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171
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C ali forn ia’s Olde st Ne w spaper
– E s t. 18 51
Volume 171 • Issue 147 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
Friday, December 16, 2022
City warmly welcomes shelter Odin Rasco Staff writer The temporary inclement weather shelter in Scout Hall at Placerville’s Benham Park received praise from locals and the support of the Placerville City Council despite concerns from some Placerville residents regarding the shelter’s location.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting council members unanimously ratified a memorandum of understanding between the city and Housing El Dorado for use of Scout Hall as an overnight warming center. Though some Placerville residents may have concerns regarding the location of the shelter, City Manager Cleve
Morris was confident in saying it would largely be a non-issue due to the purpose of the shelter. “Because this shelter is only open during inclement weather, it only opens when it is cold and rainy,” Morris said during the meeting. “From my view, we very rarely have people going to our n
See shelter, page A3
Mosquito Fire
Debris removal estimated at $5M Eric Jaramishian Staff writer
Mountain Democrat photo by Andrew Vonderschmitt
New Placerville City Council members John Clerici, David Yarbrough and Nicole Gotberg are sworn in prior to assuming their seats on the dais at the Placerville City Council meeting Tuesday.
Changing
of the
guard
Placerville leaders reflect as new council members are ushered in
Andrew Vonderschmitt Staff writer
O
PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
n Tuesday Mayor Kara Taylor, Councilman Dennis Thomas and Councilwoman Patty Borelli ended their Placerville City Council terms. At the same time, the city welcomed incoming council members John Clerici, Nicole Gotberg and David Yarbrough. Placerville residents arrived at Town Hall to find a reception celebrating outgoing and incoming city leaders. Friends, family and colleagues came together to witness this changing of the guard and thank outgoing public servants for their dedication to the city.
Once the meeting was called to order Taylor gave the State of the City address and each exiting council member was recognized by city staff and constituents. First up was Taylor, who chose not to run for reelection. Vice Mayor Michael Saragosa thanked her for “digging deep into the issues, for asking the right questions and for trying to forge common ground.” Councilwoman Borelli pointed out an especially pertinent part of Taylor’s four-year stint with the council. “I just want to say what Kara left out is that n
El Dorado County is starting its bidding process to find a company to remove debris left in the Mosquito Fire’s path. The forest fire in September burned more than a dozen homes in the Volcanoville area. All said and done, debris removal is expected to total $5 million. Environmental Management Director Jeffrey Warren told the Board of Supervisors Dec. 6 the county has six months from the time California’s governor declared a state of emergency due to the Mosquito Fire to finish county-led debris removal. That declaration came Sept. 8. Recent storm patterns are also prompting county staff to make haste contracting with potential debris-removal groups. “Time is of the essence, that is why we are making the requests from the Chief Administrative Office to be able to execute that to avoid coming back to the board and delay the time,” Warren said. Unlike with the Caldor Fire, the county will lead the program, which will begin its second phase — removal of ash, debris and compromised concrete foundations — once the county accepts a bid for the work. Contaminated soil testing and erosion control will also take place and county staff will hire a team of consultants to assist in completing debris removal. The CAO is taking bids for the hazardous materials removal of no more than $3 million. “What is different from last year to this year is that we will be receiving technical assistance from (the California Office of Emergency Services), so we still have Cole Glenwright and Johnathan Bell to help us out, the ones who have been with us through the Caldor Fire,” Warren said. Officials reported they have not heard if the county will receive funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s California Disaster Assistance Act via a presidential declaration but will move forward with paying for
See city council, page A7
n
See Mosquito Fire, page A8
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