Amador County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Amador County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Rabies Risk and Animal Exposure Response
Public Health reported 8 rabies-positive specimens out of 52 tested this year — more than the previous two years combined — and walked residents through what to do after a bite or a bat in the bedroom. Supervisors asked that messaging include watching for animals acting strangely in daylight.
Fire district lease at Pine Grove Park
With the Pine Grove Community Services District dissolving, the county took the park, office, and fire station by deed. A cell tower lease and bulk water rates were preserved so the park can largely fund itself.
PG&E power shutoffs in the Pioneer area
PG&E reported its fifth-largest storm restoration and a 3-5% residential rate reduction, but a resident argued PG&E's repeated tree-thinning campaigns opened the forest to wind and snow-load damage, causing worse tree failures and 9-11 day outages, and said he's taken the issue to the CPUC.
Broadband for Fiddletown and Drytown
Volcano Vision is seeking state CASF grants to bury fiber to 136 underserved Fiddletown locations and 69 in Drytown, with free home drops during construction — no cost to the county.
Electra Road and Tiger Creek Road Maintenance with PG&E
PG&E just rebuilt failing Electra Road and will keep maintaining it, while the county takes over Tiger Creek. Supervisors were glad to shift that burden but flagged that PG&E can close the road during storms or fire danger — a concern for upcountry recreation.
Stinkwort Invasive Weed Spread
Rancher John Kirkpatrick says he's spent thousands fighting stinkwort, which is taking over roadsides along Highway 88 and Reservation Road, and he wants the county to spray county roads. A UC farm advisor confirmed it's the fastest-invading weed in the country and offered research-based control strategies.
Jail expansion financing sublease
The Board approved the legal paperwork locking in the state's $17.2 million share of the $28 million jail expansion via lease revenue bonds. The county keeps ownership but must operate the facility to BSCC standards.
Petersen Ranch Unit 3 reversion to acreage
Fifteen recorded-but-never-built parcels get wiped back to three big parcels because the developer's improvement agreement expired in 2019 with no infrastructure built. County keeps about $600,000 in bonds until they can be cancelled and keeps the Climax Road right-of-way.
Jackson Valley Quarry extended hours made permanent
Quarry hours beyond 6 p.m. are now permanent after two compliant years with zero noise complaints. A neighboring rancher asked the board to keep two-year reviews instead, citing dust, truck traffic safety at Highway 88, and asbestos concerns.
Deed-fraud alerts and a new $10 recording fee
Starting January 1, 2027, anyone recording a deed, mortgage, or deed of trust gets a $10 fee on top of recording costs, funding mandatory mailed alerts to property owners after recording under SB 255.
Stalled 50,000-grave-plot project and county process
Ione resident Dave Wardall complained that a massive cemetery project has dragged for four years, now on indefinite hold because the applicant won't respond to a fire-code gate issue. He asked the board to consider a policy change so unresponsive applicants can't stall projects indefinitely.
2026 Property Assessments and Slow Housing Growth
Assessments rose just over 3% countywide and only 55 new homes were built last year. More than half the county's homes aren't anyone's primary residence — inherited and vacant homes are a growing drag on neighborhoods and school enrollment.
Abandoned Vehicle Abatement fee on the ballot
The $1-per-vehicle fee failed in 2022, and the county has run out of money to tow junk cars and motor homes. Voters will decide again in November; the board flattened the fee to $1 for all vehicle types to improve its odds.
Park Use Fees and Waivers
New unified rules for all county parks were scheduled for adoption, with fees the Board set by resolution — small community events like potlucks may qualify for fee waivers.
Parks Capital Improvement Plan Update
The annual update of the parks development-fee spending plan was adopted after a public hearing, with Plymouth Veterans Park parking land acquisition added at Supervisor Oneto's urging and input from Jackson and Ione.
SB 1162 support letter (hazard priority mapping)
The board backed a bill by Senator Alvarado-Gil that would have CalFire prioritize high-hazard areas for fuel reduction — relevant after fires like the Calder fire burned with unexpected intensity near Kirkwood.
Pine Grove Cemetery fees and endowment shortfall
Since taking over Pine Grove Cemetery, the county must cover $16-17,000 a year in maintenance and build up a legally required endowment (currently ~$56,000 against a $280,000-$380,000 need). New fees — $2,500 casket plots, $1,250 cremation plots in 2027, with a $1,000 out-of-county surcharge — aim to close the gap, with hardship discounts available for residents.
Veteran pet license fee waiver
Supervisors want veterans over 60 to get free pet licenses for one dog and one cat — staff will bring back a resolution.
Childcare access and affordability
The Child Care Council reported that 938 of roughly 1,500 children under five live in families on public assistance, with long Head Start and preschool waitlists — child care costs more than many mortgages.
Take-home vehicle policy
Roughly 50 county vehicles are taken home, some commuting out of county. With layoffs looming, Supervisors want written justification from every department — probation defended its fleet as a mutual-aid necessity — before the April 28 budget meeting.
RV occupancy on residential property
The Board started the process to let property owners live in an RV with a permit — but only on lots with an existing home, hooked to house utilities, one per property, no generators, after concerns about trailers on vacant land hurting neighborhoods.
Limited Density Owner-Built Rural Dwelling (LDRD) Ordinance Amendments
The ordinance expands flexible rural building rules to nearly all zone districts where homes are allowed and bans using these dwellings as short-term rentals — adoption set for April 14.
County direct-deposit failure left teachers without mid-month pay
A local teacher told the Board that a clerical error at the county disrupted direct deposits for teachers' mid-month checks, leaving paycheck-to-paycheck workers scrambling. Supervisors directed staff to investigate where the process failed.
Fiddletown Road safety project
A 100% grant-funded project to fix Fiddletown Road got the board's official letter of support for the application.
County employee retirement plan fees
County workers were paying 1% a year plus a $25 fee on their retirement investments; switching record-keepers to Nationwide cuts that to 0.29% and lowers transaction fees, putting money back in employee accounts.
Tree mortality mitigation program
The county continues removing dead and dying hazard trees along roads, with 82.5% cost reimbursement from the state and Forest Service. The program has removed 11,000+ trees since 2017 but only about 40-50% of notified property owners return right-of-entry forms.
Fire Protection District Annexation (CFD 2006-1, Annexation #16)
The Board took the first step to annex territory into the fire protection services district, with a public hearing set for March 10, 2026.
Shake Ridge Road repair and Highway 49 widening
Supervisors reported Shake Ridge Road's second blowout will be repaired with county money using local contractors, and Caltrans plans to widen Highway 49 from the Drytown Bridge to the stoplight in a year or two.