Remote Surveillance Trailer in Baker City, OR

Three Baker City residents want to allow Baker County voters to decide whether the county can pursue a plan to build a multipurpose event center just south of Hughes Lane and east of the Baker Sports Complex.

Sharon Bass, Richard Scrivner and Amber Monpas, who all live near the county-owned parcel where the center could be built, signed a prospective petition seeking to put an initiative measure on the ballot.

The petition states that any event center construction project in the county that exceeds $1 million and either might require an increase in taxes or require the county to hire full- or part-time employees, or would result in the county acquiring property through eminent domain, would have to be approved by voters.

A copy of the ballot title is available on the county’s website — bakercountyor.gov — under the “What’s New” tab. The prospective petition is 2025 IP-2.

Any voter can file a petition calling for a review of the ballot title. The deadline to request a review, in Baker County Circuit Court, is 5 p.m. on July 16. More information is available by calling the Baker County Clerk’s Office at 541-523-8207.

Once a ballot title is approved, the petitioners would have to gather 526 verified signatures from registered voters in the county to put the initiative on the ballot. It’s not clear when an election could potentially take place if the initiative qualifies for the ballot.

Bass and Monpas both objected to the county commissioners’ decision in May to buy a 3.15-acre property from St. Francis de Sales Cathedral. The property, which includes an historic cemetery, is part of the College Street right-of-way, a proposed access route to the event center property.

The county bought that 74-acre parcel in 2022 for $1.45 million, using some of the county’s $6.5 million in federal aid during the pandemic.

Bass, whose home is just west of the College Street right-of-way, told commissioners during their May 21 meeting that she objected to the county buying the property from the church.

“Let’s slow down on this,” said Bass, who has lived in her home for 32 years.

Commission Chairman Shane Alderson and Commissioner Christina Witham both said during the May 21 meeting that the county would not pursue eminent domain, also known as condemnation, to acquire any property for the proposed event center.

Condemnation, also known as eminent domain, is the legal process by which a government agency can seek to force a property owner to sell at a price determined by a jury or judge.

“If Sharon Bass doesn’t want to sell her house, we’re not going to take it,” Alderson said. “That’s the final word on that.”

Witham said she’s “totally against” using condemnation for the event center project.

Event center planning history

During the May 21 meeting, Bryan Tweit, the county’s contracted economic developer, told commissioners that he and others have been working on the event center concept for about six years.

Tweit said the 74-acre property the county bought in 2022 is ideal for an event center.

The land, formerly a field, is bordered on the north by Hughes Lane, on the east and south by the Leo Adler Memorial Parkway, and on the west by the Baker Sports Complex.

A 2023 master site plan the county contracted for envisioned multiple buildings that could host events including sports tournaments, rodeos, conventions and concerts.

Tweit said the center could include a basketball court that would help alleviate scheduling challenges during the state Class 1A basketball tournaments that have been played in Baker City for more than 40 years.

Tweit told commissioners the county’s plan is to seek grants to build the center, which would cost tens of millions of dollars.

Tweit said he believes rental fees from the center would generate revenue to pay to maintain the facility.

He told commissioners he believes the center, by attracting visitors from around the region who would patronize local motels, restaurants and other businesses, would create a “massive revenue windfall” for the local economy.

Tweit said Baker City’s 2013 Comprehensive Plan shows as a possible project extending College Street north from H Street to Hughes Lane. He said the city many years ago installed a 15-inch-diameter sewer line along the route of the street.

Tweit told commissioners he believes that extending College Street would reduce traffic in the neighborhood around College and H streets by 80%. He believes most people attending events at the Baker Sports Complex would use Hughes Lane for access rather than coming from the south, along College or Fifth streets, as they do now since that is the only driving access to the complex’s main parking lot.

Bass and others told commissioners they have concerns about how extending the street, and building the event center, would affect the neighborhood as well as potentially increase city residents’ tax burden.

Bass said she believes taxpayers will end up “footing the bill” to maintain the center.

Monpas, who lives on College Street near H Street, told commissioners she doesn’t think the county has done enough public outreach to let herself and other residents in the area understand the event center project and its potential effects.

Like Bass, Monpas urged commissioners to seek approval from voters before moving ahead.

“I agree it sounds great,” Monpas said. “If it is such a huge benefit, why aren’t the voters being brought in on this?”

Tweit said the county can’t take more action, such as seeking a permit from the city to extend College Street, without going through a public process.

The county would also have to apply to rezone the 74-acre property from residential to commercial before building an event center. In that case the city/county planning department would notify residents of adjacent properties about the proposed rezone.

Commission chairman says community support needed

Although commissioners voted 3-0 to buy the smaller property from the Catholic church, Alderson said his continuing support of the event center is contingent on Tweit gaining community support for the project.

Speaking to Tweit, Alderson said he advocated two years ago for the economic developer to explain the proposal to the public and try to secure support from local residents.

Failing to do so, Alderson contends, led to the current situation, with some residents upset about what they consider a lack of public outreach.

“I think it’s a good idea, and it’s in just the right spot,” Alderson said, referring to the proposed event center, and talking to Tweit. “But I am telling you, if you can’t show me you have community support by the end of this summer, I am pulling my support for it.”

Alderson also apologized for the county not being “more open” about the event center proposal.

Tweit said earlier in the meeting that he’s willing to talk with residents at any time, whether publicly or privately, about the project.

Baker City Manager Barry Murphy wants to make sure the fees the city charges to build homes and commercial structures are reasonable and don’t discourage development that can potentially help to ease the housing shortage and boost the local economy.

Murphy said another goal is to give contractors and developers accurate fee estimates.

“One of the biggest things is we want the system to be more transparent,” Murphy said. “A lot of this was driven by complaints from developers and contractors.”

Jason Letourneau, owner of Salmon Creek Builders in Baker City, said the city’s fee system is “baffling to me.”

Letourneau, who has lived here for eight years and said he “loves” the area, said he appreciates Murphy’s interest in the concerns.

Letourneau served on a city committee that discussed development fees.

The city also used $5,000 in lodging tax revenue — paid by guests at motels and other lodging businesses — to hire researchers from the University of Oregon to compare the city’s fees with what some other cities charge.

The university’s Institute for Policy Research and Engagement compiled a report examining fees from Baker City, La Grande, Ontario, Pendleton and Prineville.

Bob Parker and Jasper Riogeist from the institute, both joining by computer, presented the report to city councilors during their June 10 meeting.

The researchers compared fees for two basic scenarios — a three-bedroom single-family home of 2,000 square feet, and a 20,000-square-foot commercial office building.

Although Baker City’s ostensible fee for the home is second-lowest among the five cities, and the lowest for the commercial building, the U of O report notes that those figures are “potentially misleading” because the cities assess different types of fees, and have different ways of imposing those fees.

“Developers report that actual project costs often exceed what is communicated upfront, particularly for infrastructure extensions,” the report states.

Letourneau agrees with that assessment.

He called the report “detailed and thorough.”

The main difference between Baker City and the four other cities is that Baker City bases its fees largely on the length of the lot where construction is planned.

The basic concept is for the city to collect fees upfront from a developer to pay for the city to install water and sewer lines to serve the property.

“Baker City shifts the cost of infrastructure directly onto developers, often burdening the first developer who initiates construction in an area,” the U of O report states. “This may act as a deterrent for new development, particularly in areas requiring significant infrastructure expansion.”

The four other cities, by contrast, assess system development charges — SDCs. These are one-time fees that are also intended to help pay for the cost that new homes and businesses impose on a city’s infrastructure system.

Oregon law allows SDCs for five specific purposes, and cities can use the fees only for those purposes — water, wastewater, stormwater, transportation and parks.

Baker City officials considered imposing SDCs in 2007 but didn’t take any action.

One advantage of SDCs, the report states — and Letourneau agrees — is that developers can quickly calculate costs.

“I’m a big proponent of SDCs that are beneficial to all parties,” Letourneau said.

Murphy, who was hired as city manager in December 2023, said the city’s system of charging fees based on property footage made sense when bare land was being developed for the first time.

But in some cases now, when someone wants to build a home or other structure, they might be connecting to water and sewer lines that were installed, and paid for, decades ago.

Although the city allows the original developer to be reimbursed for those costs, the system can be confusing, Murphy said.

He said a majority of complaints city officials have heard are related to fees for residential construction rather than commercial.

“My goal is to make it much more simple for development to happen, and make it more affordable on the residential side,” Murphy said.

With the U of O report, and comments from Letourneau and other contractors, Murphy said he plans to take the matter to city councilors for consideration over the next 12 to 18 months.

A variety of options will be up for discussion, he said — including replacing the current system with SDCs, or changing the current system to avoid assessing much higher fees for projects based solely on their property footage.

In addition to reviewing the fee system, Murphy said he plans to ask councilors to consider changing the city’s development standards — matters such as the types of curbs and gutters required. In some cases, he said, the city’s requirements, some of which date back several decades, make it more expensive to build homes and subdivisions.

Letourneau thinks city officials need to consider changes both to the fee system and to development standards.

Both present potential obstacles to residential housing, particularly subdivisions, he said.

Megan and Marco Jasso sell a variety of products but what they really peddle might be more aptly described as a lifestyle.

The niche they want to fill with Stout and Stave, their new business in downtown Baker City, is a “gentlemen’s store,” Megan said.

But it’s really multiple niches rather than only one.

You can buy a polo shirt or a T-shirt at Stout and Stave.

But you can also procure a steel cocktail shaker, a glass in which to pour your libation, spices to season the steak you’re grilling, and a hat and pair of sunglasses to stave off the sun while you’re wielding the tongs.

Among many other items.

The couple, who have an 18-month-old son, Malone, and are expecting their second child this fall, moved to Baker City in January from Dallas, Texas.

They learned about Baker City a few years ago from a friend who moved here.

The Jassos visited a few times and enjoyed the town, in particular the friendly people they met.

“We fell in love with the community,” Megan, 34, said.

Their plan to open a store predates their interest in Baker City.

“We’ve wanted to be business owners since we’ve been together,” Megan said.

The couple met a decade ago in Dallas and were married four years ago.

“We were waiting for the right town,” said Marco, 37.

They chose Baker City not only because the people they met during their visits welcomed them. They also liked the business atmosphere downtown. And the couple preferred a small town to raise their family.

Dallas, with a population of about 1.3 million, wasn’t an option.

As for their business model, the Jassos envisioned a store that catered to men.

Based on their trips to Baker City starting in 2022, they decided their vision would fill a void in the local retail mix.

The name is a sort of play on words, the couple said.

Stout, Megan said, is an adjective associated with men.

And stave reflects Marco’s longtime interest in spirits — the liquor version.

One of the definitions for stave is a wooden plank used to make barrels in which whiskey and other liquors are aged.

Stout and Stave’s shelves are also reflected, as it were, in Marco’s long, thick beard.

One section in the shop is devoted to beard care products, including items made from 100% botanicals.

Marco said he has tested many products on his own facial hair, and stocked the store with the ones he likes best.

That’s the approach the couple has taken with much of their merchandise — selling the brands they use themselves.

The list includes Kanga insulated coolers, which are designed to keep canned beverages chilled without ice. Stout and Stave’s selection of coolers includes a model designed specifically for pickleball players, complete with a pocket to hold a paddle.

The attire, focusing on T-shirts and polos, are SPF-rated for sun protection.

The idea, the couple said, is to sell shirts that are suitable for “cocktail hour, the golf course, dinner, or wearing at work.”

Stout and Stave also has a section devoted to “dad and me” — with shirts in kid sizes as well as books.

Megan said they try to find suppliers that are owned by veterans — “I come from a heavily veteran family,” she said — or that are, like themselves, small businesses.

The couple said everyone they have met in Baker City, including many small business owners, has supported their endeavors, including Chelsa Mitchell, who owns the building, at 1798 Main St., where they opened Stout and Stave. Mitchell operated the Mad Habit Boutique in the building, at the corner of Main and Valley, for many years.

The Jassos also are grateful for Jeff Nelson, who works as a small business advisor for Blue Mountain Community College and helped the couple with their business plan and other preparations.

“Everyone wants everyone else to succeed, which has been huge,” Megan said.

She has kept her job — she works remotely — to give the couple financial stability as they start their retail career.

But Marco, who left a career in the mortgage and finance industry, said their ultimate goal is to be business owners rather than work in “the corporate world.”

“We want to be able to spend time with our kids as they grow up,” he said.

Stout and Stave had a soft opening on Saturday, July 5.

To start, the store hours are Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stout and Stave will be closed Sunday through Tuesday, but the Jassos said they’ll adjust the schedule based on customer response.

The store’s grand opening will be Friday, July 11, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

BAKER CITY — Isaac Berry tugs, disappearing in a cloud of silty dust, until the branch finally comes free.

He drags the tree trimmings toward a pile while his fellow interns follow, gathering more limbs for the slash pile.

And so the work goes on a hot summer day as these teenagers learn how to reduce wildfire risk on property at the base of the Elkhorn Mountains northwest of Baker City.

Six interns are working for Baker Resources Coalition this summer to complete tasks that address natural resource management in Baker Valley. The coalition grew from a public discussion facilitated by Wallowa Resources in 2018.

The talk addressed “recommendations for what is needed for management and sustainability in our natural resources,” said Steve Edwards, chair of the coalition.

With the Powder Basin Watershed Council as a fiscal sponsor, the coalition sought grants and began recruiting interns, from ages 16 to 18, as well as landowners.

“In the beginning, it was really about the work getting done,” Edwards said.

The coalition works with the Future Center at Baker High School to spread word about the program, and collect applications.

The idea about projects evolved over the years.

“The paradigm has shifted from finding kids to do jobs to a program where they will grow, and providing a framework where they begin to acquire skills that are critical to their future,” Edwards said.

Baker Resources Coalition became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2024.

The group focuses on forests, wetlands, wildfire, future generations and recreation. With grant funding, the interns are paid $16 per hour and work five days a week, for 10 weeks.

This year’s crew, for the coalition’s seventh season, has six interns who are between the ages of 16 to 18, plus one crew chief, and one assistant crew chief.

This year’s projects include working with the Spring Creek Firewise Community for wildfire mitigation, beaver habitat restoration, and recording data on U.S. Forest Service plots.

The interns are not allowed to use power tools, and instead they work with hand saws, pole saws, loppers and rakes.

In the first three weeks of the season, they cut, chopped and piled dead branches and flammable material to create defensible spaces from fire, and create better access for firefighters.

At one place, they stacked nearly 18,000 pounds of material.

“It was cool at Strommers to see how much we changed,” said Alex Jaca, one of the interns.

At the end of summer, each intern will submit an essay about the work experience to earn six college credits, as well as two high school credits.

As for the future, the program’s reputation is the best advertising for projects.

“Now people come to us — I have two who already came to me for next year,” Edwards said.

He said plans are underway to expand the program to 12 months by partnering with the Future Center and Anthony Lakes Outdoor Recreation Association. After the summer, interns would continue, with pay, with the coalition to create presentations for schools in Baker City, as well as design a program for younger students that addresses natural resources.

“We’re expanding it — more months, more opportunities,” Edwards said.

When Edwards checked with the crew on July 1, and watched the young men work together to gather brush, he said it didn’t take long for this year’s crew to become a team.

And although several interns named college credits and fodder for resumes as a perk of the program, all were in agreement that the best part of the summer, so far, was working with crew chief Seth Mastrude.

“Having Seth as a boss,” Jaca said, drawing nods of agreement from the other interns.

Annual event is July 11-13

BAKER CITY — Motorcycles cruise into town this week for the annual Baker City Motorcycle Rally.

Main Street will be closed from 3 p.m Thursday, July 10, to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 13, from Washington Street to Auburn Avenue.

Participants will roll into town starting Thursday afternoon, said Brandy Bruce, who organizes the rally with her daughter, Dannica Robin.

Robin’s business, Shameless Tees at 1921 Main St., serves as rally headquarters.

“We don’t close the shop doors all weekend,” Bruce said.

Although she’s never sure how many will show up for the rally, the average has been around 300 since Shameless Tees took over the rally in 2022.

“They love Baker. They love the rides, they love the beauty, they love the town,” Bruce said.

Registration is open until the rally starts. The cost is $60, which includes a map with 10 to 12 rides, patch, pin, sticker and lanyard for discounts at participating businesses.

All rides are on local back roads with less traffic. One, called “The Iron Butt,” covers 1,000 miles but the rest are much shorter.

“Some gorgeous rides to choose from,” Bruce said.

Riders will head out Friday and Saturday mornings for the rides, but return in the late afternoon to park their bikes on Main Street.

“They get something to eat, something to drink, then stroll around,” Bruce said.

The community is welcome to check out the rally’s vendors and shiny motorcycles.

“Enjoy the vibe of everything that’s going on,” she said.

Also, the Veterans Memorial Club, 2005 Valley Ave., often has music during the rally.

More local events

See this week’s issue of Go! magazine, which is included in the July 9 issue of the East Oregonian.