Motherlode Car Cruise

Amador County – The Amador Water Agency voted 4-0 to appoint Rich Farrington as its newest Director, taking the vacated position of Don Cooper in District 3.

The selection committee had a list of questions that were asked of each of the five people who had submitted letters of interest for the position. Board President Gary Thomas said they tried with the questions to remain neutral about issues, especially the Gravity Supply Line, but Thomas said all five candidates specifically stated that they thought the Gravity Supply Line (GSL) was an important issue, and all five said they were in support of the GSL.

The committee, made up of Thomas and Vice President Paul Molinelli Senior recommended Farrington as the best candidate. In public comment, resident Dale Telegan said he opposed Farrington’s appointment because of Farrington’s “open bias” toward the GSL project.

Thomas said: “We did not ask questions about the GSL. But all of the candidates brought it up and all of them said we should move forward with it.” Thomas said he would have preferred someone who was neutral on the subject, but they could not find someone who was neutral.

Thomas said the recommendation was not a tough choice and Farrington was far and above the top candidate in his responses to the interview questions. He read the list of questions, which included how candidates would handle a complaint from a constituent, the top one or two biggest issues, how they saw the agency’s mission statement, Brown Act experience or knowledge, and whether they intended to run for the office in November, as the term ends this year.

After the appointment, Thomas said he actually considered Farrington his last choice entering the process, because he was a vocal supporter of the GSL. But Thomas said he found his experience and knowledge of AWA issues was far and above the other candidates. He was also a former city councilman and mayor.

Molinelli said he was “actually hoping for someone who wasn’t even neutral on the GSL issue and maybe someone who was leaning toward the other side,” whatever that would be, “but nobody from that side applied.”

Registrar of Voters Sheldon Johnson led Farrington in his oath of office, and he took his seat on the board. Farrington later said he was elected to the Ferndale City Council and was appointed mayor of Ferndale for two years. He said he has 22 years’ experience as a civil engineer with the U.S. Forest Service.

Farrington said he had trepidation about applying for the position, but he is retired and sees it as giving back to the community in public service. He said he intends to run for election to the District 3 seat in November, though he doesn’t know his wife’s intention.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador Water Agency’s new board of director’s first action Thursday was a resolution honoring the retiring Director Don Cooper.

Board President Gary Thomas read the resolution honoring Cooper for his three years on the board, and a year as president, and making “significant contributions to the Budget and Finance, Engineering, and Policy Committees of the Water Agency, while offering his expertise as it related to projects, policy and fiscal responsibility.” The resolution also said Cooper “made significant contributions toward the Gravity Supply Line project which is of great benefit for Upcountry residents and property owners.”

Director Rich Farrington, who was appointed to take Cooper’s seat in District 3, said the resolution should note that Cooper was president last year, during the time when his wife passed away, and as that occurred, he also carried the load as president.

Agency Counsel Stephen Kronick said Cooper was very conscientious and dedicated and he “truly did work tirelessly for the benefit of the agency.” AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo said Cooper did not just accept things but analyzed them and challenged them when needed.

Vice President Paul Molinelli Senior said he admired Cooper’s demeanor and poise as a gentleman in running the meeting. He said it was not always easy to do and he learned from Cooper’s example. Director Robert Manassero said inevitably the board will likely need to call Cooper for help.

Cooper said he appreciated the remarks and the fact that the Board accepted that he needed to step down. Cooper said he has been working with a cardiologist, and now has a new pacemaker and new defibrillator, and did some dancing Saturday night. He said it was like his father said: “When you get too many peas on you knife, you’ve got to kick a few off.”

He said he enjoyed working with each and every one of the board members. He said 20-plus years with PG&E was not the same eye-opener as was working for a public agency. Cooper said it was important to get the honesty of customers, and public input, but sometimes it became counter-productive and he is a productive type of guy.

He said if he ever interviewed college kids for employment internships, as he has before, he would encourage them to work internships with quality agencies like the AWA.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Ione’s search for a new city manager drew 90 applications and counting as the deadline to apply neared.

At 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 27, the window was to close on further applicants, and Interim City Manager Jeff Butzlaff said Thursday they had 90 applications in hand showing a diverse interest in the position. The Council last week decided to each bring one or two names of locals that they would like to appoint to a City Manager Selection Committee. On Tuesday, May 1, the Council will consider appointing the recommended appointees.

Butzlaff said because of the nature of the selection, and the transparency issue, he wanted the Council to know this was another opportunity for community involvement through the appointments. Council members will bring two names each to recommend to be appointed to the selection committee. He said the committee will be a little larger than what you would normally have, but he wanted a wider public input.

He said this is the initial screening process, an early phase, and a lot of work remains. He said: “The good news is we got 90 applications,” and “the bad news is we got 90 applications.” The Selection committee will consist of the five City Council members and their appointees, totaling up to 15 people.

Applications came from Oregon, Florida, New England, the Midwest and even some locally. He said some of this is driven by advertising, which included listings on the International City Manager’s Association’s online newsletter; in another big source called Jobs Available, an online Nationally and West-Coast Oriented site; and on Linked-In jobs available. They also advertised in the local paper and in Sacramento Bee’s Career Builder.

Some citizens are apprehensive about getting another city manager. He was sorry about that and tried to bring applications from multiple backgrounds and a broad array of experience.

The advertisement geared the qualifications and personal attributes to get a wide variety of managers from the public and private sector. Experience was required for five years of management in public or private sectors. It sought people with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, though a master’s degree was highly desirable.

He said it was the same dialog you hear about presidential candidates, that they should be the best person for the job.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Amador County disclosed Thursday that it has spent $2 million on legal costs related to the Buena Vista Band of Me-Wuk Indians’ proposed casino, though $1.2 million was spent to protect the county from possible impacts of a renegotiated state compact.

The Amador County Board of Supervisors released records to the Buena Vista Band of Me-Wuk Indians Thursday in answer to an open-records act request. The County said the Tribe sought “records identifying expenditures of County Funds from Jan. 1, 2005 through August 2011, related to the Tribe’s proposed casino project.” The County “compiled a significant number of pages of redacted billing records depicting those expenditures.”

As of Thursday, April 26, the County made the records available to the Tribe to be picked up and wanted to share the information “directly with the public through local media outlets, and to provide some further context for those expenditures that the redacted bills will not provide.”

In the 6 years and 8 months up to August 2011, the County “paid outside attorneys and consultants” just over $2 million “in relation to the Tribe’s proposed casino project.” The County noted that a county-wide electoral advisory ballot said almost 85 percent of voters opposed another casino in Amador County, and in 2005 the County “initiated affirmative litigation in Washington D.C. against the Secretary of the Interior.”

Since then the County has continued the litigation, but noted the “majority of the costs the County has incurred through August 2011 are not the result” of the D.C. litigation, but are the result of “requirements triggered by the 2004 Amended Compact between the Tribe and the State of California.”

The Amended Compact “provided for additional gaming devices at the proposed casino and increased revenue to the State” and it “also required the Tribe to prepare a Tribal Environmental Impact Report evaluating the offsite impacts of the proposed casino and to negotiate an Intergovernmental Services Agreement with the County that adequately provided for the mitigation of impacts of the proposed casino project.”

The County said that “if a negotiated Intergovernmental Services Agreement could not be reached, either party could trigger binding arbitration. Although the Amended Compact did not require the County to participate, the County had to engage in that process in order to best protect the citizens of Amador County from the impacts of the proposed casino project in the event it was allowed to go forward.” The County spent $1.2 million on it between 2005 and the arbitration award in 2008.

The County said it continues to hold the “position that the negative impacts of additional casinos to the County and its residents will always exceed any and all of the purported benefits and mitigations.” The County also “remains committed to opposing additional casinos in Amador County and will expend the funds necessary to do so.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 4-27-12 - TSPN's Tom Slivick talks with Tom Thompson his retirement from Raley’s Grocery Store, and his history of supporting the community.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 4-27-12

·       Amador County disclosed that it has spent $2 million in legal costs related to the Buena Vista Band of Me-Wuk Indians’ proposed casino.

·       Amador Water Agency board appointed Rich Farrington to take over the District 3 director’s seat.

·       The Ione City Manager job opening drew 90 applications and counting as the deadline for applying neared Friday afternoon.

·       The Amador Water Agency board passed a resolution honoring Don Cooper.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 4-27-12

·       Amador County disclosed that it has spent $2 million in legal costs related to the Buena Vista Band of Me-Wuk Indians’ proposed casino.

·       Amador Water Agency board appointed Rich Farrington to take over the District 3 director’s seat.

·       The Ione City Manager job opening drew 90 applications and counting as the deadline for applying neared Friday afternoon.

·       The Amador Water Agency board passed a resolution honoring Don Cooper.

Amador County News, TSPN TV News Video, 4-27-12 - TSPN's Tom Slivick talks with Tom Thompson his retirement from Raley’s Grocery Store, and his history of supporting the community.

Amador County – Amador County disclosed Thursday that it has spent $2 million on legal costs related to the Buena Vista Band of Me-Wuk Indians’ proposed casino, though $1.2 million was spent to protect the county from possible impacts of a renegotiated state compact.

The Amador County Board of Supervisors released records to the Buena Vista Band of Me-Wuk Indians Thursday in answer to an open-records act request. The County said the Tribe sought “records identifying expenditures of County Funds from Jan. 1, 2005 through August 2011, related to the Tribe’s proposed casino project.” The County “compiled a significant number of pages of redacted billing records depicting those expenditures.”

As of Thursday, April 26, the County made the records available to the Tribe to be picked up and wanted to share the information “directly with the public through local media outlets, and to provide some further context for those expenditures that the redacted bills will not provide.”

In the 6 years and 8 months up to August 2011, the County “paid outside attorneys and consultants” just over $2 million “in relation to the Tribe’s proposed casino project.” The County noted that a county-wide electoral advisory ballot said almost 85 percent of voters opposed another casino in Amador County, and in 2005 the County “initiated affirmative litigation in Washington D.C. against the Secretary of the Interior.”

Since then the County has continued the litigation, but noted the “majority of the costs the County has incurred through August 2011 are not the result” of the D.C. litigation, but are the result of “requirements triggered by the 2004 Amended Compact between the Tribe and the State of California.”

The Amended Compact “provided for additional gaming devices at the proposed casino and increased revenue to the State” and it “also required the Tribe to prepare a Tribal Environmental Impact Report evaluating the offsite impacts of the proposed casino and to negotiate an Intergovernmental Services Agreement with the County that adequately provided for the mitigation of impacts of the proposed casino project.”

The County said that “if a negotiated Intergovernmental Services Agreement could not be reached, either party could trigger binding arbitration. Although the Amended Compact did not require the County to participate, the County had to engage in that process in order to best protect the citizens of Amador County from the impacts of the proposed casino project in the event it was allowed to go forward.” The County spent $1.2 million on it between 2005 and the arbitration award in 2008.

The County said it continues to hold the “position that the negative impacts of additional casinos to the County and its residents will always exceed any and all of the purported benefits and mitigations.” The County also “remains committed to opposing additional casinos in Amador County and will expend the funds necessary to do so.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.