8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016
Local
Public Works
Advisory Committee:
Paving projects and
Capital Plan
• APPROVED
DRAFTS NOW
GO BEFORE CITY
COUNCIL IN APRIL
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker City Public
Works Advisory Commit-
tee held its regular meeting
on Tuesday, March 28,
2016, 7 p.m., in the Coun-
cil Chambers, of Baker
City Hall, unanimously
approving and recom-
mending to City Council,
two draft documents: the
2016/2017 Capital Plan,
and the 2016 Pavement
Management Plan. Along
with the 2016/2017 Asset
Maintenance Plan, all three
draft documents will be
provided to City Council
for review, during its regu-
lar meeting, on Tuesday,
April 12, 2016.
Attending the meeting
were Chair Gary Carter,
Public Works Director
Michele Owen, Baker City
Engineer Doug Schwin,
and committee members
Keith Magnusom, Jim
Bruce, Allen McDaniel,
Jim Thomas, and John
Wickert.
Carter called the meeting
to order, and the minutes
from the January 21, 2016
meeting were reviewed,
and approved, with a mo-
tion from Wichert, and a
second from Thomas.
Schwin presented the
Capital Plan, a draft docu-
ment which covers updates
and estimated costs for the
current fiscal year 2015-
2016, and estimated costs
for fiscal years 2016-2017,
2017-2018, and 2018-
2019, including supply
water, waste water, and
storm water projects.
The estimated total for
supply water costs, for the
second half of the cur-
rent fiscal year (January
1, 2016 through June 30,
2016) is $31,002.40, which
includes: two hydrant
replacements, at $12,000
total; miscellaneous water
line extensions, at $5,000
total; Broadway and Fifth
Street valve and hydrant
replacement, at $9,000
total; engineering charges
of $2,600 total; and
administrative charges of
$2,042.40 total.
The estimated total for
supply water project costs,
for fiscal year 2016-2017
is $558,536.32, which
includes replacement of
5,280 feet of the Mountain
Line, with 20” diameter
PVC pipe, at $184,800,
reservoir discharge meter
replacement, at $40,000,
and the installation of an
irrigation meter, and vault,
for Cedar Acres Park. The
three aforementioned proj-
ects are required by state or
federal regulatory agen-
cies, and the current water
rate structure, according to
the document and com-
mittee statements, doesn’t
provide enough funding for
all of the required projects.
Because of the lack of
funding required to com-
plete all of the projected
projects, from fiscal years
2016-2019, there were,
and will continue to be,
discussions, regarding pos-
sibly seeking loans, grants,
raising rates, and monthly
billing, as opposed to bill-
ing every two months.
The total cost estimate
for supply water projects,
for fiscal year 2017-2018
is $1,914,994.40, which
includes the purchase and
installation of 3,000 feet
of 20” diameter pipe, in
the Mountain Line, at
$600,000, and groundwater
source development, which
includes planning, design,
and drilling, for a new mu-
nicipal well, at $820,000.
The total cost estimate
for supply water projects,
for fiscal year 2018-2019 is
$2,238,731, which includes
the purchase and installa-
tion of 3,120 feet of 20” di-
ameter pipe, in the Moun-
tain Line, at $624,000, a
chlorine system upgrade,
including design of an
on-site sodium hypochlo-
rite generation system to
replace the chlorine gas
system, at $40,000, and
groundwater source devel-
opment, including the con-
struction of a well house,
pump station, new pip-
ing, chlorination system,
backup power, telemetry,
etc., at $1,100,000.
Waste water project
estimates for the second
half of the fiscal year 2015-
2016 are $221,547.92 total,
including Cured In Place
Pipe (CIPP) lining instal-
lation, two new manholes,
replacement of 15 feet
of existing main line, on
Auburn Avenue, east of the
Powder River, and engi-
neering support and water
quality testing.
Waste water project esti-
mates for fiscal year 2016-
2017 are $349,373.20 total,
including the installation
of CIPP lining, Facility
Plan updates, replacement
of 492 feet of 6” main line
with 8” main line, using
the pipe bursting method,
and reconnection of the
laterals, on the alley main
line, north of Nevada
Street, from Fourth Street,
to Dave Eccles Road, and
engineering support and
water quality testing.
For fiscal year 2017-
2018, waste water project
estimates total $256,366,
including the installation of
CIPP lining, replacement
of 420 feet of 6” main line
with 8” main line, in the al-
ley main line, north of Val-
ley Street, along Seventh
Street, and the replacement
of 330 feet of 6” main line
with 8” main line, in the
alley main line, east of
Fourth Street, from Place
Street, to Auburn Avenue.
An estimate of waste wa-
ter projects for fiscal year
2018-2019 is $417,340,
including the installation
of CIPP lining, an upgrade
of the H Street lift station,
at H Street and Seventh
Street, and waste water
treatment facility design
improvements.
The estimated cost for
projects in the second half
of fiscal year 2015-2016 is
$17,289.80, including the
installation of new catch
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
The Public Works Advisory Committee goes over a stack of paperwork at their
meeting this week.
basins at Campbell and
Cherry streets, and Wash-
ington and Ninth streets,
and an inspection of the
condition of existing storm
main lines.
The estimated total for
storm water projects in
fiscal year 2016-2017 is
$27,568.29, including the
installation of 480 feet
of CIPP lining, on Valley
Street, from Resort Street
to the Powder River, instal-
lation of a new catch basin
at Fifteenth and Place
streets, and an inspection
of the condition of existing
storm main lines.
Cost estimates for
storm water projects total
$36,964.40 for each of the
fiscal years 2017-2018, and
2018-2019, including, for
both years, the installation
of CIPP lining, and inspec-
tion of the condition of
existing storm main lines.
The Capital Plan was
approved, with some edit-
ing, to recommend to the
City Council for review
on April 12, 2016, with a
motion from Wickert, and
a second from Carter.
The committee next re-
viewed the 2016 Pavement
Management Plan, also
presented by Schwin. In
the document, Owen stated
that it’s become more
difficult to meet the goals
of the pavement program,
because of stagnant fund-
ing, and increasing mainte-
nance costs. She said the
Street Fund revenue comes
primarily from State Gas
Tax, and from a portion of
the Baker City property tax
revenue, and neither source
of funding is increasing,
to keep up with costs of
street maintenance. She
said the City Council has
been provided with op-
tions, such as a street user
fee, or a storm water fee, in
order to increase funding,
but neither option has been
approved.
Planned projects for
2016 include an asphalt
grind and overly on Au-
burn Avenue, from Main to
Fourth streets, completion
of of the same treatment on
five short blocks between
Resort and Main streets,
including Church, Baker,
Madison, Broadway, and
Valley, and coordina-
tion with ODOT (Oregon
Department of Transpor-
tation), in the complete
removal and replacement
of asphalt patches, along
Cedar, north of Campbell,
and along Seventeenth
Street.
Among other details
provided, ratings for street
conditions for 2015 include
the following: 9.14% of
City streets were rated as
“Very Good,” including
Best Frontage Road, and
E Street (442 feet west
of 17th Street); 49.9% of
City streets were rated as
“Good,” including Camp-
bell Street (17th Street to
the railroad tracks), and
Ash Street (Spring Garden
to Auburn Avenue); 40.3%
of City streets were rated
as “Fair,” including Plum
Street (Madison Street to
Campbell Street), and 11th
Street (south side Estes
Street to Auburn Avenue);
1% of City streets were
rated as “Poor,” including
Clifford Street (Wash-
ington Street south), and
Mitchell Avenue (Highway
7 to 4th Street); and 0%
of City streets were rated
as “Very Poor.” Clifford
Street is the only street
to have been rated “Very
Poor,” however, it has
received extensive asphalt
patching, and is currently
in the lower range of the
“Very Poor” rating.
The estimated street
maintenance costs for
2016 include a total of
$539,822.49, broken down
as: $411,563 for thin
overlay and grind/inlay
application; $41,156.30
for engineering costs;
$38,028.42 for administra-
tive costs; and $49.074.77
for contingency costs.
The 2016 Pavement
Management Plan was
also approved for recom-
mendation to City Council
for review, on April 12,
2016, with a motion from
Carter, and a second from
Thomas.
The committee also
reviewed the draft 2016-
2017 Asset Maintenance
Plan, which includes
details regarding Parks De-
partment, Baker Municipal
Airport, Public Works, Wa-
ter Treatment, Waste Water
Treatment, Sam-O Swim
Center, and Quail Ridge
Golf Course facilities such
as values, functionality,
completed and planned
improvements, and
maintenance needs. The
committee will provide this
document, along with the
other two plans, to the City
Council, at its next regular
meeting.
Creative writing workshop
scheduled for April
EOU theater presents witty
adventure, ‘On the Verge’
Critically acclaimed
author of the novel “The
Suicide of Claire Bishop,”
Carmiel Banasky will
be coming to Baker and
Union County Libraries
April 19-21 to teach cre-
ative writing works shops
as part of an Art Place
America grant.
Join author Carmiel
Banasky to learn about
Ekphrastic (art-motivated)
writing, character devel-
opment and other craft
elements through shown
paintings and writing
prompts.
Following the workshop
there will be a reading and
writing process discussion
with time for questions.
Carmiel Banasky is a
writer, editor, and teacher
from Portland, OR.
Her work has appeared
in Glimmer Train, PEN
America, American Short
Fiction, Slice, Guernica,
Prepare to be transported
through space and time in
Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity’s upcoming production
of “On the Verge” April
7-9 and 14-16.
With a steampunk in-
spired stage set designed to
draw audiences into the ac-
tion, this comedy directed
by Kenn Wheeler is best
known for its wordplay
surrounding three Victori-
an women on a chimerical
journey.
EOU theatre students
McKayla Nitz, Victoria In-
gram and Danielle DeVall
are cast as Mary Balti-
more, Fanny Cranberry
and Alexandra Cafuffle
respectively – all explorers
on an adventure to strange
new lands and as it turns
out – the future. Fellow
theatre major Sam Shown
rounds out the cast, taking
on seven different male
characters and one female
The Rumpus, and on NPR,
among other places.
All the workshops are
free and the dates and loca-
tions are as follows.
April 19th in Baker City
at 7 p.m. at Crossroads
Carnegie Art Center 2020
Auburn Ave.
April 20th in Richland at
6:30 p.m. at the Richland
Library in Richland
April 21st in LaGrande
at 6 p.m. at the Cook
Memorial Library 2006 4th
Street.
Funding for this program
is provided by the Librar-
ies of Eastern Oregon
(LEO) through an ArtPlace
America grant.
LEO is a nonprofit orga-
nization that serves librar-
ies in its 15-county service
area with programs, online
services, and advocacy.
Funding from the
ArtPlace America grant
aims to provide arts-based
Submitted Photo.
Carmiel Banasky will
teach a creative writing
workshop April 19-21.
programming at libraries
through various hands-on
workshops, presentations,
and art exhibits for patrons
of all ages.
role.
The three women are
markedly different in their
viewpoints and approach
to the situations and people
they encounter. Mary is
scientific, Fanny is con-
servative and Alexandra is
progressive.
Nitz, a junior from
Pendleton, said this is
her favorite play to date,
having appeared in six
other productions at EOU
including “Les Misérables”
and “Jekyll and Hyde.”
She said the dynamics
between the three leads
and their depth of character
drew her to the story.
Nitz said she likes the
era the story begins in,
and how it is contrasted
by the many different
time periods the explorers
encounter along the way.
Memorizing the dialogue,
which includes numerous
rarefied words, is both a
challenge and a joy for the
small cast of four.
As the director of EOU’s
production, Kenn Wheeler,
an associate professor of
theatre, is interested in the
audience interpretation of
specific references relevant
to that decade, includ-
ing Communism. He is
excited to be revisiting the
story after directing it 30
years ago for his graduate
program at Michigan State
University.
See “On the Verge” at 7
p.m. in Schwarz Theatre
in Loso Hall. Tickets are
free for EOU students,
$12 for general admission
and $6 for senior citizens,
high school students and
retired or active military
members.
For more information
call the box office at 541-
962-3757. To purchase
tickets online go to www.
ticketpeak.com/res/eou.