CURRENT NEWS & REPORTS

The mother of all traffic congestion
If there were only one good argument to make for any community to draft a viable plan for its future I would think it would be the sign-cluttered intersection of Highways 12 and 26 in Valley Springs.  It’s an intersection heatedly debated by townsfolk and government officials right now, the one some tenderly refer to as the heart of Valley Springs.  – Click here to read full editorial – Calaveras Enterprise Opinion, August 24, 2010

Lode development no more -- 253 homes were proposed for shore of Tulloch
Thursday's meeting of the Calaveras County Planning Commission was over in eight minutes.  And that included a unanimous vote to deny a developer's application to build 253 homes on the shore of Tulloch Reservoir near Copperopolis. Call it a sign of the times. – Click here to read full article – Stockton Record, August 20, 2010

Cosgrove Creek project in Valley Springs progresses
Clearing the vegetation from Cosgrove Creek could start as soon as Sept. 13, as long as Cal Fire crews aren't called away to a blaze.  But that's just the first small step in protecting homes from the flooding that has plagued the Valley Springs area for years...  – Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, August 16, 2010

Valley Springs has long night of community planning
Some dedicated Valley Springs residents, along with their county supervisors, might have been a little tired Thursday morning.  They stuck it out for a meeting about the Valley Springs Community Plan update produced by Calaveras County Supervisor Gary Tofanelli’s committee.  The meeting piggybacked onto...—Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, August 16, 2010

New plans mulled for VS intersection
Solution will be a mesh of ideas
After a long day of meetings, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors was talking about casserole.  No, not for dinner – for traffic congestion relief.  Matt Boyer of Dokken Engineering, the contractor planning the congestion relief project for the intersection of Highways 12 and 26 in Valley Springs, said Tuesday that the right choice for the town might ultimately not be one project, but a “casserole” of smaller alterations. –Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, August 13, 2010

Compromise on highway intersection may spare historic Valley Springs
Turn lanes could ease jams without roundabout, signal
The heart of historic Valley Springs would remain largely untouched, and traffic improvements would be kept to the minimum necessary to reduce congestion, under a new proposal that emerged Tuesday for fixing the intersection of Highways 12 and 26. –Click here to read article—Stockton Record, August 11, 2010

Board hears noise policy
Fines could reach $500 for decibel-level violations
Neighbors may soon have to tone down their late-night, high-volume parties.  On Tuesday, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors heard a revised draft of a noise abatement policy the Sheriff’s Office has been developing. –Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, August 13, 2010

Calaveras noise rules will come with teeth
Calaveras County sheriff's deputies may soon be armed with sound meters when they investigate reports of rowdy parties, roaring motorboats or noisy neighborhood target practice. The county Board of Supervisors gave its informal blessing Tuesday to a plan to develop a noise ordinance with measurable standards so that law officers can enforce the rules and prosecutors can make the charges stick. –Click here to read article—Stockton Record, August 12, 2010

County leaders to put kibosh on noise?
Pumping up the volume too loud at a party or taking noisy target practice could soon earn a costly citation in Calaveras County. Years after the idea was first broached, a 17-page draft noise ordinance will go before the county Board of Supervisors for possible adoption Tuesday. –Click here to read article—Union Democrat, August 9, 2010

Voters weigh in on CCWD assessment district
Some western Calaveras County residents will soon have water service when a special assessment district is put into place.  With the water table lower by as much as a foot to a foot and a half annually through the years, wells have been running dry...—Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, June 30, 2010

Public weighs in on New Hogan facelift
The Army Corps of Engineers is updating the New Hogan Reservoir master plan. “Hearing from the public is very important...We want to know how recreation changed. What would people like to see? It's their park. It's where people come to recreate and relax.” –Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, June 28, 2010

Reduce sprawl, save energy
Vision California*, the state's first major planning document in almost 30 years, was released Wednesday. New development in California needs to be designed from the start to conserve electricity and water, decrease driving time, improve air quality and promote a sustainable lifestyle, according to a landmark study of the state's future growth.  –Click here to read article—San Francisco Chronicle, June 24, 2010

*Click here to read ‘Vision California – Charting Our Future’

Supervisor: New VS plan best represents constituents
District 1 Supervisor Gary Tofanelli was pleased with the outcome of Tuesday’s vote on a new Valley Springs Community Plan...—Click here to read article—The Valley Springs News, June 4, 2010

Valley Springs plan adopted despite objections
Calaveras County’s Board of Supervisors closed a final chapter in the multi-year debate over the future of development in Valley Springs with the approval of a community map [editorial note: should read “maps”, plural] to be included in the county’s long-range planning process. –Click here to read article—The Union Democrat, June 2, 2010

Supervisors to revisit contentious community plan
Discussion and possible action on a new Valley Springs Community Plan is on the Board of Supervisors agenda for Tuesday’s meeting...MyValleySprings.com...has pulled out of Tofanelli’s meetings and is critical of the supervisor’s approach on the issue. –Click here to read article—The Valley Springs News, May 28, 2010

Hot button issues on board agenda
Controversy is likely to ring out at Tuesday’s Calaveras County Board of Supervisors meeting as the board considers what to do about the Valley Springs community plan and fees for sludge disposal. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, May 28, 2010

Calaveras hopes someday to create an independent parks district
Voters would likely have to OK a $3 a month tax
SAN ANDREAS - Calaveras County will someday have an independent, standalone parks district if a majority of the county's Board of Supervisors has its way. –Click here for article—Stockton Record, May 20, 2010

False statements on plan update
MyValleySprings.com would like to offer clarification on some Valley Springs Community Plan update statements made at the 5/4 Board of Supervisors meeting and in recent newspapers. –Click here for letter—The Valley Springs News, May 14, 2010

Divisive Valley Springs plan on life support
Vote put off while supervisor works to resolve conflict
SAN ANDREAS - Like certain fictional residents of Transylvania, the Valley Springs Community Plan is neither dead nor alive. The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to leave it that way...—Click here to read article—Stockton Record, May 5, 2010

General plan update gets mixed marks
Land use policy in Calaveras County will guide future development to community centers and the county’s western low-lying areas, under a set of general plan update principles approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors. –Click here to read article—The Union Democrat, April 21, 2010

‘ON THE RECORD’ Videos Online!!
MyValleySprings.com now gives you the ability to watch planning and public meetings from the comfort of your own home! If you’ve missed public forums or community plan meetings, you may now view them online...— Click here for flyer —The Valley Springs News, April 9, 2010

Board to consider noisy issues at study session
Calaveras County residents clamoring for a law to quiet down everything from raucous boaters to determined motorcyclists to persistent roosters might want to check out Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors study session.  – Click here to read article – Calaveras Enterprise, April 2, 2010

Calaveras community ready for planned changes
Property rights concerns worry residents
VALLEY SPRINGS - Many Calaveras County residents say they want well-planned growth, but some still have jitters about letting government plan for it.  – Click here to read article – Stockton Record, March 23, 2010

VS residents cautious about 12-26 changes
Many of the participants at last week's workshop on proposed changes at the Highways 12-26 intersection wanted to wait to find a solution to relieving congestion in downtown Valley Springs. –Click here to read the entire article – Calaveras Enterprise, March 23, 2010

Discussion begins on 12/26 intersection improvements
Two alternatives to improve traffic flow at the State Route 12/26 intersection in downtown Valley Springs were unveiled Monday evening, but both had their drawbacks. – Click here to read the entire article – The Valley Springs News, March 17, 2010. NOTE: To view the 12/26 meeting video, click our webpage ‘On the Record’

Frog gets third bid for critical habitat
VALLEY SPRINGS - The federal government Tuesday made its third attempt to designate critical habitat for the California red-legged frog. The 1.6 million acres proposed represent the result of a decade of legal battles and scientific study. – Click here to read the entire article— Stockton Record, March 17, 2010

Delta College: We need bodies
Population data needed for campus in Valley Springs
VALLEY SPRINGS - Bodies are needed before buildings to open a satellite campus in Valley Springs, a San Joaquin Delta College official said last week.-- Click here to read the entire article – Stockton Record, March 15, 2010. NOTE: To view the Delta College forum video, click our webpage ‘On the Record’

Rancho Calaveras out of Valley Springs plan
VALLEY SPRINGS - Rancho Calaveras may be home to most of the population in Valley Springs, but the 6,000-acre housing tract won't be included in plans for the town's future. – Click here to read the entire article – Stockton Record, February 24, 2010

Calaveras hearing to shed light on call for illumination ordinance
The heavy snowfall that knocked out power to Merita Callaway's neighborhood Dec. 7 reminded her why she's spent the past seven-plus years urging her colleagues on the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors to adopt a dark-sky ordinance ... Calaveras hearing to shed light on call for illumination ordinance_SR_1-4-10

What Do Residents Have to Gain?
Please consider the following advantages of being included in the updated community plan boundaries no matter where you live.  Inclusion in the Valley Springs Community Plan will... Click here for flyer – The Valley Springs News, December 11, 2009

Most residents won't need insurance; more studies loom
Most folks who last week got their first look at new flood zone maps proposed for Calaveras County came away relieved. – Click here to read the entire article – Stockton Record, December 7, 2009

Valley Springs Community Plan Update Flyer
Please take the time to read this information concerning the community plan. These are verifiable facts and will promote effective participation in the process. –Click here for flyer – The Valley Springs News, December 4, 2009

Dark Skies discussion dims for now
Calaveras County's Planning Commission wasn't quite convinced Thursday that the county needs a law to protect views of the stars but is willing to reconsider after it hears more information. – Click here to read the entire article – Calaveras Enterprise, December 4, 2009

FEMA maps raise flood of concerns
About 60 people gathered in the Calaveras High School library Wednesday night to voice their concerns and get their questions answered about new county flood maps. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently released updated flood maps for Calaveras County... – Click here to read the entire article -- The Union Democrat, December 03, 2009

News Flash—new FEMA flood hazard maps available
New maps are posted on the County Planning Department webpage (look under Announcements-'Changes to FEMA floodmaps for Calaveras County'): Maps of new FEMA Floodzones in Calaveras County 

Supervisors plan town hall meeting to discuss traffic, flooding issues
Two hot West Calaveras issues – flooding and traffic congested at the Highway 12/26 intersection – will be the topics of discussion when District 1 Supervisor Gary Tofanelli and District 5 Supervisor Russ Thomas hold a town hall meeting sometime in December. Click here to read the entire article -- The Valley Springs News, November 20, 2009

FEMA flood plain maps on the way
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is about to deliver on a $1 million promise it made to Calaveras County 15 months ago. A FEMA representative visited the county in August 2008 with the news that if the Board of Supervisors approved including 700 new miles of flood plain awareness areas in its maps... Click here to read entire article – Calaveras Enterprise, Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Valley Spring intersection gets upgrade
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors awarded a $422,784 contract Tuesday to design a better intersection, possibly involving a traffic light, where Highway 26 meets Highway 12 in downtown Valley Springs. Click here to read the entire article -- The Record,November 15, 2009

Calaveras has water and septic issues
Water agency seeks solutions for drying wells and septic treatment costs. Click here to read the entire article -- The Record, October 25, 2009

State hopes to use storm water to counter drought
New bill allows stormwater use for water supply
Stormwater is an untapped water resource in many metropolitan areas. Click here to read the entire article -- LA Times, Oct. 25, 2009

Calaveras Economic Summit generates good ideas
Second annual summit supports commercial rafting on the Mokelumne, among many other things. Click here to read the entire article -- Calaveras Enterprise, October 20, 2009

EBMUD approves Pardee expansion plan
The largest water utility in the East Bay voted 4-2 Oct. 13 to approve the environmental impact report for a long-term water plan that will increase water supply, including a much-contested proposal to expand Pardee Reservoir into the Middle Bar Reach of the Mokelumne River. Click here to read the entire article

Valley Springs residents weigh water options
Rancho Calaveras residents consider bringing in surface water to replace failing wells. Click here to read the entire article -- The Record, October 4, 2009