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Baker City staff report progress on ambulance license, water-billing changes and a used fire truck purchase
Summary
City staff told the council that an OHA inspection for ambulance licensing is scheduled in May, water-billing software changes are nearly complete with new bills expected next month, and a used fire truck purchase from Salem is expected in May.
City staff updated the Baker City Council on April 22 about a range of operational items including ambulance licensing, water-billing changes, a planned used fire truck purchase and ongoing watershed/road-use negotiations with the U.S. Forest Service and the county.
A city staff presenter said the ambulance inspection by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is scheduled for May and that the city expects to receive a license "2 to 3 weeks" after the inspection. On water billing, staff said software changes and reconciliations are complete and a new billing run for the updated rate zones is planned for the end of the month; staff added that most customers should see modest changes and that staff will contact accounts exceeding $100 to verify meter reads and charges.
The city said it has an agreement to purchase a used fire truck from Salem for a negotiated price and expects delivery "sometime in May." Staff also said they are preparing a budget proposal to upgrade the first-due engine and will present that to the budget board.
On watershed access and a road-use permit, staff said they are negotiating with the county and the U.S. Forest Service and that an addendum tied to the Marble Creek purchase may be necessary to retain city control over future road alignment before handing a road to the county. County review of the proposed agreement is ongoing and staff said more information will follow after the county completes its review.
Separately, the presenter summarized council-approved short-term goals and color-coded progress: green for completed or on-track items, yellow for partially complete, and red for items not started or behind schedule. Staff reported continuing grant applications (including seismic and cybersecurity grants) and said auditors will return to finish the annual audit work in the coming week.
Quotes and attributions in this item come from the city staff presenter and the fire chief, who both addressed operational matters at the meeting. No formal council action was taken on these operational updates at the April 22 meeting.
