January 2024
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Happy Holidays. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that 2024 brings you health, happiness, and prosperity. This was my first Christmas in Bandon, and I was amazed to see how beautifully decorated everything was in town. I especially enjoyed the awesome Christmas displays at ACE Hardware and Billy Smoothboars that I passed on the way home every night. To get in the Holiday spirit, I took in the Annual Light Parade and appreciated the level of detail that went into decorating the vehicles. I also enjoyed seeing Bandon residents with their young families taking in the festivities. I would be remiss if I did not thank City staff for adorning Old Town with Christmas lights and for decorating City Hall. Design Concepts for Old Town. City staff recently received preliminary plans, prepared by a landscape architectural firm that was retained by the City, to develop conceptual streetscape plans for Old Town. The firm, Dougherty Landscape Architects, is based in Eugene, Oregon. The firm is responsible for designing the streetscape found in downtown Florence and along Oregon Coast Highway 101. City staff has been asked to review and comment on the design, after which time said plans will be shared with community stakeholders including Old Town businesses, business patrons and the greater Bandon community for additional input. Due to the City’s rich history, the landscape architect has been tasked with creating a streetscape design that successfully builds upon Old Town’s existing character and charm while creating an environment that promotes tourism and thriving business activity. In addition to new landscape areas, the design calls for the installation of site amenities including benches, waste receptacles, decorative signage, enhanced paving, and public art. The concept also includes enhanced vehicular and pedestrian circulation to promote connectivity in and around the Old Town area. So please stay tuned for opportunities to participate in the creation of Old Town’s streetscape design. Library Funding. The Bandon Library is operated, maintained, and staffed by the City, however, the monies used for the provision of these services are assigned to the City by the County. The library’s annual appropriation is based on the City’s population and library circulation. Because the Bandon Library is beloved by the community, its circulation numbers are comparable to other libraries in the County that are much larger in size. In accordance with City Council direction and the dogged determination of Library staff, an amendment to the existing methodology is currently being considered by the governing board that would result in the assignment of an additional $80,000 next year. As proposed, this amount would increase annually over the course of the next four years, at which time the amount would total approximately $200,000 in additional library funding. Donation to the Bandon Library. The City Council would like to recognize the Bandon Library Friends and Foundation Lifetime Members Club (Friends/Club) for donating $12,950 towards the Bandon Library’s utility costs. The donation was a welcome surprise to library staff who have had to do more with less the past few years to meet the needs of library patrons. As instructed by the donors, said funds will be used to defray the library’s utility costs this fiscal year. Should any funds remain at years end, said monies will be “rolled over” and applied to next year’s utility expenses.
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Upcoming Library events in January:
Gravel Point Project. The Planning Commission’s decision to approve the Gravel Point project has been appealed to the City Council by two separate parties. The City Council at its meeting in December, decided to require the Gravel Point project to undergo a “de novo” appeal. Under de novo appeal, the City Council conducts a public hearing on the development proposal as if it had not been previously considered, nor decided by the Planning Commission. The project applicant has expressed an interest in conducting a community meeting to solicit additional input from the community and to allay the concerns of residents regarding the proposed development. Dates for the community meeting and the de novo appeal before the City Council are pending. Please stay tuned as more information will be forthcoming. Roundtable Discussion on Homelessness. The City Council will be conducting a roundtable discussion on homelessness. This workshop of the City Council has been tentatively scheduled for the afternoon of Tuesday, February 20, 2024. Community groups and Bandon residents that possess a genuine interest in addressing homelessness are invited to participate in this discussion. If you are unable to attend the meeting, you may submit comments and suggestions to the City of Bandon. Thank you in advance for working with the City to address this very important and sensitive issue facing Oregon coastal communities and local municipalities throughout the county. Brush & Yard Debris Pick Up. The first brush and yard debris removal event of 2024 will start on Monday, January 8. City residents are allowed approximately two pickup loads of brush and yard debris at no cost. Simply place your brush and yard debris in the right-of-way alongside the street adjacent to your house PRIOR to the scheduled pick-up day referenced above.
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