Voting for the 2018 Hamlet elections took place at the October meeting. There were four open seats and three candidates applied. Residents voted and all three were elected including Bill Merchant, Christine Kosinski, and Tammy Stevens. Each has served as a director for many years, and will now continue their support of the Hamlet of Beavercreek for another two-year term. The board has the power to appoint and fill the fourth open seat per the bylaws, which can be found at http://www.beavercreek.org.

Since July 2017, several meetings have included a discussion about whether the Carus Community Planning Organization (CPO) may want to join the Hamlet of Beavercreek, as they may otherwise go inactive or dissolve. The Hamlet expanded before to include Kelmsley Estates because they came to the CPO and requested representation. Recently two CPOs in the Sunnyside area combined to form a larger CPO for better representation.

The Carus CPO represents people along the northern part of Highway 213 and Leland near the church. Board members said that many people in the northern part of Carus feel more a part of Beavercreek, while the southern tract feel like they’re part of Mulino. The board is speaking to the Mulino Hamlet about the possibility of splitting the Carus CPO by proximity.

Members asked about pros and cons. Board members pointed out that if Carus has no representation, residents will not be proactively notified nor will they have a say in land use issues, which could be problematic given their close proximity to the rapidly growing City of Oregon City. Absorbing the Carus CPO means that the Hamlet of Beavercreek will be notified of all land use issues and will communicate to all members.

If Carus joins, more people may attend the monthly meetings. Residents asked if it would dilute the board’s current activities or have financial implications; the board said it would not beyond needing more snacks for meetings.

Additional funding needs would be submitted to the County. Another pointed out that the Beavercreek Community Park on Leland – which is now part of the Carus CPO – would become part of the Hamlet. Members voted 17-1 in favor of allowing the Carus CPO to join. The next step is to speak in depth with the Carus and Mulino CPOs.

Michelle Amend from Clackamas County Code Enforcement joined as a guest speaker to share what’s changed, what they’re working on, and how residents can help them improve. She shared a document with a list of codes enforced in Clackamas County, and who the appropriate enforcement agencies are. For example, they handle accessory structures, building codes, garbage and trash, graffiti, and home business (among others), but not animal abuse (Sheriff’s Office), landlord/tenant (civil issue – contact an attorney), roads (Road Concerns) or standing water (Vector Control), among others. Download the full document here: http://www.clackamas.us/codeenforcement.

Code Enforcement staff handle about 350 cases each. They are currently hiring additional staff to reduce that number to about 225 cases each. They have added two trucks for a total of three in service. They prioritize cases that are life, safety, and building code related. For all other code violations, they must receive at least two confidential complaints to investigate. Confidentiality is protected by law. Michelle quipped that “there’s a difference between ‘complaining’ and making an actual ‘complaint'” based on codes.

She addressed a list of concerns that had been submitted to Code Enforcement by members of the CPO Summit – a coalition of local CPOs – including an individual receiving notice that a their complaint had been logged, which was previously not in place. Residents asked about code violations they had observed such temporary care facilities expanding beyond what was permitted, a horse boarding facility with a setback violation, and others. Michelle will check on status.

Code Enforcement also collaborates with a number of agencies to help those who are in code violation but in need of care from Health & Human Services, Veterans Outreach, and many others. Michelle said, “We all are human and nice people and we do try to work with people.”

Road funding and the vehicle registration fee for passenger vehicles and motorcycles was discussed at a recent Community Leaders meeting that included board members from CPOs and Hamlets. The County is planning a series of community meetings to share info and get public feedback, which will be shared on NextDoor.com. Commissioner Ken Humberston was in attendance and shared that, while the County has the most road miles in the tri-county area, it has few sources of funding compared toWashington and Multnomah Counties. Previously roads were funded through timber sales, but that has reduced from $15 million to around $1 million today.

Ken also gave an update on the Cross-Laminated Timber project, discussed his goal of getting high-speed internet in every home and business in Clackamas County, and his upcoming trade mission in China on behalf of the County.

Land use applications included notification that the County is seeking input on its long-range land use and transportation projects for 2019-2020. The Hamlet submits a letter with requests that are important to the area, including help with ditches, shoulders on the intersections at Kamrath and Leland, as well as Beavercreek, Steiner, and Yeoman.

Others included an applicant on Moore Rd. requesting a new home occupation permit, which residents supported; a Measure 49 request to partition a subject property on Beavercreek Road into two parcels that was left for the commission to determine; and a design review request for the commercial buildings on RifleWay. Another last-minute inclusion was for a review of the marijuana production license that would limit the number of producers allowed per tract in certain districts (Ag/Forest, Timber, Exclusive Farm Use), as some land owners have allowed multiple licensees on the same tract of land thus making agricultural land seem more commercial/industrial with multiple indoor and outdoor grows abutted next to each other. That will go before the Planning Commission on November 26, 2018.

Oregon City is also reviewing several code revisions including Accessory Dwelling Units. The board attended a hearing at the County regarding the request to add a 10 acre solar farm off Killdeer Road, and a decision will be known in another month or two. The Park Place Concept Plan remains in the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). The Evergreen Development across from Oregon City High School has been delayed due to issues with sewer. They also decided to change their name to the Village of Beavercreek.

The board shared that four people have volunteered to help with upcoming projects. Additional volunteers are needed to help with the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at Korner Park. If you’re interested in volunteering, email info@beavercreek.org.

The flashing yellow light being added near Oregon City High School will most likely happen in early 2019. It will inform drivers when students are present so they know to slow to 20 mph, and will be off when it’s acceptable to drive the regular speed limit. The Hamlet of Beavercreek sign has been moved due to development; however, the Beavercreek Saloon has agreed to put it in their lot. The board is working to get permits in place.

Tom Salzer of Clackamas Soil & Water Conservation District shared that their new development is moving along, but they’ve hit a snag with water pressure for sprinklers in the building. The board continues to work with Beavercreek Elementary and multiple local agencies to discuss solutions to the traffic issues during dropoff and pickup times.

Next month’s guest speaker will be Bob Cochran from Clackamas Community College speaking about the bond update.

 

---

The Hamlet of Beavercreek is here to protect and preserve the rural culture of the area, and serves to help all residents. Monthly meetings are the best place to share feedback and learn how to get involved. Join us at 7:00 p.m. the thirdWednesday of each month at the Beavercreek Grange.