Citizen promotes downtown flag display

Bob Buckmann offered a "patriotic proposal" to the Sisters City Council to put up American flags on the light poles through Sisters similar to the display along the streets of Redmond.

Buckmann made his proposal at the city council meeting Thursday, April 10.

The effort would be run as an "adopt-a-flag" program. Businesses or families would donate money for a flag to be put up in their name in town.

The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce indicated they would be willing to sell the flags.

Buckmann said there are many who are already interested in being a donor.

The flags would cost $35 to $40. Buckmann suggested that a plaque or embroidery on the flag with the donor's name or business might be appropriate.

"Certainly this is the time to support what's going on," Buckmann said.

Eileen Stein, the City Administrator, will run this project through the processes before it is put into effect.

In other business, Deschutes County Sheriff's Lt. Marc Mills commented on his disappointment with the response time to a burglary at The Gallery Restaurant last week.

"The response time to Sisters should not have been one hour and four minutes," Mills said. "That is going to be fixed."

Deschutes County is 3,000 square miles. Non-emergency response time averages 18 minutes while emergency response times average 10 minutes.

The deputy responding to the call was coming from the west end of Redmond at the time of a shift change.

Mills is researching what happened on the morning of the burglary and will report to the city any more information.

Stein reported that the city would contribute to repair the Village Green lawn damaged by festival tents.

Upcoming events may also be charged $1,200 to $1,500 to keep up the condition of the grass, she said.

Stein also said that Barclay Park construction is underway. Restrooms are in place and the Environmental Education class at Sisters High School will assist in landscaping.

Stein attended Dorothy Barclay's Memorial Service and said rather than having flowers at the service, the family decided to donate to the project instead.

Lastly, councilors agreed to a resolution increasing electrical and manufactured home placement fees due to a rise in the cost of performing inspections. The total increase for a manufactured home would be about $75, said Jason Bush of the county building department.