Ledger-Dispatch

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

Interim City Administrator Gene = Albaugh, left,=20 chose H. Dixon Flynn, right, a former Lodi city manager, as his = successor=20 in Plymouth.

Photo by: Jerry=20 Budrick
At his last council meeting as city = administrator, Gene Albaugh introduced his successor, H. Dixon Flynn, as = a man=20 who can "walk on water and walk on wastewater."

Flynn has 40 = years'=20 experience at various levels of government, most recently as city = manager of=20 Lodi. Albaugh hand-picked Flynn from a group of five candidates as his = clear=20 choice.

Albaugh doesn't get to slip away entirely just yet, = however. In=20 addition to the few days overlapping with Flynn, the city council voted = to=20 retain his services as head of Albaugh Group Consulting for a period of = up to=20 six months, assisting the city with preparations necessary to getting = the=20 Plymouth Pipeline Project out to bids from contractors. When asked about = how=20 long these preparations may take, Albaugh estimated three to four = months,=20 simultaneously assuring the council that his time as an expense will end = as soon=20 as the work is done.

Plymouth's pipeline project has been in the = works=20 for some time and is seen as a possible solution to a drinking water = source=20 problem that goes back decades. The Plymouth Ditch, which winds its way = from a=20 source on the Cosumnes River 18 miles to the city's water treatment = plant, has=20 been problematical since 1914. Wells intended to augment and/or replace = the=20 ditch have had problems of their own.

Pipelines are very = expensive and=20 can become very controversial. The Plymouth Pipeline is no exception and = the=20 list of complications facing its construction is beyond the two = confronted at=20 Thursday night's meeting: eminent domain and financing for the=20 project.

Tanner Reservoir, the other end of the intended = pipeline, is 8.5=20 miles away. Along the route, owners of what has come to be called the = Evitt=20 Property, Russell and Doris Evitt, have not agreed to allow construction = of the=20 pipeline through their property. Faced with further delays and failed=20 negotiations, the Plymouth City Council voted to take action to acquire = access=20 and easement by condemnation.

In discussion preceding the = unanimous vote=20 to exercise eminent domain, Mayor Jon Colburn said, "I have always been = opposed,=20 in that this project is for future development, but the burden of cost = could=20 fall on present ratepayers." Colburn went on to explain that passage of = the=20 resolution required a four-fifths vote of the council and that he was = well aware=20 that, if he chose not to vote or voted against the resolution, it would = cause a=20 long and costly delay in the project.

Councilman Michael O'Meara = was not=20 in attendance at Thursday night's meeting. No one responded to the = city's=20 invitation for a presentation by a representative of the Evitt Property. = No one=20 arose to give public comment. The motion was made, seconded and passed = by a vote=20 of 4-0.

Cost for construction of the Plymouth Pipeline is = anticipated to=20 be in the $12 million to $15 million range. Exact figures will not be = available=20 until bids are received and accepted. The Amador Water Agency and = various=20 government grant sources will be sharing the costs with the city of = Plymouth and=20 $12 million has already been committed to the pipeline.

Even = though the=20 council had an indefinite cost figure to contend with, the members = recognized=20 the need to move on with prioritizing appropriations for the coming = year. From a=20 list of eight candidates, they voted to choose four: the pipeline = project; a=20 $110,000 water tank security system; a $1.55 million storm drain system = upgrade;=20 and the Highway 49/Main Street intersection right of way acquisition and = parking=20 mitigation, projected to cost $1.18 million.

In discussion = concerning=20 possible shortfalls, Councilman Greg Baldwin conjectured that mandates = from the=20 government should make the government more willing to help pay for=20 them.

In suggesting that the wastewater treatment plant = improvement=20 project, on the candidate list at more than $1 million, be left off the = shorter=20 list of priorities, Colburn pointed out that the city still has excess = capacity=20 and improvements would clearly be tied to future = development.

Public=20 meetings are highly vulnerable to being stretched deep into the night by = lengthy=20 public comment. Meetings of the Plymouth City Council have long allowed = five=20 minutes to each member of the public, with a total of 20 minutes per = issue. A=20 resolution shortening the time for public comment to three minutes was = brought=20 before the Council.

"It may seem unbelievable that I have no = objection to=20 shortening the time to three minutes," said Gary Colburn, a Plymouth = resident=20 and former council member who frequently clashes with the council. = "Three=20 minutes is plenty of time. I would just like the real issues to be put = before=20 the public."

Councilwoman Pat Fordyce spoke at length about how = pleased=20 she is that people come to the meetings and speak, causing Baldwin to = suggest=20 delaying vote on the motion until O'Meara could be present. Fordyce = quickly=20 said, "Oh, I'll vote for the motion. I just wanted to say what I thought = needed=20 to be said." Motion passed.

Jerry = Budrick