---
date: "2017-05-10"
title: "Council Meeting Minutes 2017-05-10"
source: "2017-05-10-minutes-council-monthly.pdf"
---

City of Prairie City

                   Carole Garrison, Councilor
                   Georgia Patterson, Councilor
                   Frank Primozic, Councilor
                   Taci Philbrook, City Recorder

1.                   CITY COUNCIL MEETING
2.                       May 10, 2017, 6:00pm
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4.
5. Attended:   Jim Hamsher, Mayor
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10.                   Lyn McDonald, City Clerk
11.                   Carlos Bortell, resident
12.                   Heidi Cearns, resident
13.                   Michael Cearns, resident
14.                   Chris Camarena, Public Works Director
15.                   Allen Detweiler, resident
16.                   Livy Atchley. Resident
17.                   Cheryl Hoefler, resident
18.                   Pam Woodworth, resident
19.                   Pam Woodworth, resident
20.
21. The Mayor opened the regular meeting at 6:00pm. Roll Call was taken. All
22. councilors present, except Councilors Phippen and Miller who were excused.
23.
24. The minutes of the April 12th regular meeting were considered.  MSP:  To
25. approve the minutes as is. Councilor Garrison/ Councilor Patterson.  All
26. members voted in favor.
27.
28. The Council honored Pam Woodworth for her heroic actions while saving Eula
29. Waits from a house fire. The Mayor and Councilors awarded Pam a certificate
30. and flower basket.
31.
32. The Mayor recognized Allen Detweiler & Livy Atchley who have come before
33. the council to ask for an extension of time to correct the violation of city code
34. Section 16.68.05(c). Allen explained to the council they have applied to HUD for
35. housing and have submitted many employment applications for potential
36. employment.  Councilor Garrison asked the couple if they are using city services
37. to which they responded they are using sewer services. The council agreed to the
38. extension providing they pay for the monthly use of the sewer, and sign an
39. agreement allowing them a 60 day extension. The extension terminates July 12th.

40. Someone suggested they stay in Depot Park, or Sweeks trailer park, then the
41. couple would have access to public utilities. The issue of their lack of finances
42. was discussed. MSP: to allow Livy and Allan to extend their stay in Gills
43. front yard at 215 N. Johnson for 60 days, and they have to pay sewer
44. charges. Councilor Church / Councilor Primozic. Six in favor, Councilor
45. Garrison opposed.  Taci asked the couple to come to city hall the next afternoon
46. to sign the agreement. It was requested that Taci contact the complainant and
47. relay the councils decision.
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49. Museum: see attached report.
50.
51.Public Works: see attached report. Public Works Director, Chris Camarena,
52. reported two leaks in the sewer line on the highway were fixed this week. Our
53. last pump is failing. As it is running imtermittently Chris believes a seal is failing.
54. He is going to call the electrician to check it out.
55.
56.Chris has spoken to the city engineer, Joe Hitz, about the last step in getting our
57. USDA loan for the upcoming sewer project. Joe promises to have his part done in
58. one week. Chris reported; Joe has spoken to Heidi and they are going to split the
59. bid process up into two. One bid for just the pumps, and one for laying the pipe.
60. USDA has no problem with the pipe issue, but they did have questions about the
61. pumps. Mayor Hamsher offered to speak to Joe, and impress upon Joe how
62. important it is for him to get his part done so we can get the pumps out for bid. If
63. it comes down to drastic measures we will have to send the pump out for repair
64. at a cost of $12,000.
65.
66. Chris reported he is also waiting on Joe to finish the Engineering Reports for the
67. Landfill Final Closure Plan. DEQ is requiring the reports. Chris is in the process
68. of working up a trade with the County for in-kind work at the landfill, in trade
69. for the $5000 Dodge truck. The trade will allow us to offset some of the cost of
70. the closure. Chris obtained the Dodge truck by trading the fire department a $400
71. pump.
72.
73. The council briefly discussed the burying of the hot ash at the mill.
74.
75. Chris reminded the council our Water Ordinance is in dire need of being revised.
76. He wrote up a cost estimate recently, and sees we are losing money with our
77. existing rates. Taci interjected she would like to see the new water ordinances
78. set rates by resolution. Mayor Hamsher instructed Taci to hand the Ordinance out
79. at the first regular meeting in June, then they can schedule a workshop to work on
80. the document.
81.

The mayor introduced Resolution 2016-06, MSP: To adopt Resolution
2016-06 A Resolution to adopt Supplemental Budget for fiscal year 2016-
2017. Councilor Patterson / Councilor Church. All in favor.

82.Chris reminded the council our goal is to start the Water Master Plan in our
83. next FY. He has acquired a source for a $20,000 grant which equates to half the
84. cost of the plan.
85.
86. He also reported we are now beginning our second round of source sampling on
87. surface ground water. Starting in October we will be required to sample two
88. times a month for twelve months. He has checked with Box R Laboratories and
89. confirmed they are willing to create a route that allows all the cities to divide the
90. cost of picking up the samples. Chris reminded the council this will affect his
91. next years budget.
92.
93. Chris reported; for us using our Vac Truck to suck out Monuments Wet Well they
94. are trading us concrete sewer rings. He assured the council the guys will dump it
95. in Monument lagoon, not ours.
96.
97. Payables:  MSP: To ratify payment of the bills. Councilor Church /
98. Councilor Patterson. All in favor.
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Other Business: The council began a conversation about the offer from
 American Tower for a one time signing bonus of $25,000 for a 40 year
 lease agreement. They discussed the need for American Tower to secure
 their position with the city so they are then able to motivate more sub
 leases with other carriers.  Councilor Garrison asked if we took the offer
 are we locked into the percentage rate of 3%. The City Recorder was asked
 to supply all the councilors with a copy of the current contract for their
 review. The topic will again be discussed at the next regular meeting. The
 mayor also asked Taci to look into franchise fees from a private party when
 a private party allows a cell tower to be erected.

Councilor Garrison expressed the need to update the Comprehensive Land
Use Plan by 2018. It was suggested the regulating of cell towers could be
included in the plan. Taci reported the council also needed to look at
changing the antiquated rates for a Conditional Use Permit. At this time we
are charging $25, and the ad alone is $65. The $25 charge does not pay for

The mayor introduced Resolution 2016-07, MSP: To adopt Resolution
 2016-07 A Resolution authorizing a budget transfer within the Museum
 Fund. Councilor Garrison / Councilor Church. All in favor.

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time and labor on the permit. She hopes to present a resolution to the
council to change the rate to $125-$150.

Taci reported; as it is required by DEQ for the landfill, she had secured
Financial Assurance in the amount of $232,706 for this year.

Taci declared this years 4th of July theme is “Celebrate the Spirit of 1776”.
They are ready to start handing out parade entry forms, and building the
posters. Wear a Red Hat Day, to support the military, will be celebrated that
same day with a contest at 1:30pm. Taci assured the council we had
Michael Riggs permission to use his property for the fireworks. She also
said he denied the use of the same lot for Eclipse parking.

Mushroom buyers are in town. Taci assured the council they are obtaining
temporary business licenses.

City Wide Clean Up day is May 25th. The mayor explained; Sandy Murray
has broken the town into seven zones. She has seventy school kids that have
volunteered to assist. Sandy plans on sending ten kids, and one adult and a
truck to each zone. The council reviewed the poster with the guidelines
layed out to the residents. Changes to the poster included; not accepting
paint, batteries, tires, hazardous materials, auto fluids, electronics and
metal. Taci reported Steve Ellson is willing to take autos and batteries. She
has also arranged for a roll off from Clark's. Taci said Oregon Solv has
donated vests, gloves, sharp containers and garbage bags for the crews to
use. Oregon Solv is also providing a $100 reimbursement for dumping the
roll off.

Chris reported that same day is “Fire Day”, and the city workers will be
busy with that, but afterward they will be available with two backhoes and
two dump trucks. All the garbage will be put into a dumpster going to
Clark's. Yard debris will be put into the dump trucks, and taken down to the
burn pile.

The Public Works Director, Chris reported he had sent the white dump truck
into T&H for motor work. He got it home and it died after driving it short
of a mile. He has had them pick it back up to figure out what is wrong with
it.

The Prairie City Eclipse Committee is planning a meeting for May 22nd, for
the merchants, residents, potential entrepreneurs, and volunteers.

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  The Mayor adjourned at 7:05 pm.

 Submitted by:

  ________________________________
  Taci Philbrook, City Recorder
                                                         Approved by the City Council this_____
                                                         day of ______________, 2017 and
                                                               signed by the Mayor:

                                                        _________________________________
                                                        Jim Hamsher, Mayor