FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
County: City of Unity budget GOP’s CD2
set, letter sent to Rep. Walden
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held a
special commission ses-
sion on Wednesday, June
24, 2015, at 9 a.m., in the
Commission Chambers of
the Baker County Court-
house.
Present from the Board
were Chair Bill Harvey,
Commissioners Mark Ben-
nett and Tim Kerns, and
Executive Assistant Heidi
Martin.
Attendees included Doni
and Craig Bruland, Alice
Knapp and Gary Dielman.
Shortly after the Pledge
of Allegiance and Invo-
cation were recited, the
Board discussed changes to
the agenda, noting a couple
of additions. Bennett
moved to adopt the agenda,
with a second from Kerns,
and the motion carried.
None of the attendees
made any comments
during the Citizen Par-
ticipation segment of the
session, and there were no
minutes on the agenda to
review or approve.
Bennett moved to ap-
prove Order No. 2015-127,
An Order For Cancellation
Of Wholly Uncollectible
Personal And Real Prop-
erty Taxes, with a second
from Kerns, and the mo-
tion carried. The amount
listed was $4.78, associ-
ated with Richard Johnson,
for 2014.
Harvey then read a
letter addressed from the
Board to Congressman
Greg Walden, in support
of House Resolution (HR)
2647, The Resilient Na-
tional Forest Act of 2015.
The letter stated the fol-
lowing in its entirety:
“The Baker County Nat-
ural Resources Advisory
Committee (NRAC) met
June 23, 2015 and voted to
support HR 2647. This bill
addresses the frustrations
that our committee has
been dealing with for the
past six years on getting
successful USFS timber
projects on the ground. As
you know, timber sales,
and forest health projects
very often end up in the
courts, rather than provid-
ing help to forest health.
“We are particularly
pleased that the bill spe-
cifically addresses our
following concerns:
“1. Reduces the number
of alternatives to two (ac-
tion vs. no action) when a
collaborative is involved.
“2. Increased emphasis
on utilization of Categori-
cal Exclusions provisions:
“A. Increased acres
when done with public in-
put through collaborative,
RAC (Resource Advisory
Committee) or Community
Wildfire Protection Plan
provisions.
“B. Expedite salvage
operations after a wildfire.
“C. Address insect and/
or disease infestation for-
est health issues.
“D. Timely implementa-
tion of large scale forest
restoration projects after
a fire.
“3. Tighten terms and
conditions for legal chal-
lenges. As you know, this
is hugely important from
the example of the Snow
Basin project.
“4. Restrictions on
plaintiff payments through
the Equal Access to Justice
Act.
“5. Strengthen the Secure
Rural Schools provisions.
This is very important to
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Doni Bruland (at left) addresses the County Commissioners.
the stability of our country
budget, and the county
economic well-being.
“6. Tighten road de-
commissioning rules and
applications in fire prone
areas.
“7. Prohibits the East
side screen rule—21”
dbh. This has been an
‘economic killer’ in getting
productive and economi-
cally sound projects on the
ground.
“Thank you, Congress-
man Walden, for your
continued support for the
natural resource indus-
try in Baker County, and
in particular, the forest
products industry. This is
a good bill.”
The Board discussed the
letter, and HR 2647, and
discussed issues associated
with the timber industry
and forest management,
and Bennett moved to
approve the letter, with a
second from Kerns. The
motion carried.
City of Unity.
The Board, acting as
the Council of the City of
Unity, discussed the City
of Unity’s water and sewer
rates, and the July 1, 2015
to June 30, 2016 budget for
Unity.
Resolution No. 2015-02
was adopted, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. This adoption
of this Resolution results in
an annual rate increase of
3%, applied to each water
and/or sewer account, ef-
fective each July 1st of the
fiscal year, beginning July
1, 2015.
The Resolution also
states that “All residential
parcels not subject to the
standard use rate, but hav-
ing a sewer connection or
water meter at the prop-
erty line will be assessed
a monthly fee of $25.00
for availability of service.
Commercial parcels will
be reviewed and rates
established at no less than
50% of the monthly rate.”
Additionally, the hookup
fee will be $250.00 plus
the cost of the meter (un-
less available). Payments
60 days past due will result
in disconnection of service,
and payment of delinquent
fees, plus interest and pen-
alties, with a reconnection
fee of $250.00 plus prepay-
ment for water and sewer.
Resolution No. 2015-03,
the 2015 to 2016 budget
for the City of Unity, was
adopted, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. The motion
carried. The total adopted
budget is in the amount of
$138,103. Appropriations
include the following:
General Fund, $25,140;
Water Debt Reserve Fund,
$6,725; Sewer Debt Re-
serve Fund, $17,538; EMS
Fund, $618; Street Fund,
$10,420; Water Fund,
$34,340; Sewer Fund,
$19,768; Solid Waste
Fund, $5,467; Sewer Debt
Service Fund, $12,882; and
Water Debt Service Fund,
$5,205.
Agreement No. 148536,
and Intergovernmental
Agreement between the
Oregon Department of
Human Services, Baker
County, and Baker County
District Attorney Matt
Shirtcliff, was approved,
with a motion from Kerns,
and a second from Bennett.
This agreement addresses
services and reimburse-
ment associated with Child
Welfare dependency cases.
ODOT Buildings.
The Board discussed the
County’s recent offer to
purchase property at 13th
and E Streets, where two
disassembled old Exten-
sion Service buildings
will be reassembled and
located, and the offer to
purchase the old Oregon
Department of Transpor-
tation (ODOT) building.
The Board is awaiting a
decision from ODOT, and
there is a signed earnest
agreement currently for
the property at 13th and E
Streets, Harvey said.
Natural Resources.
Doni Bruland, Baker
County NRAC Chair,
discussed with the Board
the County’s Bureau of
Land Management (BLM)
Sage Grouse Environmen-
tal Impact Statement (EIS)
Protest letter, addressed to
BLM headquarters, Wash-
ington, D.C.
The letter, at that time,
was in draft form, and the
Board and Bruland dis-
cussed suggested changes.
Bruland said that she had
hoped for more public
input, and that Jan Alexan-
der and Cynthia Long of
the Baker County NRAC
were assisting with making
revisions to the letter.
The letter was not
revised and approved at
the session, however, was
expected to be revised, ap-
proved by the Board, and
sent via email and regular
mail by Friday, as Monday,
June 29, is the deadline.
Harvey thanked Bruland
for her efforts in drafting
the letter.
Martin provided the
Board with copies of a let-
ter and application forms
received from Jeff Tomac,
Designated Federal Of-
ficial, Northeast Oregon
Forests Resource Advisory
Committee (NEOFRAC).
In his letter, addressed to
Kerns, Tomac states that
nominees are being sought
to serve on the 15-member
committee.
He said, “The com-
mittee’s duties include
recommending projects
and funding to improve
Forest health, watersheds,
roads and facilities on or
adjacent to the Malheur,
Umatilla and Wallowa-
Whitman National Forests.
In order to reach the most
potential nominees, I am
seeking outreach assistance
of County Commission-
ers served by the NEO-
FRAC. RAC committee
members will be officially
appointed by the Secretary
of Agriculture for a term of
two years; shall not receive
compensation; and must
be able to commit the time
necessary to carry out the
committee responsibilities
of several full-day meet-
ings each year. To the
extent possible, members
must reside within the
Baker, Crook, Harney,
Malheur, Morrow, Union,
Wallowa, Wheeler and
Grant Counties.” More in-
formation is available from
Tomac, at (541)523-1301,
or by email at jtomac@
fs.fed.us.
Economic Development.
A Professional Services
Agreement with Baker
County Economic De-
velopment Director Greg
Smith, for Economic De-
velopment Services, was
on the original agenda for
the purposes of review, but
discussion was postponed
because an agreement had
not been received from
Smith in time for the ses-
sion.
Bennett discussed Great-
er Sage Grouse-related
issues, including predator
concerns, and emphasized
that Baker County has so
far had poor enrollment in
the Baker County Soil and
Water Districts’ (SWCD)
Candidate Conservation
Agreement with Assur-
ances (CCAA) program,
a vital, free protection
agreement between the
SWCD and landowners in
the County, in the event
the Grouse is listed as an
endangered species.
A regular, bi-monthly
session is scheduled for
Wednesday, July 1, 2015,
at 9 a.m., and a special
session is scheduled for
Wednesday, July 8, 2015,
at 9 a.m.
Harvey noted that the
County Courthouse will
be closed on Friday, July
3, 2015, in observance of
Independence Day.
Jones was also ap-
pointed to head up one key
committee at the party’s
State level—the ORP’s
Natural Resources Com-
mittee.
Dyke’s new position
came in a slightly different
manner, through an ap-
Submitted Photo.
pointment about a month
ago when the position in
Suzan Ellis Jones.
which she was interested
was uncontested. Dyke is
now CD2 secretary.
Aside from political
volunteerism, Jones is a
member of the Oregon
Cattlemen’s Association
who works on the family
ranch in Bridgeport. Her
background also includes
human resources manage-
ment and economic devel-
opment/business startup
instruction.
Submitted Photo.
Dyke is known in the
community for her work on Carole Dyke.
the Board of Directors of
the local Soroptimists. Most
of her work history has been social work with mentally
disabled and senior citizens, as well as teaching.
At the most grassroots level, counties are broken down
into precincts, each served by PCPs who represent the
registered votes within their respective precincts within
that party. Baker County has 50 PCP slots for each major
political party—Democrat and Republican.
In Oregon, there are seven other minor parties, and also
the option to be affiliated with none of them—a NAV—
nonaffiliated voter.
Going up the chain, counties are then part of a Congres-
sional District. There are five in Oregon. The Congressio-
nal Districts make up the State parties. State parties then
make up the National party.
CD2 is a geographically huge district, composed of 20
counties from all of eastern and central Oregon. This year
marks the first time in decades that Baker County will
have an executive presence at the district or State level.
“I’m really excited to bring Baker County’s voice to
light in the ORP. If local voters think their votes didn’t
make a difference, they’re wrong. We’re working hard
to stand up for the things that are important to Baker
County. Protecting our gun rights, for one. Protecting
local control of the laws that affect our lives whenever
possible,” said Jones.
Dyke said, “I am involved in politics because I want
to help keep America and my family safe from social-
ism, which has rapidly taken a foothold in our country.
What better way to do that than as a Republican at the
grassroots area? I must do more than just vote. I will
do everything I can to promote and defend freedom and
American patriotism.”
Both Jones and Dyke, as well as other representatives
from the Baker County Republicans are headed to Salem
this weekend for the State meeting.
WWNF says
look out for
fallen trees
Baker City, OR - Winter and spring 2015 came with
several large wind events in the Seven Devils Mountains,
on the Idaho side of the Hells Canyon National Recre-
ation Area (HCNRA), leaving many hiking trails criss-
crossed with trees. There is extremely heavy downfall
across the trails throughout the Seven Devils.
The Bridge Creek drainage, Boise Trail South #101,
Sheep Creek and Sheep Creek Trail #53 have been heav-
ily impacted by a wind shear event; hundreds of trees are
down across the trails. They are impassable to stock and
difficult for hikers.
Due to a recent landslide Bernard Creek Trail #58 is
closed to the public by forest order. The trail is closed
from the junction with Snake River National Recreation
Trail #102 to the intersection of Dry Diggins Ridge Trail
#140 near McGaffee Cow Camp.
A separate landslide led to the collapse of a retaining
wall on Snake River Trail #102. The collapse is located
1/4 mile south of Pittsburgh Landing. The trail is open
for hiking, but not passable by stock animals at this time.
Please use caution as there may be additional slides along
the trail.
Trail maintenance functions on the Idaho portion of
the HCNRA are performed by dedicated Forest Service
staff and volunteers. Due to the extent of the damage,
delays on alleviating trail concerns will occur. The Forest
Service will work diligently to address these ongoing
issues to provide for a safe and enjoyable experience for
area users.
WWNF says it always appreciates trail and campsite
condition reports from visitors; please call the Riggins
HCNRA Office at 208-628-3916 with any updates.
Please anticipate heavy downfall on all trails in the
Idaho portion of the HCNRA this summer and use cau-
tion especially if using pack stock. Don’t risk injuring
your animals or yourself to get around debris.