3 options for strategic plan input in D-3 this wk

By Teri | February 6, 2010

District 3 residents can give the Board of Supervisors input 3 different ways this week. Input will be used to help draft the Board’s first ever 5 year strategic plan. Interested residents can:

  1. Attend a Board meeting in Twain Harte, Tues., Feb. 9, at 6:30 pm at the Twain Harte-Long Barn Union School District Office (Telele Lodge – auditorium), 18995 Twain Harte Drive;
  2. Attend a Town Hall meeting in Tuolumne on Weds., Feb. 10, at 6:30 pm at Summerville High School’s library; and/or
  3. Take a survey online at www.TuolumneCounty.ca.gov.

The Board would like District 3 residents’ opinions on the following:

  • What are the greatest needs within the County right now?
  • What are the highest priority County services?
  • What are the main issues the County should be planning for in the future?
  • How should County leaders go about balancing future budgets?

County staff will draft a 5-Year Strategic Plan reflective of citizen input for Board consideration. Citizens will be asked to comment on the draft plan once completed. The Board will adopt the final 5 year strategic plan in 2010.

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Another Storm Warning… PG&E Update

By Teri | January 25, 2010

PRESS RELEASE

Date:               Monday, January 25, 2010; 10:00 am
Contact:          Kathleen K Rustrum, OES Coordinator, (209) 533-5511

Sonora - According to today’s report for Tuolumne County from the Forecast Desk at the National Weather Service, we are still under a Winter Storm Warning until Tuesday, January 26th at 4 am. We expect rain to pick up in the late morning through the afternoon amounting to under 1” of precipitation in the lower elevations.

Snow is expected today from 5000’ upwards, lowering in elevation tonight to possibly as low as the 3000’ elevation, for a light dusting. Higher elevations could get as much as 1’ of new snow from this storm. We expect today to be breezy with wind gusts up to 40-50 mph at the mountain crest.  The forecast is for a shower or two tomorrow, then a drying trend through Friday, January 29th.

Regarding power outages

Mi-Wuk Village is PG&E’s current focus with 1634 customers without power.  PG&E now has 30 crews of 4-5 persons each plus vegetation management staff in Tuolumne County working around the clock to restore power. Helicopter assessments were made over the weekend. Many pole replacements are in inaccessible areas and need to be replaced by staff hiking in and replacing poles by hand. Other poles are more accessible and more easily accessed by snow tractors.

PG&E will be re-energizing power lines in the Mi-Wuk area today at 10:30 am and should be able to further assess where power is still out later on this morning. We hope to update the community with PG&E’s action plan later on today.

Mi-Wuk Fire Station, located at 24247 Highway 108, next to Big Daddy’s Restaurant, has been turned into a warming station for those without power.  You are welcome to stay for a couple of hours or overnight as there are cots and blankets available, provided by the Red Cross.  Also, oxygen tanks are available for those who need theirs refilled. Please contact the Mi-Wuk Fire Station directly if you have this need: 209.586.5256

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Storm downs trees, power out

By Teri | January 23, 2010

County Office of Emergency Services coordinator Kathleen Rustrum just called to update me on numerous problems caused by the storm that ended this morning. There have been many trees downed and some District 3 communities are still with power.

Wind and heavy snow knocked down trees, some of which are entangled in power lines and across roads. PG&E crews had to be called off for a time due to the numerous downed (and live) power lines. They are out in force now.

Restoring power in Tuolumne County is a #1 priority for PG&E. Some communities (Twain Harte and communities above in the Hwy 108 corridor) have been without power for several days.

PG&E has assigned 8-10 crews (of 4-5 people each) to remove trees that are entangled in power lines in District 3.

Public Works crews are working on snowplowing District 3 County roads that do not have downed trees and/or electric lines across them. But Public Works can’t move in to take care of some impacted roads until PG&E has finished its work.

If your power is out, it’s likely you won’t be able to read this but if you can, please try to be patient until PG&E and Public Works get to your area. If you have an emergency, by all means call 9-1-1.

And if you do get out, you should check on your neighbors and make sure you and they have food, water, and anything else you might need for a few more days. 

Here’s hoping the next storm won’t be quite so ferocious.

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Tell the Board: shape County’s 5-yr strategic plan

By Teri | January 23, 2010

It’s been said that a failure to plan is a plan for failure. Our children are counting on us. It’s critical that we not only tighten our belts wisely in this economic climate, but that we look ahead and position ourselves to bounce back quickly when things get better. The Board of Supervisors would like your help to do just that.

The Board is preparing a first-ever 5-year strategic plan to guide our direction and management efforts and would like your input.

We’ll post an online survey you can take between Jan. 26 and Feb. 23rd  (at www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov) and hold a series of Board meetings in each supervisorial district to hear from you.

Meetings schedule

Date

 Time

Location

BOS District

Jan. 26

6:30 pm

 Willow Springs Club House, Soulsbyville

2

Feb. 2

6:30 pm

 Board Chambers, 2 South Green St., Sonora

1
Feb. 9

6:30 pm

 Black Oak School, Twain Harte ( meeting also to be scheduled for Tuolumne at Summerville High School on Feb. 3rd or 10th – stay tuned)

3

Feb. 16

6:30 pm

 Groveland Community Hall

4

Feb. 23

6:30 pm

 Church of the 49ers Social Hall, Columbia

5

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Putting America Back to Work: forums in 25th District next week

By Teri | January 22, 2010

Dr. Glenda Humiston, newly appointed California State Director of the US Department of  Agriculture Rural Development program, is holding a series of Jobs, Economic Development, and Sustainable Communities forums in the region to discuss job creation and economic growth.

Participants will discuss steps to grow the economy and put Americans back to work. The primary focus will be on ideas to accelerate job growth in rural America. Some of the topics to be discussed are:

  • Rejuvenating and promoting local businesses;
  • Creating jobs by rebuilding America’s infrastructure;
  • Creating new opportunities from existing ones (such as value-added agricultural products);
  • Supporting job growth among small businesses; and
  • Preparing workers for 21st century jobs.

The forums will be co-hosted by USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service as well as a wide variety of local organizers including economic development corporations, U.C. Cooperative Extension, Resource Conservation and Development Councils, California State Universities, the Valley Health Network, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Farm Bureaus, Tribal governments, Self-Help Housing Groups, and more.

Unfortunately, by the time we received the announcement, the Tuolumne County forum had already been held, but there will be forums in counties in or near the 25th District including:

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Winter Storm Warning… still…

By Teri | January 19, 2010

PRESS RELEASE

Date:               Tuesday, January 19, 2010; 8:30 am
Contact:          Kathleen K Rustrum, OES Coordinator, (209) 533-5511

Sonora - According to the Forecast Desk at the National Weather Service this morning, we are still under a Winter Storm Warning until tomorrow night. We will be experiencing light precipitation this morning which will pick up by mid-day. Showers will continue through Wednesday or Thursday.

Currently, we are experiencing wind gusts of 40-50 mph, which will increase up to 60 mph through today, but will wind down tonight. Then the wind is expected to pick up again to 60-65 mph at the highest elevations with tomorrow’s incoming storm in the late morning.

Snow levels are at about 4500’ right now and will drop tonight to 3500-4000’.  There is a possibility of another foot of snow through tonight at the higher elevations.

So far, we have received between 2”-4” of rain in the County, depending on the elevation.  For the storms that have taken place from last Sunday, January 17th through this coming Friday, January 22nd, the expectation is for 4-7” rain overall and 4’-7’ of new snow overall.

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