Residents of Burns may soon be able to legally operate ATVs on city streets.

Several weeks ago, the Hines Common Council approved an ordinance allowing ATVs on city streets, within stated restrictions, so residents could use the vehicles for plowing snow.

At the Burns City Council meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 13, Councilor Judy Erwin stated that she gave a copy of the Hines ordinance to Burns City Manager Dauna Wensenk to present to the council to see whether Burns wanted to adopt a similar ordinance.

Erwin stated that, in previous years, it was illegal for ATVs to cross state highways, but that law has changed.

The council discussed the restrictions in the Hines ordinance and suggested some changes that could be made.

Wensenk suggested that the council email her regarding what they would or would not like to have in the ordinance, and stated that she can have a draft ready by the next council meeting.

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Prior to the regular meeting, the council held a workshop by phone with Greg Smith of the Harney County Economic Development Office. The workshop was held regarding the council’s decision to move money from the Local Improvement District (LID) fund to an economic development fund so that the city can loan that money to qualified applicants.

In a summarization of the workshop, Wensenk said Smith provided samples of what had been done in other places, informed the council of what they needed to do, suggested the money be used for either small businesses or housing, said the council needs to set up a loan review committee of five to seven members comprised of councilors, bankers, and community members, and set a target date of July 1 for having the loan fund set up, including the terms of the loans.

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Wensenk reported that she recently attended the Southeast Area Commission on Transportation (SEACT) meeting in John Day. She said the city submitted two applications for grants to benefit the Burns airport, one for a new well and the other for a jet-fuel tank. The applications were reviewed by SEACT committees, and the new well application is in the fourth position for approval, and the fuel tank is in sixth. They are both in the economic development infrastructure category.

The final review and adoption of projects is expected in March.

Ken Patterson of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) attended the meeting and spoke again about changing the four-lane highway through Burns to three lanes. He suggested ODOT perform a demonstration in March or April to show that long trucks and trailers loads would be able to make the intersection at Broadway and Monroe.

Wensenk noted that a comment was made at the previous council meeting that the city needs to be more involved in the community.

She stated that, in addition to their regular duties, the different departments are involved in the following:

• Public works — Sweeps streets (both downtown and in residential areas), empties garbage cans on Broadway Avenue, helped residents with removal of trees after the wind storm in May 2018, changes out the city banners, clears sidewalks of snow when possible, provides the community Christmas tree, and helps with the Christmas parade, including the Santa float;

• Police department — Provides traffic control for all parades, hands out candy during the Halloween parade, participates in the Christmas Jamboree parade and tree lighting, participates in driving under the influence of intoxicants saturation patrol to help combat drunk driving on New Year’s Eve, attends various trainings throughout the year, and partners with Harney County Safe Communities for events;

• Fire department — Provides field trips (including a field trip with an Early Childhood Center rural school program), provides Fire Wise Day, participates in Lunch at the Park, the Duck Race, and Red Ribbon Week, provides fire extinguisher classes for businesses and the public, participates in the smoke alarm program, the Every 15 Minutes program at Burns High School, fair, and all parades, and is made up of volunteers who are willing to give up a night’s sleep, dinner parties, or whatever they are attending to protect the community when the alarm sounds.

• The department heads and city personnel also assist residents with cleanup.

Wensenk also reported that a poll regarding the urban deer will be sent to Burns residents with the annual water analysis that should go out in March.

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In other business:

• Fire Chief Scott Williamson reported that his department responded to 10 calls in January and two calls so far in February. One of the calls this month was a house fire, and Williamson said there were no working smoke alarms in the residence. He told the council that his department received another grant to install smoke alarms in houses that need them, and they will be doing that in the near future;

• Councilor Charity Robey stated that the city is incurring all the costs at the municipal airport, yet there are other entities that benefit from it. She said she would like the city to look into the possibility of having those other entities share the costs.

Councilor Gary Estep echoed the same sentiments regarding the Burns Cemetery. He acknowledged that the city of Hines contributes a little more than $8,000 a year to the cemetery, but the city of Burns spends about $100,000 a year on the cemetery. He suggested visiting with the county and the Hines council about sharing more of the costs.

“I know everybody is broke, but so are we,” Estep said.

The next council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at city hall.