The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) won a waiver from Deschutes County land use laws under Measure 37 on August 30, allowing it to upgrade transmission lines between Redmond and the Sisters area.

However, no one seems to expect the ongoing fight over lines to be over. The utility’s plans to construct the lines may be stalled again by legal action from private property owners.

“I think probably that no matter what decision we make today, we’re going to be in court anyway,” said Deschutes County Commissioner Mike Daly, before the commissioners voted 3-0 to approve CEC’s Measure 37 claim filed earlier this year.

CEC has been embroiled in a battle with the Cyrus family of Sisters. The Cyruses do not want taller towers crossing their land. Brian Hickman, an attorney representing the Cyrus family, was quoted as stating that his client would probably appeal the commissioners’ decision in Deschutes County Circuit Court.

For two years, the electric cooperative has been struggling to upgrade their transmission lines to the fast-growing Sisters and Black Butte Ranch area maintaining that a more reliable system is needed to provide service to the area.

CEC filed a $7.9 million claim against Deschutes County under Measure 37 earlier this year. That measure passed by Oregon voters in 2004 allows landowners to claim cash or exemptions from laws that either restrict the use of their property or cause a loss in value.

CEC took that step following their unsuccessful effort to upgrade power lines to the Sisters area across the Cyrus property east of town. CEC wanted to install taller steel towers for the new lines. The Cyruses opposed that action because of their belief that the towers would degrade scenic views from the property. CEC claimed that the new transmission lines were needed to meet the growing demand for electrical power in the Sisters area.

Last January, a county hearings officer rejected the utility’s second proposal. CEC took then sought relief from the Oregon State Legislature. SB 413 was introduced at CEC’s request and would have allowed the utility to upgrade existing transmission lines located on easements granted by private property owners.

SB 413 bill passed the Senate on April 11 by a vote of 23-5. Despite efforts to draft amendments in a House committee, no action was taken by the committee. Instead, legislators asked CEC to negotiate with the Cyruses and one other private property owner opposed to the new lines.

In a letter mailed to cooperative members in August, the utility’s President and CEO Al Gonzalez wrote that its Measure 37 claim was necessary because of failure of the State Legislature to act on SB 413.