Chamber Board Meeting
Chief Leighton and I participated in the Chamber Board Meeting. They are talking about how to best serve chamber members moving forward.

Leadership Team – Our department head team was able to get back to focusing on the City Council strategic plan. We have been in incident command mode for a long time and we took the opportunity to refocus. It’s amazing to look at the plan and see how much we have accomplished though. I’m attaching an updated copy. Great things happen when you prioritize and focus on delivering outcomes.

COVID-19
We had a spike of 12 cases in one day. That brings us up to 72 cases in the County. Payette, Washington, and Canyon counties are also surging so it is somewhat inevitable. The best tool we have recommended to us from the people who have spent a lifetime preparing for these events is to continue with social distancing measures.
It’s unknown if the state will do anything for our county or by the state.

Applications for utility assistance are coming in. It’s being received positively and appreciatively.

Black Lives Matter – Trademark is really excited to work with BLM. I spoke with BLM today and they have groups identified for each mosaic. I think we can keep moving forward with this and have a really neat outcome that will accentuate our community. They were very grateful with how the Council received them.

I participated in 3 hours of training from the State Department of Public Safety Standards & Training that the state wanted city leaders to understand what they were training as far as use of force and other imminent issues.

Eastern Oregon Border Board – Peter and I participated in a conversation with students working with the Border Board to analyze data around community competitiveness. These are graduate and undergraduate students from schools all over the country.

Merchant McIntyre – I had a productive conversation with the grant writers today. I believe they will present their recommendations to the council at the July work session.

Walmart – We should have the appraisal regarding the Tater Tot Trail done within 15 days. The Right-of-way attorney sent a letter to Walmart providing 15-day notice for the appraisal.

NPDES – Jacobs staff met with me to provide updates on our permit projects. Several aspects of the permit are being worked on.

Airport
Kenneth came out and mounted one of the higher resolution cameras at the airport as a comparison to the ones that are currently out there. With its increased megapixels it is now possible to read aircraft tail numbers which is an important part of security at the airport.

Two more leases have been completed and are awaiting signatures. They will be recorded and filed with three more coming soon which need amendments to bring them into compliance with city codes.

The Cares Act funding through the FAA has gone through its final stage and should be available in two or three weeks for use.

The wheel lines on the grass runway are being run often as this current heat requires additional moisture. Our three security gates are working better than ever now, and the keypads have been sealed with just one Knox box left to repair off the 201 access.

Our recent hangar inspections have helped immensely in getting current information on hangar owners. Updating hangar leases and incorporating correct square footage is still in process.

Community & Economic Development
General Office
The office was open last week allowing customers to come in, but the foot traffic is still at a minimum with most still calling in and/or making appointments.

Building Department
Staff is reviewing 23 building applications this week and has issued 12 building permits this past week.
We have issued several new single-family homes this past week and look forward to growing our community.

Planning Department
The Planning department is keeping busy processing the 24 land use actions as well as working with the public on new projects.

Flood Plain Administration
Dan continues to work on the amendment Ontario Flood Plain Code (10A-47) to meet the new Oregon Model Code and federal regulations (FEMA).

Fire & Rescue
Inspections
6/18,26 Chief and building officials did inspections at the new bank inside Wal-Mart.  6/24 Fire sprinkler modifications at SRCI were reviewed and observed on site in multiple buildings.  6/26 Building official and Chief met the fire sprinkler contractor at the new building of the TVCC Vo-tech center to check out the progress and reinspect some changes in the old portion of the building.

Training
6/16 The majority of the staff did a ten-station fitness exercise with the stations representing actual firefighting duties.  6/23 The staff did classroom simulation of motor vehicle crashes.  They did scene safety, incident command, extrication, and medical treatment.

Events
6/15 Ladder 109 had its annual hydraulic ladder testing done by an outside testing agency.  6/19 Some of the city staff participated in the local food drive at Beck park and gave food to 150 households.

Incidents
6/14 The crew responded to a gas leak.  6/15 Rescue-1 responded to an oxygen machine failure and had to assist the patient get a different machine in service and arrange for repairs on the original oxygen machine.  6/18 Multiple crews responded to a fire at a property that had many piles of trash all over that were burned.  The fire spread to a camp trailer that was totally destroyed and a passenger car was heavily damaged.  The fire also threatened and partially burned two small houses.  6/19 The crew responded to a dumpster fire at one of the dispensaries, the fire was contained to the dumpster. 6/19 Chief and a firefighter assisted Malheur County and OSP for an agency assist during the investigation of a crime scene.   6/20,22 the crews responded to some illegal burns that were put out by the tenants after they were advised of the regulations by the staff.  6/24 Rescue-1 and Chief responded to a head on collision on the Interstate, the end result was good, and no extrication was needed.  6/25 the staff responded to a grass fire that caught a skateboard ramp on fire and destroyed it.  6/25 Multiple crews responded to a single wide trailer fire on a Mobile Home park on North Oregon Street. The main fire structure was fully involved when the crews arrived and is destroyed.  The mobile homes on each side had slight damage and two vehicles were damaged.  The home had two occupants inside. They both got out, but a young male did receive some burn injuries.  They also had a dog that was not able to be saved.  The crews also responded to five false alarms that they investigated.

Public Works
COVID-19 Update
Due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the area, all non-essential staff are being instructed to work from remote locations.  All in-person meetings have been canceled and are being rescheduled to be done remotely where possible.

Anyone coming into the public works office will be required to wear a mask and self-perform a body temperature reading before entering. The site visit Ameresco had planned for next week has been canceled as well. We are working together to identify what items can be handled remotely. Staff is working to sanitize common workspaces.
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Field Services
The Oregon Street project has begun the phase to realign the center line and re-slope the crown of the roadway on sections of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Avenues. This work will require closing sections of those avenues as the work requires, but the plan is to have as little impact on traffic flow on South Oregon as possible. 

The asphalt milling and repaving phase of Oregon Street is scheduled to begin after the July 4th holiday weekend. The full project is slated for completion by mid-July.

Water
Eastside #3 Booster Pump VFD has been installed and is operational.

Wastewater
The water level in Skyline Reservoir has dropped to the point where pumping treated effluent from the waste treatment process has resumed.

Crews finished cleaning the East Chlorine Contact Chamber and have placed it in stand-by.

Parks and Cemeteries
Grass trimming around headstones is falling behind schedule as the labor needed to perform the work is less available than in years past. (Due to Covid-19.)

Facilities
The remote door lock for the Annex office has been installed but needs special batteries to make it fully functional. Those batteries have been ordered.

The upgrade for the Golf Club House HVAC has been approved and is moving forward. 

Engineering
The Water Master Plan was presented to Council this week. The bio-solids removal plan is moving into the final stages before being released for bid. The “Safe Routes to School” plan is being prepared. Work on the Skate Park restrooms is on schedule.

COVID-19 – I said a few weeks ago that we should have a good idea of what happens when we open things back up because of the range of strategies across the US. We are seeing the impacts of those decisions this week as some states see a surge in cases. Not sure what kind of impact that will have going forward, but at least it gives us information.

Council Meeting – Council meeting is on Tuesday. It’s most likely that we will need to have a meeting on the 23rd since we missed the work session. There are some timely items that need to be addressed that won’t be ready for the 16th.

Downtown Project – Most of the equipment was removed as work was completed. Paving will occur after the 4th of July. The farmers market will be open for the first day tomorrow.

Playgrounds Open – Our outdoor playgrounds were allowed to open as of Wednesday.

Merchant McIntyre – We held the grant resource inventory all day today. It was very efficient. They started off with our leadership team and then had 20-minute interviews with each department and with 10 minutes in between each. We wrapped up with a review of the day and next steps. They will create a plan of attack in the next 30 days. In the meanwhile, they will be fleshing out data and information. They plan to meet bi-weekly with us, which is a big commitment. Staff did a great job of throwing everything out there.

Parks Committee – As we head into Phase 2 of reopening, our committees will begin meeting again. The Parks Committee will have its inaugural meeting in July. Members are already enthused by the opportunity to serve.

Franchise Agreement with Idaho Power is finished and in the packet for Tuesday

STF/STIF – Transportation meetings were on Wednesday. As you can imagine, they like others have been impacted by COVID, but they have found innovative ways to provide service like picking up groceries for seniors.

Finance – Kari did a good projection of the finances and went over them with me on Tuesday. We should be all right for the year end with a few minor adjustments.

Homeless Meeting – Our smaller work group had a check in on our transitional shelter location. We have the meeting on Wednesday night at 6:30 at the Cultural Center to receive feedback. Community in Action is putting together different options and reviewing the pros and cons of each. More to come.

Airport
Both of our single engine air tanker planes are now stationed at the airport with the 690-Commander aircraft coming in later today or tomorrow.

Boise River Fence Company came out and found a bad circuit board in the keypad. They have ordered a replacement and will seal all the other keypads as well as the Knox boxes for the fire department. This should stop moisture from reaching the keypads in the future and prevent the reoccurring malfunction.

Wednesday was a very productive day helping hanger owners learn what fire extinguishers they need for their hangars, hazardous materials restrictions, and other FAA regulations regarding the use of airplane hangars on a federally assured Airport. The Fire Chief, Police Chief, and City Manager were all on hand to assist with the hangar inspections. 

Fire & Rescue
Meetings
6/10 The staff attended a PDAC meeting for a future project at the old movie theater on SW 1st Street.

Inspections
6/10 Multiple departments did inspections of the airport hangers.  6/12 Chief and the building officials did a pre-inspection walk through for a project on NE 1st Street.

Training
6/9 The staff did a live fire training with multiple sets at the practice burn house.  6/10 The crews did a joint training with Treasure Valley Paramedics on Covid-19 and the first Covid rated death we had in Malheur County.

Incidents
6/5 The crews responded to two different electrical issues, a transformer fire and down power lines.  6/9 Rescue 1 responded to some false medical alarms.  6/11 The staff responded to a gas line that was hit by a backhoe leaking, and a fire on I-84 at MP 378.  

Administration
June 8th-Chief Romero completed a workbook for an upcoming Business Watch initiative that will be presented in July by the chief at TVCC Small Business Center. The program is built on a similar concept as the Neighborhood Watch concept but focuses on preventing commercial crimes and improving business information sharing throughout the business community.

June 10th- Chief Romero assisted airport management and FD services with safety inspections of hangars at the airport. Inspections went well with no major concerns identified. Airport appears safe and without vulnerabilities.

June 10th- Chief Romero met with a representative from the Oregon Department of Corrections to conduct a mandatory jail inspection of OPD’s detention facility. These inspections area required every three years and OPD passed with flying colors.

June 12th- Chief Romero met with the Ontario Black Lives matter representatives to discuss their planned candlelight vigil at Lions Park on June 13th. Chief Romero was informed that the group had requested the appropriate permits and a safety plan was discussed with the host and the chief. No issues are anticipated. 

Field Services
June 11th—OPD Assisted the FD with the car seat fitting station. Several community members were assisted and issued new car seats. Great community work and car safety education by our staff.                                                                                                                 
Patrol officers remained busy all week with a steady stream of calls. No major events to report this week.

Code Enforcement:
Active week for code enforcement with a steady load of property abatement activities.

Public Works
Field Services
Scheduling of work crews continues to be driven by COVID 19. Daily checks on staff and operations related to the pandemic are in place.

Curb and sidewalk bulb-out work continued on the Oregon Street project. All concrete placing and asphalt patch-back around the new curbs was completed this week. Oregon Street traffic returned to normal  flow for Saturday. Asphalt milling and repaving phase of Oregon Street is scheduled to begin after the July 4th holiday weekend. The full project is slated for completion by mid-July.

Water
Due to unseasonable temperature variations and precipitation, the water level in the Snake River is changing daily.  This river level fluctuation adds complexity to the water treatment process. Treatment plant staff have increased daily and weekly process testing to ensure optimal operation.

Production Wells #6 and #15 are going through a sanitation cycle and should be available for production next week.

Wastewater
Aerator repair and troubleshooting continues in Lagoon #1. Aerator repositioning work has been completed for Lagoons #2/3, #4A and #4B.

Parks and Cemeteries
The playgrounds at the parks opened Friday, June 12th.

Facilities
Additional pea gravel is needed around the new play structure at Lions Park. Landscaping and seeding are also needed around the new sidewalk at Lions Park. The prep work for the walking path around Laxson Park is finished. Paving should be completed in the near future.  Ameresco was on site at the beginning of the week working on the energy audit.

Engineering
Work on the skate park restroom is under way. Work has begun on the Mercury Minimization Plan. That plan is due to ODEQ by August 31, 2020. Members of the Public Works Committee were presented with a draft of the Water Master Plan.   

Protest – Our local law enforcement did an excellent job of ensuring the demonstrators were protected as they conducted a peaceful protest. Great plan by the Chiefs’ staff and carried out excellently. They were ready for a range of possibilities but were largely unseen. We are thankful for the organizers who demanded a peaceful protest. Most people won’t realize the planning that went into making that safe, but it was significant.

COVID-19 Good news from the state, the League of Oregon Cities has been working with them to get money to local governments. The state is following the pattern set by the State of Washington. It appears that we will get, at the minimum, $50,000. They will put this in a bank account for us to draw down. I’m not really sure on allowable expenses. More to come

Also, the Malheur County Team was successful in getting us to Phase II. This opens some more business and outdoor recreation activities. Here is the link to the Executive Order that established Phase II changes.

South Oregon Construction – Curb and sidewalk bulb-out work continues on the Oregon Street project. Most of the work focus has moved to SW 2nd Avenue and SW 1st Avenue. The bulb-out work is on track to be completed by mid-June. The asphalt milling and repaving of Oregon Street is scheduled to begin after the July 4th holiday weekend. The full project is slated for completion by mid-July. Mid-block crosswalks were removed on the 100 block of Oregon.

I have spent a lot of time personally talking with business owners and responding to their requests. It’s been good to get to know some of them better.

​Merchant McIntyre – Peter organized our brainstorming session for grants for next Friday. Our department heads will be meeting with the company at different times throughout the day to create a wish list for them to pursue.

SREDA Board Meeting was early Tuesday morning in Weiser. Dan Cummings and I rode together to attend.

Homeless Forum – We are planning for the public feedback session about the transitional shelter to be held on June 17 at 6:30. I have notified Nichols and Mary Butler, one of the neighbors who has come to council meeting. We will advertise more publicly next week.

Bright Hydrants - I was asked by a local citizen, who wants to continue to paint fire hydrants, for a map of them around the Verde and Idaho intersection. Public Works provided her with some paint, and I made the maps for her. Freddy’s fire hydrant program continues!

Airport – The Cares Act Funding for the airport was executed this week so we should see that revenue this year. That is a little over $30,000.

Local Grant Program – We received our first application for the loan/grant program. Hopefully we will have some more to get done on the 16th. Our boots on the ground team met yesterday and talked about helping people through the application process.

Street Lighting – Work and planning with Idaho Power continues on the decorative street lighting for downtown.

City Hall Reopening – We will be opening the doors back to the public on Monday. I want to praise the staff, particularly Peter, Veronica, and Chief Leighton. They have established protocols for all our customers to follow to ensure we are doing our best to keep people healthy. They have done this work autonomously with no direction needed. That’s a high performing organization!

Fire & Rescue
5/26 Malheur County Ambulance Service District funding meeting. 

Training: 
5/19-22, Utility Vehicle field operations.  5/26 Haz-Mat equipment testing, and Water Rescue at Beck Park.  6/2 Bites and Stings and all those nasty things.

Events:
5/27 Rescue 1 and 103 led the way for the Ontario High School graduation parade. 5/29 Some of the staff participated in the food drive at Beck Kiwanis Park.  6/1 The staff and apparatus participated in a parade with multiple city, county, and state agencies to celebrate the retirement of a long-time public safety dispatcher.  6/3 Chief assisted with the second Covid-19 drive thru testing done in Ontario at the county fairgrounds.

Incidents:
The past couple of weeks we have had numerous illegal burns and grass fires, we also had three calls for natural gas leaks.  The staff responded to mutual aid for a structure fire in Payette, and a fire sprinkler system activation at Heinz Ore-Ida on NE. 6th Ave.   

Airport
Volunteer help at the airport this week was very much appreciated.

The airport received its first SEAT (single engine air tanker) aircraft today in preparation for the firefighting season. At least two tankers will be based at the airport throughout the summer as the Bureau of land management prepares the retardant for aerial applications.

The grass runway has been mowed twice now and is continuing to be irrigated with the wheel lines.

The application to the FAA for the CARES act funding has been submitted and received. We are now waiting the next step before actually receiving that funding.

One of the security gates is inoperable. The Airport Manager is working with the manufacturer to make the necessary repairs.

Community & Economic Development
General Office
The office was partially open this week allowing a few customers to come in but restricting them to one person or group at a time, while staff is still handling most outside communication by phone and conference calls. With but the new protective glass installed along the countertop we have been able to allow the few customers to access of front lobby on a limited basis which has helped in customer service.

Building Department
Staff is reviewing 8 building applications this week and has issued 6 building permits this past week prior to Marcy leaving on vacation.
but Dwyane Holloway our Inspector will be covering for her on inspections to keep things moving along.

Planning Department
The Planning department is keeping extremely busy with land use action and will have a couple of actions on the July 13th Planning Commission meeting as well as the July 31st Council meeting.

We had some great news yesterday; Dan received a phone call from Sean Edging from DLCD congratulating him on being selected to receive all our requested grant for the required studies and code changes mandated by the State legislation this past year ($50,000). Dan received one of the letters already but was told he would receive the others soon. They are allowing us to do a combined Housing Needs Analysis (HNA) and the Prototype Housing into one study for the $40,000 plus the Code assistance for $10,000, calling it a Modified HNA/Production Strategy Study as our area doesn’t meet the normal requirements of their Prototype Housing rules, but our application showed a unique need for housing not just land use, so they are awarding us all of it under a modified HNA at contract time. It will be another very busy year getting these studies and code changes done along with the many other projects in the works. Way to go Dan!

Flood Plain Administration
Dan is continuing to work on amending Ontario Flood Plain Code (10A-47) to meet the new Oregon Model Code and federal regulations (FEMA) and should have it on the planning agenda for July.

Economic Development
Staff along with the help of Kit Kamo of SREDA continue to work with several of our ongoing Economic Development Projects.

Police
Administration
June 3-4th This week, chief Romero was called upon to develop a response plan with fairly short notice, for a large crowd protest and march. Chief Romero conducted executive level planning sessions with area law enforcement executives and the OPD leadership team. Chief Romero developed a written action plan that was subsequently carried out by OPD during the protest and march. Chief Romero is glad to report that the event was absent any violence or criminal activity. The chief praised the behavior of the protestors’ who remained law-abiding and respectful and the police officers, who displayed, professionalism, empathy, and restraint.   

June 5th- Chief Romero and OPD staff met with protest/march host Charlie Gonzalez to discuss the June 4th protest and march and to plan for a second protest and march on June 5th. The meeting was considered informative, positive, and productive and should assist in keeping a peaceful protest and march tonight (June 5, 2020). Chief Romero intends to engage the crowd in productive dialogue this evening. Friday’ night’s March was also very peaceful, the organizers ensured that the protesters were respectful and left no mess. They left no debris at city hall.  We respect any group’s protected right to peaceably assemble. This demonstrates that our diverse community is strong and law abiding. They want an ongoing dialogue with the city and we know that there are always ways in which we can improve.

It would be good to connect this new group’s leadership with our Diversity Advisory Committee.

Field Services
May 31st- OPD responded to a call of a man with a knife posing a threat to others and acting violent. Through excellent communication and tactics, the subject was successfully disarmed by officers without injury to anyone and the subject was arrested.                                                                                                                       

June 4th- OPD responded to the BLM protest and march. All aspects of the event went very well and OPD did not report any incidents of violence or civil disorder as it relates to the protest and march.

June 5th- OPD responded to a second protest and march by BLM. Chief Romero was invited to engage the participants in dialogue and fielded a variety of inquiries. The Chief reports that no safety or crime concerns developed. The protest/march finished without any concerns.

Code Enforcement
Active week for code enforcement having to be used as support services for OPD relating to parking enforcement issues, primarily due to the protest and march on June 4th.

Public Works
Field Services
Crack-sealing on Verde Drive, SW9th Street, and NW 8th Avenue was completed in preparation for chip sealing the week of June 15th.

Water
Annual maintenance on the Grundfos chemical pumps is scheduled. Production Well #15 well pump was installed this week. Production Well #6 well pump will be installed next.

Wastewater
Hydrogen Sulfide sampling of Lagoon #1 has been completed. The technical group is reviewing the data. Additional sampling locations may be needed to further understand the root cause.

Aerator repair and repositioning work continues at Lagoon #1, #2/3, #4A and #4B.

The Skyline reservoir has dropped to 18.5 feet now that irrigation water usage has increased.

Parks and Cemetery
Cemetery flower pickup went very smoothly this past Tuesday, due in no small part to community volunteers.

Facilities
Additional pea gravel is needed around the new play structure at Lions Park. Landscaping and seeding is also needed around the new sidewalk at Lions Park.

Crews will be placing sanitary facilities at Beck Park and scheduling five day/week cleanings.
The prep work for the walking path around Laxson Park is finished. Paving should be completed in the near future.

Engineering
Work on the skate park was scheduled to begin Wednesday this week.

The pH adjustment building concept is being reworked to true up costs. An updated proposal is expected by week’s end.

The mixing zone study is moving forward.

Understanding water rights on the Malheur River is in progress.  

Council Work Session is on Thursday, June 4. 

Water Credit for Businesses Closed by COVID-19 – In creating the utility bill forgiveness resolution, I’m tossing a few different options trying to think about what would help most and what you would like to see. The executive order took effect on March 24 and went through May 15. Our billing cycles aligned pretty close to that beginning on the 24th of March and the second would go through May 21st. I’m thinking those two months are a pretty clean way to go rather than try to prorate it, which would only be the difference of a few days. If you wanted to make it three billing cycles, I believe we could handle it. Things may have to be pushed out in the out year, but we can handle it in the current year.   

Citizens Coalition of Ontario - I participated in the third consecutive Friday night meeting with the Citizens Coalition of Ontario. Freddy is doing a great job of leading those live Facebook sessions with David Armstrong as the tech wizard behind the curtain. You can re-watch them on Facebook at any time.

South Oregon Street Project - I spent a lot of time downtown working with business owners, our Public Works Staff, and the contractor directly. The work is moving fast, and we are trying to do everything we can to ease the burden on businesses. Work was shifted to the first two blocks south of Idaho last Friday. They expect that to finish that within two weeks as they did the first two sections.

Economic Development – The mayor and I met with Greg Smith last week and we have another meetings scheduled for tomorrow. We talked very generally about the COVID response grant writer we hired. We spoke about all of the projects for our long-term capital funding.

Golf Course Clubhouse Lease – I met with Shadow Butte Enterprises owners. We went over some billing issues and the land lease. I am preparing a staff report to reduce the acres of property they are leasing from us since their plans for greenhouses have changed. They no longer want to do that so they would like to reduce their footprint. They will not be reducing the monthly lease though except to eliminate the annual well maintenance fee since they will not be using it.

Cameras – The municipal court is considering joining our camera system, which is exactly how we hoped it would work. Lt. Cooper is discussing it with them.

COVID-19 – Cases have gone up around the state and the County during Phase I, but it is still at an acceptable growth rate. In fact, it is probably more desirable to have a faster growth rate that can move us toward herd immunity, but at a pace in which our health care system can handle care.

Phase II - We expect to be one of the county’s that will move to Phase II on Friday. The County is on the ball and ready to respond to the letter required by the state. Way to go Malheur County Team!

Our Eastern Oregon Recovery Team met on Wednesday and they asked for feedback on the Phase II strategy which will happen on Friday. I made several comments and questions specific to our community to help with the Phase II reopening. Particularly with helping businesses increase serving capacity. We discussed indoor activities, venues, youth sports, overnight camps, modifications to restaurant guidance, pools, tennis, and zoos, outdoor gardens, and museums. They hope to increase the amount of mass gatherings than the previous target of 50 for Phase II.

Boots on the Ground – Our Boots on the Ground Team met Thursday morning to talk about Ontario issues. Greg’s new local staff Ryan, has joined us now, which is nice to have participation from the County. I missed most of the meeting, because I was at the dentist, but the work of a strong team is not impacted by the absence of one.

League of Oregon Cities – the weekly conference call with the LOC went well. They had worked out some of the recommendations coming out of the regional work groups (my Wednesday meeting).

City Incident Command – The City Incident Command met Tuesday. The Safety Team has finalized procedures to open city hall back up with Phase II (Monday most likely).

Water Trail - We met with a wetland’s expert from Jacobs, out of their Boise office to look at the drop-in and get-out site for the water trail. Freddy asked if he could go out with me, so he joined me. He said he was getting a lot of questions about it and wanted to understand it firsthand. If anybody else would like to see it, let me know. Peter is compiling several videos I shot and Freddy shot to post on our website about the project. From being out there, I realize this will be a little more than I planned. I’m hopeful we will still be able to do it in our budget.

Food Distribution – A lot of staff helped out with the food distribution by DHS at Beck Park, including the Mayor.

Tennis Courts – I would like to discuss taking money from the Beck bathroom park to put into the tennis courts so we can finish them. Especially given the offer from Four Rivers Community School to help with a donation. It’s best to jump on it now.

State Grant Match – We were awarded the state match grant for $65,000. It will go fast. We expect to be able to take applications by Wednesday. We did not get as much as we asked for, but we can apply for more in the third round of funding.

Dog Park Additions – We will be adding the trash receptacle, mutt-mitts, and signage to the Lion’s Dog Park, now that the parks are open. Playgrounds are still not open, but people are able to use the rest of the park while maintaining social distancing.

Streaming Issues – We met as a team to discuss the streaming issues. We have made some more adjustments and will see if they are resolved this week. One of the issues was a bad wire that caused the static.  We may want to start looking at a more integrated approach down the road. We have been doing this trying to use very low-cost adjustments and piecing things together.

Transitional Housing –Dan hosted a PDAC for one of the options for transitional housing. Community in Action is trying to vet out the potential of each site. We will be trying to set up a community feedback meeting within the next two weeks.

Virtual Open Houses- The City of Ontario is preparing an active transportation plan to improve walking, biking, and riding transit based on community feedback and current data. We will be seeking feedback on how systems could improve for walking, biking, and accessing public transportation. Online open houses are available from May 29 to June 12 at the following URL: http://workshops.kaiproject.com/workshops/58-city-of-ontario-active-transportation-update/rooms/337-provide-your-comments

In conjunction with our active transportation plan, The City of Ontario is also preparing a plan for improving the streetscape and travel by all modes on East Idaho Avenue between I-84 and the Snake River. Both plans will be based on community input and current data. We hope you will join us in improving our City! Online open houses are available from May 29 to June 12 at the following URL: http://workshops.kaiproject.com/workshops/59-city-of-ontario-east-idaho-avenue-refinement-area-plan

Finance – Kari will be conducting a forecast to make sure we will end in the black despite COVID-19 impacts.

Airport
Much of the week was spent mowing, cleaning weeds, troubleshooting automated gates, and repairing wheel lines. Collecting accurate records on leases has also taken some time.

We had six bids come in for the FAA funded taxiway and hold apron project that will begin this fall. The bid opening was Thursday at 3 PM with Toby Epler, Dan Beaubien and I were present in addition to the contractors. A bid appeared to come in within budget. The Engineer will be looking at responsiveness before an award recommendation is done.

Hanger owners have been reluctant to support the upcoming hanger inspections; however, they seem to be coming around to the fact that it’s required and necessary to meet FAA guidelines. As side conversations continue, hangar owners are realizing that having fire extinguishers in each hanger is a good thing. Especially the hanger next to theirs.

COVID-19 has altered much of what we do. Our May Airport Committee meeting was canceled at the last minute due to open meeting laws not being met. June’s meeting should have a full agenda with much discussion as we continue to move forward with the airport.

Community & Economic Development
The office is still closed to the general public and staff is handling most outside communication by phone and conference calls, trying to maintain minimal outside contact with citizens during this Covid-19 shut down. Due to the new protective glass installed along the counter top; however, we have been able to allow a few customers (one at a time) to access of front lobby on a limited basis.

Staff is reviewing 11 building applications this week and has issued 3 building permits this past week. Review time has extended a little bit due to limited office time with customers.

The Planning department is keeping extremely busy and continues to work on the 20 new land use actions and has been dealing with a couple of Marijuana sign issues as follows:

Over the weekend Dan noticed a large PVC pipe on top of the small building that used to be a coffee shop and a fast food drive-up that is now being used by Burnt River Farms Dispensary as an authorized curb side Pickup facility.

We also received several emails and phone calls regarding it. After researching our codes we contacted the owners and informed them that they needed to get a structural permit for what we are calling a sign and informed them that even though we could not find a code violation for this type of advertising within our codes, in our opinion it takes away from the nice look they did with the design of their facility. They are still wanting to keep it and they are having the engineering done that will be required to be submitted for the structural building permit.

I also called OLCC and discussed the sign/image with them and they could not find where it violated any state code but they are also going to call the owners to discuss it.
There is another issue with regard to marijuana advertising. See the attached correspondence I asked Dan to put together for you explaining the issue.

Police
Administration
This week, Chief Romero participated in the East Idaho Refinement Plan meeting. The Chief paid close attention to potential traffic impact concerns that any future activities with this project could create. Chief Romero is currently addressing a traffic concern (unrelated to this project plan) on East Idaho Avenue just west of the I-84 bridge.

May 27th- Chief Romero worked with HR Director Peter Hall on OPD website updates and information adjustment. The updates provide another layer for the public to be able to contact key personnel at OPD for reporting crimes or following up on pending cases.

Chief Romero, as a board member of the TV Boys and Girls Club has been working with the Club to ensure they have a safe and appropriate club re-opening on June 1, 2020. The service numbers will be much smaller than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have met all required state and local mandates for their re-opening. 

Field Services
May 27th- OPD assisted at the OHS senior graduation ceremony held by the school district and campus staff. Utilizing a very different “social distancing” approach, the ceremony went without any issues that OPD was required to take enforcement action on. Congrats to the OHS class of 2020.
May 29th- Chief Romero patrolled the city with officer Jeremy Jones for several hours. The chief took notice of some community concerns and will be working on long-term solutions for the identified concerns (Traffic hazards, illegal camping, and obstruction of public sidewalks).

May 29th-OPD assisted DHS at the DHS food drive which was conducted at Beck Kiwanis Park. OPD assisted with some simple traffic control at the venue to ensure the public safety.

May 29th- OPD hosted a multi-agency crime suppression operation which focused on felony criminal activity and some identified suspected felons. OPD remains focused on keeping the city free of violent crime and improving the quality of life for everyone in the city.

Code Enforcement
May 28th-Code enforcement officers responded to a vicious dog call that resulted in the mauling death of a smaller dog, being held by its owner. An adult Pit Bull was impounded by OPD CEO’s and the case is pending review by the justice court. The impounded k-9 and its owner(s) have multiple prior contacts and citations for the dog’s vicious behavior. The Chief will be seeking a “No return to owner” order from the court.

May 28th- Code enforcement officers responded to an animal neglect in the southeast section of the city. The CEO’s noticed two horses that were without water and appear to be in the early stages of emaciation. The owners had previously been contacted for similar concerns and were issued a final warning for potential animal neglect. Corrective action was immediately taken by the owners.

Code enforcement officers remained busy with parking violation enforcement and property abatement throughout the week and are working with the chief to develop some new technological methods to educate the public on a variety of ordinance concerns.

Public Works
Field Services
We have changed schedules for all crews in response to COVID-19 response. As much work is being done remotely and other operations are being modified to limit exposure to those that must be in the field. Weekly checks on staff and operations related to the pandemic are in place.

Curb and sidewalk bulb-out work continues on the Oregon Street project. Most of the work on Oregon Street at the intersections of both SW 4th Avenue and SW 3rd Avenue is wrapping up and the work focus will be moving to SW 2nd Avenue and SW 1st Avenue. Once the bulb-out work has been completed, the asphalt on Oregon Street will be milled and a fresh layer of asphalt laid. Duration for the full project is slated for completion by mid-July.

Additionally:

• Old street poles at Oregon and SW 4th Avenue have been replaced.
• Mid-block crosswalks have been removed on the 200 block of Oregon.
• Crews have been crack-sealing Verde Drive in preparation for chip sealing next month.
• Set up for the high school graduation parade May 27th.

Water
The annual water Consumer Confidence Report, (CCR) is complete. Annual maintenance on the Grundfos chemical pumps is scheduled.

Wastewater
Hydrogen Sulfide sampling of Lagoon #1 has been completed. The technical group is reviewing the data. Additional sampling locations may be needed to further understand the root cause.
Aerator repair and repositioning work continues at Lagoon #1, #2/3, #4A and #4B.

The Skyline reservoir is approaching the 20 level. Crews will be monitoring irrigation water usage to ensure the reservoir doesn’t overfill.

Parks and Cemeteries
Focus is on lawn mowing at the airport, golf course and West Side booster station. Cemetery flower pickup is scheduled for Tuesday next week.
Additional pea gravel is needed around the new play structure at Lions Park. Landscaping and seeding is also needed around the new sidewalk at Lions Park.

​Engineering
ODEQ has approved the pH adjustment plan mandated by the NPDES permit. The Beck Park bridge rehab proposal will be presented to the Working Group on June 4th.

 
Well we had a fast start to the week and the City made some big moves.

COVID-19 Recovery
Our boots-on-the ground team met on Thursday. The SBDC has been a great resource for our smaller businesses. Malheur County Economic Development hired a new employee to join our boots on the ground team.

I am meeting with Greg Smith and his new employee on Thursday of this week.

Grant Writer - We had the interview with Merchant McIntyre on Monday and the you approved that on Tuesday. I think this will be a great move. This is the third time staff has interviewed them and we have always been impressed. We are putting our community in the forefront with this help.

The County Court allowed me to present what was happening on Wednesday morning. They said they would like to see how it goes with the first 90 days and they wanted to talk to me about Merchant McIntyre.
We got a request in yesterday for additional reimbursement. Thanks to Kari Ott for getting that in order and getting it submitted.

Water Trail – I have had some conversation with a provider of the facilities for the water trail. We are going to walk the property next week to walk the sites so that we can explore any regulatory requirements with Jacobs.  

Snake River Trail - Kraft Heinz, Americold, and Idaho Power made some progress on the property split. I believe all three of them agree now and we can move forward with the land action processes for the land swap.

Homeless – We held a meeting with the interfaith community on Thursday to discuss their participation in the homeless shelter going forward. We had Pastor Greco, Pastor Brewer, and Pastor LeBoutillier. Doug Lamb also joined us from Nichols. It was a good start to their involvement.  The pastors were very impressed with the accomplishments of the 28-day pilot. The next step will be to hold a listening session with the neighbors and businesses.

Capital Project Splits – I met with Jacobs this week and we went over the projects for the coming year and divided them up into the projects we will contract out and the projects that Jacobs will do.

South Oregon Safety Project – We got some directional signage printed up for parking and out on the street yesterday. Curbs were finished pouring today. It opened up this Saturday and Sunday. The sidewalks will be poured on Monday and Tuesday and then the operation will be moved down two blocks. We sent out two communications to business owners. We will keep up the communication.

Airport 
The Airport Manager and City Manager sat down and met to go over numerous issues. Some of the equipment passed down to our airport is failing already. We are looking at options. We did confirm with the BLM that the $2.5 million is still secure.

Community Development
The office is still closed to the general public and staff is handling most outside communication by phone and conference calls, trying to maintain minimal outside contact with citizens during this COVID-19 shut down. Due to the new protective glass installed along the countertop, we have been able to allow a few customers (one at a time) to access the front lobby on a limited basis.
 
Staff is reviewing 13 building applications this week and has issued 2 building permits this past week. Review time has extended a little bit due to limited office time with customers.
 
The Planning Department is keeping extremely busy and continues to work on the 20 new land use actions and has started the process of the street vacation which is part of the Heinz Food and City River Trail Project (Tater Tot Trail) (Dan & Adam held two conference calls on this project this week) as well as the vacation and development of the property along SE 6th Avenue and Claude Road for future pending development.
There will be several actions on the July Planning Commission meeting.
 
Economic Development
Dan held another meeting with a local property owner and a national RV Park developer in developing a very nice RV park in the City. The current plan is to develop at least 45 RV spaces and 48-50 spaces Manufactured Home park as well as a possible small retail store to serve the parks and surrounding community.
 
Dan held another meeting and drafted a new layout of the 35 units Veteran and senior gated community planned development off Alameda Drive. The property owner has found an investor that is seriously looking at help to develop this project. (see attached layout). Dan also participated in several COVID-19 recovery telecommunication discussions this week.

Police
Administration
This week chief Romero worked with HR Director Hall on the OPD assets and infrastructure inventory report. All went well and all items being inventoried were accounted for.

May 20th-21st- Chief Romero travelled to Corvallis, Oregon to inspect and assess a Tactical Armored Vehicle (TAV) that has become available for OPD through the “No Cost” surplus program (LESO 1033). Chief Romero found the platform feasible for OPD use and is working with the state to officially procure the platform. This TAV will substantially augment OPD’s officers’ safety, as well as our community’s. Way to go Chief, for looking out for our men and women in black.

Chief Romero procured two military grade ballistic vests (in kind) from the Benton County Sheriff Office during his visit to Corvallis.

Field Services
With the COVID 19 phase 1 re-opening, OPD noticed an increased level of calls for service rather immediate. Call types varied but OPD was prepared to respond to any potential spikes in criminal activity.

May 20th- OPD assisted OSP in the city limits with a traffic stop that resulted in the arrest of an armed drug dealer. The suspect was subsequently processed and lodged in the county jail. Great catch of another high-level criminal by our area law enforcement

May 20th- OPD responded to the D&B Supply business to conduct a “shots fired” investigation. OPD discovered evidence at the scene of a random shooting incident with no known suspects or intended victim(s) at this time. The investigation is on-going.

Code Enforcement:
Code enforcement officers remained quite busy this week with traditional ordinance concerns and responded to some specific complaints regarding blight and parking violations.

Public Works
Field Services
We have changed schedules for all crews in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As much work as possible is being done remotely and other operations are being modified to limit exposure to those that must be in the field. Weekly checks on staff and operations related to the pandemic are in place.
 
Work began on the South Oregon Street project. Curbs and sidewalk work continue prior to asphalt overlay. Duration for the full project is slated for mid-July.

​Crews are in place for the long Memorial Day weekend. Monday will be an observed holiday.
 
Crews installed sign bases along the Treasure Valley Connector Trail, removed the concrete and filled the void on South Oregon and SE 3rd Avenue, and cleared plugged catch basins from the heavy rains.

COVID – 19 – I heard a virtual (due to social distancing) collective sigh of relief about the reopening of most stores on Friday.
​
Because the City just established a locally funded program, two weeks ago, we are eligible for funding that just came from the state. The state will match our loan with grants to small businesses with less than 25 people who were not eligible for the PPP or EIDL programs. This is great news. Thanks to Councilor Michael Braden and the Business Loan Fund Committee for being proactive. They just announced funding last week and the applications are due today (Monday). We are submitting.

South Oregon - Construction started Monday on the South Oregon Project. This will include new concrete bulb outs, new ADA crosswalks, and a new asphalt overlay from East Idaho through 4th Ave. Traffic detours will be in place during the course of this project. The project will start at the south end, covering 3rd and 4th Ave intersections initially.  I walked downtown on Thursday handing out postcards to as many businesses that I could (ones that were open). We posted it on Facebook today. If you want to get weekly updates on the project from us, please email us at soregonproject@ontariooregon.org.

Up to date information on the project can be found at the following site:
https://www.ontariooregon.org/soregonada.html Project completion is anticipated to be mid-July.

EFSP – The Emergency Food & Shelter Program (EFSP) board met this week, which is funded through the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA and chaired by Dan Ramirez. We awarded a little bit less than $24,000 to three organizations, which included Next Chapter Food Pantry, Project Dove, and the Jordan Valley Lions Club to help them continue providing services to those in need.  

Airport 
Day-to-day maintenance and upkeep at the airport continue to be the largest draw on time. Keeping the airport open and operational at all times has been a high priority.

Dan is drafting a letter to all hanger owners regarding annual hanger inspections that are to be completed by airport sponsors which are mandated by the federal aviation administration for federally assured airports. 

Dan met with JUB engineering and six contractors at the Ontario municipal airport in a pre-bid meeting as well as an on-site inspection to look at our future taxiway and hold apron capital improvement projects. These fully funded projects through the FAA will enhance the airport for years to come.

Fire & Rescue
Meetings
The Fire Chief and the building officials had a meeting about a commercial remodel on Oregon St.

Inspections
Chief has been doing follow up on some of the dispensaries opening up and under construction and a couple of hemp processing plants also.

Training
The crew is still doing their training virtually on zoom and we reviewed the operations of the UTV in preparation for use this summer.  A few of the staff also worked on forcible entry and drivers’ operations.

Events
5/15 Ontario F & R is honored to recognize this week as Public Safety officer’s week and the great team of Police officers that we get to work with daily at Ontario P.D.  Our teams work very well together and support each other on many of our calls.  The staff thanked them with a meal to share with their staff.

Incidents
This week the crew responded to an illegal burn, a grass fire on I-84, and a fence fire on Foothill Dr.  They also responded to a propane leak at the propane tank farm, and to a home that they replaced the batteries in all the smoke detectors due to them activating. 

Police
Administration
This week was the National Peace Officers Memorial week. Due to COVID 19, OPD participated in online memorial activities to show support for their fellow law enforcement partners who have died in the line of duty.

Chief Romero submitted state mandated COVID 19 reports. Chief is happy to report that OPD has been quite lucky to avoid the virus despite a steady pace of police activity throughout the pandemic.

Chief Romero attended the OPD shoot training day at OPD’s gun range. Chief Romero and a community business partner are working on installing an ADA compliant ramp and staircase for the OPD training classroom at the range. This project is being fully funded through private donations and in-kind contributions.

Chief Romero delivered a donation to the Ontario Boys and Girls Club as a result of a fundraising campaign the chief is involved in on behalf of the BGC.

Field Services
May 13th- OPD engaged in a pursuit of a wanted suspect. The pursuit began and ended in the very south end of the city limits with the suspect abandoning his car and attempting to elude by trespassing into an apartment building. Chief is proud to share that OPD is still batting 1000 with the capture of another felon who fled from OPD. All 5 pursuits in the last 3-week period have resulted in the capture and arrest of the fleeing criminals.

May 14th- Night shift officers an OPD appearance for an Ontario 8-year-old boy who expressed his strong support and love for law enforcement. Due to Covid 19, the future police officer was unable to have a traditional birthday celebration, so OPD staff provided him with a police theme gift and a police car light show. Great community building by OPD in between calls for service.

May 15th- A Hotbox employee and customer got into a physical fight as a result of road rage starting in Idaho. OPD ended up issuing a criminal citation to the customer who was deemed the primary aggressor after reviewing video footage from the scene.

Code Enforcement
Code enforcement officers remained quite busy this week with a variety of enforcement tactics.
May 14th -248 SE 1st ST – This extreme eye sore was abated to the amount of 8K in civil penalty. The property has been cleaned up well beyond OPD’s expectations. (Photos available upon request). Some very happy neighbors.
Weekly- Code Enforcement Officers worked side by side, to assist with follow up. Current follow up with both officers combined is nearly 180 cases.

Weekly-Code Enforcement is working on an analysis of compliance percentages on which procedure works better. 1) Officers in separate vehicles, own sides of town. 2) Officers working in same area, separate vehicles. 3) Officers in same vehicle, working down the street. 4) Officers walking together down a street, creating cases. The goal is to identify optimal effectiveness and efficiency with safety being considered as well, due to some hostile locations that are being dealt with.

May 15th- CEO’s abated some illegal campers who were attempting to re-establish camps near the City of Ontario Water wells and treatment facility. Subjects were provided information and cited for observed ordinance violations.

Public Works
South Oregon Street Project
The Oregon street project begins next week, this will include new concrete bulb outs, new ADA crosswalks, and a new asphalt overlay from East Idaho through 4th Ave. Traffic detours will be in place during the course of this project. The project will start at the south end, covering 3rd and 4th Ave intersections initially.  Downtown businesses have received informational postcards and many have signed up for email updates.  Information on the project can be found at the following site: 
https://www.ontariooregon.org/soregonada.html  Project completion is anticipated to be mid-July.
 
Field Services
We have changed schedules for all crews in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As much work as possible is being done remotely and other operations are being modified to limit exposure to those that must be in the field. Weekly checks on staff and operations related to the pandemic are in place.
 
The energy audit team began the initial inspection of all city facilities, including lighting, energy, water, and wastewater evaluations. A detailed report will be generated and reviewed by staff and City Council.
 
Staff focused on installation of protective bollards on the new TVCC trail. Concrete was poured to facilitate the removable bollards. Crews worked on preparation of equipment used in crack fill and chip seal operations which will begin shortly.
 
Water
Well rehabilitation crews were on site for initial inspections, well rehabbing will begin next week.
 
Wastewater
Staff began the mapping of the solids in lagoon 1, the influent lagoon. Work is underway developing a plan to put solids mining out to bid. This is a work in progress.
Odor monitoring equipment was placed in multiple manhole locations near the influent lagoon.  We are quantifying hydrogen sulfide to get an understanding of the odor issues.
 
Odors are still present, but they seem to be diminishing. Obviously, this is a subjective thing. We appreciate the public’s patience during this time. Solids mining will begin later this year and will address the root of this problem.
Staff have been working to address some on the deficiencies in the Skyline and Malheur irrigation system.
 
Parks and Cemeteries
Spring cleanup at the cemeteries continues in preparation for Memorial Day.

Council Meeting Tuesday Night
Council will hold its 3rd scheduled meeting on April 28 at 6 pm.  

COVID 19
Conference Calls with Governor
Governor Brown has joined two conference calls with City Officials this week presenting the strategy for opening Oregon business back up. This is a measured approach and it at least gives us a light at the end of the tunnel. We had discussions with our partners at the County about this path forward and we are still working together.

We have been working hand in hand with Andrea Testi and the Small Business Development Center. We have come up with a structure and tactic for how we work together on getting our local economy assistance. We have already begun the outreach to our local businesses. The SBDC is helping people fill out paperwork for loan and other government programs and will be really helpful for the next round of the Payroll Protection Funding just approved on Friday. We are taking a very proactive approach to help the local economy recover.

We have been discussing with the county the idea for the COVID Recover Coordinator. Talks are ongoing with County Leadership. Representative Mark Owens, and Senator Findley supported the idea as well as Malheur County Economic Development. Local business owner Bill Johnson helped us outline the role ofthis position, which is to work at a state and federal level to acquire any future programmatic or infrastructure stimulus funds for our community  

Revolving Business Loan Fund – The Business Loan Fund Board met last week and I believe it was Councilor Braden that proposed a micro-loan program of $5,000 for COVID response at a very low interest rate. Dan Cummings put together a proposal to take to the City Council.

Reimbursement – Our safety team under the work of Veronica and Peter was able to get a reimbursement from SAIF, our risk manager for over $3,000 in costs related to protecting our staff from COVID-19. Way to go!

The Malheur Enterprise interviewed me about the COVID-19 response coordination activities. I talked to him about the project list the City Council had me put together for the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Plan with GEODC. These are projects ready to go if we get an infrastructure bill. We are in a good spot should we have an infrastructure bill come through.

Hospitals will be allowed to resume elective procedures which is how they make their books balance. That’s really important for the financial solvency of our healthcare system.
​
Water Trail – Last week I shared that Public Works had some time to get out and clear the trail head. Here are a few pictures I took this week when I went out to have a look. I think our community will really like having this new amenity. 

Saturday Market – The organizers of the Saturday market sent me a well-thought out plan for hosting it this year. All of it is dependent upon what the state allows, but they are thinking through the range of restrictions they may have to follow.

Budget – The City Council wrapped up the budget in April, two months before the end of the year. This is a trait of resilient communities. The Budget Committee did a fantastic job, particularly before the pandemic started.

Homeless Shelter – We are going to meet with an evaluation team with all the stake holders, including property owners and businesses, staff, and providers. We must take in all the information and then process it. We will talk about other potential alternatives and then bring our evaluation of the project back to the City Council.

Treasure Valley Connector Trail - The trail is looking awesome! They believe they will be able to pave this week, then put in benches, dog bag stands, and trash receptacles and wrap it up.

Tater Tots Trail – We had some communication with Kraft Heinz this week. They are finalizing the agreement for the street vacations between them and Americold so Dan can go forward with the land action.

Graduation Ceremony – We worked a little bit with the school for a non-traditional graduation ceremony. The school districts are really thinking out of the box and responding well to a huge challenge. As someone with 4 kids still in the system, I can attest to that.

Airport 
Springtime work continues at the airport with irrigation, mowing, rodent control, and weed abatement. Nearly 40 acres have been dressed and cleaned making it easier for the mower this year. There are nearly 40 more acres to go to finish the east side.

FAA Funding is still on track for the continuous improvement plan projects. Additional COAR grant funding will be sought in May.

The April Airport Committee meeting has been canceled due to continued COVID-19 restrictions from the State. Updates from the Airport Manager to the Airport Committee are taking place as are necessary to keep members informed.

Community & Economic Development
Staff is reviewing 12 building applications this week and has issued 4 building permits this past week. Review time has extended a little bit due to limited office time with customers.

The Planning department is keeping extremely busy and continues to work on the 17 new land use actions and has started the process of the street vacation which is part of the Heinz Food and City River Trail Project (Tater Tot Trail).

Dan is continuing to work on amending Ontario Flood Plain Code (10A-47) to meet the new Oregon Model Code and federal regulations (FEMA) and should have it on the planning agenda for June.

Fire
Meetings
 4/14 Staff attended the city ICS COVID-19 teleconference meeting.  4/16 City staff participated in the Malheur County ICS MAC COVID-19 teleconference meeting.  4/21 Chief attended a virtual with International Fire Chiefs on COVID-19. Some of the staff attended the City ICS weekly planning meeting for COVID-19 preparing for the state 3 phase plan to move forward.  4/23 Some of the staff attended the Malheur County COVID-19 Multi-agency planning group meeting.

Inspections:
Fire and building officials did a final inspection at Wal-Mart on the pickup shopping remodel.  They also did a rough inspection on the fire sprinklers in the old area of the technical center remodel.  4/21 Chief and the building officials met with the contractor to talk about the fire sprinkler supply line and its installation. 

Training
The staff trained on wildland urban interface on the computer distance learning model.  Chief also participated in two teleconferences on disaster preparedness and crisis care guidance.  4/21 Chief attended a fire engineering class on interior fire attack.  4/21 The staff had a review on department SOP’s and fire scenarios.  4/24 Some of the staff attended the Oregon virtual medical conference.

Events
This week was Public Safety Answering Point or 911 Dispatchers appreciation week.  The department thanked them with a healthy plate of fruit and posts on our Facebook page.  Thank you for always having our backs.

Incidents
This week the staff responded to a couple of false alarms and a controlled burn.  4/14 They also responded to numerous grass fires that had been started by the train along the tracks near Lincoln and Railroad Blvd. 4/17 The staff responded to a working structure fire with smoke coming out of the attic of a four-plex.  The fire was contained to the attic area above one of the unit’s bathroom.   Incidents:  4/19 The staff responded to mutual aid Vale Fire at a large onion shed fire.  4/20 Rescue 1 responded to a tragic machinery accident that had a fatal result.   4/21 The morning started with large amounts of sparks that were like fireworks, at the Auto Ranch Ford on SW 4th Ave from the main power supply shorting out against the building.  This burned part of the roofing and insulation.  4/23 R1 responded to an illegal burn on Arata Way and the fire was then extinguished.  4/23 The staff responded to a fully involved house fire at 728 River St.  This was a house that has been abandoned for over 15 years.  The goal was to protect exposures. 

Police
Administration
Apr 20th- Chief Romero met with some community partners who are assisting the chief with a construction project at the OPD training center (range). Through donations and in-kind contribution, the chief hopes to install an ADA approved ramp and steps for the classroom building at the firing range. OPD hopes to develop the facility as a regional training center for our area law enforcement agencies. Project start date will be early May 2020.

Apr 22nd- Chief Romero attended the COVID-19 testing planning session with the County Health Department at Ontario High School. OPD will support the County Health Department’s initiative in any way possible.

Apr 22nd- Chief Romero finalized a new abatement “Violation Notice” card that will be issued by OPD to individuals who violate the noise control disorderly conduct laws. Chief Romero hopes this new public information tool will reduce the amount of recurring calls OPD responds to regarding unreasonable noise (music, engine revving, etc.). The card was reviewed by the City Manager and City Attorney for use approval.

This week, OPD conducted final interviews and written testing for the soon to be second detective position. All candidates completed the two phases of testing. Selection for the next detective will likely be done in the first week of May 2020.

Field Services
This week, OPD started with a traffic enforcement saturation on the east side of town. The weekend shift focus was on speeding vehicles on East Idaho Avenue and seatbelt violations. OPD made numerous positive contacts which hopefully will reduce collisions and increase traffic safety in the busier part of the city.

Apr 20th- Chief Romero assisted OPD officers with an investigation and arrest of a child pornography suspect. OPD is committed to keeping the youth population safe from these types of sexual predators. The case was submitted to the District Attorney.

Apr 21st- OPD was involved in a pursuit of a subject that was driving extremely recklessly throughout the city limits. The suspect was chased to the Idaho border in Payette, where he intentionally drove into the Snake River as a failed suicide attempt. Suspect was arrested by Payette Police and will eventually be charged in Oregon for various crimes.

Apr 24th- Chief Romero assisted Detective Esplin with a Spanish interview of a witness at the Nampa Police Department regarding a 2018 homicide case. This case is being prepared for trial, which should take place in June 2020.

Code Enforcement
Code enforcement remained busy this week with a variety of activities. A slight increase in dog related calls and pickups of at-large dogs.

Apr 20th- Code enforcement, through the Chief of Police, provided a press release to the Argus Observer on an animal abandonment investigation the previous week. Code Enforcement, with the help of a tip from a citizen, were able to track down the suspect who abandoned a dog on the street. The suspect was cited and will have to appear in court for the crime.

Apr 22nd- Code Enforcement Officers responded regarding bees in the roadway. Bees were retrieved by a beekeeper without incident. Code Enforcement Officers assisted with traffic control, to prevent bees being killed by traffic or stinging pedestrians.

Apr 23rd- Two separate incidents of dogs attacking officers. A German Shepherd attempted to attack Officer Reyna and OC was deployed. The owner was contacted and cited for dog at large and dog as public nuisance. Later, two dogs got into a neighbor’s yard and charged at officers and attempted to attack. OC was deployed in this incident to prevent injury to officers.

Apr 23rd- Code Enforcement Officers did a NW Quadrant Saturation, hitting the streets of NW 2nd St and NW 3rd Street. This generated almost 40 cases and nearly 40 courtesy letters to residents for property abatement related violations.

Public Works
Field Services
We have changed schedules for all crews in response the COVID-19 response, as much work is being done remotely and other operations are being modified to limit exposure to those that must be in the field. Weekly checks on staff and operations related to the pandemic are in place.

• Downtown area and underpass were swept Friday

​Water

• River water conditions are changing. We are jar testing to ensure that we are using the best chemical dosing
• Weekly bacterial sampling
• Preparation for backwash valve replacement. That activity is scheduled for early next week.
• Painting of the pump/filter gallery is in process
• VFD repair pump #3 eastside booster station

Wastewater

• We implemented another flow process change to the lagoon system. We are diverting prison influent to the secondary lagoon and continuing to recirculate water back through the influent lagoons in an effort to address odor issues. The odor issues persist, and we are working to address the smells. We have received several complaints.
• We met with one of Jacobs odor mitigation experts to help generate a plan to address odor issues. Sampling equipment has been ordered and on the way. This is obviously a work in progress. Ultimately the removal of solids is the final solution to this problem.
• Equipment is enroute for us to quantify gas levels coming off the lagoons.
• NPDES permit sampling continues as per DEQ requirements
• Installation of Skyline booster pump
• Lagoon boat preparation for operation inspection and maintenance of aerators.  The new equipment arrived for solids mapping, that is scheduled for early next week.
• Met with contract farmer to discuss and demonstrate the proper startup of Skyline pivots.
• Priest Electric to install Malheur farm pivot river pump

Parks and Cemeteries

• The chemical toilets at Beck park have been closed and Lions Park unit cleaned 5 times per week. The new playground structure was erected, and work continues on the completion of this task.
• Irrigation systems in both parks and cemeteries has begun. We are having to repair some of the sprinkler heads after the winter season.

​Engineering

• The Water Master Plan trickles on (haha). We are looking at them have to Public Works Committee and then to the Council.
• NPDES work on pH adjustment system at wastewater. The plan has been sent to DEQ for approval.
• Solids removal plans from WWTP is moving forward
• Mixing Zone study was sent to DEQ for review

​Council Meeting – Our next City Council meeting is this Tuesday at 6:00. The public is invited to attend via Facebook Live or by phone.

Second Dog Park Completed: Our fencing contractor was out at Lions park installing the second dog park. I think this will be very popular. Room was left on the north side of the park for the future sidewalk.

​I have been amazed how much the community comes together in times like these. I’m fortunate to be able to see a lot of this community level collaboration and it is very gratifying.

COVID-19 - The state has given us another outlet for enforcement of mandated business closures. OSHA would like to hear from informants directly, rather than through other people. You can file a complaint from this website.

The EIDL program and PPP programs from the CARES Act have been pushed out but the federal agencies are writing the rules for it on the fly, so it’s an everchanging program.  Our federal legislators told us there are only 4 banks administering the EIDL program in the state. There will be a huge demand for that but a lot of the banks either don’t want to deal with it or don’t know how.

We filmed and produced a Public Service Announcement for the CDC’s recommendations with Freddy and the Fire Chief. I shot it on Monday and Peter put it together. We will keep cranking them out each week. We can get a good message out and have a little fun with it.

We held our City incident command meeting on Tuesday and talked through some of the topics shared by the mayor at the council meeting. We also participated in the County emergency management meeting.

Tater Tots Trail – We are moving forward with an appraiser for the Walmart riverfront property easement for the trail.

Treasure Valley Connector Trail – The trail is coming along awesome. I drive by it daily to see the progress.

​Wayfinding – I was able to re-connect with our wayfinding folks. I think the Idahoans had to adjust to working from home much more suddenly, so we went offline for a little bit. I am excited to see the work they have been doing. They have taken everyone’s comments into consideration from the council and public. They have moved a mountain! (i.e. turned the mountain to reflect the view from Ontario) This design wasn’t my first choice, but they won me over with the new look.  One full color and one mono color. 

Odor Complaint to DEQ – We have had some odor issues at the wastewater plant. Someone made a complaint to DEQ. They contacted public works and Cliff followed up with them. We have to get it dredged. I think there will be little more to do until that is done.

​Airport
The warm weather has everything growing at the airport. Spot spraying of weeds to keep them out of unwanted areas is a continual process.
The irrigation wheel lines and mainline were checked out this week and the well pump was started for the first time this year. I’m happy to say all four wheel line sets were successful and the grass runway received it’s first watering.

Things are moving forward with the FAA in terms of putting our new taxiway and hold apron projects back on track for this year. With the many phone calls, emails and document sharing taking place it’s hopeful that we will be able to go to bid on this project within the next two weeks.

Fire & Rescue
Training
Our EMS training this month was on the Lucas tool, which is a valuable tool to be used for compressions during CPR on cardiac arrest patients.

Events
This week we tested all the hoses in the department. This includes hoses on the apparatus and spare hoses in the stations.

Incidents
Most of our calls this week were burning complaints and illegal burns.  We also had a couple false alarms.  Rescue 1 did respond to a fire inside a residence that was a radio that shorted out in a charger base and caught on fire.

Police
Administration
This week a great deal of Chief Romero’s time was spent on working with city officials, county, state, and federal partners in staying abreast of COVID-19 threats and responses. Chief Romero submitted a request for protective gear products through AXON, a private corporation. If awarded, OPD will receive in-kind donations for a variety of safety and hygiene products.

Chief Romero submitted various reports to the County Emergency Operations Coordinator regarding the status of law enforcement personnel at OPD that are deployed in the filed and subject to COVID 19 exposure.

​Field Services
April 5th- OPD personnel (Sgt. Swank) assisted the Oregon State Police with investigating an individual who was involved in a multi-state property crime spree. OPD’s assist resulted in the suspects arrest.

April 5th- OPD personnel arrested a suspect for domestic violence. The suspect asserted he possibly has COVID-19 to avoid incarceration. Staying true to their duty the officers followed best practices for ensuring everyone’s health and had the arrestee medically evaluated. The suspect was medically cleared and taken to jail.

April 9th- Chief Romero patrolled throughout the city looking to identify businesses and individuals not adhering to the social distancing requirements. Chief is glad to report that nothing of great concern presented itself.

April 10th- OPD personnel arrested a suspect for felony warrants after a brief foot pursuit. The suspect asserted he possibly has COVID-19 to avoid incarceration. Staying true to their duty the officers followed best practices for ensuring everyone’s health and had the arrestee medically evaluated. The suspect was medically cleared and taken to jail.

Code Enforcement
Code enforcement remained active in monitoring any potential COVID-19 mandates throughout the business community. No violations were identified during their patrols. Code enforcement delivered several informative warning letters to businesses that were reported to have engaged in unauthorized activity (hair salon, insurance company, marijuana retailer, and general commodity business). No actual violations were observed by code enforcement.

Apr 8th- Code enforcement investigated and cited an individual at 704 N Oregon for theft of public utilities and vandalism to a public utility water line. This was an individual that had previously been suspected but was finally caught. Great investigation by CEO Reyna.

Public Works
Field Services
We have changed schedules for all crews in response to COVID-19. As much work as possible is being done remotely and other operations are being modified to limit exposure to those that must be in the field. Weekly checks on staff and operations related to the pandemic are in place.

The fire hydrant on West Idaho Avenue was completed. Modifications were made to the gate at the homeless shelter. We started the excavation for the playground equipment at Lion’s Park. This will be a work in progress, but a welcome addition to the community and our parks system.

Sign maintenance was completed throughout town as needed. Lift station and building inspections took place. Vehicle inspections of our rolling stocks as per our maintenance schedules direct took place. Sewer checks and cleaning were completed as needed throughout the community.

We met with Cascade Gas on the SE 2nd Street project for their completion. The downtown and underpass areas were swept Friday morning. Water system maintenance took place as needed to repair leaks and broken boxes.

Water
The water treatment plant is running well after recent modifications to SCADA programing. Water inventories are at target levels. System demands are normal for this time of the year. ACS will install a new filter influent valve controller. Jar tests took place to verify chemical feed rates to both old plant and WesTec. We took inventory of plumbing supplies. Clean up and preparation took place for backwash valve installation and the filter/pump gallery for paint.

Wastewater
Weekly inspections of the equipment and buildings including maintenance and trouble shooting took place. NPDES permit sampling continues as per DEQ requirements. The west chlorine contact chamber was cleaned. The skyline booster pump was installed. The shop was cleaned, reorganized, and inventoried. The lagoon boat was prepared for operation, inspection, and maintenance of aerators.

Parks and Cemeteries
Downtown flowerpots were watered, and trash receptacles were emptied throughout town. Evergreen cemetery had one funeral. Irrigation systems in both parks and cemeteries has begun. Spring cleanup at the cemeteries began this week and will continue.

Engineering
Work continues for the Water Master Plan, South Oregon Street project, and NPDES work on pH adjustment system at wastewater.