Water and sewer rates increase

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

The Burns City Council is down one council member.

Mayor Laura Van Cleave began the Aug. 13 meeting by reading a resignation letter from Councilor Len Vohs, who was not in attendance.
In the letter Vohs stated that, “due to recent events and on the advice of my physician,” he had decided to resign from his seat on the council and would not be running for mayor in the November election.

He wrote that it had been an honor to serve the city and the community.

Vohs had been in charge of ordinance enforcement concerning junk and weeds. City Manager Justin Boone said that he would be taking that task back over from Vohs.

In a five to one vote, the council voted to approve Vohs’ resignation. Councilor Bill Renwick was the lone nay vote.
In other business:

• the council approved resolutions regarding the increase of water and sewer service rates, a police car loan and a fire department grant. Water rates for most residential/commercial customers inside the city limits went from $17 to $17.45 per month with a volume charge of $.0019 per cubic foot (same as last year).

Sewer rates for single family residential homes increased from a base rate of $25.10 per month to $25.60 per month;

• the council approved donation requests for the Desert Dash Rally in the amount of $50 and the Senior Nutrition Program at the Harney County Senior and Community Services Center in the amount of $75;

• the council approved an airport commercial sub-lease for Matt and Carla Davies who will sub-lease a hangar from Darrell and Sharyn Williams  at the Burns Airport;

• the council decided to hold a retreat/workshop with a representative from the League of Oregon Cities around Sept. 10. The retreat will be an opportunity for council members to go over the city handbook and set goals for the future. Further details will be decided later;

• the council approved an invoice for City Attorney Steve Finlayson in the amount of $2,750 for work done on the Burns/Hines Joint Wastewater Project and an invoice for Ferguson Surveying and Engineering in the amount of $826.99 for research done on the cemetery and pre-construction work on the Monroe Street sidewalk project;

• the council discussed city cleanup and ordinance enforcement and expressed some frustration with residents who don’t keep up their properties. “The one thing we can’t mandate is people taking pride in their property,” said Councilor Craig LaFollette.

Citizens Toni and John Steiner offered to help clean up properties in violation of weed and junk ordinances and encouraged the council to take a tougher stance against those who repeatedly violate city ordinances. They also suggested instituting a neighborhood watch program, which City Manager Boone said he would look into.

The Steiners said they wished more residents would get involved in cleaning up their neighborhoods. “Doesn’t anybody have the ooomph in them to change things?” asked Toni Steiner.

The next Burns City Council meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, at Burns City Hall.