FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2017
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Local
Sumpter City Council
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 3
This is an emergency
vehicle and is not set up to
water streets.
Clarke thanked Young
for continuing work on
the BFA grant, thanked
all volunteers and donors
for the Labor Day hotdog
stand, and thanked John
Helgesen for his donation
of $500 toward purchase of
the water tender.
Utility Manager Report
Bookkeeper LeAnne
Woolf read Utility Manag-
er Jeff McKinney’s report.
Water continues to flow at
about a rate of 100 gallons
per minute, which is suf-
ficient to meet the City’s
needs. Most citizens have
followed use schedules.
This contributes to main-
taining reserve levels in
case of fire.
There were four new
service installations this
month with several more
scheduled. The backhoe
was repaired and seems to
be working well enough.
McKinney expressed
thanks to all citizens who
volunteer, especially the
mayor, city councilors,
fire department, and first
responders.
Planning Report
John Young reported the
last meeting started with
a public hearing on Bob
Hunt’s request to vacate
New Street. The Commis-
sion heard testimony and
reviewed received let-
ters. At 6:30, they opened
the regular meeting and
discussed the vacation.
The Commission is recom-
mending against it due to
questions on whether or
not it could cut off services
to people. In addition,
Leland Myers stated it’s re-
quired there be a fire truck
turn-around there. That
would take almost enough
room that the street may
as well be put completely
through.
One person applied for
a permit for a KIT home.
The application was ap-
proved. Woolf commented
that the application was
conditionally approved,
but on closer inspection, it
was found that the house
was drawn on the property
line.
Young also commented
that the Sumpter Volun-
teers Labor Day hot dog
stand received about $830
in donations toward the
purchase of the water
tender.
New Street Vacation
Determination
Mayor Cary Clarke
stated that vacations need
to be carefully considered
because at some point in
the future, the City may
need them for accesses for
utilities and such. Woolf
stated that if this vaca-
tion is done, two pieces
of property will have no
access because the alley
behind those pieces was
previously vacated. Coun-
cil voted unanimously to
deny the vacation.
Water Rate Increase
Clarke asked the last
time business water rates
were raised. The last raise
took effect August 1, 2013.
Woolf reported that she
went from 1995 when rates
were first established. If
the rate had been raised at
3% per year, restaurants at
$36.50 are paying at what
would be the 2004 rate,
other businesses at $28.50
are paying the 2006 rate,
and residences at $27 are
at the 2014 rate. She said
catching the businesses
up all at once would be
a terrible shock. She
recommended a raise of
$6, which will bring them
to the 2009 rate. She is
working out where the City
will need to be for paying
off the loan DEQ required
they get from IFA and
is looking at how sewer
rates will affect the overall
picture.
Woolf said the water
ordinance desperately
needs to be updated. It
already requires that there
be a deposit for every
water service request. This
has never been collected.
Clarke clarified that every-
one signs a water-user’s
agreement and pays $300.
Woolf stated that payment
is for a turn-on fee and
inspections. The deposit
of $150 would be credited
to the user’s account after
a year of no delinquencies.
In the case of delinquency,
the City could use it while
negotiating with the user
or arranging to turn off
the water. An application-
processing fee would go to
pay staff for doing search-
es and processing paper-
work. Baker City charges
$30 for this.
Clarke motioned to table
the issue, but meet soon
to review it and make a
decision. Motion passed
unanimously. Council set
up a Special Meeting for
September 18th at 8:30 PM
to discuss and vote on this
issue.
USDA Questionnaire
Woolf reported meeting
with LaDonn McElligott
today because Sumpter
doesn’t have mandatory
water hookup. McElligott
suggested addressing this
in the ordinance review.
Because Sumpter doesn’t
have this, the federal gov-
ernment asks for a review
on whether or not they are
violating anyone’s civil
rights, like denying service
based on race. McElligott
requested Council mem-
bers response to a short
survey.
Wright House
The quit claim deed
has been turned in to the
county. Sumpter should
be hearing them from them
soon.
Flea Markets
Clarke asked Woolf if
they will have paperwork
on the Flea Markets by
the workshop on 9/18.
She said she can have
this year’s done by then.
Baker Sanitary’s bill for
the Labor Day Flea Market
has not been received, but
that is the only information
lacking. Councilman Rob-
ert Armbruster expressed
his concern that “we con-
tinue to have a pity party
about losing money on the
flea markets” but that they
have never had something
to look at to see where
money is being lost.
Transient Lodging Tax
Commissioner Bill
Harvey requested permis-
sion to address Council
regarding their decision
to pull out of the County
TLT pool. The County
currently does the work
of collecting the funds
and maintaining records.
Seventy percent of funds
go to marketing, including
publications and Facebook
advertising. Harvey stated
if Sumpter pulls out, the
County will not be able to
provide future advertising
for them as they would be
using someone else’s funds
to do so.
In addition, there have
been grants made in
the past to Music in the
Meadow and other events.
He asked that Council
reconsider their decision.
Councilwoman Saman-
tha Rowan asked about
Sumpter’s share of tran-
sient lodging taxes, how
it’s allotted, and where
the advertising appears.
Harvey responded that the
information is available
from Timothy Bishop who
does a great job spread-
ing out marketing funds
countywide.
Armbruster asked why
Sumpter decided to pull
out in the first place.
Woolf said that the
grants from the Transient
Lodging Tax committee
seem to be focusing more
and more on Baker City.
Also, Sumpter could use
the funds for upkeep of the
park and make their own
choices on how and where
to advertise. Ads for coun-
ty events are becoming less
community-specific.
Young commented that
Council should look at if
Sumpter is getting back
out through advertising
whatever they contribute in
lodging taxes, or would it
be better to take the money
as a City, come up with a
marketing campaign, and
do their own advertising.
He said there have been
complaints that the County
is centralized on the whole
area, not targeting specific
cities.
Clarke commented that
he hadn’t thought about the
County’s doing the billing
and collecting of money.
Council agreed to add this
issue to the agenda for the
Special Meeting on 9/18
and make a decision.
Council Input
Armbruster voiced his
concern about a paper
labeled as an attachment to
minutes of a July meeting,
stating it is full of opinions
and not a record of what
happened. Rowan stated
it is not part of the minutes
or the record.
Public Input
Kurt Clarke announced
the Fire Department will
hold an open house on Sat-
urday, 9/23 from 4-6 PM.
They’ll serve something
simple like brats, soda, and
chips, and give everyone
an opportunity to look at
their equipment and what
they’ve done in the QRU
building.
He stated his wish to
put the funds from ODF
toward the purchase of the
water tender. He said he’d
put his wages as operator
toward the purchase as
well. Young stated his
intention to do the same.
Council expressed thanks
to both. This will be dis-
cussed at the next Council
meeting.
Clarke also stated that he
knows the City can’t afford
to lose money, but Sumpter
would hardly exist without
the Flea Market.
Timothy Peters ex-
pressed concern about a
Flea Market vendor who
always comes early.
He stated the vendor
was in as much as a week
early for the last Market
and immediately hooked
up to water and power
without being charged for
it.
Myrna Clarke pointed
out that if the City allows
one vendor to come in
early if they pay for the ex-
tra days, that opens up the
problem of others want-
ing to come in early and
use the area for camping,
which it is not intended for.
This will be further
discussed at the Flea Mar-
ket workshop to be held
September 18 at City Hall
at 7 p.m.
— Guest Opinion —
Never forget
9/11
By Rep. Greg Barreto
In the aftermath of hurricane Har-
vey, the current destruction of hurri-
cane Irma, and the wildfires ravaging
the west, we recognize that these were
caused by forces in nature.
9-11 and other terrorist acts were
caused by deviant human sources. We
remember 9-11, the loss of human
life and the destruction caused was
a result of hate filled radical Islamic
extremists and realize that the threat is
ongoing.
We also remember the bravery and
selflessness that unified this nation in
the way Americans responded to that
baseless attack. We are at war with
an enemy that is difficult to identify
with a mindset most of us find hard to
understand. We must remain vigilant
and wise in this battle, continuing to
take measures to protect America. As
technology becomes more advanced
and available to the enemy, we give
thanks to our military, our Command-
er in Chief and our steadfast leader-
Submitted Photo
Representative Barreto’s committee
assignments for 2017: Agriculture
and Natural Resources Committee,
Business and Labor Committee,
Rules Committee, Transportation
Policy Committee.
ship in this ongoing war and we pray
for these people fighting this war and
keeping us safe.
Our prayers are with those who lost
so much on 9-11 and with those who
face the dangers of natural disasters
now. Unity strengthens us and we are
blessed by so many who join in help-
ing those in need.
God bless America!
Public use restrictions
lowered this week
Public use restric-
tions on the Umatilla
and Wallowa-Whitman
National Forests dropped
to PHASE B as of 12:01
a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14,
2017.
Phase B allows the use
of campfires in designated
recreation sites only. Re-
strictions pertaining to the
use of chainsaws, inter-
nal combustion engines,
generators and smoking
remain in effect.
Beginning Thursday,
campfires will ONLY be
allowed in designated
campgrounds and identi-
fied recreation sites.
A list of designated rec-
reation sites is available on
each forest’s websites. Liq-
uefied or bottled gas stoves
and heaters are allowed for
cooking and heating.
Operating an internal
combustion engine, such as
a chainsaw, is prohibited.
This restriction applies
to all internal combus-
tion engines except motor
vehicles.
Firewood cutting is not
allowed, unless the op-
erator has a valid personal
use firewood permit. The
public is reminded that
personal-use firewood
cutting with a valid permit
is governed under current
Industrial Fire Precaution
Level (IFPL) restrictions.
Current IFPL Levels are
posted on the John Day In-
teragency website at http://
bicc-jdidc.org/jdidc/intel-
report.shtml and on the
Blue Mountain Interagency
website at http://bmidc.org/
ifpls.shtml.
Generators will only be
allowed in the center of
an area at least 10 feet in
diameter that is cleared
of all flammable material,
or; when fully contained
within a pickup truck
bed that is devoid of all
flammable material, or;
when factory installed
in a recreational vehicle
and the generator exhaust
discharge is located in the
center of an area at least
10 feet in diameter that is
cleared of all flammable
material.
Smoking is only allowed
within enclosed vehicles,
buildings, and developed
recreation sites or when
stopped in an area cleared
of all flammable material.
As a reminder, travel
restrictions prohibit motor
— Contact Us —
vehicles traveling off of
designated Forest roads
and trails, except for the
purposes of going to or
from campsites located
within 300 feet of an open
road.
Motorized travel on
segments of road where
access is blocked by gate,
barricade, log, boulder
or earthen berm is also
prohibited.
Vehicles must still abide
by all laws and regulations
pertaining to the area of
travel.
For more information
regarding Phase B Public
Use Restrictions, please
contact:
Umatilla National For-
est:
Information Hotline: Toll-
Free (877) 958-9663
www.facebook.com/Uma-
tillaNF
Twitter: @UmatillaNF
Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest:
Information Hotlines: Bak-
er City (541) 523-1234; La
Grande (541) 962-8679;
Joseph (541) 426-5552
www.facebook.com/Wal-
lowaWhitmanNF
Twitter: @WallowaWhit-
man
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