Proposed Sisters warming shelter draws public criticism, concern at full-house City Council workshop
(Update: Adding video, comments from Sisters Mayor, residents)
SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- According to the 2023 Point-In-Time Count, the city of Sisters saw an increase in the number of residents living unsheltered rise from 55 last year to 64 this year.
The majority of people living unsheltered are staying just north of Sisters, in the Deschutes National Forest.
Mayor Michael Preedin began a full-house the Sisters City Council workshop Wednesday evening by saying: "We have a large crowd, obviously. Welcome, everybody. I'm glad you guys are here. It just means the Sisters community is passionate."
Back on June 27, the city of Sisters received an application from the Sisters Cold Weather Shelter to open a warming shelter location. The proposed shelter is located on West Barclay Drive, just a few blocks from Sisters City Hall.
At City Hall Wednesday evening, about 200 people were on hand to give their opinions on the first of its kind shelter proposed for the nearly 3,500-person town.
One 17-year resident, Eric Knirk, told us, "This shouldn't be a debate about homelessness, what the causes are. But the bottom line is, there's a need that's this big (squints fingers). So why would we build a magnet to scale that's this big (expands hands wide)?"
House Bill 2006 is the main catalyst for the city considering opening an emergency shelter. The bill, sponsored by then-Representative and now Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, requires local governments like Sisters to allow siting of qualifying emergency shelters.
Reactions at Wednesday's workshop ranged from people being fearful of an increase in drugs and crime, to some being concerned with Sisters not having another shelter of this kind available for an extreme weather event.
One resident said, "You listen to these individuals, you hear their story. And then, we become their hope."
Another person told councilors: "This should be up for a vote. This should be something that is put on the ballot for everyone in Sisters to vote on and give their opinion on."
When we visited the proposed shelter site, on West Barclay Drive, earlier Wednesday, we learned the building is currently occupied by two employers.
The owner of Velocity Sports Equipment told us he's upset the building has been proposed and listed in city documents as an emergency shelter site, due to it not being officially sold back to the property manager yet.
Sisters resident Gary Sewall told councilors, "I just want to let you folks know, you've got one huge endeavor in front of you."
No final decision was made during Wednesday's workshop. The next Sisters City Council meeting will be on August 23, although it's unclear if the proposed warming shelter will be an agenda item.
