For operations decisions, something must be done to keep plant and equipment operational and the required action will typically have money implications, e.g., do we need to buy a new truck, add additional staff, increase rates, etc.

For these decisions, our campaign principle was to bring sound financial planning and management that is consistent with our fiduciary responsibility.   For operational decisions with money implications, our intent is to keep you informed of the issue, what we are doing about it and the rationale for it. 

Recent and upcoming Operational Decisions

1. Communication about Rate Increases:  You have recently received (or will receive) a letter from Bill Campbell (President of Water Board) and Casey Short (President of Sanitary Board) about the annual rate increases that are projected for the next 9 years.   These rate increases were an operational decision by the previous Board based upon the recommendation by the Budget Committee. Given the Engineer’s report about the cost of the maintenance and the capital improvements that had been deferred over the past number of years, we agree about the need for rate increases and think that you need to know about them.  (Click here for letter)

b. Project Planning and Resource Implications:  In working with Matt Gardner (District Manager), we are also becoming acutely aware of the impact of not keeping up with the maintenance and upgrades of District Plant and Equipment over the past 6 years, especially since the Plant is aging (almost 25 years).  Staff is pretty much in “react” mode.  Keeping up with ongoing operations and preventive maintenance, along with all the deferred maintenance, capital improvement projects and new state mandated projects is a huge and unrealistic lift.  By the November Board Meeting, we should have a pretty good handle on all the projects that have to get done and the resources that will be required to do them.   We will keep you updated as to what we find.

For Policy decisions, there is typically an optional new business opportunity for the District or a change in the current business or business practices;  e.g., do we change how rate payers are charged for water lost from leaks, should billing be monthly rather than quarterly,  what public access and recreational activities should be allowed in the Forest.

For these decisions, our campaign principle was to make transparent decisions that are informed through community outreach.   Our responsibility is to: a) give you the information you need to determine what fits right for you / your economic situation / your values, b) give you a process for letting us know what you would like, and c) listen to your voice, via comments or a survey, and make decisions based upon the interest of the majority in conjunction with other factors, such as contractual obligations.

Upcoming Policy Decisions

1. Public Access & Recreation in the Forest: We appreciate that this topic is of keen interest to a large portion of the Arch Cape Community.  A Proposed Policy was recommended to the Board that reflected the interest of 146 survey respondents. Public Comments on that Proposed Policy were requested.  During this past month, Public Comments pertaining to 7 Subject Areas of the Policy were received from 8 rate payers, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and 3 hunters that are not Arch Cape ratepayers. (Click here to view the comments).

These comments can be summarized as follows:

• Don’t allow hunting for bear and cougar
• Require dog owners to pack out dog waste
• Require dog owners to keep dogs on leash
• Allow access to Onion Peak Repeater radio site for routine and emergency maintenance
• Allow public access, hunting and recreation in the Source Water Protection Area

Some of the comments were echoed at Thursday’s nights Board meeting.

• Bear and Cougar Hunting: From Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW’s) perspective, hunting is the only way to proactively manage the population of bears and cougars. With the escalation they are seeing in the bear and cougar populations, ODFW is concerned about the consequences to residential areas of not controlling those populations. As more forest landowners prohibit bear and cougar hunting, ODFW’s ability to manage the populations is limited. So ODFW encourages all land owners, including our District, to allow those animals to be hunted.

• Dear and Elk Hunting within the Source Water Protection Area: From the hunters perspective, they have had historical access to entire Arch Cape Forest and they don’t see hunting as negatively impacting the source water. “It’s always been this way – why change it?” Also from their perspective, the District was awarded the $3.5 million grant to purchase the Forest, based upon a condition that deer and elk hunting would be allowed. The hunters also expressed strong support for NOT promoting or publicizing the Forest in any way.

The Board’s approach for making these and other Policy decisions, wherever possible, is to be guided by the interest of the majority of Arch Cape rate payers, as voiced on Community surveys and in Public Comments, as you are the ones who are carrying the financial burden of ongoing operations costs of the Forest into perpetuity.

The Board would welcome input from Arch Cape rate payers and lot owners on any of the 5 subject areas outlined above, and specifically on the following: 1) Are you in favor of allowing bear and cougar hunting? Why or Why Not? 2) Are you in favor of allowing deer and elk hunting within the Source Water Protection Area? Why or Why Not? PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT and send an email with your perspective on these subjects by clicking here. It will help the Board in their deliberations.

The Board’s process to evaluate and adopt a Public Access & Recreation Policy will likely take 2-3 months.  We will keep you updated. 

2. Managing and Paying for the Arch Cape Forest:  Due to the very recent work of the Finance Committee and Forest Management Committee, we are getting a handle on what it will take to manage / operate the Forest, what it is likely to cost and what are a couple of alternatives for how the District might pay for those costs.  At the Board meeting, the Finance Committee briefed the Board on the ‘Watershed – Assessment of Operational Needs and Payment Options’. This briefing will also be given to the Community on the below dates and venues.

The briefing of the Community will have two purposes; a) to educate / inform the Community about what we have learned and b) to begin the conversation about how the District will pay for the ongoing costs. 

The good news is that no decisions are required right away.  There are a series of decision points in our future, but the first one is still 12-18 months away.