How to set / change base links

[eluser]Unknown[/eluser]
Not sure if the title is exactly right. I am a total n00b when it comes to MVC frameworks, though I know my way around PHP fairly well and am familiar with objects (though far from an expert). Anyways, I have taken over a project from someone else who no longer works at the company.

On our development server, he had his own development folder like this: www.oursite.com/john/newsite/ where he had a codeigniter framework site going. Mine is: www.oursite.com/marc/newsite/. I transfered all his files to my folder.

Looking at his code, he has links like this in one of the view files I need to edit:

<a href="startups/">

Yet when I view the actual page from my browser in my folder, at www.oursite.com/marc/newsite/, the "startups" link goes to www.oursite.com/john/newsite/startups/, when I need it to go to www.oursite.com/marc/newsite/startups/. How can I switch the 'base' url?

Not sure if this is needed, but I checked the config file at application->config->config.php, which shows:

$config['site_domain'] = ENV_BASE_URL;
$config['site_protocol'] = 'http';
$config['index_page'] = '';
$config['url_suffix'] = '';

I am really lost and don't know where to go from here. Any help is greatly appreciated.