8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015
Local
Sumpter talks fate of City’s
Planning Commission
By Meghan Andersch
Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com
A large portion of Tues-
day’s Sumpter City Coun-
cil meeting was devoted
to discussion regarding
dissolving or retaining the
City Planning Commis-
sion.
Just prior to the meeting,
Mayor Melissa Findley
announced she had made
available information on
what is in City funds and
imminent deposits, the
costs to the City for 2013
and 2014 temporary part-
time employees, condition-
al use permit and zoning
permit applications, and
a list of actions for which
permits are not required.
The minutes of last
month’s meeting were
reviewed with opportu-
nity given for Council and
public input. As part of
the review, Mayor Find-
ley played an audio clip
from February’s meeting
covering the discussion
of the Fire Department
restructuring and hiring of
a consultant. She stated,
“It has come to my atten-
tion that there has been an
immense amount of gossip
and innuendo about those
two subjects.”
Findley stated she
wanted to play the clip
to make sure there is no
confusion. Minutes were
accepted with minor cor-
rections and a change to
correct language around
the consultant fee.
During the Mayor’s
Report, Findley said that
with the insert in this
month’s water bill, she was
hoping to clearly convey in
a single page information
about zoning permit and
conditional use requests
and what is required for
each. Mayor Findley
asked that attendees read
over the information
provided this meeting and
bring any questions to the
next meeting.
Findley reported meeting
with officers of the Fire
Department on Sunday,
2/15 regarding what was
discussed at February’s
Council meeting. In at-
tendance were Kurt Clarke,
John Young, Cary Clarke,
Anna Stafford, Jim Sheller,
Bob Armbruster, and
Melissa Findley. They dis-
cussed Young focusing on
the Fire and Fire Training
side of things as the Fire
Coordinator and Stafford
focusing on EMS and EMS
training as the EMS Coor-
dinator. Findley stated that
Young felt strongly about
giving up his title of Train-
ing Officer and that he will
continue to maintain that
title as long as he does not
stand in Staffords’s way
of EMS coordinating and
training.
Findley said she stated at
the meeting with the Fire
Department and would
reiterate, “Good, bad or
indifferent, I am the mayor
for the next two years. I
will not be held hostage
by people who threaten to
quit. If you volunteer, be a
damn good volunteer and
do it for the right reasons.
If you threaten to quit,
please do and walk away.”
Findley shared that Fire
Chief Clarke will update
job descriptions and that
personnel files will be
moved to City Hall into
locked files.
Findley attended 2/24’s
Fire Department Auxiliary
meeting and asked if they
could help fund the EMS
consult and also a grant
writer to write only Fire/
EMS grants and locate
funds for the Fire Depart-
ment. There would be an
initial cost of $1000 for
getting a grant writer to
look into available fund-
ing, and then a cost of $99
per hour, if they decide to
proceed, with a maximum
cap in the agreement.
Findley stated the amount
would probably be $2500-
3000.
The City is negative
$5,400 in budget, and that
though there is a difference
between actual and budget
funds, Findley is looking
for answers as to why. She
said she may not under-
stand how a municipality
works but is appalled any-
one would ever think being
in the negative is common.
Findley said while getting
to answers, the City will
be tightening belts. There
will be no more part-time
hiring without absolute ap-
proval of the Council (non
emergency) or the Council
president or mayor in an
emergency.
A job description for
Groundskeeper is going
out. The City would like
to have all applications in
by the 24th at noon.
City Recorder Julie
McKinney reported the of-
fice phones have been rin -
ing off the hook with many
people calling in about the
flea market. Lots of burn
permit applications have
also been coming in.
Utility Manager Jeff
McKinney reported many
challenges in February
with freezing, sediment,
and run off plugging up
the system. He thanked
Lee German for filling in
while he attended training
and stated with the water
system full of challenges,
it took all of German’s
experience to keep the City
water flowing. McKinney
asked for a round of ap-
plause for German.
McKinney took 19
classes in five days at the
Oregon Association of Wa-
ter Utilities Conference last
week. McKinney entered
the town in the Statewide
Water Contest. Sumpter
has a surface water system
and won first place in that
category. Judging criteria
include clarity, taste, etc.
McKinney plans to enter
the next round against the
winner of the ground water
category. The winner of
that round has the chance
to go to the national
competition in Washington
DC to compete for the best
water in the country.
The Fire Chief’s Report
was given by Jim Sheller.
He reported one medical
call out for the month.
Stafford provided EMR
training on backboards
on the third Tuesday in
February with 10 EMR and
Fire Department volunteers
in attendance. At the last
Fire Department meeting,
lighting systems on all
trucks were checked. A
new hose reel has been put
on the brush truck. Sheller
reported Cary Clarke and
John Young are coordinat-
ing with ODFW to plan
ahead as a rough fire se -
son is expected. Around
the first of April, Young
will be providing Fireman
I training, with six signed
up for the class.
Young reported that he
attended Wildland Forest
Fire training and is putting
together material to teach
all firefighters skills fo
“initial size up” to assist
in accurate reporting and
making sure necessary
resources and back up are
received. Young stated
Baker Rural Fire Depart-
ment is already talking
about two pasture fires that
got away from landown-
ers. Steve Boles, from the
Powder River Rural Fire
Department, reported four
or five calls already in the
last two weeks.
Dan Patton gave the
Planning Commission
Report. The Commission
talked last Thursday about
a defensible space plan for
individual homes, which
would include guidelines
for clearing back property
of easily combustible mat-
ter. He agreed to provide
that plan by the next
Council meeting. The
commission unanimously
approved a zoning permit
for Schmidt to cover an
existing walkway between
buildings. They requested
a plot plan on a conditional
use permit application for
Armbruster. The public
hearing on that application
will take place during the
next Planning Commission
meeting. The Commission
voted unanimously that
John Young be approved
to continue as project man-
ager of Volunteer Park and
that Council immediately
approve Young to be on the
Planning Commission as
per his application.
Findley briefly recapped
that she, at February’s
Council meeting, asked
to not add anyone to the
Planning Commission, and
to have the Commission
pulled back into Council
for the temporary foresee-
able future. She stated
the Commission has not
provided minutes for every
meeting and has problems
keeping a full committee.
There ensued a spirited
and intense discussion
of the matter, with much
input from Council mem-
bers, Planning Commis-
sion members, and meeting
attendees. Several Council
and community members
stated they did not think
Council members needed
any more responsibilities
added to their many other
duties. Findley believes
that they can handle the
small amount of paperwork
coming in. It was pointed
out that the Commission is
also working on a Compre-
hensive Use plan and that
the City ordinances need to
be updated and cleaned up.
Findley asked how long
they have been waiting for
the Comprehensive Use
plan to be completed. It
was clarified that the Co -
mission is down to the last
two sections.
Head of Council Toni
Thompson stated she
believes the City needs to
keep what they’ve got and
that nine is better than five
with four people on the
Planning Commission plus
five on City Council. It
was asked if Council can
nominate two members to
attend Planning Commis-
sion meetings. Councilp-
erson Woolf explained that
all members or none must
attend, per State require-
ments. A probationary
period to allow the Plan-
ning Commission to work
through the current issues
was suggested.
Findley made a motion
to disband the Planning
Commission. Motion died.
Findley made a motion to
give the Planning Com-
mission a 60-day window
to meet quorum, show
what’s being accom-
plished in their meetings,
and fulfill their goals and
responsibilities. Findley
and Cary Clarke will meet
to define and write down
exactly what those goals
and responsibilities are,
with the 60-day window to
start after that. The motion
passed unanimously.
Findley reiterated
her reasons for believ-
ing Young should not be
accepted onto the plan-
ning Commission at this
time and made a motion
to the same. Motion
died. Discussion included
comments that “we need
everyone we can get” and
that Young is a man of
character and has done
a lot for the community.
Head of Council Thomp-
son made a motion that
Young be added to the
Planning Commission.
Motion passed 3-2, with
Findley and Armbruster
voting against.
The Council moved
on to addressing a public
hearing on the IFA loan for
DEQ-required upgrades to
the sewer system was set
for April 1 at 6 p.m. at the
schoolhouse. The meeting
will include information as
to how the loan affects the
City’s indebtedness limit.
Findley stated she would
like to get the Park Project
finished and remaining
grant paperwork in by
3/31. She volunteered to
complete the remaining
painting as Young will be
out of town. The remaining
unassembled play equip-
ment was discussed and
Young said he will re-tape
it with caution tape.
Anna Stafford reported
on the Oregon Festivals
and Events Associa-
tion conference she and
Lori-Jean Pruitt attended
last week in Seaside. She
reported hearing success
stories from tiny towns
hosting events and coming
away with the two things
needed for a successful
event are time and more
time. Whoever coordina-
tors the Flea Market will
have to spend a lot of time
coordinating, getting com-
munity buy-in, etc. They
also learned about new
technology, including a
smart phone app for instant
feedback called Good
Snitch, and about getting
sponsors for events.
Findley shared a concern
regarding trespassing in
the City watershed and
unpermitted sanitation
issues. Utility Manager
McKinney is looking into
this and coordinating with
USFS. The information
is unsubstantiated at this
point.
Findley also promised
copies of the Fire Depart-
ment business plan with
recommendations and
feedback to be given to at
the next meeting.
Councilperson An-
nie Oakley mentioned a
concern from Diane Miller
about metal junk piling
up. McKinney explained
the metal recycler couldn’t
get out due to snow. It was
asked if something can be
done about old tires also.
Sumpter City Council
will now meet second and
fourth Tuesdays, with the
next meeting scheduled for
March 24 at 7 p.m.
Awaken, arise,
advance was
women’s
retreat theme
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
Kim Meeder of Bend was the keynote speaker at
last weekend’s retreat.
By Gina K. Swartz
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Sponsored by Baker City Women’s Connection, Baker
City MOPS and local area churches, the community-wide
women’s retreat hosted at the Baker City First Church
of the Nazarene by the rural Christian Women Team was
once again a success. On March 7, women came together
in faith to support the event.
The guest keynote speaker for the event was Kim
Meeder of Bend, OR. Meeder has written four books:
“Hope Rising,” “Bridge Called Hope,” “Blind Hope,”
and “Fierce Beauty” and is the co-founder, with her hus-
band Troy, of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch.
Meeder shared how her life was ripped apart and her
faith sealed at the tender age of nine by her parents
murder-suicide. Meeder gave a heart-wrenching account
of that painful time including the fact that she did not
even attend her parents’ funerals. Meeder experienced
the special emotional comfort and love a little mare was
able to provide on that day, giving her a healing refuge
that became the foundation for much that would follow in
her life. Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch began in 1993 with
a nine-acre piece of property outside of Bend. The land
that was an abandoned cinder mine had been virtually
ruined. The Meeders successfully worked the land in
an effort to rehabilitate to the point it would once again
sustain life.
In 1995, Meeder rescued the first two horses, one
starved almost to the point of death the other badly
beaten. Soon children began finding their way to this
miraculous ranch with selfless e forts to help these horses
recover. Healing began taking place in not only the horses
but in the hearts of those caring for the horses. Meeder
saw lives being transformed by love, just as had hap-
pened to her. When Meeder witnessed a mute girl speak
freely to one of the rescued mares, that sealed her desire
to build the ranch into a place where horses and children
could help one another heal.
The ranch provides a place where children, families
and horses that are “broken” can begin healing, find
wholeness, trust and a sense of belonging through the em-
brace of God’s unconditional love.
Doors to the retreat event opened at 8:00 a.m. with
refreshments, followed by praise and worship music by
Kelly Nichols, JoAnne Fletcher, Jessica Foster, Elle Scott
and Tovah Potter. The group was welcomed by Elissa
Morrison who then welcomed Meeder. Following Meed-
er’s address in which she recounted her life-changing
experience and the ranch that eventually formed, break-
out sessions were conducted. Attendees were offered five
breakout sessions from which to choose.
Topics of the sessions included: Keys to Successful
Step–Parenting hosted by Christine Hawes, Conquering
Life’s Challenges hosted by Lynne Applegate, With the
Lord, Life is a Special Occasion hosted by Anita Swartz
and Sustaining and Keeping Focus on God In The Worst
Of Life’s Circumstances hosted by Kadie Cosby and
Jocelynn Potter. After the breakout sessions concluded
everyone reassembled.
Arletta Anderson, Donna Kilgore, Jerri Wickert and
Elissa Morrison provided some comic relief hosting a
“The View” type show in an impromptu skit highlighting
how sometimes emotions and perceptions can get in the
way and affect relationships. The group emphasized the
importance of coming together in unity and faith so we
may overcome the petty differences that are affecting our
relationships and show His love for one another. Meeder
returned to address the group a second time speaking to-
ward the theme of the event “awaken, arise and advance.”
She told of a friend that lost her son to suicide and
reflected on the impact that it had not only in her riend s
life but hers as well, seeing the big picture of how vulner-
able we are and we need to become stronger to protect
our families. She also related a story about the rescue of
a dog that just did not seem to be improving until it was
discovered that an arrow was lodged inside the dog. Once
the arrow was removed the dog began to immediately
improve. Medder used the arrow story as an analogy to
show that once whatever may be inside poisoning and
preventing healing is removed, we are open.
Medder’s Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch has a website
that gives information about the ranch and its mission and
a Facebook page. The Rural Christian Women’s Team
also has a Facebook page.