Oregon’s unique land use system, enacted by Senate Bill 100 in 1973, included the creation of urban growth boundaries (UGB) as a measure to limit sprawl, preserve farms and forest land, and require cities to thoughtfully plan for and manage growth. The UGB is the line that separates the urban areas from the rural lands and designates the areas where the city expects to grow over the next 20 years. In Sisters, our current UGB matches the boundary of our existing city limits, meaning that there is no land outside of the existing city boundaries that are currently designated for future growth. 

State law requires municipalities in Oregon to create and periodically update a comprehensive plan, which is the City’s major policy document that outlines our community’s growth management strategy and addresses various aspects of growth such as housing, transportation, economic development, and natural resources. Since 2020, the City worked with the community to update our Comprehensive Plan which included an update to its Housing Needs Analysis (HNA) and Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA), adopted land use efficiency measures, and completed an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) Sufficiency Report. The UGB report analyzed whether the city had enough land within its existing UGB to meet its 20-year housing and employment needs given our population growth projections. The study concluded that our 20-year land needs exceed our existing supply.

The next step is for the City Council to decide whether to move forward with exploring an amendment to the City's UGB. The UGB amendment process would take 12-16 months and include substantial community involvement and review, a robust evaluation of the possible expansion areas, studying alternatives, and conducting public hearings. Amending a UGB is only the first step in adding land for the city's long term growth plans. Individual property owners then must also apply to annex to the City in order for any development to occur in the expansion areas.

The Council held a joint workshop with the Planning Commission on October 19 and a City Council workshop on November 8 to receive and discuss the UGB Sufficiency Analysis report and UGB expansion study process. The City Council will consider moving forward with the UGB amendment study on November 29.

We are excited to announce that our new Utility Billing online portal will be available Monday, November 13, 2023. If you are currently enrolled in autopay, your bill will be paid as it normally has been on 11/10/2023, then effective Monday, November 13, 2023, our new site will be available to establish a new account. 

On November 13^th, follow the instructions on the utility page on the City of Sisters website to establish your new account.

The new account allows you to see account history, such as monthly consumption, last payment amount, due dates, and real-time account balances. You can create an account without enrolling in autopay and you can continue to pay your bill at your convenience throughout the month.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

City Council to Consider Changes to the City's Dark Skies Code

Sisters is known as a great place to gaze up at the stars and the City Council has a goal to update our existing dark skies standards to incorporate the latest best practices and technology to preserve our night sky. Dark Skies regulations aim to reduce and control excessive and inefficient artificial lighting in order to reduce light pollution and create a more natural nighttime darkness. Reducing light pollution not only gives us a better look at the stars, but is beneficial to wildlife, reduces glare and light trespass, promotes astrotourism, and reduces our energy use.

The code amendments under consideration includes requirements for outdoor lighting to be fully shielded and downcast, limits on color temperature and brightness, lighting curfews, public lighting retrofits, and restrictions on string lights and time limits to correct non-conforming lights.

The City Council will review the proposed updates to the Dark Skies ordinance in January. In the meantime, you can do your part in helping keep our night sky dark by only installing and using exterior lighting when and where it's needed, using dimmers and motion sensors, fully shielding your lights, and installing warmer color temperature lights that are less than 3000K.

For more information, consult the Dark Skies Standards page on the city website.

Tree Removal Regulations in Sisters - What to Know

The City of Sisters is proud to be a designated Tree City USA. As part of our commitment to a healthy urban forest is having regulations and requirements for tree removal or major pruning of significant trees. The city only regulates trees that are greater than 8" in diameter measured from 4.5 feet from the ground.

There are different processes depending on if the tree is on city land or public right of way, private land, or as part of a development of a private property. The Urban Forestry Board reviews trees that are publicly owned. The Board members are appointed by the City Council to serve as the citizen involvement body to assist the Council and staff in the management of our urban forest.

Tree removal associated with new developments are regulated by the City's development code. Currently, regulations concerning removal of trees on private property not associated with development follow the same rules as the tree regulations in the Sisters Development Code. While this has been the practice, the City Council is considering a code amendment to establish the regulations for tree removal on private properties that are not associated with development. The rules and procedures will largely be same as they are today - trees that are larger than 8" diameter would require a permit before removal. The City Council will be considering the tree removal ordinance on November 29.

Be Winter Ready

As winter approaches, we'd like to remind you about the city's policies and practices on snow plowing and sidewalk clearing.

Property owners are responsible for snow removal on sidewalks adjacent to their property, snow berm accumulations, and from private parking lots. The City contracts with a private company for snow removal services on the sidewalks, alleys, and parking areas in the downtown commercial area.

During a snow event, our Public Works crew focus on plowing travel lanes to keep our roads open and clear (view the snow plowing priority map). During snow events, you can help by parking vehicles off the street, clearing sidewalks in front of your property, and refraining from using ice melt products that can damage sidewalks. Please know that when the city is plowing, snow may end up as a berm across driveway, which is unavoidable during heavy accumulation.

Did you know?

City of Sisters Facts

The City of Sisters contracts with the Deschutes County Sheriffs Office (DCSO) for enhanced local police services within our city boundaries. The agreement assigns a Lieutenant and 3 Deputies to keep our community safe.

The Lieutenant and deputies operate out of the DCSO substation located at the corner of W Barclay Drive and N Larch St. The City and DCSO are currently working on adding an additional Deputy to the Sisters team in order to provide even more coverage for our growing community.

Upcoming Public Meetings

Stay informed by attending or viewing public city meetings!

• Urban Forestry Board Meeting, November 13, 3 p.m.
• City Council Meeting, November 29, 5:30 p.m.

View the public meeting calendar, watch prior meetings, and access meeting information at https://www.ci.sisters.or.us/meetings.

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