County to do feasibility study for new property

Samantha O'Conner, Baker City Herald, Ore.
·2 min read

Feb. 13—Baker County Commissioners have hired PARC Resources of Bend to do a feasibility study looking at potential uses for a 70-acre property the county bought last year.

The county bought land in December 2022 from the Ward family. The property is in north Baker City, bordered on the north by Hughes Lane, on the east and south by the Leo Adler Memorial Parkway, and on the west by the Baker Sports Complex.

Commissioners initially discussed acquiring the property in June 2022. In August they approved a $1.45 million, five-year, no-interest lease-purchase agreement for the land.

In December they approved completing the purchase for $1,377,500 plus closing costs.

The county used some of the $6.5 million in federal COVID-19 aid the county will receive over the next two years.

The contract with PARC Resources, which commissioners approved during a special session Friday, Feb. 10, is for up to $14,552.

Commissioners haven't decided how to use the property.

New toilet at Hewitt/Holcomb parks

Commissioners on Friday also approved spending $5,155.80 for a cultural survey that was done at the county-owned parks on Brownlee Reservoir near Richland.

Doni Bruland, the county's natural resources and parks director, told commissioners that a Native American tribe had requested the county do the survey prior to installing a toilet in case there were tribal artifacts.

Bruland said none were found.

The Oregon State Marine Board is paying for the toilet and also for the cultural survey.

She said the county now has a permit allowing a crew from the county road department to dig the hole and prepare for setting for the vault toilet, which should be done by the end of February.

Victim's assistant position reclassification

In response to a request from district attorney Greg Baxter, commissioners agreed to move this position, which he hopes to fill soon, from range 7 on the county's salary scheduled to range 9.

Baxter told commissioners during a previous session that he believes the employee, who meets with and helps crime victims, is a vital one for which range 9 is the appropriate salary schedule.

In range 7, the annual salary ranges from $33,744 to $40,944, depending on the employees' tenure with the county.

For range 9, it is $37,176 to $45,120.