Kevin Taylor submitted his resignation at the Sept. 15 meeting

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

The Hines Common Council has a new member.

At the Sept. 15 meeting Councilor Kevin Taylor submitted a letter of resignation. He stated he would be leaving the area to attend school in Bend.

John Mims was in attendance at the Sept. 22 meeting to state his interest in the open council seat. “I’m at the point in my life where I’d like to do a little bit more,” he said.

The council made the decision to appoint Mims to fill the remaining three and half years of Taylor’s term. Mims will be given the oath of office at the Oct. 13 meeting.

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The City of Hines is proceeding with a project to install a flashing light that will be activated by pedestrians at the intersection of Barnes Avenue and Highway 20. The county will pay the required $7,500 for the project and that amount will be matched by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

City Administrator Pam Mather said she contacted Tom Kuhlman, ODOT region 5 traffic/access engineer, and gave him the go-ahead on the project.

In other business:

• County Veteran Service Officer Guy McKay gave a presentation to the council on the work he is doing with local veterans. “I still meet people who don’t know about the services that are offered,” he said;

• Police Chief Randy Cook stated that new radios are being installed in their vehicles, and that the new guns have arrived and the officers have been certified to use them. He also asked that the city renew its dues, which are $95, with the NRA;

• Fire Chief Bob Spence said the Hines firefighters had a joint training with the Burns firefighters.

Recently, they responded to a hay trailer fire at milepost 98 on Highway 20.

He noted that the radiator in the fire truck needs to be replaced at a cost of $3,000.

Spence also noted that the burn ban within the city limits is still in effect until the city receives some substantial rain. “Fire season is still going,” he said;

• the council approved a business license for Charles Dickinson who is starting a business called On the Spot Welding.

Dickinson said he used to work at Monaco Coach and wanted to stay in the community, and he figured a way to use his skills would be to start a portable welding business;

• the council discussed paving the parking lot at Hines Park. Mather said the estimate from Harney Rock and Paving was $25,000 to $40,000;

• Mather noted that there are three pieces of broken equipment at the Skate Park that will be removed by city staff;

• Councilor Crimson Presley asked if the bathrooms at Hines Park could be left unlocked during the soccer jamboree held in October. Mayor Ruth Schultz said she thought that could be arranged.

The next Hines Common Council meeting will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 13.