Deadline is noon Aug. 4

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

At their regular meeting on Wednesday, July 14, the Burns City Council agreed to put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the airport manager position.

City Manager Don Munkers provided the council with a copy of the RFP and said they would advertise it by way of newspaper, the city’s website, on the radio, employment office and mailings to those who had submitted a written request.

The RFP outlines the airport management services that would have to be provided, and the city must receive the RFPs by noon Aug. 4.

The council also voted to extend the current airport manager’s contract by 90 days. City Manager Munkers said the contract expired on July 1 and the extension would allow them time to receive the RFPs. The extension includes a 10-day cancellation clause in case the airport manager position is filled.

In an update on the Airport Runway 12-30 Rehabilitation Project, Munkers told the council mobilization on the project would begin on July 19, and construction would get under way July 26. At that time, Runway 12-30 would be closed for aircraft use and the west half of the terminal apron will be closed for reconstruction shortly thereafter.

Munkers reported that he had made a short presentation to the Oregon Department of Aviation, and it looked like the city would be receiving about $1.65 million for three other airport projects. “Some of the funding requires matching funds of about $280,000 that we would have to come up with, so we’ll have to find a way to do that,” Munkers said. He noted that with the additional funding, the city will be putting about $4 million worth of improvements into the airport in the next few years.

Dave Cullens, head of Public Works, reported on the street improvement projects under way. He said the old pavement was ground up and pulverized so as to be used for the base for the new pavement, and added the new paving should get under way next week.

The council reviewed the latest correspondence from their legal council regarding the formation of rural structural fire protection program.

The program would be a subscription model and Phil Kessinger, a member of the committee working on the program, said they are looking at models already in place in Hines and Vale, as well as a model previously proposed for Burns.

Kessinger said the committee was asking the council for the go-ahead to keep working toward their goal, and the next steps would be a budget, business plan and public outreach. “How do we do outreach? How do we get this sold and communicate to the public?” Kessinger asked. “We’re not going to just have it here in the office and hope folks walk in.”

According to the proposal, individuals owning improved real property within a certain distance from the city limits would have the opportunity to contract with the City of Burns for structural fire protection services. The proposed contract term would be one year and cost the individual owner $100 per address, plus $30 for multiple structures at the same address. Individual owners would also pay the city $100 per hour for each fire protection response required.

Individuals within the proposed area who do not contract with the city would pay $300 per hour, the city’s estimated actual cost, for each fire protection response made.

The committee estimates about 120 individuals within the proposed area would contract with the city, and with an estimated three to five fire calls each year, the city would realize a net gain of $26,100 over five years.
There was also some discussion about possibly altering a contract if a structure couldn’t be accessed at certain times of the year because of road conditions.

The council agreed by consensus that the committee should keep pursuing putting the plan in place.

In other business:
• the council approved two street closures. The first was for Harney District Hospital who requested Madison Street from Alvord to Broadway be closed from 4 to 10 p.m. Aug. 6 for a Community Appreciation Dinner.
The second request was from Burns Ford who requested Alvord Street from Madison to Jefferson be closed on July 31 for their 100th anniversary celebration;

• Councilor Linda Johnson asked where the city was with residents who had been asked to clean up their property. Johnson said she had been looking at the 2005 Strategic Plan and one of the key issues then was the nuisance properties, and it still is now.

Munkers said they had sent letters out, and some have made an effort to clean up and others haven’t. He added that the property owners were asked to submit a written time frame to clean up, and some haven’t met the time frame.

“That’s the problem, the council hasn’t done anything,” Johnson said. “We need to move forward to the next step.”

The council agreed to go move forward according to policy;

• Councilor Bill Renwick announced that the seats currently held by Johnson and Craig LaFollette as well as the seat vacated by Cody Hodges, would be up for election this November. LaFollette said he does plan on running again, while Johnson will not, as she has thrown her hat in the ring for the county commissioner’s race.

The next council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, at city hall.