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Tuesday, 10 March 2009 |
 Amador County – The Ione City Council last week approved first readings of two ordinances: one to help lower insurance in city floodplains, the other to streamline the internal process on bidding for city construction projects. City Manager Kim Kerr said The Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Procedures would allow staff to go out to bids for up to $30,000 dollars worth of projects, but the city still “cannot do anything unless” the city council has “seen it and allocated for it in the budget.” It allows for interested bidders to prequalify or place their names into the city system. Kerr said it does not change the city internal process. It allows for a contractor list of approved vendors to be used in projects from $30,000 to $100,000 dollars to be placed in formal bid process. She said it would help expedite bids and lower them by extracting accounting from projects. City Attorney Kristen Castanos said the ordinance speeds up the selection of contractors and getting projects moving. Kerr said it was modeled on state law and the ordinance would help with the proposed remodel of the Ione Police Department. She said city staff has “already developed a tracking system for keeping track of staff time” on work projects. The council passed the first reading of the ordinance, along with Ordinance 422 for Floodplain Management. The ordinance will raise the flood level designation in the city to the level designated in state “free board” requirements for official “floodplains.” Castanos said “this ordinance has no impact on flood insurance” requirements for city residents, but it “can allow owners to obtain lower flood insurance rates.” If homeowners remodel or build up over the flood level, they had get a lower insurance rate. Kerr said homeowners can also get a “certificate of elevation to eliminate your need for insurance,” with the buildup. Both ordinances passed, 5-0, and were set for second readings March 17th. Story by Jim Reece
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