If
you don't want to be a part of the prayer, you're welcome to step out at this time and then
come back in when the prayer is over. After prayer, we'll have the Pledge of Allegiance.
So, if you would please stand.
Wisdom and discernment.
God, I thank You that You played these issues before us tonight.
God, I ask that You give us the strength to stay focused on budget issues,
as that is a pressing need of this city.
We're going to come before You just as Your servant.
So, God, I ask that You would bless us tonight.
Let Your peace ring over this place
and let the conversation be fruitful and productive.
in Jesus' name. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Let's move on to roll call.
Councilor Sreed.
Mayor Diaz.
Here.
Councilor Wagner Sr.
Here.
Councilor Duvay.
Here.
And Councilor Hodgkin.
Here.
Thank you really.
So we'll move into the public hearing on the budget.
The only topic that we're talking about tonight is budget.
Because we need to get this budget passed before the end of the month.
So, not being said, I would ask that we keep our comments related to budget issues only.
Our regular meeting is Tuesday night.
You're more than welcome to comment and express your concerns for almost anything at that regular Tuesday night meeting.
So, if we could focus on the budget tonight, that would be great.
First is Dan, of course, Dan.
Good evening.
Hi, Dan.
Hey, so Dan McQuiston, I do serve currently
on the city's budget board, and I have in the past
and resident here in Baker City, 2880 first group.
So I'm here to voice my support for our budget.
They went through the budget committee
and I want to encourage you and support you
in adopting the budget committee approved budget
as submitted.
Second, I would like to kind of encourage anybody that's watching or those in the public that
may not be familiar with this process.
The city has a great thing that's put out by the local budget manual that is put out
by the state and it really describes that process well and kind of some of that work
it's all described under the budget committee process.
So I encourage you all to take a look at that.
I want to also support, and voice my support, for investment in our community livability.
And that's directly part of our golf course, our swimming pools, our parks, all of those.
And I think you'll see that that support was in that budget and it continues through a variety of things in our community now.
specifically on the golf course project that was before the budget community and
the council was a large investment for the sprinkler irrigation system. I really
want to encourage you to take a look at all the community partners that are now
currently signed on board with that to support that and make that you know
continued kind of crown jewel for our community. And lastly I want to
to support the need by our community
to look at increasing revenues.
We have to look at some additional funding options
to make the things that we need
and want continue to work.
And so I know right now there's some things
on the board looking at a gas tax,
potentially increasing franchise fees
and a whole host of other options
that we really need to look at.
That being said, I want to encourage this council
also to continue to look at options that really involve an open process with our community
so they have the time and ability to give their input. Nothing last minute, no fees tacked
on right at the end. Let's have a good conversation about that. Thank you.
Thank you, Billy.
And this is John France.
So good evening, everyone. So for those in the audience and who may be watching
else where all goes well Tuesday I'll be the interim city manager sometime past
Tuesday officially so I just want to urge because I like as I said my
interview process I still feel the same way I look at you as I call the team
leading Baker City I need all the help I can get from looking at the initial
budget projections, it's terrible. What I'm hoping today is that some additional revenue
sources become, I guess, part of the future plan because we need that going into next year
as far as my tenure and beyond. We currently are on the wrong path to succeed. We need,
So we need to take some bolder steps to make sure we are good with revenue.
Again, my goal is to help support the city and my new team that I get to inherit.
And thank you very much.
I do want to say I've been impressed so far with the team you have here.
Thank you.
Thanks, John.
Randy Cox.
I'm here to support the budget and I'm here to support you guys.
but I'm also here to support the citizens that you guys work for. I want the budget to be for
everybody,
everybody, inclusive, not some of us, not some of us or who we go to church with,
not some of us for whatever we believe in that is only to me. You work for everybody,
so I want a budget for everybody.
Does that understand? Does anybody have any questions?
questions. Am I wrong about that?
Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, Randy.
Sherina.
I am new to this process and I just wanted to find out when, where I could find
information about the items that are on the budget, what the city funds. I was curious
because I was surprised to learn that the the golf that the the golfing region that
they had snow you know we flew down them you know in the winter I thought that was
a wonderful thing that they were hosting for city kids I did not realize that it
was actually owned by the city and the previous city that I had lived at that
was a private venture and it was always, always a touch and go for not meeting its budget
and it was basically kind of a financial sinkhole. So I was just really curious to find out more
information about how many residents actually utilize those services and whether or not
that would be something that we could consider maybe turning over to a private company
selling to increase revenue for the city. Anyway, I don't know where you find that
stuff. I'm just brand new to all of this, so I'm hoping that you guys can give me some
feedback on that. Sure. So the easiest way is if you'll contact City Clerk and we can
direct you. Excellent. Thank you. All right. Thank you very much. And I really
appreciate your leadership, Mattias. Thank you. I just wanted to speak to a little
bit to the golf course specifically the golf course was actually given to the
city it was a WPA project 80 years ago so that entire asset was actually given
to the city and the city taxpayers of the city kept it a municipal court of course
the beauty of having something that's available to everyone in the city at a
very affordable price is that it benefits our community tourism is our
second largest industry so it's a major asset for everything that works for the
whole city. And I am involved is the best way to learn there is a citizen
committee that is the budget committee it's all seven council members and seven
community members if you have a big interest that is so and that we would
invite you to get involved with. And just to that and I appreciate you
saying that I just know that the numbers of how many citizens in my former
city it was not it was frequented by the same number of people and it wasn't
it wasn't actually a giant draw and that's why they were always looking at
possible foreclosure is because the numbers no matter what kind of revamping
no matter what kind of different promotions I mean they took everything I
I felt really bad.
I donated to them and I've never used it in my life.
I just felt bad.
The numbers just did not support the cost in that.
And that was actually, that was a private venture.
So yes, I'd be very interested in seeing
how many people utilize that.
It's certainly not like the draw, like the Central Park,
which that's absolutely amazing.
Okay, well, thank you very much, thank you.
I'm sorry if I mispronounce this, uh, Tana Molina?
You can ask it right, though.
Um, I do believe that I should save my comment for Tuesday.
Thank you.
Yes.
Thank you.
Uh, Bill Treadman?
T.
Sorry about that.
Well,
I spent 30 years balance and budgets, and it's a combination of revenues
and expenses. Anybody, anybody could just cut expenses. That's not the easiest thing
in the world. Cutting expenses without doing long-term, even short-term damage
and devaluating assets, that's a little trickier. You know, anybody can come in if
they want to pad their resume and slash expenses and say look what I did. I live
through it in business. We had consultants, famous consultants, come in and slash expenses and all
we did was lose market share, lose loyal customers, and eventually gravitate back to doing what we
did best. So I've kind of seen this picture before. So instead of searching only for opportunities
the kind of
Expenses. Which there's always opportunities for cut expenses. Don't get me wrong. But also focus
on the opportunities and increasing the revenues. How do you increase revenues?
There's some
opportunities and there's some people that are going to talk later on that I've spoken
with that will explain this better to me. But I can tell you how you can reduce revenues
big time. If there's no golf course in Baker City, property values plummet. If you look at
Hillcrest, very few people live up in Hillcrest said don't know, and the reason they bought
and the reason they built was because of the golf course. So you lose property values. What
does that mean? That means you lose property taxes. That means you lose revenue.
So, if you're looking to the future to build revenues and to encourage growth in the community
and growth in property values and growth, therefore, in taxes, then the golf course
is an investment.
It's not the only one, but it is an investment that has proven.
you look at the property values on Hillcrest and what they've done over the
last 20 years. Baker's gone up, Hillcrest has gone up faster, okay? So it's, you have
an opportunity and I'm, there's some people that will get more technical
about the math that are going to speak later, but you have the opportunity to
invest in the future of Baker City at a bargain price. And probably if you execute the revenue
strategy that's going to be presented tonight, it won't cost the city anything.
So thank you.
I apologize in advance, is that Jo-Win Fox?
Jacqueline.
Sorry about that.
Real quick, I want to talk to you guys, same topic.
I just, coming from a different side, coming from a young family in town, from somebody
who's in real estate and sees the property values where people want to live, things
they want to do, I 100% agree that the golf course has an asset to our community.
golf course has brought people here who have called me and said we golfed. It is a beautiful
town. The views from the golf course, we want to live here. I have children who have golfed.
I have children who are friends who normally in any other city would not have the opportunity
or financial help to golf. Our golf club has a lot of programs set up for the school
to allow them to learn to golf and learn a lifelong skill. And I have never seen
anybody be turned away it's public course I think it's a great asset to our
community along with others but I think it is something that is open to
everybody and if you're looking for something that includes all ages you
know all religions all ethnicities you know something that doesn't exclude
anybody based on how they were born but of course it's a great place to start
and I would invite anybody to go up there on a Tuesday and see all the
families that don't, some of them don't off, but enjoy our largest city park.
Thank you.
Ethan Wolston,
Quinn Wolston,
Fred Warner.
So Fred Warner, 2810 Main Street.
People come to Baker City to work.
They stay in Baker City because of the quality of life, the parks, the pathway, the swimming
County pool, golf course, the outdoors, the schools, the YMCA, I mean this is really what
makes a community. I came, sit and listened at the budget committee. I thought you guys
did a really good job. You worked through the budget. I don't know exactly, you know,
we hear lots of rumors about, you know, changing the budget that the budget board put together.
I would just remind you that the Budget Committee is really an important piece.
The citizens, seven citizens, come and give their time.
I think the budget pretty much passed unanimously.
I wasn't there the night that you passed it.
Your job is to make sure the budget, if something changes in the meantime, makes
some changes.
is, I'm not sure what has changed, but I just want you to know that I think the budget process
is very important. Specifically, I'm the fundraising chairman for the golf course. There's a lot
of misinformation out there. We've tried to work with the city. We're going to be
on the docket to talk to the council. We've sent lots of stuff to you guys. We
have a great group of individuals that are really passionate about keeping this
golf course going. Just yesterday and the day before the the golfers put
together $45,000 and we repaved a bunch of the cart paths there. It looks
really nice. You should come up and see. I played at Union on Monday. I mean, there are
carpets, there are courses in horrible shape. And the reason ours isn't is because of the
dollars that the golf community and funders have given us. We're going to come up with in
this $1.5 million project, $975,000, and that's going to be a really hard task, especially
if we don't have the city on board. When the city gets on board, we can really go to work.
Until then, we're talking to everybody, but we need the city to, you know, at least sit
down with us and really talk about your asset and what it means to the community. So if you ever
have any questions we have a lot of really knowledgeable people that will answer any of the
questions that you may have. So thank you very much. Thank you Fred. It's
John Ward.
My name's
John Ward. I'm the president of the Baker City Gulf Board. You guys voted to put me on there so
like Fred was saying there's been a lot of misinformation out there about what's
been going on with the golf course. What our project is I emailed you guys this
morning I brought some copies tonight for anyone that didn't get that if you'd
like to look it over or if you guys have any questions about what we're
proposing. I kind of want to touch on what the golf course brings as far as
non-local golfers. This spring has been pretty wild. It's been absolutely
terrible golfing weather. I think we finally started golfing like that first
week of May. We've already had this is does not include tournaments or anything
like that which we've had several. Over 330 non-baker people stopping by to
golf at this course. We have 800 members that sign up to play all the time and then we also had,
I think it was close to 1200 or more non-membered people golfing at our golf course. So the draw
at our golf course is a bunch. You talk, I don't know what exact math is, but a month and a half,
330 people just stopping by to play or coming here to play is a really important draw to our
community and I was golfing with the guy today actually and he said you know what like if we
didn't have a golf course I would probably move somewhere that didn't have a golf course or that
had a golf course sorry and so I just wanted to make sure that it's really important
that you guys know how much people really do enjoy golf in here and what it
draws to the community not just the not just for the people like me that are
fortunate enough to play a bunch but the people that just show up after work on
a Tuesday I mean I mean there's a lot of people that just do it it's not an
elitist club whatsoever it's anybody I mean I've seen some of you guys up
there. So it's pretty good.
I just want to answer any questions you guys have while
I'm here for any of you guys's concerns about the golf course project.
We
do have $975,000 in non-city funds waiting for city council to say let's go ahead with
this project that's really all we need is is we have the partners bought in it's
all contingent on City Council deciding that they want to take care of their
asset and I think there's other opportunities too that the city could
look for as far as grants for water conservation stuff like that all stuff
that will definitely benefit Baker City as a whole.
So I just wanted to address a couple of things.
First of all, thank you for your service
on the Galt Commission.
I think it's really important in moving forward
and when we're talking about funding and partnerships
that we recognize that all of the citizen commissions
are a huge part of the success of the city.
So thank you for your service on that.
Also wanted to acknowledge to everyone
that's listening and watching that the County Commission
unanimously voted to support the county support for this project and that with
the budget presented today from the Law Commission Baker City it's only going to be
responsible for 36% of an improvement to an asset that we own. That is correct. So
thank you for everything that you've done I mean I think that every all the
work that Elora has done in building more community participation and all of
children's programs and we've got Baker High School team just took state. We're in a position
to really celebrate the fact that we have a municipal golf course that is available to everyone
and the work that you have done is saving the city a tremendous amount of money. You've been an
amazing partner. Thank you. Thank you.
Don't we, you know, have talked a little bit about
some of the grant programs you mentioned. You know, I don't know if you have any
status update on any of that, but there's more that we can talk about that's
available through the Water Resources Department, where water conservation
and economic development, so I'm happy to talk more about that.
Yes, so I haven't heard back, I tried calling again today, but that's something that I
think that the money is out there from the conversations I've had talking to
different people. It's out there. It's just you have to ask for it. And I personally cannot
ask for it. It has to be bigger city. So I think it'd be a really good way to help add
on to this project. And I don't want to lose the momentum we have with our current partners.
And so I think that's definitely something we can look as an addition to to help get
this project through. So did anybody have any project or any questions on the actual
what it would cost the city for payment wise over the next ten years, four years?
Well, I would like to hear more about how it would cost the city of Dine.
Was that what was said before?
In terms of grant opportunities.
Oh, okay.
So there's grant opportunities.
I think what he was talking about was more towards something else as far as increasing revenue
that would help cover the cost of this.
not necessarily like it this is a city asset and the city will have to pay
something for it but like she was mentioned earlier it's gonna be 36% of a
$1.5 million cost that's it in right now we have the partners on board to do it
that's something that we should keep going in my opinion and just to add
to that I mean one of the things that I think is really important with all
of these assets and community supporting citizens and commissioners is that the council last
year committed to this whole project. So the previous council committed to the 1.5 million
dollar project. I believe they committed to 120,000 for six years and so this would
this would be
And this is somewhat of a moving target until we get a commitment to go forward and do it.
So we're doing the best we can. I think we have our numbers are a little high as far as
what the projects can cost. And so we could come in a little bit lower, which would help
everybody else so you mean this 575 no the 1.5 million total project but the
longer we go the higher that's going to get up to so it's like these are pretty
accurate numbers for right now and suddenly keep a job so since you're
heading down this right I think there's a couple of things that it'd be nice you
know you and I talked about these items I had a great productive
of conversations with Mr. Woodward as well as Peter Johnson, who I think I saw here, yes,
and Mr. Wilson. There's some real challenges and hurdles to cross with this that I see
that I think need to be dealt with. The first one is what was presented at Budget Board
does not match what was put here before you tonight. And so if you want to use
what is being presented tonight, then the reality is what Legit Board adopted is not this.
It doesn't match this at all.
So that's one thing that will have to be adjusted is to actually line up with what was presented.
The next item that I think would be nice to get some feedback on is the fact that the commitments
from the other individuals come in on an annual basis.
It's not all coming in at first.
And so I think I saw on here that the project completion was November 1st, 2024.
And maybe I'm missing this, but all of the money won't actually be in at that time.
And so there won't be a way for the city to write a check.
The contractor will be done, they'll expect payment.
The city will be on the obligation for it.
We won't have money to actually write a check.
And then the final thing is there's not a current funding source for the to pay back for loan
that the city would be doing to itself.
And so if you can address those items, that would be very helpful to me.
So I think one thing that the budget work did agree to do is put forth the $120,000 for this next budget year,
which is all in our that's all this budget would can would include is that
120,000 for next year for the next budget so I think that's one important
thing to make we're not asking for $500,000 right now we're just if we
could if the city stuff with their commitment with the hundred and twenty
thousand for this year that's gonna let us keep going and solve this
problem and possibly get more people on board to help write that check. I would say our largest
donors are all on board. We've talked to the EDC committee. They've already allocated 150,000
for this year and they would like to do another 150 contingent on City Council passing
the the budget or wanting to move forward with this project. I would say the
rest of this stuff as far as the donors there is going to be some stuff that
we're going to be doing year to year but we've raised we run fundraisers every
year and we've gotten a lot for as far as the specific golfing community. We've
raised over $20,000 easily every year
to help put in for like the car pass,
the $45,000 car pass we just put into it.
There's a $15,000 net we pay for it.
Like there's a lot of money that the city is,
or that the independent golf community
has raised to build this city asset.
And me and John did have a great conversation
about this a few weeks ago.
And I guess I don't know how you guys are going to raise money.
I think there's some really good ways to raise revenue, and I think Mr.
Johnson has some ideas that would really help, especially take the burden off of this.
I think after this year or next year, I'd have to look exactly.
The city's portion of the budget is towards the project is only going to be $40,000 a year.
Like it significantly drops.
And if I'm not mistaken, they're close to that already in just fixing the old system.
So am I correct in that this budget does include a $700,000 loan from the Silver Spun to cover
that it is the loan in completion of this project?
So it includes a $700,000 loan from the Silver Spun City would then pay back to the Silver
Stress Fund.
But if you add up the numbers that were given in the Budget Board, well, first of all, the
ask right now is $575,000, so that $700,000 does not match that.
That is what the city would have to borrow after the 120 this year and the 120 from
last year.
Okay, well, even with that, if we go back to what was presented in the Budget Board,
So if this adds up to 1.275, what we're seeing in some of the other documents you've given
is that we need closer to 1.4, 1.38 in order, once the project's done, to write that check
to the contractor, and all of that money will not be in the coffers of the city because
the donors are contributing on a multi-year basis, and so next year when that check
has to be written, the money won't be in the city's bank to write the check. It won't
all be here yet. I'm not integrating anybody that's going to donate. I just won't have
the money yet. So how can I write a check now?
So I think that's where the important thing is, is getting the city on board so we can
hammer out those details and get that money so the city can write the check. Right
now everyone says they want to donate money, but the city doesn't want the money, basically.
is kind of where they're looking at it.
So once we get that commitment from the city,
then that would be a conversation that we can have
and try to get that money to write the check.
I think, I mean, everything's contingent.
If we can't get it by the time the project is supposed
to start, then we scrap it.
Everyone keeps their stuff, but.
So who's actually gonna physically receive
those donations back into the city
so that we can cut the problem check
or is that gonna go to.
That's something that we definitely have to work out but from my understanding a lot of the a lot of that money
Would have to come to the city so the city could pay for it, right?
But that would be probably the most practical way to do it. Well, that's what was presented budget for the city
The city would release the RFP
Manage the project and then write the check at the end. I don't think the RFP should be released
until the money is in our coffers, right?
Otherwise, the project gets done,
the contractor expects his money,
and we can't buy the check.
That's what I'm asking.
That's my answer.
And I understand that.
It wouldn't happen until that was done.
So we have a year and a half
until this project would even start, probably.
And so that's something that we,
as soon as we get the approval from you guys,
we can go and iron all that out,
sit down with the city manager,
you're sitting on the city council and actually get those details out right now.
Everything's just kind of hanging up in the air.
Wait for us.
Yeah.
So what is your project?
I believe it's supposed to be completed November 24.
What's the site?
I would bet it's maybe a month long project.
We're trying to do it to where it's not in the heat of main golfing season so people can still enjoy the course and we don't want to interrupt the course.
So it's not going to be a super long project.
So you still have at least a year 24.
Yes.
And so in this budget that we're looking at right now,
there's $1,437,937 that is near average support,
golf board support, or Laura's support,
a transfer from the general fund,
and the loan, which is less than $100,000 of the total.
And once the city commits, you
you can raise these other funds so that in the end,
the city is still only holding 36% of the total.
We have to come up with it at first,
because it is our asset,
so that you can go and get the grants
and get the support.
But right now, in this budget,
we're less than 100,000 away
from the total cost of the project.
That's what we have in this budget.
That's kind of the gist, like once we get approval from you guys, I mean people voted unanimous
where we go to ask the county for money for the EDC, they want to help us with this project.
It's just waiting on an approval from you guys, from City Council.
John, I'm sorry that I was late showing up, but I'm assuming that the proposal that you
presented to the, this BCEB is different than what you're proposing here tonight, is that
correct?
The numbers should be the same, I believe, BCEB.
This is what your proposal was.
What is this document?
This is what was presented to people.
It is DCED.
Oh, yeah.
This is what was put out.
Which I was saying is updated budget numbers two times now.
So is this what DCED accrued to?
this is what I believe the I don't know exactly I haven't seen this before so I'm
taking a little bit to look at it but I know that over the last I've sent you
guys two updated budgets and I've sat down with John with updated budget and
then I know that the hundred and twenty thousand that B.C. the economic development
So this is the economic development one. So it should be similar to this, yes. Like I said,
this is a moving target until we get everyone exactly on board so we can get these numbers
exact.
So John, what I was looking at when I went through this, because I went through it analytically
and just put it in a format so I could see where the money was coming from and who was
spending money and what was going to be done.
And so I understand that the loan request initially is $760,000.
dollars. That includes 120. Yeah, I think there's 220 payments at the city already,
maybe last year's and if you guys approve this year's budget. Yeah, so far there's only been 120,000 that's been allocated. Yes. That's correct.
Okay. So Leo Adler is going to put in $40,000 in the first year. That's what this is, what it's saying.
They're going to put in another $40,000 in the 24-25 operating cycle. So that's the $80,000.
That's subject to the default for coming up with $20,000.
That doesn't match.
And that's in both $23,000 and $24,000 and $25,000.
OK.
So I understood that we were going
to be borrowing, well, if you take out $120,000,
That would be a million, 240,000.
So that does not, that number that,
if I understand what you're saying correctly,
that number that you're saying does not include
any of the other partners that we have,
like the $300,000 from EDC or the possible $200,000
for the, it's in this update stuff.
Would you like one of these?
Did you get my email today, Dean?
All right.
This will kind of outline more of the actual partners.
Okay, that's good.
Who are these partners?
That's what's up above, that's what's right there.
Yes, and if you look on the back,
I think it's on the third page.
It tells you the back of the second page
tells you to list out exactly what the partners
have committed to so far.
So this is a, Adler does stuff in two-year increments and so we've talked to, we've talked
to them, they can only commit to the two years but this is a project that Adler likes to do
and if we can show that everyone is on board, this is, that's definitely something that
they're willing to try.
Right now they're only committed for the first two years, that's what they can
commit, right?
Yes.
Okay.
So on to the remainder of this spreadsheet and we got 150,000 coming in 2324 from the
Thank you.
That's subject to, I guess, what we would see determined if we went through with it, we'll
go ahead and put that up. And they'd also put in $150,000 in 2024-25 because, again, they
can only do two years. And then the city's putting up $120,000 in each of those. Well,
You're just looking at it for the first two years because that's what the other
enemies you're willing to step up to the plate on. So that's 330,000 is what that is
in each of the first two years operating cycles. So that's 660,000. And if you
just follow this, you know, it's the 330 here. That's what's happening in
in the first year and then you come across and there's 330,000 in the second year operating
cycle.
Are you seeing that going?
Yeah, I'm not familiar with this exact, did you make this or is this something that we
This is what you presented at DC, D-C-P-D.
So like I said, the updated stuff and it's a lot easier to follow on this one that
I sent you today.
Okay.
And you're saying these stuff for the last minute, probably not going to get written.
But I also sent you some of the same numbers two weeks ago.
Yeah, two weeks ago.
All right.
So in other words, there's more than 330,000
of what you're saying in the first few years.
That we're going to have.
That you're going to have.
Yes, if you look at the second page on the back of it,
it lists out the stuff and for the total partners.
And I think it says the city will borrow 575,000
on September 22, 2024, when the project is completed.
Right, it says September, is that all that we are actually
borrowing, John, is the 575 that you were saying?
According to this, that's what we have lined out.
But once again, this is a project
that we're trying to put together.
And it has, we've got multiple partners
that we're trying to deal with.
And I think if we can get City Council on board,
that's something that we can iron out over the next year because we're not going to start
construction for that amount of time and I think that's a lot of questions that we can
totally get answered and like I said if it doesn't end up penciling out then that's
what happens. I mean I think it's would be a shame to not try and get this project completed
on the city's behalf because we have all these people wanting to put close to a million dollars
into the city owned asset and I think these are conversations that we should
have and I think that I I don't think any of it's out of the realm of getting
figured out over the next year before we even start construction yeah and of
course there's a lot of conversation around this that I call course because
we would do the first nine and then we would come back to us and then we would look at
the other nine for the back 18 for the back 19.
I've got that information.
I don't think that that's accurate because this is for replacing the 80 year old system
that's on the original nine hole course.
We have the city already allocated $120,000 and we use that money to update the electronic
system that would do the whole course.
And the budget that was approved by the Budget Committee and Council this year has
$700,000 in the law, which what we're talking about is that we're not going to
need that total amount, but the budget has been approved by the Budget Board
includes enough to move forward so that all of the rest of the fundraising can be done.
Okay, and I'm just trying to bring it back into, you know, consistency. I didn't vote for it,
you know, from the budget itself. But anyway, I'm just asking a question.
But the Budget Board did approve it.
This is a document. I don't know if you've seen this.
But this is the document that the budget, or the President, Vice President actually presented to the board last year.
Yes. That would have been back in last winter, correct?
Yes. Well, it would have been at the budget board of last year.
So, Spring.
May.
It also has an inconsistency.
So we've also changed course in a way because trying to stretch it out over six years is not feasible to anybody.
It's not feasible with the golf course. It's not feasible with the city. It's just going to keep costing them more money
So we've changed and we've gotten all these other partners on board to try and get it accomplished in one
One fell. So I understand the mechanics behind that, I do. I mean it makes sense to do the whole thing at one time
We have a budget that we have to stay within and we're dealing with some other issues as well
And I've shared this with you as well as Nick and with Peter.
And so that's my concern is that we step into this.
And we've got a police department that's not negotiating a contract.
We have a fire engine that needs to be replaced.
And when citizens look at the golf course and they look at a fire engine,
a safety issue, which is what the city is about,
Then there is a conflict. I'd like to just throw the money out.
So as I understand it, the budget board and city council, all, well city council itself did not vote, but at the budget board, they did not make any changes to the fire department or police department budget.
So that has not a lot of relevance as far as what we can do with the golf course right now.
but I'm from what I understand did you not pass the did it not pass budget board
to not change what the fire department was I was told the county was fishing
at 500,000 what happened to that so there's another 200 if you look at the
deal there's another 200,000 money that we're asking the county court as well
Yes. So that would be what they see in the event.
No, we're waiting on the city council to approve it. Like to say they want to go forward with this project.
And I can tell you that last year there was a passing of the budget and there were things that were changed at the end by the city council.
So it's not unusual for the city council to say, you know, we don't agree with the decision of them.
budget board in its totality and so they make a decision to change that. So it can happen.
I completely understand. I'm here to try to help you guys understand what the actual,
what we're actually asking of the city, which is 36% of a very big project over the long
term of things.
for a city asset. Which is something that the local golfers have already spent their own personal
money over the last 20, 30 years, well over a million dollars. Well, I don't think this is a,
it's not a matter of commitment at this point. I mean, we're obviously committed to city housing.
So I think it would be foolish to not invest in it, but the getting the loan paid back is a
done that check as a big deal.
And so I appreciate the hard work that's represented here.
Yeah, this is very easy to understand.
Right, this was great.
I read through it very quickly this morning,
and that just speaks to how great you put it together.
And I appreciate you bringing the hard copy
that I'm not happy with, but it's back and forth.
So I definitely see the value in what you're saying.
And I think what you might be detecting from up here
is some hesitation on our part.
It's understandable if the county
and some other partners are in a position
to where they don't want to commit
unless there's also a commitment from us.
And being that it's a city asset,
I see what balance lies there.
But if there is any question,
if there's some kind of wiggle room,
if there's question marks,
If the numbers have been updated and changed that does lead to hesitancy because ultimately the county is not on the hook
The the Elora is not on the hook these partners are not on the hook
It's the city that's on the hook
And so there's a project that we failed to secure grant money for if the golf community
If there was a wildfire that just burned up the back nine and the golf community falls apart
The city would still be on the hook for a very large check that we have their
responsibility to make sure that can be covered and so it's not a reluctance to
to support a city asset because we obviously have that responsibility we
just need to make sure that we do it right and so I can clearly understand
what you're saying like I said if if if you guys decide that you want to go
with it and we work over the next year to try and get all this stuff done
and if something falls through, then we don't do the proper.
It's pretty simple, but we need your guys' help to finish all the great work that our team has done
to get this thing, to give us a chance to actually follow through on it.
And I think that would be a big benefit.
As I expressed to John in our meetings, I see the city as that we're going to do in or out.
The challenge I have, and I pulled up the 135 that was referenced by Hunster Calder about
1.4 in that count, that does show the county giving 500,000 and the city giving 700,000
as a transfer for the Silver's Irrigation, from the Silver's Fund for the Irrigation
Project.
If you take out the 125, because they're asking for 575, and you take out the 200,000, because
I have the letter from the county that expressed amendment for 300,000 today, then you take
out about 325,000, which puts us at 1.1.
So I have no problem with the project, but from the city side, there's still, I don't
I don't know that 2024 is going to happen because the money won't be here yet from the other partners.
Not even 2025 or whatever, but the money won't be here yet.
So you can't release the RFP and write a check because there won't be enough money to account.
Then the only other concern I have is that, yes, the city has $575,000 in the loan.
I don't know if you added any interest on that.
Yes, there is interest.
interest. Good. You know, add another $120,000 to $130,000 for interest of 5% over a 10-year
loan. You know, the commitment is going to be somewhere around $600,000 to $100,000.
Maybe closer to $700,000. The city ultimately has to pay back to it the Silver's Irrigation
or the Silver's Trust. And you need a funding source for that, a revenue source. And
right now you don't have that and so that would be a concern and I understood
that maybe there were some others who were going to talk about potential
revenue sources to cover that along back to ourselves but right now you don't have
a revenue source to pay yourself back. Like I'm saying if we can like that's
all stuff I feel like we could definitely work through and I'd be happy to sit
with any of you guys and and talk through it and and get those hard
So we do have the cash to to write the check.
So one of the things that I just want to
I mean I really appreciate all of the back and forth and all the information
in building revenues and moving forward.
partnerships is going to be the easiest way for us to build revenues. This
budget is for a project that is after next budget. We are not going to sign a
contract for this loan until the money has been identified. But what we've done
this year in the budget that was approved by the Budget Committee is we've
identified enough of a way forward that they can raise more funds. There are
also we've had multiple emails Peter wrote about looking at TLT, there are
lots of statewide conversations about TLT putting money into capital improvements,
so but in order for that to happen we actually have to step forward. Committing
this money in the budget as it was approved by the budget board is not
writing the check. The check isn't written until after next budget and so
So everything has to be lined out before next year, before any checks get written.
This is just showing the golf course and the golf board and everyone involved, the county
and Leo Aber, that the city has committed funding.
It's not sealing the deal, it's not signing the check, it just says we're in, move forward
and the next year we come back and hopefully at that point we have far more money that's been
raised and the city's ask is much smaller and the money will be there to repay the loaner in the
next several years. So this is just saying we have a commitment now but it is not being spent
at this point. Councilor Wider? When is the Cedars Street project going to start?
We have to put up that fashion money.
Anybody remember?
It's next year, 24-25.
So it's going to be in the budget that this is going to come into?
Really?
We are going to be working on raising revenue, not this budget, the next budget.
But we're taking money out of streets this year.
Regardless whether this goes through or not, the approved budget has $490 of street revenue in it.
So no work on streets this year, even though we're talking about a project, not no work on streets.
Well, we'll pass our $490,000 less work and less staffing.
And we can have Joyce here if anyone has questions.
I'm just going to ask a real sunny question.
It doesn't deal with the streets.
But if I understand your proposal, John,
it says that the total city outlay is $554,780.
Is that correct?
Yes, according to this paper, that's correct.
Okay, so if that's correct, you have $700,000 in the budget.
You have more than enough resources
to meet what their request is here.
It's either granted or out.
That's good.
Councilor, we're going to start.
No, I'm just clarifying because this was the budget that was presented at the golf,
or for the golf club.
But we have a lot of new information since that.
But this is what was passed.
That's what was adopted.
This was not.
So there is a change in the dynamics of what we received at the budget board
and what we received tonight were that we're looking at
in the season.
John, I don't think that there's anybody out here
that doesn't want to see the golf course succeed
in having a water system that works.
It's how we get there.
So the sources are there in order
to take care of the obligation when it does occur.
And that's, I think, the crux of the conversation.
if we can get that nailed down so that we know that it's verifiable that it's on
the table that there are people that are on the hook for it, I don't think you're
gonna have any problem. But if it's not verifiable, it's a guess and a win if
there's some grant money that are in this that we don't know. I mean it
could happen that there are these grant money that would come to fruition but
unless the five ladies sing, it's not there.
And tell the five ladies sing, you know,
they're sure to mind that.
Absolutely, and I totally agree with you.
That's why we're here to try to get a commitment
from council so we can go out and get that stuff.
And as you mentioned earlier,
it's not uncommon for city council
to change what the budget work passed.
Yes, we were, this was something that was
that being heard here was what was passed.
So that's the consensus
because what we're doing is that last year we had a president and a vice president that says
here's what our proposal is. This year we received this as a budget board and now we're getting this
set so it keeps changing. Because it's a project with a lot of moving parts and we're trying to
iron that out as I've said before. That's correct but what was adopted at budget board was contingent
and upon an X dollar amount from the county.
And so if the county fails to meet that,
that what was proposed and what was approved there,
then we have to go back to the table
because that just doesn't stand.
That goes up in smoke if that community is not met.
And so the number that we did see from the county here
does not match the contingency requirement
and what was proposed by just.
So one way or another we do have to figure something
I guess we can't just refer to what the budget is.
Yes, we're trying to get together
and actually get this stuff fired out, yes.
Can you talk to me for a minute?
Yeah, I just want to make a clarification
on the Cedar Street project.
Thank you.
We will be hopefully beginning our prep
for that project contingent upon funding, obviously.
Spring of 2024, 2425 budget would include the construction.
estimate for that project is $2.1 million. We are receiving approximately $1.2 million
from ODOT for that project. However, the design work, which they're completing, will come
out of that amount at about $200,000, as well as property acquisition, temporary
use months maybe some permanent for that project and they're estimating that could be up to another
200,000 which leaves us at 800,000 and so then the city would be on the hook for the remainder of
the 2.1 and in addition to that is a reimbursable grant with ODOT which means that we have to
have that money on hand to pay the bills similarly prior to it. Thank you.
Thank you.
Joyce, before you get all the way back there, I have a question for you.
Over the last couple of years, do you happen to know off the top of your head how much it has cost the city to maintain the irrigation system and repair it on the front line?
Oh, boy. You know, I was just handed golf courses a couple of months ago. I'd have to go back and I'll go back a little bit further.
before we know that there have been four major leaks just since the start of the meeting.
Yeah.
I think that's closer to eight major leaks.
Eight major leaks.
It's a double.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
If possibly we could have that information before we make the final decision.
I'd like to just-
This is worth having that information.
Where could we?
I mean, I think we're all committed to preparing.
I'm just curious, you know, what that number is.
Yeah, I mean that's a good question, Mary. I really do believe that because it helps to crunch that dollar amount that we're actually committed to.
So if it's $100,000, I mean, jeez, there's $100,000 we're living on the table right there, all immediately.
anything.
Something to consider if Council wants to adjust from what was presented to
the budget board to what was presented tonight and more recently in this other email, in that
golf course capital project plan you could reduce the Baker County support to 300,000
since you know that that's there. It's coming in this next budget year, it's more
are Soviet, but you know that that's there.
And the transfer from silvers, you
can reduce to 575,000.
And that's going to sit in there to the 2024-2025 budget.
And you're going to have to reallocate some of that money
for the physical role in the beginning working capital.
But you can reduce those two lines.
keep in mind though that what is impacting the general fund this year is the immediate
$120,000 transfer and then we'll also have to be subject to a loan payment on that 575
plus interest and I don't know what that first loan payment would be for.
But we're going to be taking the loan until 25, 24.
You can't commit that budget and then needs to come out of this budget because right now you're taking the loan in this budget
And so, you can't, if you take it in this budget, it's a home in this budget.
And you can't commit the next council in 2024-25 to that moment unless you take it now.
So you can reduce those, but you are, the general fund is getting hit for 120 plus whatever 575,
I don't know, what would 575 mean in 10 years?
So that will get you in this budget, which we would, a lot of that money for your payment
on the person would be, if you look, would be like the $20,000 a year from the Gulf force.
The different stuff like that would go towards that payment.
We would pay the city to help offset their payment.
You have you estimated what it's like you remainder for that issue where payment would be
I'm looking for it right here so I have a balance of 1,000 yes 40,000 so you'd have 120,000 transfer plus your 40,000 long payment of
160,000 it would hit your general plan this year for this kind of fiscal year so
And that long payment is already in this budget? Well it would no we have to do a resolution
to make that first payment, we'll put a full probability
that we'll continue to put a 90, 50, and a half.
So we could reduce the big county support to 300,
which we know is actual.
We could reduce the transfer,
and we could do the resolution for the payment.
Or change it in this budget.
Or just put the payment into this budget,
and that way we can move forward,
and you can continue building the funding support.
More partners and hopefully find more money that we can use.
Then you'll be connected to that loan.
That's how you're going to do that.
And you don't have a funding source currently to pay back our loan.
That's still concerning to me.
Candidate for the first payment into the next operating cycle.
I think the city's doing it along to itself from the trust fund,
so as long as the trust fund is getting its interest,
I don't know why you couldn't, but then you're going to pay a whole extra year of interest.
And we already have our own budget, we have problems when we're waiting to put on our own,
then we end up having to pay a little bit of recount.
Yeah, we may be able to do that.
No, but that first loan is not going to be a problem because of the revenue that's already committed.
But we don't, you don't have that investment.
We
can make it $700,000 just for the end of fiscal year.
can't I can't hear you because you just keep going I'm just thinking so you
could you could make the 700,000 that's in here they could make that long say
next May and then make the payment due in the next budget year 24-25 and then
you wouldn't have to make the payment but I mean the time is out it's me and
And again, I'm still back to it.
If you only need 545,000, then we've
got 700,000 in here, I think we've got what we need.
And the key, and I'm with John on this,
is A, we need to make certain that we
have the funds flow to write checks.
And B, that we know who's going to pay the loan there.
And the rest of it's fine.
I mean, honestly, we can work out the details.
Those are the two issues.
And both work out when John or whoever
I'm not worried about that, I think it's, I'm done, I think you got it.
So if the law is undefined until May of 2024, we don't have a payment in this next budget.
And so that the budget as it stands, if we just make the change to make the county support the 300,000s, and make that adjustment through, the budget as it was approved would be straightforward.
You don't have to borrow the money until the project is done.
But we have to make the commitments.
And so the commitment has to go into the budget.
But we can schedule that long to happen in May.
you can make the commitment and and then not follow through with the commitment
and make the commitment in the 24-25 budget because I mean there's no you
wouldn't want to borrow money and not and just have it sitting there unless you
get more money.
But it's all we need is a commitment and we'll bring in you
guys will do the RFP and we'll get bids and if the and if if we don't fulfill that in September of
24, I mean you wouldn't want to borrow the money and then we never do the project.
Oh I understand what you're saying, but there's a mechanism to do that. I mean because we're
all working on good things. We can do either way. I mean we can borrow the money in May if we
want to. And then we can pay ourselves back in September if it doesn't happen. It's not
a real problem. I mean, or if it does go forward, we have the money to, then we'd have the budget.
In the next budget, we'll have to budget to spend the entire amount to do the capital
projects. I mean, it's there. It's just, you know, during that period of time. So,
that doesn't make sense.
No, and it's better to delay and borrow the money
when you need it, and then make that first payment
a year back.
And if you decide not to borrow it this year,
which you can do, then you can borrow it,
and you then have to put it in next year's budget,
and that'd be fine too.
Yeah.
Just by putting it in the budget,
even if we don't actually do them alone,
by having it in the budget, it shows
the city has made a commitment to this project,
and it allows all the partners to move forward and continue raising funds just by having it in the budget.
That's correct.
And when it's in minutes, it says, I won't cut it, move that money around.
So they say they're ready.
And council says let's go.
The one south of the RP goes out and it's great.
I would not be that money.
I don't have to give it to the trust money.
It says it's like the freeze.
I'm going to probably state the obvious here, but these kind of projects don't get any
cheaper or easier to do in the future, so in my opinion, this is kind of an important
timing.
On top of that, with over 50%
That's a huge, you know, reviewing grants for 20 years. And that's a huge boost to a grant application to have a 50 plus person, you know, some of the ones that John and I were talking about require 25%.
You have a 50% cost share on some of those. That's a huge boost to the project. It's a huge boost to the likes of the beginning of that grant.
And, you know, I'm happy if the council sees it as appropriate and it ends up passing this.
Then, you know, I'm happy to commit time to help John go through some of this based on my experience.
Thank you.
Thank you, John. Thank you, patients. Yeah, I do want to thank you again. I think you guys all have my email address. Feel free to call me. Thank you for your time.
That was the end of the hearing
section.
Is there anyone else that wanted
to speak?
Yes.
But we will say that we ask
if there is anyone else who
would like to speak.
Are there any questions for me
on the funding that I look for
and it is very easy to secure
and answer the questions?
I got kind of a red dial here, so I'm going to go.
Thank you for being here.
Good
evening.
Careful.
I think most of you know our fire department's in a tough shape.
We're in the best spot.
I've written you a little speech here, so I'm going to have to read it, so I'll mess it up.
Big City Fire Department is in desperate need of a solid, stable foundation for the past and future.
The department is currently scheduling days with one person on shift.
And the second spot filled with overtime if we can get it filled.
We have people working 96 hours straight or more. Some of them are working up to 120 hours straight at this point.
We're going to burn people out really fast.
There are two days this month in July, we have nobody on the schedule, nobody.
Sunday our station will be closed for most of the day from 7 a.m. till mid-afternoon.
We have somebody coming back from out of town to come cover the station that afternoon
and by itself. This is only going to get worse as time goes on. As people get sick, people
get injured, kids get sick, hunting season hits, hang season hits, there will be more
and more days that our station is closed.
We were actively recruiting to fill vacancies.
At this time we received only one application for fire chief. First review of applications
was June 1. We had none at that point. We've received five applications for firefighters,
but none of them currently meet the minimum qualifications. This current staffing and scheduling,
it's impossible to carry out day-to-day operations of the Department of Training,
Inspections, Fire Prevention, Public Education. Any incident with any complexity at all
will be impossible to handle until other firefighters either come back to work
or we have a rural district come in to help us.
And the rural districts are willing to help,
but they're all volunteer.
We don't know what we're getting.
I've heard many conversations about the amount of overtime
that compensation sells in the fire department.
There are only two ways to reduce these items.
The first is, we're out today, we just closed the doors.
We're done.
We have to rely on people coming back in for an incident
or rural districts coming in to help.
The other is with higher adequate staff, which is going to cost more money.
So I'm here today to ask council to make public safety a priority.
This fire department has to be stabilized immediately.
If we can't do that, there's nothing keeping the remaining staff in place.
And I'm not speaking for them.
I didn't ask them.
We've not had that conversation.
I don't know what their plans are.
There is little hope of much interest from new applicants if we can't make a change.
If we keep the status quo which is currently budgeted, there will be days the station is
closed and locked without fire protection for your citizens.
Baker Rural Fire Protection District has already submitted a termination notice of
the auto aid agreement.
This agreement has been in place with Baker Rural for several years and will end on
September 20th.
Without adequate staffing, Baker City Fire Department can no longer provide aid to the rural districts, which is part of the auto aid.
It's a life for life. And the city can no longer provide aid their side of the aid.
This is not only unsafe for your citizens, but needlessly risking lives of the firefighters who respond to any given incident.
Make a Rural will always come and help your citizens whenever we can, but without the
automated agreement in place, make a Rural will be sending bills for fire suppression.
We cannot ask our taxpayers to pay for your fire suppression.
The staffing model that will start to stabilize this fire department includes 11 full-fine
employees.
This is only one more employee than the target model established last September.
Comments have been made to the effect of all they do is wax tracks.
Emergency services is a front-loaded industry, which means we have to have all our people
and all our resources in place before the emergency happens.
So I'm asking the City Council to fund nine 56-hour positions, including three lieutenants,
an assistant chief and a fire chief.
This will put 356-hour firefighters on shift seven days a week and assistant chief and
fire chief in the station 40 hours a week.
This will increase the department budget from $1.5 million to $1.9 million, an increase
of almost $400,000.
Part of this $400,000 increase includes raising the materials and services budget
and increasing overtime budget from $40,000 to $100,000.
We're currently at 140,000 today, this year.
Along with this model, I'll be asking you to sign an article with the Labor Union,
Local 922, for minimum staffing.
This will guarantee the city will keep a minimum of two firefighters per shift on duty.
By doing this, we'll bring a level of stability to the department and assure the
staff their jobs are secure and future applicants will see the city as serious
about public safety and will help attract quality candidates.
Along with staffing changes, I'll be asking you to approve a lease on a new fire engine.
Both of your engines are 20 and 30 years old.
Average life span is 15 years.
The 30-year-old truck barely passed competition this year.
Probably won't pass next year. If we have an engine fail or we have a crew
working inside and be catastrophic. It's their only lifeline. We will kill firefighters if we
have an engine failure while they're working in the interior. I've told the Fire Department
it's tried for several years to save money in the Equipment Reserve Fund only to have it taken
out for other purposes and never put back. Currently in the Fire Equipment Reserve we have
approximately $380,000.
We will need a commitment from Council to fund the lease for
the remainder of the balance. We're looking at a 10 to 15 year lease, and a new engine
will be between $550,000 and $750,000. We'll be looking for a stock demo unit as customer
arranges at this point are 36 to 48 months out, and the manufacturer is no longer guaranteed
the final price. I know that the public safety fee has had negative connotations
for everybody, and I understand that. However, if we can't stabilize this fire
department. Everybody's insurance rates. All your citizens' insurance rates are
going to increase 40 to 50% when we get re-rated. I.S. Hoh has already been in
contact with me. They wanted to come immediately and re-rate the city. I was
able to put him off a year.
Think about the fallout from this happening to
insurance rates. The citizens will be paying more for their insurance while
still be paying the same amount of taxes and not receiving the level of
service from the city they should be receiving.
The increase in the insurance
rates will cost the taxpayers way more than the safety fee would. And that
money all goes directly to the insurance company. None of it comes to the city and
benefits the city. Which one of these is going to be worse for your citizens?
This department is cloundering. This is the opportunity for council to make a
change and start to turn this department around. Let's fix this
department today and build a future this department can can work on
and build something with the future chief coming in, a foundation for him to work on.
Thank you. Do you have any questions?
Yes. So you mentioned that since the auto aid was canceled, that any response will come with a bill.
Could you just give us an estimate on what that would be?
It's roughly going to look, depending on the amount of apparatus we send in, but we have it available.
It could be around $200 an hour or more.
Could you tell the city council about how long your response signs will be?
Yeah, our response signs will be upwards 30 to 60 minutes.
If you're expecting rural firefighters to come out of the hayfield in the middle of summer,
get off the tractor, get to the station, get a trailer, 30 to 60 minutes.
So with a fire doubling every 60 seconds, you can imagine what will happen when we get a downtown fire or just a house fire.
Chief Lee, you're asking for four additional bodies?
One additional body over the current established staffing model, which is 10 and a half, right?
I believe it's...
It was 10 and a half when we ended up not getting the administrative assistance, so we landed at 10.
Okay, so you're asking for one more body
Plus additional services applies. Yes
One is one firefighter and once is the chief rights of two people
Well, to the staffing model, it's only one additional person that is in the system.
And I feel the assistant chief is necessary because you're going to burn out a fire chief having to work 24 hours a day through 75.
Do you have an approximate cost to that?
Of the fire chief?
No, of the one body, one additional body, plus the service and supplies that you put together.
That's the one way forward.
Over the budget.
So putting the expenses from 1.5 to 1.9.
Right, so that includes increasing your vehicle maintenance, your equipment maintenance, your fuel,
general supplies, uniforms, and turnouts is the increase.
So it's about $400,000.
Yeah, I think it's actually $3.99 to $2.80.
I want to say that I think everyone up here in this room will leave the public safety
is incredibly important to our quality of life in tourist city and we need to pass a budget
and I wish we had this conversation in May.
I wish we had too.
I feel that it would be reactionary for the council to make a change of this
magnitude at this point in time. When we're looking at that kind of money I
think we need to have a plan and there was a lot of discussion during
sessions with the project managers but we need to have a plan and we need to
have buying from the community and we need to have solidarity from the
council before we just put more money into a budget.
We did go through an entire budget discussion,
and there were no changes made minus an administration
position that was not filled.
And so we've done some very reactionary things in my opinion.
We've eliminated ambulance, and then it did not reduce
the cost of operating the apartment.
We are still dealing from that and I think we need to have a conversation and it needs
to involve the community, we need to get all of our rural fire departments together, we
need to involve emergency management from the county, we need to come up with a solution.
Chief, you got all the rolled chiefs together, didn't you?
I did.
Yeah, and what was the result of that conversation?
We were talking redistricting, there was no appetite for it, none.
As I was saying, I think that the council and county incident command and emergency management
and the community need to have a discussion and maybe there is, maybe we find a way to
get the appetite for public safety fee that would fund this, but I don't think that
we can just move money in at the 11 and a half hour of budget when we didn't discuss
And what I'm saying is if we don't, it's closed and locked.
There are days you have zero fire protection.
And this is not a threat, this is not, I'm not strong or anything. I'm just, I'm just telling you this is a blatant fact. Today, today should have been a day, week that it was closed, but I had two people step up and take overtime.
The one person that was scheduled today had to call an assembly. So today was another day, but the department should have been closed. We can't, we can't keep doing this.
What we're saying is, we can't fund a fire department, we can fund a golf golf.
On
the days that they're closed, if your house catches on fire, you're just out of
luck.
Sorry about your luck.
The world gets extremely difficult to make a new to help you.
But the time frame.
with a 30 to 60 minute response time.
I mean, well, it's not just with fire parts.
It's with Baker County.
The hospital is floundering, too.
I found out about it two days ago.
Finally, it's the paper.
Thanks, Samantha.
It's not just the city.
It's everybody.
It's Baker County, Terton.
We're heard.
The citizens are heard there.
So it's priorities.
priority. You gotta get your priority stretch. Either we're gonna put out fires that happen
or response to the wreck. They're gonna cover that wreck because Baker City couldn't respond.
I listened to it. And I was, I was like, yeah, that's a, let me say, I'll say this where
I can say it. That's a fine shape.
Well, one of the big ISO re-region pieces is training.
Yeah, the interest on your own is going to increase.
So people don't see it like that.
But when you get that little, let's say everybody gets 4% or 5% on their taxes,
which is very low guess.
And they're going to feel that instantly.
they go, man, what happened?
Oh, well, we couldn't come up with $400,000,
so Baker City is going to, your taxes
are gonna fill that up with about $1.2 million.
Cause the insurance is gonna take them, you know,
one way or another.
Okay, I'm telling you, off the high board.
I just wanna say that we are Baker City Council,
And I'm not going to go to the county for permission to protect the people of Baker City.
I'm not going to ask permission and make sure that we have the OK from outlining districts to protect our people.
So we have to do what we have to do.
I categorically reject the proposal that we pass the buck and we wait and we get permission from someone else.
it is our job, it is our duty. We've got to figure this out. If we want, I honestly get
buy-in from the community, people don't want to die. I think that's buy-in. I think to
bring an Eagle Award that we gave out to the hero because he was the difference
between someone living and dying. I mean I can't stop living in a city with a
fire department where my pizza night order gets to me faster than the
a fire truck where I have to wait half an hour, maybe an hour.
And the fire insurance that I'm paying has doubled.
And God only knows if I'm able to rebuild, just
depending on this, that, and the other things, the floodplains,
and all else that we've had to talk about.
That is a horrible straight.
And we did the disservice to the community
to confound the issue by trying
to pass it off to these other committees. We're either in Baker City Council or we're not.
We're either here to serve the city, to protect the city or we're not. And that's what I was
saying.
Mayor of the Addis Council, I will give you my nickels worth of this. I was in yesterday
to talk to John for a moment, and then Chief Lee was there, and John said,
why don't the two of you go in room 204 and have a talk?
And Chief Lee and I went in the other room and talked.
And I threw an idea out, and you can certainly discuss it.
I just got a good and bad, I'm not going to say it's a panacea by any means, but you can
consider it and it's then it's your decision to do whatever it is you want to do.
I don't know, I asked him a question, is there anything in his proposal that's negotiable?
He said, well it might be his system chief position.
I'm not excited about it, but it's a possibility.
And we often, I said, well, I might recommend that we approve adding to the budget to 308,000
to cover everything, but you can choose to put the assistant chief in.
I'm not going to tell you to do it or not do it, but I think you have to have the prior record.
That's my opinion.
And the funding for that is a little interesting, and again, 308 versus 399, that's your call.
What I would probably do,
since we don't have to make the $120,000 transfer to golf this
year, we can do it next year, because we have 700,000 in there, so we've got more
than not to do what we have to do for golf.
So I would reduce the $120,000 transfer.
There's $120,000 in money.
And then I would spend $188,000 of your fund balance
carried over so that you have $188,000 less next year,
assuming that's where we are.
That gives you $308,000 to pay for what one person
and the additional supplies that the chief indicates to me.
The other option is to fund the full thing,
$399,000, and that means you've got to take more
out of the beginning fund balance.
So I think those are your options out there
and you can discuss that.
Did not suggest that we pass the buck.
I suggested that we come up with a plan.
And this room was packed with people who begged the City Council to keep the ambulance
and ambulance revenue subsidized fire departments.
And this council and the previous council decided, after hearing all that testimony,
not to keep the ambulance.
So the current system that we're in is we now have a fire department with no subsidy
from medical transport, we need to come up with a plan that is not passing the buck.
It is a plan. And just moving money when we can't even get applicants at this point.
And I mean this is not a Baker City Fire Department issue. Getting applicants is an issue in Baker.
Housing is an issue in Baker. And if we're going to move forward with something that is sustainable,
simple. We have to have a plan. And I mean no events to the work you've done here. But
a plan is not a presentation with the threats that we're going to go upside down. The community
has spoken in the past and the Council moved forward in a different direction. All I'm
saying is we need to bring everyone together and we need to come up with a plan. Funding
I think it's not a plan.
Dean?
Chief Lee.
Talk to Dean Olson next.
OK, sorry, question.
Yeah, can I just curiosity, because I
think part of the funding that we're counting on this year
or in the next operating cycle comes from $490,000
from Street Fund.
The other $500,000 is from funds
that supposedly we're going to get from a gas tank. That's subject to the public voting on that, and if they vote no, we're going to be $500,000 short.
That's not an exception.
So you're $950,000 short, you need $490,000, you're taking from the street fund, which
you previously said was going to be a public safety fee.
And then you're taking the remainder from COVID money, and that runs out next year.
Right, so those two funds are gone.
So, yes, you, so starting off next year, you need a funding source that funds that,
and then you'll need a funding source that funds the golf course loan and then
if you do this you need a funding source that funds debts.
Yeah. What I propose simply
gets you through the next 13 months. I realize what I'm trying to just
establish is that in the next offering is like when we're through it we are
going to have a funding source issue if, in fact, we do not have those funds come to fruition
and those other funds are gone. So we're counting on something that we don't even know whether
it's going to come to fruition or not. The money that's here, the 490 is in this
budget that's been transferred from the streets is there to get a suit for the
the next 30 months. And the issue is 24-25.
That's right.
Chief Lee, if you hire one more firefighter, that will stabilize.
If we can have the nine line staff, three lieutenants, and a full-time chief,
it starts that foundation, but you're going to kill the chief.
He's going to be on 365 days a year.
It's a start.
And we have to stop the downward tomorrow.
Right.
We have to.
And all we're going to do is do it.
But people are going to die if we don't fix this.
And I'll tell you what, that's going to get really bad.
Do you have any questions on the service and supply of our department?
Is some of that negotiable?
So what happened is, if you remember when we were having meetings early online with
council, we were talking about revenue sources, and the discussion came out with
and the public safety fee was a genesis
for part of that discussion.
It was very clear, we stated that staff needed to cut
expenses to balance the budget
so that we could live within our means.
And so what happened is, as we did our internal budgeting
and I went to different departments,
I very quickly stated to chief lawyer, chief duty,
look when I have a revenue source council said cut we're gonna cut and so they
went in and looked for every opportunity remember I brought that big long list of
all the areas that we were trimming out materials and services and part of what
he is proposing is some of those areas be refunded because or be re-established
because a significant one was vehicle maintenance.
I think that gives us that, the type of platforms,
turnouts, and things like that.
And so that's, we brought a budget,
or a balanced budget, because that's what we're tasked to do.
Okay, so if we move the 120 that we have
in the current budget proposal over to the fire department
and take 188 out of our Indian fund balance,
That gives us a 793, right?
So at least it's a stock gap, at least because we're going to be talking about revenue enhancements
probably for the most of the next year, what we can do.
Yes.
You know, I guess at some point we're just going to have to move forward because I
I agree with Councilor Wightman, public safety,
this is the number one priority of any government in it,
and we have to move forward.
We can't, because I've already had a talk
with several of the police department members.
If there's cuts coming, they're looking,
there's no stability here in the city,
and they're gonna be looking for stability,
which means they're moving on,
and it is hard enough to find people just in today's environment so I'm not all
opposed to your idea and I think this this council has to give this to the
public this is what we're here for and this is this is the start of the
foundation right know that this is going to cost you more in the future but
But this is the start of the foundation.
You can attract a fire chief that can come in and build from here.
This is what you really need to do if you want fire chiefs to come and stay.
Fire chiefs are going to clarify.
So the dollar amount that Kent was suggesting, 188, that would cut the fire assistant chief
out.
yes and one of your comments was that they would burn out the fire chief will
burn out yes so you know the fire chief is going to burn out
Will you get applicants based on the fact that they're going to look at that and they're
going to say, I can't take this job. I mean, it's a losing proposition from the front end.
Yeah, if we can get one that's willing to build a department, they may take it knowing they're
going to build it. This is going to be the next step. They'll implement an assistant chief.
if they'll build to their model.
So based on this, you mentioned that you're not getting
any applicants at the current point
because of the instability that you're seeing.
Definitely, that's the reason, yes.
And I suspect it probably would be too.
If, in fact, that we put the monies in the budget
for the proposal, do you see that occurring and you will begin to see these applicants
from outside?
I think if we can make it known to the world that we are fixing this, we have set a foundation,
we are moving forward.
I think we can get it done.
There's a gentleman, I've been twisting his arm really hard to come apply and he's finally
agreed to apply.
He doesn't have it done yet.
But yeah, I think, you know, even a person like that, if we could say we accomplished this step, next step is on you.
Yeah, I don't think that we don't build the fire department. What's going to happen is we're going to have an outcry in the community that's just going to be overwhelming.
I don't see that that's going to be the way out.
I appreciate your service.
Thank you.
So I just want to clarify, in the budget that the Budget Committee approved, there is $100,000 for the fire travel lease in the budget, and then the vehicle maintenance was kept at exactly what was adopted for this year.
It wasn't adjusted down at all, it was $25,000. It had been adjusted down after removal of the ambulance service.
We're asking to add 5,000 to that, and if you look in the prior year, which meant 59,000, we had amulances then.
But we had engines. One of our fire engines spent multiple months in Boise being repaired, multiple times.
It was down there months on end, multiple times.
And that's what the release is for?
Well, we'll replace that engine and replace the older engine.
Both the engines are in bad shape.
So we'll replace the oldest one, keep the 20-year-old.
And with this lease payment, we'll
be asking the city to commit to this permanently.
And every 10 years, we'll move them down the line.
We still keep them 30 years, which is 15 years
pass their lifespan but you will keep you will have a reliable first out agent at all times
I just wanted to point out that the training budget was was not trimmed at all it remained at
12,000 which it has historically been at 12,000 and we have made changes that was
remaining at 25 which it had been in the previous budget and that we did have the lease approved
So those things are in the budget that was approved and presented by the budget.
So back to the vehicle maintenance, if you have to rebuild a fire pump, you'll get $20,000
just off the top.
So and I know that because Baker Rural is facing that right now.
So yeah, one pump rebuilds the Leitha Entire Limited and all it takes is a rock,
a quarter
This kind of goes beyond the subject, but the financial standing of being a rural is very
tenuous of this one.
Yeah.
So doesn't it seem like a good time to make a plan for the future?
Yeah, to have people willing to do it.
If fire chiefs aren't willing to do it, you can't force them.
And, to be honest, as unstable as the cities appeared, there's not a lot of interest.
partners. And if you don't have stable partners, who wants to get involved?
Councilmember, we still have that ambulance, correct? That we're going to get rid of?
Correct.
And if I report to that old level that's holding case where we want to give it to somebody
or something, we still have to do the stimulus business.
So, I want to add that to the agenda and put it into this thing right here for the
the lease of the new Indian.
That's what we were supposed to do with that money anyway
with the Anglics is when we folded.
So that's where the lease was.
And we kept that one because we wanted a relief vehicle
in case somebody overheated.
And now we don't need it.
So now it sets in the lawn and we do maintenance on it
because we own it.
So sell it.
It's excess property.
I've heard this excess property stuff for a long time.
And I'm tired of having excess property that worth money
when we're in the strengths that we're in.
So, somebody bring it to me, or I'll sponsor it myself.
Sell it,
steam.
Yeah, I was just gonna ask it,
how long is it gonna take for it to be,
if we do go into a lease agreement on a fire engine,
how long will it actually take
In April, there's one we're going to have that day.
It's just a matter of finding a demo unit that will suit us.
Yeah, there are several demos around and the dealers are bringing around showing everybody.
So it's just a matter of finding one that suits us and say we'll take that one.
And then it's probably 30 to 60 days before they crack it and get it to us.
Yeah, if we get a demo, if we order one, it's three years?
36 to 48 months.
And there's a federal emissions change coming in that, which
is the reason they no longer guarantee the final price.
And how long is that demo?
Is that something that has been just a demo to various cities
or something?
Yeah, they come off the line.
Salesmen drive them around the fire departments
in the Western states.
They never actually get used or pumped. They have no equipment on them. They're just a hey come look at my truck
This is what we built. All right, and we can custom build this one for you
Anything else?
I'm just thinking out loud
If we're really looking at being serious about rebuilding the fire department
And we have that essentially brand new
amulets then I think that that would go a long way we sold that then that would
be the money that we need and there's our plan that we can have to start well
well it's a start your plan was just to start in the first place but just the way
that I see it is we can't wait until January we can't wait we can't put it
off whatever we can do right now could be the difference between life and death
And I don't think that that's exaggerating since we're talking about public safety and just the fact that we're having
The station locked right now tomorrow. He said tomorrow. It's Sunday Sunday locked
Yeah, and so God forbid if there's a fire, yeah
Then we're having somebody come from
Where's the the nearest make a world we've been here?
Hey
You know
summer time right yes right so yeah so I think that that is a great way to go
forward and I don't see any reason why we shouldn't thank you thank you
so since Councilor Wagner and it sounds like
as well, want to sponsor that and they can sponsor that agenda item and come to you as
a disposition resolution that we created. So I think we're anticipating, you know,
a $30,000 for it. We're anticipating another $65,000 from the other one. And so you add
that to the $380,000 and whatever you have, $580,000, $640,000. So you're in the range
which is all part of an engine lease
that you can then pay over the years.
So, be pretty close.
So is there any more discussion on the budget?
Yeah.
So it sounds to me like we do that in some of the annuals
and some of the creative accounting can suggest that we could get pretty much what we want done
with the budget board as suggested with the addition of the fire department increase.
It sounds to me like we can get all of that done.
And that's the case that I would propose that we
approve the budget with those changes.
And then this council just has a lot of work to do toward
funding some additional revenue sources, which I think we can do if we decide we won't work together.
And so I guess that would be my emotion to go ahead and improve with those changes.
So we need to walk through, you know, just change.
You just change.
Yeah.
So the question that I would have and just are you going to add the assistant chief or
not at least.
A lot of it suggests that we do not have the assistant chief at this point.
Then the numbers for the channels on the changes, and I've got what you can give the channel for very long, okay, you got it.
It would add $262,000 to the person health services part of the fire department budget, and it would add $46,000 to the materials and services portion of the budget.
And then we would reduce the carryover from $981,000 to $793,000 one fall.
And that's that $188,000, right?
Correct.
And then we would delete the transfer to the golf course of $120,000.
We'd leave the $29,000.
That would be $380,000, and we'd balance the increase to the fire department.
Does that incorporate the sale of the ambulance?
No.
That would go to the sale of the ambulance.
That would go into the fire department.
I have a question on the personnel cost, though.
$262,000, I thought we were only adding one person.
We're increasing 340-hour firefighters, which is what we did to make it the most of the
means to cut that down to bring those back up to 56-hour firefighters, which means a
lot more time, a lot more paid time off, a lot more per-s, insurance, and stuff.
It's 59,000 higher than one person in the salary budget, 60,000 in the overtime budget,
16,000 additional for the social security burden to value above $46,000 to add in from the per
budget, $6,000 for the workforce comp budget, and $75,000 for health insurance. It's not
cheap. But you got to have a fire department.
Dean?
Yeah, we were talking about, yeah, are there any other budget items? I'm a little concerned
about $75,000 we have in the budget for legal people.
John has already said that it's going to cost $75,000.
Basically, that's the face.
And with his departure and with some issues that are coming up
with a legal issue with a specific individual
in the police department that he's not going to be here in town
to testify. So if he is requested to come back, he's not going to do it for free. So you're
going to have issues pertaining to legal issues in the future that are probably already
covered in 75,000, which is going to be more than that. And if we don't address that, we'll
address it later, whether we address it today or whether we address it later, because
we're going to be shifting money out of one account in order to, you know, achieve that.
We can wait. I mean, we can. It's just that sometimes, again, the road will probably be going
to end up having to move money from one account to another in order to address that shortage.
And in the comment, you have 98,000 contingency, which is probably where
I would file away and say, if you have to increase your legal budget, that's where we're going to go.
And I think we'll go up, I don't disagree with you at all.
It could come from the savings between what is on salary and his bed at best,
and in relationship with the contract that we're going to be, so there's somebody there.
You have a lot, I would wait until you get to that one.
Right.
Do what you need to do.
So is there any more definition that needs to be.
You said it increased the legal, but you didn't say how much.
The contingency is...
It wasn't really, it was just to bring it up that we probably need to be looking at that in the future.
And it doesn't necessarily need to be done.
We can always move on.
But it's something that the council needs to be aware of.
So the other part would be the 135100,
we call force capital project, changing the 1304 from 500 to 300,000.
And then we're going to leave 700,000 or 575,000, 5704.
Good to you, Mr. Chairman.
And then the other piece.
I would probably leave 700,000 in there at this point.
And I would reduce the transfer because we're not going to make that.
So I would have 120,000 out of that.
So leave the 700,000, look at the 500,000, move that 830,000, okay move that to 3,000.
I'll
say that I think this means off the cuff your target goal to raise your revenues over the next year is a $1.5 million sustainable revenue supply.
You need to come up with one point I've known because you're beginning working capital next
year unless something amazing happens is going to be gone.
Building that motion.
With those clarifications to the motion on the second.
All right.
The motion and the second.
All.
Oh, well I had just one question just for curiosity.
to be safe.
What would the changes that we discussed
to the approved budget, how would that compare
to the original proposed budget that we worked off of?
What would it be closer to just in terms of changes?
Well, from the proposed budget to the approved budget,
there was a million dollar liability added on
and it's unfunded over a 10 year period basically.
You have a $120,000 transfer in year one that was not funded, and then you've added
back some things into the fire department that we don't, they need a funding source.
and the finance department's position was cut to offset some of that money was taken out of IT and then it was taken out of legal fees as well to try to offset those extra expenses
and so your expenses are up
and the roof repair is also locked up
yeah the roof was all in debt
every apartment
cemetery, parks, everybody trimmed up
But from your proposed budget to your approved budget,
there was additional expense,
and then there's some additional in here,
and that's why I say,
your begin working capital is dwindling,
and has been for 20 years,
and now it's kind of that pivot point
where it deal with it today or it's done.
So we just kind of get that line, that turn point.
Okay, can I get a comparison,
I guess with the beginning working capital between what we've discussed now
300 out at the end of the capitol.
See, the original, I was looking at the original
unappropriated ending fund balance was a million three.
And now it's going to be 793,000.
So it's about half what's going on.
But keep in mind, you take out capital credits
of what, 300,200?
That's an 80 to 80.
So let's say, take out 300,000 capital credits
and then whatever's left of the COVID money
and you're down to 300,000 beginning working capital pretty quick.
It'll be tight.
For the next year.
Is there any deer and COVID money being requested back?
There's that.
I'm not too worried about that.
Okay.
I know there's only a few that's not spent.
We have, I think, been pretty close to that.
Capital allocates those in the parameters that's required.
So we're okay.
Yeah.
Any other discussion?
There's a motion and a second.
Do you want to receive?
I would move that we accept the budget as proposed with the changes described by Mr.
Maven that will bring them to the fire department.
Yeah.
Oh, and we had to say.
So, all in favor?
All opposed?
Mr. Carries?
So there are two things that have to happen, there's two resolutions, one for the next
meeting so that we can get all the numbers accurate on, there'll be the two resolutions
that show up on your agenda, their state revenue channel will be used, we'll talk that,
accept that, and then there'll be the budget that you officially approve.
And with the changes to the budget in this resolution, I may not have it done by
the time John wants to upload your packet, but I would send it in a separate message
and she bought on Monday.
So you'll have the budget and I'll have mine.
Very well.
Thank you.
Thanks, George.
I have one final request.
I have requested at the very beginning of the month
that we have a recap collection of everything
that has been spent on IT and any reoccurring costs
because you haven't seen that.
So I'm following and requesting it again
that we have that the next meeting
it just needs to be the reality of what has been spent and what our commitments are in the future.
Before you adjourn, I would like to recommend that we approve a referendum to the, to the, uh,
bylaw that would eliminate the payment of, uh, the, uh, token payment to city councillors.
And let me add to the charter cannot be changed. It can't be
Well, that's what I mean. So let's do it. I would love to be able to just remove that.
We can add it to the future. How about your AI agenda?
That's great.
Yeah, that's right.
And then you can work through that process.
That's great.
Sorry.
I figured that means a lot of things.
I
do want to say that my fellow councillors, this was arduous, but I'm glad that we made
it through and I want to give us a thank you back.