FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
Local
Sumpter
City
Council
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 3
Planning Commission
Report
LeAnne Woolf reported
that the Commission met
on September 15. They
tabled two zoning applica-
tions for lack of informa-
tion and worked on goal
seven of the Comprehen-
sive Use Plan. Goal seven
has to do with natural haz-
ards, which for Sumpter
are snowfall and risk of
wildfires.
On October 6, the Com-
mission met and approved
one of the tabled applica-
tions. Messages had been
left with the owner of the
other property. The Com-
mission discussed two new
applications for indoor
marijuana grows. They
asked Council members at
the next evening’s mari-
juana ordinance workshop
if the grow operations
should be included in the
ordinance currently under
development or put in a
separate one.
Oregon Telephone
Franchise Agreement
The Council briefly re-
viewed a sample franchise
agreement from Oregon
Telephone. Representative
Ken Gross confirmed Or-
egon Telephone is looking
at using the old cable lines
running along the power
poles to provide Internet
service to Sumpter, prob-
ably starting next spring.
Council agreed they would
need the opportunity to
read through the franchise
agreement and then ask
more questions.
Letter from Kathy
Vinson
The Council discussed
a letter received from
Bookkeeper Kathi Vinson
confirming that she would
like to retire next June.
Clarke stated he guessed
the Council should accept
her letter, and start the
process of looking for a
replacement.
Burn Pile
Clarke said his phone
has been “burning up
lately” regarding this issue.
He would like to open the
burn pile on a trial basis
for 30 or 60 days. Clarke
stated, “It’s a burn pile, not
a dump,” and asked that
residents police each other
if they see garbage going
in there. The pile should
be used strictly for yard
debris and small limbs.
City Recorder Julie McK-
inney stated that it used to
be people would have to
come get the key at City
Hall and have their load
inspected before dumping
it off. She said she would
be willing to take that on
and asked if it could be set
up by Friday.
There was some discus-
sion of a fee. Clarke stated
the Fire Department burns
the pile for free and it
gives them some practice.
As long as no more tires or
other prohibited items are
left, he is good with keep-
ing it free. Sheller stated
there are “millions of piles
of needles around town
right now” and said they
like to take care of the burn
pile when it’s low instead
of getting a huge pile. He
asked that if the City sees
the pile getting too bad,
they let him know so he
can get a crew together
and get it burned down.
Sheller stated if the burn
pile doesn’t get opened, the
town will be full of smoke
from all the piles in yards
as soon as ODF lifts the
burning restrictions.
Catherine Dodgens asked
about the building with
the antique fire truck being
locked up and said some-
one stole the brass hose
nozzles from the truck.
IFA Application
The application has been
waiting for signature of a
mayor. Clarke stated he
can come in and sign this
week.
Marijuana Business
McKinney printed and
distributed Bend’s ordi-
nance NS-2257, regard-
ing marijuana businesses
operating license, as a
reference. There will be a
third marijuana ordinance
workshop in Sumpter at
6:30 PM on Friday, Octo-
ber 21st.
Public Input
Woolf announced the
Spaghetti Feed Fund-
raiser will be held Tuesday,
October 25th. All funds
raised will go to Sumpter
Volunteer Fire Department
and Powder River Rural
Fire Department.
Sumpter Valley Com-
munity Volunteers also has
Christmas planning under-
way. They have discussed
possibly moving the tree
closer to the railroad depot
to allow more participa-
tion from older train riders.
They also discussed having
a children’s Christmas
program the third weekend
in December, if they can
find a chair for it.
Dodgens requested the
Council review ordinance
or resolution for recalled
politicians within the City
limits. She stated that in-
stead of going through the
State, which is expensive,
there needs to be a local
process.
She also asked for a
review of timelines for a
recalled person.
County: Mining dominates First Friday meeting
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The subject of mining
dominated the majority of
this month’s First Friday
with the Commissioner
discussion, held on Friday,
October 7, 2016, 9 a.m., in
the Commission Chambers
of the Baker County Court-
house.
Commission Chair
Bill Harvey, host to the
informal conversation, was
joined by John Creighton,
Guy Michael, Ed Hardt,
Chuck Chase, and Ken
Anderson.
Michael said, “We’re
killed out there, in min-
ing...” speaking about
dealing with regulations,
delays (including with
approving mining Plans of
Operations, by the fed-
eral government, and with
invocation of the National
Environmental Policy Act,
or NEPA), lawsuits, etc.,
and he spoke about the
decline in mining opera-
tions, in general. “If you
have a property right to
mine, they can’t set that
aside; that’s exactly what
they’re doing...The miner
has the FIRST right of use
of surface resources, for
mining purposes...They’re
violating your right to the
surface FIRST...” Michael
said, as he talked about
delays of up to ten years in
some cases.
Michael introduced the
subject, and after asking
Harvey how the agency-
to-agency coordination
discussions (between the
County, and members
of the U.S. Forest Ser-
vice, and the Bureau of
Land Management) were
progressing in general, he
asked Harvey to include
the topic of mining in these
talks.
Harvey said, “I’m try-
ing.”
Both Michael and Chase
said they’ve encountered
problems while trying to
discuss the issues with
Whitman District Ranger
Tomac, and Chase said that
progress was more attain-
able with rangers in the
past. Harvey said, about
the agency-to-agency
coordination progress,
“The Forest Service
(representatives) sat right
there (motioning to the
north end of the Commis-
sion Chambers, ), and after
a year an a half, finally
admitted, ‘Yes, we have to
coordinate, and, yes, we
will coordinate.’ That was
huge...”
Anderson said, “It gets
me that the 9th Circuit
Court can make a ruling
that is against what the
U.S. Supreme Court has
previously decided,” as
the group discussed issues
with Oregon Senate Bill
(SB) 838, which, among
other details, includes the
following: a moratorium
on suction dredging and
other forms of motorized
mining, on certain Oregon
streams, from January 2,
2016, through January 2,
2021; a cap of 850 autho-
rizations annually, from
2014, through 2016; and
new operating restrictions,
including a 500-foot dis-
tance between equipment,
operating hours between
9 a.m., and 5 p.m., and a
prohibition against unat-
tended equipment in the
waterway.
Harvey said, “But, you
understand, that the 9th
Circuit Court’s rulings
have been overrturned
more than any other
court...”
Michael spoke about the
benefits of logging, and
how it helps with for-
est management, but he
spoke about the issues with
supply, and Hardt men-
tioned the closing of the
Tri-Post Forest Products
mill, located in Orofino,
Idaho, last week, putting
40 people out of work.
Hardt cited as the cause,
litigation initiated by
Friends of the Clearwater,
and Idaho Rivers United,
against the U.S. Forest Ser-
vice (USFS), which halted
a transaction between
Tri-Post and the USFS, for
between 3 and 4 million
board feet of cedar, follow-
ing the Johnson Bar Fire.
Hardt said, “The saw
mill was sawing up that
timber that burnt...The
enviros (environmentalists)
file a lawsuit, and all 40
of them are gone; they’re
not working...This is not
right.”
Harvey said he told
staff of the USFS that if
this were to happen with
a potential Baker County
logging transaction, he
would want to be involved
with assisting the defense
(he said the USFS said that
a lawsuit has not yet been
filed by any environmen-
talist group, to attempt to
block a transaction).
Michael and Harvey
launched into a debate
about the potential for a
Sumpter Dredge tailings
project.
Michael voiced concern
that exploration of the pos-
sibility includes a limited
area in acreage, in order
to determine viability of
the project, and he said
that disturbance in the
area would be limited, and
Harvey said that for now,
the idea is to “get a foot in
the door,” and to possibly
expand the scope of the
project later, with more
evidence of viability.
Creighton commented
about the issues with the
educational system, and
about the focus on col-
leges, and he emphasized
that attention needs to be
paid to students early on,
since they may be behind,
and not ready for college,
by the time they get there.
“We need to be working as
hard on our grade school,
and high school, or else,
the colleges aren’t going
to do them much good,
if they can’t get in...” he
said.
Harvey said that he’s
attempting to deal with the
issues of the County losing
tax revenue, and he’d also
like to see the County/Blue
Mountain Community Col-
lege situation resolved.
Harvey mentioned the
upcoming (at the time)
Rural Organizing Project’s
(ROP) presentation at the
Baker County Library
last Saturday, regarding
topics in the ROP/Political
Research Associates co-
published, 100-plus page
book, “Up In Arms: A
Guide to Oregon’s Patriot
Movement,” which Harvey
calls a “manifesto.” The
presentation was part of
ROP’s statewide tour,
“Beyond Burns: the Grow-
ing Patriot Movement in
Oregon.”
Harvey had other previ-
ously planned commit-
ments during the time of
the presentation, but he
said that he saw it as an
obvious opportunity for
members of ROP to con-
tinue to attack him, rather
than to attempt to have a
civil discussion about any
perceived issues.
Harvey was named
personally through-
out the book, as part of
the so-called “Patriot
Movement,” and he was
criticized for his views, ac-
tions, and perceived views
and actions. “He’s (PRA
Associate Fellow Spencer
Sunshine, PhD, co-author
of the book) written about
every conservative group
in Oregon, badmouthing
everything ... He is attack-
ing me for everything in
God’s creation, that he can
find...They’re not trying to
accomplish anything, and
I don’t want to give them
more credence to this...”
Anderson said, “You
must be doing something
right.”
Creighton said, “I was
going to say, I would be
kind of proud of that.”
First Friday meetings
are held on the first Friday
of each month, at 9 a.m. at
the Courthouse.
BMCC again topic with County Commissioners
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held a
work session on Wednes-
day, October 12, 9 a.m. in
order to address concerns
with staff of Blue Moun-
tain Community College
(BMCC), the Baker School
District 5J, and others, as
part of the continuing dis-
cussion regarding BMCC
funding versus services
provided.
Present from the Board
were Chair Bill Harvey,
Commissioners Mark Ben-
nett and Tim Kerns, and
Assistant Heidi Martin.
Attendance also in-
cluded BMCC President
Cam Preus, BMCC Baker
County Director Dan
Koopman, Baker School
District 5J Board Chair
Kevin Cassidy, Baker
School District 5J Board
Vice Chair Andrew Bryan,
Baker School District 5J
CFO/Business Manager
Doug Dalton, Pine Eagle
Charter School District
Superintendent Cammie
DeCastro, former Pine
Eagle Charter School Dis-
trict Superintendent Mike
Corley, Burnt River School
School District Superin-
tendent Lorrie Andrews,
BMCC Board of Educa-
tion Member Bob Savage,
former BMCC Associate
Vice President Peggy Hud-
son, Baker City Council
Member Dan Lowe, Baker
County Commissioner-
elect Bruce Nichols, Dotti
Miles, and Ed Hardt.
After Harvey called
the meeting to order,
Preus, BMCC President
since July 2013, began a
discussion with the Board,
regarding BMCC services.
As part of the discussion,
she provided the Board
with copies of a BMCC
Small Business Develop-
ment Centers (SBDC)
information sheet, which
included details about the
BMCC SBDC’s Baker
City 2015-2016 economic
impact numbers. The
following statistics were
included: 105 clients were
counseled; 67 start-ups
and 38 existing businesses
were counseled; 34 were
women-owned, 2 were
veteran-owned, and 9
were minority-owned; 121
people attended 12 SBDC
training events; 8 new
businesses opened; 17 new
jobs were created with the
SBDC’s help; 3 existing
jobs were retained with
the SBDC’s help; every
dollar invested resulted in
$2.53 in federal revenue,
and $2.47 in state revenue;
and there was $155,100
in capital infusion (Sav-
age mentioned later, the
BMCC SBDC’s involve-
ment in the recent grand
opening of the Eagle Cap
Grill, 2916 10th Street).
Hudson had provided
the Board with documents
and information during the
Wednesday, September
21, 2016 regular session,
regarding claims about is-
sues with BMCC funding,
versus services provided to
Baker County (as reported
in the September 23, 2016
issue, and September 30,
2016 issues of The Baker
County Press).
Preus and others had
been invited by the Board
to discuss the matter dur-
ing this Wednesday’s work
session.
Preus explained that,
initially, the voters of
Baker County (as well as
other associated counties)
had chosen to become part
of the BMCC District (in
2000, after an Advisory
Board handled the matter),
party because the BMCC
District tax rate was $.66
per $1,000, whereas, the
Treasure Valley Com-
munity College (TVCC)
District rate was $1.22 per
$1,000, but she believes
that it wasn’t just purely an
economic factor, but that
BMCC services, in gen-
eral, were factored in.
Harvey asked what
Preus had envisioned,
with the BMCC program,
and Preus said that, across
the state, the economy is
growing, and enrollment
increases can be seen
with that growth, but that
community colleges are
“cyclical,” for example,
declining numbers during
the recession of 2008. She
said Baker County did see
an increase in enrollment
once the economy recov-
ered, 10 to 12%, which has
leveled off now. Koopman
said that, at the start of
the fall term, September
26, the student head count
was 142, and right now, it
sits at about 126, in Baker
County (physically at the
BMCC Baker City Center).
Preus spoke about what
services the Baker City
BMCC Center provides,
including adult basic skills
(literary college skills
preparation), GEDs, and
lower division transfers.
Services also include non-
credit programs, to gain
work experience with a lo-
cal employer, for example.
Harvey asked about any
intention to compete with
the Baker Technical Insti-
tute (BTI), and its career
and technical programs,
and Preus said that BMCC
doesn’t want to compete
with BTI, but rather, to
be complementary. She
added later that she would
not expect to have a facil-
ity built that BTI already
has.
Bennett asked about the
statistics for the percent-
age of students who are
pursuing different educa-
tional paths, and Koopman
said that roughly 75%
are taking lower division
transfer courses, including
general education courses,
and that a large percentage
of those are headed into
nursing professions. He
said that they are choos-
ing to remain here to seek
that education, because the
AAOT (Associate of Arts
Oregon Transfer) is more
streamlined, and a better
path, once further educa-
tion is pursued elsewhere.
Harvey asked about
the graduation success
rate, and Preus said that
the three-year rate, for full-
time students (the unit of
measurement) at BMMCC
is 93.4%, a very high num-
ber, she added. Harvey
asked about plans to in-
crease enrollment numbers,
and Preus provided some
details. She said a Baker
County survey on the sub-
ject revealed, among other
things, that the majority of
respondents gave BMCC
a positive rating; 51% said
they, or someone in their
family had taken a course,
or courses, at BMCC; they
saw a benefit in partner-
ships between BMCC
and local employers; they
indicated a desire to have
more career and technical
training available; and not
all respondents were aware
of where the BMCC Cen-
ter is located (3275 Baker
Street).
SEE COUNTY PAGE 12