In a setback to the county's plans for a new jail, Amador came up short on a preliminary ranking list for state funds.

The rankings that were unanimously approved last week by the Corrections Standards Authority Board - one for large counties and one for counties with populations less than 200,000 - does not represent the final determination of which counties will receive $750 million in Phase 1 jail bond funds authorized by Assembly Bill 900 signed last year. That decision was postponed until Sept. 18, when the full CSA board will convene in Sacramento.

Local officials had hoped their participation in a Stockton reentry facility with San Joaquin and Calaveras counties would secure Amador a top-four spot, but it was edged out by Yolo, Kings and Madera, which were recommended to receive $30 million each, and Calaveras, which was recommended to receive $10 million of its requested $26.3 million. Counties ranked below fourth were not recommended to receive any funding. Amador came in seventh.

The preliminary rankings approved by the CSA board would award $650 million in funds to build 7,720 beds in eight large and medium counties, and $100 million for 566 beds in four small counties, based on the proposals that they submitted for review.

In total, 24 counties applied for $750 million in Phase 1 funds. Of those counties, 19 took steps toward siting community reentry facilities, which was the main requirement for receiving funds. Though Amador was one of those counties, there were "a number of other factors" for consideration as well, according to CDCR spokesman Seth Unger, including project need, cost effectiveness and detention alternatives. The department is also looking for a net increase of 4,000 jail beds to make bond dollars stretch as far as possible, Unger added.

Still, only those counties that have received formal approval from their local governments, and have signed siting agreements with the state for reentry facilities, will be eligible for the Phase 1 jail bond funds. Amador has done both. Unger said the department will spend the next 90 days evaluating the viability of the proposed reentry facility sites. Asked if Amador could still make into the first phase of funding, Unger said, "They certainly could … if other small counties submitted proposals that aren't viable."

The county could also receive some of the $450 million distributed in Phase 2 once all phase one benchmarks have been met.

One possible hitch for the county are the questions about where Amador will build its new jail. Questions have surfaced in recent weeks regarding a proposed jail site in Martell, where wastewater disposal has become a concern. The city of Sutter Creek objected to a land sale agreement between the county and Sierra Pacific Industries because sewage disposal had not yet been worked out. "I am sure that that is something weighed by the steering committee," Unger said.