News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters will have to wait a little longer into lawn-watering season to establish new water rates.
A resolution setting new water rates was tabled by the Sisters City Council Thursday until the June 13 council meeting. The delay was ordered to permit the addition of language requiring a $10 water account transfer fee.
Persons signing up for city water will be required to pay a $10 "transfer fee" when new city water rates become effective July 1, if the city council approves the water rate resolution on June 13. Presently, there is no transfer fee charged. The council requested the resolution setting the new rates after, in effect, approving the new rate schedule during the May 9 meeting.
City Administrator Barbara Warren said the addition of the account transfer fee would help defray the staff expenses of turning water on and off. She said owners of rental property who have paid the presently required $60 deposit will not be required to pay the additional transfer fee.
There are 12 to 15 transfers a month, Warren said, often making it necessary for city employees to go to the site and turn off and turn on service.
The purchase of a new, unmarked police car also was authorized by the council in response to a request by Sisters Police Chief David Haynes. The purchase would be made with budgeted moneys and "Drug Forfeiture Asset Funds" from Deschutes County.
Police Chief Haynes said he had received authorization from the Deschutes County Sheriff's office to use drug forfeiture funds for half the cost of a new automobile.
Haynes said the car, a Buick Century, would be driven by him most of the time. At other times it would be used when an unmarked car is necessary in drug and other investigations.
Drug forfeiture funds come from the confiscation of cash, vehicles and other valuable items in drug related cases in the county. City Administrator Warren said Sisters is entitled to a portion of the money raised in this fashion.
Haynes said the car will be purchased through the state's auto-purchase agreement for less than regular retail rates. He said the city's share of the cost would be $7,299.54. That amount, he said, would be matched by forfeiture funds.
In other business Mayor Dave Moyer appointed a committee to meet with the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, plus local retail and service organizations to ask them to share in the costs of maintaining restroom facilities at the U.S. Forest Service's proposed East Portal Kiosk, a park-like information center at the east end of the Sisters business district.
Public Works Director Gary Frazee estimated the annual costs of providing supplies, cleaning and septic pumping would be approximately $4,240. Additional costs such as for water and repairs would be paid by the forest service, he said.
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