of an agreement of the gaming compact between the tribe and the State of California is not subject to court review by the express terms of the IGRA. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Monday, 15 February 2010 08:35
Jackson Rancheria, Revitalization Committee Resume ''Shop Jackson'' Drive
Amador County – About 60 business owners and employees attended the 2nd “Shop Jackson” campaign kickoff meeting Thursday at the Civic Center. Mayor Connie Gonsalves led off the meeting of the Jackson Revitalization Committee by introducing its members. She said the second installment of the “Shop Jackson” Program plans to use Facebook for publicity. Gonsalves introduced the recent $5,000 winner of the Shop Jackson grand prize, Realtor Kellee Davenport. Martha Perez, seller of the winning ticket at her Jose’s Restaurant, said she had told her employees how important it would be for the restaurant to have given out the winning ticket because of the publicity they would get from the award. Councilman Wayne Garibaldi said Jose’s had given out approximately 45 percent of the total Shop Jackson drawing tickets. Robert Mees said the next step for the Shop Jackson campaign was to re-sign members and get new member sign-ups. Part of that, he said, will be to ask for $50 gift certificates to the businesses. He said if enough of those are gathered, they will be able to give them away in a bulk of 20, worth $1,000 in gift certificates, at the next drawing. The other gift certificates would be given to other prize winners. Mees said the benefit is that it brings shoppers to the businesses in Jackson, and when the shoppers cash in the prizes, they fill out a form, that can then be used to direct-market to those existing customers. Membership for the next Shop Jackson program has deadlines in February and June because of the Jackson Rancheria’s Arrow Magazine publishing deadlines. The magazine goes to the Jackson Rancheria’s 500,000 active Dreamcatchers Club Cardholders. Shop Jackson participating businesses can capitalize on the “thousands of casino visitors and local Dreamcatcher’s market.” The Rancheria has 300,000 monthly visitors and more than 26,000 Dreamcatchers live in Amador and Calaveras counties. Mees said members get distribution, promotion and exposure at event in the county, and a map identifies all participating businesses. The deadline is February 25th for Spring Promotions, including Dandelion Days, 49er Treasure Trail, and the Sutter Creek Duck Race. June 1st is the deadline for Summer promotions, and the raffle drawings are in September. Garibaldi said the Jackson Revitalization Committee is looking for volunteers for a “Shop Jackson” steering committee. For info, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call City Manager Mike Daly at 223-1646. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Monday, 15 February 2010 08:33
Amador Council of Tourism Preps for European Vacationers
Amador County – The Amador Council of Tourism on Thursday discussed its upcoming 49er Treasure Trail, and also heard a report on possible future European vacationers coming through the Mother Lode. Maureen Funk gave a short presentation on the 49er Treasure Trail event at the Jackson Revitalization Committee meeting last Thursday night. Funk said the tourism council has struck a deal with the Ledger Dispatch for 2 full pages of ads in the paper, and a couple of spaces remained for sponsorship. She said TSPN and Hometown Radio were also giving ad deals. Funk said the Amador Council of Tourism is looking for a location to hold its March 11th meeting, the last before the 49er Treasure Trail event, March 27th and 28th. Funk also reported on her trip to the “Go West, Sacramento” travel show the first week of February. She said the Amador Council of Tourism and the Gold Country Visitors Association partnered to have a booth at the show, and had many European travel agents attend. She said European agents “depend on these offices to line them up with unusual trips,” after standard runs to San Francisco and the Bay Area. Funk said “after you’ve been there and done that, we’re another alternative.” She said European travel is very different from America, and it is thriving. She said she and another booth worker at the show had appointments all day for 2 days, and she “developed relationships with 40 people,” including travel agents and even some journalists who had been to Amador County that day, and needed information. Funk said she also got a stack of business cards at the show and she “will be following up with the agents, so Amador County will benefit from this.” Another travel show for Amador Council of Tourism was planned for this past weekend, hosted by the Los Angeles Times. The ACT office last weekend moved into the new Transit Center on Valley View Way in Sutter Creek. For information, call (209)267-9249 or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Online see www.touramador.com. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Local
Monday, 15 February 2010 08:32
AWA Considers Commitments, Finances in Ione, Tanner Study Approvals
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors considered its commitments to future customers and its finances last week before approving studies of the Tanner and Ione water capacities. Acting Engineering Manager Erik Christeson said the Amador Water System has a typical peak flow of 2.6 million gallons a day, but this year’s peak was 2.2 million gallons. Christeson the agency has “over-committed our will-serves” by 226,000 gallons a day, and 3 million gallons a day is all they “can push through” the Tanner water treatment plant, which serves Ione and the Amador Water System. The system is permitted for a total of 3,384,900 gallons a day, which is a number that was used in issuing “will-serves,” which are promises, often conditional promises, of water service. President Bill Condrashoff said “since then we have learned we should go with the actual capacity.” Director Don Cooper said he wanted to clarify that “we are over-committed if all of those existing will-serves were built out.” And he asked if money was collected on the will-serves. Christeson said only 2, when Wildflower built a 2 million-gallon tank, and JTS Communities built a “booster pump.” Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo said most will-serve holders “have made a participation fee payment,” and the board has a reimbursement agreement with Wildflower and JTS. Cooper said 10,000 per “Equivalent Dwelling Unit” was $3.21 million, and one of his concerns was “stranded assets.” Director Terence Moore said it could be stranded assets, but funding for this study “has already been paid for with participation fees, and this is an appropriate use of these funds.” Director Gary Thomas said “for the past year, we’ve been looking at interim studies for this.” He said “we have to move forward,” and “our job is to provide water for the communities.” They have $3.2 million in will-serve commitments, Condrashoff said, but in the last 2-and-a-half years, “35 houses have cashed in their will-serves and built.” He said “growth didn’t come to pay for” the Amador Transmission Pipeline, whose customers now are paying for it. Condrashoff said the AWA cut $1.2 million from operating revenues last year and might have to buy capacity from Ione at $750,000. Thomas said he understood being “cash strapped,” but conservation at the prison and elsewhere is meant to enhance capacity, and with the interim study, they can find more ways to “eke out capacity and help all of the customers.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published in
Water
Friday, 12 February 2010 01:11
AWA Hears Support for Ione Water Capacity Study
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency received countywide support for a study it approved Thursday to look expanding water capacity in Ione. Rob Aragon of Ione Villages LLC said since Castle Oaks received its “original entitlement (in 1989), we’ve been having this same discussion.” He said the last “Conditional Will-Serves” condition was “improvements to the Ione system.” He asked the AWA board if they could explain it. Cottage Knoll developer Stefanie McNair said Plymouth has paid $1.34 million in participation fees, and she asked whether that paid for AWA’s share of the Plymouth Pipeline. AWA Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo said that was not true, but the pipeline allows for new hook-ups and the city will be metered. Mancebo said Plymouth’s “permit is in place and the water is flowing.” McNair said the pipeline lifts Plymouth out of violation, and brings a broader customer base. Before the Canal was replaced by the Amador Transmission Pipeline, Mancebo said the agency did not have capacity for new development and hookups. The pipeline changed that. Mancebo said a study like this can help expand capacity further. He said: “We’ve taken some of the bottlenecks out, but we need to analyze more.” McNair asked the AWA board “loosen up the language in its conditional will serves” for Cottage Knoll. McNair said her will-serve says she must “participate in a Community Facilities District for a $26 million improvement to Tanner.” She said her “up-front costs are enormous.” Bob Reeder, developer of 2 projects in Plymouth, said a study in Ione could help the agency increase it customer base, and he wanted to see how Plymouth’s participation fees were allocated. Reeder said he is not sure the 1.3 million gallons a day allocated to Plymouth could be met, and AWA needed the studies to see determine that. Ione City Planner Christopher Jordan said Ione has been in the same boat as AWA, only Ione has limited wastewater capacity. Jordan urged the board to take action “today.” He said new development is coming to Ione, the biggest of which is in the city business park, including “several million square feet” and Ione City Hall has “a specific plan for that today.” Jordan said the study of Ione water capacity is “very important and if it doesn’t move forward, it hamstrings us.” Director Debbie Dunn asked Aragon and Jordan if a 4- to 6-month delay in a decision would kill the projects. Aragon said it was a deal-breaker, and Jordan said he must rely on what he hears from the development community, and it would also cause problems in Ione. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Friday, 12 February 2010 01:18
AWA OKs $228,000 Study of Ione, Tanner Water Capacities
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors voted 3-2 to spend $228,000 over 2 fiscal years to study water capacity in the Ione and Tanner water systems. Support for the studies included letters from 2 city councils (a reported first for such an issue) and speeches from developers near both of those cities, Ione and Plymouth. The board’s President Bill Condrashoff and Vice President Debbie Dunn voted against the study, while Directors Terence Moore, Gary Thomas and Don Cooper voted in favor. The study will “evaluate the water treatment supply and storage needs of the Tanner and Ione service regions,” and determine whether improvements would “provide a practical means to increase treatment supply capabilities.” Condrashoff said “the agency has no cash” and it has “$3.2 million in will-serve commitments,” including hundreds in the Ione area. Moore said “no amount of saving will help the agency with its cash problem, and probably for the first time in our history, the agency is going to have to come up with a line of credit.” Moore said “we do have an obligation here to move forward.” Ione Villages LLC developer Rob Aragon said he and his partners over the past 3 years have supported expanding capacity at Tanner. But they stopped that support, because “now it seems like Ione storage is a better idea.” He said they “can’t get capital investors to invest in this project without water and without a plan.” Condrashoff urged Aragon and developers “to get some of those will-serve properties to come forward” and pay fees. He said it would take only 13 property fees to fund the studies. Aragon said JTS Communities has “spent countless millions” and his “friends at Rylund Homes have spent $2 million on a new 2 million-gallon storage tank” for Wildflower subdivision. He said while it was not fees, it was answering AWA needs for increased storage and a new transfer station, all built at the expense of developers, in lieu of developer fees. Aragon said Condrashoff suggesting moving forward 13 fee payments was “a little hollow.” Thomas said Ione is still building houses, even in the recession, and the AWA over-commitment of “will-serve” letters should be addressed by the study. Aragon said “you’ve got General Plans that go above and beyond Wildflower and Castle Oaks” in Ione. Moore said 321 “will-serves” in Ione are set aside and not paid for,” but Condrashoff “makes it sound like the money is owed, but it’s not true.” Moore said “saving this money is not going to make a difference,” if the agency funds the studies taking out a line of credit. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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