Baker City Weekly Report

February 11, 2011

ADMINISTRATION

 The City Manager attended a Baker Heritage Museum Board Meeting. We talked about having better
communication between the City and Museum Board.
 Tuesday’s Council meeting was broadcast live over the web, via Granicus. The broadcast went off without a
hitch. We did have some comments concerning where to find the link on the Cities website. Currently it is
located under Council agendas however as soon as possible we will move it to the front page.
 The city manager met with Kathleen Cathy this week to discuss issues at the Federal level that may affect the
City. Kathleen is the local representative to Senator Wyden.
 On Tuesday the City Manager met with County Chair Fred Warner to begin work on budget items that affect
both of our organizations.
 The Mayor and City Manager attended an EDC meeting this week. Greg Smith who is the County Economic
Developer gave a presentation on his progress so far in Baker County. He estimates that by March 1 he will
have a store front downtown.

Potential Agenda Items for February 22, 2011:

 Central Park bid acceptance and update
 Update Resort Street

POLICE

 It was an extremely busy week as BCPD opened 41 new cases, making multiple arrests.
 BCPD personnel completed their annual Tuberculosis awareness training.
 BCPD personnel began their annual Haz Mat awareness and Bloodborne Pathogen awareness trainings.
 BCPD received 25 “citizen feedback” letters from the community. These letters are randomly sent out to crime
victims to assist us with our internal quality control efforts. BCPD has periodically sent these out for many
years. Typically the vast majority are very positive, as was the case with this group.

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FIRE
The Baker City Fire Department Responded to a total of 36 emergency alarms for the past week. Breakdown of
emergency responses:

FIRE
General Alarms 0
Still Alarms 0
TOTAL RESPONSES 0

Fire responses are broken down as follows:

 Nothing to report this week.

AMBULANCE
Rural Calls 9
City Calls 27

Transports 31
No Patient Trip 5
Out of town transfers 5
Airport Transfers 0
Motor Vehicle Crash 0
Doubles 7
Triples 0

TOTAL RESPONSES 36

TRAINING/MAINTENANCE:
21 hours of training consisting of:
 EMS: Pediatric poisoning and trauma.
 Fire: CO detection and poisoning
79 hours of station and equipment maintenance including:
 Weekly medication inventory and replacement of expired medications.
 Station, apparatus and equipment maintenance.
 Annual SCBA/respiratory fit testing initiated.
 Annual SCBA maintenance and testing continued.
Additional services include:
 Baker City Firefighter 1 academy training for new volunteer firefighters.

PUBLIC WORKS
Wastewater
 Karl and Rick cleaned and video-inspected the 15" concrete wastewater trunk line at Grandview Avenue. When
lines are over half full, our crew will use the jetter truck nozzle to "pull" the level of the wastewater down to a
level so that the video-inspection camera is above the liquid level.

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 Figure 1 Rick Owens operating the jetter truck.

 In the photo below Karl is looking at the black line on the inside of the pipe where the liquid level is normally
located. The white circular shape in the center of the pipe is the spray emitted from the jetter nozzle as it draws
down the liquid level.

Spray from jetter

Level of Liquid

Figure 2 Karl inspecting the line as it is cleaned.

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  Below is a photo of the video-inspection van owned by PEC, Planned and Engineered Construction, Inc.? They
have been hired by the City to install CIPP (Cured In Place Pipe) liner inside of 12 sections of old, cracked,
root-infested terra cotta wastewater lines. One section of 6” terra cotta line had to be dug up and adjusted so
that the lining equipment could pass through the line. City crews have been assisting the PEC crews as
needed.

Figure 3 CIPP contractors performing preliminary inspection of mainlines to be lined.

 Heavy grease deposits in the Campbell Street wastewater trunk line continued to be addressed this week.
 A crew responded to a Sewer System Overflow (SSO) at a residence on South Bridge Street. The overflow was
not caused by blockage within the mainline.
Director
 Michelle traveled to Portland to participate in depositions for the Mountain Line litigation. Former Public
Works Director Jim Adamson gave video testimony for use at trial next month.
 Work continues on the Airport improvement project. Discussions with our engineering firm continue as the
plans for this summer’s project progress. This project will go out to bid near the end of March.
 The Central Park construction project is officially out to bid. The project will include grading, irrigation, hydro
seeding, cinder path construction and restroom facilities. The bid results will be brought to Council at the
February 22nd meeting.
Streets
 An entire day was dedicated to filling potholes in asphalt streets with a "cold mix" asphalt patch material.
 Potholes were filled with crushed rock on dust abated gravel streets.
 We borrowed ODOT’s street “broom” for three days this week to sweep loose rock from chip seal streets, the
Leo Adler Memorial Pathway and street intersection approaches. The ODOT broom pushed excess rock to the
sides of the street, and the City sweeper would then follow and vacuum up the rock. If the rock that the street

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 sweeper vacuums up is in suitable condition, it can be re-used as pipe bedding for the watershed pipeline
installation project.
 Steve Moudy performed routine maintenance on street lights this week. Steve addresses any issues that are
either called in by citizens or those that have come to staff’s attention. Anyone that notices a flickering street
light or one that is not working is encouraged to call Street Supervisor Tom Fisk at (541) 524-2020 or the Public
Works Department at (541) 524-2063.
 Park benches were repaired by staff.

Water
 Crews exercised water valves this week. Valves are exercised annually in order to ensure they are functioning
properly. Water valves regulate the water flow in the water mains, allowing crews to completely shut off the
water in a particular section of mainline so construction or maintenance can be accomplished on the mainline.
 Riverside Inc., from Parma, Idaho began working at the City well at the Water Treatment Facility. The
contractor is pulling the pump column from the well and installing two new 3/4" stainless steel access tubes for
pressure sensors and one 5/8" PEX access tube for an air pressure line. It has been concluded that the previous
pressure sensor was unable to be retrieved because the sensor wire bonded, either from corrosion or mineral
build up, to the access tube it was housed in.

Figure 4 Old access tube that was pulled from the well.

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SAM-O SWIM CENTER
 The pool was utilized by the following groups; Baker High School, Baker Middle School, Bridgeway, St
Alphonsus
 We had approximately 571 people use the pool last week (32% non Y members)
o Water Fitness: 111
o Lap Swim: 184
o Private Swim Lessons: 3
o Masters Swimmers: 18
o Open Swim: 250
o Misc.: 5
 We had one minor incident at the pool, the lifeguard responded and the paramedics arrived. It was not life
threatening and the injured person was fine.
 We did have minor water temperature issues this week that are corrected now. We remained open, but the
water was ice cold. We started a list of polar bear club participants – it is a brave group.
 We are planning for our summer programs and looking forward to our spring break camp.

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Planning
 The City Planner attended a meeting on Feb. 4th for the Eastern Oregon Mining Association (EOMA) where
Jimmy Dorsey, from the “Gold Rush Alaska” reality show on the Discovery Channel, announced that he has
already started filming for another reality show here in Baker County. Sounds like gold fever is hitting again!
 The staff reports were prepared for the upcoming wireless communication facility hearings.
 A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application has been submitted by Terry Marsh for an accessory structure
exceeding the 1,000 sq. ft. limit.
 A Type C Variance application has been submitted by St. Alphonsus Medical Center to exceed limitations in
the sign code.
Building
Residential Compliance:
 An application received and waiting for engineering design for the 4500 square foot storage-shop building on
Cracker Creek near Sumpter that was being built without building permits.
 We have been waiting for the owner to apply for permits for the Manufactured home placed without permits
near Pleasant valley, and also a permit application for the attached garage built without permits at the home of
the same owner nearby.
Commercial Projects:
Commercial Projects in the plan review process:
 The Maverick Gas Station and the Convenience Store 4,217 square foot that is to be built at the corner of Cedar
and Campbell Streets is, Baker City.
 The Studio Apartment remodel project that is above the YMCA is in process of reviewing the change of
Occupancy, and Fire Sprinkler Plans. This is a new residential area where it was only warehouse storage
previously.
 A Remodel of a Professional Service Business office space on 1st was submitted and we are waiting on the cost
of construction to figure permits.
Residential Projects:
 A new Manufactured home was issued permits and the foundation forms approved on Myrtle Street, Baker City.
 A new utility storage building was issued a structural permit in Greenhorn in Baker County.
 A new Residence was issued permits on Walnut Street Baker City.

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  A Metal building-garage was issued a permit in the city of Huntington in Baker County. This building was a
former compliance issue.
 Ready to issue a permit for a new Residence on First Creek in Baker County.

FINANCE
Finance Director
 January’s revenue and expenditure report will be available February 18th.
Utilities
 Zone 6 was billed today which includes 491 residential and 49 commercial accounts. Of those accounts 50 or
9% are signed up for direct payment.
 53 late notices were sent February 7th.
 Five residential customers (Zone 5) were scheduled to have their water turned off for non-pay (over 60 days
past due) one of those was actually turned off until their past due balance is paid.
Accounts Payable
 The first of two accounts payable check runs for the month was generated February 9th.
Accounts Receivable
Monthly accounts receivable billings were sent today. The billings were as follows:
 Property and Weed Abatement - $2,424
 Cemetery - $2,745
 HBC Business Licenses - $15,697
 City of La Grande Inspection Services - $3,204
 Wastewater Maintenance - $4,719
 Water Line Hookups - $7,095
 Lien Searches - $315
 Ambulance - $280,674
 Airport Hangar Rent & Ground Lease - $2,291
 Miscellaneous - $313

Total Billed $319,477

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