The recent sewer spillage in Sutter Creek, highlighted in the Ledger Dispatch on October 30, addresses an infrastructure problem that has been looming for years. The unfortunate line breakage and resulting discharge served to bring that critical issue into focus. It also indirectly focused on an available remedy for the city, the approval of the Gold Rush Ranch project.

The significant upgrading of the city's sewer treatment plant is the linchpin for the benefits made available with the approval of the Gold Rush Ranch development. It was that central feature that prompted my seeking the employ of Gold Rush as an outreach person. In personal contacts with more than 1,000 residents in Sutter Creek, I have found it to be a significant issue for others as well.

Gold Rush will not be replacing the intricate and aged sewer lines in Sutter Creek. Their expenditures to upgrade the sewer treatment plant, however, will free up personnel and revenues to address infrastructure issues that might otherwise be necessary to repair the sewer plant itself. I suspect that the incident on Nickerson Street was the tip of the iceberg, a fore-bearer of similar problems in the future.

Our city manager recently proposed a $750K bond for the city, designed to address the fragile nature of our current sewer system. The city council delayed action on the bond purchase, pending a decision by the city on the Gold Rush Ranch development. Clearly, a favorable decision on the project would make the need for such a bond less likely.

I write this not as an employee of Gold Rush but as a Sutter Creek resident. I think the sewer spill represents a valuable lesson for Sutter Creek, a lesson of what might occur if we do not address the critical infrastructure needs of the city. For that reason, and the myriad of other benefits and amenities that the Gold Rush Ranch project provides, I urge the city council to approve the project development for Sutter Creek