El Dorado County News for March 16 2012

IS GEORGETOWN DIVIDE PUD HEADED FOR RATE-PAYER REVOLT? -- The Georgetown Divide Public Utility District (GDPUD) is making the retrofit to the Auburn Lake Trails Water Treatment Plant to comply with state changes to water processing requirements. The cost of the $8 million dollar retrofit will be passed on to customers as an additional $7 monthly surcharge on their water bills. Proposition 218 requires that any time an agency proposes a rate change a hearing must be held. If more than 50% +1 of those affected submit a written objection, the agency must find a different alternative to changing the rates.
http://www.inedc.com/1-295

NURSES FACE FELONY CHARGES IN DEATH OF CAMERON PARK MAN'S WIFE -- An 81-year-old Cameron Park man who served during three wars won the fight of his life this week when California's attorney general charged two nurses with felony elder abuse in connection with the 2008 death of his beloved wife.
http://www.inedc.com/1-294

KEVIN CAIRNS OF DANTE'S RESTAURANT GUILTY OF MISDEMEANORS, NO FELONIES -- An El Dorado County jury today found embattled restaurateur Kevin Cairns not guilty of any of the three felonies with which he had been charged, but convicted him on five misdemeanor counts
http://www.inedc.com/1-292

ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE IS NOW UNDERWAY -- As we’ve been reporting, El Dorado County has begun a process to fully implement the 2004 General Plan – which is a long range planning tool to guide local land use. Although the General Plan was adopted several years ago, a required 5-year review process has disclosed areas where refinement is needed. Additionally, the county’s Zoning Ordinance has never been revised to conform to the General Plan – a requirement necessitated by law. Thus updating the Zoning Ordinance is now underway
http://www.inedc.com/1-297

DEVELOPING MUTUAL SUPPORT ON COMMUNITY-WIDE PLANNING ISSUES -- details of proposed general plan
http://www.inedc.com/1-293

LAKES ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES RESULTS 2011 -- Tim Cope, President and Chief Financial Officer of Lakes stated, "While the economy in Northern California continues to suffer, especially in the Sacramento market, the Red Hawk Casino showed improvements in both top-line and bottom-line results
http://www.inedc.com/1-293

HOME SALES JUMP IN FEBRUARY BUT PRICES CONTINUE DECLINE -- The median for a home in El Dorado County fell 3.1 percent, to $220,000. (Average home prices fell 4.3
percent*)
http://www.inedc.com/1-289

SENATOR GAINES SPEAKS OF LEGISLATIVE EFFORT TO REPEAL ILLEGAL FIRE TAX -- Today I stood with fellow legislative Republicans and California’s rural residents to announce Assembly Bill 1506 (R-Jeffries), a measure to repeal the fire tax.
This $150 fire tax is illegal and unfair – plain and simple. Many rural property owners already pay local fire agencies for protection so it is clearly double-taxation and it is being dumped on the backs of rural Californians when the state has 11-percent unemployment and families are struggling just to make ends meet
http://www.inedc.com/1-291

RED HAWK CASINO'S NEW .COM HITS THE JACKPOT
http://www.inedc.com/1-290

I LOVE FILM MIXER - TODAY AT FAIRGROUNDS -- The El Dorado Lake Tahoe Film & Media Office is hosting its annual film industry mixer, and this year the featured speaker is a local resident and Hollywood veteran who worked on The Artist, the film that won the Best Picture academy award last month. The I Love Film mixer is from 4 to 8 p.m. at the El Dorado County Fair Grounds in Placerville. Admission is free and open to the public
http://www.inedc.com/1-296