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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 2017)
IN EVERY ISSUE: Crossword puzzle and word search. PAGE 9 The SPECIAL: Easter greetings from local businesses. PAGE 10 Baker County Press TheBakerCountyPress.com 75¢ All local. All relevant. Every Friday. Friday, April 14, 2017 • Volume 4, Issue 15 City goal planning begins BY GINA K. SWARTZ Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com On Monday evening the Baker City Council met to discuss goals. All Councilors were present as were City Manager Fred Warner, Fire Chief Tom Wills, Police Chief Wyn Lohner, Public Works Director Michelle Owen, Finance Manager Jeanie Dexter, City Recorder/Human Resource Manager Julie Smith and Community Develop- ment Coordinator Robin Nudd. SEE CITY GOALS PAGE 4 Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press City Council members and Department heads gathered Monday evening to begin planning efforts for the coming year. City Council talks fee increases, watershed Sumpter readies for Elkhorn Crest Trail race BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com Gina K. Swartz/ The Baker County Press L-R: Mayor Mike Downing, with Dispatchers Lindsay Hodgson and Jessica Lynch who accepted a 911 proclamation at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. BY GINA K. SWARTZ Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com Mayor Downing called the fi rst April City Council meeting to order. Councilor Nilsson lead the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation sharing words by E.E. Cum- mings. Julie Smith, City Recorder/Human Resources, called roll with all councilors being present. Downing asked for a motion to approve minutes from the March 28, 2017 Council meeting noting no corrections. Coun- cilor Joseph made a motion to approve with Councilor Nilsson seconding that motion. A unanimous vote was cast. Downing then called for citizen participation, seeing none he moved onto the agenda. Ratifi cation of Baker City Professional Firefi ghters Contract City Manager Warner addressed Council that a tenta- tive agreement had been reached. Employees had ratifi ed the contract, which was now before Council for approval. As with the recent police contract, this contract will change the length to allow for expiration to coincide with the fi scal year. This contract will expire June 30, 2020 and will give fi refi ghters a 1% pay increase retroactive to January 1, 2017 and 1.5% annual pay increases in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Upon a motion to accept the contract made by Joseph and a second by Nilsson, Council unanimously Friday Mostly cloudy with rain showers and a few snow fl akes mixed in. Highs in the upper 40s. Friday Night: Mostly cloudy with rain/snow showers. Lows in the upper 20s. Saturday Partly sunny with early lingering showers. Highs near 50. Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows near freezing. Sunday Partly sunny and milder. Highs in the mid 50s. Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with a few rain showers. Lows in the mid 30s. voted to accept the contract as negotiated. Warner then stated to Council that “all three labor unions have now been done.” Agreement with GSI Water Solutions for ASR Evaluation Michelle Owen, Public Works Director, explained to Council that before them was a scope of work task order for their approval for GSI Water Solutions. The money for this work has already been budgeted for and was included in the water facilities master plan. GSI Water Solutions’ work will include ASR (Aquafer storage and recovery) operations evaluation, water rights optimi- zation, groundwater well siting evaluation and prelimi- nary design for a well. Nilsson asked Owen, “Are the fees being charged competitive?” Owen acknowledged that they were. Downing asked if the scope of work would include an evaluation of the City’s current well to which Owen stated they would. Councilor Thomas moved to approve, Joseph made a second and by unanimous vote the task order was ap- proved. 911 Telecommunicator Week Proclamation Downing read a proclamation declaring April 9-15, 2017 911 Telecommunicator Week. Sumpter City Council met on the drizzly evening of April 11th. Mayor Cary Clarke and Councilors Linda Wise, Samantha Rowan, and Robert Armbruster were in attendance. Elkhorn Crest Ultra Meghan Andersch / Runners The Baker County Press Trevor Hostetler ad- Trevor Hostetler dressed Council regarding describes the upcoming plans to hold an Elkhorn Elkhorn Crest Trail race. Crest Trail race on August 19th. The Grounds in Sumpter have been rented as the staging area. Runners will be bussed up to Bourne, run up one of the Forest Ser- vice roads to the Crests, run up and down several peaks, and fi nish at the Sumpter Grounds after 50-ish miles. There will also be a marathon course available. SEE SUMPTER PAGE 8 Hearing set in BMCC lawsuit BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com A pre-trial hearing is set for late May in Baker County Circuit Court Case No. 16CV36651, Peggy Hudson v. Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC), in which Hudson, former BMCC Baker County Associate Vice President (AVP), seeks at least $463,225, for claims of employment discrimination, to include whistleblowing, age discrimination, and common law wrongful discharge. SEE BMCC LAWSUIT PAGE 5 SEE CITY COUNCIL PAGE 3 Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County. Our forecast made possible by this generous sponsor: Offi cial weather provider for The Baker County Press. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE ‘Path of Totality’ art show Chronic disease workshop OTEC scholarship winners Another wolf depredation meeting County: Assessor’s software issues Mining zone change fi nally approved Page Page Page Page Page Page 3 5 5 7 7 8