City Council adopts camping ordinance

The Sisters City Council moved forward with adopting the ordinance to establish camping regulations and a camping removal policy within the City of Sisters at their June 14 meeting.

With a second reading of the ordinance, Council voted to establish the camping regulations.

The purpose of the camping ordinance is to create some sort of boundary regarding camping on public property. Situations will be handled according to these regulations, and at the discretion of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Sisters.

The regulations provide framework for what the City can do with campers on public property and provides a removal policy if removal becomes necessary. With an increase in people entering the area for the summer, it is important to the City to have some boundaries in place for public camping.

There were no further deliberations or discussion amongst the Council during the second reading, and City staff and the city attorney will move forward with establishing the camping regulations and removal policy.

In other business, three more public hearings were held allowing for more amendments and ordinances to be added to the master plan.

Public Works Director Paul Bertagna presented to Council about amendments to the Sisters Water Master Plan (WMP) to align capital facilities planning with the current population forecast — which means that the Water Master Plan accounts for higher population numbers.

This WMP update focuses on the City’s water system components, including the water supply, treatment, storage, and distribution systems. This WMP update includes an analysis of the existing systems and their performance, an evaluation of system needs and improvement alternatives, and a summary of the City’s current water improvements’ financial status and potential funding opportunities for improvements.

City Council voted unanimously to adopt the amendments to the WMP.

Similarly, they approved an ordinance adopting amendments to the Sisters Wastewater Facilities Plan to also align with capital facilities planning for future population numbers.

City Council also approved a resolution adopting the fiscal year 2023/2024 budget and appropriating the funds required to cover personnel costs, etc.

The City of Sisters will accept grant funds for the community wildfire risk reduction program.

City staff applied for the grant in January and was awarded the funds to continue with wildfire mitigation efforts such as fuel reduction and other community resiliency projects.