On the consent agenda of the most recent Board of Supervisors meeting, 4-19-11, there was a minute order for a ‘contract with the Army Corps of Engineers in the amount of $50,344 for law enforcement services May 1 through September 25, 2011.’ It wasn’t clear to Spellman if this contract added additional law enforcement personnel or utilized existing personnel for Hogan coverage. He had no knowledge if the contract included emergency personnel response to the area, ie; fire or medical aid. However, he stated that the County does have an existing contract with them for year round law enforcement of the area.
Spellman talked about his visit to both the Earth Day celebration in Angels Camp and the Taxpayers Rally in Valley Springs over the weekend saying that “people often times don’t realize what they all have in common.” Noting a common thread at both gatherings; both groups seemed to be “advocates for smaller government.”
With regards to his attendance at the FEMA meeting with Dan Lungren and State FEMA reps in Sacramento Thursday April 7, 2011 Spellman said, “Nothing had changed (I was) highly disappointed with the whole thing.” Spellman arrived early to the meeting to discuss the possibility of a Brown Act violation with Lungren reps regarding Callaway joining the meeting, as that would make three members of the Board of Supervisors attending the meeting. Told by a representative from Lungren’s office that “no decisions were being made, no votes taken, therefore she would be allowed to attend.” Spellman said he was still concerned with the impropriety of the situation especially when “Merita did not allow the public to enter the meeting.” He said he chose to, at that time, keep silent until he was able to make one strong point, making light “and we all know how hard that was for me.” He chose to highlight the “most ridiculous example” of their admittedly “flawed mapping process”, that being the issue of Lake Tulloch. Tom Garcia, County Public Works Director, also spoke to that issue stating that he could “say without reservation that there was no way possible” Lake Tulloch homes could ever flood…the County “does not and has never issued a permit to build a home below the spill line.” The spill line being the level at which water will flow over the top of the dam.
Spellman was hoping that since Lungren sat on the Homeland Security Commission and that FEMA was a division of Homeland Security the understanding would be clearer of the issue and that maybe Lungren would “apply a little pressure.” He openly wondered if and when Lungren would utilize his ability to help.
Attending his last in a three part series of new Supervisor workshops last Thursday Spellman was actually called upon due to the recent attendance of three Board members at a meeting, where it was now common knowledge that the public was not let in. The instructor of the course used the example of that meeting as what can occur to new Supervisors and how to handle the situation. Spellman said that being a junior Supervisor and that he was extended an invitation were the only things that kept him in the clear “kind of.” He still had a responsibility to his constituents and the public to represent them responsibly and with moral fiber. Though he still maintained, “I knew I would not have backed down…I needed to attend that meeting...too many of my constituents are affected negatively by the FEMA flood maps.”
Spellman is still looking into finding funding for the Sheriff Department if the VLF funding is cut or disappears. He has proposed to cut the 500k budget the county has for outside consultants for the Planning Department and shift those funds to the Sheriff Department if VLF funding is cut. He said that he has found that most of his constituents feel that public safety is more important than office personnel. Noting that the planning department consultants are out of county.
He closed the coffee meeting with a reminder that he will be available at a Town Hall meeting Thursday April 28, 2011 from 7-9 at Blackcreek Park.
To contact Spellman his email is dspellman@co.calaveras.ca.us
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