--- date: "2024-08-14" title: "Council Meeting Minutes 2024-08-14" source: "2024-08-14-minutes-council-monthly.pdf" --- City of Prairie City City Council Meeting August 14, 2024 Attendance: Mayor Ed Clark Councilor McClung Councilor Bradford Councilor Gangler Shonalie Oakes, City Recorder Chris Camarena, Public Works Director Rob Gaslin, CPA Marvin Rynearson, Fire Chief Visitors: Georgia Patterson Steve Patterson Sue Maloney Colin Kolb Fran Bunch Nancy Hitz Jennifer Kingsford Scott & Susan Moore Mayor Clark called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm, the pledge of allegiance was recited, and roll taken. Candy Reagan, Jenny Shaw and Brook Williams were not present with excused absences. Mayor Clark amended the agenda to include the consideration of the June 20, 2024, special meeting minutes. Minutes: The minutes of the May 15, 2024, Special Meeting were considered. MSP: To approve the May 15, 2024, Special Meeting Minutes, Councilor McClung/Gangler. All present approved. The June 12, 2024, Council Meeting Minutes were considered. MSP: To approve the regular Council Meeting Minutes of June 12, 2024, Councilor McClung/Gangler. All present approved. The Budget Hearing Meeting Minutes of June 26, 2024, were considered. MSP to approve the June 26, 2024, Budget Hearing Meeting Minutes, Councilor McClung/Gangler. All present approved. The regular City Council Meeting Minutes of July 17, 2024, were considered. MSP: To approve the July 17, 2024, regular City Council Meeting Minutes, Councilor McClung/Gangler. All present voted unanimously. The June 20, 2024, Special Meeting Minutes were considered. MSP: To approve the June 20, 2024, Special Meeting Minutes, Councilor McClung/Gangler. All present approved. Mayor Clark recognized the audience, and asked them if they had any comments or questions regarding topics not on the agenda. Mayor Clark addressed Colin Kolb. Mr. Kolb wanted to know if there could be a consistent lunch time for city hall. Mayor Clark said that was something we could look into. With one person in the office, often that person takes lunch break the first chance they get in between helping customers. The City is currently advertising for the City Clerk position, having two people in the office will help with that. Mayor Clark addressed the next visitor who had signed up on the speaker’s rooster, Scott Moore. Mr. Moore said that he was going to start coming to the City’s meetings, wanting to be informed and actively involved in what is going on in Prairie City. Cell Tower: Mayor Clark asked the Council if they were interested in selling the City’s other cell tower lease? Councilor Bradford suggested the Mayor begin negotiations with the cell tower companies and see what they offer the City and decide from there if we want to sell it. All present agreed to give Mayor Clark permission to move forward with negotiating with the cell tower companies on the sale of the City’s remaining cell tower lease. Pam Gangler: Mayor Clark gave Councilor Gangler the floor. Councilor Gangler selected 8 pages out of the City’s old 2010 employee handbook and gave each City Council member a copy of those 8 pages. Councilor Gangler highlighting the old verbiage that was not included in the City’s new handbook. Councilor Gangler did not give the City Recorder a copy of the highlighted pages. Councilor Gangler said she was reading through the City’s employee handbook, and said there are a lot of things that have been taken out that had been in there for as long as she can remember. Councilor Gangler thinks the City should go back to the employee handbook from 2010. Councilor Gangler proposed to the Council that they go back to the 2010 handbook so that the Council may have say over the City’s employees. Councilor Gangler wants the Council to have say over the hiring and say over the City Hall clerk/staff etc. Mayor Clark reminded Councilor Gangler that we have had this conversation before, that City Councilors only have hiring authority for 3 positions within the City, for legal reasons is a statewide standard for all cities: The 3 positions are: City Attorney, of which Council approved, Police Chief, which the City doesn’t have, City Manager, of which the City does not have. Those are the positions statewide that the city council have authority over, everything else falls under the Mayor. Councilor Gangler said she didn’t understand and asked if CIS said if it was not legal? Mayor Clark told Councilor Gangler that the City’s attorney is going through the City’s employee handbook, updating it to include any recent changes required by the State of Oregon. Mayor Clark said based off the confidential letter from the City’s insurance company, that what Councilor Gangler is requesting is a nonstarter, explaining to Councilor Gangler that from a legal standing, what she’s asking for can’t be done. Mayor Clark then asked Councilor Gangler if there was anything else regarding the employee handbook that she wanted to discuss other than the hiring of the City Clerk? Councilor Gangler wanted to know if the City Council will get to review the updated employee handbook when we get it back from the City’s attorney? Mayor Clark assured her that they would be able to do so. Front Street Beautification Project: The Downtown Beautification Committee wanted the City to announce the date for the upcoming meeting to discuss the downtown Beautification Project, so that the committee may inform the public of their plans for beautifying the City and answer any questions the public may have. Public Comment: None. Accounts Payable: Rob Gaslin, CPA, read aloud the City’s financial overview and appropriations Review. The Council reviewed the provided check detail. MSP: To ratify payment of the City’s bills. Councilor McClung/Gangler. All present approved. Public Works Report: Chris Camarena, Public Works Director, said that they have been working on getting power up to Faiman well and using the generator only as a back up resource. Camarena spoke with Rally Networks about the potential of running fiber up there as well. The Water Meter Project is on hold due to SHIPPO. Mayor Clark suggested Public Works save the remaining hours the City has budget for the seasonal help for the installation of the water meters on hold until we get the go ahead from SHIPPO. Camarena agreed that the was best. Fire Report: Fire Chief Marvin Rynearson said he is also on the County Defense Fire Board, and that currently there are 13 task forces, 120 vehicles, 220 people in Grant County on fires, so far, they only lost two primary residences and four structures. Battle Mountain Complex demo’d turning it back over to local command. Adjourn: Mayor Clark adjourned the meeting at 6:39 pm. MSP: To adjourn the City Council Meeting Councilor McClung/Gangler. Approved by the City of Prairie City Council on this 11th day of September 2024 and signed by the Mayor. Ed Clark, Mayor Attested: Shonalie Oakes, City Recorder