News Archive

AWA Directors Spending Ratepayer funds at an Astonishing Rate 11/16/2016

Over $2,000,000 wasted through bad decisions and poor planning Details...

AWA Fined by FPPC for Violating CA Political Reform Act 11/2/2016

Ratepayer funds spent on persuasive letter that was illegal Details...

Amador Residents Speak Out Against AWA Rate Increase 8/19/2015

RPA delivers referendum petitions Details...

Water Rates Are Going Up 56% to 137% 8/1/2015

AWA has approved another rate increase Details...

RPA Watchdog SPECIAL EDITION 7/1/2013

AWA Consolidation Raises Rates, Hinders Future Protests Details...

RPA Watchdog SPECIAL EDITION 6/17/2013

Amador Water Agency Botches Rate Notice Details...

RPA Watchdog 5/15/2013

Howard Jarvis Requests Sutter Creek Garbage Protest Recount Details...

RPA Watchdog 5/12/2013

AWA Consolidates Rates to Undermine Protest Details...

RPA Watchdog 4/15/2013

A Victory for Sutter Creek Residents, AWA Directors Approve Loans & Audit with Incomplete Financial Information, AWA Approves Another GSL Funding Plan, $20,000 More for AWA Rate Study Details...

AWA Special Board Meeting Minutes 4/5/2013

AWA Directors Approve Loans & Audit with Incomplete Financial Information, AWA Approves Another GSL Funding Plan, $20,000 More for AWA Rate Study Details...

Sutter Creek Residents Defeat 41% Garbage Rate Increase 4/1/2013

Sutter Creek residents and property owners stood up to a 41% garbage rate increase and convinced the City Council to limit the increase to 5.3%. Details...

RPA Watchdog 3/26/2013

Majority Protests Garbage Rates in Sutter Creek Details...

RPA Watchdog SPECIAL EDITION 3/15/2013

41% Garbage Rate Increase Hearing in Sutter Creek on Monday 3/18 7:00PM Details...

RPA Watchdog 2/4/2013

Sutter Creek Announces 41% Garbage Rate Increase, AWA Board Asks Mancebo for GSL, CFD, Audits and Corrections Update Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 1/24/2012

AWA Board Asks Mancebo for GSL, CFD, Audits and Corrections Update Details...

RPA Watchdog 1/18/2013

Gravity Supply Line Falls off Track, Water Agency Solution to $5,000 Pump Repair is $6,000,000 Pipe Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 1/10/2012

Gravity Supply Line Falls off Track, Water Agency Solution to $5,000 Pump Repair is $6,000,000 Pipe Details...

RPA Watchdog 12/22/2012

Amador Water Agency Hires Help for Accounting Problems, AWA Agrees to Take Ownership of PG&E Water System, PG&E Contract Forces AWA to Maintain Upcountry Pump System Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 12/13/2012

Amador Water Agency Hires Help for Accounting Problems, AWA Agrees to Take Ownership of PG&E Water System, PG&E Contract Forces AWA to Maintain Upcountry Pump System Details...

RPA Watchdog 12/6/2012

Amador Water Agency Accounting Still Inaccurate Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 11/29/2012

Amador Water Agency Accounting Still Inaccurate Details...

RPA Watchdog 11/17/2012

AWA Accounting Adjustments Expose $6 Million Omission, AWA “Adjustments” Reveal How Ratepayers Subsidize Growth Details...

AWA Budget/Finance Committee Meeting Minutes 11/05/2012

AWA “Adjustments” Reveal How Ratepayers Subsidize Growth Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 10/25/2012

AWA Accounting Adjustments Expose $6 Million Omission Details...

RPA Watchdog 10/25/2012

AWA Fails to Give Notice of Upcountry Property Tax, AWA Board Pulls Rate Increase Notice at Last Minute, Directors Farrington and Thomas Recommend Unconstitutional Policy Changes Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 10/11/2012

AWA Fails to Give Notice of Upcountry Property Tax, AWA Board Pulls Rate Increase Notice at Last Minute, Directors Farrington and Thomas Recommend Unconstitutional Policy Changes Details...

AWA is Raising Water Rates 10/3/2013

Even after the Grand Jury strongly criticized their financial management, the AWA has voted to raise your rates before they put their financial house in order. And they're doing this at a time when many of us are struggling to make ends meet. Details...

RPA Watchdog 10/1/2012

Upcountry Tax to Pay for GSL, AWA OKs Rate Increase Notice, Consultant Explains Upcountry Tax, AWA Amends Proposition 218 Procedures Again Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 9/13/2012 & 9/24/2012

Upcountry Tax to Pay for GSL, AWA OKs Rate Increase Notice, Consultant Explains Upcountry Tax, AWA Amends Proposition 218 Procedures Again Details...

AWA Holds Outreach Meeting 9/12/2012

On 9/12/12, the night before the Amador Water Agency board was to vote on the upcountry water rate increase, an outreach meeting was held at the Mace Meadows Golf Club House. Details...

RPA Watchdog 9/6/2012

Jackson City Council Objects to AWA Rate Study, Rate Increase Sparks Controversy at La Mel Heights, Camanche Meeting September 13, 8/23/12 & 8/30/12 AWA Board Meeting Minutes. Details...

Rate Increase Sparks Controversy at La Mel Heights 8/30/2012

On August 30, 2012, the AWA Directors held a meeting with La Mel Heights ratepayers to discuss their proposed consolidation of all systems. More

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 8/23/2012 & 8/30/2012

AWA Argues Grand Jury Facts, Findings and Recommendations, AWA Attorney Says Releasing Financial Info Would Have a “Chilling Effect”, Board Approves “Fill-In” Projects for “Overworked” AWA Staff, AWA Director Rich Farrington: “Unduly burdensome” to Listen to Public’s Comments
Details...

Jackson City Council Objects to AWA Rate Study 8/27/2012

On August 27, the Jackson City Council voted 5-0 to send a letter to AWA objecting to AWA’s proposed consolidated rate increase. More...

RPA Watchdog 8/20/2012

8/9/12 & 8/13/12 AWA Board Meeting Minutes, Jackson To Pay Over $19,000/Year for Pipeline They Don’t Use, Camanche Outreach Meeting September 13. Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 8/9/2012 & 8/13/2012

45% Water Rate Increase May be Delayed Until After Election, Upcountry Vote on GSL Property Tax Planned for February 2013 Details...

RPA Watchdog 8/6/2012

7/26/12 AWA Board Meeting Minutes, RPA Reaction to Water Rate Increases. Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 7/26/2012

45% Water Rate Increases at AWA Could Soon Be Reality, Proposed CFD Discounts Infrastructure to 16 Landowners at Ratepayer Expense, AWA Rate Protest Procedure More Difficult for Ratepayers, Board Approves $200,000/Year General Manager Contract, AWA Spends $79,013.72 on Attorney in 6 Months. Details...

RPA Watchdog 7/19/2012

Jackson Releases Wastewater DEIR, 7/12/12 AWA Board Meeting Minutes. Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 7/12/2012

AWA Board Approves June Payments of $42,000 in Attorney’s Fees, Future Meeting Topics List Becomes Unmanageable Details...

RPA Watchdog 7/5/2012

Jackson Council Ignores Prop 218 Recommendation, 6/28 AWA Board Meeting. Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 6/28/2012

AWA Board Approves 2012-2013 Budget, AWA Board Approves Loan to Wastewater ID#1 , Board Suspends Wastewater Increase, Avoids Proposition 218 Details...

RPA Watchdog: Special Edition 6/28/2012

Amador County Grand Jury Blasts Amador Water Agency. Details...

RPA Watchdog 6/20/2012

Jackson Resident Sues City Over Garbage Rates, 6/14 AWA Board Meeting. Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 6/14/2012

AWA 2012-2013 Budget Not Yet Available, Camanche Well #14 is Again Out of Service, Independent Financial Review Moving Forward?, Buckhorn Disinfection By-Products Project Added to 2012-2013 Budget, Camanche Ground Water Study Shows Abundance of Water, Board Discusses Suspension of Wastewater Increase Details...

RPA Watchdog 5/31/2012

Plymouth Tables Garbage Rate Increase, 5/24 AWA Board Meeting. Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 5/24/2012

Annual Audit Still not in Agreement with 66013 Fund Report (Again), Response to Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Letter, Internal Loan Policy Sent Back to the Drawing Board, Board Gives OK for General Manager to Hire Temp Employee, Board’s Reputations are at Stake Details...

RPA Watchdog 5/17/2012

5/10 AWA Board Meeting, Jackson Approves Garbage Rate Increase, Plymouth Considers Garbage Rate Increase. Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 5/10/2012

AWA Needs More Money for Rate Consolidation Study, AWA Annual Audit Still not in Agreement with 66013 Fund Report (Again) Details...

RPA Watchdog 5/10/2012

City of Sutter Creek Settles Prop 218 Garbage Suit, 4/26 & 4/30 AWA Board Meetings. Details...

AWA Needs More Money for Rate Consolidation Study 5/10/2012

In September 2011, after discarding a $55,000 rate study by consultant Bob Reed that had a $20,000 cost overrun, the Board earmarked an additional $120,774 for a new rate study to consolidate the water systems. At the May 10, 2012 meeting, General Manager Gene Mancebo informed the Board that he needed an additional $14,500 to complete the new study and pay Reed to attend meetings with wholesale customers (cities) and large water users. Details...

City of Sutter Creek Settles Prop 218 Garbage Suit 5/7/2012

Krause, Kalfayan, Benink & Slavens, LLP announced in a press release that the City of Sutter Creek settled a lawsuit with residents Dorothy and Paul Pressnall. In the settlement, the City agreed to pay attorney fees and to follow Proposition 218 requirements on future garbage rate increases as the Pressnalls asked in their suit. Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 4/26/2012 & 4/30/2012

AWA Annual Audit Still not in Agreement with 66013 Fund Report (Again), GSL Update Full of Inaccuracies, Excuses, Insults and Accusations, AWA Community Facilities Districts Put Ratepayers At Risk Details...

GSL Update Full of Inaccuracies, Excuses, Insults and Accusations 4/26/2012 & 4/30/2012

On 4/26/2012 and 4/30/2012, the AWA board discussed an update on the status of the GSL project and General Manager Gene Mancebo asked for an additional $50,000 and 224 hours of staff time to continue preparations and studies for the GSL. After being asked to provide the information at the 4/12/2012 meeting, Mancebo still was not prepared to give the amount spent to date for the GSL project. The report had inaccurate information and used excuses, insults and accusations to take the blame for poor planning off of AWA. More...

RPA Watchdog 4/19/2012

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Join Public in Dispute with AWA, 4/22 Board Meeting. Details...

AWA Board Meeting Minutes 4/12/2012

AWA Annual Audit Still not in Agreement with 66013 Fund Report, AWA Disputes California Constitution Interpretation by Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association, Monthly Billing vs. Every Other Month?, More Wasted Money, Community Facilities Districts Help Land Developers at Ratepayer’s Risk Details...

AWA Restricts Ratepayers Rights to Protest 3/28/2012

On March 8, the AWA Board of Directors voted unanimously to change their Proposition 218 water rate protest procedure, claiming it will be easier for ratepayers to protest because the agency will provide a rate protest form. What the AWA's press "spin" did not state was that only their protest forms will be allowed, and no other form of ratepayer protest will be accepted. AWA's decision actually restricts ratepayers' rights to protest as provided for under Proposition 218. More...

RPA Watchdog 3/28/2012

Rate Increases, Protest Procedures, 3/22/12 Board Meeting. Details...

AWA Planning to Raise Rates Despite Accounting Mess 3/27/2012

The Amador Water Agency is getting ready to raise your water rates. At a time when people are still struggling to make ends meet, the directors think you should be paying more for water. Ratepayers do not have to accept the higher rates and can stop the rate increase by protesting it. AWA says it needs more money to operate, but is it true? And how can we trust them when they can’t put together two financial reports in row that say the same thing? Read entire story...

RPA Watchdog 3/16/2012

Public Funds Lawsuit, AWA Water System Consolidation, Camanche Well #14. Details...

AWA Cancels 33% of All 2011 Meetings 1/4/2012

In a year where the agency has struggled to stay afloat, the people elected to keep the AWA solvent and its systems in good working order chose to meet less often to discuss the issues in public. One third of all scheduled meetings were canceled, and the agency didn’t hold a single board meeting in December 2011. Details...

Where's the Growth Upcountry? 1/3/2012

AWA says the upcountry will need more water to provide for future growth. But the facts show that local growth has been slow for some time now. And no other local agencies are planning for a tripling of the upcountry’s population in the next 20 years. Read more...

Want Amador Water Agency to be Investigated by the Grand Jury? 1/1/2012

Now is the time to take action. Part of the Grand Jury's mission is to act as a civil watchdog. The Grand Jury investigates city and county government, as well as special districts, to ensure the interests of Amador County citizens are being served. Concerned citizens should send in their complaints.
Read more about the Grand Jury's mission and how to contact them...
UPDATE: Read the 2011-2012 Grand Jury Report on AWA

What's Going on at the Amador Water Agency?

The issues at AWA have been around for at least 10 years and they are only getting worse. Click the links below for more details so you can make educated decisions when you vote for your representatives, or when you are faced with a rate increase. The only way our government will improve is if WE improve it.