Treat your sweetheart to a SRMF Valentine dinner and dance concert Page 3
INSIDE THIS ISSUE SROA News.............. 4 Calendar................. 13
Public Safety............ 24 Classified Ads.......... 31
Local shares his heart transplant story; encourages others to donate Page 22
S U N R I V E R
S C E N E A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSOCIATION
FEBRUARY 2024
VOLUME XLVII • NUMBER 2
Short-term rentals: County considering concepts for business license requirement
Turn to Rental, page 3
Elk graze on the Meadows golf course in December.
Beauty and the Beast By Susan Berger, Sunriver Scene Just a few days before Christmas the golf course fairways were still a beautiful buffet of green for elk to munch and Sunriver had yet to see any substantial snow. Good for the elk, bad for the skiers. By early- to mid-January it was a different story as Old Man Winter unleashed the beast not only on Sunriver and Central Oregon, but across the state with snow and ice rain. It was a full on battle as Sunriver’s plow crews worked in 12 hour shifts
around the clock to keep roads clear. Some staff went 13 days without a day off and clocked more than 150 hours in a two week period. Sunriver’s average annual snowfall is 60 inches. This year, 58 inches fell between Jan. 4 and Jan. 16. SROA’s current plow crew is relatively green after losing 75 years of experience in the past six months. Cumulatively, SROA’s Public Works current experience totals nine years and 19 weeks – with four of the seven crew members making up the 19 weeks. During one of the plows, SROA’s
SROA grader stuck in the snow.
grader slid off Vine Maple Lane and into a tree while trying to tackle a 20-plus inch snow dump. The steep topography of the road is a challenge for any plow operator, no matter how experienced. Except for the bruised ego of the operator, there were no injuries to the operator or major damage to the grader. Aside from clearing some 100 miles of roads and pathways, parking lots, emerTurn to Beauty, page 3
Midstate customers to see rate increase in February Don’t be shocked when you open your February Midstate electric bill and notice it is higher than previous bills. Midstate recently announced it is increasing rates due to the rising cost of wholesale power and other factors. The increase will be $0.0095 per kilowatt-hour (from $0.0675 to $0.0770). A household using 1,200 kWh in a 30-day period will see a bill of $127.40 (which includes a $35 monthly facilities charge). Midstate’s power supplier, Bonneville Power Administration, announced an 18 percent increase in October. Mid-
state also has experienced price increases for essential equipment ranging from 50 to 100 percent for transformers, poles, wires, shipping and more. In a letter sent to customers, and announced in January’s Ruralite magazine, Midstate noted that the rate adjustment is “necessary to ensure we can maintain the services our members have come to expect and support ongoing enhancements to our infrastructure.” Midstate will continue to supply electricity at it's cost. As a not-for-profit utility, rates are based directly on what it costs to purchase and deliver energy.
Despite the increase, Midstate’s rates remain competitive with neighboring utility companies, both cooperative and investor owned, and continue to be wellbelow the statewide and national average for power services. Midstate offers a variety of energysaving programs to help reduce your homes energy consumption and save money. Contact Midstate to schedule a complimentary energy assessment and see which program may work for you. For more information, call 541-5362126 or visit www.midstateelectric.coop SUNRIVER SCENE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSN. VOLUME XLVII • NUMBER 2 P.O. BOX 3278 SUNRIVER, OR 97707
As a way to ensure businesses be good neighbors, Deschutes County is considering short-term rentals participate in a proposed Short-Term Rental (STR) Licensing program. The proposed county program could help protect the peace, health, safety and livability for all residents and visitors of Deschutes County. “By doing this, at least we give Deschutes County residents (living) close to rentals that their rights are being respected and their peace and quiet are being respected,” said County Commissioner Patti Adair. A short-term rental is anything occupied for up to 30 consecutive days and would include the approximately 2,400 rental units inside destination resorts, including Sunriver. Currently, there are more than 3,200 shortterm rentals within unincorporated Deschutes County. Of Sunriver’s 4,177 unit properties, approximately 35-40% are short-term rentals. The Sunriver Owners Association already has some guardrails in place regarding shortterm rentals, such as restrictions on parking and noise. “If Deschutes County is considering a short-term rental regulation program, they need a public process to include public input before putting anything into place,” said James Lewis, SROA General Manager. Any regulations will need to be thoroughly vetted and enforceable to avoid any liability issues to the county. The cost of the STR business
PRSRT STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID BEND, OR PERMIT NO. 213