8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2016
Local
5J math curriculum set
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker District 5J
School Board held its regu-
lar meeting on Thursday,
June 2, 2016, 6 p.m., in the
North Conference Room,
of the District Office, at
2090 4th Street, in Baker
City, which included,
among other items, adop-
tion of the 2016-2017
School District budget.
Present from the Board
were Chair Kevin Cassidy,
Vice Chair Melissa Irvine,
and members Andrew
Bryan (at 7:08 p.m. via
telephone), Autumn Harell,
and Chris Hawkins. Pres-
ent District staff included
Superintendent Mark
Witty, Assistant Super-
intendent Betty Palmer,
Chief Financial Officer
(CFO)/Business Manager
Doug Dalton, and Execu-
tive Secretary Norma
Nemec.
The meeting was called
to order, and Cassidy and
the Board led in recitation
of the Pledge of Alle-
giance.
Presentations were to
include the District’s Busi-
ness Partner of the Quarter,
the Baker City Police,
however, this was post-
poned until the July meet-
ing, due to an emergency.
The meeting agenda, re-
vised, was approved, with
a motion from Irvine, and
a second from Harrell, and
the minutes from the May
19, 2016 regular meet-
ing, and the May 31, 2016
work session were ap-
proved, with a motion from
Irvine, and a second from
Hawkins. Administrators
Reports were provided to
the Board.
The budget hearing was
opened, and a presentation
of the 2016-2017 budget
was made by Dalton. He
noted that the budget has
been approved by the
Budget Committee, and
it is ready for the Board
to adopt. Dalton printed
new budget booklets (Fund
550 and Fund 564 were
not titled), Witty added the
process to the Budget Mes-
sage, and Cassidy read the
addition.
Cassidy introduced
incoming ASB (Associated
Student Body) President
Kara Bennett, who will be
filling graduating senior
Bryson Smith’s role, and
providing the BHS (Baker
High School) reports to the
Board next year.
Discussions included
the K-12 Math adoption,
Witty’s Superintendent’s
Report, Palmer’s Assistant
Superintendent’s Report,
and Dalton’s CFO’s Re-
port.
Merrie Hensley, repre-
senting the Math Cadre,
reported on the K-12
Math adoption process,
and how the final decision
was made. This included
having monthly meetings,
attending a Curriculum
Caravan, selecting pilot
materials, inviting parents
and the community to
review the materials, and
then making the selec-
tion. The recommendation
to the Board is: Grades
K-3 Bridges Curriculum,
published by The Math
Learning Center; Grades
4-6 Ready Common
Core/i-Ready, published
by Curriculum Associates;
and Grades 7-12 Glen-
coe Math, published by
McGraw-Hill.
Among other details,
Witty reported that 80 Leo
Adler scholarships were
presented during EAGLE
CAP graduation, June 3,
2016. He said that OEBB
(Oregon Educators Ben-
efit Board) would like to
charge $10.00 a month per
person, for anyone wishing
to opt out of the District’s
insurance, which would
cost the District $62,000,
and that OSBA (Oregon
School Board Association),
and COSA (Confederation
of Oregon School Ad-
ministrators) are showing
opposition to that proposed
fee, while the District waits
to see how that scenario
turns out.
Palmer said the RTI
(Response to Interven-
tion) group met this same
day, regarding K-6 grades,
and that most grades have
shown a consistent growth
pattern, with the 6th grade
having the best year ever.
She noted that not many
students have opted out,
and the Summer Academy,
which will run from July
5, 2016, to August 12,
2016, has 150 students
confirmed.
Dalton’s report included
the detail that the boiler
at BHS is in its final stage
of design. He said that
abatement, and prep work
is already in progress, and
the expected delivery date
of the boiler is within nine
weeks, with October 1,
2016 as the ribbon cutting
day.
No participation was
noted for the Public Com-
ment segment of the meet-
ing, and the budget hearing
was adjourned.
The following were ap-
proved, with a motion from
Irvine, and a second from
Hawkins: certified new
hires Trace Richardson,
Kindergarten teacher at
Brooklyn Primary, and An-
gela Johnson, BMS (Baker
Middle School) Math
teacher; and administrative
new hire Phil Anderson,
Brooklyn Principal. Irvine
asked about the process for
Brooklyn Principal selec-
tion, and the Board dis-
cussed that it had received
Principal Gwen O’Neal’s
resignation. Palmer and
Nemec met with the
Brooklyn teachers, asking
them about what qualities
in a new administrator
they’d like to see, and the
interview team used the
criteria to make the selec-
tion, after interviewing six
candidates. Witty said the
candidate fits the Board’s
Guiding Principles.
Resolution 16-10, Ap-
proving The Permanent
Tax Rate; Resolution 16-
11, 2016/2017 Adopting
The Budget; Resolution
16-12, Making Appropria-
tions; Resolution 16-13,
Establishing Policies For
Fund Balance; Resolu-
tion 15-14, Additional
Revenue Recognition; and
Resolution 16-15, PERS
Debt (Fund 300), were
approved, with a motion
from Hawkins, and a sec-
ond from Harrell.
Per Resolution 16-10,
the Permanent Tax Rate
is $4.6051 per $1,000 of
assessed value for opera-
tions, for tax year 2016-
2017.
Per Resolution 16-11,
the budget of $34,525,889
is adopted for the year
2016-2017. Per Resolution
16-12, the total budget is
broken down as: General
Fund, $26,197,566; Special
Revenue, $4,609,368; Cap-
ital Projects, $1,923,000;
Debt Service, $832,000;
Agency and Trust Funds,
$521,055; and All Funds,
$442,900.
Per Resolution 16-13, the
following commitments
are made, of 2015-2016
ending fund balance, and
revenues, for specific
uses in 2016-2017: about
$10,000 of the special
revenue fund balance with
regard to the BHS Athletic
Fund 253, for athletic and
related activities, through
a transfer of general fund
resources and other rev-
enues; about $38,000 of
the special revenue fund
balance with regard to
the Baker Middle School
(BMS) Athletic Fund 251,
for athletic and related
activities, through the same
type of transfer; about
$184,000 of state school
fund formula revenue, for
use by the BHS Athletic
Fund 253, through all al-
location of state school
revenues; about $61,465 of
state school fund formula
revenue, for use by the
BMS Athletic Fund 251,
through the same alloca-
tion; and about $447,000
of the general fund, to be
used to cover the potential
shortfall in revenue, be-
cause the State of Oregon
is no longer allowing the
accrual of revenue, from
one year forward, back to
the current year.
Per Resolution 16-14,
the additional revenue of
$1,238,411 received from
the State School Fund,
ESD Flow-Through, and
Federal Forest Fees rev-
enues (received in excess),
appropriated in the fiscal
year 2015-2016 for the fol-
lowing purpose: $400,000
(5200 Transfers), and
$838,411 (1000 Instruc-
tion).
Per Resolution 16-15,
the additional amount of
$11,873, received from
current year PERS State
School Fund set aside
revenue, and prior years
revenue, be appropriated in
the fiscal year 2015-2016,
for the following purpose:
$11,873 (5100 Interest
Payment).
The K-12 Math adoption
was approved as presented
earlier, with a motion from
Harrell, and a second from
Irvine.
Sumpter dredge tailings
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 5
Yencopal was asked by
the Board to determine
associated costs and the
process, with the RFP.
During discussion re-
garding drought concerns
(Kerns had asked about a
possible Drought Declara-
tion), Yencopal said that,
this year, he learned at an
Emergency Management
conference, there is a more
streamlined process which
would allow Baker County
to avoid having to declare
a full drought, before pos-
sibly receiving assistance
from the Oregon Water
Resources Department.
He said the County is
up to the D1 stage of the
Drought Index (the driest
conditions would be D4),
in an abnormally dry state.
Bennett mentioned that he
hasn’t seen the County past
the D3 stage before (if in
the D2 stage for around at
least three weeks, Yenco-
pal said that automatically,
a declaration would be
implemented).
Harvey asked Yencopal
about the County’s train
derailment emergency
response (the recent Union
Pacific train derailment in
Mosier, involving tankers
with oil, and an explosion,
was cited, as an example).
Yencopal explained that
911 would be contacted,
first responders would ar-
rive to assess the scene, au-
tomatic notification would
be sent to community
members via the County’s
“Code Red” system, and
there would be a group ef-
fort between law enforce-
ment entities, and fire
departments, with possible
evacuation implemented.
Harvey wished to
emphasize to the public
that the County has been
preparing for this type of
potential scenario for sev-
eral years, with different
agencies, and local plans,
which are always being
updated.
Bennett added that there
are many challenges, and
many miles of railroad
track and roadways to con-
sider as a potential threat
area.
Harvey said he wishes to
see some form of training
for local fire departments,
for example, to respond in
some way to the scenario
(hazardous material crews
would be dispatched from
either Ontario, or Herm-
iston).
Bennett said it would
afford more protection if
local responders received
training and equipment, in
order to at least secure a
valve, for example, in the
event of a derailment.
The Board also dis-
cussed the possibility of
offering to provide storage
for special foam, used in
hazardous material fire-
fighting.
The last item discussed
was a response to the
County’s offer to sell its
1/2 mining interest, prop-
erty identified as Reference
#9923, for $6,181, which
includes the sale price of
$6,000, plus back taxes
owed in the amount of
$181, to Whitney Ellison.
Ellison responded on
June 2, 2016 (the County
sent communication on
May 9, 2016, detailing
the offer), with questions
about whether the zoning
would be altered, to recre-
ation, or something other
than mining.
Harvey said that the
County would not be
agreeing to change any
zoning at this time, but the
County would agree to sell
the property, as-is, com-
ments echoed by Bennett.
Bennett said a zoning
change would be costly,
and would take much staff
effort, and the purchaser
would be free to pursue
that, if desired, after the
sale.
Martin said Ellison
would need to speak with
Baker County Assessor
Kerry Savage, and Bennett
and Harvey said Ellison
would be given Baker
County Planning Direc-
tor Holly Kerns’ contact
information, as well.
First Friday at
the Courthouse
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
First Friday regulars John Creighton, Tork Ballard
and Wanda Ballard.
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Baker County Commission Chairman Bill Harvey
hosted another installment of First Friday with the Com-
missioner, on Friday, June 3, 2016, 9 a.m., in the Com-
mission Chambers of the Baker County Courthouse,
discussing a variety of topics.
Joining Harvey for this monthly, informal conversation
were Tork and Wanda Ballard, John Creighton, Chuck
Chase, and Bobbie Danser.
Wanda kicked off the meeting, discussing issues with
agency-to-agency coordination, always a heated topic,
between the United States Forest Service (USFS), and
Baker County. Harvey said he was impressed with the
input of Baker County Commissioners Mark Bennett,
and Tim Kerns, during the USFS’s informational Blue
Mountain Forest Plan Revision (BMFPR) meeting with
all three Commissioners, and other community members,
on Thursday, June 2.
The group discussed issues with the USFS’s Inven-
toried Roadless Area designations, noting many roads
and areas which should be open, and Danser said she
had wished to make some comments during the BMFPR
meeting regarding mining plans, but she had difficulty
trying to determine precisely how to form some responses
about the lack of USFS’s claim of its adherence to the
1872 General Mining Act.
Danser voiced her concern that, regarding the standoff
involving John Guthrie, Jr., which began on the afternoon
of Thursday, June 2, she hadn’t received an emergency
notification from the County, until early Friday morn-
ing, June 3 (the standoff ended around 3:08 a.m). This
emergency notification is a service of the Baker County
Consolidated 911 Dispatch Center, termed “Code Red,”
installed by Emergency Communications Network (or
ECN, as displayed by Caller ID), which allows registered
users to be informed, via telephone, in the event of an
emergency, or for critical community alerts. This in-
cludes evacuation notices, bio-terrorism alerts, boil water
notices, and missing child reports (see baker911.org, for
more information).
Danser’s concern was about the timing of the notifica-
tion, and for public safety, and Harvey responded that
he first saw information about the standoff on The Baker
County Press’s Facebook page on Thursday (he was a
spectator at a sporting event at the time, he said), and he
regularly shares those posts. He said, while he under-
stands the safety concern, the need to inform the public
immediately has to be weighed against the potential that
community members may show up at the location of
the emergency to spectate, possibly putting them also in
danger, if notified early on. Harvey said he would prefer
an early notification, which relays the message to avoid
the area of the emergency.
Harvey said he attended a meeting recently, regard-
ing the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) initiative,
“Planning 2.0,” for which he said the BLM is getting
“hammered,” and he again emphasized the role or agen-
cy-to-agency coordination. Chase noted that historically,
the Vale District BLM (Don Gonzalez is Vale District
Manager) has been the easiest to work with.
This prompted Tork to ask Harvey about his thoughts
on the BLM’s newly formed division, Security, Protec-
tion, and Intelligence (SPI), which would operate inde-
pendently of the BLM’s already existing Department of
Law Enforcement and Protection. Harvey told the group
he told Gonzalez to keep the SPI away from Baker Coun-
ty, and Tork called the SPI a “Gestapo force.” Danser also
voiced her concerns about such an organization.
Wanda said she didn’t think that Nichols’ election to
County Commissioner was a “big win,” with a difference
of less than 40 votes, between Nichols, and candidate
Kody Justus, and she said she understood that Nichols
doesn’t wish to stand up against federal overreach. Har-
vey said that federal agencies have a duty to obey laws,
and he would like to have Nichols state, on the record,
which laws Nichols thinks the federal government (and
the County) should obey, and which it should ignore.
Tork asked about the County’s progress on RS (Revised
Statute) 2477 roads, and Harvey said that the County is
taking a strong stance against road closures.
SEE FIRST FRIDAY
PAGE 10