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Baker City August 022013 Update
Baker City August 022013 Update
Baker City August 022013 Update
ADMINISTRATION
On Tuesday evening just prior to midnight City staff learned of several confirmed cases of cryptosporidium infection in Baker City. At about 1:00 a.m. Wednesday morning City staff contacted Baker County elected officials and shared the information with them, and scheduled a meeting for the first thing in the morning. At about 1:30 a.m. Baker City Councilors were notified of the cryptosporidium cases. At 4:00 a.m., the City Manager met with representatives from the County Commissioners, County Health Department, and the County Emergency Management. At 5:30 a.m. a large portion of the Citys water collection system was shut down as a precaution. By 9:00 a.m. the group participated in a telephone conference with the Oregon State Health Department. Just after 10:00 am the newspaper was given a press release containing all of the information available at that time. The local information television channel was also updated with the information. Wednesday morning samples of water were taken from around Baker City and were driven to a laboratory in Seattle for examination. Those results should be available by Saturday afternoon. Since that time the health department has interviewed the people who have been confirmed with cryptosporidium in an attempt to find some commonality in their activity.
Baker City will host the 61th Annual Shriners East West Football Game this weekend. The festivities begin with breakfast provided by the Baker County Cattlemen in GeiserPollman Park from 6:30 to 10:00 a.m. At 10:00 a.m. there will be a parade through down town.
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CRYPTOSPORIDIUM ILLNESSES PROMPT BAKER CITY VOLUNTARY BOIL-WATER NOTICE, CITY WATER SYSTEM TO BE FLUSHED, MUNICIPAL POOL TO CLOSE FOR CLEANING
BAKER CITY, Ore. - The Baker City Public Works and the Baker County Health Department are warning Baker City residents to boil their water until further notice after confirming five cases of illness due to exposure to the microscopic parasite cryptosporidium. All the cases are believed to have been exposed to the parasite between July 12 and July 26. County health and city officials, working with epidemiologists from the Oregon Health Authority's Public Health Division, believe the Baker City water system, which is pulled from a 10,000-acre watershed and serves approximately 10,000 residents, may be the source of the contamination. The city plans to flush the water system in the coming days, and it is closing the municipal pool, Sam-o Swim Pool, so it can be drained and cleaned. City officials say residents should not drink city water without boiling it first. They should allow the water to boil for one full minute, and let the water cool before using it, or use bottled water. Until further notice, boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Pets also can be affected by cryptosporidium, said Dr. DeBess. Pet owners should boil water for their pets as well or provide bottled water. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common symptom of cryptosporidiosis, the disease caused by cryptosporidium exposure, is watery diarrhea. Other symptoms include:
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Symptoms typically appear five to 10 days after exposure. In persons with healthy immune systems, symptoms usually last about 1 to 2 weeks. The symptoms may go in cycles in which you may seem to get better for a few days, then feel worse again before the illness ends. People with compromised immune systems could require treatment and should contact their primary care provider. Other CDC recommendations: Healthy Swimming
Do not swim when you have diarrhea. You can spread germs in the water and make other people sick. Do not swallow pool water. Avoid getting water in your mouth. Practice good hygiene. Shower with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Germs on your body end up in the water. Take your kids on bathroom breaks or check diapers often. Waiting to hear "I have to go" may mean that it's too late. Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area and not at poolside. Germs can be spread in and around the pool. Wash your children thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and waterbefore they go swimming. Invisible amounts of fecal matter can end up in the pool.
Hand Washing
Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available. Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces. Continue rubbing hands for 20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing "Happy Birthday" twice through to a friend! Rinse hands well under running water. Dry your hands using a disposable paper towel or air dryer. Use your disposable paper towel, if possible, to turn off the faucet.
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On Wednesday, July 31, 2013, the City of Baker City began implementing its Water Curtailment Plan. Due to changing water supply conditions, the city is moving to a Stage 2 status as described in the Baker City Code of Ordinances. Stage 2 Warning Status requires the following: 1. Inform public via newspaper and/ or local radio advertisement of Warning Status. 2. City will directly contact large volume users such as parks, schools, cemetery, golf course and sports complex requesting reduced consumption and/ or set a schedule of allowed watering times. 3. Yard/ garden irrigating will be limited to evening hours or early morning hours only. 4. Hydrant flushing will cease.
PRESS RELEASE
DRINKING WATER AVAILABLE
Potable water is available for the public in two water trucks: one at the corner of Grove and Campbell Streets and the second one at Madison Street on the South side of the Geiser Pollman Park. The water was obtained from La Grande, Oregon. Bring your own container. Instructions on how to fill up your container are on the water trucks.
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ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
The Baker City Police Department is accepting applications for Police Officer until 5:00 pm on August 5, 2013. Salary range $3,951-$4,453/mo + fringes including 3% Intermediate and 5% advanced certificate incentives. Minimum Qualifications: Must be at least 21 years of age; meet DPSST standard minimum qualifications; receive basic certificate within one year and attend academy within 90 days of hire; pass physical agility, written and oral exams, background check, psych and physical exams. Details and applications are available at http://www.bakercity.com/ departments/hr/employment, City Hall, 1655 First Street, Baker City, OR 97814, or contact Becky Fitzpatrick, 541-524-2033. EEO Employer. Included in the packet is the full ad, application, supplemental application*, and position description. This document is in pdf format but if you would prefer to complete it in MS Word, please send request to bfitzpatrick@bakercity.com.
Issued 1 dog at large citation and 1 citation for no dog license. Followed up on multiple weed complaints and received 4 new weed
complaints.
Correction on the newsletter published on 7/26/2013: The Baker City Police Department provided traffic control assistance during the Miners Jubilee parade and additional security at the Bull & Broncs Beer Garden and NOT the Elks Beer Garden as published. The Baker Elks Lodge no longer manages the beer garden during Miners Jubilee. We apologize for the incorrect information.
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The Baker City Fire Department responded to a total of 30 emergency alarms for the last reported week. Breakdown of emergency responses:
FIRE REPORTS General Alarms Still Alarms TOTAL FIRE RESPONSES AMBULANCE OPERATIONS Rural Calls City Calls Patient Transported No Patient Trip TOTAL MEDIC RESPONSES TRAINING/MAINTENANCE: 0 4 4 Fire responses: 1 Vehicle fire.
8 18 20 6 26
Out of Town Transfers Airport Transfers Motor Vehicle Accidents Simultaneous Calls
1 2 0 5
8 hours of training
consisting of:
Fires in multi-family
dwellings.
The Fire Department provides free blood pressure readings at the Senior Center every Tuesday, at 11am. Dont miss next check on August
6th.
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Received a plan submittal for a 14 x 33 garage at 600 3rd Street. Issued a permit for a front porch replacement at 47603 Cornucopia Hwy Halfway. Issued a permit for a new single family dwelling at 1915 Plum Street. Issued a permit for a new single family dwelling on Alpine Road. Issued a permit for a 24 x 36 garage at 15880 Summerfield Drive.
Permits issued for... ELECTRICAL MECHANICAL PLUMBING FENCE TOTAL CITY 2 2 3 1 8 COUNTY 5 2 2 0 9
Compliance
No compliance.
Inspections
Last week, 20 inspections (plumbing,
building, and mechanical) were completed within Baker County.
Other
Working on month end reporting.
PLANNING
Completed and submitted a Title VI report to the Oregon Department of Transportation as
part of fulfillment of a grant received for the Transportation System Plan. The Title VI report addresses discrimination and community outreach.
Completed 1 Land Use Review. Completed 1 Flood Plain Development Permit. Received application materials for a Site Design Review of the Rock Garden Greenhouse
property on Oak Street.
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18 customers signed up for new water/wastewater service and 22 customers disconnected service from July 26th thru August 1st. This week is a skip week for utility billings. 84 late notices were sent July 30th. Three residential customers (Zone 4) were scheduled to have their water turned off for non pay (over 60 days past due) one was turned off.
Drinking Water Updates will be available in the Citys website at: http://bakercity.com/ .
PUBLIC WORKS
Street A bike rack was installed near the intersection of Main and Auburn at the Post Office Square Park.
RESORT STREET Businesses are open during construction. Please take a look at the updated Resort Street Map & Business Access Point on page 12. ___________ Information about the Resort Street Project will be updated every Friday on the Citys website www.bakercity.com Page 8
Asphalt was delivered by Rogers Asphalt from LaGrande for trench patching on "E" Street near Baker High School.
Tim S. and Justin using the backhoe to place asphalt before compaction.
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Problems were addressed at the wastewater treatment plant this week. Material, presumably dumped from septic tank pumpers, plugged the grinder cutting edges and caused a gear assembly parts to fail. Parts have been ordered and repair is expected to be completed next week.
View of the front of the grinder after it had been removed from the wastewater vault. Once the grinder quit working lots of debris became lodged in the unit. A tar like substance stuck in the cutting teeth.
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Because of the confirmed cases of Cryptosporidium caused illnesses, city personnel have worked to identify possible sources of the organisms. The perimeter of Goodrich Lake has been walked as well as the drainage from the lake to the intake structure. Elk Creek and other intake structures have been checked for anything unusual. To this point nothing has been discovered which has been determined to be the cause. Collected water samples were hand delivered to a specialized laboratory in Seattle for Cryptosporidium analysis. Testing results should be known by tomorrow (Saturday). The City of La Grande has assisted Baker City by providing a water truck and two loads of fresh water for drinking. Potable drinking water from La Grande is available at two locations.
Baker City's water truck (with La Grande water inside) is parked on Madison Street on
The truck from La Grande (with La Grande water) is parked at the Northeast
Dollar Tree
Dels
Baker Garage
ADIVA Salon