The following are the unapproved minutes from the Hines Common Council and Budget Committee meeting held Nov. 9. The minutes were edited for clarity and length.

The council discussed the recent election results for the Deer Cull Program and the future of the program.

The Deer Cull Program vote passed with a narrow margin. This means that the city is still engaged in the program and would have to go through the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to obtain tags. ODFW would have to issue the tags and oversee a cull program where the city would fill the tags.

The council would have to activate the program, which would be monitored by ODFW. It’s a very strict program, and City Administrator Kirby Letham has information regarding restrictions.

Councilor Amity York asked how the city can distribute clear information to residents, as many people are under the false assumption that the city can eliminate all of the deer, instead of an amount specified by ODFW.

Letham suggested setting up a page on the city’s website explaining the program.

Councilor Dean Brizendine asked how information can be shared with people who don’t have access to social media or the Internet. 

Letham suggested printing informational packets that residents can pick up at City Hall, and Councilor Marsallai Quick suggested publishing a city column in the newspaper.

•••

Police Chief Ryan DeLange reported that:

• the officers have been slammed the past couple of weeks, as calls jumped up from 160 to 240;

• Officer Mike Mitchell was involved in a vehicle pursuit on Highway 20, but he terminated the pursuit because it was dangerous to other drivers. The person is still at large;

• there was a foot pursuit that covered both Hines and Burns. The suspect was caught;

• there was also a suspicious death last week that is under investigation;

• officers are responding to more fights and domestic violence calls, and drug use is out of control;

• the speed trailer is gone for the winter, and traffic speed has picked up;

• Suzanne Settle, the county’s emergency manager, was awarded a $1.6 million grant from the state. There will be many improvements for law enforcement as well as the fire department and emergency medical services;

• the public should not leave valuables in their vehicles at night, and vehicle doors should be locked.

•••

Letham reported that:

• a lot of work has been done on the wells. Most of it was completed this week;

• the water project is coming to a close. 

The state signed the Memorandum of Agreement, and the Tribe signed the monitoring agreement. The Tribal Council had a 

meeting the following night and was set to review the final MOA. The city is looking to complete the project in the spring of next year;

• there has been conversation about Burns, John Day, and Lakeview teaming up to build homes. ORS-190 allows an agreement between two or more public agencies that seek to foster efficiency and economy by promoting the use of existing resources. 

This allows local governments to work together, often getting them first in line for grants, buying power, etc. All three cities have approved and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Their next steps are to create an official agreement, formalize their organization, and create a budget. Both Burns and John Day have contacted Letham to invite Hines to participate. The specific goal of their agreement is to create housing opportunities.

They have already received a $60,000 planning grant from the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). That grant will allow them to create the plan to go toward a $30,000,000 grant to create the housing. Letham invited Burns City Administrator Dan Brown to address the Hines Common Council on Dec. 14.

Community member Eldon Hart asked who will live in the homes. Letham replied that he believes this will be a standard, marketable housing project, not low-income housing;

• the city received the application for the technical assistance grant from BizOregon for the Wastewater Facility Plan;

• Hines’ Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) permit was approved;

• McDonald’s contacted the city and will be moving forward with its remodeling plans;

• he recently attended a webinar regarding the Federal Infrastructure Bill, which stated that cities could see a lot of money coming down. 

•••

In other business:

• John Russell from Zwygart John & Associates CPA said the financial statements presented fairly, and the city had a clean audit. 

Russell said, although the 2020-2021 fiscal year was a time of financial upheaval for many municipalities, the city of Hines experienced very minimal (if any) financial impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this time, the city saw an increase in almost all areas of revenue inflow. The State Tax Street Fund also saw increased revenues in the state shared revenues account, with a new tax implemented in April 2021. This new tax — a local fuel tax that captures $.01/gallon of all road fuels sold in Hines — brought in more than anticipated, just in the first couple of months.

The marijuana tax, property tax, and charges for services all received more inflow than was projected. This placed the city in a good position as it moves forward.

Hines will have the ability to seek grants for infrastructure improvements, park upgrades and improvement, and upgrading equipment in each department. 

Copies of the audit are available for the public to review;

• the city hired STRUX Engineering to produce construction designs for a bathroom in the City Hall Park. Hines now needs to release these designs for bid. Considering the time to prepare for a proper bid process, STRUX Engineering was contacted to provide an estimate. STRUX Engineering would be able to provide bid documentation, specifications, and a bid manual. 

This would help ensure that the city performs a proper bid selection process and that the selected contractor clearly understands the project. The proposed cost is $3,500. The remaining budget for the Park Restroom is $87,000.

Quick made a motion to approve the Bid Document Preparation fee proposal by STRUX Engineering in the amount of $3,500. Councilor Misty Shepherd seconded the motion, and it carried;

• from July 1 to Nov. 8, 2021, the city received $110,278.17 from the transient lodging tax. Of that amount, the city is required to spend 25 percent ($27,569.54) on tourism.

The city does a 50/50 split with the Chamber of Commerce to promote tourism. In that time frame, $13,784.77 was given to the Chamber to sponsor events, and the city retained $13,784.77 to spend on tourism-related events;

• the Nov. 16 work session will focus on the Hines Park slide, general park improvements, and new park development. 

The city will hold a public hearing on some issues to allow for public input. Goals for the work session including leaving with at least two or three very clear possible solutions for the slide, scheduling a public hearing for the slide, and scheduling another time to finalize plans for the remaining project ideas;

• Brian Bowman submitted a request to join the Planning Commission. As lead pastor for the Harney County Church of the Nazarene, Bowman said he is always looking for ways to plug into the community and said his background in construction could be helpful.

Mayor Nikki Morgan appointed Bowman to the Planning Commission;

• the Harney Homes Project received a financing letter from Morrow Development, the lender for the project. 

The loan begins the construction of the project. The county and city of Hines will enter into an Inter-Governmental Agreement and be listed together as “the borrower.” All construction draws will be reviewed and approved by at least two members of the Housing Committee for the project and reviewed by the Greater Eastern Oregon Development Corporation (GEODC). 

Community member Brad Erbe asked for clarification about how the home is to be sold. Letham explained that it would be sold at public auction.