---
date: "2023-09-13"
title: "Council Meeting Minutes 2023-09-13"
source: "2023-09-13-minutes-council-monthly.pdf"
---

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City of Prairie City
    Council Meeting
    September 13, 2023

5. Attended:
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15.   Guests:
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25.   Mayor Officer called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. The pledge of allegiance was

Scott Officer, Mayor
Jenny Shaw, Councilor
Candy Reagan, Councilor
Brook Williams, Councilor
Pam Gangler, Councilor
Chris Camarena, Public Works Director
Shonalie Oakes, City Recorder
Marvin Rynearson, Fire Chief
Jennifer Kingsford, City Clerk
Rob Gaslin, CPA
Scott Knepper
Amy Giandomenico
Mary Brown
Susan Maloney
Don Conard
Ryan Williams
Sandy Murray
Donna Becker
Frances Preston

recited.

26.    The roll was called, Councilors Ed Clark and Chase McClung were gone with an

excused absence.

27.
28.    Minutes:  The   meeting   minutes   of   August   9,   2023   were   considered.  MSP:   To

approve the minutes

29.   of August 9, 2023 Councilor Williams/Reagan.
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31.   Cyber Mill: The Cyber Mill provided flyers to show the Council the statistics of the

data they have

32.     collected   on   which   ages   are   utilizing   the   Cyber   Mill   the   most.   They   will   be

providing computer type

33.   classes for seniors interested in advancing their skills. The Cyber Mill also wanted

to share the one

34.   year anniversary celebration of being open is on October 18, 2023, the event will

be catered and

35.   all are welcome to attend.
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37.   Mayor Officer amended the agenda to include Mary Brown and an update on the

Camping
38.   Ordinance.
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40.   Mary Brown: Mary brown expressed concerns that people in the community have

been dumping

41.   kittens at the City’s burn pile. She suggested that the City post a sign at the location

that states

42.    “No Animal Dumping”. Public Works Director Chris Camarena chimed in that

animal dumping

43.     hasn’t   been   the   only   issue   at   the   City’s   burn   pile,   that   the   public   have   been

dumping garbage,

44.    cardboard and deer carcasses. If people keep dumping unpermitted items and

don’t follow the

45.   rules, it could cause the City to receive a DEQ violation, which will force the City

to close the burn

46.   pile. There is currently a sign with the rules, and encouraged everyone to read it

and please follow

47.   the rules in place so that we can keep the site open to the public.
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49. Friends   of   the   Planters:  Sandy   Murray   represented   Friends   of   the   Planters,

reading aloud a letter

50. for all present expressing the importance of the maintaining the appearance of

downtown’s Front

51. Street. She was concerned that the City removed access to the frost free water

spicket for the

52. businesses to water the flowerbeds. Mayor Officer explained that the pipe feeding

the spicket was

53. broken which was why it is turned off, and that there is no way to fix the pipe

without tearing up

54. the sidewalks belonging to those businesses. Mayor Officer suggested that Friends

of Planters

55. coordinate a workshop meeting with the Front Street business owners along with

Public Works

56. from the City to put together a plan.
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58. Don Conard: Don would like the City to vacate the street by his house. Mayor Officer

said to move

59. forward, Mr. Conard would need to have a surveyor do an assessment and that the

cost inflicted to

60. vacate the street would be at Mr. Conard’s expense. Mayor Officer also addressed

Mr. Conard’s

61. concerns about FEMA and the changes they want for Dixie Creek. Officer stated that

the City has

62. already taken the steps to follow the proper channels to dispute FEMA’s plans to

implement

63. Statewide of no altering of any vegetation of ANY water-way within 150 feet. This

would not just be

64. a detriment to Prairie City residents residing along Dixie Creek, but adversely affect

people across

65. the entire State of Oregon, especially farmers and ranchers.
66.
67. Patrol Services:  The City Council discussed what they would like to see on the

invoices we receive

68. from the Sherrif’s Department. The Council would like the report to show how

many calls are

69. received within city limits of Prairie City. How many hours spent within city limits

of Prairie City.

70. What type of calls they responded to, domestic, speeding, theft, etc.
71.
72. Museum: Mayor Officer suggested we re-write the Resolution allocating funds from

Depot Park

73. revenue to the museum, allocating $1 per night for monthly guest not just nightly.
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75. Camping   Ordinance:  Mayor   Officer   updated   the   Council   on   the   camping

ordinance. Shonalie

76. emailed the City attorney asking they return the Ordinance to us with the edits the

Council

77. previously made. The City’s attorney said there is pending lawsuits in the State of

Oregon that may

78. change how the City should word this ordinance.
79.
80. Accounts   Payable:  Rob   Gaslin,   CPA   read   aloud   the   monthly   overview,

appropriations and check

81. detail. MSP: To pay the bills Councilor Williams/Reagan
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83. Public Works: Chris Camarena, Public Works Director, said we won’t need Faiman

Well this year.

84. The Welcome to Prairie City sign from Eli Wright’s senior project turned out great

and will be

85. installed soon. Other Public Works business to include the water meter project to

begin after the
86. thaw in the spring.

87.
88. Fire Report: Fire Chief Marvin Rynearson reported a fire at the mill 09/12/2023 a

loader caught on

89. fire, luckily the operator had the sense to remove the loader off the wood chip pile,

disconnect the

90. battery cables, and park it next to the water source, using the fire distinguisher to

put out the fire.

91. The Elk’s lodge donated a $1000 dollars benefactor to the Prairie Fire District. They

purchased new

92. wildland fire helmets and fire shelters. Also, the new radios arrived and will be able

to reach

93. dispatch properly.
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95. Adjourn.   MSP:   To   adjourn   the   meeting   at   8:26   p.m.   Councilor

Williams/Reagan

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97. Approved  by  the City Council this 11th  day  of October  2023,  and  signed  by  the

mayor.

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Scott Officer, Mayor

Attested:

Shonalie Oakes, City Recorder