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Email Megan Email Shayla Browse & Buy: Announcements Apartments & Rentals Automotive Employment Farmer's Market Financial Legals Merchandise for Sale Real Estate for Sale Recreational Call A Pro Page 1 Call A Pro Page 2 MARKETPLACE Scanavino Insurance SUBSCRIBER CENTER Contact the Ledger Dispatch Subscribe Today COMMUNITY LINKS California Highway Patrol Traffic Info Page City of Jackson Jackson Police Department City of Amador Amador County Chamber of Commerce Amador Superior Court City of Plymouth Amador County Caltrans Road Conditions HomeTown Radio City of Ione Amador County Sheriff City of Sutter Creek CLICK GALLERIES April Click Submissions Click - March 25, 2008 Click - March 18, 2008 Click - March 11, 2008 Click — February 19, 2008 Photos Courtesy of John Shepherd More Click Galleries E-mail this article to a friend | Printer friendly format No progress toward Upcountry transpo rep Friday, June 12, 2009 By Roger Phelps The Amador County Board of Supervisors Tuesday fielded requests to push for a shakeup of the governance of the Amador County Transportation Commission - to seat a representative from Amador's comparatively populous eastern sector, known as Upcountry. The supervisor board appoints three transportation board members and the local cities appoint the rest of the six-member body. In a quest that's run for more than a year, Upcountry advocates didn't get what they wanted. Supervisors denied by a 4-1 vote a request to limit the number of terms on the transportation board that a supervisor appointee could serve. Chairman and District 3 Supervisor Ted Novelli, who represents Upcountry, voted against denying the request. In Amador, slightly more people live Upcountry than live in the county's five cities, a fact advocates say must not be ignored. "It's a numbers game - the issue is not going to go away," said Ruth Gottstein. The session began with an exploration of whether the transportation board could simply seat an additional member, and if so, an Upcountry resident. That was found to be not feasible under state law. Next, Upcountry advocates seemed divided on whether they wanted to say the region in fact receives flawed representation on the transportation board. To the speakers who did suggest this, supervisors responded that the transportation commission has fully supported making a priority of a Pine Grove Bypass Project on State Route 88. District 4 Supervisor Louis Boitano chairs the transportation board and District 2 Supervisor Richard Forster also serves on it. "As altruistic as we all want to be, without people telling you what they want, we're back to the whole sense of democracy," said Debbie Dunn, representing the Pine Grove Council. "This is Amador County's growing pains." Several supervisors bristled at the suggestion that transportation representatives were partisan in favor of their area of residence. District 1 Supervisor John Plasse, in making a motion to deny the request to push for a shakeup in transportation governance, said, "If you're not able to represent the county as a whole, you don't belong on the transportation commission - but there's no evidence of that. If it ain't broke, don't fix it." "We're asking for one voice," said Lynn Morgan, representing the Upcountry Community Council. Boitano said he would take the opportunity at a transportation board meeting to remind the board that a request is before it to participate in a joint-powers agency with the cities - a new form of governance in the transportation sector that would allow the seating of an Upcountry representative. Roger Phelps COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE No comments have been posted in the last 15 days! 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