WHEN THE ALERTS SOUND
HEAR IT?
CHECK IT! EVALUATE!
www.SunriverEmergencyInfo.com Website provides educational information on how to be prepared, stay informed and steps for evacuation
You can't be alerted if you can't be reached: How to sign up for emergency alerts
INSIDE THIS ISSUE SROA News ............. 4 Calendar ................ 15
Public Safety........... 30 Classified Ads ......... 39
SROA Public Works crews have moved into their new building
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S U N R I V E R
S C E N E A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSOCIATION
FEBRUARY 2025
VOLUME XLVIII • NUMBER 2
First reading for proposed changes to rules & regulations
SUSAN BERGER PHOTO
Sunriver has five emergency sirens sprinkled throughout the community. This one is located near SHARC off Theater Drive.
emergency services to “push the button,” if needed. SROA staff, Sunriver Service District managing board chair and police/fire management met to discuss the issue and ensure the lack of sirens does not pose any risk to the community. Both the police and fire departments believe the bigger risk is with people making their own decisions during an emergency rather than following specific orders to ensure their safety. “Utilizing the sirens would actually put everyone more at risk as there is no direction,” Sunriver Police acting captain Jason Van Meter said. Sunriver Fire Deputy Chief Rod Bjorvik agreed, “There are better ways to move people than sirens. I don’t see a situation to use that – ever.” The sirens were not utilized during the Level 1 and Level 2 evacuations during the September 2024 Little Lava Fire as it was felt it would be too confusing. In some emergencies, there also is the possibility that not all of Sunriver would need to be evacuated all at once – dependent on the situation. Utilizing T S,
Final state wildfire hazard map now available The statewide maps of wildfire hazard zones and the wildland-urban interface are complete, and final versions are now available on the Oregon Explorer website (https://tinyurl.com/wildfiremap). Notifications are being mailed to impacted property owners. The wildfire hazard map's purposes are to: • Educate Oregon residents and property owners about the level of hazard where they live. • Assist in prioritizing fire adaptation and mitigation resources for the most vulnerable locations. • Identify where defensible space standards and home hardening codes will apply.
The statewide wildfire hazard map designates all of Oregon’s 1.9 million property tax lots into one of three wildfire hazard zones: low, moderate or high. It also identifies whether a tax lot is within boundaries of the wildlandurban interface. Properties that are in both a high hazard zone and within the wildland-urban interface will be prioritized for future wildfire risk mitigation resources and actions. To help protect these communities, future defensible space and homehardening, building codes may apply to properties with both designations. All properties with both designations are receiving a certified mail packet informing them of the designations, outlining
THE WENATCHEE WORLD 14 N MISSION ST WENATCHEE, WA 98801
or Current Resident
T R,
By Susan Berger, Sunriver Scene In wake of the $18M new police/fire public safety building, there was a somewhat important item that fell victim to the construction and remodel project – Sunriver’s emergency siren system. “The system going inactive was a realized factor of the rerouting of telecommunications during the project and that the SSD has been looking for alternatives for the new building since it’s design,” said Jim Fister, Sunriver Service District Managing Board chair. The sirens were originally installed in the early years of Sunriver, long before mainstream use of today’s technology such as cell phones and email. Although the sirens have never been used in Sunriver’s 50-plus year history to “sound the alarm” some believe the system is antiquated and not the most efficient way of emergency notifications. Others feel it complements a variety of other tools in place – such as 911 and Sunriver alerts that blast directly to cell phones, text messages, landlines and emails. Sunriver is equipped with five sirens stationed throughout the community. While the sirens themselves are owned by SROA, it would be up to Sunriver’s
their appeal rights and explaining the appeal process, and explaining what the designation might mean for them and their property. “It’s a hefty packet of information that property owners will receive by certified mail,” Tim Holschbach, Wildfire Hazard Map Lay Representative, said. “However, we want to ensure Oregonians get all the relevant information they need on their wildfire hazard exposure.” Anyone that does not receive a packet but is still interested in learning about the wildfire hazard where they live can visit the Oregon Explorer website. A T M, SUNRIVER SCENE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSN. VOLUME XLVII I • NUMBER 2 P.O. BOX 3278 SUNRIVER, OR 97707
SROA NEWS – The SROA Board of Directors have approved a first reading to proposed changes to Sunriver Rules & Regulations Owners have until March 19 to comment on the changes prior to any approval by the board. Comments can be sent via email to infosroa@srowners.org by the deadline date. To read the proposed new language, go www. sunriverowners.org to News & Notices. Although it would be typical to provide a track changes version of the recommended draft so the proposed amendments to the existing document would be readily discernable, the multiple drafts and substantial textual and grammatical changes would actually be confusing to review. Section 1 of the Sunriver Rules and Regulations (SRRR) specifies the procedures for enforcing the subsequent rules contained in the remaining sections of the SRRR. The subsections contained therein include: • Section 1.01 – Dissemination of Rules • Section 1.02 – Notice: Magistrates Hearing; Appeals • Section 1.03 – Sunriver Judicial Council • Section 1.04 – Enforcement • Section 1.05 – Schedule of Fines The review and amendment process was conducted and completed by the Covenants Committee over multiple meetings with five separate drafts of refinements that resulted in the proposal. The overall intent of the proposed amendments (along with proposed changes to the Citation form) are for clarity to owners regarding the subsequent process when violations occur, and citations are issued. Additionally, the changes provide legal clarification to the text of the document that supports
Sunriver's outdoor emergency siren sytem out of commission, for now
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