City snapshot

•?The Community Development Department has received notification from Hayden Homes of their intention to proceed with the infrastructure installation for Phase 1 of the McKenzie Meadow Village project on McKinney Butte Road.

•?The City recently received notification that Sisters has been awarded a matching grant from Oregon Parks and Recreation Department in the amount of $73,600 to help cover the cost of a new play structure for Village Green Park to replace the existing structure, which is not ADA-compliant and lacks some newer safety features.

•?Sisters is featured in the September 18, 2019 issue of Cascade Business News. There are front page and feature stories on the town, five enterprising Sisters business women, the Fresh Hop Festival, 10 fun things to do in Sisters in the fall and winter, the Seed to Table program, the Sisters Country Vision, and Splitting Aces farm-to-table ranch raising grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork, and free-range poultry.

•?The City Council and the Board of Deschutes County Commissioners will hold a joint meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, October 22, at 5 p.m. Items to be discussed include: planning for wildfire; development topics including long- and short-range land use, urban growth boundary, a new comprehensive plan, and the USFS property; and the results and implementation of the Sisters Country Vision. The meeting is open to the public.

•?The Planning Commission and Housing Policy Advisory Board will hold a joint meeting on Thursday, October 17, 4 p.m., at City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.

•?The City issued administrative approval for the Dollar General project planned for the empty lot to the west of Bi-Mart. The project met all the necessary code requirements for the highway commercial zone.

•?The camp hosts at Creekside Campground are done for the season. The campground will remain open for the month of October, closing for the year on November 2. The park closes for the winter, with restrooms being winterized to prevent frozen pipes. It reopens for the 2020 camping season in the spring. Online reservations start being taken in January 2020.

•?Councilor Andrea Blum announced plans are in the works for additions to the Cascades East Transit bus routes in Sisters, with proposed Saturday service. The Dial-a-Ride bus will be available another day in addition to Tuesdays.

•?Preliminary results of the recently completed Public Safety Survey were shared by City Manager Cory Misley with the City Council at their September 25 workshop. Over 600 citizens responded to the survey, which is a good rate of return. Final results and analysis will be ready for the public sometime in October.

•?City staff is looking into streamlining the recruitment and appointment process and time frame for all City boards, commissions, and committees to once a year. The current process is unwieldy and time-consuming, with various terms and expiration/appointment dates throughout the year, making it difficult to be sure all new members receive adequate training at the beginning of their terms. City Manager Cory Misley will be visiting each appointed group to explain the new process and the time schedule for the changeover.