10 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016
Local
City
Council
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Appoint Volunteers to
Boards and Commissions
A. Historic District De-
sign Review Commission
– two positions are open.
Jo Marlette and Phyllis
Badgely have applied.
Both have been serving
however those terms are
expiring. New terms are
for three years expiring
in 2019. Councilor Lewis
moved to approve the ap-
pointments with a second
by Councilor Abell. Coun-
cil unanimously appoint
Badgely and Marlette.
B. Planning Commis-
sion – There are currently
three vacancies.
Terms are four years for
this commission expiring
at the end of 2020. Tim
Collins and Aaron Still are
seeking reappointment,
currently serving on the
Commission. Councilor
Downing moved to appoint
with a second by Councilor
Lowe. Appointment by
Council was unanimous.
C. Airport Commission –
three vacancies are on this
commission. Mark Ber-
thelsen and Greg Sackos,
both currently serving with
terms set to expire have
requested reappointment.
New four-year terms will
expire in 2020. Councilor
Downing moved to ap-
prove the reappointments
with a second by Councilor
Lewis. A unanimous vote
was cast by Council.
D. Public Works Ad-
visory Committee – two
vacancies are available,
one however is partial due
to Milo Pope’s resigna-
tion. Jim Bruce and Keith
Magnuson applied to fill
those two vacancies with
neither expressing interest
as to whether they wished
to fill the partial or whole
term vacancy. Councilor
Lowe moved to approve
with a second by Councilor
Lewis. Council voted to
appoint both Magnuson
and Bruce allowing for
the two to work it out and
decide who would take
which term.
E. Parks and Recre-
ation Board – one partial
vacancy is open expiring
in July 2017. Mark Bogart
has applied for that posi-
tion. Councilor Downing
moved for that approval
with a second by Councilor
Abell. A unanimous vote
was cast in favor of ap-
pointing Bogart.
F. Budget Board – four
vacancies are available.
Jeff Petry, Debi Bainter,
Ryan Chaves and Andrew
Bryan have applied to fill
those vacancies.
A question of whether
Bryan could be appointed
since he serves as chair-
man of the Sam-O Swim
committee was raised to
which City Recorder/Hu-
man Resources Manager
Luke Yeaton said there was
not a conflict in this case.
Councilor Lewis moved
to appoint all four with
a second by Councilor
Thomas. A unanimous vote
appoints all to the Board.
“I want to thank that
long list of citizens that
have come forward to
fill those spots. It warms
my heart to see how few
vacancies there are. It tells
me that Citizen participa-
tion is high, people feel
good and comfortable
about coming forward to
serve. Thank you,” said
Mayor Mosier.
Council Appointment
to the Public Arts Com-
mission
City Manager Kee
advised Council the Rose-
mary Abell has expressed
interest in serving as
Council representative on
the commission.
Mosier moved to ap-
prove her appointment
with a second by Councilor
Downing, all Councilors
voted in favor.
Police Department
Update
Chief Wyn Lohner ad-
dressed council advising
that he would be giving
an update on some of the
“volunteer programs we
have working in the City.
Then after that we have
Capa here today who
brought his handler. We
are going to have a little
ceremony for him and then
do a little demonstration
and see who gets to go to
jail tonight.”
He laughed. He began
by explaining the Chaplin
program that he created
before he was chief as
second in command at the
department.
He stressed the value of
programs to take care of
the personnel working for
the department, noting that
those in law enforcement
have a higher suicide rate,
domestic violence—“all
the negative categories that
are out there, cops do it
at twice as much as in the
normal sector,” he said.
He says they also
use psychologists in the
Portland area who special-
ize in police work, but the
Chaplain program is an
easy local way for his staff
to just have casual conver-
sations with clergy, often
helping to relieve stressor
that they encounter.
They partner with four
local church organizations,
but the program is headed
up by Scott Knox. He is in
every week to just “hang
out” and talk about serious
issues if needed or just
“shoot the breeze.”
Lohner said, “They
do go with us on death
notifications as well; it is
mandatory. I can tell you
from experience there is
nothing harder than telling
a parent that their kid is not
coming home the next day
and having a Chaplin with
you can kinda make that
somewhat tolerable.”
He also spoke about the
COP (citizens on patrol)
program, an all-volunteer
program that was devel-
oped in 2011.
More volunteers are
always welcome and
encouraged. Lohner has
a long-term vision for the
program but needs it to
grow before it can be fully
utilized as he sees it.
He said there is a good
core crew already over-
seen by Edie Richardson
and Marlene Rodgers
who oversee the program.
COP’s currently can be
seen walking the Leo Adler
parkway and provide pres-
ence at other community
events.
Lohner spoke at length
about the reserve program
he developed.
For years he said he was
opposed to doing this be-
cause of the lack of train-
ing available but has since
combined with surround-
ing counties creating a
regional network to create
an extraordinary program.
He says they have
trained not only reserves,
who are not necessarily
always wanting a full-time
career in law enforcement
but simply want serve as
back up “to supplement,
compliment and add a
greater level of service to
our community” for full-
time officers.
They often bring in COP
volunteers, dispatchers,
and even serve as refresher
courses for officers. All
training hours are DPSST-
accredited hours.
According to Lohner,
these reserves can be seen
at community events such
as the motorcycle rally,
riding along with officers
and have been called in to
assist in lower level situa-
tions that can free up an of-
ficer to get back to higher
level incidents.
Lohner noted one such
reserve has completed over
700 hours of work and
attested to how valuable
reserves can be.
Lohner also recognized
Jerry Boyd, Commander
for Baker City reserves and
coordinator of the Eastern
Oregon Reserve Academy.
Boyd has over 40 years
with law enforcement and
“a very diverse background
and is someone that I look
up to, someone that I ask
questions, someone I have
a great deal of respect for,”
he said.
Lohner then had Capa
and his handler, Officer
Coleton Smith, come into
the Council Chambers.
The two-year-old Ger-
man Shephard - Belgium
Malinois cross who is as
Lohner stated, “the com-
munity’s police dog, not
the Department police dog
because it was the Baker
City Community and some
other folks that raised the
money to put this dog in
our car.”
Capa was awarded a
badge donated by Billie Jo
Deal, a Baker City resident
who sees Capa regularly as
an employee of the Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion.
So now Capa is a real
police officer with a real
badge that has his name
on it.
It was a proud moment.
Smith then gave a dem-
onstration with Capa locat-
ing a methamphetamine
scented item that had been
placed under the table
where City Manager Mike
Kee was sitting.
Lohner jokingly began
handcuffing Kee.
He then explained that
in Capa’s training they use
toys scented with specific
drugs.
So Capa is not really
looking for drugs, he’s
looking for toys.
The item that he located
under the table had simply
been placed in the city
evidence room near some
methamphetamine residue,
not directly scented with
the drug—that is how
sensitive his nose is.
Councilman Thomas
asked about armor for the
dog and was told that they
do not deploy the dog in a
situation until the danger
was neutralized so that his
risk of injury was minimal;
therefore, the need for
armor was not crucial.
Councilor Lewis asked
about donations, to which
Lohner said they continued
to accept donations and
they had a line in the city
budget for these dona-
tions specifically with the
remaining balances rolling
over every year.
He mentioned how
“proud of this community I
am, this program has been
run almost exclusively on
donations for the last five
or six years,” also noting
the Hells Canyon Motorcy-
cle Rally has been a large
contributor over the years.
Consideration of a Rail-
road Quiet Zone
Mike Kee introduced
the item to Council. The
idea is to create a quiet
zone where trains passing
through town do not sound
their horns.
This requires extra
safety measures be placed
at crossings a study would
need to be conducted and
it is the understanding of
Kee that Union Pacific will
send a representative out
one time to analysis the
area free of charge.
The City can also
do studies according
to guidelines set by the
Federal Railroad Adminis-
tration (FRA). Currently
Baker City has five public
crossings that could be
evaluated and has three
private and one pedestrian
crossings.
The private and pedes-
trian crossings cannot be
analyzed by the city and
would require FRA analy-
sis. Mary Miller addressed
Council that she did not
feel this project needed to
be a priority as she liked
the sound saying she only
lived “seven blocks from
the tracks and the sound
puts me to sleep even with
my windows open.”
She felt pursuing this
was a waste of time and
money.
Gunnar Carnwath
provided council with
statistics showing nega-
tive effects noise has to a
community, particularly
children.
He and a few others
including Sabrina Stadeler,
who is fairly new to our
community, expressed
concern over the fact that
there are tracks right next
to South Baker Intermedi-
ate School.
They noted the intense
noise that often occurs
while children are outside
on the playground located
right next to those tracks
with only a chain link
fence separating them.
Councilor Downing said
that he felt their speed was
also an issue for concern
and Councilor Lewis
expressed concern for
resale values of homes in
closer proximity to railroad
tracks.
After hearing from
community members
both against and in favor
of the creation of a quiet
zone council, who mostly
agreed that a quiet zone
was a good idea felt that
at this point since there
was no cost other than
staff time to look into and
research the matter.
Consensus was to gather
information and the matter
could be addressed further
later. It should be noted
a similar initiative was
placed on a ballot in 2002,
which voters voted against.
Baker Loves Bikes
Proposal and Presenta-
tion
Jared Johnson recently
made a proposal to the
Parks and Recreation
Board regarding the
creation of a pump park
on City property that is
located north of “D” Street,
east of the Leo Adler Me-
morial Parkway.
He location is highly vis-
ible from “D” street and on
a routinely policed street.
Johnson advised council he
has secured much of what
will be needed to create the
park both labor and materi-
als and has gotten verbal
confirmation from Baker
Loves Bikes that they will
maintain the park.
Questions were asked
about the City’s liabilities
for injury, which were ad-
vised to be about the same
as the skate park, located
by Sam-O Swim Center,
zero to none.
Johnson said there would
definitely be signage that it
was “at your own risk” and
it would be like any other
city park with a dusk to
dawn curfew.
Brian Vegter addressed
Council on behalf of Baker
Loves Bikes reiterating
what Johnson had said re-
garding their involvement
and also expressing his
own personal excitement
for the project and told
council it was not just for
14-18 year-olds, even 65
year-olds could enjoy this.
Mike Kee laughed and
said “Oh you’re meaning
me?”
Vegter laughing and
responded, “No, not just
you.”
“Well, I’m not 65.” Kee
responded.
Mary Miller also ad-
dressed her support for
this project, only recently
getting into this type of
bike riding, saying she was
as “excited as a fourteen-
year-old boy.”
She is in favor of any
projects that promote
“community building,”
also touting the creation
of this park as a draw for
families that may just be
visiting the community for
events like the Motorcycle
Rally or the Bike Classic.
Council asked if Johnson
had neighbor input seeing
as how in the area he is
proposing two separate
retirement communities are
situated.
He said so far he had not,
but was willing to knock
on doors and ask.
The Council, also think-
ing this was a viable good
idea, suggested he put in
the footwork to contact
residents in the area and
come back to Council with
an MOA (memo of agree-
ment) for them to look
at and move the project
forward.
City Donation to Ford
Foundation Cohort 5
Project Discussion
This was a lengthy
discussion for Council that
included one citizen, Jack
Finley addressing coun-
cil about the fact that the
road behind his home was
unpaved, 9th Street that
runs behind the DMV from
Hughes Lane to “L” Street.
He felt a donation to
the Ford Foundation was
absurd in light of the fact
that he’d been asking for
years to pave that portion
of the street because the
dust to his backyard made
the space unusable.
Council listened to his
concerns and offered sug-
gestions, even explaining
to him about each depart-
ment having different
things that they paid for.
This donation to Ford
Foundation was to come
out of the Parks and
Recreation budget and the
improvement he was sug-
gesting would come from
the Street budget, which
did not have the funds
available to do what he
was asking as it was not a
simple as just paving.
In the end Council chose
not to donate at this time
to Ford Foundation as the
status of that budget is
unclear at this time and the
City will be preparing for
new Budget negotiations in
the next couple of months.
Mayor Mosier then
turned the meeting over to
Vice Mayor Downing as
she needed to leave.
Resolution # 3766:
Changes to the 2015-2016
Budget
Jeanie Dexter, City Fi-
nance Manager addressed
Council asking that grant
monies secured to assist
in the replacement of the
Boiler at Sam-O Swim
center be allocated from
the general fund to the
Sam-O Swim budget to
be used for their intended
purpose.
Law requires a resolu-
tion be passed to move
money from one fund to
another. Council agreed
unanimously to pass the
resolution.
Resolution #3767:
Property and Weed
Abatement Liens
This request made by
Jeanie Dexter to council
was to place liens on prop-
erties that had been amply
noticed that monies to the
city were due and have
gone unheeded. By placing
a lien on the property it
simply allows the owed
money to be paid to the
City when property is sold.
Council voted to pass this
resolution.
City Council Email
Policy
City Manager Kee
addressed council on the
policy that had been pre-
sented before to them.
He stated he felt it was
“a good policy.”
Council again discussed
some of the pros and cons
of making their emails
public stressing concerns
about the public not want-
ing certain contact made
public, assuming confiden-
tiality.
Councilor Abell felt that
as a council she was not
comfortable voting without
the full council present,
meaning Mayor Mosier be-
cause she knew the mayor
had very strong feelings
about the issue.
Kee suggested that the
part about council email
could be left out but felt
having a policy in effect
was important.
Councilor Lewis made a
motion to pass the policy
excluding publishing (or
making them public in any
way) Council emails at this
time, that motion was sec-
onded by Councilor Lowe
with all voting in favor.
The publishing of council
emails will be discussed at
a later date.
City Manager/Director
Comments
City Manager Kee stated
that the profile for a new
city manager was avail-
able on the City’s website
and that Slavin would be
posting it nationally very
soon with the first of the
applications expected by
the end of March.
He also advised Coun-
cil that on an upcoming
agenda to expect to see
something in regards to a
discussion about the Mo-
torcycle Rally.
He also commented
briefly on the situation that
had unfolded very shortly
before the meeting in
Burns with the Bundy fam-
ily that has occupied the
Malheur National Wildlife
Refuge.
On the way to a Town
Hall meeting located in
John Day, shots were fired
when the group was con-
fronted by FBI agents.
One member of the Bun-
dy group was killed and
one wounded with several
others being arrested.
Kee said at this time,
to his knowledge, it was
unclear who fired first.
Michelle Owen then
addressed Council letting
them know that the Public
Works Advisory Commit-
tee had approved a water
master plan that would be
coming before them for
their approval in the near
future.
The plan would need to
be approved by the state
first and any changes
would be made prior to
them seeing it.
A motion to adjourn the
meeting was heard with all
in agreement.
Vice Mayor Downing
officially adjourned the
marathon meeting at 9:35
p.m.