Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors voted 3-1 Thursday to hold its portion of funding for the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority’s 2010 budget year. The Upper Moke Joint Power Authority was to consider its 2010 budget today, and member agency representatives were to bring their vote to the board. AWA Chairman Terence Moore asked Directors Don Cooper, Debbie Dunn and Bill Condrashoff if that meant the agency was going to drop out of the JPA. They said it did not mean that. Dunn said she wanted the JPA Executive Officer Rob Alcott, “to look at his salary.” She said the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority executive officer “gave himself a $4,000 dollar raise last year.” She also questioned the agency’s ability to get payment from Amador County. Dunn also suggested paying half of the budget, and seeking funds from the county. Moore said he thought she was “being short-sighted.” And he said “you won’t even look at your own salary.” Dunn said she did not make $125 dollars an hour, like Alcott. Engineering Manager Gene Mancebo said Alcott’s shift in salary was caused by adding an extra three months – the end of this year – to the 2010 fiscal year. Moore said “in the JPA, all members can vote how they want, as long as it doesn’t cost the parent agency any money,” and if it does cost, the member must get the OK of the parent agency. Dunn said one issue was that $12,000 dollars in conservation was changed to $25,000 dollars for a grant application, and not the same thing. She asked to get that changed back. Moore said the grant application would go toward conservation, and it had the support of the Foothill Conservancy. Moore, the agency’s representative on UMRWA, said “this has been negotiated with a lot of agencies. We can’t vote to change it.” Member agencies that pay into the JPA are AWA, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Calaveras County Water District, Calaveras Public Utility District and Jackson Valley Irrigation District. Non-paying members are Amador and Calaveras counties, but Moore said Amador does give in-kind attorney services, about $4,000 dollars a year. Moore suggested and the board directed staff to ask Amador County for its $36,000 dollar share of the budget, from the Amador Water Development Fund. Moore will ask Alcott come tell the new board members about UMRWA, and they may seek to move up by a month the next Upper Moke JPA meeting. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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