FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
County hears Justice Court update, Guardrail to
approves new NRAC bylaws
be replaced
along Hwy. 86
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
L-R: Doni Bruland of the County’s NRAC with Commissioners Mark Bennett, Bill Harvey and Bruce Nichols.
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County
Board of Commission-
ers held its first regular
session of the month, on
Wednesday, April 5, 2017,
9 a.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the Baker
County Courthouse, which
included, among other top-
ics, a Justice Court update
from Trial Court Adminis-
trator Michael Finney, and
a Natural Resources Advi-
sory Committee (NRAC)
Bylaws approval.
Present from the Board
were Chair Bill Harvey,
Commissioners Mark Ben-
nett and Bruce Nichols,
and Executive Assistant
Heidi Martin.
Attendance also includ-
ed Baker County Sheriff
Travis Ash, Baker County
Road Master Jeff Smith,
Baker County NRAC
Chair Doni Bruland, Ed
Hardt, Ken Anderson, Mar-
shall Mccomb, Tork and
Wanda Ballard, and Tom
Van Diepen.
The meeting was called
to order, and the Invoca-
tion and the Pledge of Alle-
giance were recited, both
led by Harvey.
The agenda was adopted,
with some noted addi-
tions, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Nichols.
There was no noted com-
ment provided for Citizen
Participation.
The minutes from the
Wednesday, March 15,
2017 regular session were
approved, with no noted
corrections, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols.
Finney provided a Jus-
tice Court update, which
included, among other
topics, details regarding
revenue, which Finney said
has decreased significantly,
partly because of the
harsh winter, a majority of
revenue comes from traffic
citations, and there is a
lack in pursuing frequent
offenders, who’ve commit-
ted misdemeanor offenses.
He said that highway
and freeway deaths have,
not surprisingly, increased,
since speed limits were
increased.
He said that he no-
ticed an arbitrary, license
suspension fee, and it was
reduced to $15, which he
said will have an impact
with revenue, and that
other courts have shown
a wide range in the same
type of fee charged, which
he said doesn’t make
sense.
Finney said that the
Justice Court has remained
stable, regarding the num-
ber of staff, and that the
video conference system
is finally working, and
expected to be fully func-
tional probably in June.
A Baker County Parks
property discussion was
held, regarding an two
pieces of property, one
approximately 120 acres,
Reference No. 12169, and
the other approximately
42 acres, Reference No.
12061, with land valued
at $68,440, and $41,170,
respectively.
As Parks Director Karen
Spencer could not attend
the session, and the Board
required more information
and input from the Parks
Department, the discussion
was tabled for now.
An Intergovernmental
Agreement (IGA) between
the City of Huntington
and Baker County, for
law enforcement services
provided by Baker County
within Huntington City
limits and the surrounding
areas, was approved, with
a motion from Bennett, and
a second from Nichols.
According to the agree-
ment, the term is July 1,
2017 through June 30,
2018 (the fiscal year),
and Huntington will pay
the County $54,000 in
December 2017, for these
services.
Ash spoke with the
Board regarding the
details, prior to the agree-
ment’s approval.
Nichols also mentioned
his involvement with audit
services for Huntington,
however, he stated there is
no conflict.
IGA No. 31521, a
Continuous Operations
Variance Permit Authoriza-
tion, between the Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion (ODOT) and Baker
County, was approved,
with a motion from Ben-
nett, and a second from
Nichols.
According to the agree-
ment, ODOT will issue
oversize/overweight con-
tinuous operations variance
permits (OS/OW COVP)
authorizing use of roads
under County jurisdiction,
for travel by oversize/over-
weight vehicles and loads,
in order to streamline the
process for issuing permits.
Smith spoke to the Board
regarding the details, prior
to the agreement’s ap-
proval.
The Board discussed a
Road Department future
purchase request, for
a backhoe trailer, with
Smith.
He said the trailer, which
would be 30 feet total in
length and pulled with a
dump truck, would resolve
safety issues, regarding the
tail gate on the current one.
Funding of up to
$21,000 was authorized,
with three bids, with a mo-
tion from Bennett, and a
second from Nichols.
Order No. 2017-118,
Designating A Sole Source
Provider For Mason Dam
Consultation In Complet-
ing Draft Final Biological
Assessment And The Final
License Application, was
tabled, with a motion from
Harvey, and a second from
Bennett.
Bennett had expressed
some concern there is no
cap stated, regarding total
compensation, and Harvey
said more information
would be needed from
Baker County Emergency
Management Director
Jason Yencopal.
Nichols opted out of the
discussion, as he stated a
conflict.
Order No. 2017-119,
Designating A Local Public
Health Administrator, was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols.
According to the order,
Nancy Staten, who is
currently providing Baker
County Public Health
Department oversight, was
designated.
The Baker County Natu-
ral Resources Advisory
Committee (NRAC) By-
laws were approved, with
a motion from Bennett,
and a second from Nichols.
Bruland, who drafted the
bylaws using another com-
mittee’s bylaws as a guide,
discussed the details of the
document with the Board,
prior to its approval.
The Board discussed
an advisory letter with
Bruland, addressed from
the NRAC to the Board,
recommending a stronger
County stance, in the main-
tenance of the Baker City
Watershed.
Bruland said that the
comments provided in
the letter are based on the
1990 Land and Resource
Management Plan for the
Wallowa-Whitman Na-
tional Forest.
Amendment No. 12 To
Oregon Health Authority
2015-2017 IGA For The
Financing Of Community
Addictions And Mental
Health Services Agreement
No. 147781 was ratified,
with a motion from Ben-
nett, and a second from
Nichols.
Discussion included
Bennett’s request that
staff reports or executive
summaries be provided
from departments, for
documents submitted to the
Board.
After some further dis-
cussion regarding Nichols’
experience with deci-
phering OHA forms and
documents, Nichols was
authorized as a signatory
on OHA Behavioral Health
forms of approval, with a
motion from Harvey, and a
second from Bennett.
Harvey discussed with
the Board a letter Harvey
addressed to Wallowa-
Whitman Forest Service
Supervisor Tom Mon-
toya, and Bureau of Land
Management (BLM)
Vale District Manager
Don Gonzalez, as well as
others, requesting both
agencies to streamline the
process of approving min-
ing Plans of Operations,
and that management of all
minerals be transferred to
the BLM.
The Board discussed a
recent Tri-County Weed
Management Area (TC-
WMA) Executive Board
meeting Harvey had
attended, in reference to
the County’s continuing
attempts to resolve issues
it sees with the TCWMA
structure and management,
including the County’s
need for a TCWMA staff
person to be located in
Baker City, and for TCW-
MA to improve its project
bidding process, which
would include advertising
in applicable counties’ lo-
cal papers.
The Board discussed
a recent Eastern Oregon
Counties Association
(EOCA) meeting the Board
had attended via telephone,
which highlighted issues
regarding severe decreases
in Payments in Lieu of
Taxes (PILT) and with the
halting in Secure Rural
Schools (SRS) funding.
The Board discussed its
concerns with member-
ship in EOCA, including
whether membership pro-
duces acceptable results,
and $15,000 was approved
to be paid to EOCA, to
cover current amounts
due, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Bennett.
Contractors working for the Oregon Department of
Transportation (ODOT) will be upgrading several sec-
tions of guardrail along the Baker – Copperfield Highway
(Oregon Highway 86) this summer.
The estimated $470,000 project will replace aging
guardrail located between Flagstaff Hill at mile post 4.95
and mile point 31.33, about nine miles west of Richland.
During guardrail replacement work travelers can expect
lane restrictions, flaggers and/or pilot cars with up to
20-minute delays at times. Motorists are reminded to
watch for road work signs and be mindful of crews and
equipment throughout the highway construction season.
Additional media notices will be issues prior to construc-
tion activities.
The contract for the work will be bid in late May, with
construction expected to begin this summer.
All work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the
year.
“Some older guardrail sections have not been updated
since the 1950’s and no longer meet current standards,”
said ODOT Project Leader Sean Maloney. “The changes
will create a safer, more efficient roadway for this impor-
tant highway in Baker County.”
This project is the third phase of guardrail replacement
along the route located in east Baker County. A fourth and
final phase of guardrail upgrades to complete the work on
this 70-mile-long route will be scheduled in the future, as
funding becomes available.
Pipe spill
shuts down
freeway
Photo courtesy of the BCPD.
A lost load of pipes closed down the freeway for
several hours last week.
At 6:06 p.m., Friday, March 31, Baker City Fire De-
partment (BCFD) units responded to an accident on I-84
at MP 332.
Pictured below is an 18 wheeler that rolled on to it’s
left side spilling it’s load into the opposing lanes and
disabling another 18 wheeler heading in the opposite
direction.
The truck was carrying sewer pipes and spilled diesel
fuel when it flipped over.
Highway traffic was so snarled that BCFD units had to
back track around the incident via Plano and Sisily Creek
roads.
BCFD units naviagted the dirt roads for 15 minutes
until they eventually could get back to the highway below
the accident. Luckily once on scene, only minor injuries
were found.
The scene was released to OSP and Huntington Rural
Fire District.
Eclipse book
author comes
to library
Baker County Public Library is pleased to host chil-
dren's book author/illustrator Nancy Coffelt on April 26,
2017 at 10 a.m. for a special story time about the upcom-
ing solar eclipse. The August 21st total eclipse is going
to be an amazing spectacle and a fantastic opportunity to
engage kids in observational science.
At this free event for children, Nancy will showcase
her book, “The Big Eclipse” being used by schools and
libraries all over Oregon. We'll talk about how eclipses
work, discuss why it's important to "Be Wise, Protect
Your Eyes", and do a fun craft around this rare astronomi-
cal event.
Nancy Coffelt is the author and illustrator of many
books, including two previous picture books about space
science. She lives, writes, and draws in Baker City,
Oregon.
This program is made possible by Baker County Li-
brary District with sponsorship from Libraries of Eastern
Oregon (LEO) and ArtPlaceAmerica.