8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015
Local
Baker City Council
• SAM-O-SWIM,
SALMON CREEK
PROPERTY TOPICS
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Tuesday’s City Council
was called to order at the
seven o’clock hour with all
Councilors present minus
Mayor Mosier.
Citizen Participation.
Public Relations and
Government Affairs
Manager for OTEC, Lara
Petitclerc-Stokes addressed
council awarding a quarter-
ly Baker County franchise
check to the city in the
amount of $88,421. She
also gave a quick update
on projects and invest-
ments OTEC is providing
the community to improve
the system regarding re-
placement of transmission
circuit breakers and relays
50-plus-years-old.
Petitclerc-Stokes also
spoke about the four
students, one from each if
the four counties OTEC
serves, recently selected
to participate in the annual
youth tour and conference
in Washington D.C. to rep-
resent our cooperative.
“This is an all-expense
paid trip as part of the
annual youth tour, an edu-
cational youth conference.
Four high school students
will represent Oregon and
the Northwest as they join
nearly 2,000 students from
across the United States for
a one week trip. Over the
course of the week the stu-
dents visit historical sites,
learn leadership skills and
meet with congressional
leaders. They will have the
opportunity to learn about
current issues in energy
and climate change legisla-
tion that faces our com-
munities and our nation,”
she said.
Next Yvonne Da Torre
went in front of council
and asked, “I want to know
what your plan is? Do you
have a plan on banning
these poisons in the parks
and playgrounds or not?”
Michelle Owen re-
sponded to her by saying,
“I believe the direction
given at the last Council
meeting was to bring this
to the Parks and Rec com-
mittee. We plan to do that;
they have a meeting next
Tuesday at 5:30. They will
be looking at a buffer zone
type area around play-
grounds, how that would
look and how that would
work. I believe that plan
is to meet in a park but I
don’t have the specifics,
but I believe the Parks
Committee will be off-site,
not in this building, at a
park I just don’t know
which one for sure yet.
They are also going to talk
about ways to coordinate
volunteers for the no spray
zone. ”
Da Torre then asked,
“So an ordinance is not
being considered for per-
mits?”
Owen responded, “We
were not directed to de-
velop and ordinance. We
were directed to bring the
issue to the Parks and Rec
committee for their consid-
eration on it.”
Da Torre responded by
stating, “So you’re passing
the buck to the Parks com-
mittee, is that it?”
“I don’t pass anything.
That was direction given
from council,” Owen said.
Da Torre again raised
the question of whether the
products in question had
been researched. “Do you
know what they are?”
Council Langrell added,
“Ma’am the DEQ has
outlawed every herbicide
that could possibly hurt
anything. At this time, as a
member of this community
I see no reason to consider
a ban. The vinegar and
Epsom salts you want us
to put on stuff will kill
any vegetation, will turn it
brown instantly. It will not
kill the weeds the stuff will
be back and as much of a
problem as before.”
Da Torre remained
steadfast in her address
continuing to ask if
research was being done
etc. She also provided lab
reports from an investi-
gator’s testing that was
done after the last spray-
ing along the parkway
between D Street and H
Street, which indicated
higher than allowed levels
including detection of an
herbicide that was banned
in 2003.
“An hour and a half after
that spraying was done,
there were approximately
30 school children walk-
ing along the pathway
being exposed to that toxic
poison,” she said.
“If the City gets incom-
petents to do their dirty
work for them, you have to
realize you are still liable,
if there is a class action
suit, you may be named,”
she warned.
Councilor Thomas inter-
jected by saying, “I noticed
we have a very full agenda
and we normally have a
three-minute talk time
window.”
Acting Mayor Downing
told Da Torre, “We gener-
ally have a three-minute
limit,” to which Da Torre
replied, “Oh, my three
minutes is up? Interesting
that the person that wanted
to sell you grant writing
services was given 48
minutes. Thank You.”
Before Da Torre returned
to her seat, Councilor
Augenfeld told her, “I do
agree with you. You have
my vote. I think an orid-
ance would help educate
some people, property
owners.”
Salmon Creek Prop-
erty
Fred Warner, a realtor
with Nelson Real Estate
was present to speak to
Council about the Salmon
Creek Property.
Mike Kee, City Manager
told Council, “He (Warner)
has done an analysis on the
property the City owns and
voters have authorized to
sell and is here to present
you with that information.”
Warner then began
his presentation telling
Council, “There’s 33.23
acres of zoned farm land,
residences cannot be built
on that land.”
That land could be at-
tached to other residential
land and a barn or other
similar building can then
be added to the prop-
erty. There is an additional
15.35 acres that “would be
more valuable if separated
into 3 lots.” Those lots
would equal approximately
five acres each.
“There would need to
be an easement for a road
and surveying costs that
would be incurred as well
as recording fees,” Warner
said.
The County Planning
Department is able to work
up a plan that includes
estimated costs that include
city estimated surveying
costs, county planning de-
partment costs of partition
plat, city cost estimates
for road construction and
miscellaneous fee in a
contingency fund.
Property owners adjacent
to this property were at the
meeting and were inter-
ested in what plans for the
property will be.
Terry Drever-Gee said,
“My concern is are there
really three, five-acre
parcels because there is a
wetland on one of those,
so it the way you partition
it would have to be really
scrutinized.”
Lynn Ewing and
Matthew Cunningham
expressed to council that
they may be interested in
purchasing the property
which is adjacent to theirs.
“I can’t speak for any of
the ranchers in the area,
and I don’t believe any are
here tonight, but I know
we’d like to see it stay
farm use,” said Ewing.
2015 Parks Master
Plan.
In May of 2011, Ordi-
nance 3303 was passed
forming the Parks and Rec-
reation board. City Council
directed them to develop
a master plan. After years
of work the board has
completed the plan and is
presenting it to council for
approval.
“This is a project that
the Parks and Rec commit-
tee has been working on
for a couple of years now,”
Owen told Council. “In ad-
dition we had a consultant
go through it. Then staff
and volunteers put it to-
gether more professionally
with chapters and in this
format you have in front of
you tonight. We would just
like to have some time to
have you review it, visit a
park see if we missed any-
thing. Then look to adopt it
at the next meeting.”
Owen said a lot of vol-
unteer hours had been out
into the project.
“You say this was done
by volunteers?” Councilor
Langrell asked.
Owen assured him it
was. “The finished product
with all its pretty colors
and stuff was put together
by staff, but the chap-
ters were handed out to
individual members of our
Parks committee to formu-
late priorities.”
Langrell said, “It’s a very
impressive document and
the hours that the volun-
teers must have put in on
this is phenomenal. I’d like
to thank each and every
one of them.”
Kee added “If we had
paid a consultant, this
would easily have been a
$30,000 project. This will
easily take us 20 years into
the future.”
Contract for Leo Adler
Memorial Pathway Ex-
tension and Paving.
According to Owen
City staff has done most of
the work in preparation of
the paving for the project.
City staff does not do pav-
ing, therefore it that was
advertised for bid. The bid
that Owen would like to
use is one from Hampton
paving out of La Grande.
“The bid is for $42,477.30
so I am looking for Coun-
cil to make a motion to
award the contract to them
for that amount.”
The project was estimat-
ed at $40,000 making them
over about $2,000 so it is
possible some minor de-
lays may have to be made
in placement of benches
or the garbage receptacle.
Councilor Langrell made a
motion that was seconded
by Councilor Merrill and
Council voted unanimous-
ly to approve the request to
award the bid to Hamp-
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
Realtor Fred Warner talks about the City’s Salmon Creek property.
ton Paving. The paving
project has been tentatively
scheduled for June 15 to
July 15.
Resolution 3744, 2015
-2016 Fee Schedules,
Resolution 3750 Supple-
mental Budget Resolu-
tion, Resolution 3751
Authorizing Temporary
Parking Restrictions for
the Baker City Cycling
Classic and Awarding of
RFP Contract for City
Attorney.
Jeanie Dexter, City
finance manager advised
that back in April the fee
schedule had been brought
to council for discussion.
Since the schedule was
presented Dexter advised,
“A couple of changes have
been made such as Build-
ing Department fees, in
April we had an in office
design consultation fee
for both residential and
commercial. After further
discussion amongst City
staff it was decided to omit
that fee. All Building De-
partment fees are required
to be posted for 45 days.
It was sent to the state for
review of compliance and
conformity, because we do
use the State’s e-permitting
system all fees have to
conform to their structure
and although a City Man-
ager can choose to charge
a different plan view fee
for a non-profit, they did
not want that on the fee
resolution.”
Councilor Abell made
a motion to accept this
fee schedule that was
seconded by Councilor
Merrill. The council voted
to unanimously accept the
fee schedule.
Dexter then addressed
resolution 3750. “This is a
request to remove $3,000
that is in contingency from
the State and Federal grant
fund into the FFA depart-
ment fund. This money
affects the 2014-2015
budget. The need for this
is that the FFA Department
was not established in this
budget because a project
being started with the FFA
was unforeseen in this bud-
get year. A public notice
was required, which I did,”
said Dexter. “This money
will pay for an independent
fee estimate.”
Councilor Merrill made
a motion to allow for this
budgetary resolution that
was seconded by Councilor
Thomas and voted unani-
mously in favor.
Michelle Owen addressed
Council regarding resolu-
tion 3751, asking for tem-
porary parking restrictions
during the Cycle Classic
which is in its 14th year.
The restrictions are not
long-lasting and a yearly
request. “This is done on a
Saturday, and the numbers
are looking about the same
as last year about 300
participants and they are
looking at a women’s race
to build numbers. I know
parking restrictions can be
challenging, code required
council approval for these
temporary restrictions.”
The council unanimously
approved the resolution.
City Manager Kee ad-
dressed council stating
back in May a proposal
was put out requesting city
attorney services. Three
proposals were received
one from current service
provider Baum Smith,
LLC of La Grande, one
from Bryant, Lovlein
and Jarvis of Bend and
one from Yturri Rose,
LLP of Baker City. After
review from City staff, it
was found that although
lacking in City experience
and slightly higher hourly
rates Yturri Rose of Baker
City was the best overall
proposal due to being local
thus eliminating travel cost
incurred by out of town
firms.
Councilor Langrell
brought up a question of
whether or not it should
be discussed that a charter
change occur thus allow-
ing council to direct a
lawyer rather than the City
Manager, but that discus-
sion would wait. Councilor
Merrill made a motion to
award the contract to Ytur-
ri Rose, LLP that was sec-
onded by Councilor Abell
and voted unanimously in
favor by Council.
Ordinance 3339 –
Sam-O-Swim Center
Committee
City Manager Mike Kee
said, “At the last meeting
Council directed staff to
write an ordinance that cre-
ated a Sam-O-Swim Center
committee. It is a seven-
member committee with
one member being staff,
one being a City Coun-
cilperson and five voting
members as the Council
and City staff representa-
tives will not vote.
“We have done that,
the ordinance is short and
sweet, creating a standing
committee,” said Kee.
That committee will
work with City staff to
identify and prioritize fa-
cility maintenance projects,
recommend expenditure
of funds for major facility
improvements and equip-
ment to the City Council
for the continued mainte-
nance and operation of the
Swim Center and identify
additional funding oppor-
tunities to continue that
operation and maintenance.
City Manager Kee read
the proposed Ordinance
twice, which is allowed
upon a unanimous vote by
council, which there was,
and will be read for a third
time at the next meeting.
An emergency was de-
clared so the formation and
activation of the committee
can begin immediately.
Much discussion was
had as to whether the cre-
ation of a short term task
force to address immediate
concerns or a long term on-
going committee would be
best and how that commit-
tee and or task force would
be selected.
Jason Bybee, a district
marketing manager for
Natural Structures ad-
dressed council on the
matter said, “I help com-
munities with pool issues.
Not really the maintenance
side but how to increase
attendance. I’d like to, as a
citizen be involved in the
pool. I see the challenge
Council is having of decid-
ing on a short term task
force or long term. I know
you’re looking for people
that frequent the pool, I
don’t. There is not a lot
there for me.”
Bybee gave a few ideas
of additions to the pool that
could increase attendance
and interest in the pool giv-
ing vital support, including
financial.
Downing told Bybee,
“The committee meetings
are open to the public so
even if you weren’t on the
committee you’d be able
to attend meetings and
have input.” It was finally
decided by vote on a mo-
tion by Councilor Langrell
to appoint a short-term task
force consisting of Heidi
Dalton, Ben Merrill, Doug
Schwinn, Rustin Smith,
Randy Daughtery, Jason
Bybee and Gary Dielman.
Let’s also go ahead and ap-
point Andrew Bryant and
Allan Blair too.”
Kee added, “If they
want to apply for the long
term committee, they can.”
Council at the motion of
Langrell and second of
Merrill voted to appoint
those mentioned to a task
force, all voting in favor
except for Downing.
Before adjourning,
Luke Yeaton advised that
a member of the Public
Works Advisory Commit-
tee had resigned so an open
position is available, it is a
partial term that expires in
January of 2016. Contact
Yeaton in Human Resourc-
es to apply.
Owen also stated that at
the request of the mayor
and the city manager, staff
are working on quiet zone
research for the train whis-
tle, ODOT will be doing
a chip seal prject near the
Dewey Street underpass
and heading out Highway
7 beginning June 16 with
restricted traffic in the area.
“I also just want to
touch on the water use-
age,” she said. “Goodrich
has filled due to recent
rains we’ve had and of
course with more moisture
Ranchers called for less
water which is good news
however, with the warmer
weather our water use is up
in town. We are meeting
needs but are still trying
to accomplish hydrant
flushing and can adjust
that schedule as needed to
continue to meet needs.”
Owen also asked for
a letter of support from
council for application
of an ODOT grant. The
Council agreed that they
would sign a letter so
Owen could seek that grant
for improvements on 10th
Street.
This grant would be
used to survey only 10th
Street and suggest im-
provements beyond was
has been previously dis-
cussed including sidewalk
elements and beautifica-
tion.