FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Politics / Local
Ferrioli says agencies Tri-County Weed
not above the law
Management Area
discussed at meeting
This week, the Senate
passed Senate Republican
Leader Ted Ferrioli's bill to
hold the executive branch
accountable.
Senate Bill 393 requires
executive branch agencies
that choose to not enforce
a law to report to the Leg-
islature. The agency must
provide an explanation on
both the policy and their
decision-making process.
Ferrioli says agencies
acting outside of the law
violate the spirit of the
constitutional mandate
to faithfully execute the
laws and that this behavior
denies the people the equal
protection under the law.
Ferrioli released the fol-
lowing statement:
"The executive branch is
not above the law. Execu-
tive branch agencies and
officials who choose to not
enforce laws should come
before the elected repre-
sentatives of Oregonians
and fully explain these
types of policies and their
decision-making process.
Failure to enforce the laws
on the books threatens
and hurts our democracy
because it means unelected
bureaucrats are ruling over
us with no consent."
Barreto calls for comments on
proposed water management
fee and measurement bills
In response to a series of
three water-related bills,
Rep. Barreto (R-Cove)
calls for comments from
local landowners and water
users.
The bills are sponsored by
Rep. Ken Helm (D-Port-
land), Chair of the House
Energy & Environment
Committee and scheduled
for hearings on Wednes-
day, March 22. House
Bill 2705 would require
measurement and annual
reporting of all diversions
of water after 2020; HB
2706 would impose an
annual $100 “management
fee” on each water right
certificate, permit, decree,
or groundwater registra-
tion; and HB 2707 would
appropriate general fund
dollars for ground water
investigation and study.
“The concern that Or-
egon is suffering from a
shortage of water has lead
Rep. Helm to introduce
these bills. Sadly, two of
these bills (HB 2705 and
HB 2706) as currently
drafted, do little to help
except increase water
user’s costs. Installation
of measuring devices on
streams can cost tens of
thousands of dollars. Daily
maintenance can add up
to thousands of dollars in
additional labor costs. The
annual reporting, and more
often if the Oregon Water
Resources Department re-
quests, of “water amount,
rate, and duty” will add
thousands of more dol-
lars, annually, in time and
additional out-of-pocket
expense. The inclusion of a
$500 civil penalty for each
day of violation of the act,
creates the threat of finan-
cial disaster for those who
make innocent errors while
trying to comply with the
reporting requirements in
HB 2705 because those er-
rors might not be discov-
ered for months after the
reports are filed.”
“I strongly suggest that
those who have water
rights email, write, or call,
the members of the Energy
& Environment Committee
to share their thoughts and
suggestions. If possible, at-
tend the hearing on March
22nd, in Salem (900 Court
St. NE, Hearing Room-D),
at 3:00 p.m. (PDT),” said
Rep. Barreto.
Copies of these bills can
be found on the Oregon
Legislative Information
System (OLIS) at:
HB 2705
HB 2706
HB 2707
Written testimony can
be submitted prior to the
hearing at: hee.exhibits@
oregonlegislature.gov.
Contact information for
the Energy & Environment
Committee members can
be found at:
https://olis.leg.state.or.us/
liz/2017R1/Committees/
HEE/Overview
Bentz speaks to disaster relief
Governor Kate Brown
has allocated $1 million in
state assistance to Malheur
County to help as the area
recovers from unprec-
edented damage caused by
winter storms.
The funds will be al-
located through the Oregon
Economic Development
Department (Business
Oregon) toward building
structure damage assess-
ment costs, onion disposal,
and assistance in replace-
ment of value-added
agriculture processing and
storage facilities.
Governor Brown has
also announced that since
the thresholds for a fed-
eral Disaster Declaration
through FEMA have been
met, she will be request-
ing a Presidential Disaster
Declaration, with response
from the Trump Adminis-
tration expected within the
next three weeks.
In February, Congress-
man Greg Walden (R-
Hood River) sent a letter
to President Trump asking
that his administration act
expeditiously upon receipt
of the request for a Di-
saster Declaration to both
approve the request and
to ensure that the federal
assets normal for such an
emergency are deployed
to those Oregon counties
suffering from the ravages
of the winter of 2017.
Rep. Bentz said, “I am
thankful to Governor
Brown for both visiting
Malheur County, and for
her recognition of the stag-
gering losses and damages
sustained by the people of
this area. With hundreds
of collapsed buildings,
and thousands, if not
millions of dollars in lost
productivity, onion inven-
tory, livestock, wages, and
sales, the assistance of our
state and federal govern-
ment is essential. We are
deeply appreciative of the
Governor’s help in direct-
ing scarce state resources
to Malheur County, in the
form of both agency assis-
tance and money, and for
her work with the Trump
Administration to obtain a
disaster declaration for our
area.”
Once a federal Disas-
ter Declaration is of-
ficial, Malheur County
will be eligible for a 75
percent/25 percent cost
share on eligible publicly
incurred (public buildings
for example) damages.
Those suffering livestock
losses in Counties declared
disaster areas will also be
eligible for USDA disaster
assistance programs.
New Oregon Blue Book available
The Oregon Blue
Book is Oregon’s official
almanac and fact book. It
is an Oregon institution,
icon, and collector’s item
and has been updated and
published every other
year since 1911. This lat-
est edition was printed
as a limited edition with
1,500 books available for
purchase.
The theme of this edition
is “Outdoor Recreation”
and features color photos
of the Oregon Cascades,
Pacific Crest Trail, Oregon
artwork, and memorabilia
from Oregon’s museums
and historical societies.
There are new features in
this edition including a his-
tory of outdoor recreation
in Oregon and the winning
essays from a statewide
contest asking elementary
and middle school children
to write about their favorite
outdoor activities. These
essays provide a glimpse
Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker Coun-
ty Press reserves the right not to publish letters
containing factual falsehoods or incoherent nar-
rative. Letters promoting or detracting from spe-
cific for-profit businesses will not be published.
Word limit is 375 words per letter. Letters are lim-
ited to one every other week per author. Letters
should be submitted to Editor@TheBakerCoun-
tyPress.com.
Advertising and Opinion Page Disclaimer:
Opinions submitted as Guest Opinions or Let-
into what the recreational
life that Oregon families
enjoy.
Books can be purchased
from the State Archives
online, at the Capitol Gift
Shop, Powell's Books
Portland locations, and
other bookstores around
the state. Also see the
searchable, expanded web
version of the Blue Book
at: http://bluebook.state.
or.us.
ters to the Editor express the opinions of their
authors, and have not been authored by and
are not necessarily the opinions of The Baker
County Press, any of our staff, management,
independent contractors or affiliates. Advertise-
ments placed by political groups, candidates,
businesses, etc., are printed as a paid service,
which does not constitute an endorsement of or
fulfillment obligation by this newspaper for the
products or services advertised.
• COMMUNICATION,
STAFFING ARE
KEY TOPICS
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held a
work session on Wednes-
day, March 15, 2017, 1
p.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the Baker
County Courthouse, in or-
der to discuss communica-
tion and staffing solutions
to the La Grande-based
Tri-County Weed Manage-
ment Area (TCWMA), and
the Baker County Weed
Department.
Present from the Board
were Chair Bill Harvey,
Commissioners Mark Ben-
nett and Bruce Nichols,
and Executive Assistant
Heidi Martin.
Harvey opened the meet-
ing, welcomed everyone,
and explained that it would
be an informal discus-
sion. He said that, since
Bennett is the Commis-
sion representative on the
TCWMA Board, he asked
him to speak first. Ben-
nett said, “First of all, the
Commissioners do not
want to see the Tri-County
weed program go away (he
wanted to make that point
clear)...There has been a
disconnect between Baker
County, and the Tri-County
program...We lost that
coordination (among enti-
ties)...” He said that there
needs to be communication
and transparency, between
the TCWMA, the Baker
County Weed Department,
the Baker County Weed
Board, and the Commis-
sioners, noting the lack of
that in recent years.
Bennett said that the
County’s vision is that,
he’d like to see funding ob-
tained through utilization
of the TCWMA program,
funding used in Baker
County, and with full un-
derstanding and communi-
cation between TCWMA,
the Baker County Weed
Department, and the Baker
County Weed Board. He
said, “It wavered from that
direction...” but he wasn’t
solely blaming TCWMA
for this. He noted a contin-
ued growth in staffing at
TCWMA, and, while the
County received details
regarding revenue from
TCWMA, the details for
expenditures had not been
provided.
“There were decisions
made, and we were only
finding out half the facts...”
he said. Bennett said that
he doesn’t want to see the
good work halted, but he
wants to resolve issues,
and see the Baker County
Weed Board more involved
in the program.
Bennett said that a major
concern is TCWMA’s
budget, and that needs to
be transparent, for ex-
ample, the County receives
a copy, the Weed Depart-
ment receives a copy,
media receives a copy, and
communication and details
are clear.
Another concern is the
use of credit cards, and the
use of Tri-County equip-
ment, for person purposes,
he said, and he noted that
these issues have been
resolved, which he ap-
preciates. TCWMA Board
Chairman Dan Sharratt
said, “A lot of these things
are in the process of being
worked on, with policy
statements that will be
voted on, hopefully, in the
March meeting.”
Bennett said that he
wants to see a limited num-
ber of TCWMA staff, and
more staff in the County
(where the TCWMA pro-
gram was formed, initially,
and where a majority of
funding is expended, and
a majority of work is com-
pleted). He said he also
wants to keep an open bid-
ding process on projects.
Harvey said, “Our goal
is to get as much done as
possible on the ground...”
He said he wants to see
coordination between the
entities, and he wants to
see less waste, for ex-
ample, less travel from
La Grande, in order to
complete small projects
in the County. Noting
the lack in staff, and the
job opportunities possible
in the County, he said,
“We’re hoping to expand
the opportunities for more
applicators...We need to
train new ones to do that...
We have an opportunity
with BTI (Baker Technical
Institute), which is training
— Contact Us —
people for private-sector
jobs, and, have a great suc-
cess at it...”
Harvey said that the
County isn’t represented
well with TCWMA,
and that, like Bennett,
he wishes to see more
transparency, for example,
with the budget. Nichols
asked, “How long does it
take to train somebody...
and get them certified, to
be an applicator?” Baker
County Weed Master Arnie
Grammon said that, in his
opinion, a couple of years,
with on-the-job training.
“It’s not an easy process...”
Grammon said.
Sharratt said, “Being that
there aren’t enough bodies
out there...a suggestion
from a lot of the folks
was (at the last TCWMA
meeting)...Tri-County,
some other county...to hire
some people--seasonals.
Get them a season on the
ground, learn how it’s
done...” Harvey said he
agrees with that, on a tem-
porary basis, but he said
Bennett’s idea appeals to
him, with training provided
by BTI, to prepare for the
long-term. Sharratt noted
that TCWMA doesn’t want
to compete with commer-
cial applicators.
During a discussion
about the difficulty of the
job, the hours involved,
and what portion of the
year work is available,
Grammon said that the
spraying season runs
generally from mid-March,
through December 1st.
Harvey noted that there is
other associated work that
is completed during the
winter also, and not just
during the spraying season.
Baker County Weed
Board member Don Foster
asked what the County’s
contribution to the TC-
WMA program is, and
Bennett said $5,000 a year,
though the County has
withheld that amount for
the last two years, because
of the issues with the lack
in transparency, etc., from
TCWMA. He said that
TCWMA has extended an
option to the County, to
potentially work off the
$10,000, which would
need to be discussed.
SEE TCWMA PAGE 8
YOUR ELECTED
OFFICIALS
The Baker County Press
President Donald Trump
PO Box 567
Baker City, Ore. 97814
202.456.2461 fax
Open Monday-Thursday for calls
9 AM - 4 PM
Open 24/7 for emails
202.456.1414
Whitehouse.gov/contact
US Sen. Jeff Merkley
503.326.3386
503.326.2900 fax
Merkley.Senate.gov
Phone: 541.519.0572
TheBakerCountyPress.com
US Sen. Ron Wyden
541.962.7691
Wyden.Senate.gov
Kerry McQuisten, Publisher
Editor@TheBakerCountyPress.com
US Rep. Greg Walden
Wendee Morrissey, Advertising and Sales
Wendee@TheBakerCountyPress.com
541.624.2402 fax
David Conn, Advertising and Sales
David@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Published weekly every Friday.
Subscription rates per year are $29.95 all areas,
e-mail delivery. $39.95 print issue, home delivery,
Baker City city limits only. $49.95 print issue,
mail delivery, outside Baker City city limits only.
Payment in advance.
A division of
Black Lyon Publishing, LLC
541.624.2400
Walden.House.gov
Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown
503.378.3111
Governor.Oregon.gov
State Rep. Cliff Bentz
503.986.1460
State Sen. Ted Ferrioli
541.490.6528
Baker County
Commissioners Bill Harvey;
Mark Bennett; Bruce Nichols
541.523.8200
Copyright © 2014 -2017
541.523.8201