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2016-35-Minutes for Meeting December 16,2015 Recorded 2/3/2016 DESCHUTES RECORDS, COUNTY CLERK W �0����� NANCY COMMISSIONERS' JOURNAL 02/03/2016 08'28'43 AM 111111111111111111111 Do not remove this page from original document. Deschutes County Clerk Certificate Page Es 0 SUNRIVER SERVICE DISTRICT / DESCHUTES COUNTY a MINUTES OF BOARD ANNUAL JOINT MEETING 7:30 a.m.Thursday, December 16,2015 Fireside Room,Great Hall,Sunriver Resort Sunriver,Oregon 97707 Call to Order: Chair Baker convened the meeting of the SSD Managing Board at 7:45 a.m. Roll Call/SSD: Director Keller, Dir.Gocke, Dir.Angell and Chair Baker were present. Director Murray was absent. SSD Staff: Fire Chief Art Hatch and Police Chief Marc Mills SROA Staff: SROA General Manager Hugh Palcic Public input: None Roll Call/County: Deschutes County Commissioners Tony DeBone and Alan Unger were present; Commissioner Baney arrived at 8:25. Deschutes County Administrator Torn Anderson, Deputy Administrator Erik Kropp, Finance Director Wayne Lowry, Legal Counsel David Doyle and Public Information Officer Whitney Malkin were also present. 1. Chair Baker gave an overview of the 2015 SSD Operating Year: ➢ Chair Baker welcomed everyone. She shared the uniqueness of Sunriver, in that the Service District is funded through property taxes, Sunriver Owner's Association (SROA) is the HOA for the property and the Resort is a separate entity as well. All three must work collaboratively as they manage their respective duties and sometimes competing interests. ➢ Sunriver enjoyed a prosperous tourist year. With the increased number of tourists, impact is realized in both the Police and Fire Departments. Ensuring public safety for residents and visitors continues to be a primary goal. There was a discussion about the transient lodging tax and consideration for sharing some the proceeds with the District to mitigate this impact. This could g p g p be in the form on a one-time grant to fund things such as a water rescue unit, additional bike officers,additional summer seasonal help,training props/training facility,etc. ➢ The zoning change for the proposed fire training facility was approved, as reported last year. Development of the site will begin with ground preparation and grants will be pursued for building development. The Board is moving forward with hiring a Board Administrator. Chair DeBone asked about the structure. Director Angell described the Administrator responsible to the Board to carry out the administrative duties that have fallen on the Chair. The two Chiefs will continue to report directly to the Board ➢ The District will be involved in contract negotiations with both the Police and Fire Unions as each contract expires the end of June 2016. ➢ Chair Baker praised the work of both Chief Mills and Chief Hatch. We will continue to focus on community engagement. ➢ SSD has supported the 911 resolution in moving forward with a new taxing structure. We will assist is helping our community understand the need and benefit. 2. Dir. Gocke gave a brief financial summary for the District's operating year: SSD/GB Joint Special Meeting Minutes—December 16,2015 Page 1 ➢ He reported that the annual audit is completed. It was a clean audit and no issues were identified. The Controller reported that there were a number of errors and questioned the rigorousness of the review. There was discussion if the District was bound to continue with this firm or if they could select another. Mr. Lowry indicated that in years past the District's budget was wrapped in the County's financial structure. Since that is no longer the case, he will check to see if the District is bound to stay with the same company the County uses. There may be cost savings in staying with the County contract, but that is uncertain. ➢ The District's current tax rate is $3.31 per $1,000 in assessed value. The limit is $3.45/$1,000, without going out for a vote. During previous budget presentations to the County, the question had come up about the large amount in the reserve account. This year there will be major expenditures for Fire apparatus, which is what we were saving for. A question was asked about bumping up to the maximum allowable rate of $3.45 to fund some of the needs rather than requesting transient tax funding. The amount realized would be approximately $100,000. The cushion allows for unexpected costs such as the PERS increase expected in 2017, the impact of the Cadillac tax under the Affordable Care Act,or the unknown result of contract negotiations. 3. Chief's Reports— I A. Chief Hatch gave a brief summary of his department's annual highlights: • He reported they have improved the Emergency Operations Center with advanced technology. An exercise was conducted during the past year to test the Emergency Operations plan and to include partners in the community. • Chief Hatch said that calls are up 10% over the same time as last year. There was a 17% increase in the months April—September in 2015 over 2014. B. Chief Mills summarized his department's annual highlights: • He shared that the Department has seen a steady increase in calls for service over the last three years. This is reflective of an increase of visitors to Sunriver. • Chief Mills talked about how the courts are viewing interactions with citizens and police. The question of an interaction being a stop or a detention is being debated. It creates interesting issues for officers as well as Bike Officers. The Bike Officers are not sworn positions and do not have the same authority as a police officer. They are viewed as ambassadors in the community and SROA contributes a portion of the cost of the program. • The officers issue more warnings than citations. There is a focus on speeding in Sunriver, especially in the busy summer months. It is a matter of safety because there are many pedestrians and bicyclists crossing the roadways, enforcing and the speed limit of 25 mph is important. He also explained they enforce ORS laws and SROA rules and Regulations. He was asked which Court the citations are referred to. Chief Mills said both Justice Court in LaPine and Circuit Court. • He shared that Sunriver is a target rich environment for criminal activity, more so in the slow months. This is due to many vacant vacation homes. His officers are proactive in crime prevention and suppression activities. • Chief Milles finished his presentation talking about the professional expectations of the Department and the importance of community relations. 4. Other Business— • Chair DeBone inquired about the relationship of permanent residents in Sunriver. Director Gocke indicated that permanent residents are important to the vitality of the SSD/GB Joint Special Meeting Minutes—December 16,2015 Page 2 • community. Economically they support the businesses during the off season and they are also a volunteer pool serving the various non-profits in the area. SROA General Manager Hugh Palcic added that the original developers of Sunriver thought 50%of the community would be full time residents. That has not materialized. The number is difficult to determine, but estimates range between 8-15%. He added the work of the police and fire department to engage the community has added value to the permanent residents. • Chair DeBone also asked what the public's reaction would be to raising the tax rate. Director Angell indicated that at a point when that was necessary, he believes the community would see the value added. Chair Baker adjourned the Sunriver Service District meeting at 9:05 a.m. Board Chair, Debbie Baker DATED this 2," Day of _ "2016. BOARD OF COUNTY C MMISSIONERS OF DESCHUTES COUNTY, OREGON ALAN UNGER, Chair ._.5.tA TAMMY BAN>a ', Vice Chair ANTHONY DEBONE, Commissioner AT EST: (FraLA._ Recording Secretary SSD/GB Joint Special Meeting Minutes—December 16,2015 Page 3