FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
County, like City, learns
about torrified wood
Bud Pierce
• SECOND
PLANNING
HEARING
SCHEDULED ON
DANIELS REZONING
ISSUE
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Suzan Ellis Jones / The Baker County Press
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held
its first, regular session of
the month, on Wednesday,
October 5, 2016, 9 a.m., in
the Commission Chambers
of the Baker County Court-
house, highlights of which
include an update from
Baker County Economic
Development Director
Greg Smith, and a hearing
in the matter of PA-16-001,
a zoning change request
from Richard and Lori
Daniels.
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 Car-
son Quam, Baker County
Emergency Management
Manager Jason Yencopal,
Baker County Facilities
Maintenance Foreman
Dan McQuisten, Smith’s
Economic Development
Department Assistant Julee
Hicks, the Daniels’ consul-
tant John Lackey, Randy
Joseph, Ken Anderson,
Ed Hardt, John Creighton,
Art Sappington, Wanda
Ballard, Chuck Chase, and
Bobbie Danser.
The optional Invocation
and Pledge of Allegiance
were recited, both led by
Harvey, and the agenda
was adopted, noting a
couple of additions, with a
motion from Bennett, and a
second from Kerns.
Citizen Participation in-
cluded Sappington, Jeffer-
son Mining District (JMD)
Coordinating Officer, who
spoke on behalf of both
the Virtue Mine, and the
JMD, including comments
regarding some apparent
attempts to revitalize min-
ing, throughout the County,
and the State, under the
MMAC (Minerals & Min-
ing Advisory Council),
including seeking agency
status, which he said the
JMD does not support. He
also mentioned issues with
a DOGAMI (Department
of Geology and Mineral
Industries) report, which
he said diminishes the
historical significance of
mining.
The minutes from the
regular session on Wednes-
day, September 21, 2016
were approved, with a
clarification noted, with a
motion from Kerns, and a
second from Bennett.
Smith provided an
Economic Development
update similar to that
provided to the Baker City
Council last week, includ-
ing, among other items, the
potential project the Coun-
ty may facilitate, between
interested individuals, and
Portland General Electric
(PGE), to supply material
for PGE’s future Boardman
torrefied wood power plant
(torrefied wood, a renew-
able, carbon-neutral energy
source more energy dense
than wood, and almost as
dense as coal, is created
Rancher Curt Martin accompanied Pierce to Harney
County.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Todd Arriola/ The Baker County Press
At left, Rich Daniels addresses the County Commissioners.
from biomass material that
undergoes a process called
torrefaction).
Smith said that the
County could possibly
be the regional hub for
supplying the mate-
rial (he noted that Union
Pacific’s railroad line
passes through, a necessary
method of transporting the
material), an opportunity
he’s excited about, but the
potential project is just in
the preliminary stages for
now.
Smith mentioned an up-
coming Employer Summit,
scheduled to be held at the
Baker County Conference
and Event Center, 2600
East Street, Baker City, on
November 1, 2016, from
8 a.m. to approximately
noon.
He said that local busi-
ness owners said they’re
struggling to find the right
employees, as evidenced
by a recent survey he con-
ducted, with 57 responses
from owners, with about
75% stating they’ve hired
a new employee within
the last year. About 70%
of the respondents stated
they plan to hire another
employee within the next
year, he said (Smith said,
at the time of the session,
there were 61 job openings
posted at the Employment
Department).
Smith said, while the
vacant Farewell Bend
structures--the hotel,
convenience store, gas
station--aren’t within the
County, he sees the chance
for some Huntington-based
citizens, for example, to
have potential future em-
ployment opportunities.
He said a developer, Mr.
Singh, who owns many
other properties, including
convenience stores, plans
to clean up the property,
and develop it, including
reopening the convenience
store there, and he is ask-
ing for potential help from
Baker County contractors.
A purchase request,
from McQuisten, for a
2017 Chevrolet Equinox
LS AWD, for $22,723,
from Baker Garage, was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. McQuisten
discussed the details of
the request, prior to its
approval.
According to the request,
both local car dealerships,
Baker Garage, and Gentry
Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram,
received a request for
proposal, and GSA pricing
was also compared. One
of the County’s carpool
vehicles, a 2002 Dodge
Caravan with over 170,000
miles, was needed im-
mediately by the Sheriff’s
Office (their transport
vehicle is becoming
unserviceable), and it was
determined that a five-
person SUV would be a
more suitable replacement.
Proposed funding is from
the Equipment Replace-
ment fund, through the
Vehicle Replacement line,
according to the request.
An Oregon Military
Department Office Of
Emergency Management
(OEM) Grant Agreement
No. 16-202, between
OEM, and Baker County,
was approved to be signed
out of session, upon ap-
proval from County legal
counsel, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns.
According to the agree-
ment, $103,250 is provided
by OEM, for the purpose
of purchasing, and install-
ing a backup power source
at the Baker County prima-
ry emergency operations
center (the Courthouse).
Yencopal discussed this
agreement with the Board,
prior to approval. This is
the second phase of the
project, as the first phase
included the installation of
a transfer switch.
The Board discussed an
agreement, between the
City of Greenhorn, and
Baker County (an agree-
ment previously approved),
including County lots
given to Greenhorn, for
the purposes of emergency
helicopter landing services,
and a park, and the County
had agreed that, if Green-
horn did not use the pieces
of property, they would be
returned to the County.
The County, however,
didn’t set a time limit,
during which Greenhorn
would need to make use of
the properties.
Bennett moved that
Greenhorn be given five
years in which to convert
the properties, with a pos-
sible extension (to be dis-
cussed in five years), Kerns
seconded the motion, and
the motion carried.
A public hearing was
held in the matter of Plan
Amendment (PA) 16-001,
a request from the Daniels,
to re-zone an approximate
4.5 acre portion of an
approximate 75.32 acre
parcel in the North Powder
area, from Timber Graz-
ing (TG), to a Limited Use
Tourist Commercial Over-
lay (LUTCO) Zone, an
adaptation of the existing
Tourist Commercial Zone
(TC). Harvey read a hear-
ing statement, regarding
procedures and testimony,
and he said that a second
public hearing would be
scheduled for Wednesday,
November 2, 2016, 9 a.m.
Holly Kerns and Quam
provided the Board with
details of the request.
The core of the a new
issue presented at the ses-
sion is that this request was
modified after the Baker
County Planning Com-
mission made a recom-
mendation for approval.
On September 16, 2016,
the Daniels requested to
modify the zone, removing
certain uses, and the as-
sociated zone area, which
the applicants said would
lower the impact of the de-
velopment on surrounding
property owners, according
to the request.
They changed the re-
quested zone area, from
seven acres, to 4.5 acres,
and removed the follow-
ing two items: 10 Lim-
ited Service RV Sites, and
Bathroom Facility. They
left in place the following:
16 Full-Service RV Sites,
and “Use of the existing
dwelling as a commercial
dwelling for business of-
fice, caretaker residence,
and retail space to accom-
modate on-site guests.”
The Daniels and Lackey
provided testimony to
support approval of the
request, including eco-
nomic benefits, and efforts
to minimize impacts of
the development, and the
Planning Department Staff
Report noted the follow-
ing: “The findings in the
staff report will be affected
by the modification, in-
cluding impacts to property
owners, economic devel-
opment, and recreational
need. The staff report
includes the findings of
the Planning Commission
for the original proposal
without modification.”
After further discussion,
Bennett noted that the
changes were significant,
there were still issues
with the request, and that
the matter needed to be
remanded back to the
Planning Commission, for
review, and Commissioner
Kerns noted elk overlay
issues.
SEE COUNTY PAGE 9
Pierce started with talking about the dignity of work,
being allowed to work the professions people choose
without government interference. He said the economy
of eastern Oregon would flourish if regulations weren’t
prohibiting growth in natural resource industries. Pierce
said he was very concerned about the homeless situation
in Oregon as well.
The group discussed the Transfer of Public lands issue
and Pierce said he had a proposal he broached during the
Bend debate to return a percentage of public lands for lo-
cal control each year, and that generated hate mail. Pierce
says local control on any resource is best.
Pierce said he has three points to his message, 1) manu-
facturing, 2) natural resources and 3) infrastructure devel-
opment. He says his plan will boost Oregon’s economy.
The discussion also included how hard it is to get work-
ers who will do the job in natural resources because it is
usually a physical occupation. But finding workers who
will be punctual and drug free has become a challenge to
employers.
Pierce said freedom is being able to live where one
wants to live, and where its economically viable. Pierce
said, “Science is being misused,” on NR issues. Pierce
has been an oncologist for 40 years; he is a medical doc-
tor and also has his PhD. He owns the last private medical
oncology practice in Oregon.
Curt Martin said at the end of the meeting, “The science
is there and economically sound and economically viable.
Past socialistic propaganda hurts natural resource indus-
tries. It becomes obstructionism.”
Martin further said he is concerned rural communities
are being eliminated.
Martin flew to Harney county with Pierce for his next
stop. Martin is advising Pierce on natural resource issues.
Governor to
fill Malheur
County D.A.
position
Governor Brown announced this week she will fill the
vacancy for the Malheur District Attorney position fol-
lowing notice of Daniel O. Norris' resignation, effective
Oct. 3. Pursuant to ORS 8.640, Governor Brown intends
to fill the vacancy created by this resignation by appoint-
ment, as provided in Article V, Section 16 of the Oregon
Constitution.
The Governor’s Office is now accepting applications
from candidates with a diversity of backgrounds and
experiences. Applicants must submit a District Attorney
Interest Form to the Governor’s Office. Please note that
the District Attorney Interest Form is a distinct form and
is not the same form that is used for judicial vacancies.
The District Attorney Interest Form is available online at:
http://www.oregon.gov/…/ad…/Pages/Judicial-Appoint-
ments.aspx
Oregon law requires that, at the time of appointment,
the appointee must be admitted to practice in the Supreme
Court of Oregon (ORS 8.630 and ORS 8.640). District
Attorney Interest Forms must be received by the Gov-
ernor’s Office by no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday,
October 10, 2016.
Notwithstanding the commencement of this appoint-
ment process, Governor Brown will not exercise her
appointment authority for this vacancy unless and until
the Malheur County District Attorney-elect, Circuit Court
Judge Erin Landis (who is scheduled to take office in
early 2017), resigns as the District Attorney-elect.
Expect delays near Oxbow
Motorists should plan for possible delays on the
Brownlee-Oxbow Highway near Oxbow during most of
October while work is being done on a rock slope above
the road. Beginning Monday, Oct. 3, a drill rig and crane
will be working in the area. When this equipment is being
moved, the road will be narrowed to a single lane for up
to 30 minutes at a time, during daylight hours only. Work
will continue on weekends and could extend to Oct. 28.
Traffic control crews will be on hand while the work is
taking place. Work is being done on the rock slope south
of Idaho Power’s Oxbow office and shop.