News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters businesses will pay about a third of the cost of a proposed sewer system, according to the city's sewer engineering company.
Businesses and residents alike will pay for the proposed system - to be voted on in May - based on the water consumption of an "equivalent dwelling unit."
A single-family residence makes one EDU; businesses may be charged multiple EDUs according to how much water they use. Monthly fees per EDU are projected to be about $39 dollars.
Dick Nored of HGE, Inc., who is engineering the sewer system, noted in a workshop February 2 that Sisters has an unusually high proportion of commercial users compared to residents, which means that the business sector will bear about one-third of the system's cost.
Nored said that basing sewer charges on EDUs was the most equitable way of charging for the system.
Retail businesses may actually be paying for more than they use. Those businesses will pay a miniumum of one EDU - the same as a residence - whether they actually use the full amount of water or not.
Since they don't wash clothes or shower or use a dishwasher at their establishments, most retail operators don't use a full EDU.
However, retail business owners acknowledge that they will benefit from being able to offer restroom facilities for their clients. The lack of public restroom facilities for tourists and shoppers has long been a major concern to retailers in Sisters.
Allowing customers and the general public to use restrooms in businesses could raise a business' water use to or beyond a full EDU.
Installing a sewer system could clear the way in Sisters for the operation of businesses that have not been viable due to septic requirements.
According to city planner Neil Thompson, a sewer could allow industries such as plating, painting, chip manufacturing, and metal fabrication to locate in the Sisters Industrial Park.
A sewer would also allow a laundromat and make it easier for bakeries, ice cream parlors and restaurants to operate (see story this page.)
The city council is set to vote on the ballot title for a sewer bond election at their February 12 meeting.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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