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Friday, 29 January 2010 00:51

General Plan Update Panel to Work on Housing Element Feb. 24

Amador County – The Amador County General Plan update panel will reconvene in February and take a look at draft changes to the county’s “Housing Element.” The joint meeting of the Amador County Board of Supervisors and the county Planning Commission was called by the Amador County Planning Department for 1 p.m. February 24th in Supervisors’ chambers. The meeting, announced by the Planning Department, will “review and comment on the proposed update to the County General Plan Housing Element.” Cara Augostin of the Planning Department said the draft changes to the county Housing Element “will be available fairly soon, probably in the second week in February.” She said the planning department no has an administrative draft that they are working on, but the public draft of the document will be available in about 2 weeks. District 5 Supervisor Brian Oneto, new chairman of the supervisor board will preside over the meeting, in which supervisor votes have final say over decisions. Augostin said the draft changes take and combine some programs, rewrite some areas of the Housing Element and suggest altogether removal of some areas. She said some of the changes are required by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, which will comment on the Housing Element. Draft changes must be approved by the supervisors, and the HCD will comment on the housing element, in light of its requirements in various areas, such as housing for the handicapped. The county planning website lists a summary of achievements since 2005 in the Housing Element, and notes that the county “seeks to streamline its housing programs” in the updated version. The county has been “unable to take action on many programs,” and “no new income restricted housing has been constructed in Amador County since 2005.” The summary said the “county has an effective and successful first-time homebuyer program, but other challenges, including infrastructure challenges, impede housing production.” It said the “county plans to incorporate a higher-density General Plan designation into the updated General Plan.” And it noted that a “key barrier” to “appropriate sites for affordable housing in Amador County is the lack of water and sewer infrastructure, not lack of appropriately-designated land.” The summary noted a need to increase the availability of water and sewer service as a means of encouraging affordable housing. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Local

Friday, 29 January 2010 00:48

ARTS Ugrades

Amador County - Streamlined routes, a commitment to on-time service, a new daily Jackson-to-Sutter Creek express line and new buses are part of the planned growth at Amador Regional Transit System. The new daily Jackson-to-Sutter Creek express routes start February 1 between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., Monday-through-Friday, making nine circuits that will last about 70 minutes each. “This is an ideal way to take care of shopping, business and appointments. Riders from either city can rely on regular service every business day.,” said ARTS executive director James A. Means. Means acquired the trolleys from the Riverbank Oakdale Transit Authority for no cost to ARTS. They were removed from service and Means learned about their availability from a source at the California Department of Transportation. The trolleys are custom-built coaches fueled by compressed natural gas. CNG offers a 90 percent reduction in emissions and is priced at about one dollar below the per-gallon cost of diesel. The ARTS fleet, except for the new trolleys, is currently fueled by diesel. On February 8, streamlined routes went into effect that will provide on-time service throughout the system. “We established a Steering Committee made up of interested public members last fall and have held two meeting so far,” explained Means. “The overwhelming comment to come from those meetings was the lack of reliability and problems with on-time service. We were told that these two issues were the biggest stumbling blocks for people not riding the bus.” “Our new route streamlining will address this,” he added. ARTS has 11 routes serving the Amador County public, including the new trolley line. Current fares are $2 for adults, $1 for seniors and students. The new schedule will be inserted into the Friday, February 5 edition of the Ledger-Dispatch and they are also available on buses and at ARTS headquarters. The service recently accepted delivery of a new bus for the daily Sacramento route, and this one is equipped with the latest technology including on-board WIFI. Commuters can go on line and work or read while they ride to work. Six new conventional buses have either arrived or are on their way for ARTS riders. TSPN TV Staff Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Transportation

Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:00

Ione Parks & Rec Recommends Against New City Pool Project

Amador County – The Ione Parks & Recreation Commission on Tuesday decided to make a recommendation to the Ione City Council to not pursue building a new swimming pool, noting that the city would be about $1.2 million short of the cost to build it, with no source identified for operating funds. City Manger Kim Kerr said she will be putting more information together, to take to the Ione City Council in mid-February. Kerr said the recommendation would forego a state grant of $500,000, in part because it would cover only a portion of the estimated cost of $1.7 million of the original project to build a new swimming pool and facility at Howard Park. Recreation commissioners agreed that raising the remaining $1.2 million and then finding operations and maintenance funding were more that the city should attempt. It agreed to recommend releasing the grant back to the state. Kerr said it is “not final, but it is the commission’s recommendation.” She said the city “can’t reprogram funds” to use the money for a different project, and it “becomes an issue of operations and maintenance.” She said the city would have to raise $1.2 million to fund the rest of the project. Kerr will follow up with Ione Junior High School and Ione Marlins Swim Team, to make sure they still support the city in giving up the grant and keeping the junior high school’s pool in use, and helping with maintenance. Kerr may look at other ways to get funding for a new pool operation, and plans to take the commission’s recommendation, with additional data, to the City Council for its February 16th meeting. Kerr said the council must determine whether it is “a viable project to build another swimming pool.” She said when the council realized it had the grant about 6 years ago, the council reportedly held a lot of discussion, and many people came out and many told the city council not to build the pool. The grant money must be spent by 2012. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:00

AWA Says Any Central Amador Improvement Requires Rate Hike

Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors this month discussed improvements to Central Amador Water Project, and possible rate hikes. The board discussed rate increases meeting a Proposition 218 rejection. President Bill Condrashoff said last week if AWA approves the Gravity Supply Line project, then tries to get a rate increase, and there is enough protest, they “cannot do project, period.” He said he couldn’t continue with such a project in good conscience. Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo said Wednesday that: “Any time Prop 218 is involved, if it’s not approved, we’re not able to continue with the project.” He said any improvement on the Central Amador Water Project would take a rate increase to make debt service payments. Mancebo said they would “not be able to raise the rates and would have to look at other options.” He said “there are some improvements we need to do to be sure we will have a reliable water supply,” and the agency is “hoping through a process of a number of meetings to gain public understanding and support, whether it is for the Gravity Supply Line or some other alternative.” Mancebo said he hopes people can recognize the need and support one of the projects. A rejection through Prop 218 “all depends on the reasoning,” Mancebo said. If it is rejected only because people do not want to pay higher rates, they would face that fate with either a Gravity Supply Line, or upgrading the pump stations. Each would require a rate increase. Mancebo said: “It may prevent us from doing any kind of significant project that would have a rate increase associated with it.” Condrashoff said the Central Amador Water Project is “in the red,” and if the agency fails to get a rate increase, “really, the only choice is to cut costs in the system.” AWA hosts a “brainstorming” meeting 6 p.m. Monday on alternative projects in the CAWP. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:00

Lungren Backs Bill to Monitor Miranda Rights for Terrorists

Washington, D.C. – House Republicans on Tuesday introduced legislation requiring the Department of Justice to consult with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense before giving terrorists Miranda rights. The “Ensuring the Collection of Critical Intelligence Act of 2010” requires the Justice Department to consult with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense before charging a foreign terrorist as a criminal, according to a release by Congressman Dan Lungren. Lungren, representative of California District 3, including Amador County, said: “Apprehension of a foreign national who is trying to kill Americans, presents us with the urgent need to obtain information for the protection of our citizens rather than convincing terrorists they have the right to remain silent.” Lungren said: “These are individuals whose sole purpose is to destroy the fabric of America and the freedoms we enjoy. Giving terrorists the same constitutional rights as American citizens – when they themselves follow no legal code of conduct – is unacceptable and will only weaken our ability to protect the public.” Lungren Communications Director Brian Kaveney in a release said following a Christmas Day bombing plot, Nigerian terrorist Abdulmutallab admitted to FBI agents that he was an al Qaeda operative who had received explosives training from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Despite confessing to being a foreign terrorist affiliated with al Qaeda, Abdulmutallab was informed of his Miranda rights and charged as a civilian criminal, Kaveney said. He said neither the FBI nor Department of Justice consulted with the intelligence community before filing the complaint. According to news reports, Abdulmutallab claimed to be one of many terrorists training with al Qaeda to attack Americans. But now that he has been given access to an attorney, Abdulmutallab has stopped cooperating with investigators. Lungren’s release said: “In other words, our ability to gather critical intelligence about pending attacks against Americans has been lost.” A recent Investor’s Business Daily poll found that 61 percent of those polled oppose giving Miranda rights to captured terrorists. Lungern, a House Judiciary Committee member, introduced the bill Tuesday joined by 17 Republicans. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:00

Sac Man Arrested Again for Deer Poaching

Amador County – A Sacramento man has been arrested a second time for allegedly poaching deer in Amador, El Dorado and Calaveras Counties. Lofoo Saeturn, 43, along with his girlfriend, were arrested on similar charges in January of 2009. Laboratory testing in that case proved that he had parts from 28 different deer stored at his home on Elder Creek Road in Sacramento. At the time, California Department of Fish and Game Warden Patrick Foy said “what is so significant is that they are killing so many deer and selling them for personal profit.” The majority of deer poaching involves individuals killing deer for their own consumption, he said. Foy said the suspects were selling the deer for $150 a piece. Upon Saeturn’s return home from a sentencing hearing in that case on December 2nd, wardens served a probation-related warrant in which they discovered evidence of at least two more deer killed since his initial arrest. Foy said Saeturn killed them between his initial arrest and his sentencing on December 2nd. Foy told the Sacramento Bee that “(Saeturn) is the worst deer poacher our lab has ever seen.” For his initial crime, Saeturn was sentenced to 270 days in jail which was suspended in favor of home monitoring. He had two prior citations for wildlife related crimes, including possession of 88 juvenile salmon and possession of a sturgeon illegally caught with salmon as bait. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:00

Some Jackson Merchants Perturbed by Proposed Liquor Store Move

Amador County - Many business owners on North Main Street in Jackson are up in arms over an application by owners of the Bottle Shop liquor store to move their business from its current location downtown to the head of Main Street. A group of merchants say they will strongly object to the transfer when it comes before the Jackson Planning Commission for approval on February 16. Most believe the move will hurt the downtown’s image by transferring drunk and disrespectful liquor store clientele to a central and visually unavoidable location. The application for a premise to premise transfer is posted in the window of the former home of the Biggest Little Kitchen Store, located at the intersection of Highway 49/88 and Main Street. The building has remained empty since the Kitchen Store moved its business further down the street and expanded last summer. Bottle Shop owner Max Ghuane says the move is necessary to ensure the survival of his store. “We’ve been close to going out of business, and that’s the only perfect spot I can think of with convenient meters and parking spots on the side of main street,” he said. “I personally think it would probably be the straw that breaks the camels back,” says Hein & Company bookstore owner Wolf Hein, citing the already deteriorating business atmosphere along the city’s main thoroughfare. “We already have enough vandalism and drunks hanging around our place already. This is just bad for business,” he said. Vandalism in the form of graffiti, broken windows and smashed flowerpots is now commonplace on a monthly basis. Many merchants believe customers at the two remaining downtown bars and the Bottle Shop are the culprits. One concerned citizen said he regularly sees Bottle Shop clients loitering, spitting on the sidewalk, tossing cigarette butts in the gutter and even urinating on the street. He is encouraging everyone to write the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in Sacramento and protest the liquor store’s application. But Ghuane said he has taken great strides and eliminated the vagrancy that plagues his store’s image. He said he is upset that no one has approached him in person to voice their disapproval. He called it a case of “jealousy.” “I’ve talked to the state. The next step is taking it to the city for their approval,” he said, adding: “I don’t want to have to go out of business.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in News Archive

Thursday, 28 January 2010 04:55