AN EDITION OF
Bandon
WESTERN WORLD Thursday, October 2, 2014
theworldlink.com/bandon ♦ $1.00
Quilt winner:
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Inside this edition:
Quilting for charity, see page A2 for the full story
Tigers win races, see page A10 for the full story
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Bandon Police Log. . . . . . . . A3 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4
Arts and Entertainment . . . A5 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2
Bandon city manager receives award EUGENE — The League of Oregon Cities’ prestigious Herman Kehrli Award was presented to Bandon City Manager Matt Winkel during the League’s 89th Annual Conference last weekend at the Hilton Eugene. The award is given to a city employee who has made exceptional contributions to city government in Oregon, producing lasting benefits for their community, according to a press release from the LOC. Winkel was hired by the Bandon City Council in 1994.
“His strong belief in fiscal responsibility and accountability is almost unmatched in my experience.” — City Attorney Fred Carleton
He started his civic service career with the city of Phoenix, Ariz., and later served as community development director and city manager for the city of Williams, Ariz. Over Winkel’s 20-year tenure in Bandon, the list of city
achievements has been numerous. Today, all city streets are now paved, compared to 12 years ago, when only half were paved. In addition, the community now has sidewalks, walking paths, broadband services, and
a recently added charging station for electric vehicles. A theater, a remodeled community and senior center, a new cheese factory and a library are some of the other amenities added during Winkel’s tenure. Even Bandon City Hall, once
described by residents as “tired and dated,” is now referred to as “retro and sharp.” Endorsing Winkel for the award, a colleague described him as “fiercely loyal to the concept of government officials being responsible to the taxpayer.” “Matt skillfully guided the City Council and managed the employees to achieve the success that Bandon has enjoyed,” said resident Bill Russell. “He quickly understood, accepted
■ See Winkel, A6
Utility ballot measure questions Bandon Western World
BANDON — Registered Bandon voters will soon be receiving mail-in ballots for the Nov. 4 election. Measure 6-150 has been placed on the ballot by the City Council as a referral for Bandon voters to decide whether the City Charter should be amended to provide limited authority for the council to set utility rates. As a public service, the Bandon Water Resource Committee and the Committee for Citizen Involvement provided a copy of the ballot measure and answers to frequently asked questions, to inform the voters regarding the proposed measure. 1. What would this ballot measure do? The ballot measure would amend the City Charter to authorize the City Council to increase water, sewer, and/or electric rates no more than 5 percent each year. 2. Where did the idea for this ballot measure come from? The proposal originated with the Water Resource Committee, which is a standing committee consisting of seven residents from the Bandon area who are appointed to “plan for, and advise the Mayor and City Council and City Manager on water quality, supply, resources and watershed protection issues.” 3. When was the last time Bandon’s utility rates were increased? Water rates were last increased in 2007. Sewer rates were last increased in 2011. Electric rates were last increased in 2014. 4. How much would this measure increase my utility bills? The ballot measure itself would not increase utility rates, but would authorize the City Council to do so in an amount no greater than 5 percent per year. The impact would depend on whether the customer was inside or outside the city, and which services (electric, water and/or sewer) the customer was receiving. The simplest way to determine the maximum impact on any monthly bill, including the city’s 10 percent tax, would be to take the total amount of that bill, subtract the voluntary programs (low-income “round-up” contribution, fireworks donation and backflow device testing) if you are participating in any of those programs, and multiply the remaining amount by 5 percent (0.05). If all of the utility rates were increased by the maximum 5 percent next year, the monthly bill for a small, inside-city residential water customer using 2,000 gallons of water or less would increase 68 cents, plus tax. The sewer bill for that same customer would increase $1.14, plus tax. The monthly water and sewer bills for a larger residential customer using 5,000 gallons of water would increase 87 cents for water and an average of $1.62 for sewer, plus tax. The monthly electric bill for an inside-city residential electric customer using an average of 771 kWh of electricity would increase $3.05, plus tax. Outside-city utility
■ See Questions, A6
By Alysha Beck, Bandon Western World
Troy Russell, Pacific Gales project manager, surveys the proposed site for the golf course’s clubhouse in June, which would feature views of Cape Blanco to the north.
Pacific Gales now waiting for planner approval By John Gunther Bandon Western World
SOUTH COAST — Developers of the proposed Pacific Gales golf course near Port Orford will have to wait another month to find out if their new conditional use application to build the course meets the approval of the Curry County Planning Commission. The commission approved an initial application late last year, but the decision was appealed — first to the Curry County Board of Commissioners and then to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals — by the Oregon Coast Alliance. Elk River Property Development, LLC then revamped its proposal with the current application, which came before the Planning Commission earlier this month. At the request of Oregon Coast Alliance and Oregon Shores, another environmental group that joined in the appeal to LUBA, the public hearing for
the project was continued past the initial special meeting. The county’s new timeline includes a deadline for written testimony on the application at 5 p.m. on Oct. 3 for rebuttal arguments to any new testimony and 5 p.m. on Oct. 13 for final arguments by the developers for why the project should be approved. The commission will discuss and deliberate on the proposal — with no new testimony — at its Oct. 23 regular meeting in Gold Beach. Regardless of the group’s decision, developers expect the Oregon Coast Alliance to again fight the project. “We know they will take it all the way to LUBA,” said Troy Russell, the project manager. But the group also likes its chances. “We feel good about it,” Russell said. Because the golf course would be built on a portion of the Knapp Ranch zoned exclusive farm use, a conditional use permit is required. In his staff report detailing the proj-
ect for the Planning Commission, Interim Planning Director David Pratt said the project appears to satisfy all the requirements for approval, as long as the developers meet several conditions. But Oregon Coast Alliance issued testimony arguing the project can’t be approved, along most of the same issues the group used to appeal the first decision. The group’s arguments are legal in nature. ORCA questions whether the developers have legal water rights for the project. The group also claims that the golf course is too large, since Oregon Administrative Rules describe 18-hole golf courses as being “about 120 to 150 acres” and Pacific Gales would use close to 200 acres of land. And they say the proposed structures would have a combined capacity bigger than the limit of 100 people in place for developments within three miles of
■ See Golf, A8
Candidate, ballot measure forums set Bandon City Council The Bandon Chamber of Commerce will hold a Candidate Forum at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at The Barn/Community Center, 1200 11th St. SW. All Bandon City Council candidates are invited, as well as the mayor. The event will be moderated but open to questions from the audience. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend and bring questions for the candidates. Candidates include incumbents Chris Powell and Mike Claassen, along
with Peter Braun and Madeleine Seymour vying for three open seats on the council. Mayor Mary Schamehorn is running unopposed.
County commission race One of the most anticipated candidate forums of the 2014 election season, the Coos County commissioner’s race between incumbent John Sweet and challenger Don Gurney will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, in the Coquille Community Center (next to the Post Office on N. Birch Street). The candidates will take questions from the
audience. For more information, call 541-5511492
Ballot Measure 6-150 forum Bandon residents, utility customers, and all interested persons are invited to attend a public forum on Ballot Measure 6-150, which is being sponsored by the Water Resource Committee and the Committee for Citizen Involvement. The forum will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, at The Barn/Community Center, 1200 11th St. SW.