By Christy Solo and Wayne Lee – Editor and Sports Editor
Eagle Point
Four local teens in a Ford F-350 pickup truck were driving along Hwy. 140 outside of Klamath Falls when the driver failed to negotiate a curve, crashed through a guardrail and rolled into a creek at approximately 3:20 a.m. Nov. 1. The male driver, a 17-year-old from Eagle Point was not wearing a seat belt and 18-year-old passenger Michael “Mitch” Thorpe of Eagle Point, who was also not wearing a seat belt, were both declared dead at the scene and two 17-year-old females, one from Medford and the other from Eagle Point were transported to the nearest hospital with what were described as “life-threatening injuries.” According to a statement from OSP, “impairment and speed are considered to be contributing factors in the crash.”
At the Neighborhood Enhancement Commission meeting, pickleball continued to be on everyone’s mind. The courts were all but completed, awaiting the application of the playing surface to make them playable. The problem is the manufacturer of the slip-resistant surface will not warranty the product if it is applied to a surface that hasn’t been warmer than 50 degrees for at least five days.
The city council’s Nov. 25 meeting featured comments from the public and local pickleball enthusiast Bill Watson thanked the council for the three new courts saying, “I didn’t think the city could pull it off, but you did an absolutely amazing job.” Except for one reservation. He believes the two fences that separate the courts are a safety hazard. He explained the game is played more laterally than vertically and the fences are just a few feet from the sidelines making them a safety hazard.
The council also dove into the issue of nitrous oxide, AKA “whippets”, being sold in local stores. Used in the restaurant in the production of whipped cream, the canisters also have a history of being misused as an inhalant for a brief but intense high that causes disorientation and can result in death in extreme cases. There are laws currently on the books banning the sale to minors and criminal penalties for those who sell to minors, but the city wants to explore banning the sale within city limits such as they did with cannabis dispensaries.
Shady Cove
Shaddox’s suggested new agenda format kicked off in the Nov. 6 council meeting. Public comment was allowed after action items (new category for both old and new business items) had been discussed by council, but prior to council vote.
The meeting began with Mitchell expressing concern about the Bills Paid report as it seemed the city was going to go over budget on legal and planning lines especially.
Under legal, Mitchell pointed out two public records requests totaling almost $2k and wondered if any of that would be repaid by the requestors.
Richardson advised she didn’t know how much, if any of that would be repaid.
Shaddox said moving forward he wants records requests handled “in house” and not to go through the attorney anymore.
Nuckles also had questions on legal fees, especially for those paid for work on ordinances which council had never requested. One example was a draft ordinance on “social medial policy.”
Shaddox said he would send a memo to staff stating that “nothing new” was to be started and any work on existing approved projects must be okay’d by him personally before any money is spent. He emphasized that going forward there would be no more “willy-nilly” spending.
Council then approved a contract with RVCOG for a new city planner. The new planner will not have regular office hours at City Hall. To save on travel expenses, they also will attend meetings via Zoom when possible and most communication will be done digitally.
The motion to approve the contract stipulated it could not exceed $10,400 for the balance of the current fiscal year (the remaining budget).
Shaddox then advised some property owners had been overcharged on their public safety fee. When council raised the fee, they discussed possibly starting to charge the same way RVSS charges (i.e. a second fee for a second dwelling, by their definition of “dwelling” which differs from the city’s). However staff had begun charging the “RVSS way.”
Council decided to form an ad hoc committee to clarify how fees should be charged and to figure out who (if anyone) should be refunded an overcharge.
During the Nov. 19 Planning Commission meeting Shaddox advised commissioners that the city is no longer going to do the overhaul of their planning ordinances.
Instead, the city is going to ask RVCOG if they can be a part of their similar project. Working with RVCOG will come at no cost to the city.
Shaddox also gave commissioners the 47-page draft of the local street network plan which was created in a joint project with ODOT and focuses on street connectivity and ease of movement through the city as well as giving citizens ways out of the city that don’t involve them necessarily driving on Hwy. 62.
Shaddox also said there would be an open house on the project Dec. 10 at City Hall.
Next Shaddox announced the city does have a new planner, Onnie Heater. Her contract was effective Nov. 13 and she has already begun working with staff via email.
Things took a turn again in the Nov. 20 Shady Cove City Council meeting as Shaddox announced he was resigning. In his resignation letter he said he felt he had done all he could do for the city and the remaining issues were “interpersonal” and out of his wheelhouse.
Having been advised by Shaddox prior to the meeting, council was able to hold a special meeting Nov. 19 to hire Planning Chair John Edwards as the new interim admin to keep city business moving along.
On the topic of Planning Ordinance Redux 2026 – council had to approve a letter which would then be sent to the DLCD formally asking that the city join with RVCOG for the project. DLCD must give permission because the city’s grant monies for the project will be passed on to RVCOG.
The ad hoc committee’s report found only a few residents were double-charged the safety fee in error. One hotel had been charged for every room versus a single charge for the hotel as an entity – but they hadn’t paid the overcharge, so a refund was not called for.
The committee proposed that going forward hotels and RV parks are charged as a single entity – unless – a room or rooms or a space is rented out for 30 days in a row to a single renter. That will then qualify as another “residence” and the hotel or park will need to pay a separate fee.
