8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2017
Local
County hears about drug addiction, declares
state of emergency due to severe weather
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held a
regular session on Wednes-
day, January 18, 2017, 9
a.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the Baker
County Courthouse, which
included public comment
from Steve Culley, a Veter-
ans Services departmental
update from Rick Gloria, a
City/County 911 Consoli-
dated Dispatch agreement
discussion, a City of Unity
supplemental budget dis-
cussion, and a Declaration
Of Local Disaster, due to
winter conditions.
Present from the Board
were Chair Bill Harvey,
Commissioners Mark Ben-
nett and Bruce Nichols,
and Shelly Christensen
from Payroll, sitting in for
Executive Assistant Heidi
Martin.
Attendance also includ-
ed Baker County 911 Con-
solidated Dispatch Center
Director Hope Lindsey,
Baker County Sheriff
Travis Ash, Baker County
Emergency Manager
Jason Yencopal, Wallowa-
Whitman National Forest
Supervisor Tom Montoya,
John Creighton, Tork and
Wanda Ballard, Bobbie
Danser, and Chuck Chase.
The meeting was called
to order, followed by the
Invocation, and the Pledge
of Allegiance, both led by
Harvey. The agenda was
adopted, with no noted
changes, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols.
Citizen Participation
included Culley, who first
said that his son, Ryan,
would have been 38 years
old the day of the session,
and his discussion was in
honor of him (Ryan had
committed suicide, as a re-
sult of drug addiction, Cul-
ley said). Culley expressed
confusion as to why the
revenue from the tax of
marijuana sales is not go-
ing towards the treatment
of drug addiction, he wants
the County to be more
vocal, and he wishes to
get a clear message to the
State Legislature, about the
issues with drugs, and with
the failures with drug treat-
ment programs, in general.
Harvey said that part of
the problem is that cities
(such as Huntington and
Sumpter, but not Baker
City) approved a tax on
marijuana sales, as a
source of revenue, rather
than on the treatment of
drugs, or for the enforce-
ment of drug laws, which
is why he said the tax was
approved
Culley said he experi-
enced issues with attempt-
ing to speak to Governor
Kate Brown about the top-
ic, and Nichols, while stat-
ing that the County could
write letters and speak on
Culley’s behalf, he sug-
gested contacting organiza-
tions such as New Direc-
tions Northwest, which he
said has some considerable
political clout. Culley said
that since the beginning of
President Nixon’s War on
Drugs there has been no
real progress in keeping
drugs out of the Country,
in dealing with drug-
related crime, or in treating
drug addiction.
The minutes from the
Wednesday, January 4,
2017 regular session were
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols.
Gloria, County Veterans
Services Officer, provided
a departmental update, ex-
pressing that he’s honored
to have been the County
VSO for two years, three
months, thus far.
Among other details,
he referenced a handout
of his, and he mentioned
VetraSpec, an automated
system sponsored by the
Oregon Department of
Veterans Affairs (ODVA),
through which actions
(compensation, pension,
educational benefits, etc.)
are submitted by personnel
such as Gloria. He said,
“It’s very, very efficient,”
and ODVA’s goal is to pro-
cess each claim within two
to three months. Gloria
said that 670 County veter-
ans are currently enrolled
with VetraSpec (there are
about 2,000 veterans in the
County, and about 1,403
active files).
Operationally, ODVA
provides 30% of Gloria’s
salary, and $29,000 for out-
reach, including advertise-
ments in print media (The
Baker County Press, The
Baker City Herald, and
The Hells Canyon Jour-
nal), and via radio (104.7
KCMB, and 103.7 KBBL).
He said the advertisements
were worth the cost, and
Harvey said he appreciates
the outreach.
Gloria said that, for the
first quarter of 2016 (July,
August, September), he
recorded 329 in-office
interviews, and he re-
ceived 822 phone calls
(he answered the call, or a
message was left), and he
intends to speak with every
contact. He asked that
members of the public let
him know if they’re aware
of a veteran who is in need
of his services. He ex-
pressed praise for a mobile
office setup that was paid
for by outreach funding,
which includes a scanner, a
printer, and a wi-fi hotspot,
allowing him to travel out
into the field, and to file
claims. He said that, since
October 2014, through
VetraSpec, $759,320 has
been recovered for County
veterans.
A discussion was held
regarding the Intergovern-
mental Cooperative Agree-
ment For Dispatch And
Records Keeping Services,
between Baker County and
Baker City, which has been
an ongoing negotiation,
because of issues with the
recommended makeup of
the Consolidated Dis-
patch Center Board, and
with compensation for
operations of the Center.
Harvey provided his own
recommendations with an
edited copy, changing and
adding some language in
the sections “Responsibil-
ity,” page 2, and “Consid-
eration,” page 3.
Among other details,
“Responsibility,” his ver-
sion states that the Baker
County Consolidated
Dispatch Center Board of
Directors shall consist of
five members, including
the Baker County Commis-
sion Chair, the Baker City
Manager, two members
from the private sector
(one from the County, and
one from the City), and the
last member appointed by
the Fire Defense Board.
His version also includes
the recommendation of the
City paying 75% of the
cost, and the County 25%,
for the dispatch services
outlined in the agreement.
Harvey read a letter
from Jo Marlette, and one
from Debi Dugan, who
were unable to attend the
session. Marlette said she
believes that the Board
should include two mem-
bers from the public, one
each from the City, and the
County, and that the public
perspective is important.
Dugan said that she
agrees that the Board
should consist of five
members, but she disagrees
with one of the recom-
mended versions of the
agreement, which states
that two members shall be
appointed by the Board
of Commissioners, two
shall be appointed by City
Council, and one shall be
appointed by the entity
paying the majority of the
cost of the operation of
the Dispatch Center (the
City), which would stack
the Board with elected of-
ficials, and leave Rural Fire
and EMS out. She pointed
out several other concerns
of hers, as well.
Among Bennett’s con-
cerns, referencing Harvey’s
recommended version,
he said that there should
be more representation
from law enforcement on
the Board, and that there
historically hasn’t been
public representation.
Nichols asked at what
point the process took a
negative turn, and Harvey
said the issue was the idea
to add two more people to
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Steve Culley, at left, tells Commissioners about his son’s suicide and drug
addiction with hopes of one day seeing tax funds allocated to treat addiction.
the Board. After further
discussion, Nichols made
a motion to send a request
to meet with City Council,
to discuss the topic during
an open meeting, and to at-
tempt to negotiate, Harvey
seconded the motion, and
it carried.
A public hearing was
held regarding a Supple-
mental Budge for the City
of Unity (the Board acted
as Unity City Council),
because of unanticipated
revenue, as Bennett stated.
The City of Unity received
$76,860, in connection
with the Rail Fire last
year, from the U.S. Forest
Service/Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest, for use
of the City’s waste water
pond, which will be used
to pay off two debts, owed
to the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, and to
the State of Oregon, and
to purchase chlorination
equipment for Unity’s
water system.
Nichols read more
details regarding Unity’s
various funds, and he said
that the revenue from the
U.S. Forest Service will
allow Unity to finally be
on positive footing, after
years of financial struggle.
Harvey and Bennett said
also that the revenue
helped to greatly improve
Unity’s financial situation,
and Harvey thanked Mon-
toya for his involvement.
Montoya said that he
wished to recognize Unity
and the people there, and
that every time the U.S.
Forest Service personnel
were present to fight fires,
community members made
every effort to accommo-
date them, to make the op-
eration run more smoothly,
and to make the best of
a difficult situation. The
Supplemental Budget was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Harvey.
Yencopal discussed
a Declaration Of Local
Disaster, due to extreme
winter conditions, signed
on January 12, 2017. He
said that he discussed the
topic with other communi-
ties, and that most of the
structural damage caused
by the conditions is in
Halfway, and there is an
imminent threat to property
and lives. He said that,
among other resources, a
crew of ten people was re-
quested (from the Depart-
ment of Corrections, in this
case), in order to remove
snow from structures in
the Halfway area, includ-
ing the school, and since
road conditions are a major
concern, he’s discussing
closures with the Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion, and Baker County
Roadmaster Jeff Smith.
According to the Decla-
ration, Baker County list-
ed, among other items, the
following need: manpower
to shovel off roofs for the
Halfway school; Federal
Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) funding,
to cover the extra costs of
the additional time needed
to remove the snow; and
the Department of Con-
sumer Services, Building
Code Division, to grant
authority to the Baker
County Building Depart-
ment Building Official, to
aid in determining danger-
ous buildings within Baker
County.
Yencopal said he pro-
vided City Halls within
the County with structure
damage claim forms, for
citizens in the communi-
ties to use. Harvey urged
citizens in the County to
help others out with shov-
eling, clearing roofs, etc.,
and he said that structures
are being pushed to their
maximum, where weight
loads are concerned, and
that damage is anticipated.
The Declaration was rati-
fied, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Nichols.
Order No. 2017-108,
Appointing Members
To The Eastern Oregon
Coordinated Care (EOCC)
Local Community Advi-
sory Council (LCAC), was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols. Rob Den-
nis, his term set to expire
on February 1, 2017, Haley
Hueckman and Beverly
DuBosch, their terms set
to expire on February 1,
2018, and Cathy Treadway,
her term set to expire on
February 1, 2019, were
appointed.
Order No. 2017-109,
Appointing A Member To
The Baker County Weed
Board, was approved, with
a motion from Harvey, and
a second from Nichols.
Bennett was approved as
the Commissioner Liaison.
Order No. 2017-110,
Appointing Commissioner
Nichols To Various Com-
mittees, was approved,
with a motion from Ben-
nett, and a second from
Harvey. Nichols was ap-
pointed as Commissioner
Liaison on the following
committees: Baker County
Mental Health Advisory
Committee, Local Alcohol
and Drug Planning Com-
mittee, Blue Mountain
Translator District, and
New Directions Northwest.
Nichols was also approved,
per the same Order, to
serve as a member of the
Northeast Oregon Eco-
nomic Development Dis-
trict (NEOEDD), his term
set to expire on December
31, 2018.
OTEC urges to stay away from power lines
With the strong win-
ter storm system rolling
through the area, Oregon
Trail Electric Coopera-
tive would like to remind
everyone to stay far away
from downed power lines
and anything touching it –
fallen trees, automobiles,
yard equipment, etc.
“While downed lines
can sometimes reveal they
are live by arcing and
sparking with electric-
ity, this is not always the
case,” said OTEC’s Man-
ager of Loss Control Jeff
Anderson. “Power lines do
not always show signs that
they are live, but they are
just as lethal. It is impor-
tant to know that downed
power lines are extremely
dangerous and to stay very
far away. Tell children to
immediately report any
fallen or dangling wires
to an adult and always as-
sume that any power line is
fully charged.”
Power lines on the
ground should always be
treated as if they were a
live wire. If you see any
wires on the ground do not
attempt to move or drive
over the downed line.
“When current is flowing
from a downed power line
into the earth, a high-volt-
age condition is created,”
explains Anderson. “When
faced with this emergency
scenario, it is important
to remain a safe distance
away. Voltage can be radi-
ating from the downed line
into the ground. If you step
too close, electrical voltage
can come back up through
the ground and electrify
you. This is called ‘step
potential.’”
Anderson advises, “If
contact is made with an
energized power line while
you are in a vehicle, the
best thing to do is to try
and remain calm and not
get out unless the vehicle
is on fire.
“If you must exit because
of fire or other safety
reasons, try to jump com-
pletely clear, making sure
that you do not touch the
equipment and the ground
at the same time.
“Land with both feet
together, maintain balance
and shuffle away in small
steps to minimize the path
of electric current and
avoid electrical shock.”
As a member-owned,
non-profit electrical
cooperative, OTEC offers
public safety training
to schools, emergency
response organizations and
government agencies.
For more information,
contact your local OTEC
office.
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