The following are the unapproved minutes from the Burns City Council meeting held April 8. These minutes have been edited for clarity and length:

Interim City Manager Dauna Wensenk reported that:

• the Safe Communities Coalition grant for carseats, which was administered by the city for years, will be moving to Harney District Hospital. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is looking for a new location for the bike helmet portion of that grant, as it will also be moving;

• the pinwheels throughout the community represent Child Abuse Prevention Month. They are intended to bring positive thoughts for kids;

• engineers reviewed their numbers for the 2019 Street Project: Special City Allotment Grant to include engineering costs. Wensenk submitted an invoice to ODOT for $63,883.77 for reimbursement.

Following the last council meeting, ODOT called.  The completed project was higher than the bid. Additional work was done on Pierce and West Adams, behind the hospital.

The change order was discussed among legal counsel, the engineer, public works, and Wensenk. The engineer agreed to $89,330, which is based on measured lengths, widths, and depths taken while the work was performed on Oct. 30-31. Actual depth of excavation was measured between 5 inches and 28 inches, and will be paid on an as-measured basis, consistent with the project contract and the units specified in the change order.

Granite Construction is requesting to be paid a total of $173,886.27. The total includes mobilization and equipment rental.

The city’s engineer emailed Granite explaining his side, and the city is waiting for an answer.

With the unknowns to that change order, Wensenk requested the engineer provide documentation for $200,000 to be reimbursed to the city from HB2017. ODOT did not see any issues with that;

• she attended an emergency management meeting for senior officials, which was led by Harney County Emergency Management Coordinator Paul Gray. This is a policy group working on the end goal of preventing COVID-19 and being reimbursed for COVID-19-related expenses.

Funding is available for Burns, Hines, and Harney County to recoup some of the costs for purchases related to COVID-19. It has a $27,000 threshold with 75 percent reimbursement.

Wensenk discussed the safety measures that the city instituted. The city installed a new Plexiglas window in the administrative office; stopped taking cash at this time; is encouraging the use of the mail drop-off box; is wiping down doors, counters, etc.; and provided staff with gloves for handling payments and the mail.

Wensenk thanked John Petty and Burns Fire Chief Scott Williamson for the Plexiglas screening in the office, adding that the city received numerous compliments.

Wensenk also thanked the community members who are using the outside drop box and noted that most who choose to come inside are very observant of the rules.

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Williamson reported that his training officer, Travis Lock, found an online video for training that will help with the social segregation.

Williamson discussed the safety measures that his department instituted. He also reported that the truck, which was donated to his department, was outfitted and painted and is now ready for operation.

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Kim Rollins and Susie Poppe attended the meeting to discuss the 800 block of East B.

Rollins stated that he met with various city departments and some county personnel regarding speeding in the area. He recognized that this is not the only place where speeding occurs, and he thanked his neighbors who drive responsibly.

Rollins informed the council that he has owned the property along 800 East B for 30 years. He said he has almost been hit several times on that street, and he signed a complaint against one particular driver for reckless driving. He added that 20 miles per hour is too fast to drive on the short, unpaved street.

Rollins and Poppe own land individually on both sides of that block.

Poppe wanted to remove a garage and replace it with a new building. She made some inquiries to the county and learned that she owns a portion of East B, and Rollins owns the rest of the street to Riverside Drive. East B is a 30-foot street, and North Hemlock is also a 30-foot right of way.

Harney County GIS found a survey noting that East B was not a dedicated street. However, it was mapped as a street on the tax maps.

This new information made North Hemlock a dead end street. Both Rollins and Poppe agreed to put up gates at each end and grant the city an easement. The gates would be opened for emergency services.

The information was taken to Wensenk, who shared it with department heads so that emergency services could have a plan in place. At that point, Rollins put up a gate at the east end of East B where it connects with Riverside Drive. However, he left room for vehicles to turn around where East B Street and Riverside Drive meet.

On March 23, Karen Zabala in the tax office found the following information: In 1985, 30 feet was included in the county survey for tax lot 2000, and the footage appears to have been deeded to Rollins in 1994 for tax lot 2400. However, in 1987 Instrument No. 870247, Mr. and Mrs. Hirsch, along with Ms. Drewett, who owned these properties respectively at the time, quit-claimed this 30-foot strip to the city of Burns.

This new information was taken to the department heads, who did not want to close the street for safety reasons regarding emergency equipment.

Poppe’s main concern was for safety. Both she and Rollins have grandkids who use that street, along with other children in the neighborhood.

There was more discussion regarding different options for emergency vehicles and that land.

Wensenk reviewed Chapter 10.15 Administration of the Burns Municipal Code with the council.

Councilor Liz Appelman said she totally understood the concerns about speeding. She suggested that the city place a “no through traffic” sign, rather than vacate.

Mayor Jerry Woodfin agreed to start small and simple. One option could be to place a “no through traffic” sign and a 10-mph speed sign.

Rollins asked whether he could leave the gate and fence where he put them, as they were expensive. He agreed not to close the gate.

The council agreed to place a “no through traffic” sign at East Washington and North Hemlock,  North Hemlock and B Street, and Riverside Drive and B, and a “dead end” sign at Washington and B Street, and Riverside Drive and B Street.

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The city received two proposals for its annual audit, one from  Solutions Certified Public Accountants P.C. of John Day, and the other from Zwygart John CPAs of Nampa, Idaho.

The council awarded the audit to Solutions CPAs of John Day.

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Wensenk reported that Danny Raif, owner of R Legacy Construction, asked to provide an update to the council regarding the Washington Park restrooms. Nothing was submitted in writing for the council.

Raif had hoped to have the restrooms completed by April 1.

The latest correspondence, which Wensenk received on April 4, stated that the Harney County building department put a stop order on the framing and drywall, as the engineer didn’t provide revised plans, and they were waiting to hear from him. The correspondence also stated that a stop work order was also issued for plumbing.

The information was shared with the city’s attorney.

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The next council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at city hall.