172
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C ali forn ia’s Olde st Ne w spaper
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Volume 172 • Issue 96| $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, August 21, 2023
Monsoonal clouds
In the Sierra Foothills of Northern California, mid-August is “monsoon season.” During this period, clouds and rain typically migrate northward from Mexico into California, Arizona and Nevada. Such weather systems often continue northward, bringing clouds and some rain to the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in Northern California. Such is the case in recent weeks. The morning of Aug. 11 predawn sunlight illuminated the underside of monsoonrelated clouds gathering over the distant Sierra Nevada, as pictured from Shingle Springs at about 6:16 a.m. Photo courtesy of Thomas R. Schultz
Two rope swing accidents in a dozen days n 23-year-old KCRA poducer killed Isaac Streeter Staff writer A 23-year-old woman was killed in a fall from a rope swing upstream of Folsom Lake Saturday, Aug. 12. Earlier this month an 18-year-old man was injured on the same stretch of the lake, also in a rope-swing-related fall. California State Parks officials report they think they have identified the rope swing involved and the rope has been removed as well as the branch from which visitors would hang it. In the Aug. 12 incident Kathryn Hoedt reportedly fell nearly 30 feet from the swing onto a rocky shore near the Rattlesnake Bar boat launch. The incident n See Accidents, page A3
Cost of service study eyes higher EID water rates Michael Raffety Mountain Democrat correspondent
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An El Dorado Irrigation District costof-service rate study is pointing to higher rates for customers than the previous five years. Two options would mean either 9% or 12% annual rate increases for the next five years. General Manager
Jim Abercrombie’s preference is for the higher number and its resultant reserve funds. A leading factor is inflation’s effect on construction costs. “Material costs and construction costs have gone nuts,” said Director George Osborne Aug. 14 about his personal home siding replacement. Director Pat Dwyer wanted the consultants to bring the detail down to monthly and bi-monthly cost. He added that 12% would add $8 to the average water bill. An annual sewer bill increase of 3% was recommended by the consultant, NBS Government Finance Group, which was awarded the cost of service rate study at a cost not to exceed $115,750. Director Alan Day wanted the consultant to show low, medium and large water users n See EID, page A6
Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian
El Dorado County’s newly appointed Chief Administrative Officer Tiffany Schmid takes questions from El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce members Aug. 16 at Cameron Park Country Club.
Chamber of Commerce gets Q&A session with county’s new CAO
Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
E
l Dorado County’s new Chief Administrative Officer Tiffany Schmid took questions from members of the county Chamber of Commerce last week on topics ranging from economic development to county governance. Schmid briefed chamber members on her history living in El Dorado County, lauded her family (notably her daughter, who practices mixed
martial arts), detailed her work experience and expressed her love for equestrianism before turning it over to attendees of the chamber monthly business luncheon at the Cameron Park Country Club clubhouse. The first of these questions — what is one of the biggest challenges the county faces? Schmid replied that state legislation passed down to the local level can involve interests that conflict with the rural character of El Dorado County. She said oftentimes unfunded mandates are left to county
governments to impose fees to effectively implement. “We are the ones that are left holding the bag to implement things, then we have to ask for money from our constituency to implement those things, often with little influence, and it doesn’t always fit,” Schmid added. “That legislation comes down and gets spread across the county departments and it just continues to layer, causing budgetary, service and political issues because it frustrates people.” n See Schmid, page A6
‘Loudly inclusive’ recreation introduced at Cameron Park CSD Isaac Streeter Staff writer The Cameron Park Community Services District has begun to implement new, more inclusive recreational opportunities thanks to a grant from the state. “We want to be loudly inclusive,” Recreation and Aquatics Department Supervisor Kim Vickers said. “I have big aspirations for what we as a department can do as far as inclusion goes.” The grant, issued by the Department of Developmental Services, provided the CSD with $99,995 to implement programs targeted at socialization for those with both mental and physical disabilities. “Our rec department is solely revenue based,”
Vickers said. “For us, this was a really great opportunity to receive some funding to help us launch programming.” While the CSD has never turned anyone away from any of their programming or events on account of a disability, the influx of money allows them to cater specifically to the demographic. “Anything from anxiety, ADHD to an intellectual or physical disability, basically the entire spectrum there is (our target group),” Vickers said. “We also want to bring in our neurotypical residents as well. We have a target audience but the goal is to have both groups intermingled. We want to have our neurotypical, able bodied participants (in attendance as well).” n See inclusive, page A3
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