The following are the unapproved minutes from the Hines Common Council meeting held Oct. 13. These minutes were edited for clarity and length:

During the department reports:

• Police Chief Ryan DeLange reported that calls are down, but fights and domestic calls are a problem.

The department noticed an increase in transient people coming through town, which seems to be an ongoing issue that continues to get worse.

DeLange also discussed an incident that Officer Mike Mitchell had with his police cruiser. A mechanical malfunction caused the rear tires to lock up and the transmission to shut down. Mitchell was able to bring the vehicle to a stop with no property damage or injuries to any persons. Oregon State Police is investigating the incident. A report was obtained from High Desert Diesel showing that there was a mechanical malfunction.

• Hines Fire Chief Bob Spence reported that the department received two calls this month. There was a false alarm at the Burns Post Office and a pick-up fire on Highway 395.

Spence also reported that the department recently participated in a car fire training.

He added that the department would be participating in the chili cook-off on Oct. 17 and hoped to win the contest.

The burn ban was lifted, and burning permits can be acquired at city hall.

• Public Works Superintendent Jerry Lewellen reported that the city is pumping about 450,000 gallons of water per day. The lagoons are about 140,000 gallons.

Lewellen added that the park sprinklers and bathrooms were winterized so they don’t freeze. There was a plugged sewer on Woodland over the weekend, but the department took care of it. New batteries were purchased for the dump truck, and back-flow testing was completed on sprinklers in the city.

• City Administrator (CA) Kirby Letham reminded the council that Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Day will be Saturday, Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the fairgrounds. Councilor Marsallai Quick volunteered to assist.

CA Letham will provide a more detailed report at the next city council meeting, as there were a lot of items on the Oct. 13 agenda.

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Lola Johnson, executive director of the chamber of commerce, will deliver her report during the next meeting, as there were numerous items on the Oct. 13 agenda.

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The first item under old business was discussion regarding the water project billing and finance software.

Aimee Gamble presented Caselle Software, which is a municipal software company.

Mayor Nikki Morgan asked how long it typically takes to transition to this software. Gamble said it depends, but it averages three to four months.

Quick asked whether features can be added after the initial purchase and setup and does whether that would cost extra. Gamble said features can be added. Some added features would be included in the maintenance fee, while others may have an additional cost.

After the presentation, the council discussed options available to the city.

CA Letham explained that the current software might not work with the new water meters, and he asked city treasurer Amie Breshears to share her thoughts regarding the different software packages with the council.

Breshears said that, although the staff is used to Chaves, it does not have the functionality of Caselle or Black Mountain, and Caselle seems to be the most user friendly of the packages.

Morgan noted the time efficiencies that would be noticed by staff and customers.

The purchase decision was tabled until the next council meeting.

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Also under old business, Brandon Mahon and Anderson Perry discussed the water project meters, water rates, and updates.

Mahon advised that the new water meters read in gallons, rather than cubic feet.

There are three options for moving forward:

• Option 1: Send the new meters back and get meters that read in cubic feet;

• Option 2: Have the new billing software convert the gallons to cubic feet; and

• Option 3: Begin reading water usage in gallons.

CA Letham told the council that he and Lewellen discussed the new meters and believe that this could be the time to transition to gallons used, instead of cubic feet. There was consensus among the council as well.

Mahon addressed the water rates. He said the rates that were supplied to the city’s funding agency came from a formal water-rate study. He added that a decision to change the rates would have to be submitted to the funding agency to prove that the city would still be able to pay for the loan that was acquired.

Councilor Robert Beers said he would like to continue reviewing the water rates. Mahon will conduct additional research with Infrastructure Finance Authority (IFA) on the rates and report results to the council. IFA would have to give final approval.

Mahon noted that the contractor is doing very well, and he thanked Lewellen for assisting the contractor. He also thanked CA Letham for his help with working through easement and alley issues.

The contractor built a 90-day break into the contract to allow for weather. The goal is to get to early November before they break. Some well work needs completed and additional water lines need to be installed. After the break, they will work on the lines on the east side of town and get the new tank installed.

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CA Letham discussed the West Hanely paving project, which got under way Oct. 13. He spoke to the school district, and they started rerouting buses that morning. They expect to complete this project within a week.

The city received a $100,000 Small Cities Allotment Grant from Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), which will pay approximately 90 percent of this project.

The city has a motion on the upcoming ballot to add a $.01 per gallon gas tax to maintain city streets. Revenue generated from flow-through traffic could help the city maintain the streets.

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CA Letham discussed how CARES funding is benefiting Hines.

For example, the technology that was used during the meeting was purchased through CARES funding. With COVID-19, Zoom-type meetings are necessary to maintain social distancing.

The Burns city attorney drafted a list of items that these funds can be used for, and Burns shared that list with Hines. CA Letham will email the list to the council.

The funds will also be used for is to install a safety barrier at the front counter.

Some cities updated their council chambers to embrace technology and help with social distancing measures.

CA Letham said he would like to determine whether the community can be helped with these funds.

Morgan said she would like to provide something to keep city staff safe.

There was some discussion about updating the park bathrooms with metal sinks/toilets.

They also discussed grants to local businesses. Andrea Letham from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) said she has been working with the city of Burns, and they awarded grants to local businesses in the amount of $500 to $1,000. She offered to help Hines develop a similar program. Funds must be spent by Dec. 31.

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Ty Volle revisited the land exchange discussion.

Letham spoke to the city attorney and learned that four steps need to be followed before making a decision:

• Step 1: The City must determine that the land is no longer needed for city use.

• Step 2: An appraisal must be completed on both properties. The city and other property owner would split the costs involved. If either party is dissatisfied with the value, the exchange is not binding. The city’s lot must be of equal or lesser value. If lesser, the receiver must pay the city the difference in cash.

• Step 3: A public hearing must be held, and the city must prove why the land is no longer needed.

Step 4: The city can then approve the exchange by council vote (see Municipal Code 3.08.040 and .041, Transfer of Real Property).

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Under new business, A. Letham discussed “Shop Harney” and provided an update.

She introduced herself and SBDC, which is located out of Treasure Valley Community College (TVCC). SBDC works with businesses for free as mentors and advisors. There are 19 centers in Oregon, with more than 400 advisors.

A. Letham began with SBDC in March, and she’s helped businesses with everything from setting up a business plan to making an appointment with a food inspector. From March to July, she helped businesses with the Paycheck Protection Program.

The SBDC is funded by the Small Business Administration, but A. Letham’s position is funded through the Ford Families Foundation specifically for Harney County.

They were able to bring in more than $800,000 to help local businesses during the pandemic.

In the last week, Business Oregon released its latest round of grants. In the last three days, A. Letham submitted more than $100,000 worth of grant requests.

A. Letham also reported that she’s been working with the High Desert Partnership. The partnership formed a coalition called Biz Harney, which includes SBDC, Harney County Economic Development (HCED), the Chamber of Commerce, and some local business owners. The goal is to figure out how to improve the business landscape in Harney County.

The first program that they are launching is “Shop Harney.Com”. It is an e-gift card that can be purchased online and used at any registered merchant. The goal of this program is to keep local dollars local.

They also received a grant to develop marketing for the program, which will promote local businesses that sign up. It will optimize businesses’ Google listings and help them get notice from flow-through traffic. They will also purchase advertising on Google and Waze & Means, which is an app for your phone.

They are looking for a sponsor to cover the e-delivery fee. They are also looking for a sponsor to offer buy one, get one specials. They reached out to the cities of Hines and Burns to sponsor the offset cost of the e-delivery fee.

Morgan said the city could use some of the CARES funds, transient lodging tax funds, or economic development funds.

Beers asked whether this would be a year-round program and was told that it would.

A. Letham said the planned launch will be in November.

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The council voted to approve the business license for 7S RV Storage.

Sheridan Carey of 7S RV Storage said they have 48 units. They currently have gravel, but plan to pave the pads next year. All bays are open, but they hope to have doors on some of the units later. The units are 48 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 16 feet high.

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CA Letham said the Skate Park Committee discussed purchasing pieces for the park.

CA Letham advised that they have a budget of $12,000. Three pieces of equipment were suggested, and if the purchase is done quickly, they can be installed before it snows. These pieces could be added to in the future or moved around as needed.

The council voted to approve the purchase of the skate park equipment in the amount of $11,961.26.

Morgan noted that former Councilor Duane Hutchins suggested a small, concrete bike path around the skate park for bikes and roller skaters.

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During the public comment period:

• CA Letham informed the council that Josh Cummings and Mason Watson expressed interest in joining the planning commission. Morgan appointed both of them to the commission.

• A. Letham thanked the Hines Police Department.

She said police have been receiving “a lot of flack,” and she wanted to let them know that much of the community supports them.

She also thanked Spence and the fire department as well as Lewellen and the public works crew for all of the work that they do above and beyond what is asked.

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During mayor and council comments:

• Councilor Raymond Breshears thanked the police, fire, and public works departments as well as city staff for doing an excellent job.

• Quick told DeLange that she understands about the negativity and does not want them to let it get them down.

• Morgan echoed all the positive comments mentioned by the councilors and told the departments to “hang in there.”