Can City's campground stay open all year?

In a recent letter to the editor, an inquiry was made regarding the possibility of keeping the Creekside Campground open during the winter months to accommodate people who are unable to find housing in Sisters but want to live in the city, utilizing RVs and trailers.

In an attempt to provide answers to that question, The Nugget spoke with Public Works Director Paul Bertagna. He said the very first thing that would be required when investigating the possibility of having the campground open year-round would be a reading of the campground master plan to ascertain the original ground rules put forth when the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation ceded the campground to the City.

If year-round use was approved, the issue would then need to go before the City Parks Advisory Board, the public body that makes all recommendations to the City Council regarding issues having to do with parks within the city limits.

Provided the Parks Board agreed to consider the issue, a series of public hearings would be held to hear from the citizens, much like the public input prior to the recent changes and improvements made within the campground. Following hearings and deliberation, if required, the Parks Board would forward their recommendation to the City Council, who would make the final decision.

One major consideration would be the annual practice each winter of blowing out all the water lines and shutting off the water within the campground to avoid water freezing in the pipes and causing breakage and leaks.

"It would require a lot of work and materials to maintain the water supply, including wrapping all the pipes with heat tape," according to Bertagna.

The campground bathroom also requires winterizing, and this coming winter the existing bathroom is scheduled to be replaced, which means work will be ongoing through the winter.

"Staff will do whatever we are directed to do. We carry out the orders provided to us by the Parks Board and the City Council," said Bertagna.