FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local
County hears Emergency Management
update, approves expenses for new 911 director
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held
its fi rst, regular session of
the month, on Wednes-
day, February 3, 2016,
at 9 a.m., in the County
Courthouse Commission
Chambers.
Present from the Board
were Commission Chair
Bill Harvey, Commission-
ers Mark Bennett, and Tim
Kerns, and Executive As-
sistant Heidi Martin.
Also in attendance were
Baker County Planning Di-
rector Holly Kerns, Baker
County Planner Kara
Harris, Baker County Road
Master Jeff Smith, Baker
County Emergency Man-
agement Fire Authority
Gary Timm, Baker County
Emergency Management
Director Jason Yenco-
pal, Baker City Engineer
Doug Schwinn, Wallowa-
Whitman National Forest
Ranger Josh White, Baker
City Fire Chief Mark John,
former Baker County
Commissioner Fred War-
ner, Jr., Ken Anderson,
Marshall McComb, Ron
Nash, John and Ramona
Creighton, Kody Justus,
Tork and Wanda Ballard,
Bruce Morrison, and Joel-
leen Lindstrom.
The meeting was called
to order, followed by the
Invocation, and the Pledge
of Allegiance, both led by
Harvey.
One change was noted to
the agenda, a discussion to
be held later in the session
regarding approval of mov-
ing expenses for the newly
hired Baker County 911
Consolidated Dispatch Di-
rector, Hope Lindsey, who
will assume all respon-
sibilities of the position
on Tuesday, February 16,
2016. The agenda was then
adopted, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns.
Citizen Participation
included comments from
McComb, Nash, Ramona,
and Morrison.
McComb commented
about the Harney County/
Hammond situation, ex-
The
pressing his concerns over
threats made to offi cials,
and the overall political
and cultural battle. Part of
his concern is that he un-
derstood that Baker County
Sheriff Ash was accused of
displaying behavior similar
to Harney County Sheriff
Ward, believed by some
to have failed to protect
citizens of Harney County,
and side with Federal offi -
cials (McComb misunder-
stood--citizens expressed
concern that Ash may act
in a similar way if Baker
County were faced with
a similar scenario, acting
in a cooperative role with
Federal offi cials, but Ash
wasn’t actually accused
of this, nor was there any
indication he would exhibit
this behavior).
McComb stated his plea
to the Board to voice fi rm
statements against such
threats, and to be proac-
tive, and Harvey responded
that the Board is doing
this.
Nash said that citizens
should be more concerned
about the threats from the
United States Forest Ser-
vice (USFS), and the Bu-
reau of Land Management
(BLM). He said Sheriff
Ward isn’t protecting the
citizens of Harney County,
that he hopes a similar
scenario doesn’t happen
in Baker County, and that
citizens need to stand up to
these threats.
Ramona said scenarios
like this are happening
across the nation, and
people are angry.
Morrison discussed a
rumor about the USFS cit-
ing individuals for emblem
removal from government
vehicles. He said that he
heard USFS may pos-
sibly pursue legal action
against the group Forest
Access For All (FAFA) for
a Facebook post regarding
this topic.
Morrison said the gov-
ernment is at extremes, and
citizens need to push back.
Harvey responded that
the government has far
more pressing issues
than citing people for the
removal of a sticker.
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
L-R: Jason Yencopal and Gary Timm gave an Emergency Management update to County Commissioners
on Wednesday.
The minutes from the
Wednesday, January 20,
2016 session were ap-
proved, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Kerns.
Timm and Yencopal
provided the Board with an
Emergency Management/
Fire Department update.
Timm said that key goals
include reducing the costs
of fi ghting, and the size of,
wildfi res, including educa-
tion through programs and
campaigns, and that there
is major local interest in
achieving these goals.
He had copies present
for attendees, of the 2007
publication, “Living With
Fire: A Guide For The
Homeowner,” which he
said is being updated. The
costs for publication are
covered through donations,
rural fi re department dues,
and grants, and not the
County, he said. Also in the
process of being updated
is the Community Wildfi re
Protection Plan, Timm
said.
Yencopal expanded on
the update, speaking about
Emergency Management
training hours being com-
pleted, part of which in-
cluded full-scale emergen-
cy exercises, the wildfi res
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last year. He mentioned
the Preparedness Fair, held
last May, area water source
levels, and he discussed the
drought situation last year
throughout the region.
White discussed with the
Board a Title III, YCC and
Watershed Enhancement
Project submission form.
The goals, and objectives
of the project, as described
in the document, are as
follows: “This project
will enhance rangeland,
and watershed condition,
health, and function on the
Whitman Ranger District
within Baker County. This
restoration project will
restore native plant com-
munities, improve fi sh and
wildlife habitats, water
quality, and provide ben-
efi ts to local communities
through employment, and
educational opportunities.
Further, this project pro-
poses to maintain high-use
hiking trails, conduct brush
removal, and other mainte-
nance on forest roads, and
treat invasive species.”
The Powder River, Pine
Creek, and Burnt River
watersheds were chosen
for the project, which will
include contract workers,
the Federal workforce,
volunteers, and youth
crews. The total cost for
the project is estimated at
$157,750, the sources of
which are listed as USFS,
Title II, permitees, Idaho
Power, and the Rocky
Mountain Elk Foundation
(RMEF). This project was
ranked as a number one
priority, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Harvey.
A public hearing was
held in the matter of Order
No. 2016-104, Naming a
Private Road, “Pine View
Road,” Located Along
the Western Boundary of
Tax Lot 900 in Township
9 South, Range 39 East,
Section 4 W.M., Baker
County, OR.
Harris discussed the
order with the Board, a
request from Baker City to
partition an existing parcel
the City owns into three
residential parcels. The
road is located off Salmon
Creek Road, according to
the document.
Schwinn stated he was in
favor of the road naming,
and neither he, nor Smith,
voiced any objections,
when asked by Harvey.
There were no objec-
tions from attendees
noted, and the matter was
continued to the next, regu-
lar Commission session,
Wednesday, February 17,
2016, at 10:15 a.m., with a
motion from Bennett, and
a second from Kerns.
Additionally, Smith
discussed briefl y with
the Board the work be-
ing performed, and to be
performed, in order to keep
County roads accessible,
and in good repair. Harvey
said that Halfway area resi-
dents have been contacting
the County regarding road
conditions, and he said the
County Road Department
is actively working on
keeping the roads acces-
sible.
The following orders
were approved by the
Board:
Order No. 2016-105, Ap-
pointing Members To The
Eastern Oregon Coordi-
nated Care (EOCC) Local
Community Advisory
Committee (LCAC), with a
motion from Bennett, and a
second from Kerns. Cindy
Denne, Lisa Ladendorff,
Robin Nudd, Toni Bennett,
and Christina Barnes were
appointed, their terms set
to expire on February 1,
2019.
Order No. 2016-106,
Appointing Members To
The Transient Lodging
Tax Marketing Commit-
tee, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Kerns. Gaynelle, Nielsen,
Chelsa Mitchell, and Cathy
Cook, were appointed,
their terms set to expire on
March 1, 2017, and Cheryl
Buchanan, Ginger Savage,
and Lisa Shira were ap-
pointed, their terms set to
expire on March 1, 2018.
Order No. 2016-107,
Re-Appointing Members
To The Northeast Oregon
Area Commission On
Transportation (NEACT),
with a motion from Ben-
nett, and a second from
Kerns. Mary Jo Carpenter,
and Michelle Owens were
appointed, their terms set
to expire on July 31, 2017.
Order No. 2016-108,
Appointing A Member To
The Baker County Wolf
Depredation Compensation
Committee, with a mo-
tion from Bennett, and a
second from Kerns. Jacob
Bingham was appointed,
his term set to expire on
September 1, 2018. Lynn
Shumway has applied as
an alternate.
Order No. 2016-109,
Re-Appointing Members
To The Northeast Oregon
Economic Development
District Board, with a
motion from Kerns, and
a second from Bennett.
Bennett, Harvey, Ed Hib-
bard, and Bob Parker were
appointed, their terms set
to expire on December 31,
2018.
Order No. 2016-110, Re-
Appointing A Member To
The Baker County Budget
Board, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Kerns. Pat Sullivan was
appointed, his term set to
expire on January 1, 2019.
Order No. 2016-111,
Appointing A Justice Of
The Peace Pro-Tem For
The Baker District, with
a motion from Bennett,
and a second from Kerns.
Damien Yervasi, and
Elizabeth Orwick were ap-
pointed to serve during the
absences of the Honorable
Don Williams, for a term
set to expire on December
31, 2016.
The following documents
were ratifi ed:
State of Oregon Depart-
ment of Human Services
(DHS) Intergovernmental
Agreement (IGA) No.
149635, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. This agree-
ment is between DHS and
Baker County, for Job
Placement Services to
DHS Vocational Reha-
bilitation (VR) Participants
referred to the County by
DHS, according to the
document. The maximum
amount payable to the
County from DHS under
this agreement is $150,000,
and the agreement is set to
expire on September 30,
2017.
Amendment No. 3 to
Oregon Health Authority
(OHA) 2015-2017 IGA
No. 14781, between OHA
and Baker County, For The
Financing Of Community
Addictions And Mental
Health Services, with a
motion from Bennett, and
a second from Kerns. The
amount of $100,000 was
awarded to the County.
The fi nal order of busi-
ness included a discus-
sion, added to the agenda,
regarding partial compen-
sation for moving expenses
for Lindsey.
The Board expressed
comments about the dif-
fi cult task of fi nding a
qualifi ed candidate for
the position, after having
placed nationwide adver-
tisements. Compensation,
in the amount of $3,250,
was approved, with a mo-
tion from Bennett, and a
second from Kerns.
This amount represents
roughly half of the ex-
penses, Bennett said.
Lindstrom commented
that moving expenses as-
sociated with employment
relocation can usually be
considered tax deductions.