The California Department of Water Resources has directed all groundwater districts to develop a sustainability plan over the next few years that addresses groundwater levels, groundwater quality, surface water interaction and more.  In an effort to meet the mandates of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the Sierra Valley Groundwater Management District (SVGMD) Board of Directors has been working on ordinances and policies that will satisfy the requirements of the law.
The SVGMD is responsible for measuring actual and potential groundwater extraction by municipal and agricultural high-capacity wells.  In pursuit of that goal, the Board has identified a need to create a report describing the number of high-capacity inactive wells and the location of those wells to assist in the calculation of groundwater extraction capabilities in the Sierra Valley Groundwater Basin.
The Board of Directors has adopted an ordinance requiring registration of all high-capacity inactive wells. The District will plot the GPS location and record your estimate of its pumping capacity.  A high-capacity inactive well is defined in Ordinance 18-01 per section 3(a) and section 4(a) “as those capable of pumping 100 gallons per minute or more or constructed with casings larger than a seven (7) inch outside diameter (OD), and unmetered.”  To view the ordinance in its entirety, please visit the District’s website at www.sierravalleygmd.org.    
Failure to register all high-capacity inactive wells on your property within the District may result in the loss of your ability to activate an inactive well for future use.  Inactive wells must be registered with the SVGMD by July 1, 2018. 
 

 
Please contact the SVGMD clerk of the board if you have any questions or need a registration form.
 

 

 
SACRAMENTO – Today is National 529 College Savings Plan Day and Senator Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado) is highlighting his Senate Bill 1218, legislation that will help families save money for college by making contributions to 529 plans tax deductible in California.


“The cost to send kids to college has skyrocketed over the past several decades. Students who work, receive scholarships and/or financial aid, and get help from their parents still manage to graduate with tens of thousands of dollars racked up in student loans,” said Senator Gaines. “My hope is that by allowing the ability to deduct 529 contributions, it will increase savings and decrease the amount needed in student loans.”


According to a new survey by the investment firm Edward Jones, only 29 percent of Americans even know that 529 plans are an education savings tool.


A 529 savings plan is an investment account meant for college tuition and other higher-education costs. The plans are usually sponsored by states and offer various benefits. Many states give the account owner full or partial state income tax deductions for their contributions to the state’s 529 plans. California is currently one of only nine states that do not offer a state income tax deduction or tax credit for contributions to the state's 529 college savings plan.


Senate Bill 1218 will make contributions to 529 plans of up to $3,000 per individual filer and $6,000 per joint filers tax deductible each year in California.


For reference, tuition and related costs (books, living expenses, etc.) at both the University of California and California State University systems have tripled over the last 15 years. The average cost for one year at a California State University is approximately $25,000. The average cost for one year at a University of California is nearly $35,000.


To attend the private University of Southern California, tuition alone will cost more than $50,000 per year. Data from The Institute for College Access & Success shows that the average borrower from California has $22,191 worth of student loan debt that still needs to be paid.




Senator Ted Gaines represents the 1st Senate District, which includes all or parts of Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra and Siskiyou counties.


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Sacramento – After extensive and thorough investigations, CAL FIRE investigators have determined that four Northern California wildfires in last year’s October Fire Siege were caused by trees coming into contact with power lines. The four fires, located in Butte and Nevada counties, are the first fire investigations from last October to be completed.

CAL FIRE investigators were dispatched to the fires last year and immediately began working to determine their origin and cause. The Department continues to investigate the remaining 2017 fires, both in October and December, and will release additional reports as they are completed.
The October 2017 Fire Siege involved more than 170 fires and charred more than 245,000 acres in Northern California. More than 11,000 firefighters from 17 states helped battle the blazes.
Below is a summary of the four completed investigations:
• The La Porte Fire, in Butte County, started in the early morning hours of Oct. 9 and burned a total of 8,417 acres, destroying 74 structures. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. CAL FIRE has determined the fire was caused by tree branches falling onto PG&E power lines. CAL FIRE investigators determined there were no violations of state law related to the cause of this fire.
• The McCourtney Fire, in Nevada County, started the evening of Oct. 8 and burned a total of 76 acres, destroying 13 structures. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. CAL FIRE has determined the fire was caused by a tree falling onto PG&E power lines. The investigation found evidence that PG&E allegedly failed to remove a tree from the proximity of a power line, in violation of the state Public Resources Code section 4293.
• The Lobo Fire, in Nevada County, started the evening of Oct. 8 and burned a total of 821 acres, destroying 47 structures. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. CAL FIRE has determined the fire was caused by a tree contacting PG&E power lines. The investigation found evidence that Public Resources Code section 4293, which requires adequate clearance between trees and power lines, was allegedly violated.
• The Honey Fire, in Butte County, started in the early morning hours of Oct. 9 and burned a total of 76 acres. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters and no structures were destroyed. CAL FIRE has determined the fire was caused by an Oak branch contacting PG&E power lines. The investigation found evidence that Public Resources Code 4293, which requires adequate clearance between trees and power lines, was allegedly violated.
The McCourtney, Lobo, Honey investigations have been referred to the appropriate county District Attorney’s offices for review.
Californians are encouraged to remain vigilant and prepared for wildfire. For more information, visit www.readyforwildfire.org or www.fire.ca.gov
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By Senator Ted Gaines

 
California might end the fiscal year with a whopping $20 billion in its rainy day fund. You might think a reserve that size, plus billions more in unanticipated revenue flowing into the state’s coffers this year, would satisfy even the tax-hungriest Sacramento politicians and satisfy their appetite for tax increases. Sadly, you would be wrong.  Even during this tax boom, Senate Bill 993 is trying to slap taxpayers with the single biggest sales tax increase in state history.


Currently, Californians don’t pay taxes on services, but SB 993 would change that. Next time you visit a dry cleaner, hair stylist, manicurist, mechanic or any of the other countless services that we use day after day, week after week, you’ll pay a new and additional three-percent tax for the exact same service.  That’s the last thing financially-stretched Californians need in this already unaffordable state. And history is clear that the three-percent tax will only creep up over time.


The damage wouldn’t stop there. Small businesses contract out myriad tasks so they can focus on their core money making activity. They pay for computer services, payroll, janitorial, bookkeeping, legal services and more. Under this bill, they will be paying a premium for those services. This additional cost puts them at a further disadvantage to their larger competitors, who have staff to perform these services in house, and they will have no choice but to pass those new costs on to consumers, shrink already thin margins, or go out of business completely.


By taxing businesses for services provided during multiple stages of production, this tax will be added on to the final costs of every product we use, including prescription drugs, milk, bread and other staples that are exempt from any sales tax. Although they will not be taxed directly, everyone – even the state’s poorest citizens – will be paying a backdoor tax on the products they depend on.


In true California fashion, the plan envisioned in SB 993 is wildly complicated, with a maze of exemptions and allocation decisions that make the bill not just a bad idea, but an unworkable one.  It’s estimated that first-year administrative costs for the state would be around $900 million, settling towards $600 million annually afterwards.  Good taxation should be simple, and the convoluted scheme embodied in the bill violates that core principle.


A tax on services will spread over the California economy like a Kilauea lava flow, slowly destroying opportunity, prosperity, and the bottom line of family budgets. It could lead to a short-term bump in revenue, but would further damage California’s faltering economic competitiveness and corrode our long-term financial health.  That’s a price none of us should be willing to pay.


Senator Ted Gaines represents the 1st Senate District, which includes all or parts of Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra and Siskiyou counties.

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING
Failure to follow this advisory could result in stomach or intestinal illness.
 
Due to the recent event low voltage power event which occurred on Friday, May 18, 2018 and subsequent pump failure on Saturday, May 19, 2018, the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water in conjunction with the Sierra County Health Department, and Sierra Brooks Water System are advising residents of Sierra Brooks to use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precaution.
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one (1) minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking and food preparation until further notice.  Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.  
Optional alternative to include for prolonged situations where it fits.
An alternative method of disinfection for residents that are not able to boil their water is to use fresh, unscented, liquid household bleach.  To do so, add 8 drops (or 1/8 teaspoon) of bleach per gallon of clear water or 16 drops (or 1/4 teaspoon) per gallon of cloudy water, mix thoroughly, and allow it to stand for 30 minutes before using.  A chlorine-like taste and odor will result from this disinfection procedure and is an indication that adequate disinfection has taken place.
Water disinfection tablets may also be used by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
We will inform you when tests show that water is safe to drink and you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem by Friday, May 25, 2018.
For more information call:
Water Utility contact: Water System Manager Tim Beals 530-289-3201 (Sierra County Department of Public Works) or  530-862-1377 (Home)
               
State Water Resources Control Board – Drinking Water Field Operations Branch- District Office at 530-224-4800.
Local Environmental Health Jurisdiction:  530-993-6700.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

 
Small towns have always had the reputation of being welcoming places. Have we gotten out of practice? Long time residents often recall how neighbors and townsfolk took care of each other. New residents cite how they moved here for the friendly atmosphere. However, when we look a little deeper, many think we may have forgotten how to be better neighbors.
 
One of those people is Fair Manager John Steffanic. “I recently took the time to really look at the people on the street in Portola,” he explained, “And I realized, not only did I not recognize anyone, I hadn't even seen many of them before!” He says he began to think about how difficult it is to get people involved in everything from school activities, to getting people to enter their jelly or photograph in the Fair. Many of the people he was seeing for the first time, may have never had the background to encourage them to offer to work in the school concession stand, or know that they even could enter something in the County Fair. “We have a disconnect between our small town values, and people that may want to be part of those values, but don't feel welcome.” says Steffanic. The Fair Manager feels that it would do our communities good to extend a welcoming hand to new residents, or even those that have lived here for awhile, but have never been made to feel welcome.
 
Steffanic, and the Plumas Sierra County Fair Board, think it only makes sense that the one event that exists for every resident in both counties, should lead the way in making those residents feel like part of their communities. The 2018 Plumas Sierra County Fair theme is “Welcome to the Neighborhood!”. Quite simply, the goal of the theme, is to help every resident in Plumas and Sierra Counties feel they are part of the place they live. “If you run into someone that you have seen before, but have not met, introduce yourself,” Steffanic suggests, “Ask them where they are from, if they like it here, do they have kids, what do they enjoy doing... in other words, show interest by being nosey!” Steffanic has cited examples of asking people at the Fair, who he is not familiar with, to help someone else carry their Fair entries or whatever. He says the response; the feeling of helping, fosters the kind of connections we have all remembered and longed for. It all starts with reaching out, he says.
 
To help get the ball rolling, the PSCF Foundation, the non-profit corporation that exists to solely support the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds, is offering a Block Party 1-2-3 package to each of the main communities. The package contains instructions on how to throw a block party, giving residents an opportunity to gather and meet. The Foundation will supply the food for a taco feed, as well as a budget for entertainment. It is hoped that this initial block party will encourage several other parties in each community. Steffanic says he, and others from the Fair and Foundation Boards, will show up to serve food while local organizers can spend their time handing out special “Hello, my name is...” tags to attendees. “If we can have several of these parties in each of our towns, it can only help to make our communities closer.” declared Fair Manager Steffanic. To tie it all together, a white cube will be set out for everyone in attendance to sign their names on. These cubes will be gathered up and stacked in front of the main gate at the 2018 Fair, August 8-12.
 
Foundation Board President, Nancy Gambell, says, “Everytime someone waves at someone else at the annual Fair, it shows the theme “Welcome to the Neighborhood!” in action. We just want to open the Fair up to even more waving!” The PSCF Foundation has spent over $50,000 to benefit the Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds, purchasing equipment, facilitating youth awards and sponsoring events, like the Neighborhood Block Parties. “We are honored and excited to be part of this great effort to make everyone feel like they are part of our community, especially bringing more into the Fair community.” Gambell said.
 

Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner, and Californians are expected to kickoff the unofficial start of summer in record numbers.


According to AAA’s first travel forecast of the summer, nearly 5.2 million Californians are projected to travel over the upcoming three-day weekend. This is an increase of 5.3 percent from last year and the highest number on record for the holiday. AAA projects that 41.5 million Americans will travel nationwide, nearly 5 percent more than last year and the most in more than a dozen years.


“The highest gas prices since 2014 won’t keep travelers home this Memorial Day weekend,” said Michael Blasky, spokesman for AAA Northern California. “A strong economy and growing consumer confidence are giving Californians all the motivation they need to kick off what we expect to be a busy summer travel season.” 


By the Numbers: Memorial Day Travel Forecast

• 2018 will be the seventh straight year of state growth and fourth consecutive year of nationwide growth during the holiday period.
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• More than 4.3 million Californians will drive to their destinations, an increase of 5.2 percent over last year.
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• Nearly 528,000 Californians are taking to the skies this Memorial Day, increasing air travel by 7.5 percent over last year. 

Outsmart traffic by avoiding worst times to hit the road
For those traveling by car, INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, in collaboration with AAA, predicts drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion on Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25 – in the late afternoon as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers. Several major U.S. metros, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, could experience double the travel times compared to a normal trip. 


Although these travel times might look daunting, be glad you're not driving through the core of the Big Apple: The largest delay in the nation is expected to occur in New York City, where a normal 23-minute commute on I-95 West is predicted to take 2 hrs & 18 minutes, 506% higher than normal.