Ledger-Dispatch

By Jerry Budrick (jbudrick@ledger-dispatch.com= )=20

David Plank is an Ione planning = commissioner=20 running for city council.

Photo by: Jerry = Budrick

Ione Mayor Andrea Bonham at Clark's = Corner,=20 opening soon on Main Street.

Photo by: Jerry = Budrick

Incumbent Ione Councilman Jerry Sherman = seeks=20 re-election on Nov. 4.

Photo by: Jerry=20 Budrick
Incumbent Ione Mayor Andrea Bonham = and=20 Councilman Jerry Sherman are attempting to reclaim their seats next = month as=20 they face a challenge from planning Commissioner David Plank, and they = have some=20 distinct differences of opinion.

The foremost issue may be = whether to=20 grow or not to grow.

"We have over a thousand houses on the = books,"=20 Sherman said, "so what we have already approved is enough for 10 years." = Sherman's attitude stands in stark contrast to Plank's opinion that Ione = needs a=20 growth rate of 5 percent per year and should actively pursue creation of = an=20 industrial/commercial center.

In these uncertain times, with = stagnation=20 in the building industry, any question about growth may be a non-issue. = There is=20 no guarantee that any of the thousand houses Sherman counts will ever = get built.=20 It's also unlikely that any more developers will be knocking on Ione's = door in=20 the near future.

In the meantime, Ione native Bonham can be found = almost=20 any time of day plugging away on her version of economic development: = renovation=20 of a former bar located kitty-corner from city hall. Bonham is working = with the=20 Clark family on what they hope will become a downtown community center = for Ione=20 history, art and conversation, called Clark's Corner.

"We have = the only=20 Main Street corridor in the county that still provides local services," = Bonham=20 said, "such as banking, insurance, restaurants, pharmacy, bars, flower = shop,=20 exercise facility and, soon, this community center/coffee = shop."

"The=20 biggest thing is the truck traffic," Bonham pointed out, as she showed = the=20 repaired overhangs on the corner building soon to be called Clark's. "If = we=20 can't get a bypass, at least we need to get a truck route." Bonham also = has=20 another perspective on the trucks. "Every truck represents someone = making a=20 living," she noted.

An Amador resident since the late 1970s, = Sherman has=20 been working toward creation of a bypass for years. "A bypass won't be = built in=20 my lifetime, but, as a member of the Amador County Transportation = Commission, I=20 look forward to spending another four years with (ACTC director) Charles = Field,"=20 he said.

During his time at ACTC, Sherman has worked to obtain=20 substantial sums of money for Ione. "The year before last," he recalled, = "I got=20 $1,027,000 for studies for the bypass. Last year, we received $290,000 = and the=20 goal for this year is $250,000."

During his four years on the = Ione=20 Planning Commission, Plank feels he has become fully informed of the = issues=20 facing the city. "We have a very serious sewer situation," he said, "but = we're=20 working toward getting a modern, high tech wastewater treatment plant. = It will=20 take up less room, with a smaller footprint, but will be more efficient. = You=20 don't need 15 acres any more."

The other candidates also have = high hopes=20 for changing the wastewater treatment system. As city council members, = Bonham=20 and Sherman have been working on a master plan that is expected to be = completed=20 soon. Bonham recalled the time, not so long ago, when the city was = placed under=20 a cease and desist order from the state.

Sherman relates his part = in the=20 battle fought and won by the city against the Amador Regional Sanitation = Authority, which wanted Ione to pay $2.1 million for improvements to the = ARSA=20 system. "We fought and stopped them," he said. "They promised to cut = their flow=20 by 100 acre feet a year and ended up cutting it by 250 - and we didn't = pay the=20 two million."

"Having a full time city manager has made a huge=20 difference," Bonham said in praise of City Manager Kim Kerr. "Since Kim = came, we=20 have lots more communication with everyone - the prisons, Amador = Regional=20 Sanitation Authority, Amador Water Agency, among others."

"Thank = goodness=20 we have Kim," was how Plank put it. "She has a finance background and = she's=20 turned things around."

Plank regrets the loss of the Ryland Homes = Wildflower development project, which has come to a possibly permanent = halt,=20 done in by the mortgage meltdown. "Ryland had a good mix of affordable = housing=20 levels," Plank said, "good for teachers, Cal Fire personnel and prison=20 workers."

Sherman is philosophical about the upcoming election. = "I enjoy=20 politics," he said, "but if people want to make a change, it's up to = them. I=20 have a lot of supporters out there who tell me not to worry. I try to = make as=20 many people happy as I can."

Asked about the new firehouse and = the=20 brouhaha about its financing, Bonham said, "City hall will get out of = hock." She=20 explained the lease/buyback that will be triggered by completion of the=20 firehouse construction project. City hall was used as temporary = collateral to=20 raise enough money to finish the job, at which point the finished = firehouse will=20 qualify for its own mortgage.

"We need a city council that's made = up of=20 independent thinkers and visionaries," Plank said. "We have to come up = with=20 decisions that are best for the entire city."

It's doubtful that = either=20 of his opponents would argue with that.

Jerry = Budrick