Lincoln City Council approves creating Placer Conservation Authority

After two decades of planning and negotiating between the city of Lincoln, Placer County and several state regulatory agencies the Lincoln City Council approved creating the Placer Conservation Authority during Tuesday's City Council Meeting. The Placer Conservation Authority will be a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement between the city of Lincoln and the Placer County Board of Supervisors. The conservation authority will oversee implementing the Placer County Conservation Plan that will place 47,300 acres of wildlands for mitigation of future commercial developments. The authority will have a three-member board comprised of two Placer County Board of Supervisor members and one Lincoln City Council member. Any approval for land use made by the board must be unanimous with all three members of the board being present, according to Lincoln City Manger Jennifer Hanson. "It gives the city as much control as the county," Lincoln Mayor Dan Karleskint said. The Placer County Water Agency and the South Placer Regional Transportation Agency will also be part of the Joint Powers Agreement but did not want a board seat, according to Hanson. Hanson also said that this conservation plan not only helps preserve new land but also helps continue protecting currently-established preserved lands such as Auburn Ravine. The main funding source for the Placer Conservation Authority staff and operational costs will be from the Placer County Conservation Plan's in-lieu fees paid by developers building in Placer County. Developers can also combine mitigation for wetlands, vernal pools and types of wildlife, if the reserve area supports all of those natural features and types of wildlife, according to Placer County Conservation Program administrator Gregg McKenzie. "You could have a piece of property that is an ag piece of property where a Swainson's Hawk typically forage and typically nests in the oaks surrounding that property," McKenize said. "So you have a likelihood of wetlands and the Swainson's Hawks in that area." According to McKenize, before a final decision on the Placer County Conservation Plan can be made by the city and the county, some small "nitpicking" work needs to be done at the federal level. In other news Lincoln City Council approved a $1,633,382 construction contract with A. Teichert & Son, Inc. (Teichert Construction) to begin resurfacing First Street. There will also be a contract made with R.E.Y Engineers, Inc for construction support services for $29,500 and a contract for construction management and inspection services with UNICO Engineering, Inc. for $299,370. According to the staff report, the $2,832,588 project will be funded from Fund 298, Fund 221 and Fund 721.