8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2016
Local
Council hears brownfields grant application
• KIM MOSIER
PRESIDES OVER HER
LAST MEETING AS
MAYOR
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
After an executive ses-
sion evaluating City Man-
ager Fred Warner, Mayor
Kim Mosier convened her
final Council meeting as
Mayor, her term is expiring
at the end of this month.
Councilor Richard
Langrell, whose term also
expires at the end of this
month led The Pledge of
Allegiance and Invocation
for what was also his final
meeting.
Human Resources
Manager/ City Recorder
Julie Smith called roll with
each Councilor answering
present.
Smith then interjected
telling both Councilor Lan-
grell and Mayor Mosier
that she had certificates of
appreciation for them both
and thanked them for their
service to the community.
Upon presenting
the certificates to them
Langrell smiled proudly
“That’s real nice.”
Mayor Mosier tran-
sitioned quickly to the
consent agenda, which in-
cluded approving minutes
from the November 22,
2016 Council meeting as
well as liquor licenses for
both Ed’s Idle Hour and
Sunridge Inn.
Councilor Downing
moved to approve the con-
sent agenda without any
corrections or additions.
A second was heard by
Councilor Thomas.
Before Council voted
Councilor Langrell
abstained citing connec-
tions with the owners of
Sunridge Inn as a conflict
of interest.
The remaining Council
members voted unani-
mously to approve. Mayor
Mosier then called for
Citizen Participation.
Lara Petitclerc-Stoke,
Manager of Communica-
tions and Government
Affairs with OTEC ap-
proached council with a
quick update noting that
all projects are on task and
to present the City with a
franchise fee check in the
amount of $88,416.33. She
also introduced OTEC’s
new general Manager Les
Penning and reminded the
community that scholar-
ship applications are being
accepted as well as Wash-
ington D.C. Youth Tour
applications.
Both of those applica-
tions are available on
OTEC’s website. Mayor
Mosier welcomed Mr. Pen-
ning noting that recently
OTEC decorated and
donated a tree to the Fes-
tival of Trees which Mr.
Penning then purchased
“We got a double donation
there. Our hospital appreci-
ates that.”
EPA Brownfield Grant
Application
Robin Nudd Commu-
nity Developer/Manage-
ment Assistant/IT Liaison
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
Megan Alameda presents to Council at what was Mayor Kim Mosier’s and Richard Langrell’s last meeting.
explained to Council that
she has been working with
several partners includ-
ing HBC and Baker High
School’s BTI in an effort
to identify Brownfield sites
within our community and
clean up the sites. “We are
here to discuss information
on EPA grant opportunities
and to ask the City Coun-
cils blessing to be not only
the applicant but to also
apply by the December 22
deadline,” Nudd said.
She explained that while
the City would be the
applicant this project was
a partnership among the
community with HBC and
BTI being instrumental in
the pursuit of this grant and
will play significant roles
once received.
The grant is seeking
$300,000 to identify
properties. So, what is a
Brownfield site? Property
in which the redevelop-
ment or reuse of it is com-
plicated by the presence
or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pol-
lutant, or contaminant.
The actual presence of
contaminants on properties
must be determined by a
carefully planned investi-
gation known as an envi-
ronmental site assessment
(ESA). Megan Alameda,
instructor with Baker High
School, BTI has been
teaching students about
Brownfields for about four
years.
According to a govern-
mental agency similar to
the CDC, the association
for toxic substances and
disease registry, “Baker
City has been named as the
second highest per capita
in the state of Oregon for
Brownfield sites.”
Said Alameda. Tom
Joseph also a BHS, BTI In-
structor appealed to coun-
cil for their endorsement
of the grant by explaining
that he has worked exten-
sively with the students in
research techniques that
will help them with the
long-term goals as well as
helping in the writing of
the grant proposal.
He told Council “To
watch local students take
science and learning, put
it to something that could
make their town stronger,
better, healthier has been
special, we hope you’ll
hear them out and move
forward with this grant.”
Students Juan Luna,
Caistyn Brooks, Nick
Barnes and Eva Jones-
Bedolla all of whom have
been involved with this
project addressed Council
about how they felt this
was important to their
community in many differ-
ent ways such as economi-
cally and in regards to the
health of our community.
They took obvious pride
in their accomplishments
thus far and made it very
clear to Council that mov-
ing forward was extremely
important.
Eva Jones-Bedolla
even went so far as to say
she wanted to follow this
through into a career.
After a question and
answer session that in-
cluded asking if there was
a strategy plan if resistance
was met to which Nudd an-
swered, “We will address
that as it happens.”
She did advise a meeting
with potential stakeholders
had already happened and
most of the response was
very positive.
It was again clarified that
currently all that was being
asked for was a grant to as-
sess which properties were
Brownfields, the request
for cleanup funds would
come later and likely be an
easier grant to get after get-
ting the assessment grant.
The question was raised
as to whether or not the
cleanup grant could be
asked for before all the as-
sessments were completed
or if stakeholders would
just have to wait.
Alameda indicated she
believed the cleanup grants
could be obtained while
assessments are still being
made. Councilor Lowe
stated that he felt all his
fellow Councilors should
tour BTI as some amazing
things are happening there
before he moved to ap-
prove moving forward with
the grant application.
A second was heard from
Councilor Abell. Before
Council voted
Mayor Mosier said she
was “really impressed” and
thought it was great to see
the School District work-
ing with the City.
She said it was “excit-
ing that it could bring
$300,000 to our City.”
When Mosier finished
Council voted unani-
mously to move forward
with this grant application
and the exciting opportuni-
ties that will come with
receiving it. It should be
noted that Baker High
School and BTI are the
only known students to
be participating in this
monumental achievement
nationwide.
Megan Alameda, Thomas
Joseph and all the students
participating in this project
are to be commended for
the difference they are
making to our community.
Update of the Econom-
ic Development Contract
between Baker City and
Baker County
City Manager Warner
advised Council that a
new contract had been
agreed upon by City and
County leaders in regards
to an updated contract for
Economic Development
between the City and the
County.
That contract was before
Council for approval.
One of the changes that
both City and County of-
ficials had trouble agree-
ing on was the number
of members that would
serve on the Economic
Development Committee
in an effort to keep things
fair between the City and
County. Both the City
Manager and the County
Commission will serve
on the board and each is
responsible for appointing
one other member.
There will then be five
additional at large posi-
tions that it was agreed on
would need to be business
owners or similar. Council
addressed how these ad-
ditional members would be
determined.
Warner assured Council
the same process in which
members are appointed to
other boards and commis-
sions would be used and
that the County had similar
application processes.
Both would need to
agree before any appoint-
ment. After a few other
questions and minor con-
cerns that were addressed
Councilor Downing moved
to accept the contract with
a second by Councilor
Thomas.
A brief discussion was
had in regards to the fact
that the County Commis-
sioners would also have to
vote to accept this contract
before it would go into
effect. Council then passed
to motion to accept the
contract.
Proclamation for
Certification of General
Election 2016 Result
Smith read the procla-
mation aloud certifying
the results of the general
election that included the
election of City Council
members.
All current seated Coun-
cilors that ran in this elec-
tion Mike Downing, Loran
Joseph, Rosemary Abell,
and Daniel Lowe were re-
elected with Arvid Ander-
son and Jamie Ostrander
newly elected. Councilor
Joseph moved to accept the
proclamation with a second
by Councilor Downing.
A unanimous vote was
cast after which Councilor
Langrell jokingly ques-
tioned if all Council should
vote to accept this proc-
lamation since four were
basically voting to accept
reelection of themselves.
Mayor Mosier laughed
but pointed out that if they
hadn’t only herself, Coun-
cilor Langrell and Coun-
cilor Thomas were left
to vote and that wouldn’t
be enough to approve the
motion.
2017 Council Planning,
Orientation and Budget
Overview Sessions
City Manager Warner
stated that he had perhaps
jumped the gun on this
and thought that after new
Councilors were sworn
in and seated might be a
better time to discuss this.
Councilor Joseph stated he
would still like to see an
email started to help facili-
tate getting some tentative
dates for orientations, goal
setting meetings, budget
overviews etc.
Warner agreed and
indicated he would get that
started and once everyone
comes together for the first
meeting with new Coun-
cil members in January a
more definitive schedule
could be decided on.
City Manager/Director
Comments
Warner asked for some
clarification as to how the
next meeting would be
started, this being his first
time at the helm when a
new Council takes over.
“Does someone have to
be appointed, by you all at
this meeting to start that
meeting and begin elec-
tion of a new Mayor?” he
asked.
It was explained that
the City Recorder, Smith
in this case, will open the
meeting administer the
oath of office to the Coun-
cilors and facilitate until
the Council body chooses
its Mayor.
Warner also commended
the public works depart-
ment for its hard work
and dedication in keeping
streets plowed after all the
recent snow.
He indicated that
negotiation on the Police
Union contract was nearly
complete and he would
begin contract negotiations
with the Fire Department
Union soon.
He also indicated an
agreement with the YMCA
over the swimming pool
would be coming before
Council soon and that he
felt the talks had been go-
ing smoothly and positive-
ly, that both the City and
the Y knew what an asset
the pool was to the com-
munity and were determine
to come to an acceptable
agreement.
Council Comments
Mayor Mosier spoke to
her fellow councilors and
our community directly
saying, “I was thinking
about whether or not I was
going to say anything, this
being my last time meeting
as Mayor.”
She continued by
acknowledging in a town
the size of Baker City, it
takes bravery to serve in
public entities. She said,
“We see each other at the
grocery store, the soccer
fields, church and the gym,
just everywhere so there is
not the anonymity that you
might have other places
but in a town this size we
have to do it. We all have
to take a turn at doing
something as there are only
so many of us.”
She then read from the
1910 speech of Theodore
Roosevelt entitled ‘A man
in the arena’ encouraging
community members to
take an active role in their
community in a variety of
different capacities regard-
less of critics, those not
completing the task. “Be
the man in the arena,” she
said.
She expressed her
gratitude for the role she
has been able to serve over
the last few years as a City
Councilor and as Mayor.
Then she closed the meet-
ing for her final time.
Brooklyn Elementary holds budget night
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 4
If there are, Anderson
explained that they reach
out to the families to see
if they are able to help get
their children to school.
After his presentation,
Anderson had those attend-
ing get into small groups
to create lists of what they
felt was going well at
Brooklyn and what needed
to be improved or added.
Some ideas from the
parents for what is going
well included full-day kin-
dergarten, the 45 Inquiry
Block, and leveled reading.
Ideas for improvement or
additions included leveled
math to help students with
math as they are helped
with reading and adding
variety in physical educa-
tion games.
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