The nugget., May 25, 2016, Page 27, Image 27

Wednesday, May 25, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
OUR DRINKING WATER QUALITY
TOLLGATE WATER COMPANY 2015
SDCs for parks will increase
By Sue Stafford
Correspondent
Parks
System
Development Charges
(SDCs) will be increased
from $613 per new residen-
tial unit to $1,193 per new
residential unit and new lodg-
ing unit, effective July 1,
2016.
City staff, working over
the past 10 months with the
City Parks Advisory Board
(PAB) and Sisters City
Council, prepared an update
to the existing City Parks
Master Plan (PMP), projects
of which are supported by
SDCs.
Since the PMP’s 2011
adoption, numerous park
improvement projects have
been completed (construction
of Fir Street Park, improve-
ments to Village Green,
Creekside Campground and
Clemens Park) and addi-
tional land use approvals
have occurred, necessitating
the need for an updated PMP
and Parks Facilities Capital
Improvement Plan (CIP).
The update makes the
five-year-old plan relevant
until an entirely new MP can
be created in 2020 using new
census data. The CIP con-
tained in the update addresses
improvements between 2016-
2036 with a total cost of
$2.04 million.
Following approval of the
update to the PMP (except
for the SDCs), Council con-
sidered a resolution adopting
revisions to the park SDCs
to cover the projected cost of
future capital improvements
through 2036 as outlined in
the PMP.
Currently, park SDCs are
only charged on residential
dwelling units. Staff and the
PAB proposed the addition
of lodging units to the SDC
requirements to make the
charges more equitable. Many
visitors to Sisters make use of
the parks. Improvements to
accessibility and restrooms
help attract those visitors as
well as serve the citizens of
Sisters. If new lodging units
were not included in the cal-
culations, builders of residen-
tial units would be required to
pay $1,310 per dwelling unit.
Notification of the pro-
posed increase was sent
to the Central Oregon
Builders Association and
over 20 builders and con-
tractors known to do busi-
ness in Sisters. No negative
responses to the proposal
were received.
Even with the increase,
Sisters will still have the low-
est park SDCs in the area,
compared to other Central
Oregon municipalities. For
example, Bend charges
$4,049 per dwelling unit for
apartments and $4,382 per
dwelling unit for all others
and $1,754 per lodging unit.
Prineville charges $1,887
per DU for single family and
duplex, Redmond $2,672,
whereas Madras’s equivalent
dwelling unit $1,775 applies
to all development types,
including commercial.
In response to an inquiry
from Councilor Nancy
Connolly, community devel-
opment director Patrick
Davenport said that during
any annexation of property
into the urban growth bound-
ary, the City has the oppor-
tunity to secure dedicated
parkland. He also pointed out
that Sisters is surrounded by
national forest land, making
the amount of available land
for recreation significantly
larger than other small cities
in the valley.
Developer
Steve
McGhehey, who was involved
in the Clemens Park donation
to the City, spoke in favor of
the increased SDC fees and
the inclusion of lodging units
in the changes.
“Developers shouldn’t try
to transfer some cost of the
park (being donated) onto
the City. It’s a development
cost,” he said.
Local citizen Mike
Morgan urged Council to
measure the utilization of cur-
rent parks, before considering
creating any additional parks.
“Current parks are not
used to capacity other than for
organized events,” Morgan
opined.
Councilor Andrea Blum
pointed out the City charter
requires that the SDC fees
cover the actual costs. With
the proposed SDC increase
and inclusion of lodging
units, that $2.04 million esti-
mate would be covered.
Mayor Chris Frye had
mixed feelings, realiz-
ing that the fees need to be
increased to keep pace with
park expenses, but was con-
cerned about “the double hit”
to lodging owners with the
increased transient room tax
and the new SDC fees com-
ing online at the same time.
Councilor David Asson
said he “reluctantly would
vote for the resolution.”
The updated PMP and the
revisions to the parks SDC
fees were both approved
by Council with unani-
mous votes, 4-0. Councilor
Amy Burgstahler was not in
attendance.
FAMILY CARE
Children to the Elderly
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WALK-IN • URGENT CARE• OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE
Federal and state agencies require each community water system to provide
an annual Consumer Confi dence Report (CCR) to each customer. This is Tollgate
Water Company’s (TWC) 2015 report.
Where does my water come from?
TGW’s water is derived from two wells, which pump from a ground water
aquifer. One well is located at the east end of Wagon Wheel in section 5. The other
is located just north of the fi re substation.
Source water assessment and its availability
The 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act require all states to
conduct Source Water Assessments for public water systems within their boundar-
ies. The assessments consist of (1) identifi cation of the Drinking Water Protection
Area, i.e., the area at the surface that is directly above that part of the aquifer that
supplies water to our wells, (2) identifi cation of the potential sources of pollution
within the Drinking Water Protection Area, and (3) determination of the suscepti-
bility or relative risk to the well water from those pollution sources. The purpose of
the assessment is to provide water systems with the information needed to develop
a strategy to protect the drinking water resource. The respective Drinking Water
Programs of the Department of Human Services and Environmental Quality have
completed the assessment for Tollgate’s wells. A copy of the report is on fi le at the
water system’s offi ce.
Why are there contaminants in drinking water?
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain
at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does
not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about con-
taminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental
Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791
Is my water safe?
Last year, 2015, as in years past, your tap water met all U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and state drinking water health standards. Tollgate Water Com-
pany is proud to report that our system has not violated a maximum contamination
level or any other water quality standard. Not all contaminants are tested annually.
For those, which are not tested annually, the most recent sampling results occurring
in the last fi ve years must be reported, if the contaminant was present.
To help you understand terms and abbreviations found in Table One the follow-
ing defi nitions are provided:
Parts per million (PPM) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) – one part per million cor-
responds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000..
Maximum Contamination Level – the “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) is the
highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as
close to MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Maximum Contamination Level Goal – the “Goal” (MCLG) is the level of a
contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to
health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/l) – a measure of radioactivity.
Health effects
Some people who drink water containing fl uoride in excess of the MCL over
many years could develop bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the
bones. Fluoride in drinking water at half the MCL or more may cause mottling of
children’s teeth, usually in children less than nine years old. Mottling also known
as dental fl uorosis, may include brown staining and/or pitting of the teeth, and oc-
curs only in developing teeth before they erupt from the gums.
Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action
level (Action level is the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, trig-
gers treatment or other requirements which a water company must follow. Action
level for lead and copper are the same as their respective MCLs) could experience
delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight defi -
cits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many
years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.
Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing
copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could
experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing
copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney
damage. People with Wilson’s disease should consult their personal doctor.
Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrite in ex-
cess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms
include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome.
Some people who consume water containing alpha emitters or radium in ex-
cess of the MCLs over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
Do I need to take special precautions?
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the
general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer
undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people
with HIV/Aids or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can
be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about
drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryp-
tosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water
Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791).
How can I get involved?
Your continued cooperation in such programs as the cross connection program
helps insure the quality of our water. If you have questions about the water system or
the quality of your water, call Betty Fadeley at 541-549-7962 or Lynn Lounsbury at
541-419-9593, or attend water board meetings, which are held the fourth Tuesday of
January, April, July, and October in the Tollgate Recreation Hall at 7:00 p.m.
Malcolm Murphy
Board Chair
Lynn Lounsbury
Distribution Manager