10 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015
Local
City Council: licenses, dispensaries Sheriff resigns
Continued from Page 1
Continued from Page 1
“We’re concerned about
our community and our
kids,” Freeman said.
Fellow protester Sue
Christian added, “We’ve
seen too many people try
to get free of pot.”
Freeman stressed that she
was not against medical
marijuana use, but rather,
stores that might increase
the risk of a child obtain-
ing marijuana.
Their protest ended just
after the noon hour. At
7:00 p.m., the City Council
meeting began.
City Council:
Tuesday’s City Council
meeting once again filled
the council chambers. With
all Councilors present
many of the same faces
were in the crowd, the
same comments and views
were reiterated from both
sides of the marijuana
dispensary issue from
Council members as well
as citizens.
Baker County District
Attorney Matt Shirtcliff
gave a PowerPoint presen-
tation to support his agree-
ment with law enforcement
that dispensaries in Baker
City are a bad idea.
He cited many of the
negative effects that have
occurred in Colorado in-
cluding one man jumping
to his death after consum-
ing an extremely high dose
of marijuana in a edible
and California having more
dispensaries on a stretch
of Ventura Boulevard than
Starbucks “which in and of
itself is crazy,” he said.
Shirtcliff also showed
statistics of the sharp
increase in the number of
medical marijuana users
in recent years raising the
question as to the valid-
ity of necessity or simply
criminology.
He also made note of
the fact that as soon as the
dispensary in La Grande
opened, it was robbed
since a dispensary can’t
use traditional options
for business. Not only is
marijuana stored in the dis-
pensary but large amounts
of cash as well making it a
prime target for increased
crime.
Councilor Langrell asked
Shirtcliff, “The forum that
we are looking at right
now is the passing of a
business license, that is
I feel, a poor idea in the
community. Can we just
pass a law or ordinance
or whatever that just says
no businesses can open
that aren’t allowed under
federal law and stay away
from the business license?”
Shirtcliff said he was
unclear as to the absolute
correct answer to that say-
ing he did not see why not
but deferred the question to
Smith.
Smith said, “In answer
to Councilor Langrell, I
can’t think of any problem
doing it that way but I
think that when some cities
decided to handle this issue
through a city business
license ordinance they did
so because they wanted the
ordinance to be as if they
were doing something that
applied to all business. I
don’t think there has to
be a fee but having city
staff keep the registry of
businesses and a website
updated that would require
staff time so it’s something
to consider.”
Councilor Langrell
remained adamant about
wanting to stay away
from a business license
“It’s dangerous territory.
I think there are enough
Below is the text of his resignation letter:
“On February 25, 2015 I submitted my resignation
to the Baker County Commissioners effective April
30, 2015. I began my career in 1971 when I became a
Reserve Police Officer with the Pendleton Police Depar -
ment. One year later I was sworn in with the Oregon
State Police where I was employed until 2000. After that
I worked as an International Police Officer in Kosovo for
two years and when I returned I ran for Sheriff in 2004
and became Sheriff in January 2005.
“I have had a long career and have enjoyed all of it but
I am especially proud of my time as the Baker County
Sheriff. However after 44 years in Law Enforcement my
wife and I have decided that it is time to retire and pursue
other interests.
“Due to the fact there is less than two years in my
current term the Baker County Commissioners will have
to appoint someone to finish my term. Being the Sheri f
is a very responsible and important position to hold. The
Sheriff must be available to the citizens who they work
for while also being financially accountable as well
“I want the Commissioners as well as the citizens to
know that I am supporting Lieutenant Travis Ash to be
the next Baker County Sheriff. Lieutenant Ash has been a
valued employee of the Sheriff’s Office since 2005 with
several years experience before that time. He is an excep-
tional police officer and e fective leader and will continue
to lead the Sheriff’s Office in a positive direction.
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
District Attorny Matt Shirtcliff addressed City Council on Tuesday.
stumbling blocks put in the
way of businesses in Baker
County. We say no fees
but know that anything
that is put in place as Mr.
Smith said, maybe a year
down the road the City
will decide it takes a lot of
staff time so we are going
to impose a nominal fee
to cover administration of
this. A business license is
not going to guarantee we
are going to keep dispen-
saries out so we may be
putting a stumbling block
in the way of business here
in Baker City and not even
accomplishing what it is
we wanted to do. I really
think passing something
that says a business needs
to be in compliance with
local, state and federal law
is the way to go. Mr. Smith
said we can do the same
thing with just an ordi-
nance.”
City Manager Mike
Kee, at the direction of
Council had a draft that
was provided by email
to each councilor prior to
the meeting, of a new city
business license prepared
for discussion and review
by the Council.
“Mr. Smith has taken
this and added things like
enforcement and penalties.
We both agree that it will
be much better for business
owners if there were not
a fee and was very simple
to apply for. We can set
it up with a PDF on the
City’s website,” Kee said
to Council.
Smith stated, “I added
information in reference
to fees and penalties. I’m
confident with the la -
guage that is in front of
you with respect to penal-
ties if a business was to
attempt to operate in Baker
City without a license that
you could obtain a court
order prohibiting them
from continuing business
and actually have that
order enforced by law
enforcement.”
Mayor Mosier ad-
vised, “I did speak with a
downtown business owner
that had similar concerns
to Councilor Langrell’s. If
we put something in place
that is called a license even
if there is no fee, there
may be in the future and
of course we don’t know
what future councils are
going to do.
“The business owner I
was speaking with today
suggested this particular
ordinance be called a
registration rather than a
license. We have referred
to that tonight because that
is essentially what it is.
With no fee, it’s just asking
businesses to register and
give a certain amount of
specific information like
number of employees, type
of business. It was her idea
to call it a registration not a
license because if you call
it a license it means there
is a fee. Even if there is not
one now, there could be in
future.
“I don’t see a problem
with calling it a registra-
tion. Is there any dis-
cussion among council
about re-phrasing of the
ordinance and calling it a
registration? Taking out
any language about any
fee even setting it at zero
I think we’d be better off
having something in place
and just not even refer to
a fee. I don’t know if that
addresses Langrell’s con-
cerns. At any rate, I’d like
to see us put something
into place tonight.”
Merrill asked directly
of Kee, “Business licenses
seem to be a commonality
across the state of Oregon,
this business license
wouldn’t be unique to
Baker City?”
To which Kee respond-
ed, “No in my experience,
this would not be unique
to Baker City. More cities
have them than don’t have
them.”
Smith agreed saying that
he has “looked at a lot and
they are all very different.”
Councilor Abell in
response to the registration
proposal and having more
information on file with
the Chamber of Commerce
posed a question to Kee
asking if having that infor-
mation might be helpful
when applying for grants
to which Kee responded
that yes it could be helpful.
Councilor Downing
expressed his favor of
a registration versus an
actual license citing from
a law enforcement stand-
point he could see the
value of having current
contact information on file
for each business in case of
an emergency.
Langrell said he really
saw no difference between
a license or a registration
“Even the DMV makes
me pay for both,” he said.
More discussion was made
about land use and de-
velopment code in which
timeline was discussed and
it was decided that City
Manager Kee would notify
the Department of Land
Conservation and Develop-
ment that we are intend-
ing to begin holding the
required public hearings to
change existing land usage.
Councilor Merrill ex-
pressed his desire have a
Local teen
found
Historic Photo.
Mayor Mosier mentioned
that Edward Dickison
Baker Day was on
the same day as the
City Council meeting.
In his political career,
Baker served in the U.S.
House of Representa-
tives from Illinois and
later as a U.S. Senator
from Oregon. A long-
time close and personal
friend of U.S. President
Abraham Lincoln, Baker
served as a U.S. Army
colonel during both the
Mexican-American War
and the American Civil
War. Baker was killed in
the Battle of Ball’s Bluff
while leading a Union
Army regiment, becom-
ing the only sitting sena-
tor to be killed in the
Civil War. Baker is the
namesake for Baker City
and Baker County.
reading of the ordinance so
council can begin move-
ment on this issue.
Kee read the proposed
ordinance making a few
changes as he went but
leaving it as a business
license and not changing
the wording to a registra-
tion as that would have
required a complete rewrite
of the ordinance which the
council found unfavorable
time wise.
When he was finished
Councilor Merrill mo-
tioned to approve the first
reading with a second by
Downing.
When put to a vote
it was split with Mayor
Mosier, Councilors Mer-
rill, Downing, Abell and
Augenfeld in favor and
Councilors Langrell and
Thomas opposed. The mo-
tion passed 5:2.
Before adjourning the
meeting, Mosier made a
point to acknowledge that
February 24 was officially
Edward Dickison Baker
Day.
Baker City was named
for Edward Baker, who
was the only sitting legisla-
tor killed in the Civil War.
(See photo above.)
Last week, 16-year-old Logan Handy of Baker City was
reported as an endangered runaway. On Sunday morning,
he was found safe in Kansas.
Handy had gone missing last Wednesday on February
18, and was last seen by his father, Justin Handy, at 6:40
a.m. before school. He didn’t go to school, but instead
traveled on his black mountain bike toward the Ebell
Creek / Sutton Creek area where he abandoned his bike
near the railroad tracks. He then apparently hitchhiked.
The Sheriff’s Department launched a day-long search
of the area the following day after finding the bike.
Handy’s parents, friends, and even some complete strang-
ers joined in various search efforts either by vehicle, on
foot or via the internet. Several citizens offered up money
to help bring him home, and others began prayer chains.
Handy’s mother, Michelle Knadle, eventually made
contact with the teen through an undisclosed web site,
prompting him to call her from a pay phone. Family then
traveled to Kansas and brought him home.
Man arrested with
7 lbs. of pot
On February 25, 2015 at about 7:20 a.m., Baker City
Police Officers served a Marijuana related search warrant
at 1791 Valley Avenue, apartment #1 in Baker City. Once
inside, Baker City Officers seized approximately seven
pounds of marijuana, along with miscellaneous parapher-
nalia and items typically used to process and distribute
marijuana.
The renter of that apartment, 53 year-old Bobby Dude
Larkin (05/13/61), was interviewed at the Baker City
Police Department and subsequently taken into custody
on charges of:
1. Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance
(Marijuana)
2. Unlawful Manufacture of a Controlled Substance
(Marijuana)
3. Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Mari-
juana)
Larkin is not a registered Medical Marijuana card
holder; however he stated during the interview that the
Marijuana was obtained as surplus from a licensed Medi-
cal Marijuana Growing Operation.
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