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Volume 171 • Issue 54 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Friday, May 6, 2022
Placerville asks for partnership in homeless plan Andrew Vonderschmitt Staff writer As El Dorado County moves forward with developing navigation and shelter resources for the local homeless population, city of Placerville leaders weighed in last week with the majority of sites to be considered for facilities located in city limits. On April 14, 2020, the city of Placerville and El Dorado County entered into a joint policy statement on homelessness. The document, signed by then Placerville Mayor Michael Saragosa and then District 3
Supervisor/Board Chair Brian Veerkamp, states that both jurisdictions would “work together to establish immediate solutions to reduce and work toward elimination of the homeless problem.” In spring 2021 the city requested to work with the county to establish a homeless facility before fire season, which did not come to pass. In November 2021 the board directed county staff to explore potential properties and report back by May. Ahead of that May deadline county staff brought six sites to the board April 19 for consideration as the county
Roads a priority in county budget Eric Jaramishian Staff writer The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors and county staff agreed at an April 25 budget meeting more money needed to go into county road maintenance. “Understanding the continuing deterioration of so many of our roadways, I think it is important to put as much funding into this as we can,” District 1 Supervisor John Hidahl said. District 2 Supervisor George Turnboo agreed. “(Department of Transportation Director Rafael Martinez) and I have talked about this a lot because the product he has to purchase is more than double (the cost), which puts us way behind on road repairs,” Turnboo said. That is why the county’s new reserve goals for both road maintenance and capital projects will be included in the recommended 2022-23 fiscal year budget. PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
The board approved increasing the budget goal for road maintenance from $3 million to $5 million in the General Fund. Other changes involved increasing the capital projects reserve from $5 million to $6 million. The Chief Administrative Office staff set other general recommended budget goals for the 2022-23 fiscal year, including $10.75 million for the general reserve, $6.5 million for contingency and two years of goal increases for California Public Employees’ Retirement System contributions. During the meeting CAO analyst Emma Owens also shared a list of projects and funds expected to be carried over in the 2022-23 fiscal year, including the Placerville jail expansion project, a broadband project grant match of $600,000, the Old Depot Road bike park, the replacement of a Shakori Drive garage in South Lake Tahoe and a Spring Street facilities replacement plan expected to cost $350,000, among others. Owens said some of the projects not included in the general budget are staffing costs for the jail expansion, building a new juvenile hall, Spring Street facilities replacement costs and the proposed Diamond Springs Sports Complex. The new juvenile hall is set to be built on n
See budget, page A8
“I believe Placerville should share the load but we shouldn’t carry the load.” — Dennis Thomas, Placerville city councilman declared a shelter crisis to address homelessness on the county’s West Slope. Funding to attain, either by leasing or purchasing property to develop a navigation center and long-and short-term shelters, would come from state and federal homelessness grants procured by El Dorado County Continuum of Care, according to the Health and Human Services Agency presentation.
At the April 26 Placerville City Council meeting council members and city officials reviewed the HHSA report and then directed staff to proceed working with county staff. “I’m a little bit disappointed that five of six sites they came back with were within the city of Placerville,” said City Manager Cleve Morris. Morris listed the proposed sites, pointing out that the two Broadway motels on the list
had recently been remodeled. He then read the motion posed by District 3 Supervisor Wendy Thomas, which passed 4-1. The motion directs county staff to pursue two project sites at 1970 and 1940 Broadway — the Gold Trail Motor Lodge and Motherlode Lodge — for non-congregate (individual room) shelters and a congregate (shared room) shelter and navigation center at Perks Court or to work with city staff to determine the feasibility of 471 Pierroz Road for the same purpose. The motion directs county staff n
See partnership, page A9
Ready for sheriff ’s duties Thomas Frey Staff writer
J
eff Leikauf reported for his first day of work with the El Dorado County Sheriff ’s Office in 1990, just 21 years old at the time. His first assignment was as a correctional officer at the South Lake Tahoe jail. Leikauf told the Mountain Democrat he remembers wondering what it would be like to be the sheriff of El Dorado County. “It’s the craziest thing because I did have that thought on my very first day,” he said. Thirty-two years later Leikauf, 53, a husband and father of four, is readying himself for a June 7 election where he is unopposed to serve as sheriff. He said he aims to serve more than one term. “I love serving something that’s bigger than myself,” the Cameron Park resident shared. “It’s my life’s work and I’ve always been a proud member of the Sheriff ’s Office. I’ve always been proud to take that car home and park it in my Mountain Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum driveway and represent Jeff Leikauf, a Cameron Park resident and 32-year law enforcement veteran, has been busy our agency.” campaigning to be the next sheriff of El Dorado County. In those 32 years his ladder to the top done your job and I “For me to be standing here included becoming a know the things you’re unopposed, I think it’s a testament deputy sheriff, a school experiencing. I know resource officer, a what you may be going to our leadership, the sheriff’s detective, a sergeant through or when you’re mission and the way our men and and now a lieutenant, frustrated,’” Leikauf where he leads patrol said. women go about doing their jobs.” operations. His hard work turned — Jeff Leikauf, candidate for El Dorado County sheriff That breadth of heads and about five experience helps him to six years ago Sheriff offer support and away from retirement, wanted to know if John D’Agostini called guidance to his fellow D’Agostini told him he Leikauf was interested Leikauf up to his office officers. was putting together to chat. “I could say, ‘I’ve a succession plan and Still a half-decade n See Leikauf, page A10
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