Committee presents landscaping proposal

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

After many months of research and information gathering, the City of Burns is ready to move forward on several improvements at the Burns cemetery.

At their regular meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 25, the city council approved a proposal from the Cemetery Executive Committee that outlined the steps for landscaping the cemetery within the parameters of the bequest of Goldie Racine.

Before approving the proposal, Councilor Dan Hoke, who is a member of the cemetery standing committee, provided the council with a background of how the committees have worked to solve several issues at the cemetery.

Hoke explained that about 18 months ago, the city appointed Jean Cain, Jan Cupernall and Dick Day to the executive committee and asked them to provide a cemetery evaluation and recommendations for improvements. At the same time, the standing committee came up with their own list of priorities for the cemetery. Hoke said the lists were very similar, and from there they came up with five main priorities.

The first was to develop a 20-year plan that would include understanding the budget and how to deal with other issues such as infrastructure, beautification and cemetery trends.

The other four identified priorities are non-compliance issues, the re-plotting plan, the development of a beautification plan using the Racine fund and the Racine Memorial.

Cain gave a brief review of the proposal, explaining how it adheres to the guidelines of Racine’s bequest. The Racine Fund makes it possible for the city to replace and add trees to the cemetery with the stipulation that 80 percent of the trees are evergreens and the other 20 percent of the trees have red or purple leaves. The submitted proposal would result in a total of 165 trees by removal, replacement and addition of trees.

Also according to the Racine Fund requirements, items to be planted must be 80 percent evergreens, 10 percent red or purple trees, 10 percent tulips and no lilacs.

Cain said that there are currently 120 trees in the cemetery, mostly elm and cottonwood, which are problem species. The proposal would remove and replace 75 percent of the the current species over a nine-year span, making it possible to enhance the landscaping while growing replacements.

The first step of the proposal includes hiring an arborist to determine the health of existing trees, and then hiring a landscape architect to devise an overall plan.

The committee also came up with a lengthy list of trees and shrubs that would meet guidelines and could be used in the architect’s design.

Cain added that there is sufficient money in the Racine Fund for the project, so the city would not be using any of the general fund.

Hoke also told the council that the surveying work for the re-plotting resulted in tripling the amount of grave space available for one section of the cemetery, from 450 to about 1,400, while maintaining the size of the grave at 10 feet by four feet.

City Manager Don Munkers reported the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had conducted an inspection at the airport and, with the exception of one runway light out, everything was found to be in satisfactory condition.

Munkers said work on the new runway was moving along, the concrete plant was up and the workers were expected to start laying concrete in two to three weeks. He added that he had attended a meeting in Hermiston and ConnectOregon III would be awarding the city $1.4 million for a fire suppression system at the airport.
The city is also planning to replace the west apron at the airport with funds from the FAA, the state Airport Improvement Program and city money.

In other business:

• Shirley Thompson was present to ask for permission to hold a parking lot dance at the Pine Room on Thursday, Sept. 9, for youth 20 and under. The council agreed the dance was a good idea and advised her to talk with Police Chief Randy Cook to work out the details;

• the council voted to donate $100 to Harney County  Arts in Education Foundation to help with the expense of bringing the Portland Youth Philharmonic Orchestra to Burns on Oct. 30;

• Chris Pratt asked the council for a letter of support to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) requesting them to continue funding a study of Harney County groundwater. Pratt said the study was about two-thirds complete,  and was important as to development in the county. The council agreed by consensus to submit a letter;

• the council voted to accept a bid on a used vehicle from Burns Ford for the Public Works Department, providing the vehicle passes inspection;

• Scott Franklin asked where the city was in the hiring process for the airport manager position, and also stated he had concerns that the airport was looking shoddy because of weeds and areas that hadn’t been watered. Munkers said the bid proposals for the manager’s position were in and would be on the agenda for the council’s next meeting. As for the appearance of the  airport, that would be addressed after the construction work is completed.

The next council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, at city hall.