FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
City holds goal-setting meeting Keating girl
places first in
essay contest
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
Fire Chief Mark John, at left, talks to City Council members during an initial goal setting session.
By Gina K. Swartz
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Saturday, March 21,
2015 City Council met
from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. in a
special work session to
identify goals they would
like to work toward.
All City Councilors were
in attendance with the
exception of Councilor
Downing.
Mike Kee, City Manager
facilitated the session. Kee
opened with, “I found
minutes from a goal setting
session in 2003 just to kind
of get the juices flowing.
As Kee read the min-
utes he noted a couple of
the goals in that session
such as the Resort Street
improvement that had been
completed in an effort to
spark the Council.
Kee also thanked Coun-
cil: “In the last couple of
months it seems, maybe
we don’t always agree.
There are different ideas
and Councilors state them.
We take note and then
that’s the end of it. Staff
has expressed how easily
they’ve been able to work
with Council and I just
want to thank you for that
it’s been a completely dif-
ferent environment.”
City Departments were
invited to present specific
department goals to the
council for consideration.
The Council was ad-
dressed by Police Chief
Wyn Lohner, Fire Chief
Mark John, City Finance
Manager Jeanie Dexter,
City Public Works Director
Michelle Owen and City
Human Resources Man-
ager/City Recorder Luke
Yeaton. Each gave a short
presentation to the Coun-
cil as to what goals each
department has.
Some department goals
were in line with goals the
council envisioned while
others were very depart-
ment specific and a few
even lent themselves to
the future and others were
items that would be ad-
dressed during the budget
process.
Both Police Chief Wyn
Lohner and Fire Chief
Mark John addressed the
council.
As public safety entities,
they have similar goals
working toward public
safety, service and livabil-
ity in our community. Both
addressed staffing concerns
and the need to replace
equipment.
The Police Department
is in need of replacing bal-
listic vests while the Fire
Department has a couple
different items that John
would like to see replaced
but understands the cost to
do it all at once would be
significant.
The department currently
has 49 self-contained
breathing apparatus bottles
that are about halfway
through their service life.
Nine of the bottles are
aftermarket bottles and are
of no use to the Depart-
ment. John was unsure of
how those bottles were
acquired but they are not
OSHA approved and could
be a huge liability to the
City if not removed from
inventory.
John suggested a sched-
ule to replace all of the
bottles a few at a time so
as to soften the budgetary
impact of replacing that
necessary equipment.
He also brought atten-
tion to suits that also are
nearing the end of service
life and suggested the
same method of replace-
ment for those. “Two
things I stressed to the fire
department staff when I
arrived as things of utmost
importance to me: safety
and service. I don’t believe
those will change over
time. They will remain
very consistent.”
With calls increasing
and projected to reach
1,800–1,900 calls per year
both staffing resources and
equipment are affected.
Under Oregon Standards
our Fire Department is
required to have on duty
at all times a paramedic
and at minimum a Basic
EMT. John says they try to
maintain four on-staff but
occasionally only three are
available.
Lieutenant Taggart
received a variance from
the state that allows use
of a first responder as a
driver. John spoke of grant
options that could help
provide funding to increase
staff and help with equip-
ment replacement.
Kee indicated a con-
versation with County of-
ficials was needed to make
them aware that EMS
services are provided to the
County as well.
“There are approxi-
mately 17,000 people that
receive service and about
9,000 people are essen-
tially paying for it. We
need to ask what they can
do to help us fund this. I’m
sure it’s important to them
that this service is avail-
able,” John said, making
it clear that calls within the
county were not a daily
occurrence but estimated
the number of calls to be
around 150 per year.
Cost recovery on ambu-
lance services was also a
big issue for the depart-
ment many insurances
have changed, some have
incredibly high deductibles
and there are specific limits
Medicare and Medicaid
will pay for ambulance
Submitted Photo.
Fifth graders, from left to right: Lyla Bates, Phoebe
Wise, Lacy Churchfield, Donovan eideman,
Weston Slatter.
By Todd Arriola
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
Baker City Police Chief Wyn Lohner address Coun-
cillors. Issues discussed included public safety,
transportation, utilities, and recreation.
services.
Jeanie Dexter told
the Council that collec-
tion rates for ambulance
services were about 45%
and although uncollected
ambulance service bills are
turned over to an outside
collection agency, their
collection rate is only
about thirty percent.
Police Chief Wyn
Lohner also tackled the
School Resource Officer
need.
He said, “We are work-
ing on locating the grant
match funding opportuni-
ties necessary so we can
move forward. I know the
Mayor has met with the
school board chair, as have
I, and it seems that we
have a pretty solid com-
mitment from them. We
have reached out to the DA
who in turn is talking with
the County Commission to
try to come up with some
funds there since we have
a large number of students
that come in from the
county.”
Lohner also addressed
the fact that traffic safety is
a big issue for his depart-
ment.
He envisions increas-
ing use of the motorcycles
the department now has.
Other department specific
goals included continuing
improvements to the Leo
Adler Memorial Parkway
and water and waste water
management plans.
Michelle Owen, Public
Works Director indicated
that there were continuing
upgrades and changes that
need to be addressed with
the water management
plans but DEQ had not
been able to provide clear
direction for the City.
Council agreed that one
of the goals they needed to
work toward was working
and providing clear and
open communication with
government agencies and
partners, perhaps more
open communication could
provide the City with tools
to achieve the goals they
foresee.
The final goals the cou -
cil came up with were
• Promote Government
Integrity
• Maintain and Enhance
Water Security
• Increase Citizen Involve-
ment
• Budget Management
(require cost effective use
of funds)
• Continue Support of
Parks and Outdoor Spaces
• Evaluate and Enhance
Economic Development
Plan
• Continue to promote
communication and col-
laboration with community
partners and government
entities
• Implement an asset
maintenance schedule
• Develop a waste water
disposal plan
• Enhance Community
Livability
Within the goal of
increasing citizen par-
ticipation upgrading the
audio and video equipment
was identified as a ta get
priority.
Mayor Mosier felt that
some citizens may not be
comfortable attending a
public meeting therefore
the need to improve the
quality of recorded meet-
ings was vital for those that
wished to keep up on City
issues and stay involved.
Mosier also would like
to see a greater use of the
citizen participation at the
beginning of City Council
meetings and suggested in-
viting various community
clubs and organizations
to speak and update the
Council on what they are
doing or planning within
our community.
Councilor Merrill also
said he would really like
to see a city employee
recognition program
implemented to pay tribute
to employees that go above
and beyond.
City Manager Mike
Kee plans to compile the
list into an email that will
be sent to each Council
member. In turn the Coun-
cilors will rate each goal
by number as to the value
of importance according
to them and send back the
email.
Once all the emails have
been sent back, based on
Council votes Kee will re-
assemble the list in order
by votes as to the most
important then send it out
to Council again.
On Tuesday, Lacy Churchfield, an 1-year-old 5th
grader at Keating Elementary School, was presented with
a 1st place medal and $50 from Joan Smith and Cherlyne
Allen of the Lone Pine Tree Chapter of the Daughters of
the American Revolution (DAR), for her essay, titled “A
Child’s Journey Through Ellis Island.”
In recognition of the 125th anniversary of Ellis Island
as an immigration station, DAR chapters across the
country, including the Lone Pine Tree Chapter, celebrated
by challenging students to write an essay about what the
experience there might have been like for children their
own age. The National Society of the Daughters of the
American Revolution shares the same anniversary, 125
years in service to the nation.
Kathi Shaw, head teacher at Keating for the last 14
years, said this year, the five 5th graders at Keating pa -
ticipated in the essay contest. Those were Churchfield,
Phoebe Wise, who placed 2nd, and Lyla Bates, Weston
Slatter, and Donovan Weideman, who all place 3rd.
“This is the best job they’ve ever done,” said Shaw, ex-
plaining that students have participated in the contest 10
times in the past, with a different essay topic each year.
The contest has been open to 5th and 6th grade students,
but Shaw said, as there were no 6th graders at Keating
this year, only the five students competed.
Eva Hiatt, former member of DAR who passed away
earlier this year, was “really instrumental in encouraging
the kids to participate, and she would have been proud of
them.” Shaw said Hiatt and her husband were frequent
attendees at school functions, like plays, etc., and she was
“almost like a grandmother” to the students.
The essays were to be between 300 and 600 words,
written from the viewpoint of children the students’ ages,
about experiences at Ellis Island with family members.
The students could use different sources, which were
required to be cited, and the experiences needed to be
fact-based.
Shaw said they were informed of the essay subject mat-
ter last fall, and they were all submitted by January 1st.
Churchfield said, “I worked about two months on my
essay. I researched a little bit online, and with some
books. That was really fun. Writing‘s really fun.” Most
of it was completed on her own, and her essay was 549
words long, she said.
Churchfield earned the honor of attending the state co -
test ceremony in Salem in May, and she’ll get to read her
essay aloud while there, she said. She lives on a ranch
in Keating with her parents, Jarret and Stephanie, and
will “probably put the $50 toward rodeo stuff. We rodeo
when we can,” she said.
Langrell v. City
Continued from Page 1
Judge Pahl’s ruling was issued Friday, March 13 and
was addressed in executive session at the March 27 City
Council meeting.
According to Langrell, terms of the settlement include
repayment of what he was overcharged and payment of
all attorney’s fees and Court costs.
“About $55,000 is the cost to the citizens of Baker,”
said Langrell, “all because the City Manager couldn’t
read a simple one-page contract. For the last ten years
I’ve gone to every City Manager. But because it was near
the end of the ten year moratorium, it was time to do
something.”
After approaching current City Manager Mike Kee
more than once and getting nowhere, Langrell said, he
acquired an attorney to help resolve the matter.
Langrell, who was the Mayor of Baker City when the
lawsuit was filed, also said, “During depositions City
Manager Mike Kee admitted the City had absolutely no
legal document that allows them to charge double for
sewer and water.”
The City attorney at the time the moratorium was en-
acted and the contract written was Tim Collins. Accord-
ing to Langrell, Collins has been gone from the City for
at least ten years and stated, “We are still cleaning up his
mistakes.” Collins also served as interim City Manager as
did Steve Bogart and Steve Brocato was hired to serve as
City Manager during that time frame as well.