Foothills populations continue to shrink

Written by Chris Caskey, The Union Democrat May 29, 2013 12:30 pm http://www.uniondemocrat.com/News/Local-News/Foothills-populations-continue-to-shrink U.S. Census Bureau statistics released last week show small, rural cities continue to lag growth-wise as big cities grew, a sign of Americans’ post-recession preference for urban living. The trend is evident in this region, where the cities of Angels Camp, Sonora and Jackson saw their populations... Read More

Focus of Galgiani transparency bill narrowed

By The Record May 30, 2013 12:00 AM SAN ANDREAS – A bill by State Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton, that would have required state agencies to notify the public of workshops and hearings on proposed new regulations was watered down this week. Galgiani’s SB176 would have required notices of hearings, workshops and other public-comment opportunities related to any new regulation be published in the California Regulatory Notice Register. Amendments... Read More

Smart growth can boost city finances, too

By Alex Breitler, Record Staff Writer May 26, 2013 Build smart, save money. A national coalition that advocates for “smart growth” says denser, more compact communities save money by building less infrastructure and spending less on future police and fire protection, while also earning more tax revenue across a smaller area. The concept of smart growth isn’t new, but the Washington, D.C.-based Smart Growth America says this is the... Read More

Calaveras supervisors to return grant money

Posted: Friday, May 24, 2013 8:35 am More changes are coming to Calaveras County’s general plan update. At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting the board will consider refunding the Sierra Nevada Conservancy $10,000 for the cancellation of a grant that would have assisted with integrating habitat and open space protection into the general plan update. Initially approved by supervisors in 2008, the grant-funded project was “an attempt to reconcile... Read More

CCWD hosts Sierra watershed talk

Posted: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 / The Calaveras Enterprise Calaveras County Water District Director Bob Dean hosted a panel of scientists as they presented concepts related to developing and monitoring watersheds during a statewide convention of the Association of California Water Agencies earlier this month. The panel, led by Dr. Roger Bales, director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute, discussed requirements and methods to measure and monitor... Read More

New general plan pushed back a year

By Kristine Williams/May 17, 2013/ The Calaveras Enterprise Calaveras County should have a completely updated general plan by November of 2014 – probably. In a new timeline unveiled at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Planning Director Rebecca Willis announced the new deadline. It provides nearly an additional year tacked onto the original December 2013 deadline approved by the former board last fall. The first deadline, deemed to have... Read More

Board applies budget ‘Band-Aid’

By Kristine Williams / The Calaveras Enterprise Posted on May 17, 2013 Calaveras County supervisors Tuesday appeared reluctant to give definitive direction to the county’s Administrative Office about how to bridge a nearly $2 million deficit before proceeding to formulate fiscal year 2013-2014 budget. “We (Administrative Office) didn’t get as much clarity as we’d like,” said Interim County Administrative Officer John Blacklock, referring... Read More

Marathon meetings may become norm

By Kristine Williams/ The Calaveras Enterprise Posted on May 17, 2013 In a marathon board meeting that lasted well past 8 p.m., Calaveras County supervisors approved new board policies that might make Tuesday’s nearly 12-hour meeting the norm. In a revision of board policies and procedures, supervisors voted 4-1 – with District 3 Supervisor Merita Callaway opposed – to allow for an additional public comment period during public hearings so that... Read More

Foothill-Jenny Lind fire merger approved

By Nick Baptista/ The Valley Springs News/ May 22, 2013 Consolidation of Foothill and Jenny Lind fire protection districts into one entity should be completed by July1 when the new fiscal year begins. Calaveras County’s Local Agency Formation Commission has adopted a resolution disbanding the two separate districts and reforming them as one called the Calaveras Consolidated Fire Protection District. The consolidated district will cover the west... Read More

Lack of growth sparks bank to close VS branch

Valley Springs will become a one-bank town when Bank of Rio Vista closes its branch at 2 Nove Way on July 3o. The bank opened its doors in January 2006, but after seven years in operation could not attract enough business to justify remaining open, said David Greiner, Bank of Rio Vista president and CEO. With July’s closure, Umpqua Bank will be Valley Springs’ lone financial institution. “I wish we could have made it work,” Greiner said. The... Read More