On November 29 the City Council authorized staff to move forward with exploring an amendment to the City's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). The Council's decision follows several years of studies and updates to the city's growth plans including the City's Comprehensive Plan, Housing Needs Analysis, and UGB sufficiency report.

The UGB amendment process will take 24 months and include substantial community involvement and review, a robust evaluation of the possible expansion areas, and conducting public hearings. Amending a UGB is only the first step in adding land for the city's long term growth plans. Individual property owners then must also apply to annex to the City in order for any development to occur in the expansion areas.

To begin this work, staff work with a qualified consulting firm to help prepare the study and develop the public engagement plan. In the meantime, learn more about the city's growth management, urban growth boundaries, and the UGB expansion process on the city's website.

Wildfire Resiliency Updates

Sisters is situated in a high-risk wildfire area, with its unique geography and climate making it susceptible to wildfire events. Factors such as dry vegetation, strong winds, and increasing trends in hot and dry weather conditions have made our town increasingly vulnerable to wildfires.

To help address the risks and mitigate the impacts of wildfire in our city, the City Council adopted a goal to work toward updating the city's defensible space and structural hardening requirements through the Sisters Development Code.

1. Defensible Spaces: Establishing buffers between buildings and vegetated landscape that surround them through strategies such as limbing and spacing trees, use of fire-resistant plants, and keeping combustibles separated from buildings.
2. Structural Hardening: Adopting building codes to make a building more resistant to damage from a wildfire. This includes siding and roofing materials, fire resistant windows, ventilation, and decking and fencing materials.

The City Council held a work session on November 29 to review options and prioritize the code amendments. Over the next few months staff will be working with experts from Sisters Camp Sherman Fire District and State Fire Marshall's office to draft regulations for the Council's review.

Affordable Housing Grant Program

The city recognizes the need to ensure that our residents of all income, ages, and needs have access to a variety of quality and affordable housing types. In 2019, the City established the Affordable Housing Grant Program which provides eligible agencies and developers with grant or loan funds to build affordable housing for low and moderate-income individuals. The program is funded through a share of the Transient Lodging Tax paid for by visitors to Sisters. Interested parties can apply for the program between January 2, 2024, and March 1, 2024. Additional details are available on our website.

Since the fund was established in 2020, Sisters Habitat for Humanity has been a recipient of over $56,000 in grants for two projects. Other notable affordable housing projects the city has supported include $300,000 to help build the Ponderosa Heights apartments and committing $500,000 of American Rescue Act Funds to a 40 unit affordable housing apartment complex being developed by Northwest Housing Alternatives.

Let's Keep Wildlife Wild

It is important to resist the urge to feed deer in the winter. Providing supplemental food for deer is not in their best interest, as their activity, movement, and feeding naturally decrease in the winter.

Deer utilize their body fat and browse on natural available vegetation. Changes in diet caused by the introduction of rich, unnatural foods during this season can cause disruption in the microorganisms of the digestive system. Even hay can cause problems in a digestive tract that has geared down for the winter. Supplemental feeding of deer may actually decrease their chance of survival. Encouraging deer to congregate in unusually high numbers at a feeding area also makes them more vulnerable to predators and at risk for the spread of disease. 

You can find more information here: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Did you know?

Sisters’ incorporation was not all smooth sailing...

In 1946, approximately 20% of eligible voters signed a petition to get the incorporation of the City of Sisters on the ballot; and the yes votes were almost two to one (115 votes in favor and 61 votes against). On June 11, 1946, an election was held to elect the five councilors. The first official meeting was held at Sisters High School on June 25, and the hard work of gathering the necessary ingredients to make a city work began. However, before the ink was dry, Pete Leithauser requested permission to circulate a petition to disincorporate the city which was granted by the Council. On October 10th, a signed petition was presented to Council by Pete Leithauser to disincorporate the City.

At the October 24 meeting, after review by legal counsel, Mayor Earl Russell read a letter he had written to Mr. Leithauser wherein he stated “that since the City of Sisters had warranted indebtedness at this time and since there is a State Law which precludes the dissolving of a corporation while it is in debt, the measure could not therefore be placed on the ballot at this time. The petition was therefore returned to Mr. Leithauser.” No further mention of this issue was reported in the

minutes. However, Mr. Leithauser must have gained confidence in the new city, because in 1950 he expanded his family’s grocery business and added a variety store and barbershop to their modern supermarket (now the Habitat Thrift store). 

Upcoming Public Meetings

Stay informed by attending or viewing public city meetings!

• City Council Workshop and Meeting, January 10, 2024, 5:30 p.m.

View the public meeting calendar, watch prior meetings, and access meeting information at https://www.ci.sisters.or.us/meetings.

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