By Christy Solo and Wayne Lee – Editor and Sports Editor
Eagle Point
June means graduation time (congrats to Valedictorian Jaxon Angiolet and Salutatorian Aiden Whitson) and the beginning of summer vacation. It also means the end of the fiscal year and time to prepare a new budget. Eagle Point’s budget committee gave tentative approval to a proposed budget of $37,671,768 which was an increase of $717,797 over the previous but an estimated $1,040,153 short of estimated revenues.
It should be noted the city attempts to plan 10 years in advance, They not only put money aside as reserve funds but also use conservative estimates on things like new home construction permits that provide money for a variety of city services. As an example, the previous year also began with a budgeted deficit but by the end of that fiscal year, finished in the black with a positive balance.
As part of that fiscal planning, the city instituted a monthly $10 Public Safety Utility Fee to help finance local law enforcement. During the public hearing concerns were raised about the inclusion of an annual cost of living increase and the fact it was being approved as a resolution, rather than an ordinance, which doesn’t require public input. The council deleted the COLA and made it an ordinance in order to continue future public input. This fee has been available for years but Eagle Point is the only remaining jurisdiction in Jackson County other than Butte Falls to enact one.
June also saw the opening of a time capsule the Eagle Point Library put together 25 years earlier. Part of the fun was children’s prediction of the future. One said we would be living on Mars while another optimistically predicted kids would never have to clean their rooms in the future because robots would do that for them. The event ended with participants given the opportunity to make their predictions for the future for a time capsule to be opened in 2050.
The planning commission heard two proposals from two developers proposing side-by-side gas stations on the southeast corner of Hwy. 62 and Crystal Dr. Some questioned the logic of two gas stations, side by side, each with a car wash and convenience store, but commission president Mike Stanek said he viewed it, “as if a McDonalds and a Burger King opened next to each other.” Both projects met the zoning requirements and received initial approval. It remains to be seen if either proposal moves forward.
The month ended with the Neighborhood Enhancement Commission receiving the preliminary master plan for the new Highlands Park in order for the public to review, make suggestions and propose changes. This was the first step in what will be a years-long project to make the park a reality.
The very next night the city council made final adjustments to the budget and annexed the property formerly owned by Ed Dahack where Ed’s Oasis once stood. The property has been under county jurisdiction since Dahack’s refusal to be incorporated into the city. The council also granted its’ fourth and final extension to Skycrest Development for the proposed project on the Old Firehouse property.
Shady Cove
Budget was the focus of the June 5 council meeting. Council announced that they had to cut the Community Service Officer from the contract with the Sheriff’s Department. Councilor Steve Mitchell stressed that doing so was not a quick or easy decision, adding that just one conversation on the topic in one meeting went on for 90 minutes.
Councilor Kathy Nuckles reminded everyone that this was only a temporary solution to the problem of the contract. The contract is $650K and the city receives $300K from public safety fees. The balance is paid from the General Fund, taking away from other projects.
While the $3 CSO fee was discontinued, the base fee was increased from $21 to $29 per month. The fee would need to be $47 per month to fully cover the current contract, and per Ball that is not the direction the city wants to go. They will continue to keep looking at options.
Planning Chair John Edwards reported that planning would be “heating up” over the next few months and asked for citizens to apply for the two remaining open seats (it did not heat up).
In the June 26 meeting Ball had a question about the Bills Paid Report. He asked Parry why there was a $4000 attorney bill for “work on code enforcement.”
Parry said it was for a “problematic” property. She continued saying that she knew she needed to cut down on all legal fees going forward.
Note: As of December 2024 the entire legal budget for the 25/26 fiscal year is nearly depleted.
Once again council went over the new Right of Way agreement, this time with city attorney Jeremy Green. They still had some suggested changes and asked for it to be corrected and brought back at a future meeting.
Regarding the Emergency Management Commission, Ball said the loss of two members was on “me and council” for not clearly communicating. He suggested a workshop be planned with EMC, council and Fire District 4 in hopes of coming to a mutual agreement on the new vision for the EMC.
Parry announced the city did not receive the $5 million they requested from the state for the citywide water project. Nuckles said she would “keep applying for any and all funds that come available.”
Other June news: Eagle Point High School wins third place in a statewide student environmental competition. The Eagle Point Library opened up a 20-year-old time capsule, and they also got a new roof. Hunter Communications held a ribbon cutting at Shady Cove City Hall and began hooking up the city to high-speed internet.
