---
date: "2016-09-14"
title: "Council Meeting Minutes 2016-09-14"
source: "2016-09-14-minutes-council-monthly.pdf"
---

City of Prairie City

1.                   CITY COUNCIL MEETING
2.                              September 14th, 2016, 6:30pm
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5. Attended:   Jim Hamsher, Mayor
                   Viola Rose, Councilor
6.
                   Dottie Miller, Councilor
7.
                   Carole Garrison, Councilor
8.
                   Butch Goslin, Councilor
9.
10.                   Les Church, Councilor
11.                  Taci Philbrook, City Recorder
12.                   Bob Shive, Museum Director
13.                   Liz Bate, Museum Operations Supervisor
14.                   Chris Camarena, PWD Director
         Carlos Bortell, resident
15.
16.                   Luann Bortell, resident
17.                   Cheryl Hoefler, resident
18.                   Sue Malaney, resident
19.                   Edward Hicks, resident
20.                   Dan Becker, resident
21.                   Mark Lesniak, resident
22.                   Anna Marie Smith, resident
23.                   King Williams, resident
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25. The Mayor opened the regular meeting at 6:00pm. Roll Call was taken. All
26. councilors except Councilor Patterson were present.
27.
28.The minutes of August 10th, 2016, regular Council meeting was considered for
29. approval. MSP: To approve the minutes with corrections. Councilor
30. Rose/ Councilor Church. All in favor. Some spelling errors to be corrected
31. were duly noted.
32.
33. The mayor recognized The Shoop Shoop Team. Bella Williams was the only
34. representative from The Shoop Shoop Team able to attend the council meeting.
35. The kids known as The Shoop Shoop Team were asked to compete in the All City
36. Competition at this years Grant County Fair. With the help from Taci, using the
37. Fair theme “Kids everywhere at the Fair” they created a routine with hula
38. hoops. Although the kids did not get to perform through no fault of their own, the
39. Fair Board, and The City of Prairie City, are recognizing the kids efforts and
40. their willingness to perform. The Fair Board awarded the team a wooden park

41. bench made by Drew Harmon. The Shoop Shoop Team donated the bench to
42. Prairie City. Mayor Hamsher then recognized the kid's accomplishments by
43. giving them a certificate from The City and a Licorice Rope from the Fair Board.
44.
45. Museum: See attached report submitted by Director, Bob Shive.
46.
47. Public Safety: JD Law Enforcement Report attached.
48.
49. Public Works: No written report submitted. Chris Camarena, the Public Works
50. Director for Prairie City reported the water table was still low, so we are still
51. under strict water restrictions. He explained; although the pump had been
52. dropped 20 ft. it still needs to go lower. As of today, the water level is at 22.5 ft.
53. Chris is waiting for the level to get higher before he lifts the restrictions. While
54. trouble shooting they installed an air relief to fix the air lock problem, he
55. discussed with the council at the last meeting.
56.Chris also reported Well #2 is having flow issues.
57.Chris reported he changed to Scada Communications. He intends to save $2000
58.-$3000 a year with the new company. They will be installing a new sensor
59. tomorrow.
60. Councilor Garrison asked Chris for an update on the Bulb Outs that was
61. discussed at the April 13th meeting. Chris told her he was waiting for direction
62. from the council. Mayor Hamsher suggested painting the curb on this side of the
63. sidewalk yellow, to deter parking in front of the sidewalk.
64. Mayor Hamsher then asked Chris about the fencing that was supposed to go up at
65. the park. Chris explained to the council it was all here they just needed to get to
66. it. Chris reported to the council; the big rock, and all the red rock had been
67. removed where Sandy Murray's brothers memorial had been. Someone had
68. vandalized the memorial by removing the plaque. He will be contacting Sandy
69. Murray to create another safe, more sturdy memorial for her brother.
70. Mayor Hamsher asked Chris if had spoken to ODOT about moving the “children
71. at play sign” now located across from city hall. Chris reported he had taken a
72. picture and sent it to ODOT and was waiting for a response.
73.
74. Councilor Garrison reported to the council she had spoken to Tom McCauslin
75. about the safety zone sign in front of the Legion Hall. It is covered by the tree
76. branches that are growing over it. Tom said he would cut the branches back to
77. expose the sign.
78.
79. Accounts Payable: MSP: To ratify payment of the bills. Councilor Church /
80. Councilor Rose. All in favor.
81.
82.

83. Other Business:
84. Councilors began a review of the documents addressing Ivan Nance's complaint
85. about some of the city sidewalks not being ADA compliant, specifically for
86. wheel chairs (see attached documents). After reading the material the council
87. began a discussion about whether or not the city was compliant or if the city is
88. responsible for meeting the requirements. It was suggested we have the city's
89. attorney review the regulations to gauge if we are compliant. Councilor Church
90. suggested it may be cheaper to just go ahead and do the changes, then if we have
91. the city attorney review the documents.
92. Mayor Hamsher shared with the council his experience while riding in a wheel
93. chair with Ivan one day. On that ride Ivan pointed out his concerns. Then the
94. mayor suggested three fixes: the first fix would be to pour cold patch around the
95. fire hydrant on 6th and Bridge making it more accessible by wheelchair; the
96. second fix would be to write a letter to the G.P.C.C.A. asking them to address the
97. complaint about their sidewalk; and the third fix would be to change out the door
98. handle at city hall, from a round knob to a lever. Councilor Garrison referenced
99. regulations, and sees the need to be specific, so we need to be in compliance. The
mayor replied since the hydrant site was not an approach to a sidewalk, it is
100.
okay to just put a cold patch around it. Mayor Hamsher asked for a motion.
101.
MSP: To approve all three action items. Councilor Church / Councilor
102.
Goslin. All in favor.
103.
Councilor Garrison affirmed with the council Chip Sealing was not by
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definition a “change in the road”.  The council asked Taci to write the letter
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to G.P.C.C.A. outlining the complaint about their sidewalk being in need of
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repair or completion, and to ask them to address the issue.
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Mayor Hamsher began the discussion about the proposed property sale by
asking the councilors to review the “Opinion of Value” submitted to the city
by Al Denman from Country Preferred Realtors. His recommended price is
$85,000-$115,000 for 25.10 acres. King Williams asked what the report
said. Mayor Hamsher explained to him what the council was reading. The
mayor recognized Taci who explained the city's attorney, Jeremy Green,
had told her the council and Iron Triangle could verbally negotiate a price,
and then reduce it to terms on a sale agreement. After the sale agreement is
done it would be presented to the council for adoption. Taci explained to the
council she had investigated the fire departments claim to five acres, and
discovered 1.2 acres had been promised to the fire department for a
training facility. Diane Clingman, and Dean Hicks were seeking Grant
monies to build the facility. The proposal stayed on the Budget Message
for the required five years, and had dropped off the message before Taci
had started working as Prairie City's City Recorder/Treasurer. Councilor
Church asked King Williams if he would take the offer back to Russ Young

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of Iron Triangle. King stated he did not know for sure if the offer was still
open, as it had been months since they had made the offer.
Councilor Garrison initiated a discussion of a counter offer of $150,000.
The councilors discussed what their constituents would want them to do.
MSP: To counter with $150,000 for 24 acres. Councilor Church/
Councilor Rose. All in favor.
King Williams was told no, after he asked (for that price) if the property
will be put back to its original state it was in when the city purchased the
property, and if the deed restrictions would be cleaned up.
Resident Sue Malaney asked if the councilors had considered riparian and
wildlife restrictions. She was told since the property was zoned industrial
those restrictions did not apply. She said she would report her findings if
she discovered differently.

Mark Lesniak explained he was representing the Strawberry Valley
Historical Association, and would be willing to answer any questions the
councilors had after reviewing Diane Lesniak's budget update. Councilor
Rose, who is also an Interpretive Kiosk committee member, noted it
appeared that half the budgeted amount was still available for the project.
She expressed her concerns about the statement on the report saying no
protection will be provided to protect the sign. The councilors all feel the
signs are too beautiful to be damaged or even destroyed. The general
consensus of the council is that although funds will be set aside for one
replacement sign they share concerns of what would happen in the far
future if the signs are vandalized a second or third time. Mayor Hamsher
stated; since there are no provisions in her budget the city will pay for the
Plexiglas. The mayor announced now that the fair is over he can get back to
work on the kiosk. Councilor Miller said her and her grandson Luke would
be willing to volunteer as helpers.
The Council then began a conversation about framing the signs, but did not
have enough information to make a decision. The council is hoping a
compromise can be made between what Diane described, and what the
council would like to see. The mayor discussed with Mark if Diane would
be willing to come to a committee meeting, Mark thought she would be
willing. Taci said she would call, or email, Diane on Tuesday (the 20th) to
set up the committee meeting.

The mayor asked Taci for her reports:
Taci declared she submitted to FEMA in the amount of $24,246.13 for the
Canyon Creek Complex fire. The reimbursement from FEMA would be for
the use of fire apparatus's, fire personnel, misc. receipts that included fire
fighters meals, for receipts for evacuees that stayed in the RV Park for free,

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and for employees overtime wages, and their benefits that pertained to that
fire.
Taci then reminded everyone about the E-Recyling to happen that Friday.
Taci then presented a letter written to Postmaster Fonda commending her
for her part in the beautification project on the post office grounds. The
councilors agreed it was good to recognize her efforts.
Taci also reported: ODOT should have a proposal for deer composting to
the city by the 28th of September. She will be scheduling a workshop if they
have it prepared before the next council meeting.

 The Mayor adjourned at 7:27 pm.

Submitted by:

  ________________________________
  Taci Philbrook, City Recorder
                                                         Approved by the City Council this_____
                                                         day of ______________, 2016 and
                                                         signed by the Mayor: