Sutter Creek resident Ed Swift offers his opinion on city matters during the public comment period of Monday night's city council meeting.

Photo by: Jerry Budrick

The Sutter Creek City Council discussed and ultimately approved a draft budget for 2008-09 Monday night.

"Sutter Creek is not broke," Mayor Gary Wooten assured residents. "We're not going broke. We may not have money for bonuses, but we're moving on."

Planning Commissioner Mike Kirkley had enlisted colleague Cort Strandberg to read a lengthy letter, specifying many points of concern with the proposed budget. Wooten said that many of Kirkley's suggestions had already been implemented.

"No one's been hired here without council approval," Wooten declared, in response to suggestions that hiring might have occurred outside of city scrutiny.

In reference to a statement that the city of Jackson had only spent $40,000 to implement its strategic sewer management plan, as opposed to Sutter Creek's budget estimate of $328,000, Duke said, "They may have all the work being done by staff."

"Mike Kirkley and I haven't seen eye-to-eye on many issues for 10 years," said city councilman Pat Crosby.

Councilman Brent Parsons spoke of a meeting he had with city finance director Jeff Gardner. "Jeff and I had a meeting," he said, "and I'm still bewildered about where the $425,000 (2007-08 budget overrun) came from. I'm wondering when the time of reckoning is. I guess I won't have to worry about it. I'll just be watching." Parsons is not running for re-election in November.

In other news, the city council was approached by the developers of the Ridge Business Park, on Ridge Road directly across from the bowling alley, with a request that the city accept their property as a lien against payments totaling $53,000. The payments due are for accounts receivable to the city, materials and installation of a flow meter, and a boundary line adjustment with parcel map.

City Attorney Dennis Crabb told the council that he would have to thoroughly analyze the situation in order to minimize risk. When asked by Parsons if he felt that there's no risk in this, Crabb quickly responded, "You'll never get an attorney to say there's no risk."

Appearing before the council, developer Tara Kassity said, "We've been through a lot with our contractor. We need a boundary line adjustment ot finalize our map. Richard Turner was our developer, contractor and broker. That was mistake No. 1."

Local businessman, Sutter Creek property owner and former city council member Ed Swift came forward to say, "I found Mr. Turner to be one of the most obnoxious men I've ever met."

New contractor for the project, Hal Shipley, said, "I'm the contractor who has taken over this project. I've built developments in various communities in California for 30 years and have never had any complaints or mechanic's liens."

Informed that at least one of the units in the business park is in escrow, awaiting completion of the meter and map, the council voted to instruct staff to proceed with the lien process. Crabb added that he would need to get confirmation that they have a valid escrow.

The Bypass Landscaping and Gateway Monument at the Sutter Creek end of the Highway 49 bypass was named project of the year in the northern California region by the American Public Works Association. Designed by Kathleen Lynch of Amador City, the acclaimed project will now move forward for national consideration.