THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2016
Business & Ag
County in moderate drought,
agreements with various
agencies enacted
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County
Board of Commission-
ers held its first, regular
session of the month on
Wednesday, July 6, 2016,
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 Clerk Cindy
Carpenter, Baker County
Planning Director Holly
Kerns, Baker County
Planner Kara Harris, Baker
County Sheriff Travis Ash,
Baker County Roadmaster
Jeff Smith, Baker County
Emergency Management
Director Jason Yencopal,
John Creighton, Tork and
Wanda Ballard, Ed Hardt,
Art Sappington, Vicki
Valenzuela, Guy Michael,
Mary Miller, and Peter
Hall.
Harvey called the ses-
sion to order, and led in
recitation of the optional
Invocation, and the Pledge
of Allegiance. Shortly
thereafter, the agenda was
adopted, with a few addi-
tional topics, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns.
Citizen Participation
included Wanda Ballard,
and Valenzuela. Ballard
asked if there would be
County representation
during a couple of upcom-
ing Resources Advisory
Council (RAC) meetings
in Baker City, and Har-
vey responded that Terry
Drever Gee, of the Baker
County Assessor’s Office,
would be representing the
County, but he and Baker
County Natural Resource
Advisory Committee
(NRAC) Coordinator Eric
Wuntz may not be able to
attend (Wuntz is on vaca-
tion, he said).
Valenzuela asked if the
60-page document from
the American Stewards of
Liberty (ASL), which was
requested by the County,
to assist the County with
its response to the Bureau
of Land Management’s
(BLM) proposed rule
changes, “Planning 2.0,”
had been given also to the
NRAC, and Harvey said
that it had been.
The minutes from the
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
session were approved,
with a motion from Ben-
nett, and a second from
Kerns.
Carpenter provided
attendees with a Clerk De-
partment update, with the
following included, among
the details: everyone with
business dealings with the
County (title companies,
etc.) was required to initi-
ate new contracts, which
increases the County’s
revenue by $75 a month,
per contract, each year,
and those can be reviewed
again in 2018; CoreLogic
and Zillow have contracted
with the County for use of
the County’s documents,
and the two companies will
provide monthly revenue
for that service; the Oregon
Motor Voter Act, passed
in 2015, and taking effect
January 1 of this year,
means extra spending for
the County, since ballots
would still be mailed out,
regardless of whether the
recipients would vote
(she said that the aver-
age cost per ballot in the
last election was $2.70);
ERM (Election Reporting
Manager) software was
purchased, for $4,675,
plus a $3,500 per-year
license fee, and the system
has helped save time, and
streamline the election pro-
cess; the Election Board,
this May (10 people), was
paid $4,107.09, at mini-
mum wage, and the most
recent PCP (Precinct Com-
mittee Person) election
cost the County $1,247.17
(just to count the bal-
lots), a process Carpenter
would like to see changed,
legislatively; the Clerk’s
office held a signature
verification class last April;
one of Carpenter’s goals is
to provide voter education
to students at Baker High
School; and the current
Sumpter recall closes on
July 19.
An agreement, between
the County and attorney
Ken Bardizian, for the
services as Indigent De-
fense Attorney for Baker
County Justice Court, was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. This includes
payment from the County
of $20,000, for up to 60
cases, payable in equal
monthly installments.
USDA (United States
Department of Agriculture)
APHIS (Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service)
Work And Financial Plan,
between the County and
the USDA, was approved,
with a motion from Kerns,
and a second from Harvey.
This agreement includes
the amount of $27,145.76
from the County to the
USDA, for the listed,
provided services, to in-
clude: assistance to County
residents experiencing con-
flicts caused by predatory
animals, and other wildlife;
assistance in the form of
educational information, or
when appropriate, to utilize
the most effective, and safe
management tools, and
techniques available; and
a mechanism that enables
other entities to partici-
pate in the program, with
shared responsibilities,
for funding, planning, and
evaluation.
An Oregon Develop-
ment Business Department
(OBDD) Brownfields Re-
development Fund Grant
Contract, between the
County, and OBDD, was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. This contract
is for the County’s Lime
Cement Plant Asbestos
Abatement Project, and the
grant amount is $60,000.
Intergovernmental
Agreement (IGA) No.
31350, Single Trip Permit
Authorization, between the
County, and the Depart-
ment of Transportation
(DOT), was approved, with
a motion from Bennett,
and a second from Kerns.
Smith explained the reason
for the agreement, that it’s
a renewal/continuation of
a previous agreement, in
order to simplify the issu-
ance of permits.
The first hearing in
— Weekly Hay Report —
Friday, July 1, 2016 — Eastern Oregon
Hay demand was relatively steady while displaying
some firmness in the Klamath Basin region. There
was substantially more hay sold this week as hay
producers are starting to finish first cuttings but a
majority are right in the thick of their hay produc-
tion.
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Alfalfa/Ochard Mix — Small Square Premium
10 165.00-165.00 165.00
Orchard Grass — Small Square Premium
12 165.00-165.00 165.00
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 320
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
County Clerk Cindy Carpenter talks about the new
Motor Voter law.
the matter of Order No.
2016-134, Naming A
Private Road Wildhorse
Loop, Located Along The
Western Boundary Of
Tax Lot 200 and 300, In
Township 8 South, Range
48 East, W.M., Baker
County, Oregon, was held.
Holly Kerns and Harris
introduced and explained
the request, from applicant
Idaho Power, owner of the
majority of the property
surrounding the proposed
road. This matter was con-
tinued to the next, regular
session, on Wednesday,
July 20, 9:45 a.m., with a
motion from Bennett, and
a second from Kerns (it
requires two public hear-
ings).
Ash spoke with the
Board about an agreement,
between the County, and
Idaho Power Company
(IPC), for enhanced law
enforcement services to be
performed by the County,
in the area between the
United States Forest Ser-
vice (USFS) Center below
Hells Canyon Dam, Idaho,
and upstream to the Adams
County property line. IPC
would provide housing for
a Resident Deputy Sheriff,
and IPC would pay the
County up to $94,972.56
in total, for the services
performed. The agreement
was approved, with a mo-
tion from Bennett, and a
second from Kerns.
A County Counsel RFP
(Request for Proposals)
Award was approved,
with a motion from Kerns,
and a second from Har-
vey. This agreement is
for legal services District
Attorney Matt Shirtcliff
would not be performing.
Attorney Drew Martin was
approved, his per-hour
County rate listed as $190.
Yencopal provided the
Board with a County
drought update, and he
discussed the possibility
of a drought declaration.
Yencopal gave the Board
copies of information
provided by the USDA
(he had planned to use the
County’s interactive Smart
Board, but he had printed
information instead).
This included predicted
soil moisture, weather
outlook, water levels, fuel
moisture levels, and other
data. He said the County
is in a D1 state (moderate
drought, on a scale of D0,
to D4, D4 being excep-
tional drought, according
to the Drought Monitor).
Included in the details:
Phillips Reservoir was (at
the time of this writing) at
35% capacity; Thief Valley
Reservoir was at 62%;
and Unity Reservoir was
at 63%. The Baker Valley
Irrigation District allocated
1.2 acre-feet of water per
acre this year, and last
year, the District allocated
1.25 acre-feet of water per
acre.
According to the data,
the District rates this year
about the same as last year,
or a little worse, based
on the trend so far, with
no rain. Yencopal was
directed to draft a County
Drought Declaration, with
a motion from Kerns, and
a second from Bennett.
The Board discussed the
Sumpter Valley Dredge
Tailings Reclamation Proj-
ect. The interest first ex-
pressed in this project was
voiced by Yellow Eagle
Mining, in 2012, according
to documentation.
After significant discus-
sion (no motions were
made at this time), the
Board decided to con-
tinue the conversation,
which would involve more
input from Sumpter area
residents. Michael and
Hardt expressed concerns,
including the limited size
of the allowed exploratory
acreage for interested min-
ing parties, and Harvey
suggested a tentatively-
scheduled meeting with
residents at Sumpter City
Hall, next Wednesday, July
13, at 6 p.m., which Martin
would confirm.
Order No. 2016-135,
Re-Appointing A Member
To The Baker County Fair
Board Advisory Commit-
tee, was approved, with a
motion from Harvey, and a
second from Bennett. Ann
Kniesel was re-appointed,
her term set to expire on
July 1, 2017.
Order No. 2016-136, Re-
Appointing A Member To
The Baker County Cultural
Coalition, was approved,
with a motion from Har-
vey, and a second from
Bennett. Brian Vegter was
re-appointed, his term set
to expire on July 1, 2019.
Order No. 2016-137, Ap-
pointing A Member To The
Baker County 911 Consoli-
dated Dispatch Oversight
Board, was approved, with
a motion from Bennett,
and a second from Kerns.
Harvey was appointed,
his term set to expire on
December 31, 2016.
Order No. 2016-138, Ap-
pointing A Member To The
Regional Coordinated Care
Committee, was approved,
with a motion from Kerns,
and a second from Harvey.
Bennett was appointed,
his term set to expire on
December 31, 2016.
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 129.00 - 154.00 Top 156.00
400-500# Bulk 142.00 - 159.00 Top 166.00
500-600# Bulk 137.00 - 157.00 Top 160.50
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A
400-500# Bulk N/A Top N/A
500-600# Bulk 127.00 - 136.00 Top 138.00
Yearling Steers
600-700# Bulk 134.00 - 143.00 Top 145.00
700-800# Bulk 125.00 - 132.00 Top 134.00
800-900# Bulk 123.00 - 131.00 Top 135.50
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 122.00 - 131.00 Top 132.00
700-800# Bulk N/A Top N/A
800-900# Bulk N/A Top N/A
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Thin Shelly Cows 56.00 - 69.00
Butcher Cows 76.00 - 83.50
Butcher Bulls 83.00 - 92.00
Older B.M. 1000.00 - 1250.00
Hfretts. 83.00 - 96.00
Stock Cows Young - N/A
ProducersLivestock.com
541-473-3136
— Log Price Report —
Price per 1,000 board feet: Northeast Oregon
Currently the local log market is flooded with
fire salvage logs. The log buyer for Malheur
Lumber Co. stated they have all the logs they
need under contract and are not accepting any
new purchases. BCC/LLC of La Grande has
receive so many burned fire salvage logs they
are no longer accepting logs at the La Grande
log yard. Any additional pine logs have to be
delivered to the Elgin Log yard cut in plywood
lengths and to a 8 inch top. For these pine
logs cut in plywood lengths, BCC is offering
$280.00/mbf. They are also paying $420.00/
mbf for Doug Fir & Western Larch. For White
Fir they are offing $325.00/mbf. At the Pilot
Rock Saw Mill BCC is offing $360.00/mbf for a
12 to 15 inch top, for 16 to 19 inch top $400.00/
mbf & offing $425.00/mbf for 20 inch plus top
Courtesy of Arvid Andersen,
Andersen Forestry Consulting
— Precious Metals Report —
Price per ounce, USD
Gold: $1,367.40
Silver: $20.14
Platinum: $1085.06
Palladium: $606.87
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $340.25/bu/USD
Wheat: $425.50/bu/USD
Soybeans: $1045.50/bu/USD
Oats: $193.25 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $10.41/cwt/USD
Canola: $476.90 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $113.20/lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $145.08/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $81.13/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com