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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 2016)
8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2016 Local 5J math curriculum set BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com The Baker District 5J School Board held its regu- lar meeting on Thursday, June 2, 2016, 6 p.m., in the North Conference Room, of the District Office, at 2090 4th Street, in Baker City, which included, among other items, adop- tion of the 2016-2017 School District budget. Present from the Board were Chair Kevin Cassidy, Vice Chair Melissa Irvine, and members Andrew Bryan (at 7:08 p.m. via telephone), Autumn Harell, and Chris Hawkins. Pres- ent District staff included Superintendent Mark Witty, Assistant Super- intendent Betty Palmer, Chief Financial Officer (CFO)/Business Manager Doug Dalton, and Execu- tive Secretary Norma Nemec. The meeting was called to order, and Cassidy and the Board led in recitation of the Pledge of Alle- giance. Presentations were to include the District’s Busi- ness Partner of the Quarter, the Baker City Police, however, this was post- poned until the July meet- ing, due to an emergency. The meeting agenda, re- vised, was approved, with a motion from Irvine, and a second from Harrell, and the minutes from the May 19, 2016 regular meet- ing, and the May 31, 2016 work session were ap- proved, with a motion from Irvine, and a second from Hawkins. Administrators Reports were provided to the Board. The budget hearing was opened, and a presentation of the 2016-2017 budget was made by Dalton. He noted that the budget has been approved by the Budget Committee, and it is ready for the Board to adopt. Dalton printed new budget booklets (Fund 550 and Fund 564 were not titled), Witty added the process to the Budget Mes- sage, and Cassidy read the addition. Cassidy introduced incoming ASB (Associated Student Body) President Kara Bennett, who will be filling graduating senior Bryson Smith’s role, and providing the BHS (Baker High School) reports to the Board next year. Discussions included the K-12 Math adoption, Witty’s Superintendent’s Report, Palmer’s Assistant Superintendent’s Report, and Dalton’s CFO’s Re- port. Merrie Hensley, repre- senting the Math Cadre, reported on the K-12 Math adoption process, and how the final decision was made. This included having monthly meetings, attending a Curriculum Caravan, selecting pilot materials, inviting parents and the community to review the materials, and then making the selec- tion. The recommendation to the Board is: Grades K-3 Bridges Curriculum, published by The Math Learning Center; Grades 4-6 Ready Common Core/i-Ready, published by Curriculum Associates; and Grades 7-12 Glen- coe Math, published by McGraw-Hill. Among other details, Witty reported that 80 Leo Adler scholarships were presented during EAGLE CAP graduation, June 3, 2016. He said that OEBB (Oregon Educators Ben- efit Board) would like to charge $10.00 a month per person, for anyone wishing to opt out of the District’s insurance, which would cost the District $62,000, and that OSBA (Oregon School Board Association), and COSA (Confederation of Oregon School Ad- ministrators) are showing opposition to that proposed fee, while the District waits to see how that scenario turns out. Palmer said the RTI (Response to Interven- tion) group met this same day, regarding K-6 grades, and that most grades have shown a consistent growth pattern, with the 6th grade having the best year ever. She noted that not many students have opted out, and the Summer Academy, which will run from July 5, 2016, to August 12, 2016, has 150 students confirmed. Dalton’s report included the detail that the boiler at BHS is in its final stage of design. He said that abatement, and prep work is already in progress, and the expected delivery date of the boiler is within nine weeks, with October 1, 2016 as the ribbon cutting day. No participation was noted for the Public Com- ment segment of the meet- ing, and the budget hearing was adjourned. The following were ap- proved, with a motion from Irvine, and a second from Hawkins: certified new hires Trace Richardson, Kindergarten teacher at Brooklyn Primary, and An- gela Johnson, BMS (Baker Middle School) Math teacher; and administrative new hire Phil Anderson, Brooklyn Principal. Irvine asked about the process for Brooklyn Principal selec- tion, and the Board dis- cussed that it had received Principal Gwen O’Neal’s resignation. Palmer and Nemec met with the Brooklyn teachers, asking them about what qualities in a new administrator they’d like to see, and the interview team used the criteria to make the selec- tion, after interviewing six candidates. Witty said the candidate fits the Board’s Guiding Principles. Resolution 16-10, Ap- proving The Permanent Tax Rate; Resolution 16- 11, 2016/2017 Adopting The Budget; Resolution 16-12, Making Appropria- tions; Resolution 16-13, Establishing Policies For Fund Balance; Resolu- tion 15-14, Additional Revenue Recognition; and Resolution 16-15, PERS Debt (Fund 300), were approved, with a motion from Hawkins, and a sec- ond from Harrell. Per Resolution 16-10, the Permanent Tax Rate is $4.6051 per $1,000 of assessed value for opera- tions, for tax year 2016- 2017. Per Resolution 16-11, the budget of $34,525,889 is adopted for the year 2016-2017. Per Resolution 16-12, the total budget is broken down as: General Fund, $26,197,566; Special Revenue, $4,609,368; Cap- ital Projects, $1,923,000; Debt Service, $832,000; Agency and Trust Funds, $521,055; and All Funds, $442,900. Per Resolution 16-13, the following commitments are made, of 2015-2016 ending fund balance, and revenues, for specific uses in 2016-2017: about $10,000 of the special revenue fund balance with regard to the BHS Athletic Fund 253, for athletic and related activities, through a transfer of general fund resources and other rev- enues; about $38,000 of the special revenue fund balance with regard to the Baker Middle School (BMS) Athletic Fund 251, for athletic and related activities, through the same type of transfer; about $184,000 of state school fund formula revenue, for use by the BHS Athletic Fund 253, through all al- location of state school revenues; about $61,465 of state school fund formula revenue, for use by the BMS Athletic Fund 251, through the same alloca- tion; and about $447,000 of the general fund, to be used to cover the potential shortfall in revenue, be- cause the State of Oregon is no longer allowing the accrual of revenue, from one year forward, back to the current year. Per Resolution 16-14, the additional revenue of $1,238,411 received from the State School Fund, ESD Flow-Through, and Federal Forest Fees rev- enues (received in excess), appropriated in the fiscal year 2015-2016 for the fol- lowing purpose: $400,000 (5200 Transfers), and $838,411 (1000 Instruc- tion). Per Resolution 16-15, the additional amount of $11,873, received from current year PERS State School Fund set aside revenue, and prior years revenue, be appropriated in the fiscal year 2015-2016, for the following purpose: $11,873 (5100 Interest Payment). The K-12 Math adoption was approved as presented earlier, with a motion from Harrell, and a second from Irvine. Sumpter dredge tailings CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Yencopal was asked by the Board to determine associated costs and the process, with the RFP. During discussion re- garding drought concerns (Kerns had asked about a possible Drought Declara- tion), Yencopal said that, this year, he learned at an Emergency Management conference, there is a more streamlined process which would allow Baker County to avoid having to declare a full drought, before pos- sibly receiving assistance from the Oregon Water Resources Department. He said the County is up to the D1 stage of the Drought Index (the driest conditions would be D4), in an abnormally dry state. Bennett mentioned that he hasn’t seen the County past the D3 stage before (if in the D2 stage for around at least three weeks, Yenco- pal said that automatically, a declaration would be implemented). Harvey asked Yencopal about the County’s train derailment emergency response (the recent Union Pacific train derailment in Mosier, involving tankers with oil, and an explosion, was cited, as an example). Yencopal explained that 911 would be contacted, first responders would ar- rive to assess the scene, au- tomatic notification would be sent to community members via the County’s “Code Red” system, and there would be a group ef- fort between law enforce- ment entities, and fire departments, with possible evacuation implemented. Harvey wished to emphasize to the public that the County has been preparing for this type of potential scenario for sev- eral years, with different agencies, and local plans, which are always being updated. Bennett added that there are many challenges, and many miles of railroad track and roadways to con- sider as a potential threat area. Harvey said he wishes to see some form of training for local fire departments, for example, to respond in some way to the scenario (hazardous material crews would be dispatched from either Ontario, or Herm- iston). Bennett said it would afford more protection if local responders received training and equipment, in order to at least secure a valve, for example, in the event of a derailment. The Board also dis- cussed the possibility of offering to provide storage for special foam, used in hazardous material fire- fighting. The last item discussed was a response to the County’s offer to sell its 1/2 mining interest, prop- erty identified as Reference #9923, for $6,181, which includes the sale price of $6,000, plus back taxes owed in the amount of $181, to Whitney Ellison. Ellison responded on June 2, 2016 (the County sent communication on May 9, 2016, detailing the offer), with questions about whether the zoning would be altered, to recre- ation, or something other than mining. Harvey said that the County would not be agreeing to change any zoning at this time, but the County would agree to sell the property, as-is, com- ments echoed by Bennett. Bennett said a zoning change would be costly, and would take much staff effort, and the purchaser would be free to pursue that, if desired, after the sale. Martin said Ellison would need to speak with Baker County Assessor Kerry Savage, and Bennett and Harvey said Ellison would be given Baker County Planning Direc- tor Holly Kerns’ contact information, as well. First Friday at the Courthouse Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press First Friday regulars John Creighton, Tork Ballard and Wanda Ballard. BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com Baker County Commission Chairman Bill Harvey hosted another installment of First Friday with the Com- missioner, on Friday, June 3, 2016, 9 a.m., in the Com- mission Chambers of the Baker County Courthouse, discussing a variety of topics. Joining Harvey for this monthly, informal conversation were Tork and Wanda Ballard, John Creighton, Chuck Chase, and Bobbie Danser. Wanda kicked off the meeting, discussing issues with agency-to-agency coordination, always a heated topic, between the United States Forest Service (USFS), and Baker County. Harvey said he was impressed with the input of Baker County Commissioners Mark Bennett, and Tim Kerns, during the USFS’s informational Blue Mountain Forest Plan Revision (BMFPR) meeting with all three Commissioners, and other community members, on Thursday, June 2. The group discussed issues with the USFS’s Inven- toried Roadless Area designations, noting many roads and areas which should be open, and Danser said she had wished to make some comments during the BMFPR meeting regarding mining plans, but she had difficulty trying to determine precisely how to form some responses about the lack of USFS’s claim of its adherence to the 1872 General Mining Act. Danser voiced her concern that, regarding the standoff involving John Guthrie, Jr., which began on the afternoon of Thursday, June 2, she hadn’t received an emergency notification from the County, until early Friday morn- ing, June 3 (the standoff ended around 3:08 a.m). This emergency notification is a service of the Baker County Consolidated 911 Dispatch Center, termed “Code Red,” installed by Emergency Communications Network (or ECN, as displayed by Caller ID), which allows registered users to be informed, via telephone, in the event of an emergency, or for critical community alerts. This in- cludes evacuation notices, bio-terrorism alerts, boil water notices, and missing child reports (see baker911.org, for more information). Danser’s concern was about the timing of the notifica- tion, and for public safety, and Harvey responded that he first saw information about the standoff on The Baker County Press’s Facebook page on Thursday (he was a spectator at a sporting event at the time, he said), and he regularly shares those posts. He said, while he under- stands the safety concern, the need to inform the public immediately has to be weighed against the potential that community members may show up at the location of the emergency to spectate, possibly putting them also in danger, if notified early on. Harvey said he would prefer an early notification, which relays the message to avoid the area of the emergency. Harvey said he attended a meeting recently, regard- ing the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) initiative, “Planning 2.0,” for which he said the BLM is getting “hammered,” and he again emphasized the role or agen- cy-to-agency coordination. Chase noted that historically, the Vale District BLM (Don Gonzalez is Vale District Manager) has been the easiest to work with. This prompted Tork to ask Harvey about his thoughts on the BLM’s newly formed division, Security, Protec- tion, and Intelligence (SPI), which would operate inde- pendently of the BLM’s already existing Department of Law Enforcement and Protection. Harvey told the group he told Gonzalez to keep the SPI away from Baker Coun- ty, and Tork called the SPI a “Gestapo force.” Danser also voiced her concerns about such an organization. Wanda said she didn’t think that Nichols’ election to County Commissioner was a “big win,” with a difference of less than 40 votes, between Nichols, and candidate Kody Justus, and she said she understood that Nichols doesn’t wish to stand up against federal overreach. Har- vey said that federal agencies have a duty to obey laws, and he would like to have Nichols state, on the record, which laws Nichols thinks the federal government (and the County) should obey, and which it should ignore. Tork asked about the County’s progress on RS (Revised Statute) 2477 roads, and Harvey said that the County is taking a strong stance against road closures. SEE FIRST FRIDAY PAGE 10