City snapshot

- Lt. Chad Davis of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reports his officers have made several mental health calls, transferring people to the stabilization center in Bend for help. They have also conducted a warrant sweep, resulting in several arrests. The Sisters substation is being updated to create an additional office, shower, a briefing/interview room, and provide safety upgrades.

In a response to a city councilor’s question regarding regulations for the new electric “one-wheelers,” Davis said they can travel up to 30 mph. Their regulations are like those for bicycles. Because they are motorized, they are not allowed on the Peterson Ridge Trail.

- Jon Stark, CEO of Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO), in his report to the City Council, announced that a hotel is coming to the Redmond airport. There is a van pool from Prineville that travels through Redmond to Sisters for employees working in Sisters. He also mentioned that Sisters Meat and Smokehouse has plans to expand. If Facebook and Google are taken out of the equation, there are more tech companies in Sisters than elsewhere in Central Oregon. Stark also said they are planning another Sisters Pub Talk and possibly a Made in Sisters tour to raise awareness and encourage EDCO membership.

Eric Strobel, the EDCO Sisters Country associate director, indicated he is doing work behind the scenes regarding land use, childcare, non-traded-sector business development, and affordable/workforce housing, all of which help attract business to Sisters.

- City Manager Cory Misley presented a review of the grant agreement and memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the destination management organization (DMO) Explore Sisters and the City of Sisters for the first three years of operation.

Explore Sisters will receive $100,000 for setting up the DMO and $350,000 for their first year.

The MOU is for three years with two one-year extensions.

Years two and three, the DMO will receive 33 percent of the transient lodging tax (TLT) which must go toward tourism.

It is projected the TLT will continue to increase annually, so the yearly amount should increase from the first year’s $350,000.

The agreement can be amended at any time, but Misley thinks “it is good enough to get started.”

- New school zone signage was installed prior to the opening of school in all three school zones.

- The Sisters School District has decided not to open the new elementary school mid-year so it will be opened for Fall 2024. Due to a tight budget, the playground equipment at the old school will be repurposed for the new school.

- There will be a joint meeting of the City Council and the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday, October 26 at Sisters City Hall. The public is welcome to attend.

- Hours that City Hall is now open are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday -Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to noon on Friday.

- The City has taken possession of the corner Tract A of Sisters Woodlands, owned by PX2 Investments LLC, and located on the northeast corner of U.S. 20 and Barclay Drive, for eventual development of a public park.

- Fuel reduction work has been conducted at the East Portal by a Deschutes County inmate crew and along South Locust Street from Coyote Springs to the gate at the City yard, a 250- to 300-foot strip, by a Heart of Oregon crew.