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Commission approves ambulance ordinance, jail lock replacement and series of grants and contracts
Summary
The Baker County Board of Commissioners approved an emergency ambulance-ASA ordinance, multiple grant applications, contract awards and administrative agreements during its Feb. 26 meeting. Commissioners also authorized staff signatures and ratified grant and lease language.
Baker County commissioners on Feb. 26 approved an emergency amendment to the county’s Ambulance Service Area plan, accepted several grant applications, awarded construction and equipment contracts and ratified leases and grant amendments.
The meeting recorded motions and votes on a range of operational and capital matters. The board adopted Ordinance 2025-01 amending the Ambulance Service Area plan and adding an emergency clause so the plan takes effect immediately upon adoption. The board also approved a Cooperative Improvement Agreement with ODOT for a rail crossing approach project, awarded a contract to Corrections Technology Group to replace jail door locks and intercoms, accepted grant applications for wolf depredation compensation and a parks waterline implementation project, and approved a construction contract for the Baker County Fair’s small animal barn project.
Motions were made and seconded on each item and carried by unanimous voice vote where recorded. Several items required administrative follow-up: the ambulance adoption required the county to publish the ordinance and forward the amended plan to the Oregon Health Authority; the jail door lock award included an additional touchscreen workstation purchase; and the fair barn award included an abstention from one commissioner who disclosed a membership connection.
Votes at a glance - Ordinance 2025-01 (Ambulance Service Area plan; emergency clause): Motion to adopt carried (motion and second recorded; outcome: approved). The ordinance takes effect immediately under ORS 203.045. - Road Dept. / ODOT Cooperative Improvement Agreement (rail crossing approach): Motion to approve carried (outcome: approved). Agreement allows ODOT work in county right-of-way; county to permit usage of county roads for construction access. - Corrections Technology Group quote ($134,008.83 plus $10,880 touchscreen): Motion to accept contractor quote to replace jail locks, intercoms, and add a touchscreen workstation carried (outcome: approved). - ODA Wolf depredation/grant application: Motion to approve the depredation compensation financial assistance grant application (signed 02/24/2025) carried (outcome: approved). - Oregon Parks & Rec Waterline Implementation grant (Richland-to-park waterline; $1,000,000 request): Motion to submit application carried (outcome: approved). Matching fund and administration details to be finalized. - DOC Amendment No. 2 (Prison crew litter patrol, Idaho Power funding): Motion to approve amendment carried (outcome: approved). - Commercial lease agreement with Union Pacific Railroad Co. (Depot building): Motion to approve automatic-renewing commercial lease carried (outcome: approved). Lease mirrors county land-lease terms and includes a 3% annual rent increase and arrearage schedule to cover prior uninsured years. - Sage Grouse LIT Raven subsidy ArcGIS classification grant (~$13,200 request; 25% match): Motion to apply carried (outcome: approved). - Fair small animal barn construction contract (CB Construction, $1,447,484): Motion to award carried with one abstention (outcome: approved; 2 yes, 1 abstain recorded). - Energy Resilience Plan (Oregon Department of Energy county grant, $50,000): Motion to ratify chair’s signature carried (outcome: approved). - Accounts payable and payroll reports (CO4, CO6, CO7, PRC69): Ratification motions carried (outcome: approved). One commissioner declared a conflict on a payment to Acorn Hydraulics and abstained from that vote record as appropriate.
Why it matters: The measures move forward immediate operational changes (ambulance ASA emergency clause and jail security upgrades), begin or sustain infrastructure efforts (waterline grant, fair barn), and keep state and federal grant-funded projects moving. Formal approvals place several projects into implementation or into the next step of procurement and administration.
Commissioners and staff who spoke on the votes included Chair Alderson (chair, presiding), county staff (Heidi, Christina Witham), and department leads. Where motions lacked detailed roll-call tallies, the record shows unanimous “aye” vocal approval when the clerk called for the vote.
What’s next: Staff will publish the ambulance ordinance, submit the ambulance plan and other grant applications to the relevant state agencies, finalize contracts and return to the board with executed documents when available. The jail locks vendor is expected to complete installation before the end of the grant/contract period stated in the staff report.
