The city changes; the city stays the same

It was one of those occasions when people look at a point in history to find out how much things have changed and learn things haven't changed that much.

Some friends got together Saturday, December 7 for a little party for Mayor Dave Moyer who will be winding up 22 years of service on the city council at the end of the month.

Most of the council members who were around in February, 1975, when the mayor was first sworn in as a councilman were on hand to create a reenactment of that same meeting -- the topics of which carried a familiar ring to the issues before the present city council.

City Administrator Barbara Warren read the minutes of Moyer's first meeting back nearly 22 years ago -- and recognized an agenda that sounds like today's council business. She thought it would be fun to reenact the meeting -- with the original cast, if possible.

Those who showed up for the Saturday gathering included then Mayor George Stroat, Councilman Don Mouser (now Sisters/Camp Sherman fire chief), engineer Dick Nored, City Attorney Ron Bryant (his son, Steve, is now city attorney) and, of course, Dave Moyer.

An audience of about 30 friends of Moyer laughed at some ot the items on the 1975 agenda: A proposal seeking approval of expenditures for remodeling work at the city hall; an update on a drawn-out series of discussions on the city's comprehensive plan; the engineer's urgings to move forward on a city sewer system; concerns about a potential budget shortfall in the remaining four months of the fiscal year; plans to improve the city water system; and an item relating to providing city water to a user outside the city.

Today, the council and city officials are trying to find ways to finance the remodeling of a building donated to the city for a new city hall.

In 1975 Deschutes County had just returned the comprehensive plan to the city because proper notice had not been given on a public hearing in the matter.

On December 5, this year, the council sent a new version of the comprehensive plan back to Deschutes County for its approval. The new version will replace one adopted in 1979. The plan now in the works has been under study for about five years.

Dick Nored, of HGE Engineering of Coos Bay, warned the 1975 council that the price of a sewer system for Sisters had gone up 30 percent in the two and a half years since a sewer study had been completed. He said the costs would continue to rise and he encouraged the city to proceed with plans to construct the system.

Saturday, Nored, who drove to Sisters from Coos Bay especially for Moyer's party, told the audience that in 1975 a sewer system would have cost a total of $1.6 million with less than half a million being paid by the city. The remainder would come from grants. Today, he said, a sewer system for Sisters will cost about $12 million with the city share being about $5 million.

The city recently received $98,000 in grant money to complete the second phase of a study for a sewer system for Sisters.

Today's city council and budget committee is dealing with declining city revenues that could, without budget changes, result in a budget shortfall next year.

In 1975 the Fourth Sister Condominium developer was asking for city water and indicated he would agree to annex to the city. The development then was outside the city limits. City Attorney Ron Bryant said the development could not be annexed until the property was contiguous to the city.

He suggested that until that time the developer sign a "consent to annex" document, as a condition of getting city water. The Fourth Sister project later was annexed.

Recently, the city council obtained a consent to annex agreement with Pine Meadow Ranch Development, a project that prompted a group of citizens to collect enough signatures on an initiative petition to put a measure on the March 11, 1997, ballot to require voter approval of the extension of city services beyond the city limits.

In the past that has been done on the consent of the council.