FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local
County sends protest letter over Sage-Grouse
issue, designates several service providers
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held its
bi-monthly, regular ses-
sion on Wednesday, July
1, 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 Baker
County Planning Direc-
tor Holly Kerns, County
Planner Eva Ceder, County
Planner Kelly Howsley-
Glover, County Road
Master Jeff Smith, County
Clerk Cindy Carpenter,
Oregon State University
(OSU) Extension Service
staff Bob Parker, Carole
Smith, Robin Maille, Re-
becca Colton, and Leticia
Rojas, Art Sappington,
Ken Anderson, Ed Hardt,
Chuck Chase, Lorrie Har-
vey, Wanda Ballard, and
Yvonne Wood.
Harvey noted a couple of
changes to the agenda, and
it was then adopted, with a
motion from Bennett, and
a second from Kerns.
During Citizen Participa-
tion, Ballard voiced some
concerns about HR 2647,
The Resilient Federal
Forests Act of 2015, in-
troduced by Congressman
Walden, including her
opinion that there were
many redundancies ad-
dressed in the bill. Chase
and Hardt also expressed
concerns about the bill,
including some language.
Sappington read into
the record a letter he had
written as a Show Cause
demand and a follow-up
to a letter he had sent to
Regional Forester Jim
Pena in December of last
year, which had referenced
a conference sponsored by
Walden in October. One
of Sappington’s chief con-
cerns is that he has not re-
ceived a timely response to
his original letter, among
other issues.
The minutes from the
June 10, 2015, and June
17, 2015 sessions were
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Harvey.
Carpenter gave the
Board a Clerk’s Office
departmental update, in-
cluding information about
the collection of election
expenses, the preservation
of documents digitally,
office staff cross-training,
high school programs
for elections, and 2016
Haggen
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
McGiverin replied, “Yes
there will be a process on
that, for like a certified
kitchen, but we do not re-
quest those forms, the form
I was telling you about that
you are agreeing that if
you are selling us some-
thing that is baked and
requires that it be made
in a certified kitchen, you
have made it in a certified
kitchen. We are not asking
you to see that certification
but your promising that
you’ve got it.”
Peppers said, “That’s
kinda scary. And what
about meats, do you sell
Primary and General elec-
tions. She said that the
2016 ballots are going to
be large, possibly the larg-
est ones to date.
The Extension Service
staff gave the Board an up-
date, including discussion
about different area pro-
grams in association with
Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program with
Education (SNAP ED):
Nutrition in the Schools, a
weekly series with a focus
on food groups, nutrients,
physical activity, creating
healthy menus, and is very
hands-on; the Summer
Lunch program, a weekly
program with organized
physical activities at
Geiser-Pollman Park, and
nutrition-based cooking
lessons at North Baker; Af-
terschool Cooking Classes,
a weekly series, with 1-2
hours of hands-on cooking;
and Healthy Pantry Initia-
tive, working with local
food pantries to improve
healthy food choices, and
encouraging clients to
choose staple foods, such
as beans, rice, whole grain
oats, and potatoes, through
food demonstrations and
nutritional displays.
Addendum #5 to a
lease agreement between
Baker County and Sackos
Land Company Ltd. was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. This agree-
ment is for real property,
known as the Pocahontas
Medical Office Building
at 3330 Pocahontas Road,
originally from July 1,
2009 through July 1, 2015,
extended from July 1, 2015
to June 30, 2016.
Agreement #13187,
Juvenile Crime Prevention
Basic Services Intergov-
ernmental Agreement, was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. This agree-
ment is between the State
of Oregon through its Or-
egon Youth Authority and
Baker County, with a focus
on improving collaborative
efforts, and the Oregon
Benchmark—Preventing
and Reducing Juvenile
Crime.
Order No. 2015-124, A
Petition For The Vacation
Of A Portion Of Robinette
Road, Baker County, Or-
egon, was approved, with a
motion from Bennett, and
a second from Kerns. The
location, according to the
staff report, is described as
“A strip of land in the right
of way for Robinette Road,
located in the SW ¼ of NE
¼ of Section 30, Township
9 South, Range 46 East,
W.M. The strip of land is
approximately 10 feet in
width and is approximately
400 feet in length.”
Order No. 2015-03, An
Ordinance Changing The
Zone Of Tax Lot 100 In
Township 10 South Range
39 East, Section 29, Tax
Lot 100 From Primary
Forest To Timber Graz-
ing, read by title only, was
adopted, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. This change
was requested because the
parcel is privately owned,
and the error correction
was necessary. Prior to
adoption of this zoning
change, Holly Kerns and
Ceder explained the nature
of the change, and Wood
testified at this session, in
support of the application.
Howsley-Glover
discussed with the Board
Plan Amendment (PA)-15-
002, a request from Tom
and Fawn Kerns to amend
the zoning designation of
an 81-acre parcel from
Exclusive Farm Use (EFU)
to Timber Grazing (TG).
Tim Kerns recused himself
from the discussion prior
to this because of his rela-
tionship to the applicants.
The applicants were not
present, and there was no
opposition noted to the
application. Harvey noted
that this hearing would be
continued to July 15, 10
a.m., and this continuation
was approved, with a mo-
tion from Bennett, and a
second from Harvey.
Order No. 2015-129, An
Order Designating A Sole
Source Provider For Hot
Mix Asphalt For Baker
County Road Department,
was approved, with a mo-
tion from Bennett, and a
second from Kerns. Kerr
Contractors Oregon, Inc.
was designated as a sole
provider.
Order No. 2015-130, An
Order Designating A Sole
Source Provider For Chip
Seal Oil For Baker County
Road Department, was
approved, with a motion
from Kerns, and a second
from Bennett. Albina Fuel
was designated as a sole
source provider of HFE-90
chip seal oil.
Order No. 2015-131, An
Order Designating A Sole
Source Provider For Baker
County Counsel Services
(Attorney Dan Van Thiel),
was not approved at this
time, and the discussion
was tabled for now, with a
motion from Bennett, and
a second from Kerns.
A Professional Services
Agreement between Baker
County and contractor
Tim Bishop, Baker County
Marketing Director, was
any like that?”
He answered “Meats are
a different story; there is a
lot more that goes into that
I don’t have that info.
“That is a question for
Corporate, call them, ask
the receptionist for our
meat buyer. Meat is a dif-
ferent process but we do
try to source locally if we
can, meetings like this one
have produced one or two
suppliers new to Haggen.”
Another person in the au-
dience asked, “Is it labeled
so we know we are buying
locally sourced meat?”
McGiverin answered,
“We try to do our best at
that, yes”
Peppers then questioned
“What about Farm Inspec-
tions, like from the market
they choose a couple a year
and they go out and inspect
to make sure you are grow-
ing what you say and you
have the paperwork saying
you’re doing what you’re
supposed to be doing.”
McGiverin replied,
“Should we? Do they catch
a lot of people that way?
No, not as a part of doing
business but it happens.
We can send Mark out I
guess,” he joked.
Peppers just laughed and
shook her head.
Brian Vegter broke in to
say, “My wife and I were
on the Baker City Cycle
Classic last weekend and
I just want to say thanks
for the support you gave
us. The water and supplies
you gave helped keep our
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
County Clerk Cindy Carpenter delivers her departmental update.
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. This agree-
ment covers the period
July 1, 2015 to June 30,
2017. Bishop will earn
$71,000 per year.
A Professional Services
Agreement between Baker
County and Baker County
Unlimited (a.k.a. Baker
County Chamber of Com-
merce) was approved, with
a motion from Harvey, and
a second from Bennett.
This agreement covers the
period July 1, 2015 to June
30, 2017.
Cooperative Agree-
ment No. 15-73-41-6255,
between Baker County
and the United States
Department of Agriculture
(USDA), Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Services
(APHIS), Wildlife Services
(WS), was approved, with
a motion from Harvey, and
a second from Kerns. The
plan sets forth the objec-
tives, activities and budget
for the cooperative wildlife
services program in Baker
County. The agreement
covers the period from July
1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.
A letter, addressed from
Forest Supervisor Tom
Montoya to the Commis-
sioners, was approved to
be accepted, signed and
returned, with a motion
Bennett, and a second from
Kerns. There has been
a verbal request, accord-
ing to the letter, from the
County to obtain a Public
Road Easement to con-
solidate the jurisdiction of
Water Gulch Road (County
Road 669), and Montoya
stated his support for this
proposal, and his willing-
ness to grant the easement,
upon receipt of the signed
letter.
Order No. 2015-126,
Designating A Paper Of
Record, was approved,
with a motion from Kerns,
and a second from Bennett.
The Baker City Herald
was designated as Paper of
Record. Bennett explained
that, through discussions
with the Planning Depart-
ment, it was indicated that
capability of publication
on multiple days during
the week would benefit the
Department.
Order No. 2015-128,
Re-Appointing Members
To The Baker County Fair
Board Advisory Commit-
tee, was approved, with a
motion from Bennett, and a
second from Kerns. Rob-
ert Ellingson and Janice
Cowan were re-appointed,
their terms set to expire on
July 1, 2016.
Order No. 2015-132,
Re-Appointing Members
To The Baker County
Transportation/Traffic
Safety Commission, was
approved, with a motion
from Kerns, and a second
from Bennett. Mike Kee
and Mary Jo Carpenter
were re-appointed, their
terms set to expire on July
1, 2017.
Order No. 2015-133,
Re-Appointing A Mem-
ber To The Baker County
Cultural Coalition, was
approved, with a motion
from Kerns, and a second
from Bennett. Aletha
Bonebrake was re-appoint-
ed, her term set to expire
on July 1, 2018.
Kerns was re-appointed
to the Board of the Blue
Mountain Translator Dis-
trict, his term set to expire
when applicable, with a
motion from Bennett, and
a second from Harvey.
Harvey said that the
Bureau of Land Manage-
ment (BLM) Greater Sage
Grouse Final Environ-
mental Impact Statement
(FEIS) protest letter the
County had approved last
week, and sent to BLM
headquarters in Washing-
ton, D.C., did reach its
destination, via email and
regular mail, by the dead-
line, which was Monday,
June 29.
This 22-page letter
was drafted largely with
the help of Baker County
Natural Resource Advisory
Committee (NRAC) Doni
Bruland and others, and is
based on Baker County’s
comments submitted in
response to the BLM
regarding the Greater Sage
Grouse Draft Environ-
mental Impact Statement
(DEIS), dated February 18,
2014. The letter includes
four specific topics: 1. Re-
quest for Revised RMPA
(Resource Management
Plan Amendment) and
Supplemental EIS. 2. Tech-
nical Protests Common
to All Industries/Uses. 3.
Technical Protests Regard-
ing Mining. 4. Techni-
cal Protests Regarding
Livestock Grazing Request
for Revised RMPA and
Supplemental EIS (SEIS).
At a minimum, the letter
states, the County Com-
mission Board requests an
additional 60 days to pro-
test the existing Proposed
RMPA and FEIS.
riders safe.”
His wife then talked
about how she came in
again was given a discount
on water, then came in
another time after that
and cleaned out the water
on the shelves with no
discount.
Vegter then asked, “So,
do you have a plan?”
McGiverin said, “Um,
yes, the first thing is to
digest the giant bite we just
bit off. Secondly, we are
trying different things, one
of the things that pains us
is we’re spending an inor-
dinate amount of money
toward that paper flyer we
send out every week.
“It does have a purpose,
people see deals and it
gets them excited and in
the store but we are trying
to move away from it. We
are going to go to an every
other week flyer with ad
prices good for two weeks.
Our thought there is by
saving those funds and re-
investing them straight into
community sponsorships
and donations we feel
that’s more aligned with
Haggen and our brand.
“I can tell you within
the next 6-12 months we
will introduce a loyalty
card. I’m sure there will be
mixed feelings about that.
“The card won’t be
required to get the lowest
price, it’s not a discount
card but it will have some
perks associated with it.
“Our basic strategy is
not to invest in advertis-
ing with media but to
and direct those funds
more toward community
involvement, partnerships
and sponsorships, where
we feel we’re generating
word of mouth advertis-
ing, having a more positive
impact on communities.”
Anyone wanting to in-
quire about nonprofit sup-
port or becoming a vendor
is urged to contact Store
Manager Mark Ruberti at
541.524.0412.
Haggen has a website
from which they can be
contacted: Haggen.com.
They also have a Face-
book page that they keep
up to date with informa-
tion.