A big money boost is expected for local community college facilities and a new transit hub.

A federal omnibus spending bill progressing through the U.S. Legislature earmarks nearly $240,000 that could be used to improve Amador County's college education services. On Tuesday, county supervisors also fixed their sights on solar-powered savings generated by the coming Sutter Hill Transit Center, which is also slated to benefit from earmarks included in President Barack Obama's massive spending bill.

"It's expected to be approved," County Administrative Officer Terri Daly said of the education money, though she cautioned approval of the Obama budget is still not certain. "Sen. (Dianne) Feinstein has pushed hard."

Daly was referring to the efforts of the state Democratic senator to secure federal money for the area's long-gestating community college plans.

As part of a two-year-old cooperative effort, instructors from Cosumnes River College currently teach in classrooms belonging to the Amador County Unified School District. The classrooms also offer lectures by Cosumnes instructors over closed-circuit television.

With financial assistance from Amador County, the program is known as the Amador Learning Center. The center's two-pronged goal is to bring Amador up to par with other foothill counties in offering educational services and to prevent the brain drain of young adults leaving the area. The county is the only one in the state that doesn't officially belong to a community college district. Cosumnes River College is part of the Los Rios Community College District.

"Prior to the establishment of this relationship, the county was not aligned with a community college district, which denied higher education opportunities to our residents," center officials wrote in an Internet posting. "In addition, outward migration of students to colleges and workers to jobs outside the county economically drains resources in, and shifts tax-based income away from Amador County."

Eventually, Amador should launch its own community college district and build a campus, officials agree, though that ultimate goal remains decades away.

Regarding the Sutter Hill Transit Center project on Valley View Drive, supervisors learned Tuesday that federal money in Obama's first spending bill would fund a pair of "add-ons."

"Widening Valley View on the frontage, and solar-shade structures," noted project manager Matt Boyer.

Each project segment is expected to cost between $2.5 million and $3 million.

Out in the sun, solar panels on numerous vehicle-shade roofs will generate a surprising amount of electricity, according to Boyer. Beyond heating and cooling rooms at the facility, power generated might be a bonus toward savings at other county buildings, Boyer said. "My belief is you'll have excess power."

Boyer said excess power could be shuttled to the statewide grid in exchange for credits against electricity used at other county buildings.