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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2020)
4 Wednesday, May 13, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon City to address reopening steps Sisters may be able to begin <reopening= by degrees soon, as Deschutes County enters Phase I, according to the State of Oregon9s template. On May 6, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners approved and submitted the County9s reopening plan to the Governor. On May 7, the State finalized guidance for specific sectors to reopen if their County has been approved to move into Phase I reopening. If approved, the County would be able to move into Phase I no earlier than May 15. After 21 days in Phase I, counties continuing to meet the prerequisites may be able to enter Phase II. The goal is to further expand gathering size, allow some office work, and begin to allow visitation to congre- gate care. Governor Brown stated that Phase III concerts, conventions, festivals, and live audience sports will not resume until a reliable treatment or prevention for COVID-19 is available. It is unknown at this time when this will be. Therefore, their recommendation is that all large gatherings should be canceled or significantly modified through at least September (see related story, page 7). Further guidance on large gatherings scheduled for later in the fall will be pro- vided this summer. In materials provided on the City of Sisters web- site in preparation for the City Council9s Wednesday, May 13 workshop, the City reports that: <There is a coordinated understanding between local governments and chambers of commerce/visitor9s cen- ters that now is not the time to be encouraging tour- ism activity. The focus for now should be on shop- local initiatives and those within Central Oregon. Nonetheless, visitors will come to Central Oregon and Sisters 4 that is largely out- side of our control.= Going into the workshop, City staff provided a series of staff recommendations for Council consideration: Staff recommends that City Hall remain closed to the public with a reopening date yet to be determined. When City Hall reopens staff recommends additional safety measures for distanc- ing and sanitation. Creekside Campground is recommended for opening after Memorial Day, subject to State and County restric- tions. Staff has prepared a campground reopening plan for the Council with safety measures included. The City9s recycling cen- ter could reopen on May 18 with additional safety mea- sures in place. The City of Sisters reports that staff is actively work- ing with a variety of inter- est groups in its response to COVID-19. This includes proactive outreach and fol- low-up with: " Medium, large, and City-wide event applicants to learn what their plans are regarding moving forward or not with their event, and to inquire about how the City can assist if needed. " Other municipalities and event organizers throughout Deschutes County to learn how they are approaching their safety plans. " Researching what ser- vices Deschutes County Environmental Health can provide small municipalities who do not have the profes- sional expertise to review and confirm compliance with COVID-19 protocols. In addition, the City is consistently working to secure products such as por- table hand-washing stations, protective face masks, and hand sanitizer. The procure- ment of those are for the downtown area and public spaces, regardless of pub- lic events while providing for and encouraging safety measures. <These products are in very high demand and require consistent follow up with distributors to even- tually secure a quantity for measured use over an extended period of time,= the City reports. <The goal being by the time the City is permitted to open and return to some level of activity we will have enough product on-hand to assist the com- munity and staff.= The City is also consid- ering allowing businesses to use public right-of-way for seating to comply with distancing guidelines, and offering business license fee relief. All of these topics will be discussed at the Wednesday, May 13, workshop at 5 p.m. (see agenda, page 5). To access meeting information, visit https://www.ci.sisters. or.us. Sisters City Situation Report By Cory Misley City Manager The State of Oregon has received a Deschutes County plan for reopening of the regional economy and entering Phase One. As we head towards that date, per- haps as soon as Friday, May 15, pending State approval, the City of Sisters is brain- storming ways to continue to support our business community through these tough times. City Council members made phone calls to doz- ens of retail, restaurant, and personal service busi- nesses to hear how they were holding up and gather information on how the City could help. The resolve and resiliency of our local businesses is inspiring. We know reopening is critical to keeping businesses alive, people employed, and the vibrancy of Sisters. The City cares about all of our local businesses. It will truly be a test of our balance to maintain public health and prosperity for the foreseeable future. The key ways of preventing COVID-19 are simple 3 yet easier said than done. Some of the guidelines from the State will be challenging for businesses to implement and cut into revenues. The City is identifying and exploring ways that we can support local businesses achieve this balance. We must do that for residents and visitors alike. Summer is right around the corner and we hope to have sev- eral options rolled out come June. Many of these options will be an experiment as we are in uncharted waters. If you have ideas, please con- tact us and share so we can explore if they are feasible and can be implemented. Many updates and top- ics related to COVID-19 are scheduled for Council dis- cussion on the May 13 meet- ing. The agenda and packet information can be found at www.ci.sisters.or.us under <Upcoming Events.= As always, we encourage you to review the materials, participate in the meetings, and share your comments. Thank you for your con- tinued patience and perse- verance through these trying times. Learn more at www.ci.sisters.or.us Spri ng Cleaning! 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