Ledger-Dispatch

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

Ione resident Jerry Cassessi thanks = Mayor Andrea=20 Bonham for her support in opposing a proposed casino agreement = between the=20 county and a local tribe.

Photo by: Kelly=20 Enos
Ione council members will soon be = brushing up=20 on their meeting etiquette, trading one set of rules for those elected = officials=20 have informally followed the last few years.

"We have the issue = of not=20 having actually adopted Robert's Rules (of Order)," said City Manager = Kim Kerr=20 at Tuesday's Ione City Council meeting, in reference to one set of = guides used=20 to run fair government meetings and conferences. "This is the initial = phase to=20 show you what these guidelines are and what the process is."

Kerr = said=20 while seeking alternatives to Robert's Rules, which have not been easily = adaptable to a city council format, she located the Rosenberg's Rules of = Order,=20 which she feels may be a suitable replacement as they are geared toward = making=20 citizens feel that they are able to participate in the=20 process.

"Rosenberg's Rules recommend that items be passed as an=20 ordinance as opposed to a resolution," Kerr said. "This means public = hearings on=20 matters so that the community is more involved."

Council set a = date of=20 April 29 for "training" under the new rules and will begin to utilize = them=20 during the first meeting in May after the city attorney has drafted the=20 ordinance to change municipal code 2.04.090 and other relevant=20 sections.

Ione resident Jack Brotherton told council members he = was=20 familiar with Rosenberg's Rules, saying, "The beauty of Rosenberg's = Rules of=20 Order are their simplicity."

The Ione City Council decided to = stick with=20 its current consultant to expedite the city's general plan update, = rather than=20 see if they could save money on the open market.

Councilman Jerry = Sherman=20 favored putting the contract out for multiple bids on the chance that it = could=20 save the city money and wanted the city to make an effort to save where = they=20 could. His motion was opposed, with council members Jeff Barnhart and = Jim Ulm=20 saying they felt comfortable moving ahead with Pacific Municipal = Consultants, a=20 Rancho Cordova-based firm they believed was already familiar with the = city's=20 inner workings.

"After seeing what PMC has done for Rancho = Cordova, they=20 will do a fine job," added Councilman Lee Ard.

City staff had = already met=20 with PMC representatives to discuss what they could do for the city in = assisting=20 with both a technical review and a complete plan update. The potential = cost of=20 the general plan update could run the city approximately $580,000, with = an=20 additional $200,000 needed to cover the cost of legal review = fees.

A=20 motion was made for staff to develop a contract with PMC and create a = six-member=20 executive committee of council members, planning commissioners, and park = and=20 recreation commissioners.

The city council also decided to seek = bidders=20 for a downtown park and ride facility intended to bolster public = transportation=20 and carpooling. According to Kerr, the funds have been secured by the = city=20 through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program, which = requires the=20 city do competitive bidding for the engineering, design and = environmental=20 analysis work. If the city fails to bid out the project, it could result = in loss=20 of the grant funds that Ione would then be responsible for = repaying.

Kelly = Enos