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mtdemocrat.com
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Volume 172 • Issue 85 | $1.00
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES!
Flames scorch 13 acres A vegetation fire that sparked in Somerset Sunday sent nearby residents out of their homes in a temporary evacuation before crews contained the 13.75-acre blaze. Smoke went up just before 2 p.m. Sunday near Rontree Lane, less than a mile southeast of Gray’s Corner along Fairplay Road. Fire
Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco
Cameron Park explores options Noel Stack Managing editor
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The Cameron Park Community Services District Board of Directors voted last week to begin the processes that could lead to annexation of the district’s fire department and/or placing a property tax assessment on the ballot to fund the fire department. At the same time staff will work with consultant Don Ashton with Municipal Resource Group on an analysis of the tax assessment amount needed to cover the fire department’s personnel, building and equipment needs. The board approved a not-toexceed $45,000 contract with MRG at its July 19 meeting to assist with both the assessment and annexation. Once the district selects the agency with which it would like to pursue annexation, the process will take 12-18 months, Ashton told the board. The CPCSD currently has
See ballot on page A7
Odin Rasco Staff writer
Smoke fills the air as a Cal Fire firefighters head off to aid in efforts to contain Sunday’s blaze in Somerset.
– E s t. 18 51
crews responded quickly, with monitoring showing the blaze growing steadily. By 2:20 p.m., localized evacuations were under way along Fairplay Road and Leap Frog Lane; while residents rushed from their homes, air support reported multiple spot
fires flaring up ahead of the main fire. Multiple copters and at least 10 fire engines were called in for support in an effort to keep the fire from spreading to structures or into a nearby valley, which would exacerbate fire n See fire, page A8
Cemetery cleanup
a fire services contract with Cal Fire that runs through June 30, 2025. “I should note that the board can pull the plug any time,” Ashton said of the annexation process. To further aid in the process, the board approved a $70,000 contract with AP Triton to conduct a fire agency annexation feasibility study. CPCSD interim General Manager Jill Ritzman said information and figures in this study are also useful for the tax assessment process. Between now and next spring, the district will host community meetings as necessary. A timeline adopted by the board notes the district should know by March 30, 2024, at the very latest, if annexation is feasible and should move forward. If not, the CSD can begin contract negotiations with Cal Fire to enter into a multi-year contract beyond the current agreement’s expiration date. Also at that time the board will determine if a tax assessment ballot
Diamond Springs/El Dorado Community Coalition members, above, spent Saturday morning at the Diamond Springs Cemetery clearing 2-to 3-foot-tall star thistle, overgrown grasses and downed branches from gravestones dating back to the 1800s. The cemetery is on the corner of China Garden and Pleasant Valley roads with many former residents of the area are now resting on the little knoll. On Friday a crew with El Dorado County came out to cut larger branches out of trees and help give volunteers a clear start on the cleanup. One of the coalition organizers said the group has “hopes of preserving and maintaining the stories exhibited in this corner of a truly important historic California town ... anticipating quite an exciting relationship with the past residents now resting on this hill, hoping to discover more adventures of times gone by.” Cemetery cleanup volunteers pictured from left are Pat Husser Brown, Sheri Arnsten Miller, Greg Alterton, Pat Woolston, Linda Colombo, Josh Yielding, Alicia and Kelly Selby and Larry and Kim Rolla. Breaking out the weed whacker, right photo, is Greg Alterton.
n See CPCSD, page A6
Photos courtesy of Linda Columbo
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