10 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016
Local
County: Commissioners Huntington’s
make several appointments, colorful
history event
new road off Salmon
Creek Road planned
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Baker Valley Vector Control District Manager Matt Hutchinson.
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held its
second, regular session of
the month, on Wednesday,
February 17, 2016, at 9
a.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the Baker
County Courthouse.
Present from the Board
were Chair Bill Harvey,
Commissioners Mark Ben-
nett and Tim Kerns, and
Executive Assistant Heidi
Martin.
Attendance also included
Baker County Planning
Director Holly Kerns,
Baker County Planner
Kara Harris, Baker County
Road Master Jeff Smith,
Baker County Weed Mas-
ter Arnie Grammon, Baker
County Parks and Recre-
ation Department Direc-
tor Karen Spencer, Baker
County Administration
Services Director Chris-
tena Cook, Blue Mountain
Community College Small
Business Development
Center (BMCC SBDC)
Advisor Jeff Nelson, Baker
County Museum Commis-
sion Chair Steve Bogart,
Baker Valley Vector
Control District Manager
Matt Hutchinson, Megan
Adams and David Lindley
of Guyer & Associates
CPA, Ken Anderson, Art
Sappington, Cynthia Long,
John and Ramona Creigh-
ton, and Tork and Wanda
Ballard.
The session was called
to order, and the optional
Invocation and Pledge of
Allegiance were led by
Harvey.
Citizen Participation
included Sappington, Ra-
mona, Hardt, Wanda, and
Nelson, with the notable
mention from Nelson that
he intends to run this elec-
tion season for the position
of County Commissioner,
a spot which will be left
vacant by Kerns, whose
resignation will take effect
at the end of 2016.
The minutes from the
regular session on Wednes-
day, February 3, 2016 were
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns.
Adams and Lindley
provided the Board with
a 2014-2015 audit review,
including a copy of a 140-
page Report On Audit Of
Basic Financial Statements
And Supplementary Data,
and a copy of a 10-page
Report On Requirements
Of The Single Audit Act
Of 1984 And OMB Circu-
lar A-133.
The summary of find-
ings and questioned costs
included the following
statements: “Report on
financial statements of the
County as of June 30, 2015
and for the year ended is
unqualified; No reportable
conditions in internal con-
trol are disclosed in Part II
of this report; The audit did
not disclose instances of
noncompliance which are
material to the County’s
financial statements; No
reportable conditions in
internal control over com-
pliance over the District’s
major programs were
identified; The auditor’s
report on compliance for
major programs is unquali-
fied; The audit disclosed
no other findings that are
required to be reported un-
der OMB, Circular A-13,
Section 510; The County’s
major programs are as
follows: National Forest-
Dependent Rural Commu-
nities including Title I and
Title II CFDA 10.655; The
dollar threshold to distin-
guish between Type A and
Type B programs described
in OMB, Circular A-133,
Section 520(b) is $300,000
of expenditures. There
was one Type A program;
and The County qualifies
as a low risk auditee under
OMB Circular A-133, Sec-
tion 530.”
Harris introduced a sec-
ond public hearing, in the
matter of Order No. 2016-
104, Naming A Private
Road “Pine View Road,”
Located Along The West-
ern Boundary Of Tax Lot
900 In Township 9 South,
Range 39 East, Section 4
W.M., Baker County, OR.
The Baker City/County
Planning Department re-
ceived an application from
Baker City, owner and
applicant, to name an ap-
proximate 1,600 foot long
new road, off of Salmon
Creek Road.
Harris and Holly Kerns
discussed this matter
with the Board, and the
order was approved, with
a motion from Bennett,
and a second from Kerns.
The dedication was also
approved, with a motion
from Harvey, and a second
from Kerns.
Smith discussed with the
Board a pre-approval for
the Baker County Road
Department to bid on a
couple pieces of equip-
ment. The pre-approval,
for a 980C front end
loader, not to exceed the
value of comparables, and
a 257B skid steer loader,
not to exceed the value of
comparables, was ap-
proved, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Kerns. These items were
expected to have been bid
on during an auction held
on Thursday.
Grammon discussed with
the Board Order No. 2016-
112, Referral Of Weed
Control Local Option Tax
For Four Fiscal Years:
2016-2017, 2017-2018,
2018-2019, 2019-2020, To
The Baker County Weed
Control District Electorate.
The order was approved,
with a motion from Ben-
nett, and a second from
Kerns. The order states
that the four year local
option tax will be $90,000
per year, and that the four
year levy will be referred
to the electorate at the May
17, 2016 election.
Hutchinson discussed
with the Board Order No.,
2016-113, Referral Of Vec-
tor Control Local Option
Tax For Four Fiscal Years:
2016-2017, 2017-2018,
2018-2019, 2019-2020, To
The Baker County Vector
Control District Electorate.
The order was approved,
with a motion from Ben-
nett, and a second from
Kerns. The order states
that the four year local op-
tion tax will be $140,000
per year, and that the four
year levy will be referred
to the electorate at the May
17, 2016 election.
Order No. 2016-114,
Appointing Members To
The Baker County Wolf
Depredation Compensation
Advisory Committee, was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. Martin Arri-
tola, and Tom Van Diepen
were appointed as the
business representatives,
their terms set to expire
on September 1, 2018,
and September 1, 2017,
respectively, and Mike
Colton was appointed as
the livestock representa-
tive, his term set to expire
on September 1, 2018.
Order No. 2016-15,
Appointing Members
To The Western Heights
Special Road District, was
approved, with a motion
from Kerns, and a second
from Bennett.
Cliff Schoeningh, his
term set to expire on
December 31, 2016, Jane
Bohn, her term set to
expire on December 31,
2017, and Paul Dolan,
his term set to expire on
December 31, 2018, were
appointed.
Spencer discussed with
the Board Order No.
2016-1001, Authorizing
The Baker County Parks
Department To Apply For
Land And Water Conser-
vation Fund Assistance
From The Oregon Parks
And Recreation Depart-
ment For Rehabilitation Of
The Public Water System
At Hewitt And Holcomb
Parks, and Order No.
2016-1002, Authorizing
The Baker County Parks
Department To Apply For
Local Government Grant
Funds For Assistance From
The Oregon Parks And
Recreation Department For
Rehabilitation Of The Pub-
lic Water System At Hewitt
And Holcomb Parks.
Spencer said the project’s
estimate is around $80,000,
for an ultraviolet light
system. Both orders were
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns.
Harvey noted that the
Economic Development
Council (EDC) meeting
originally scheduled for
Thursday, February 18, had
been canceled.
He also mentioned the
next Baker County Weed
Board meeting, scheduled
for Tuesday, February 23,
at 1 p.m., in the old Oregon
Department of Transpor-
tation (ODOT) building,
as well as the next Baker
County Natural Resource
Advisory Committee
(BCNRAC) meeting, to
be held the same day, at 3
p.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the Baker
County Courthouse.
Eileen Driver / The Baker County Press
Top: A celebratory cake. Below: Bill Burley gives a
unique overview of Huntington’s history.
BY EILEEN DRIVER
Eileen@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Historical Society held a special
evening of interactive learning and celebration of the His-
tory of Oregon at the Baker Heritage Museum located at
2480 Grove Street in Baker City on Monday evening at 7
p.m. The event had a special emphasis on the importance
of the City of Huntington in the settlement and growth of
Baker County and the state as a whole.
This was a celebration of the 157th Birthday of the
State of Oregon on February 14th and the 125th Birthday
of the City of Huntington on February 18th.
The guest speaker for the evening was Bill Burley, a
retired railroad worker and long-time resident of Hun-
tington with a passion for the History of this area. Burley
gave a lively presentation, entitled, “ Why are we here
and not over there?” lasting approximately an hour, com-
plete with costume changes and a slide show of actual
historical photos and maps of the area.
Burley took viewers through the Lewis and Clark ex-
pedition, the Oregon Trail and history of Farewell Bend,
the history of the indian relations good and bad, including
the Van Ornum Massacre and the historic joining of the
railroads in Huntington. Bill completed his presentation
by answering the title question, saying, “ We are here
because of the vision and hard work of the explorers,
pioneers and entrepreneurs who came before us. Their
drive to better themselves and their communities are what
we enjoy today.”
Burley loves to talk about Huntington’s history and can
usually be found at the Caboose in Lion’s Park during
Pioneer Days the second weekend in August in
Huntington. He would welcome anyone with an interest
in history to stop by for a chat.
The City of Huntington would like to invite all of you
to help them continue their Birthday Celebration by join-
ing us on February 20 for a pool tournament at Grady’s
Tavern at 4:00 p.m. with a $5 buy-in and a first place
prize of $125 and a Birthday Dance to the sounds of Big
Blue Johnson at Howell’s Cafe and Streamliner Lounge at
8:00 p.m. with food and door prizes provided.
Hal Huntington, Museum Commission Chairman and
Lea Gettle, Museum Manager, were on hand to show off
and talk about the beautiful and historical museum exhib-
its. While the museum will not be officially open for the
season until Saturday, March 19, those at the presentation
had the privilege of walking back through time with some
of the amazing exhibits. They would also like to invite
everyone to attend the annual museum fundraiser “Night
at Old Auburn Casino” on Saturday, February 27 at the
museum. According to Steve Bogart of the museum com-
mission, “Everyone always has a great time during this
fundraiser. So come join us.”
Cake, brownies, coffee and punch were served to the
attendees.