News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 18 of 18
Houselessness or homelessness — depending on who you may be talking with — is a situation many are facing in Sisters Country predominantly living in the National Forest. The pandemic has certainly expanded the situation, as employment opportunities have fluctuated and housing costs have climbed even higher while evictions have risen. There are a multitude of variables and circumstances that combine to make houselessness a very complex, challenging, and controversial issue. One thing is certain, we must work... Full story
We all understand and appreciate the importance of the small-town feel that makes Sisters so special. Over the many decades and accompanying changes this essence has evolved but remained strong. One factor that has impacted so many pieces of our community is traffic, especially on Highway 20 right through the middle of town. As we have grown, so too has Central Oregon to our east and the Willamette Valley to our west. As one of the few gateways into Central Oregon, Highway 20 has seen increasing numbers of trip counts,... Full story
The City of Sisters proposed fiscal year (FY) 2021/22 budget was discussed at the May 17-18 budget committee meetings. The approved budget will be considered for adoption by City Council on June 9, through a public hearing and take effect July 1. The City welcomes all questions and feedback. The full document containing the proposed budget can be found online at www.ci.sisters.or.us. The budget message outlines the budget document, priorities, and significant changes – below are some brief excerpts from the budget... Full story
The City of Sisters is celebrating its 75th anniversary of incorporation this year. Over the decades, there have been many topics and issues that have created conversation, and sometimes controversy, in the community. Fortunately, the people here and now in Sisters are willing to come together for vibrant discussion, putting the bigger picture above their perspective and interests, acknowledging the challenges of balancing many factors and constraints. Most notably are those at the City who volunteer to be elected on City... Full story
It has been said that to know the priorities of an organization one must look to their budget. As a public entity, the City of Sisters is a steward of both public trust and public funds. The City goes through a rigorous process annually to carefully identify the use of funds across departments and provide transparency adopting the legal spending authority to use funds. Beginning in earnest in January, the City begins formulating the budget for the upcoming fiscal year – each July 1 the City’s new fiscal year (FY) s... Full story
As we welcome 2021, it is important to remember the simple things to be thankful for in life. Even one of the essential components of both our physical health and economic livelihood can sometimes be overlooked. The City is responsible for the planning, financing, construction, and maintenance of the water system that provides some of the best municipal drinking water anywhere. Everything from homes, schools, businesses, and firefighting require clean, reliable, and adequate water pressure and volume constantly at the tap. We... Full story
The City of Sisters is responsible for a variety of infrastructure systems and services that support our community. To ensure we reflect and align with who we serve, boards and committees that provide a direct link with community members are critical to maintaining dialogue. These groups inform and advise the City Council and City staff on several topics. Whether it is wastewater and water infrastructure, streets, parks, land use and community development, tourism and economic development, or law enforcement, we rely on... Full story
The City of Sisters supports creating a community as safe and prosperous as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. The science shows that use of face coverings significantly reduces the spread of the virus, especially in indoor environments. Governor Brown’s order to wear face coverings in public indoor spaces is an attempt to keep Oregon open. If we cannot diligently exercise social distancing, hand washing, and wear face coverings, while public health officials continue to expand testing and contact tracing, we may move b... Full story
Over the past couple of weeks Oregon has experienced increasing numbers of positive COVID-19 cases. It seems that is due to both more spread of the virus, including concentrated outbreaks and general community spread, as well as more testing. Although this is alarming, fortunately Deschutes County still has not mirrored that trend. It is likely fair to say that it is as much preparation including social distancing, face coverings, and sanitation, as it is luck and other factors. One thing that has been known and remains const... Full story
Over the past week Oregon has seen increasing numbers of positive COVID-19 cases. It seems that is due to both more spread of the virus, including concentrated outbreaks, as well as more testing. Although this is alarming, Deschutes County has fortunately not mirrored that trend. It cannot be definitively said why exactly fewer positive cases have occurred here. It is likely fair to say that it is as much preparation including social distancing, face coverings, and sanitation, as it is luck and other factors. Since the... Full story
The City of Sisters continues to be in a declared state of emergency. This declaration is scheduled to last until June 24. The City has been preparing to phase out of a state of emergency while sustaining adjusted policies and new programs that were implemented by way of administrative order (such as utility service billing relief and the right-of-way parklet program). To extend those temporary policies beyond the sunsetting emergency declaration will require adoption of resolutions by the City Council scheduled for the June... Full story
Last Saturday, June 6, Deschutes County was approved by the state to move into Phase 2 of re-opening and will be in this phase for a minimum of 21 days. Some key changes include an increase to gathering limits of 50 people indoors 100 people outdoors, up to 250 people in venues with six-feet of physical distance and other measures in place, restaurant and bar curfews extended to midnight, and increased travel will be allowed throughout Oregon although staying local is still recommended. Current state information on... Full story
The City has extended its emergency declaration until June 24, by way of administrative order. The emergency declaration enables the City to adopt temporary policies swiftly and be eligible for potential reimbursement of COVID-19-related expenses. Administrative orders have been used to implement several temporary policies and have that power vested through the emergency declaration. The City is working on items within its control to end the emergency declaration status as soon as possible. In order to do that, all temporary... Full story
The May 13 City Council meeting discussion ranged from the County reopening plan and State framework to all City operations and facilities that have been impacted by COVID-19. An overview of those discussions and decisions can be found in another section of this edition of The Nugget, as well as the packet materials and audio of the meeting on the City’s website. The Council made two key decisions: First, a resolution was adopted to extend the City’s Emergency Declaration through May 31; second, the Council decided to let... Full story
The State of Oregon has received a Deschutes County plan for reopening of the regional economy and entering Phase One. As we head towards that date, perhaps as soon as Friday, May 15, pending State approval, the City of Sisters is brainstorming ways to continue to support our business community through these tough times. City Council members made phone calls to dozens of retail, restaurant, and personal service businesses to hear how they were holding up and gather information on how the City could help. The resolve and... Full story
We do not need to begin by underscoring how unprecedented and uncertain of a time we are in. The people at the City of Sisters — the Council members, committee members, staff — empathize with the challenges and frustrations that our community is dealing with in a variety of ways. We are doing what we can, while acknowledging that we do not have health experts or emergency response managers on staff. Last week, the City participated in countless meetings and conversations with all levels of public partners —... Full story
Land-use planning in the U.S. began in the late 1800s at the intersection of three vocations: public health, architecture, and social work, as all three groups had concerns about the arrangement of cities and the potential impacts of their growth. In weighing all of these interests, the process of land-use planning was created to ensure thoughtful, orderly, and consistent review of construction projects. Zoning was established for public health and quality of life purposes, to separate industrial parks from residential... Full story
Cory and I want to update our entire community on the progress and key next steps of our extensive Sisters Country Vision project. Why a vision now? As most of you know, visioning is a medium- to long-range plan (five to 10 years) for our community. The City’s population growth exploded 112 percent from 2000 to 2010 and is up 32 percent from 2010 to 2018. That rapid growth can affect many aspects of our quality of life, especially if we are not planning and working together accordingly. Without being proactive, we will most a... Full story
