Ledger-Dispatch

By Kelly Scott (kenos@ledger-dispatch.com) =

The Ione City Council updated two = municipal codes=20 Tuesday that hadn't been changed since the 1980s.

Photo by: Kelly=20 Scott
The city of Ione wrapped up several = public=20 hearings and threw in some presentations during a busy meeting Tuesday = night=20 that dealt with development plan reviews and quitclaim deeds.

Two = outdated municipal codes were also updated. One change modified the = requirements=20 for planning commission review of home occupations. Currently, the = review of=20 development plans is creating a burden on new commercial tenants, = explained city=20 planner Christopher Jordan. As written in 1988, the code is confusing = and lacks=20 explanation in some places, he said. "Essentially, the new code states = that the=20 planning commission process can be eliminated if the structure is = already=20 equipped with the necessary amenities."

City Manager Kim Kerr = said the=20 confusion was discovered while staff was going through the codes and = realized a=20 "clean-up" was in order.

One of the immediate impacts of the = update will=20 be felt by Linda Blackburn, who currently operates a Pets 'N Stuff store = in Ione=20 and has plans for a charter school to lease the remainder of the = building.=20 "Right now, we are a small business in a big barn," she said. "We are = hoping for=20 an adoption so we can get on with business."

A home occupation = code,=20 which didn't identify what constitutes an approved home business, was = also=20 changed.

"Essentially, the code is broad and wide as it reads = now, and=20 does not identify which business can and cannot be run from home," = Jordan=20 said.

The revamped code will set a performance standard for home=20 businesses that will not detract from the character of the community, = Jordan=20 added. It will also clarify what's allowed after the licensing process. = Home=20 occupations will have to be licensed by the state and county, and also = reviewed=20 annually to ensure compliance. The approved ordinances will get a second = reading, as required, on Aug. 19.

A public hearing for Jose's = Place=20 apartments ended with the multi-family housing unit being approved to = receive=20 bonds for its rehabilitation. Kerr explained that the funding process is = one the=20 city must hold annually to satisfy state law.

A conflict of = interest=20 involving council members Jim Ulm and Jerry Sherman, who both own = property near=20 the site, resulted in a "drawing" to establish a quorum. Ulm was excused = while=20 Sherman remained.

Ione resident Gary Thomas expressed his = displeasure=20 with the apartment complex and its tenants, calling them "not good = neighbors."=20 Kerr explained that his comments would be better suited for a future = public=20 comment period. Tuesday's public hearing was only to approve the bond = and=20 financing process.

The council also approved an easement grant = and a=20 quitclaim deed to speed along completion of the city's Wildflower = subdivision.=20 The construction of a water tank, pipeline and pump station are required = for the=20 single-family units. The easement rights document was signed over to the = Amador=20 Water Agency for maintenance.

"At this time, we want nothing to = do with=20 water lines so it is best to give it to (AWA)," Kerr said. "This is an = easement=20 for maintenance only. They will not own a piece of Howard = Park."

Besides=20 requiring the water agency to maintain the water lines, the property = easement=20 will, once expansion of the Tanner Water Treatment Plant is complete, = revert=20 back to the city. The quitclaim deed and the two easement grants were = signed by=20 Mayor Andrea Bonham.

Tracey Towner-Yep updated the council with a = brief=20 report on the future of the Amador County Recreation Agency. The ACRA = director=20 said the city would receive approximately $100,000 of Proposition 40 = funds=20 granted through the agency.

Kelly = Scott