Wetlands maintenance poses funding quagmire

By Alicia Castro | Posted: Friday, July 5, 2013 /The Calaveras Enterprise

To the applause of the 40-plus people in attendance at Tuesday night’s Angels Camp City Council meeting, the council adopted a resolution approving a preliminary engineer’s report and a resolution of intent that dealt primarily with the maintenance of wetlands in Greenhorn Creek.

“I’m tired of continuing to kick the can down the road,” said Greenhorn Creek resident Bob Trinchero. “For those who are continuing to object, the body of their complaints is argumentative.”

Greenhorn Creek is a landscape and lighting district, meaning the maintenance and monitoring of the area falls under city care, but the city is not a permit holder. Currently, 1 acre of wetlands within the district has diminished, and throughout the meeting, the question persisted: Who should pay to repair the wetlands – the developer, the residents or the city?

According to an engineer’s report prepared by John Bliss, a civil engineer with SCI Consulting Group of Fairfield, and the council of the city’s attorney, Derek Cole, responsibility lies with the special district.

Both Bliss and Cole recommended applying a $314,000 district surplus to the maintenance and then levying an annual assessment of $296.93 per parcel, up from the existing assessment of $103.48. For its part, the golf course would pay the equivalent of 24 single-family residences – in this case, $7,054.32. This increase in assessments would not only go toward repairing wetlands, but also a variety of community enhancements and a contingency fund for essential projects that may arise. The proposed 2013-14 maintenance, servicing and related expenditures total $478,788.

At its next meeting, the council will consider imposing the increased annual assessment for the upcoming fiscal year, to be applied in August, 2013. The meeting will be held in a public hearing format at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, at the Bret Harte Theater in Angels Camp. Those with questions or concerns are encouraged to attend