The Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation may try to form a parks and recreation district so the organization can continue to provide recreation activities for the community.

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The SOAR board of directors held a public meeting Monday, November 10, to determine what the Sisters community thinks of a parks and recreation district.

SOAR is in its third year of providing activities for Sisters' youth and adults ranging from sports to arts and crafts to wilderness adventure trips.

Much of SOAR's grant funding is non-renewable and is running out. SOAR stands to lose about $29,000 out of its approximately $70,000 budget next year. Although board members say they are committed to continuing the program, the loss of funds threatens its ability to survive and makes it impossible to expand.

With the budget ax looming overhead, SOAR is exploring the formation of a special district with a tax base to provide stable funding for the program. In addition to providing a funding base, that stability makes the organization more attractive for those with grants to distribute, SOAR board members say.

"We're primarily looking for ways of insuring that we keep the programs we have and hopefully expand," SOAR board chair Colin Adams said.

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According to Adams, the first steps in creating a district are defining its boundaries and determining what the district will offer. Organizers hope to get the issue on the November 1998 ballot. Due to Ballot Measure 50 tax election restrictions, their next opportunity would be in the year 2000.

Attendance was sparse at the early evening meeting, but organizers indicated that they would make contact with potentially interested community members to ask for help in getting the project off the ground.

The SOAR organizers acknowledged that the special district idea failed about five years ago after a test vote by City of Sisters residents turned down a parks and recreation district proposal.

But at that time, Adams noted, no programs were in place and it was difficult to tell people exactly what they were to get for their tax dollars. With SOAR's three-year track record, organizers believe potential district taxpayers have a clear idea of what they would be funding.