THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017
Business / Agriculture
County: Sheriff’s Office to get
new security camera system
• SEVERAL BOARD
APPOINTMENTS
MADE, WOLF
DEPREDATION
COMPENSATION
SPURS DEBATE
Friday, April 14, 2017 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended generally steady in a limited test
compared to week ago prices. Most demand lays
with the retail/stable hay. According to some
producers, horse owners prefer lower sugar, higher
protein hay. Many producers are sold out for the
year.
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Alfalfa — Large Square Utility
50 45.00-45.00 45.00
Orchard Grass — Large Square Utility
50 45.00-45.00 45.00
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held a
regular session on Wednes-
day, April 19, 2017, 9
a.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the Baker
County Courthouse, which
included, among other top-
ics, a Proclamation of May,
2017 as Mental Health
Awareness Month in the
County.
Present from the Board
were Chair Bill Harvey,
Commissioners Mark Ben-
nett and Bruce Nichols,
and Executive Assistant
Heidi Martin.
Attendance also included
New Directions North-
west, Inc. Mental Health
Promotion and Prevention
Coordinator Jane Chandler,
Baker County Assessor
Kerry Savage and Assis-
tant Assessor Shawn Berry,
Baker County Sheriff
Travis Ash, Baker County
Technology Director
Bill Lee, Baker County
Emergency Management
Manager Jason Yencopal,
Baker County Administra-
tive Services Coordinator
Christena Cook, Ed Hardt,
Ken Anderson, Gary Diel-
man, and John Creighton.
The meeting was called
to order, and Harvey
provided the Invocation
and led in the Pledge of Al-
legiance. The agenda was
adopted, with an addition
of an Oregon State Uni-
versity Extension Service
Intergovernmental Agree-
ment discussion to be held
later in the session, with a
motion from Bennett, and
a second from Nichols.
There was no comment of-
fered for Citizen Participa-
tion.
The minutes from the
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
regular session were ap-
proved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols.
Order No. 2017-120,
Appointing A Member
To The Northeast Oregon
Economic Development
District Board, was ap-
proved, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Nichols. According to the
order, Rosemary Abell was
appointed, her term set to
expire on December 31,
2019.
Order No. 2017-121, Ap-
pointing Members To The
911 Consolidated Dispatch
Oversight Board, was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols. According
to the order, Diane Arvey,
and Robert Gentili were
appointed, their terms set
to expire on November 1,
2018, and November 1,
2019, respectively.
Order No. 2017-122,
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. Accord-
ing to the order, Tamyra
LiKeller and Jane Chandler
were appointed, their terms
set to expire on February
1, 2020.
Order No. 2017-123,
— Weekly Hay Report —
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 1,141
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 153.00-178.00 Top 179.00
400-500# Bulk 151.00-167.00 Top 169.50
500-600# Bulk 147.00-165.00 Top 165.50
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
County IT Manager Bill Lee and Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash explain a new
software and camera system purchase request for the Jail.
Appointing A Member
To The Baker County
Compensation Board, was
approved, with a motion
from Nichols, and a second
from Harvey. According
to the order, Larry Pearson
was appointed, his term
set to expire on January 1,
2021.
Order No. 2017-124,
An Order Designating A
Sole Source Provider For
Mason Dam Consultation
In Completing Draft Final
Biological Assessment And
The Final License Applica-
tion, was approved, with
a cap of $7,500, with a
motion from Harvey, and
a second from Bennett.
Prior to approval, Yencopal
discussed the order with
the Board, and Nichols
opted out of the discussion,
as he declared a conflict.
According to the order,
EcoWest Consulting, Inc.
has been working on vari-
ous reports for the Mason
Dam Hydroelectric project,
the Project Manager is
pleased with those ser-
vices, total compensation
for these services may
exceed $5,000 in fiscal
year 2016-2017, and the
exemption will not encour-
age favoritism or diminish
competition.
Savage and Berry
provided an Assessor
update, which included a
discussion of a 2017-2018
Property Tax Program
Grant Application, that was
approved to be submitted
to the Oregon Department
of Revenue, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols. Accord-
ing to the application,
$956,242 was submitted
as the total expenditure
amount for consideration,
in order to participate in
the County Assessment
Function Funding As-
sistance (CAFFA) annual
grant program.
A Special Transportation
Fund (STF) Contractor
Agreement, between the
County and Community
Connection of North-
east Oregon, Inc., for
the purpose of providing
flexible, coordinated, and
reliable transportation to
seniors and people with
disabilities, and a similar
agreement, between the
County and Step Forward
Activities, Inc., were
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols.
Prior to approval, Cook
discussed the agreements
with the Board. Accord-
ing to the agreement, the
County will allocate funds
provided by the Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion Rail and Public Transit
Division (RPTD) each fis-
cal year, beginning July 1,
to Community Connection,
in consideration of these
services.
Oregon Department of
Agriculture (ODA) Wolf
Compensation And Finan-
cial Assistance 2017 Grant
Agreement No. ODA-
3966-GR BAKER, was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols.
According to the agree-
ment, a total award of
$23,219 was granted to the
County, for the year 2016,
broken down as follows:
$0 for compensation for
injury or death of livestock
or working dogs, result-
ing from wolf depreda-
tion; $6,599 for financial
assistance for implement-
ing methods that limit
wolf-livestock interaction;
$495 for reimbursement
for qualified expenses
incurred by the County, for
implementing the County
program; and $16,125 for
compensation for miss-
ing livestock or working
dogs, resulting from wolf
depredation.
Though the total amount
received is much less than
the losses incurred, Ben-
nett nonetheless expressed
praise to Martin for her
efforts in submitting
County applications, and in
acquiring funding through
this program, and he said
that the funding the County
did receive is more than he
expected.
Hardt said, “When this
wolf program was getting
started ... the Defenders Of
Wildlife was paying for an-
imal kills, and then, when
the wolves got established,
then, they quit. Why can’t
we still bill them?”
Harvey said he wasn’t
sure, the organization
shifted the burden to the
State, and he doesn’t have
complete information re-
garding the full agreement,
but he agrees with Hardt’s
concept, since livestock
losses are far greater now.
Dielman said, “An
obligation under the law
would be a base for billing
them...They’re not part
of the government. How
would you expect them to
continue something they
didn’t want to continue
doing, if they’re a private
organization?”
Harvey said, “Just for
the sake of saying, ‘You
agreed to this...’ We’re not
going to get anything, we
understand...”
Dielman said, “I don’t
agree with that. That’s just
mean-spirited.”
Harvey said, “That’s
okay—so is killing their
livestock... so is asking
livestock producers to take
a loss for something they
did...”
Dielman said, “Sure,
but the State has taken that
over.”
Harvey discussed the
shortfall in funding pro-
vided for livestock losses,
and Dielman and Harvey
further debated the subject,
including the role of the
State and legislation.
Harvey said the commu-
nication would most likely
be in the form of a protest
letter to the Defenders of
Wildlife.
A Baker County Sher-
iff’s Office Jail Camera
Security System purchase
request, for new Avigilon
cameras and software, pro-
vided by Alpine Alarm, for
$30,151.66, was approved,
with a motion from Ben-
nett, and a second from
Nichols.
Prior to approval, Ash
and Lee discussed the re-
quest with the Board. Ac-
cording to Ash, funding for
the project was previously
approved, and the current
system is 15-18 years old,
is outdated, and is prone to
failure.
Three bids were re-
ceived, and while not
being the lowest bid, Lee
said the Avigilon system is
more reliable, and can be
upgraded.
A Baker County Procla-
mation for May, 2017 as
Mental Health Awareness
Month, was approved, with
a motion from Bennett,
and a second from Nichols,
who, along with Harvey,
expressed great concern
and interest in the subject
of mental health through-
out the County.
According to the Proc-
lamation, the Board calls
upon government agen-
cies, public and private
institutions, businesses and
schools “...to recommit our
community to increasing
awareness and understand-
ing mental health condi-
tions, reducing stigma and
discrimination, promoting
appropriate and accessible
services for all people with
mental health conditions.”
SEE COUNTY
PAGE 8
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk 142.00-162.00 Top 163.00
400-500# Bulk 136.00-157.00 Top 159.50
500-600# Bulk 126.00-146.50 Top 147.00
600-700#
700-800#
800-900#
900-1,000#
Yearling Steers
Bulk 129.00-148.00 Top 155.00
Bulk 122.00-134.50 Top 135.75
Bulk 119.00-126.00 Top 127.75
Bulk 113.00-119.00 Top 122.25
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 121.00-135.00 Top 136.50
700-800# Bulk 121.00-132.00 Top 137.50
800-900# Bulk 113.00-119.00 Top 121.00
900-1,000# Bulk 97.00-106.00 Top 107.00
Thin Shelly Cows 49.00-61.00
Butcher Cows 63.00-71.00
Butcher Bulls 74.00-87.00
Pairs Older 985.00-1380.00
Hfretts 77.00 -101.00
Pairs Older - 87.00-108.00
ProducersLivestock.com
541-473-3136
— Log Price Report —
Prices are based on the majority of saw mills in
Northeastern Oregon and Central Idaho. The prices
listed below are a composite prices of various saw-
mills willing to visit with me about this topic.
Ponderosa Pine—small diameter class 8-11 inches
diameter class $250 per mbf. Only one sawmill was
willing to buy small diameter pine at this time.
Ponderosa Pine—medium diameter class 12-17
inches diameter class $300 to $350 per mbf
Ponderosa Pine-large diameter class 18 plus inches
diameter class $380 to $410 per mbf
The Pine prices are still approximately $40 per mbf
below average lumber/log market due to 2017 fire
salvage
Doug Fir & Western Larch—$380 to $420 per
mbf. Normal prices typically ranged between $425
to $475 per mbf.
White Fir-$300 per mbf. Normal prices typically
ranged between $340 to $360 per mbf.
Engelmann Spruce—$350 at one Idaho sawmill,
other sawmills including with White fir prices.
In general, the log prices still impacted from 2015
fire season and fire salvage that resulted. Sawmills
are starting to get log yard inventory in line with
sawmill production needs. With a new Administra-
tion as of 1/20/2017, a more normal economic envi-
ronment should result and hopefully a more healthy
housing situation will result in a better climate for
Northeast Oregon Sawmill and private forest land-
owners.
Courtesy of Arvid Andersen,
Andersen Forestry Consulting
— Precious Metals Report —
Price per ounce, USD
Gold: $1,290.90
Silver: $18.29
Platinum: $976.99
Palladium: $774.72
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $367.50/bu/USD
Wheat: $436.00/bu/USD
Soybeans: $955.50/bu/USD
Oats: $218.75 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $10.13/cwt/USD
Canola: $506.60 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $115.65//lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $142.18/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $71.50/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com