Amador County Supervisors John Plasse and Ted Novelli left an Amador Water Agency special meeting on providing water and wastewater service for a new county jail, saying they were happy with the terms worked out with AWA.

AWA Directors approved waiving a number of Agency policies to accommodate county requests, citing public safety and a desire for cooperation between local government agencies.

The jail is estimated to need 22,000 gallons per day of water and 19,400 gallons per day for wastewater. The proposed jail parcel at Amador Central Office Park currently has an entitlement of only 1200 gallons per day water and 600 gallons per day wastewater. The county has applied for additional capacity with the Water Agency and needs to confirm availability and cost for water and wastewater prior to purchasing the jail property.

In the Agency's proposal approved last Friday, the Agency is prepared to reserve water supply for up to ten years while the county secures jail construction funding. A guarantee for wastewater capacity will require an agreement between the City of Sutter Creek and the Water Agency to purchase that capacity.

The county will be charged AWA's service participation fees in place today, and the county has an option to pay the participation fees over a one- to ten-year period. A three percent annual escalator will be imposed if the county chooses to make annual payments, designed to cover expected increases in fees over time.

AWA policy typically requires that capacity can only be reserved for two years and that service must be initiated within two years of participation fees paid or the fees will be increased to current levels.

The Water Agency will also credit the county for disconnecting one of the two water connections to the existing jail site in Jackson, if the City of Jackson agrees.

AWA Directors emphasized their support of the new jail project and for an agreement that facilitated the county's project without asking AWA ratepayers to bear an unfair burden of serving the jail expansion. District 1 Director Bill Condrashoff said of Friday's Board action, "We are not subsidizing the jail."

The county has indicated that time sensitive decisions regarding the jail and the proposed site at Sutter Hill must be made in the near future.

In other news:

Also at the September 18th special meeting, AWA Directors approved sending a letter opposing SB 802 which seeks to lower the amount of money that a public agency can retain until a construction contract is completed, from 10% down to 5%. Public agencies must accept the lowest responsible bidder on projects and opponents of the bill argue that there are often situations where a contractor fails to complete work on a project and the 10% retention funds are used to complete the work. The bill is currently on its way to Gov. Schwarzenegger for his signature or veto.

At AWA's regular board meeting on September 24, Water Agency staff was directed to complete a scope of work for the Agency's consultant, the Reed Group, in preparation for water rate studies needed to update the financial plan for the Amador Water System. Actions that may affect Amador Water System rates include the addition of the Plymouth Pipeline and proposed addition of La Mel Heights customers, the possible use of treated water for agricultural use by former canal customers, and consideration of tiered pricing to encourage water conservation. Public workshops on the financial plan for the Amador Water System are expected in early 2010.