News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The battle between Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) and the Cyrus family of Sisters over a power line upgrade has taken a new twist.
On Thursday, March 17, CEC filed a Measure 37 claim with Deschutes County demanding compensation for the loss of fair market value for their utility easements and improvements along the so-called Jordan Road Line.
The line runs across the property of Keith Cyrus, who has successfully fought efforts by CEC to install more and taller towers as part of an effort to upgrade the line. CEC argues that the upgrades are necessary to supply growing demand in the Sisters area.
The Cyruses argue that the towers would damage views from the property, which could be available fordevelopment.
Deschutes County recently ruled against CEC’s right to change the towers.
In its claim, CEC demands compensation of “approximately $7.9 million or waiver of regulations to allow for upgrade of the Jordan Road transmission line.”
“I’m glad they put a value on it,” Keith Cyrus said on Saturday. “It kind of gives us an idea what our contribution has been.”
The Measure 37 claim was no surprise to Cyrus, who recently filed a claim of his own (see story, page 1).
“It’s kind of been considered that this might be an option for them (CEC),” he said. “Some people think it’ll work, some don’t.”
Nothing is likely to work very fast regarding any Measure 37 claim. Counties are being slow to take final action on claims until the legislature acts to clarify what many consider to be ambiguities in the law.
At a town hall meeting in Sisters on Saturday, Senator Ben Westlund told the audience that the legislature is considering in particular the question of whether Measure 37 standing is “transferable” from one property owner to another.
Westlund said Measure 37 questions will be addressed this session, but he could not give a specific timeline.
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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