Recycle center future debated

The Sisters Recycle Center may get a five-year lease on life.

At the close of a lively roundtable workshop discussion between Sisters city councilors and councilor-elects, the three Deschutes County Commissioners and High Country Disposal President Brad Bailey on Thursday, there was an agreement to develop a proposal that could extend the life of the Sisters Recycle Center for another five years.

Public Works Director Paul Bertagna began his review of the city's recent six-month pilot project at the recycle center by saying, "My goal is that this is the last time we talk about the recycle center for at least two years." His presentation was interrupted by councilor-elect and former mayor Brad Boyd, who offered to "cut to the bottom line."

Boyd was given the floor and his proposal, in principal, ended up with the support of all three county commissioners, and tacit vocal approval from all but two of the sitting councilors, David Asson and outgoing Mayor Lon Kellstrom .

Boyd's proposal included keeping the recycle center open seven days a week with the current 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours, eliminating the attendant (an HCD employee), retaining a $12,000-per-year subsidy from the county, and continuing the support of the city public works department for the daily opening and closing of the gates and cleanup of the area. Boyd's proposal also included a proposed 28-cent increase in HCD billing to the 1,000 city and 2,000 county HCD customers.

"We have this community asset. It is purchased and it is paid for ... we don't want to lose it," said Boyd. "The city is unwilling to pay for running the whole thing. There is value to the county and there is value to the citizens."

"Let's keep this facility open. It is to everybody's benefit," said outgoing councilor Pat Thompson.

Kellstrom disagreed, based on concerns about the estimated annual cost of the time it takes to open and close the facilities gates daily, seven days a week.

"The fact of the matter is that it (the recycle center) is an expense to the city," he said. "The taxpayers are on the hook here again for $17,000, and I don't think that works for me."

Asson, too, had cost concerns.

"The Central Oregon public is out $40,000; $17,000 from the city, $12,000 from the county and $10,000 from the public. Are we willing to pay $40,000 for this? I'd like to keep it open but I don't think that I can afford $40,000 for the pleasure of doing it," said councilor Asson.

Although there was considerable disagreement on how to calculate the total net costs of running the center, the others that spoke during the workshop expressed openness to Boyd's concept. All three county commissioners expressed support for the proposal in principle.

Commissioner Baney summarized her view: "The cost of doing business and the changes that have happened since the center was built is the rub. At the time it (the recycle center) was built there was no curbside recycling.

"This might be a good bridge ... to retain an asset and an investment that the community has made. I don't know that a recycle center will be necessary ... for the remainder of our lifetime," said Baney, "but for a five-year period it might make sense for us to move forward with a program such as this that everyone buys into. Yet, at the same time, I don't know that this is the future of where we want to go."

Last January, at the same workshop gathering, Commissioner Baney tied any future county subsidies for the recycle center to the need for Sisters to have a long-term plan for the facility. At that time both Baney and Commissioner Tony DeBone noted their concern that the situation was "...exactly where we were last year." Commissioner Alan Unger echoed the sentiment and commented on the need for Sisters to have a long-term plan for the center, including how to make the center more self-sufficient.