Ione council approves special-district taxes, wastewater interconnect and several other measures

The Ione City Council on Aug. 5 approved a package of measures that included adopting three resolutions to continue community facilities district (CFD) special taxes, authorizing work on a wastewater interconnection project, and approving concept development for a downtown community garden.

The measures come as the city confronts regulatory requirements for its wastewater and recycled-water systems and as residents pressed the council over perceived inequities in how CFDs are assessed. Council members also voted to authorize installation of a flow meter and other improvements requested by state regulators.

Engineering and regulatory updates led the meeting. Catherine Geese, an engineer with West Yost, told the council the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board had ordered the city to submit a work plan by Aug. 11 to address the possibility of recycled-water discharges from the Castle Oaks golf-course ponds to Mule Creek. "The May 2025 letter ... reiterated the regional board’s concern about the discharges," Geese said, and outlined a three-year path of studies, design and construction to eliminate any overflow from Pond I to Mule Creek. West Yost’s high-level cost estimates: approximately $60,000 for preliminary studies, $150,000–$200,000 for design, and $3 million–$5 million for construction, Geese said.

Council debate and a separate vote focused on CFDs and special taxes that fund fire, police and some neighborhood services. The council adopted three resolutions (listed in staff materials as 2025-23, 2025-24 and 2025-25) implementing the lower-rate approach the council reviewed at a prior budget workshop. The action followed extended public comment and discussion about fairness; several residents urged the city to pursue a citywide ballot to spread CFD charges more broadly. "These CFDs need to be spread out through the entire city because the majority of the money’s collected goes to police and fire, and everybody uses police and fire mostly equally," said Michael Evans, a resident who identified himself as a member of a CFD committee.

Finance and warrants drew attention. Public commenter Marsha Enoch compiled invoices she found and told the council investigator-attorney invoices already paid total $26,812.50 for three warrants cited in the packet; she said adding prior invoices could put cumulative censure-related spending above $40,000. Residents and council members also noted a $450,000 annual insurance charge in the budget materials and an item listed as a PG&E "true-up" for roughly $39,000 that staff said they would review. The council approved payment of the warrants while pulling several line items for follow-up.

On wastewater operations, the council authorized two regulatory-driven pieces of work. Justin, a Waterstone representative who manages city wastewater services, told council members that state Division of Drinking Water staff are requiring installation of a flow meter on the influent to the chlorine contact basin: "DDW is requiring we put in this new flow meter," he said. The council unanimously authorized the flow-meter/contact-basin work after discussion, though at least one member registered a recorded dissent on funding-process grounds.

Separately, the council authorized an interconnection project to physically link the city’s wastewater treatment plant and the tertiary treatment plant. The project’s first phase — routing a pipeline across the plant to enable treated flow transfers and operational flexibility — drew broad support from council members and staff; City Manager George said phase 1 has been tightened and priced at under $500,000. Proponents said the connection will give the city more control over treated water use and help supply parks and other municipal uses.

Other actions and administrative items: the council approved placing specified delinquent sewer charges on the Amador County tax roll (items 5 and 6 on the agenda, with staff to add the county-roll verbiage), and it authorized staff to proceed with development of a Community Garden Park concept at West Market Street and South Sacramento Street. George said the parks commission recommended the location and that start-up cost estimates to build 15 garden beds are about $350 per bed; the council asked staff to return with projected ongoing maintenance costs and an allocation plan.

The council met in closed session at the start of the meeting on several litigation and real-property negotiation matters; after the closed session the city attorney reported that direction was given to staff to explore a potential acquisition of 217 Jackson Street for possible municipal use. The attorney said the first three closed-session items involved litigation and that "direction was given," and the council reported no further public action on those items.

What’s next: the city must submit the regional board work plan by Aug. 11; staff will return with more detailed cost and program information on the community garden, further documentation on several pulled warrant line items, and follow-up material about the CFD options and timing for any citywide ballot discussion.

Sources: meeting transcript, Ione City Council, Aug. 5, 2025 meeting.