FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
City Council approves budget
Lightning
strikes house
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Access was made into the crawl space from the exterior
and initial knock-down obtained. Additional access was
gained through the crawl space entrance.
Fire crews remained on the scene to remove smoke and
heat from the crawl space.
Thermal imaging cameras used to assess attic spaces,
main floor, and crawl space for heat and fire.
The home’s occupant was Jackie Hughes, and the owner,
Al Schmits.
Baker Rural Fire, Cascade Natural Gas, OTEC, and
Baker City Police assisted.
The property was estimated at $75,000, with about
$5,000 in damage.
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
L-R: Julie Smith, Fred Warner, Jr., members of the Baker City Council, Jeannie Dexter.
• OPPOSITION TO
PUBLIC SAFETY FEE
CONTINUES
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Tuesday night Mayor
Downing called the City
Council meeting to order.
Councilor McQuisten
led the pledge of allegiance
and gave the invocation
reciting a simple quote by
Mark Twain: “Kindness
is the language which the
deaf can hear and the blind
can see.”
City Recorder Julie
Smith called roll with all
councilors present.
Next Council moved to
accept the consent agenda
that consisted of minutes
from the May 23, 2017 and
June 13, 2017 regular City
Council meetings and the
June 6, 2017 special City
Council meeting.
Downing called for
Citizen Participation.
Tom Muller stepped for-
ward to address Council in
opposition of the recently
passed Public Safety Fee.
He began his prepared
speech by saying, “All City
Councilors make $150 per
year—that’s $10 per meet-
ing. The City Manager
makes $98,000 per year
and serves at the pleasure
of City Councilors.
“The main reason I’m
hearing from all of you for
the reason these $6 and
$3 fees were imposed is
because you’re concerned
about the safety of the City
of Baker City not being
safe by not having enough
Police Officers.
“I ask why do you
believe that? Do you base
it on the population of the
City in relation to how
many Police Officers we
need?”
Muller went on to point
out that in the last official
census done in 2010, the
population of Baker City
totaled around 9,800.
Muller stated, “If 17
full-time police officers at
an average of $4,000 per
officer are needed based on
an outdated census, which
was seven years ago, this is
not only wrong, it is ethi-
cally wrong and morally
wrong.”
Muller told Council that
he believed they also based
their decision in part on
information given to them
by the Chief of Police
Wyn Lohner who informed
Council he needed 17 full-
time police officers and
could not do with less.
“Well, we all know the
police never lie,” Muller
said.
He went on to advise
Council that he had tripped
twice over sidewalks since
he came to Baker City a
year and a half ago and
asked, “Are you more
concerned about paying the
average Baker City police
officer $4,000 per month
than the safety of people
falling and possibly hurting
themselves on dilapidated
sidewalks?”
He told Council they
could be found liable for
such incidents.
On a final note, he
added that if in fact the
basis of the number of
police officers needed was
determined by population,
the City should conduct
a new population census
to determine that number
because in his year and a
half in Baker he did not
believe the 2010 census
data to be accurate and that
the actual population was
much lower than in 2010
yet provided no facts to
support his claim.
After Muller was finished
Council moved forward
with the agenda.
Budget Items
A. Public Hearing
Regarding Possible Uses
of State Revenue Sharing
Dollars
Downing declared the
opening of a Public Meet-
ing concerning this matter.
No one came forward to
speak, so without public
input Downing closed the
meeting.
City Finance Man-
ager Jeanie Dexter advised
Council that to receive
State Revenue Sharing
Dollars it is a requirement
that there be documented
a minimum of two public
meetings in which citizens
may give input.
She advised that the first
meeting had been opened
for public comment during
Budget meetings in May.
B. Public Hearing Re-
garding the Allocations in
the 2017-2018 Approved
Budget
Downing again declared
the opening of a public
meeting concerning this
matter.
Again, with no public in-
put he closed the meeting.
As Dexter had stated this
matter also required docu-
mentation that a minimum
of two public meetings had
occurred, the first had also
occurred during budget
meetings in May.
C. Consideration of
Resolution #3798 Electing
to Receive State Revenue
Sharing Dollars
Dexter advised Council
that this resolution was
required by the State in
order to receive Baker
City’s portion of state rev-
enue sharing which comes
from a portion of the taxes
imposed on alcohol and is
based on the city’s popula-
tion.
An estimated $105,000
is expected to be received
with those funds will go
into the General Fund.
Police, Fire, Parks and the
Cemetery are among the
City departments that will
benefit from the utilization
of these dollars.
Upon a motion by
Councilor Joseph that
was seconded by Coun-
cilor McQuisten, Council
unanimously passed the
resolution.
D. Consideration of
Modifications to the 2017-
2018 Approved Budget
Dexter explained the
modifications that would
occur upon the passing of
resolution #3800.
A permit rate tax of
$6.3314 per thousand
dollars for general govern-
ment limitations would be
imposed as well as setting
an appropriation level for
the City budget, setting a
legal spending limit.
Dexter went on to ex-
plain some minor changes
to the budget board ap-
proved budget. Changes
included the Transient
Lodging Taxes, the City
had explored the option
of taking back from the
County the administra-
tion of this but the County
decided to keep control.
The city budget was
decreased from $108,000
to $88,000 to adjust for an-
ticipated savings the City
would have had in taking
over administration.
The County has agreed
to fund an additional
$65,000 to the 911 Center
reducing the City contribu-
tion. Dexter also noted that
the City budget would see
an additional $20,000 by
leasing out space in City
Hall for Economic Devel-
opment Contractors.
Dexter also noted a
revenue change due City
Council’s decision on rais-
ing water/wastewater rates
from the proposed 12.8%
to only 10%.
E. Consideration of
Adoption of the Appro-
priations for the General
Fund’s Administration
Services Department
Downing declared a
conflict of interest in this
matter saying, “Because
I work for and receive a
paycheck from 911 which
comes from the Admin-
istrative Services Depart-
ment I will step down from
this vote.
Councilor Joseph moved
to adopt with a second
heard by Councilor Thom-
as. All voted in favor with
Downing abstaining.
F. Consideration of
Resolution #3800 Adopt-
ing the 2017-2018 Budget,
Making Appropriations
and Imposing and Catego-
rizing Taxes
Once the separate vote
pertaining to Administra-
tive services had been done
Joseph moved to approve
the resolution in its entirety
with a second by Councilor
Nilsson.
A unanimous vote in
favor of passing Resolution
#3800 was cast.
G. Consideration of
Resolution #3799 Making
Modifications to the 2016-
2017 Budget
This resolution noted
an unexpected increase
of $20,000 in building
permits that is going to be
removed from the building
inspections line and placed
in contingency.
Joseph moved to adopt
the 2017-2018 Budget with
this modification.
Thomas made a second
then Council voted unani-
mously in favor passing the
2017-2018 budget in the
amount of $22,551,737.
Interfund Loans
A. Resolution #3795
Interfund Loan from State
Tax Street Fund to the
General Fund
This resolution authoriz-
es an interfund loan in the
amount of up to $200,000
between the General Fund
and the State Tax Street
Fund.
The interfund loan is
necessary due to a shortfall
anticipated between the
beginning of the Fiscal
year (July 1, 2017) and
November when property
tax revenue begins to come
into the City.
The City will then repay
the State Tax Street Fund
with interest that the fund
would have earned on the
money had it remained in
the fund.
B. Resolution #3796 In-
terfund Loan from Equip-
ment and Vehicle Fund to
the Golf Course Capital
Projects Fund
This resolution allows
for a budgeted transfer of
dollars from the Equipment
and Vehicle fund to the
Golf Course Capital Proj-
ects Fund for the purchase
of golf cart that will in turn
be leased by the conces-
sioner for a period of ten
years, repaying the loan
with interest.
SEE CITY PAGE 8
Fair to hold
garden contest
Start planting and creating in your very own gardens/
yards to be judged and photographed for the best garden
in Baker County. Don’t have a garden of your own, nomi-
nate a neighbor, business or friend’s garden. Get creative
—incorporate the fair theme “100 Years—Celebrating
Traditions” and/or our fair colors (Gold, Silver, & Blue).
Entry Deadline: Friday, July 28th, 4:00 p.m.
Judging Date: Saturday, July 29th 9:00 a.m.
Awards:
1st place: “Best Garden in Baker” signage displayed in
your yard.
2nd place: “2nd Place” signage displayed in your yard.
3rd place: “3rd Place” signage displayed in your yard.
(1st - 3rd places will all be features in our local
publication(s) and posted on our website and Facebook
page.)
Guidelines:
This is an Open Class contest, meaning it is open to
everyone.
Nominations encouraged
Entry forms must be received in the office by 4:00pm
on Friday, July 28th.
For questions please call or email the fair office. Go to
bakerfair.com for Entry forms.
Fire closes
freeway
Photo courtesy of Darleen Hallett
On June 26, a grass fire closed I-84 both directions
for several hours in the afternoon. There were no
injuries reported and 49 acres burned. Lightning
also ignited a handful of other small wildfires near
the Halfway area, ranging .25-1 acre each.
Volunteers
needed at fair
Are you creative? Would you like an opportunity to
serve your community? Are you a business that would
like to showcase your goods and/or services? Are you
someone who has some extra time, and would just like
to get out of the house and help with a large community
event? Love working with kids in a large fun environ-
ment?
We are making plans to create an even larger “Kidz
Fun Zone” and need your help manning stations. The
Baker County Fair organizers are looking for your help!
Creative types: We are looking for help decorating the
Event Center. Your ideas and talents would be MOST
welcomed!
Businesses: Join our list of fair sponsors! This is a great
way to tell the community about your business and even
showcase it at the fair, while sponsoring the youth of
Baker County! Your sponsor money helps us to put on a
“free” Fair.
Volunteers: We are facilitating check-in for the Open
Class on Monday and Tuesday this year, and need YOUR
help!! If you are organized and would like a behind the
scenes task, look into the Open Class.
For more information, please contact Angie Turner/
Fair Manager or Rochelle Adams/Asst. Fair Manager at
541-523-7881.