Local college preparatory courses and improvements to the Highway 88 corridor are the two legislative priorities the Amador County Board of Supervisors will be pursuing this year, the board decided Tuesday.

The county is seeking $400,000 in federal assistance for the state route project, which is considered the major access throughway for travelers to and from the Eldorado National Forest, Mokelumne River wilderness areas and the Toiyabe National Forest. It has also increased in popularity among those who use the highway to drive up to the Kirkwood Mountain Resort, causing adverse impacts to the Pine Grove area during peak travel hours and on weekends.

The purpose of the project will be to construct a highway widening or a bypass through and around the community.

Residents of Pine Grove, along with the Amador County Transportation Commission and the California Department of Transportation, have worked in analyzing a range of alternatives for the project to relieve the congestion and improve safety along the segment of highway.

"Right now this is at staff level," said David French of ENS Resources, Inc., a Washington, D.C. firm the county is working with on legislative priorities. He spoke Tuesday in a conference call. "The county should request all congressional office holders to visit the county and discuss this," he told supervisors of the corridor project. "The need is huge and the request falls in line with federal appropriations."

French explained that the next phase will involve a detailed analysis and will include community consensus, preliminary design and an environmental clearance for the preferred solution, and the funding of the project using a combination of state and local sources that will fall "somewhere between $24.2 and $45.6 million."

The Amador College Preparation Initiative is a collaborative effort among the county, Cosumnes River College and the Los Rios Community College District, as well as the Amador County Unified School District. The intent is to establish a college preparation curriculum that will provide dual enrollment in fire technology, emergency medical technology and other related programs.

High school students would have the option of enrolling in the courses and earning college credits along with gaining knowledge on how to better support local, rural and volunteer fire departments throughout the county.

District 4 Supervisor Louis Boitano commended French on the college initiative, saying the county was in jeopardy due to budget cuts. "I cannot stress how serious anything we can do to prevent that is appreciated," he said.

A loan in the amount of $25,000 was granted to the city of Sutter Creek for the relocation of a driveway that was impacted during the construction of the Highway 49 bypass and is now causing safety concerns for visitors to a nearby dentist's office. Funding for the project will be reimbursed by Caltrans, but in the meantime, the city is in need of partial funding to expedite the project.

Boitano and board Chairman Richard Forster suggested the county loan the city the money for six months while waiting for the reimbursement. Following the work, the city would repay the county in full. "We should bear a part of the responsibility." Forster said.

Outgoing planning commission Chairman Barry Risberg was honored during the meeting for his tenure and involvement in projects like the Kirkwood Specific Plan, the Pioneer Junction RV Park, wireless tower facility ordinance and the general plan housing and circulation elements. The board adopted a resolution of recognition to thank Risberg for his six years on the commission, saying his work had helped to shape the county's future.

"This was always about a team," Risberg said. "Thank you, it was great to be able to serve the county."