Ledger-Dispatch

By Bethany A. Monk (bmonk@ledger-dispatch.com) =

Several people urged the board of = supervisors to=20 adopt an economic stimulus proposal at Tuesday's packed = meeting.

Photo by: Bethany A. = Monk

Local contractor Paul Bramell is the = driving=20 force behind an economic stimulus proposal being considered by = Amador=20 County supervisors.

Photo by: Bethany A.=20 Monk
Nearly 80 people packed the County=20 Administration Center during a standing room only board of supervisors = meeting=20 Tuesday morning.

Several members of the community addressed the = board=20 during the meeting's public comments session regarding a proposed = economic=20 stimulus package that could temporarily eliminate homeowners' impact=20 fees.

"I'm worried about the health of our community," and the = economic=20 downturn, said Paul Bramell, general contractor. "We are in need of more = relief=20 ... I have a plan."

Impact fees have been raised "dramatically" = in the=20 last couple of years, Bramell claims in a letter included in the board = packet=20 Tuesday. "The county counts on new home starts to pay for those new = facilities.=20 ... However, the home starts in Amador County are down from 247 in 2006 = to 94 in=20 2007." There have only been 15 so far this year, he said.

After a = heated=20 discussion, including input from supervisors, the board decided to = postpone=20 making any formal decisions on the item. Bramell's plan, if approved in = the=20 future, would eliminate all impact fees for six months, then 50 percent = for the=20 next six months, and 25 percent for the subsequent months. He said he = hopes=20 contractors and developers will be limited to building two houses with = reduced=20 or eliminated impact fees.

There are two different types of fees = - permit=20 and impact - explained County Administrative Officer Terri Daly. "The = purpose of=20 these is to make sure new structures are built safely and up to code." = Permit=20 fees partially cover the cost to the state, Daly said. Impact fees, she = added,=20 have to do with fees accrued due to more people coming to the county, = which=20 includes impacts to roads, schools, park and recreation. "If you don't = pay=20 (these fees), the current population absorbs those impact fees" or lives = with=20 substandard roads, schools and other things.

The most important = aspect of=20 cutting the impact fees, according to John Wiens, who voiced his opinion = during=20 the public comments session, is the possibility for new jobs.

"I = don't=20 want to see anybody lose a job," said Upcountry resident Debbie Dunn, = who added=20 that the hike in fees seems severe because they "had not been in place=20 before."

"The people that are coming in now are taking the brunt = of what=20 we have enjoyed," said Joel Esh, president of the Amador County = Association of=20 Realtors, adding that he knows of people deciding not to build in the=20 area.

Currently 444 homes are on the market in Amador County, = according=20 to Bob Wynne, executive officer of the Amador County Association of = Realtors.=20 Figures for the previous year were not available.

District 4 = Supervisor=20 Louis Boitano suggested looking into the cost the reduced fees would be = to the=20 county. "We're $100 million behind in roads; we have a lot of work to do = before=20 we make this decision."

One supervisor, Rich Escamilla of = District 1, is=20 not so eager to see the proposed impact fees reduced or cut.

"It = took us=20 a long time to work these fees out," he said. "A lot of people came here = and=20 said, 'There's nothing for our kids to do.'" Fees are needed to build = parks and=20 trails, he said. "Parks (help) cut down on vandalism."

Discussion = and=20 possible action on the county imposed impact fees will take place at the = board's=20 next meeting, Tuesday, May 13 at the County Administration = Center.

Bethany A. = Monk