Crypto Update: Comments and Questions

                           Goodrich Reservoir, Baker City Watershed
The City of Baker City released another drinking water warning yesterday which confirms that Cryptosporidium is in the water supply. They state that "Water samples taken on July 31 were positive for Cryptosporidium in water from the watershed supply and treated water (distribution system)." 

How much Crypto is in the water supply? Are the concentrations they found significantly high, or rather low? What were the sources and what are the locations where positive samples were taken?  Why are they not releasing the information about the locations and concentrations? Where is the transparency that people so cherish but see so little of?

When governments don't release available information to the public, when there is no good reason not to release it, it makes people think they are trying to hide something.  Why would they want to cover-up that information?  People are still wondering why the city didn't tell us the details of how positive Crypto results were kept from the public and the Council for over a year in 2010 and 2011. No one has been held accountable publicly other than Mike Kee taking it upon himself, which only hides the actual details and the identity of those actually responsible.

I sent an email to City Manager Mike Kee and Public Works Director Michelle Owen this Morning asking for the locations and concentrations for the positive samples. I have not yet received a response.

[Update 1:52PM:  Since I posted this I see that Mike Kee has selectively released the information I asked for earlier (10 AM) today to their favored commercial media information massage outlet, the Herald, but neither Kee nor Michelle Owen has given this citizen blogger the courtesy of a response. They prefer to give it first to a corporation. (The Herald is owned by a corporation, Western Communications, Inc.) The city did not even post the information on our own city website before releasing it to the Herald (and still hasn't). Par for the course. The Herald seems to be updating as I write now.  Bottom line: it was found in Goodrich but they didn't test other possible watershed sources, which they say they are now doing]
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In a comment on the Herald website, someone who calls himself "Jeff" references a YouTube video that I put up about two years ago.  SEE:
Dorrah & Calder Still Think Drinking Water Safe102511.mp4 


It is worth noting that in the video, Mike Kee reminds the Council, some of whom have been urging a go slow approach, that: 

"...we want to do everything we can to keep this water safe, that we are providing for our public, so anything we can do to move forward with this process, I think we should. Can we go slow and avoid spending money? Yes we can, but we need to keep moving forward."

I take that as a bit of push-back from the City Manager on the go-slow approach. It is also worth noting that in 2009, the price for the UV treatment was estimated to be only $2.5 million, and that compliance was required by October 2013 (Since pushed back to 2016). Membrane filtration, in 2009, was estimated to cost about $17.7 M and cost over 25 times as much to operate. By 2012, the estimated cost for UV treatment was $1.84M to $3.14M. While a go-fast approach (i.e., install some approved effective treatment ASAP--before the deadline) is almost unheard of for public safety compliance, it could have saved us from the illnesses, economic hit, and repuational loss, that we are now experiencing.
See Table 2:
2009 Disinfection Options to Comply with LT2ESWTR

  2009disinfectionoptionstocomplywithlt2eswtr-november09draft

See also page 6, Project Budget Schedule, UV Kick‐Off Meeting & Technology Workshop, Baker City, OR, January 12, 2012:

  UV Kick‐Off Meeting & Technology Workshop, Baker City, OR, January 12, 2012

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Also on the Herald, one "Loran Joseph" states that:

The exposure was estimated to have occurred as late as July 26th. With a minimum 2 days before symptoms occur, plus lab test return time, the city couldn't have been informed of this more than a day before this article was released. The city is being very diligent. 

I agree that the city has been diligent since the time they were told of the infected citizens by the County Health Department. The testing issue is different though.

The city has said that they started using water from Goodrich Reservoir on the 15th. If that is a source of the Crypto [turns out it was confirmed 8/4/13], then exposure for citizens drinking water out of the tap could, and likely did, begin within one or two days, i.e., by the 17th, and certainly no later than the 18th. The city has not told us whether Goodrich Reservoir is a source of the Crypto, although I was told by Mike Kee on the 31st that they were going to collect goat droppings for testing. If Goodrich was confirmed as a source [it has been confirmed 8/4/13], then they could have confirmed the presence of Crypto, before using the water, by testing it a week prior to opening. (That is one reason the city needs to tell us where the source or sources of contamination were.)

Given the earlier detection of Crypto, instead of relying on the wishful thinking of Councilors about our "safe" water supply, and despite the lack of a requirement, the city should have been testing the water on a regular basis after the first round of testing ended. I believe the episode points to regulatory failure by the state and federal governments, and a lack of prudence by city officials and the Council.

Competence, foresight and prudence is what the Council gets elected for and what city staff gets paid for. If we continue to elect Councils whose primary concern is Main Street area businesses and the needs of the well off, and if the city is hiring employees according to the "Baker Buddy System" instead of on appropriate education and merit, and if they are going to continue to insist on remaining unaccountable, then we citizens will suffer continuing crises, elite theft, and inefficient government.
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If you are really interested in the early history of the Crypto issue please read this previous blog:

Monday, November 14, 2011

Accountability for Baker City's Cryptosporidium Fiasco--is the elephant still in the room?

In This Edition:
- Review and Summary of Events
- Council responses to my question , i.e.: When were you first informed that Crypto was in the water?
- Crypto Time line, from Council reports and etc.

 

Baker City--All Cops On the Poor, All the Time!

Persecuting the Old & Poor--I feel so much safer now!
[Edited 4/9/11]

If the Baker City Council, City Manager Mike Kee (& ex Police Chief of Ontario, OR), the "Justice" Court, and Baker City Police Department, have ever, and I mean ever, overstepped the bounds of moral, ethical, civil, and sensible human conduct, it was during the last month or four, when code enforcement officer Shannon Regan and Chief Wynn Lohner, allowed the police, under the color of law, using a very misguided and classist intstrument in the form of City Ordinance 3292 , to persecute two older, 80 plus year old people, and a disabled tenant, on Court Street in our "fair" town of Baker City. Their "crime?" Allowing "stuff" to be accumulated on their already ramshackle old property in an out of the way poor neighborhood that is already full of "stuff" and ramshackle old properties. Hang' em high, right?

In a supposedly "democratic" country where the Wall Street fat cats go free after causing a global collapse, and where we deny millions of our people basic health care (& etc.), where "You have 25 percent—almost 25 percent of the income in the upper one percent," (Stiglitz, Democracy Now!), and where BakerCity's own infrastructure is crumbling, Baker City spends tax dollars persecuting the poor. You can read it every day in the "crime" reports. Some of the folks are actually potential threats, but "stuff" piling up on the property of 80+ year olds in an out of the way poor section of town next to a dilapidated industrial zone? I'm sorry, but Baker City government has run amok.

See Baker City Herald:
Code enforcement conundrum

The article above is a must read for at least part of the story.

See also City Manager, ex-Police Chief Mike Kee touting it as an achievement:
Baker City Weekly Report, April 8, 2011.

Please notice in the city's photos that poor is still poor, ramshackle is still ramshackle (Although they cherry-picked the "after" photos.), even after the city ran up incomplete charge of $1,780, not including your taxpayer dollars for the officer's time for the persecution.

This is the latest evolution of the classist persecution of poor people that began most visibly when the police and City Council went after a disabled life-long Baker City resident back in 2009.

Background articles:

SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2009
Property Maintenance Jihad Targets Disabled Life-long Baker City Resident

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2009
Democracy In Baker City, Plus Calder Update (YouTube)

MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010
Law, Order, and Perhaps a Little Justice?


After the Ron Calder fiasco, the City Council, composed of business people, an old locally grown "Judge," a well off retired government employee, a mindless ex-sheriff's deputy, and a librarian, passed a tightened ordinance that they believe allows them to continue the persecution of the poor in Baker City. That is the ordinance that the police and the "Justice" Court used to go after defenseless poor and (really) old people recently. Given that the number of police, and their budget, in some measure depends upon "crimes" prosecuted and "prevented," I believe the ex-police chief City Manager uses these attacks on old people, and other incidents, in an effort to pad the police budget. It used to be called Fascism, now it is business as usual.

Please note that the ordinance, written to please some well off property owners, realtors, and hopeless anal-retentives, as well as the Council, says that:

"The general rule of nuisance law as established by centuries of legal precedent is that no one has absolute freedom in the use of his or her property, but is restrained by the coexistence of equal rights in his or her neighbor to the peaceful, safe, and enjoyable use of their property, so that each, in exercising his or her right, must do no act which causes injury to his neighbor.

The City Council further finds that unsafe, unsanitary, and otherwise improperly maintained premises and structures within the City of Baker City adversely affect the value, utility, and habitability of the property within the city as a whole. In addition to the obvious hazards which these conditions pose to public health, safety, and welfare; they specifically cause substantial damage to adjoining and nearby property."

The Council has added the clauses, of questionable legal validity, that "otherwise improperly maintained premises and structures within the City of Baker City adversely affect the value, utility, and habitability of the property within the city as a whole." and "they specifically cause substantial damage to adjoining and nearby property." Hopefully, the poor among us will find the resources to contest the legal complexities and vagueness of the claims, and the corollary that in order to live in peace with the rich or otherwise comfortable, we must not adversely affect the value of their property (even if we don't possess the will and money to do otherwise).
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George Carlin - It's a big club and you ain't in it

City Council Meeting for Vote to Hire Tim Johnson as City Manager (12/18/09) Part Three

Here are two more segments of the December 18, 2009 Council Meeting on offering the city manager job to Tim Johnson. I hope to have the rest of the meeting up before the New Year. One again, the right hand portion of the video is clipped in Google Blogger so best to view on YouTube. With a Mac you can do it by clicking on the large start button in the middle of the picture as you also hold down the "control" key. From the menu that appears, choose the first "Watch on YouTube" option.
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Council 121809- Part 11: Councilor Calder Responds to Peggy Timm. Moves to Offer Job to Johnson.

In this segment, Councilor Calder responds to Peggy Timm's questions about Tim Johnson's qualifications and makes motion to Offer Job to Tim Johnson. Councilor Bonebrake seconds the motion.



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Council 121809- Part 12: Councilor Bryan Comments on Process and Mr. Johnson's Experience.

In this segment, Councilor Bryan comments that the public process for the hiring has not been handled properly and states that "Mr. Johnson does not have the professional experience specific to managing a city." Mayor Dorrah also closes public [input] portion of meeting

City Council Meeting for Vote to Hire Tim Johnson as City Manager (12/18/09) Part Two

Apologies to all for taking so long to get just two more segments of the Council meeting up on the blog, and for the poor video quality (technical difficulties! ;-)) Each segment takes quite a bit of time to edit, save, upload and etc.

Editorial Comment ( ok, most of my comments are editorial): I also forgot to mention, that in my conversations with Tim Johnson, he didn't automatically dismiss my views on some issues, even when he may have disagreed. Instead, he dialogued with me about solutions to problems that would lead to agreement between different perspectives. It was not a conversation that led me to believe he would eject someone from his office simply because there were questions that made him defend a policy, or implied disagreement--he tried to find solutions that accommodated my views. I think he would do the same for you.

In any event, here are two more segments:

Council 121809-Part 9E: Mayor Dorrah Defends Johnson, Reads Last of Recommendation Letters



And,

Council 121809-Part 10: Peggy Timm questions Lack Of Information, Dorrah Defends Confidentiality


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A Note from Lorelei Nalley:

Sirs, for six months we the people have listened to
you about the topic of Mr. Brocato, ad nauseam. It is
now my turn as a citizen of Baker City to speak out.

Mr. Pope--- I cringe every time you open your mouth to speak or put a pen to paper to write. I am surprised that nobody has tied a string around your feet and made a balloon of you.

Mr. Bass---You have not got an ounce of oak in you unless it is in the autumn leaves that fall from it's branches and go where ever the wind scatters them. Eventually you land someplace just in time for the snow to bury you and render you useless.

Mr. Bryan---You are the worst of the bunch. You would have been better suited for Salem, and I mean Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1600's when whisperings, back stabbing, innuendos, bald faced lies lead to the imprisonment, stoning, hangings, and the burning at the stake of innocent people. Only this time you are not attacking Ms. Calder, this time it is a man you do not even know. With friends like you who needs enemies.

I am ashamed to say that I voted for each of you. I TRUSTED you all. You made spoken, written, and implied promises of serving your community. Instead you have become self serving. I would have been better off burning my ballot. It has come to no good having you serve on the city council.

As I see it there is not a thimbleful of honor amongst the three of you.

My husband says that not all people will take on so much responsibility and then turn around and let so many people down.

You all have wasted tax payers money and squandered the time the voters gave you to act on our behalf. The recall was an expensive bad joke. We, the people, now have to pay for that frivolous action. That money could have been used in so many other USEFUL ways, now we don't have it. The voters have spoken. The majority of us voted NO to have Mayor Dorrah and Ms. Calder removed from office. What part of NO don't you understand---the N or is it the O? Even dogs and two year old children understand the meaning of NO and we get a better response from them.

When our Mayor walked into Mr. Brocato's office and asked him to resign or be fired---Mr Brocato was told then that the Mayor had the votes. I don't think our Mayor realized, at the time, how much of a vote he really had. He had the vote of the PEOPLE not just the council. We, the PEOPLE have spoken.

Now is the time for ALL THREE of you to make a decision. Either work for the PEOPLE of Baker City or step down.

Quite frankly I think a good portion of the people would prefer that you chose the latter. We need people that want to serve our needs and care for the betterment of our community. We don't need people that are in the office for self grandisement and wasting our time and money.

Lorelei Nalley
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Warren Zevon-Knocking on Heaven's Door


[This song was written by Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) in 1973. It's been a favorite ever since. Bobby lives, Warren is gone, but no special meaning on my part here. I just go to dark places sometimes.]

City Council Meeting for Vote to Hire Tim Johnson as City Manager (12/18/09) Part One

I filmed the special City Council meeting concerning the appointment of Tim johnson to fill the position of city manager for Baker City on Friday, December 18, 2009. As there is no other video record that I am aware of, I am publishing the video of the meeting, in the public interest, in several segments on YouTube. Those YouTube segments may be accessed from this blog as they become available. Google Blogger tends to cut off portions of the right side of the video, so if you want the full view, it is better to view them on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=chrischristie1948&ytsession=Z6UGcoFaVykIyDwVq6AYsI5jvODdRK3Ye7yk4BuQeYshopzRgyRtvJjG1fPlztLijpl0Ssd7QYc09YYnmbdkcfuj24DDN5osVrf9vSMApEZThHN7PxpgPk7fTP1HBz0vvH3WEBZfnLRNGuqoa5t43K1a-_lTxOdeH0Jk1DazcJYZf4g5T7aw19SGSVemb06MSszrC850FAo#p/u

I don't really have a dog in this fight, because as Councilor Button and others have said, any of the four finalists would probably do a good job for Baker City. In the interest of full disclosure though, I must tell you that I have spoken with Tim Johnson twice. I find him to be very intelligent and much more informed in many ways than I am when it comes to managing city governments and making cities successful (ok, that may be a low bar ;-)). He is also very open, personable, friendly, and frank. He has said that he favors an "open, shared, and participatory" government, and that the city's actions will be "measurable, accountable and time bound." He has also suggested that he may remove the door to his office ;-). It is my hope that those traits will translate into a successful city manager for Baker City.

My own bias is exposed in certain ways in the descriptions of the proceedings. Most importantly, I feel that Councilor Pope's letter, and Tim Collins' reading of it, was an attempt to "poison the well" prior to Mr. Johnson's taking charge." Poisoning the Well" is, as first described by John Henry Newman, an attempt "to cut the ground from under [someone's] feet;—to poison by anticipation the public mind against [someone]."

In yesterday's Herald (Councilor's List Down To Johnson), it was reported that "Dorrah said Councilors discussed Johnson's and Hulse's background checks during an executive session, which is closed to the public, because the city agreed to keep the information confidential."

Obviously, Councilor Pope and temporary city manager Collins, were not in full agreement with that view, as the proceedings shown below demonstrate.

Some have suggested ulterior motives, because in the same article, assistant city manager Jennifer Watkins "told the Council Thursday that in the event the Council decides to postpone making a decision, Tim Collins, city manager pro-tem, has offered to stay on for an additional six months." The theory is that Collins, Watkins, and city staff are afraid of personnel decisions that might be made by a Brocato replacement who actually works for the Council. Some people have also told me that city manager pro-tem Collins was largely responsible for the selection of Freeman and Associates, the firm that returned a very unflattering background check on Tim Johnson.

Below is the first set of several segments of the Council Meeting. I will post more as I have time to process them for YouYube. Without further adieu, here are the first segments:
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Council 121809-Part1
Part one of the Special City Council meeting to vote on hiring Tim Johnson as the new Baker City city manager. (short)


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Council 121809-Part 2: Poisoning the Well
Part two of the Special City Council meeting to vote on hiring Tim Johnson as the new Baker City city manager. Tim Collins reads portions of Milo Pope's letter referring to a conclusion drawn by Mr. Freeman of Freeman & Associates in a background report for city manager candidate Tim Johnson. Normally this type of personnel issue is handled in executive session, and by reading some of the letter in public, people are told of a negative report with no specific allegations or any evidence being presented to substantiate a negative opinion.


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Council 121809-Part 3: Councilor Calder expresses displeasure at Collins for reading letter
Part three of the Special City Council meeting to vote on hiring Tim Johnson as the new Baker City city manager. Councilor Calder expresses displeasure that staff read parts of Councilor Pope's letter in a public session.


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Council 121809-Part 4: Councilor Bryan suggests reading Councilor Pope's letter into the record.
Part four of the Special City Council meeting to vote on hiring Tim Johnson as the new Baker City city manager. Councilor Bryan suggests reading Councilor Pope's letter into the record.


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Council 121809-Part 5: Councilor Bonebrake responds to innuendo in Councilor Pope's letter
Part five of the Special City Council meeting to vote on hiring Tim Johnson as the new Baker City city manager. Councilor Bonebrake responds to innuendo in Councilor Pope's letter, citing a preponderance of evidence favorable to Tim Johnson's 30 year career as a public servant. ". . . there is absolutely nothing in his record that would indicate lawsuits or conflict or grievances, or anything else . . . .


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Council 121809-Part 6: Councilor Button supports Tim Johnson and says "it is time to move on."
Part five of the Special City Council meeting to vote on hiring Tim Johnson as the new Baker City city manager. Councilor Clair Button notes that "None of us is perfect and I think that if anyone of us were subjected to the degree of scrutiny Mr. Johnson was put through, there is not one person here who would not find something in the way of a person who was disaffected with you at some point in the past. That is not to say that there are not things we need to discuss . . . . I recognize that there are some people who will never accept the past decisions of this council and who will not accept the voice of the voters as was represented in the recall election . . . . I personally take that as an acclamation from the public to move on . . . ."


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Council 121809-Part 7: Councilor Bass says " I really don't have a whole lot to say."
Part seven of the Special City Council meeting to vote on hiring Tim Johnson as the new Baker City city manager. In this segment, Councilor Sam Bass says " I really don't have a whole lot to say. . . . . We have said thing and said things and said things, and nobody seems to care one way or the other, uh, I did not vote for Mr. Johnson."


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Council 121809-part 8: Councilor Bryan--Poisoning the well, part 2
In this segment: Councilor Bryan--"I have . . . great concerns about his character and fitness for the city manager position. I don't think this is the time or place to provide more detailed information . . . it is not appropriate . . . the bottom line is that the background check was not a positive reflection on Mr. Johnson in this position and was not a recommendation to hire him."


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Council 121809-Part 9A: Mayor Dorrah Defends Johnson, Reads Recommendation Letters
Part 9A of the Special City Council meeting to vote on hiring Tim Johnson as the new Baker City city manager. Here, Mayor Dennis Dorrah defends Johnson and reads recommendation letters. "One thing I'd like to point out from the discussion with Mr. Freeman--he pointed out that on a criminal background check--which was, this was almost a criminal background check, that 98% of the people he checks out, do not pass their, do not meet their satisfaction. On a positive note. . . ." [Dorrah reads some of around ten letters praising Tim Johnson's success and abilities.]


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Council 121809-Part 9B: Mayor Dorrah Defends Johnson, Reads Recommendation Letters
Part 9B of the Special City Council meeting to vote on hiring Tim Johnson as the new Baker City city manager. Here, Mayor Dennis Dorrah reads more of around ten letters praising Tim Johnson's success and abilities.


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Council 121809-Part 9C: Mayor Dorrah Defends Johnson, Reads Recommendation Letters
Part 9C of the Special City Council meeting to vote on hiring Tim Johnson as the new Baker City city manager. Here, Mayor Dennis Dorrah reads more of around ten letters praising Tim Johnson's success and abilities.


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I will be adding more clips as time allows.