C ALI FORN IA’S OLDE ST NE W SPAPER
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–Midweek Edition – VOLUME 174 • ISSUE 37 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2025
Placerville budget workshop calls for ‘bold decisions’ Andrew Vonderschmitt Features editor
“We are facing a very tight budget year,” said City Manager Cleve Morris at the top of the city of Placerville’s April 30 budget workshop, explaining expected revenues for the 2025-26 budget don’t look promising. “I know we’ve been through some tough ones in the past but, from my perspective, this may be the toughest that we’ve ever had to deal with.” With that, Morris handed
the mic to Dave Warren, assistant city manager and director of finance, who went over the budget basics for the City Council. “We’ll go over what goes into the budget, who develops the budget, the difference between an operating budget and the CIP budget and the budget development program,” he said. The city uses fund accounting to manage the various funding sources utilized. “Most businesses have one
set of financial statements; they have one balance sheet and one income statement,” said Warren. “The city has 50.” The operating budget covers day-to-day expenses like personnel, services, material, training, insurance and utilities. This budget is funded from the general fund, parking fund, gas tax, grants, measure funds, water and sewer funds and the general liability fund. The 2024-25 budget is $24.78 million. There are
several components to the budget including the capital improvement program which covers major improvements like streets, sewers, water lines, water facility needs and other facility improvements. The capital outlay budget covers equipment needs and requests like vehicles, tools and heavy equipment needed by each department. The alternative services level budget primarily covers personnel, either adding new positions, unfreezing positions still vacant or
updating a position that has new responsibilities. It can also include programs, either starting a new program or closing out a program. Conference training and travel budget covers required training, conferences and other enrichment opportunities. “Tonight we’re going to review the requests by department,” said Warren. “These are unedited, meaning that we are presenting ■ See BUDGET, page A4
Mountain Democrat photo by Shelly Thorene
Margaret Williams has been a longtime fixture at the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency. Her last day on the job was May 2.
Maggie Williams ready for more family time
Courtesy graphic
The Crossings – El Dorado RV Resort and Campground includes a main building that will house a general store, business center, fitness center, clubhouse, commercial kitchen, arcade, lounge, etc., plus a pool and bocce ball court on the Placerville property’s amenities core.
The Crossings resort gets board approval Jo Carrerow
Mountain Democrat correspondent Signs, hotel design, access and boundary lines were under consideration by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors last week, with supervisors approving several changes to The Crossings – El Dorado RV Resort and Campground project in a 4-1 vote. The $65 million project, designed by Grado Construction in Placerville, covers 72-acres near the intersection of Missouri Flat and El Dorado
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roads in Placerville. “So some of the project considerations particularly of interest to neighboring residents and staff were access, circulation and parking,” El Dorado County Deputy Director of Planning Rob Peters said. Modifications approved alter the previously planned extension of Headington Road from a two-lane roadway connecting El Dorado Road to Missouri Flat Road to facilitate the 414,000-square-foot commercial portion of the project. “The initial 450-foot segment of Headington Road, the Headington Road/Missouri Flat intersection and traffic signal and the Missouri Flat widening have been constructed as part of the Phase 1 project as per the conditions of approval of that original development plan,” Peters said. Removing the conceptual road alignment of Headington Road requires a General Plan amendment. “There is a condition of approval as part of the frontage
improvements to add a dedicated right-turn lane into the site off El Dorado as well as a dedicated left-turn lane coming the opposite direction to allow the trailers and RVs to move out of through traffic,” said Zach Oates, engineer with El Dorado County Department of Transportation. The entrance required boundary adjustments, including an entry lot line adjustment. The main entrance for the project will be off El Dorado Road and will also include perimeter gated access to the north and the east so only those within the campground would have access through, stopping cut-thru traffic from El Dorado Road to Missouri Flat Road, staff explained. Other boundary adjustments were for minor modifications, according to Peters, “to clean up some of the parcels and have new parcel alignments.” Shoulder and turn lane improvements to El Dorado Road had been recommended in a traffic impact analysis. Peters said DOT is willing to adjust requirements to
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After more than three decades of service in El Dorado County, Margaret “Maggie” Williams is ready to hang up the many hats she has worn as the part of the Health and Human Services Agency. Williams, now 61, joined El Dorado County government in 1993 as a health education specialist in the Alcohol and Drug/Tobacco Use Prevention Program. Subsequent jobs saw Williams supervise staff who provide services as part of the Community Corrections Partnership, ■ See WILLIAMS, page A4
Cameron Park woman dies in head-on wreck Mountain Democrat staff An 84-year-old woman died as the result of a head-on collision on Green Valley Road in El Dorado Hills Saturday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol. First responders were dispatched at 7:54 a.m. on May 3, CHP Lt. Rick Hatfield confirmed. CHP reports indicate that a black Dodge Charger traveling eastbound at around 55 mph drifted off the edge of Green Valley Road, hit a raised curb, re-entered the roadway, crossed into the opposing lane and struck a silver Toyota Camry traveling westbound. Local media reports Joan Allison of Cameron Park, who was driving the Toyota, died as a result. The Dodge’s driver has been identified by media as 34-year-old Cheyenne Wright. She and two children in her vehicle suffered major injuries and were transported by ground ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center. It has been reported that Wright was arrested following the wreck. CHP officials confirmed the cause of the crash is under investigation.
■ See THE CROSSINGS, page A5
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accommodate environmentally sensitive areas along the shoulders. At an El Dorado County Planning Commission meeting there had been public testimony during which residents expressed concerns about large oak trees. “I think that the idea would be that the shoulders would be built to standard, with some exceptions to make sure that they ensure that they’re not taking out some of those sensitive habitats,” he explained. Plans also include an already approved U.S. Highway 50, 50-foot high, 22-foot wide monument sign with a 30-foot setback on the north side of the highway, 1,000 feet from the Target sign near the Missouri Flat Road intersection and offramp. Although the sign was previously approved, Peters asked the board if a full-color digital electronic message center could be located at the top of the sign that would take up approximately the upper third, at 12 feet by 18 feet.
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2024
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