---
date: "2014-10-08"
title: "Council Meeting Minutes 2014-10-08"
source: "2014-10-08-minutes-council-monthly.pdf"
---

City of Prairie City

                   Carole Garrison, Councilor
         Les Church, Councilor
         Georgia Patterson, Councilor

1.                   CITY COUNCIL MEETING
2.                                    October 8, 2014
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6. Attended:   Gary Waterhouse, Mayor
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9.
10.                   Viola Rose, Councilor
11.                   Henry Goslin, Councilor
12.                   Taci Philbrook, City Recorder
13.                   Kathy Smith, Museum Director
14.                   Bob Miller
15.                   Mike Springer, Benchmark Land Surveying, Inc.
16.                   Chris Camarena, Public Works Director
17.                   Judy Jacobs
18.                   Jim Jacobs
19.                   Dianne Lesniak
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22. The Mayor called the meeting to order at 6:00pm and announced the meeting
23. was being recorded. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited and roll call taken.
24. Councilor Dahlen unexcused absence (told councilor Rose he had a migraine.)
25.
26. The Minutes of September 10, 2014 were considered for approval.  MSP: To
27. accept minutes as they are. Councilor Garrison / Councilor Church. All
28. Members in favor.
29.
30.The Mayor recognized visitors:
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32.Mr. Fields from the Art Club could not make it to the meeting so the Mayor went
33. on to explain the Fund Raiser. The Art Club is raising funds for a field trip out of
34. town, by collection cans and bottles for recycling. Councilor Garrison stated it
35. would have been better had the person who requested to be on the agenda
36. actually attended the Council meeting. MSP: To  allow the Art Club to station
37. their trailer for cans and bottles next to City Hall. Councilor Church /
38. Councilor Patterson. All in Favor.
39.
40. Next on the Visitors/Agenda was Dianne Lesniak: Dianne outlined the 150th

41. Birthday celebration for Grant County to be held at Canyon City October 19th
42. 11am-2-pm. There will be a potluck in the park and a history walk. Dianne says
43. GPCCA is going to do something on the Sumpter Valley Railroad. She would like
44. to see Prairie City participate and hoped that a Council member would work with
45. her doing something to represent Prairie City. Noone volunteered when the
46. Mayor asked. Councilor Garrison suggested Dianne work with the Museum
47. Director.
48.Dianne went on to discuss her second item on her request, to have a volunteer
49. from the Council to work with her to build Prairie City's representation of the
50. Native American population and the early Indian Wars which contributed to
51. Prairie City's (Dixie Town) settlement. She spoke of monuments to honor troops
52. through out the USA. And how Oregon volunteers enlisted to fight the Indian
53. Wars in Eastern Oregon. She would like to involve Prairie City and use Camp
54. Logan to represent this part of history. Again she asked for a Liaison between her
55. and the City Council to accomplish this. No one volunteered and no one was
56. appointed. Then Dianne brought up her idea of a little building, or Kiosk to be
57. used as an outdoor interpretive center at Depot Park depicting the Indian Wars.
58. Dianne has been in touch with relatives of soldiers and they have some artifacts
59. “we” could use. Dianne suggested getting a small storage building from Home
60. Depot to modify for an indoor exhibit. She is willing to write grants for funding.
61. Dianne then questioned if there was a committee that decides what goes into the
62. museum?
63.The Mayor explained those decisions were left up to the Museum Director, Kathy
64. Smith. Kathy explained there was no room in the museum for any more exhibits.
65. Councilor Garrison explained to Dianne that they couldn't commit unless they
66. knew exactly what they were agreeing to. Dianne again asked for a Liaison from
67. the Council. Then she went on again to explain the exhibit building could go in
68. the first RV spot. At that point Councilor Garrison declared the Council wouldn't
69. be opposed to such an idea, but the Council does not have sole authority over
70. Depot Park. The Mayor suggested Dianne talk to Kathy Smith the Museum
71. Director and Chris Camarena, the Public Works Director. The Mayor went as far
72. as suggesting Dianne use Chris as a Liaison.
73.
74. The Council then recognized the next visitor Jim Jacobs who had Mike Springer
75. speak on his behalf. Mike explained this project originally started in 2009, but
76. that the improvements did not happen. The Jacobs have come before the Council
77. tonight to ask for permission to move forward (since so much time had elapsed
78. since the first approved request). Now the Parcel sizes have changed. The
79. Councilors looked at a map provided to them of the project. Mike pointed out
80. even though the Parcel sizes had changed the overall concept is the same. It is
81. still under the same zoning restrictions. The Council discussed the Ordinance that
82. gives you 45 days to complete the project. Mike stated it was not enough time

83. due to different governing entities involvement so they are requesting a variance
84. allowing them more time. Mike stated the County gives 2-4 years and that the
85. City of John Day allows 1 year. MSP: Motion to approve the Jacobs request to
86. partition their property and to allow the Jacobs 90 days to provide the
87.Council with the final map. Councilor Garrison / Councilor Rose. All in
88. Favor.
89. Jim Jacobs then asked to revisit the City installing Water & Sewer lines out to
90. their property. Councilor Patterson suggested he speak to Chris because she
91. thought the residents had to pay for the lines to meet up to the City line.
92. Mr. Jacobs then asked if the City could pay for half of it? Councilor Patterson
93. reiterated, the resident has had to pay in the past.
94.
95.While Mike Springer had the floor he asked the Council if he could speak about
96. the Water Rights at Depot Park. Mike gave a brief history of the Water Rights
97. application. (water is to be used to water Depot RV Park). He referred to a letter
98. the Public Works Director received from Water Resources stating they do not like
99. the existing well as the seal in the lining doesn't meet standards. The well is an
 artisan well and “they” are afraid it is going to percolate up and
100.
 contaminate surface water. He stated Chris called them and asked if we
101.
 could just take the seal out or use alternate well and start from scratch.
102.
 They felt their were too many variables and that we needed to punch new
103.
 well and seal up other well. There was some discussion about why it wasn't
104.
 the correct seal or liner. Mike brought the conversation back to our options.
105.
 He stated we could remove seal and casing and install a new one – no one
106.
 knew the potential costs. Councilor Patterson reminded the Council the
107.
 County paid for the last one and suggested the County be approached to
108.
 pay again. Mike stated Chris and John Markell will be getting together to
109.
 discuss it. Mike did say we will have to notify “them” how we want to go.
110.
 Councilor Patterson suggested Mike let Water Resources know we are
111.
 looking at costs. Councilor Garrison stated we need an “extension” to
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 which Mike stated they are really good at giving as long as we are working
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 on a solution.
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The mayor asked for reports:
Economic Development- Nothing

Museum: See attached report

Landfill: See attached reprot

Public Safety: no report

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Public Works Dept.: See attached report

Payables: Councilor Rose asked about the re-keying of the museum.
Kathy Smith reviewed the incident report (see attached)  MSP: To pay the
bills. Councilor Rose / Councilor Garrison. All in Favor.

Other Business:
The Mayor explained the RFP's from various Bond Counsels that we have
 received and let everyone know Jeremy will be reviewing the ones we have
received. (see attached)

The Mayor explained Measure 91. He gave the councilors the web address
for the full measure. He also stated the City Recorder has printed versions
of the full measure. The Mayor stressed we need to put into place an
ordinance to receive taxes from the revenues if a business should open.
And that the City needs to adopt it before the Measure passes so as to be
grandfathered in. Both Councilor Rose and Church stated they were against
any kind of tax. The Council agreed there should be a workshop on the 16th
of November at the Public Works Dept bldg.

Councilor Patterson gave a review of the Volunteer Appreciation Day
saying it went really good. She had positive feedback, and was already
receiving lots of ideas for next year. There were lots of donations, and just
about every volunteer won a door prize. The volunteers appreciated their
certificates and the food donated from Huffman's was really good.

At 7:35pm the Mayor adjourned the meeting.

 Submitted by:

  ________________________________
  Taci Philbrook, City Recorder

                                                         Approved by the City Council this_____
                                                         day of ______________, 2014 and
                                                         signed by the Mayor:

                                                        _________________________________
                                                        Gary Waterhouse, Mayor