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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 2020)
COMMUNITY THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2020 COUNCIL Continued from Page 1A Councilors also voted 5-0 to rescind their July 28 deci- sion to award $50,000 of the federal aid to Community Connection of Baker County. That organization will still be eligible, however, to apply for some of the money the city received through the CARES Act, which Congress passed in late March, early in the pandemic. Councilors Arvid Andersen and Randy Schiewe were absent Tuesday. City Manager Fred Warner Jr. proposed that the Council, dur- ing its twice-per- month meetings, Warner allocate some of the CARES Act money to the committee for disbursal. The city needs to distribute the money by Dec. 31, 2020. “We believe there is quite a need out there but we don’t know,” Warner said. Councilors voted 5-0 on Tuesday to make an initial transfer of $75,000 to the committee. They also voted to spend no more than 5% of the money on administrative costs, which will go to a con- tractor who will handle the paperwork associated with distributing the money. “What they would need, the contractors that they are look- ing for, they need to be able to get the dollars out the door in an effi cient manner and have a proven method to document COVID-related expenses,” Warner said. “And then, es- pecially with businesses if we were going to help businesses, they have a plan for long-term viability so that we weren’t just putting money out to some business that couldn’t actually make it.” The city will create con- tracts and send them to the CRF Committee and the council will need to sign the contracts. Among the potential recipi- ents, in addition to business- es, are the county’s Economic Recovery Committee, food banks, faith-based groups and any other organization that has the capacity to track how it would use the money. The committee could also specify fi nancial aid for spe- cifi c purposes, including help- ing residents pay for housing, utilities, transportation, food, medical supplies and other needs. Warner also discussed the possibility of helping parents pay for child care. Bryan Tweit, Baker Coun- ty’s economic development director, said the county’s Economic Recovery Team has been working to distribute about $280,000 from multiple grants. “We have a lot of business- es that are hurting,” Tweit said. He said the city’s new com- mittee can potentially help “all those people who fell in the cracks” and didn’t qualify for other pandemic aid. “This committee will have the ability to look at anybody coming and presenting,” Tweit said. Jeff Nelson, Baker County business adviser with Blue Mountain Community College’s Small Business Development Center and also a member of the county’s Eco- nomic Recovery Team, said the city dollars are needed. “Our businesses are still suffering,” he said. BAKER CITY HERALD — 7A “Our businesses are still suffering.” west of the Early Learning Center, the former site of a — Jeff Nelson, business adviser, Blue playground, should accom- Mountain Community College and member of the Baker County Economic Recovery Team modate teachers and parents and that Eighth Street could be left to allow parking for Parking changes The resolution also pro- the general public and adja- Councilors approved a hibits parking at all times cent residents. resolution modifying parking on the east side of Eighth Angela Lattin, director of near the new Baker Early Street from B Street north to the Early Learning Center, Learning Center in the North the cul-de-sac, and restricts said the parking ban on Baker School building at parking on the north side of B Eighth Street is of no benefi t 2725 Seventh St. Street between Seventh and to the district, but was sug- The Baker School District Eighth streets on school days gested by Sid Johnson & Co., asked that the city restrict from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. the district’s contractor for parking on the west side of In a staff report to council- renovating the building, to Seventh Street between B ors, Michelle Owen, the city’s avoid possible traffi c conges- and C streets to allow for public works director, recom- tion on the street. parents to pick up and drop mended against banning In other business Tuesday, off students. The parking re- all parking on the east side councilors: striction would be in effect on of Eighth Street north of B • approved the purchase school days from 7:30 a.m. to Street. Owen wrote that the of a used road grader from 8:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. school district’s construction Western States CAT in Me- to 3:30 p.m. of a new parking lot north- ridian, Idaho, for $180,000. Try the SHIP TO STORE feature at millershomecenter.com 3815 Pocahontas Road, Baker City 541-523-6404 3109 May Lane, La Grande 541-963-3113 • voted to accept a $138,933 federal grant that will pay for an exhaust system at the Baker City Fire Department, and three CPR machines. Former Fire Chief John Clark applied for the grant, which requires a city match of $6,946. Fire Chief Sean Lee wrote in a report to councilors that the exhaust system will prevent fumes from fi re trucks and ambulances from accumulating in the station. It will cost about $95,000. The CPR machines will cost about $51,000. 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