City snapshot

• On Wednesday, October 18, 5:30 to 7 p.m. at City Hall, the public will hear the results of the water and wastewater rate study recently completed by the FCS Group. Attendees will be welcomed by City Manager Brant Kucera and be able to ask questions of the professionals who conducted the study. The question of rate changes is a can that has been kicked down the road by numerous city councils, and it was time to conduct a formal study to determine if the rates are fair and equitable for all consumers - residential and commercial - and if the rates charged are adequately covering the cost of providing water and sewer services to the city.

• The inaugural 60+ Senior Health Fair will be held at Sisters Park & Recreation District on Friday, October 20, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Presented by SPRD, Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD, and Central Oregon Council on Aging, the fair will include many local service providers offering a wide variety of services free of charge. Seniors 60+ will be able to receive flu shots, health screenings of all types, tire pressure checks, hearing and dental checks; free lunch vouchers for the Tuesday senior lunch, SPRD exercise class passes, and smoothies and trail mix.

• Sisters Country has an opportunity to thank all the firefighters who worked for weeks to fight the 24,000-acre Milli Fire that struck the Sisters Ranger District in August and September. On Sunday, October 22, 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Village Green Park, the community will gather to collect drawings, messages, cards, and paintings to be sent to the agencies from across the state and the nation who came to Sisters' aid.

Local choirs will be providing music. In the schools, students have been creating thank-you art. Bring your own thank-yous, and your favorite dessert to share; utensils and plates will be provided. Volunteers will serve attending community members, firefighters, cooperating agency personnel, and public safety workers. All ages are welcome.

• Sisters City Council approved the release of a request for proposals (RFP) to secure professional facilitators for the upcoming visioning process. Interviews should occur in mid-November with a proposal back to the Council by the end of November. The entire visioning process is estimated to take about a year. There will be a number of opportunities for citizens of Sisters Country (within the Sisters School District boundary) to participate.

• The restroom at the East Portal of the Highway 242 Scenic Byway is now closed for the winter.

• The City of Sisters will be receiving approximately $6,800 in state shared revenue from the tax on marijuana sales for the first half of 2017, even though there are no marijuana outlets in town. Unless an establishment were to open in Sisters, no more shared revenue will be coming to the City after this initial disbursement.

• The City wants to remind all residents that to help prevent car break-ins: Be sure automobiles and trucks sitting out are locked and never leave valuables in the vehicle.

• Although on the surface things appear to be booming in Central Oregon, Sisters City Manager Brant Kucera reported to City Council that at a recent meeting he attended, there was talk of several potential problems percolating behind the scenes. St. Charles Medical Center is looking at having to cut some services and increase costs for other services. Utility companies are possibly facing the need to cut back on available power to the area. Because of the high cost for housing in the area, Central Oregon is losing employees who can't afford to live here, negatively impacting businesses.