FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 11
Local
County Commissioners: Changes in Dispatch
• YENCOPAL TO
FILL DISPATCH
POSITION, BOYD
TO TRAIN
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On Wednesday, May 6,
2015, the Baker County
Board of Commissioners
held its regular, bi-monthly
session at the County
Courthouse, at 9 a.m.
Present from the Board
were Chair Bill Harvey,
Commissioner Mark
Bennett, and Executive
Assistant Heidi Martin.
Commissioner Tim Kerns
was absent due to illness.
Attendees included
Baker County Sheriff
Travis Ash, Baker County
Assessor Kerry Savage,
Baker County Road Master
Jeff Smith, Baker County
Natural Resource Advisory
Committee (NRAC) Chair
Jan Kerns, Anthony Lakes
Mountain Resort (ALMR)
General Manager Peter
Johnson, Ed Hardt, Ken
Anderson, Chuck Chase,
Bobbie Danser, Lorri
Harvey, Tork and Wanda
Ballard, John and Ra-
mona Creighton, and Alice
Knapp.
911 Dispatch.
One of the biggest
agenda topics—a change in
911 Dispatch personnel—
occurred toward the end of
the meeting.
Harvey said that Sheila
Thompson, Baker County
Consolidated 911 Dispatch
Center Director, has an-
nounced her resignation
from her position, effective
next Friday, and former
dispatcher Jerry Boyd is
going to be enlisted as a
consultant, to assist with
training Baker County
Emergency Manager Jason
Yencopal.
Yencopal will eventually
fill the position half-time
and remain half-time
with the Baker County
Emergency Management
Department.
Boyd’s daughter,
Ruthie, works as a dis-
patcher for the County, so
any required supervising,
etc. involving Ruthie will
be handled by Harvey, he
said. Otherwise, Boyd will
be involved until Yencopal
is ready to fly solo.
Yencopal will also
receive state training, and
Bennett mentioned that
Jerry Boyd had retired
from his position two
years before Ruthie was
hired, stating there was no
conflict.
Wanda Ballard voiced
concerns about not using
more experienced person-
nel, and both Harvey and
Bennett discussed this
topic, including issues
with funding, and the fact
that the director’s position
would be part-time.
They also discussed Yen-
copal’s years of experience
with the County.
Citizens’ Participation.
Several public attendees
discussed issues with the
Board during the citizen’s
participation segment of
the session, including
Chase, Wanda Ballard, and
Hardt.
Chase had some con-
cerns about the number
and qualifications of
NRAC members (currently
18), and sub-committees,
which Ballard echoed, and
Harvey and Bennett both
discussed this issue with
them.
Harvey said that, once
the committee meetings
begin, which he will be
attending, this could be
addressed along with any
other issues.
The first NRAC meeting
is tentatively scheduled for
Tuesday, May 26, 2015,
from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The
goal is to hold the meetings
on the last Tuesday of each
month, Harvey said.
Hardt expressed some
concerns about previous
Dooley Mountain road
closures and NRAC issues,
and Bennett responded
by explaining personnel
involvement, and what the
process was and is.
Anthony Lakes.
Johnson gave an ALMR
update, stating that it was
gifted to Baker County
from private owners
five years ago, and he’s
worked there for the last
four years. Baker County
Transient Lodging Tax
(TLT) funds in the amount
of $30,000 was granted to
ALMR initially, which was
used on necessary deferred
maintenance.
Some of the major points
from Johnson includes:
ALMR spent $422,000 in
local goods and services
last season alone; ALMR
paid $400,000 in payroll,
over a four month pe-
riod during the 2014/2015
season (35 part-time and
65 full-time employees);
The ALMR ski patrol is
100% volunteers, and
ALMR is extremely grate-
ful to have such a loyal
and well-trained group of
volunteers; Local lodging
partners realized a 30%
increase in skiers this
winter season, accounting
for $120,000 of out-of-area
dollars spent locally be-
tween mid-December and
March 31; Overall, ALMR
was the only ski area in
the Pacific Northwest to
see an increase in skier
visits this season (up 8%
from last season), despite
a rough snow year; ALMR
is helping in creating a
destination mountain bik-
ing region in Oregon; With
the involvement of other
mountain bike/cycling
groups, ALMR is aiding in
the production of area trail
maps, enticing mountain
bike recreationalists and
enthusiasts to visit and
stay overnight; ALMR is
currently working hand in
hand with the U.S. Forest
Service on enhancing
existing trail infrastructure;
and ALMR will continue
the popular “Ski For The
Health Of It Program,” a
Friday children’s discount
program, administered
throughout the winter,
including transportation
and ski rentals, for $80, for
eight weeks.
Sheriff’s Office.
Ash spoke with the
Board about a Baker
County Sheriff’s Office
bid approval, for a new
patrol vehicle. He said the
Jeep Liberty that Sheriff
Mitch Southwick used
lacks secure storage space.
Ash obtained three bids
from the local dealerships,
one of which is for a 2015
Dodge Special Service
Pickup from Powder River
Motors, for $25,817, a
vehicle similar to the
currently operated patrol
vehicles.
With trades and purchas-
es to offset the purchase
price of the vehicle, the
adjusted amount would be
$6,617. Authorization to
use funds from the materi-
als and service section
of the Sheriff’s Office to
purchase the vehicle was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and second
from Harvey.
Road Department.
Smith gave the Board
a road department update,
and discussed Amendment
#2 to Agreement #26459,
Resort Street and Best
Frontage Road Improve-
ments. The purpose of
the amendment is to add
to the scope of work,
increase funding, update
contact information, add
maintenance obligations
and extend the termination
date. The excess funding,
about $50,000 according
to Smith, would allow for
shouldering on Chandler
Lane. The amendment was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Harvey.
Smith discussed Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion (ODOT) Intergovern-
mental Agreement (IGA)
#30540, Old Highway 30
Detour. The purpose of
the agreement is to obtain
the Oregon Transportation
Commission’s permission
to use a portion of Old
Highway 30 as a detour
for local traffic during
the construction of the
State’s paving and bridge
rehabilitation project on
I-84, Durkee to Nelson
Point. The agreement was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and second
from Harvey.
Assessor’s Office.
Savage discussed IGA
Contract #3189, Assessor’s
Pot amendment fails
Senator Ted Ferrioli
(R-John Day) moved an
amendment to SB 844,
which would allow cities
and counties to ban Medi-
cal Marijuana Dispensaries
within their jurisdictions.
The motion to amend was
supported by Senator Jeff
Kruse (R-Roseburg) and
Representative Andy Olson
(R-Albany). It failed on a
largely party-line vote.
"More than 140 cit-
ies adopted the available
moratorium on Medical
Marijuana Dispensaries
within their boundaries
indicating they have strong
reservations about what
these businesses will do to
their communities," said
Ferrioli.
"Oregonians have a le-
gal right to grow, possess,
transport and consume
marijuana for medical
purposes, and I intend to
see that patients continue
to have access to their
medicine through caregiv-
ers and growers… But I
cannot support the idea of
forcing communities to
permit dispensaries where
they are not wanted.
“When the prohibition
of alcohol ended, nobody
forced the placement
of bars and taverns on
communities. They were
allowed to decide the is-
sue locally. Up until just
13 years ago, the city of
Monmouth was Oregon’s
last ‘dry’ city,” he said.
"As Oregonians gain
experience with legaliza-
tion, I believe some cities
and counties will revisit
the issue of Dispensaries
within their boundaries,
but it should remain a
local decision made by
locally elected officials,"
explained Ferrioli.
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
At left, Peter Johnson, gives his Anthony Lakes report to Mark Bennett and Bill
Harvey.
Map Maintenance Agree-
ment, with the Board. The
purpose of the agreement
is for map maintenance
and related cartographic
activities to be performed
by the Department of
Revenue for the County,
the total cost of which is
$16,980, according to the
document. This agreement
was approved, with a mo-
tion from Bennett, and a
second from Harvey.
Blue Mountain Transla-
tor District.
The Board received a
letter from Beverly Beach,
Blue Mountain Translator
District Manager, request-
ing $5,000 in order to com-
plete a fiber line project at
the Union County Airport,
which would allow the
District to double the num-
ber of stations transmitted
to both Baker and Union
counties (the amount was
also requested from Union
County Commissioners).
The Board discussed
the request, and Bennett
moved that the District
contact Baker County
again after the budget pro-
cess has begun for the next
fiscal year, with a second
from Harvey. The motion
carried.
Building Purchase.
The Board discussed the
possible purchase by the
County of the old ODOT
building, but decided to
wait for Commissioner
Kerns’s input. With a
motion from Bennett, and
a second from Harvey, the
Board voted to table the
discussion for now.
Sage-Grouse.
The Board discussed
sage grouse Candidate
Conservation Agreement
with Assurances (CCAA)
funding to the Baker Coun-
ty Soil and Water Conser-
vation District (SWCD),
in the amount of $6,000.
There was a verbal agree-
ment to assist the SWCD
with the implementation
of the CCAA program ini-
tially about a year ago, but
there had been no official
dispersal of funds. With a
motion from Bennett, and
a second from Harvey, the
funding was approved.
B2H.
There was a Boardman
to Hemingway (B2H)
Transmission Line Project
Memorandum of Under-
standing (MOU) discus-
sion, involving several of
the attendees, and Bennett
said that most of the public
comments associated with
the project have come from
Baker County (around 70).
Hardt and the Ballards
expressed concerns about
the project, and the MOU,
and both Harvey and Ben-
nett explained the process,
and stated that they’re
still working to protect
Baker County residents,
they do not agree with the
proposed route of the B2H
line through the county,
and that the MOU is neces-
sary to stay a part of the
process.
The Board approved of
remaining a part of the
process through the MOU,
however, still opposed to
the B2H route through the
county, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Harvey.
NRAC.
Jan Kerns discussed
with the Board the his-
tory and role of the Baker
County NRAC, which
was formed in 2002. She
talked about her own
involvement, and praised
the all-volunteer com-
mittee for the efforts in
previous years. She said
the NRAC is a very busy
and important committee,
but more help would be
needed, preferably with
part-time, outside staff, in
addition to the members,
eight of which are new to
the NRAC.
Submitted Photo.
Jerry Boyd.
Submitted Photo.
Jason Yencopal.
Attendees discussed
issues with agencies, and
coordination versus coop-
eration issues. Harvey said
the hope is to have a full-
time individual help with
paperwork, etc., rather than
part-time assistance.
Economic Develop-
ment.
Order No. 2015-117, In
The Matter Of Appoint-
ing Members To The
Economic Development
Council (EDC), was ap-
proved, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Harvey. Mike Kee, Baker
City Manager, and Jerry
Peacock, Baker County
Chamber of Commerce
representative, were ap-
pointed.
The next regular, bi-
monthly session is sched-
uled for Wednesday, May
20, 2015, at 9 a.m.
Walden praises sage-grouse provision
The U.S. House Armed
Services Committee has
approved a provision in the
annual defense authoriza-
tion bill that would prohibit
the Obama Administration
from declaring the sage
grouse an endangered spe-
cies for 10 years. U.S. Rep.
Greg Walden (R-Hood
River) is a strong supporter
of the provision.
“A federal listing of the
sage-grouse could shut
down countless ranches
and rural communities
throughout eastern Oregon.
The impacts on our econo-
my could make the spotted
owl look like child’s play.
And it could also severely
harm our military readi-
ness and national security,”
Walden said.
The sage-grouse provi-
sion was included in the
defense bill because an
endangered species listing
could impact the military’s
ability to train on key
lands. “Efforts to protect
the greater sage grouse
under the federal Endan-
gered Species Act could
hurt training operations at
numerous U.S. military
facilities in the West, ac-
cording to a new report by
the Army,” the Associated
Press reported last week.
Ranchers in eastern
Oregon praised the bill
and Walden’s efforts. “A
10 year delay of a listing
decision would be fantastic
news for ranchers and rural
communities in eastern
Oregon,” said eastern Or-
egon rancher Bob Skinner,
Sec./Treasurer for National
Public Lands Council and
past Oregon Cattlemen’s
Assoc. president.
An effort by Representa-
tive Niki Tsongas (D-
Mass.) to strip the sage-
grouse amendment failed.
The full House is expected
to vote on the bill later this
month.