May 2024

Gravel Point LUBA Appeal. The City was recently notified that the Gravel Point project has been appealed to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). LUBA is a specialized appellate review body that provides an accessible forum for resolving land use disputes quickly and efficiently; and makes its decisions available to State and local legislators, land use professionals, city and county land use decision makers, property owners, and the residents of Oregon. City staff was notified on March 29th that the Oregon Coast Alliance (ORCA), one of the appellants, filed a Notice of Intent to Appeal. The City is required to prepare a complete record of the City's decision before arguments commence. The applicant's attorneys have filed a motion to intervene on behalf of the City, thereby limiting City staff's burden to prepare the required response.

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3440. I would like to extend a special thanks to VFW Post 3440 on behalf of the Bandon Mayor and City Council, for their assistance with removing trash along Highway 101 at 2nd Street SE (42S). The local VFW hosted a trash cleanup event on Saturday, April 13th, which coincidently coincides with Earth Day on April 22nd. The combined efforts of veterans and other community volunteers produced nearly 40 bags of trash that were discarded by ODOT. Post 3440 intends to do more trash cleanup events in the future and encourages everyone in the community to participate. The VFW provides assistance to US Military veterans. Should you or anyone you know be in need of assistance, please contact Post 3440 at (541) 347-9277 or vfw3440@gmail.com.

Coquille Indian Tribe Restoration. The Coquille Indian Tribe will be celebrating the 35th Anniversary of its Restoration on Friday, June 28th. Public dignitaries from around the Country and the State of Oregon, including Bandon's very own Mayor and City Council, are invited to attend. The ceremony will take place in Old Town's Farm and Sea parking lot. The Restoration will include a recognition of the Tribe's recent graduates and special guests, an invocation, and culminate with a traditional Salmon Bake that will be shared with all those in attendance.

Budget Committee Meeting. The City's Budget Committee conducted its annual budget hearing on April 15th. In accordance with state law, local municipalities in Oregon are required to conduct a duly noticed public hearing before the Budget Committee to review the City's proposed Budget for the upcoming year. Bandon's Budget Committee is comprised of the Mayor, Council members, and appointed Committee members.

The City's preliminary Fiscal Year 2024-25 (FY 2024-25) Budget totals $39.36M, which represents an increase of 3.89M or 11% from the prior budget year. The majority of the Budget increases are attributed to one-time capital improvements/purchases including, but not limited to, installing an emergency communications tower at the Fire Hall, repairing tsunami sirens, purchasing a new police vehicle, retrofitting the Bandon Trolley, restoring Bandon's welcome signs, repaving City streets, and rehabilitating the Filmore pump station.

The City's enterprise accounts, which include the electric, water, and wastewater utilities, serve as the business entities of the City. Public utilities are designed to be self-funded by user fee revenue. Unfortunately, the City's utilities currently operate in the red as they do not generate sufficient revenue to cover ongoing operating and maintenance costs. As a result, the General Fund is used to cover the funding gap at the expense of additional City services such as public sidewalk and street improvements, citywide landscape enhancements, building/facility maintenance, extended library hours, and additional police resources.

Playground Equipment Installation. The much-anticipated new playground equipment for City Park will be installed during the week of April 29th. Therefore, the playground will be closed starting on April 24th to allow the City's Public Works crews to prepare the site for installation. The equipment will be installed by the contractor between May 1st and May 3rd, requiring the area to remain closed until May 6th. Public notices will be posted at the playground, on the City’s website, and on its Facebook page to inform the community about the closure.

The City is planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Mayor and City Council with additional information about the ceremony forthcoming. Should you be interested in obtaining more information about the project, please refer to the City’s website under the subject "New-Playground-Equipment".

Workforce Housing Conceptual Site Plan Review. City staff has received two preliminary site plan concepts of the proposed workforce housing project for review. Upon completing its preliminary review, City staff will provide comments and corrections to the developer for incorporation. This process will generate multiple iterations of the conceptual site plan, with the preferred alternative serving as the basis for all subsequent drawings that will be presented to the City and District for approval.

Upcoming Library Events. The following events will be held at the Bandon Library in May: