The Baker County press., June 23, 2017, Page 8, Image 8

8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2017
Local
Local math teacher awarded
• 2017-2018
BUDGET ADOPTED
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
• UNITY’S BUDGET ADOPTED
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Tuesday June 13th, the
Baker School District 5J
Board gave recognition to
Vi Isaacs, who has retired
as South Baker Profes-
sional.
They also recognized
Jandy Eskew, presenting
her the Oregon Council of
Teachers of Mathematics
2017 Area Recognition
Award.
Rosemary Abell, the
Budget Committee Chair,
gave a presentation recom-
mending options for the
state budget.
The budget was orga-
nized and presented around
a state budget of $7.8
million.
Abell explained that and
it looks as if the budget
will land around $8.1 mil-
lion or $8.2 million and
that brings to the school
district an extra $5,000 to
$6,000, approximately.
Abell explained that the
money is not sustainable
funding and the Budget
Committee discussed
where the money could
go, such as putting it into a
project fund.
Doug Dalton the CFO/
Business Manager gave
a presentation of the
2017-2018 Budget. They
discussed Measure 98 as a
potential revenue, but they
do not know how much it
will be.
Dalton explained that
he will file for funding
requests for their schools
and the charter school for
in June.
According to the Oregon
Department of Education,
Measure 98 is The High
School Graduation and
Career Readiness Act of
2016 and is a 2016 ballot
initiative that provides
direct funding to school
districts to increase high
school graduation rates.
Board Chair Kevin
Cassidy discussed how li-
braries are keeping up with
technology shifts, and how
they look at their business
of providing materials.
“It’s interesting to me
when I look at today’s
world,” explained Cas-
sidy. “Of how students
take materials in, be it a
chrome book or anything
like that and, we talk about
libraries and I think it’s an
important space in a school
district and a community
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
Jandy Eskew received the Oregon Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2017
Area Recognition Award.
to have.”
Superintendent Mark
Witty discussed there are
different adjustments they
can make to the calendar
they had discussed previ-
ously. He visited with the
staff and they did a vote on
three options.
One option is staying
where they are at, option
two is starting a week later
and adding another week
in June, and the third op-
tion, which is the one they
are recommending, is tak-
ing Monday and moving it
to Friday.
He also discussed reor-
ganizing several areas. For
BTI, they are removing the
director position and are
planning to hire a senior
accountant.
He explained that they
are anticipating making
savings there.
“We are excited about
Mr. Peacock going into a
different role,” said Witty.
“And we think there’s go-
ing to be added value there
for BTI and the Baker
School District in the long
run.”
Assistant Superintendent
Betty Palmer updated the
board on the postponement
they helped her make for
the science materials last
meeting. She received a
letter from the State of
Oregon their acknowledge-
ment of that and the board
has a year to make their
decision.
Palmer also discussed
that the ODE to try and set
up guidance for the new
teachers coming in for the
new school year.
She also presented the
summer academy updates.
They have 159 acknowl-
edged registrations and 23
are on the waiting list.
They are moving furni-
ture from South Baker and
Brooklyn to North Baker,
where the academy will be
held and they are expand-
ing to have 180 to 200
kids.
Dalton discussed the ac-
quisition of property from
the church is in progress
and there is not a lot to do
now, unless they want to
do phase one testing. They
will be able to make their
first payment June 30th
and then close the property
in July.
Melissa Irvine gave an
update on the Baker Valley
Education Foundation,
explaining that they raised
over $7,000 at their first
fundraiser.
After the BVEF meeting,
they were energized and
they had the momentum to
go through the grant appli-
cation and they were able
to give the application to
teachers before the schools
closed.
Their deadline is in the
middle of September and
they can do an initial grant
release during the first
semester.
They will have a larger
fundraiser in the fall to
show what types of activi-
ties they could apply for.
Cassidy discussed the
OSBA summer confer-
ence happening before
next meeting, and the new
incoming director Katie
Lamb will attend it as well.
The July board meeting
will be held in the City
Council Chambers.
Cassidy discussed changes
Long Range Facility
Planning has been going
through some changes.
They have been going
through monthly and
bi-monthly meetings with
the community group.
Members have gone on
tours of other facilities and
they looked at the central
building.
He explained that they
did not include that facility
in their initial plan.
He explained that they
are engineering some
pieces that they will give
to that group so they
have that information and
everything else they are
considering.
The board voted on and
approved adopting the
BCB Board Officers and
they approved adopting the
revised calendar.
The Board also ap-
proved resolution 17-09,
adopting the permanent
tax rate, resolution 17-10,
2017-2018 resolution
adopting the budget, reso-
lution 17-11, resolution
making appropriations,
resolution 17-12, establish-
ing policies for fund bal-
ance, and 17-13, additional
revenue recognition.
Sumpter Council increases credit
card limits, hears department reports
BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH
Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Sumpter City Council
met on June 13th with
Councilors Linda Wise,
Samantha Rowan, Robert
Armbruster, and Mayor
Carey Clarke in atten-
dance.
Minutes from May 9th
and May 31st meetings,
along with payment of the
current bills, were unani-
mously approved.
Fire Department
Report
Fire Chief Kurt Clarke
reported three EMS calls
during the Memorial Day
Flea Market. All went
well.
Last week, the two
structure trucks and the
brush truck were tested and
County talks
about Sumpter
Dredge tailings
found to be in good work-
ing order.
The QRU has new bat-
teries.
The Department is prep-
ping for the eclipse and fire
season.
They would like to have
a fire information kiosk in
town, perhaps at Volunteer
Park, where ODF, Forest
Service, and City informa-
tion could all be available
in one place.
Clarke asked permis-
sion to use the old military
truck as a water tender.
The tender holds 1,200
gallons, providing almost
20 minutes of spray time.
He also expressed his wish
to test the siren at City
Hall.
Mayor Clarke suggested
in the next Around the
Water Tower letting people
know the Fire Department
will be testing the siren at
fire meetings.
He made a motion to
make requested truck
available to the Fire
Department during fire
season. This was unani-
mously approved.
Planning Report
LeAnne Woolf stated she
attended the last meeting.
The Commission held a
hearing on a proposal for a
small RV park.
No one was present to
give testimony.
The Commission went
into their meeting and gave
the go-ahead to start work-
ing with the State, contrac-
tors, and such.
Armbruster asked if
Planning Commission
meeting minutes could
be forwarded to Council
members and Woolf stated
they will try to remember
to do that when the copy is
brought in to file.
Resolutions 333-B and
336
City Recorder Julie
McKinney read Resolution
333-B: Movement of Bud-
get Capacity within Street,
Water and Sewer funds and
Resolution 336: Movement
of Budget Capacity within
Water and Sewer funds to
move budget capacity for
the 2016/2017 fiscal year
due to unexpected expens-
es over the winter.
SEE SUMPTER COUNCIL
PAGE 9
The Baker County Board of Commissioners held its
second, regular session of the month on Wednesday, June
21, 2017, 9 a.m., in the Commission Chambers of the
Baker County Courthouse, which, among other topics,
included several public hearings, and a Sumpter Dredge
tailings discussion.
Present from the Board were Chair Bill Harvey, Com-
missioners Mark Bennett and Bruce Nichols, and Execu-
tive Assistant Heidi Martin.
Attendance also included Baker County Planning Direc-
tor Holly Kerns, Baker County Planner Carson Quam,
Baker County Road Master Jeff Smith, Baker County
Parks Director Karen Spencer, Ed Hardt, Ken Anderson,
John Creighton, Rich and Lori Daniels, Nick Myatt, Rod-
ney Loennig, and Pat Hoffman.
The session was called to order, and Harvey provided
the Invocation, and led in recitation of the Pledge of
Allegiance. The agenda was adopted, with a couple of
noted changes, with a motion from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols.
Citizen Participation included Anderson and Hardt,
each one providing significant comment regarding the
potential to mine for rare earth metals within the County
(the two local miners have been to numerous meetings
and events, promoting the positive aspects of mining for
decades), including the benefits of adding job opportu-
nities and an economic boost. Hardt said that he and
Anderson have extensive experience with gold mining,
not with rare earth metals, but that government funding
should be offered to develop that process.
The minutes from the Wednesday, June 7, 2017 regular
session were approved, with a noted correction, with a
motion from Harvey, and a second from Nichols..
A Unity budget hearing was held, which included the
announcement from Bennett that the Board was acting
as Unity City Council, and a declaration from Nichols
of a conflict. The Unity budget, a total of $171,711, for
fiscal year 2017-2018, was adopted, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from Harvey, with Nichols abstain-
ing. The appropriations for the Unity budget were also
adopted, with a motion from Bennett, and a second from
Harvey, with Nichols abstaining.
Order No. 2017-133, Designating A Sole Source Pro-
vider For Chip Seal Oil For Baker County Road Depart-
ment, was approved, with a motion from Bennett, and a
second from Nichols. According to the order, Albina Fuel
was designated as a sole source provider of HFE-90 chip
seal oil, which the County intends to purchase in Fiscal
Year 2017-2018, and the oil will be exempt from com-
petitive bidding requirements. Smith discussed the order
with the Board, prior to approval, noting the benefits of
the chip seal oil and the provider.
Oregon Department Of Transportation (ODOT) Spe-
cial Transportation Fund (STF) Agreement No. 32163,
between ODOT and the County, to provide funding for
public transportation to seniors and individuals with
disabilities, and the general public in the County, was
approved, with a motion from Bennett, and a second from
Nichols. According to the agreement, the project’s bud-
get is $184,973, which includes $165,976 in State grant
funding, and a local match of $18,997.
A County Health Department bid, for a new vaccine
refrigerator combination unit, to replace the current
malfunctioning one, was explained by Bennett (Director
Nancy Staten was absent), a request Staten had made to
the Board previously. The bid was approved, with a mo-
tion from Bennett, and a second from Nichols.
A public hearing was held in the matter of Order No.
2017-134, Authorizing The Sale Of County Owned Parks
Identified As Shanghai Creek Park By Private Sale. Ac-
cording to the order, the property, 120.94 acres, is located
at Township 8 South, Range 44 East, Tax Lot 500, and it
was acquired by the County though delinquent tax fore-
closure, per Order No. 97-142. Another piece of property
was included in the discussion, Tax Lot 200, 42.5 acres,
in the same area.
Spencer and Kerns discussed the matter with the
Board, Harvey and Bennett preferred the local foreclosure
and sale route with the properties (Harvey said non-locals
could find the zoning laws confusing), providing revenue
for the Parks Department, and Nichols said that a real-
tor could be used, to market the properties on a broader
scope.
Spencer said she will ask some realtors for proposals,
and the matter was continued to the Wednesday, July 5,
2017 regular session, with a motion from Harvey, and
a second from Nichols. Myatt, whose family owns Tax
Lot 100, stated some issues and confusion he noted with
the proposal, including the term “park,” and the lack of
reports on the overlay designation.
Harvey said it’s not a “park,” but it’s dedicated as such
just for the current purpose.
A second public hearing was held in the matter of Ordi-
nance No. 2017-04, Amending The Zoning Map Adopted
By Ordinance 84-1, The Comprehensive Plan Adopted
By Ordinance No. 2000-04 (Which Readopted Ordinance
83-2), And The Baker County Zoning Ordinance Adopted
By Ordinance No. 2014-01, Creating An Overlay To The
Timber-Grazing Zone Titled Limited Use Tourist Com-
mercial Overlay (LUTCO) For Tax Lot 400, In Township
07 South, Range 38 East, Section 4C.
SEE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PAGE 9