FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Local / Opinion
County Commissioners
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Attendance also included
Baker County Asses-
sor Kerry Savage, Baker
County Justice Trial Court
Administrator Michael
Finney, Baker County
Sheriff Travis Ash, Baker
County Facilities Main-
tenance Foreman Dan
McQuisten, Lisa Wilson
and Alan Mendenhall of
the Sunridge Inn, Baker
County Transient Lodging
Tax Committee (TLTC)
members Lea Gettle, and
Karlynn Dolby, Baker
City Library Budget Board
President Gary Dielman,
Baker Heritage Museum
Board Vice Chair Dave
Hunsaker, Life Flight La
Grande Base Manager
Peter Benjamin, Jefferson
Mining District Coordinat-
ing Officer Art Sappington,
Ed Hardt, Ken Anderson,
Eastern Oregon Mining
Association (EOMA)
Executive Director Chuck
Chase, Bobbie Danser,
John and Ramona Creigh-
ton, Tork and Wanda Bal-
lard, and Vickie Valenzu-
ela.
The session was called
to order, followed by the
optional Invocation and the
Pledge of Allegiance, both
led by Harvey.
With no changes or ad-
ditions noted, the agenda
was adopted, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns.
Citizen Participation
included comments from
Sappington who provided
an update regarding the
Jefferson Mining District,
and legal criteria which he
had presented, as handouts,
during the 2016 Mining
Summit in Baker City
last month. He said the
District is working with
attorney Fred Kelly Grant,
to resolve coordination
issues, with the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM)
and the U.S. Forest Service
(USFS).
The minutes from the
April 27, 2016, May 4,
2016, and May 11, 2016
sessions were approved,
with a motion from Ben-
nett, and a second from
Kerns.
Lindsey provided an
update regarding the
Dispatch Center’s Stancil
recorder, which had failed
completely on Monday
evening of last week. She
said that there are vari-
ous changes and updates
being implemented at
the Center, and that the
recorder was successfully
installed last Friday (instal-
lation crews were there at
9 a.m.). Lindsey said that
updates to the recorder
are being implemented, to
also streamline City Fire
Department access to the
system.
She said that in regard to
records, the Center is be-
hind on reports, because of
technical equipment issues.
The Center has spent $482
for employee membership
to APCO (Association of
Public-Safety Communica-
tions Officials), and so far,
$1,400 has been granted
for membership scholar-
ships, Lindsey said.
Among other items,
she said that the Center is
short two reserve dispatch
personnel, and there’s
been trouble covering
shifts, resulting in a lack of
meeting state and national
standards (90% of the calls
being answered in 10 sec-
onds or less, for example).
She said the average is a
15-second response, which
falls short of the standard.
Center staff are working to
address the issue, whether
it’s problems with equip-
ment, and/or personnel.
Holly initiated a dis-
cussion regarding the
American Stewards for
Liberty, an organization
the Board had approved
of seeking assistance from
at a previous Commis-
sion session, in order to
gather information, to draft
a County response to the
BLM’s proposed revisions
to its planning regulations
(the initiative is known
as “Planning 2.0”), which
would adversely affect
government-to-government
relations, between the
BLM, and the County.
“Private individuals
stepped, and paid the
$1,000 for member-
ship (the funds were, in
fact, privately raised and
donated), I believe, to the
American Stewards of
Liberty. Mr. Harvey, can
you explain this process,
whether it’s finalized?”
Holly said.
Harvey responded that
it is, and Holly asked
how private individuals
could do that, in the name
of Baker County. Holly
voiced an issue with “spe-
cial interest groups” who
“funneled money through
Baker County,” and
Harvey said that it’s not
special interest groups, but
individuals who donated
the funds.
She asked if it’s a matter
of public record, which in-
dividuals had donated, and
Harvey said “No, ma’am.”
She responded that it’s
an interest to members of
the County, when certain
individuals make dona-
tions for the County’s use,
as the rest of the citizenry
of the County may not be
aware of the process. She
wondered whether the
American Stewards for
Liberty listed donors on
its website, and Harvey
said he didn’t know. She
repeated that that informa-
tion should be a matter of
public record.
Harvey said, “It (the
funds) didn’t even come to
the County. Other groups,
on their own, initiated the
effort to donate money
to that purpose (Planning
2.0).” Holly asked if it was
donated in the name of
Baker County, and Danser
said, “In support of Baker
County.”
Valenzuela spoke next,
and said, “I also have great
concern about an organiza-
tion that is not disclosed,
private individuals not
disclosed, and funneling
money into Baker County,
to an organization that
you guys have no control
over...I talked to Mark
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(Bennett), and he said that
he is not in favor of having
an organization that you
can not be on the Board
of...” She said there was
not adequate notification of
the public about the effort
with the organization, that
the Board had involved
“special organizations,”
and that it’s totally inap-
propriate. Harvey said he
didn’t involve anybody, the
Commissioners chose not
to use County funds, and
the funds, and effort were
volunteered from donors.
Valenzuela said, “What is
the overall purpose of this
organization?” She cited an
example, the Oath Keep-
ers, calling them “anti-
government militia.”
Oath Keepers, in fact, are
not a militia.
Harvey said he wished to
not disseminate misinfor-
mation, and they debated
about the source for that
information.
She voiced her concern
about the “...perception
that Baker County is
somehow attached to this
organization (American
Stewards for Liberty).”
Harvey responded that
the County is not con-
sidered “attached” to the
organization. She said she
wishes to see the County
not proceed on a “slippery
slope,” and that the County
proceed slowly, in order to
attain its intended goal.
Harvey interjected with
a statement from the
Honorable Jim French, of
Humboldt County, Nevada,
regarding the need to seek
assistance from outside
organizations, when neces-
sary (such as American
Stewards of Liberty).
Harvey clarified Bennett’s
position, stating that Ben-
nett didn’t support the use
of County funds to seek
that assistance, but he does
support the idea of using
American Stewards of
Liberty. Harvey said that a
response from the County
to the BLM’s proposals is
due by May 25.
Valenzuela asked Ben-
nett for his position, and
he said that he doesn’t
have an issue with private
funds being utilized, for
the purpose of seeking as-
sistance from the American
Stewards of Liberty (or
other organizations), and
he repeated that he doesn’t
support the use of County
funds for this, and that he
understood that the County
is not actually a “mem-
ber” of the organization.
He cited some examples
of experiences with the
BLM, that the relationship
is positive (he mentioned
specifically the efforts
of BLM Vale District
Manager Don Gonzalez),
and that Planning 2.0 has
the potential to change that
relationship, in a nega-
tive way. “My thought is
that, as long as we weren’t
using County money...
we ought to take look at it
(the effort and information
from the organizations).”
— Guest Opinion —
Giving law
enforcement
tools they
need to help
victims in an
emergency
By Rep. Greg Walden
On December 1, 2013, Kari Rene
Hunt was brutally murdered by her
estranged husband in the bathroom of
a motel room in Marshall, Texas.
Her three children listened through
the door as she was stabbed repeat-
edly. Kari screamed to her nine year
old daughter to “call 9-1-1.”
The girl did as instructed, frantically
dialing 9-1-1 four times. But each
time, she heard static on the other end
of the line.
What she didn’t know is that, be-
cause of the way the motel’s phone
system was set up, she had to dial “9”
first to reach an outside line. She told
her grandfather later, “I tried, but it
wouldn’t work, Papa.”
On June 2, 2007—just days after
her high school graduation—Kelsey
Smith went to a Target store in Kansas
to buy a present for her boyfriend. She
was abducted from the parking lot in
broad daylight, and law enforcement
began a massive search her.
They were unsuccessful for four
days until her cell phone’s location
information was turned over to law
enforcement. Kelsey’s body was then
found in about 45 minutes.
The House Communications and
Technology panel, which I chair, heard
these stories recently from the parents
of both the slain young women.
No family should have to face situ-
ations like these. And they were made
worse by a confusing patchwork of
laws that govern telephone and com-
munications systems in this country.
If the laws were different at the
time, is it possible that Kari Hunt and
Kelsey Smith would be alive today?
Perhaps. That’s why I’m helping to
lead an effort in the U.S. Congress
to pass two bills to ensure that law
enforcement can help victims faster in
an emergency situation, when time is
precious.
One proposal, known as “Kari’s
Law,” would require that all multi-line
telephone systems, typically found in
hotels, offices, and schools, be con-
figured to reach 9-1-1 without any
additionally prefix. After all, children
are taught from a very young age to
Submitted Photo
Greg Walden represents Oregon’s
Second Congressional District,
which covers 20 counties in south-
ern, central, and eastern Oregon.
simply dial 9-1-1 in an emergency, not
“9-9-1-1” or “7-9-1-1” or anything
else. This fix would be both easy and
inexpensive.
Many hotels around the country
have made progress addressing this
problem, but we need a uniform,
national standard to make sure what
happened to Kari Hunt and her family
never happens again.
It’s been said that you may only dial
9-1-1 once in your life, but that time
will be the most important call you
ever make.
We should make sure it’s as easy as
possible so you can get the help you
need when seconds count.
Another proposal, known as the
“Kelsey Smith Act,” would give law
enforcement the tools to locate victims
in emergencies, using location data
from their cell phone providers.
By creating a narrow set of circum-
stances in which law enforcement can
access this type of data, the bill seeks
to protect the privacy of users while
still allowing access for law enforce-
ment when the situation demands it.
The Kelsey Smith Act is already the
law in 22 states, including right here
in Oregon where it was approved by
the legislature unanimously in 2014.
The federal bill would take the Oregon
standard and apply it nationwide. It’s
just common sense.
Both these proposals were recently
approved unanimously by the Com-
munications and Technology panel I
chair, as well as the full Energy and
Commerce Committee.
The next step is a vote in the full
U.S. House of Representatives, which
I hope will take action soon.
These plans would save lives using
existing technology and don’t cost
taxpayers a dime.
It’s time they become law so that
what happened to the families of Kari
Hunt and Kelsey Smith never happens
to another American family again.
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