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ATC Report
In This Issue:
Plymouth Council Tables Garbage Increase

AWA Annual Audit Update

AWA Responds to HJTA Letter

AWA Board Rejects Internal Loan Policy

AWA to Hire Temp Employee

AWA Board's Reputations at Stake

Help Needed with Rate Protests


About RPA
Ratepayer Protection Alliance (RPA) was formed to support the rights of the people of Amador County against unfair rate increases, which are usually used to subsidize special interests. Recently, RPA has assisted citizens who successfully protested several water rate increases. RPA is committed to ensuring that water, wastewater and garbage rates in Amador County are justified, and do not unfairly burden local residents.

Donations
RPA works hard to minimize costs of informing the public of unfair rate increases. RPA operates on the donated time of volunteers and no one is paid for their efforts. Donations for postage costs can be sent to:
Ratepayer Protection Alliance
P.O. Box 51
Pine Grove CA 95665
Plymouth Tables Garbage Rate Increase

At their May 24 meeting, Mayor Sandy Kyles said that City Manager Jeff Gardner requested that the Plymouth City Council table the decision to raise garbage rates until the June 14th meeting. Attorney Laura Hollender said the purpose of tabling the garbage item is to give the Council a more in-depth review of the rates and why exactly they need to be increased. More...


5/24/12 AWA Board Meeting Summary
  1. AWA Annual Audit Still not in Agreement with 66013 Fund Report (Again)
    AWA’s General Manager Gene Mancebo still did not explain problems the public found in AWA financial reports on March 22, 2012. AWA staff said the problems were corrected during the lunch recess. The independent auditor said the draft audit would be easily corrected, but nothing more has been said for 9 weeks. An approved audit is supposed to be submitted to the State Controller by July 1.

    At the May 24th meeting, Mancebo asked the Directors for $7,900 to contract an outside accounting firm to do an independent financial review of the Agency. Two weeks earlier Mancebo said the contract would cost $5,500. More...

  2. AWA Responds to Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Letter
    AWA Attorney Steve Kronick presented a draft response letter to a letter that Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) wrote to AWA. The HJTA letter claims that AWA resolution 2012-04 that was enacted by the AWA board in March is contrary to the California Constitutional Amendment Prop 218. Details...

  3. Internal Loan Policy Sent Back to the Drawing Board
    The AWA board rejected a resolution that gave procedures for establishing internal loans. The Policy Committee recommended the resolution in order to prevent AWA systems from having negative fund balances. Both the public and some board members were not satisfied with the resolution. Details...

  4. Board Gives OK for General Manager to Hire Temp Employee
    AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo asked the board for direction to hire an additional employee to “assist with the work load created by the volume of public information requests.” A week earlier, Ken Berry asked for information that would justify the time spent on requests. Even though Berry was promised "what information we can provide" on May 17, nothing has actually been provided as of May 31. Details...

  5. Board’s Reputations are at Stake
    Several people at the meeting expressed that the AWA board members are putting their reputations at risk by seemingly ignoring the seriousness of AWA financial problems. Bill Condrashoff urged the board to be sure that they completely understood the seriousness of the 66013 suit and the discrepancies between those reports and the annual audit. The 66013 suit arose because the Directors voted not to provide Condrashoff with a report that would have shown the Directors that AWA was in financial trouble. Condrashoff first asked for the report in August of 2011. Details...
The next regular AWA board meeting will be Thursday June 14th at 9am. If you would like to receive the AWA agendas or full informational packets before each meeting, email cthompson@amadorwater.org.


Help Needed with Rate Protests

RPA is currently gearing up to help ratepayers stop unjustified rate increases. We’ll need volunteers to walk their neighborhoods collecting protest signatures. Donations for postage will reduce the need to walk door to door.

Click here to help
Learn how you can protest

Please forward this message to others in Amador County and help us get the word out!

Visit us on the web:
www.amadorwatchdog.org
Our mailing address is: Ratepayer Protection Alliance, P.O. Box 51, Pine Grove CA 95665
Our telephone: 209-223-0993

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