Volume 11 | December 2020 |
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City Supports Businesses with
Relief Grants & Outdoor Covered Seating Program
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The City of Sandy understands it is critical to assist our local small businesses during this difficult time.
In an effort to continue supporting our local economy amid the COVID-19 health emergency, the City Council authorized a second round of Emergency Small Business Assistance Grants during their October 19th meeting. These grants are funded with Federal CARES Act dollars. An initial round of grants was awarded in April 2020.
Congratulations to the local businesses whose grant applications were approved by the Emergency Small Business Assistance Grant Committee! Selected businesses received $3,414 in grant assistance this month, which may be spent on payroll, rent or mortgage payments, utilities, plexiglass barriers, temporary tents, or other business expenses related to COVID-19.
Correction: a previous version of this newsletter listed "Bellissimo Salon & Spa" as a grant recipient. The actual recipient was Cindy Olson, an independent contractor located at Bellissimo Salon & Spa. We regret the error.
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The City was pleased to provide the following businesses with relief grants:
- A Touch of Tranquility
- Beaverbrooke Dental
- Boring Cider Company
- Buddha Kat Winery
- Bunsenbrewer
- Cindy Olson of Bellissimo Salon & Spa
- Dolly's Pet Shoppe
- Golden Key Chinese Restaurant
- Island Oasis Tanning
- K's Clothing Boutique
- Le Happy Creperie & Bar
- Lovely Nails 2
- Massage Therapy Center of Sandy
- Mt. Hood Athletic Club
- No Place Saloon
- Paola's Pizza Barn
- Positive Touch Chiropractic
- Precision Archery & Outdoor Gear
- Ray's Barber Shop
- Sandy Bicycle
- Sandy Family Restaurant/Ria's Bar
- Sandy Inn Best Western
- That Salon!
- The Gateway Pub
- US World Class Taekwondo
- Wippersnappers Kid's Play Place
- Wolfe Pack Fitness (Crossfit PFB)
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Permanent Outdoor Covered Structures Grant Program |
At its December 21st meeting, the Sandy Urban Renewal Board approved a new grant program to facilitate the construction of permanent outdoor covered structures for Sandy businesses. This program will help businesses incorporate outdoor seating options during COVID-19, and will also provide a long-term amenity our community has been seeking for many years.
Under the program, the Urban Renewal Agency (City) will pay for project costs up front. Businesses will reimburse the City for 20% of the expenses, either within 30 days or according to an installment plan, up to a total cost of $100,000.
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Wastewater Improvement Project Underway |
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Crews from Oxbow Construction are currently cleaning sewer mainlines and performing video inspections on mainlines and service laterals (the pipe between the street and your home) in the area shown on the map to the right. The entire area shaded in purple will be cleaned and inspected. Completed areas and the schedule for the remaining work are color coded on the map.
This is the first stage of the the significant wastewater system improvements the State of Oregon is requiring Sandy to address. Our wastewater treatment plant has been unable to reliably meet state permit requirements, and our community continues to grow at a fast pace. Investments are needed now to treat our wastewater and comply with laws designed to protect streams and rivers.
The video inspections during this initial stage will reveal leaking or damaged pipes and improper surface water or rain drain connections. Once all the information on the sewers is compiled, the most cost-effective rehabilitation solution will be identified to repair or replace these lines. Defective, leaking service laterals and improper rain or surface water connections on private property will also be rehabilitated at no cost to the property owner. Most of the work will be "trenchless," meaning that either no excavation or very small excavations will be needed to replace, reline, or repair the existing sewers.
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City Council Defers Wastewater Rate Increase |
While the rate increases are necessitated by the State-required improvements to our sewer system, the Council determined that a rate increase during this economically challenging time would create too much of a strain on community members.
The Council will review and reconsider the proposed increases by June 2021 to ensure the project remains adequately funded and on schedule.
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Help Lead Your Community: Apply to Serve on the Planning Commission or Budget Committee |
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Budget Committee
The City of Sandy has two remaining open seats on the Budget Committee. This committee will play a critical role during the spring of 2021 as the City develops a new budget for the 2021-23 biennium. Learn more about current and past city budgets here.
The Budget Committee consists of the members of the City Council and an equal number of citizens at large. The seven citizens are appointed by the Council and serve terms of four years. The Budget Committee's function is to review the initial budget proposed by city staff, make alterations if needed, and submit an approved budget to the City Council for formal adoption.
For more information and instructions on how to apply to serve on the Budget Committee, contact finance@ci.sandy.or.us or (503) 826-1079. Applications are due no later than Friday, January 8th, 2021 at 5:00 pm.
Planning Commission
The City of Sandy currently has one vacant seat on the Planning Commission. The Sandy Planning Commission is a seven-member volunteer body of Sandy residents and/or business owners that advises the City Council on long-range, comprehensive planning and land use issues within city limits. The Planning Commission also approves all amendments and updates to the Comprehensive Plan, recommends policy direction with regard to land use rules and regulations, and helps city staff ensure that Sandy is working within the framework of the State of Oregon's stated land use goals.
For more information and instructions on how to apply to serve on the Planning Commission, contact planning@ci.sandy.or.us. Applications are due no later than Friday, January 15th, 2021 at 5:00 pm.
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The City of Sandy is excited to announce that our updated website will be unveiled in January!
In addition to the refreshed design, new features will include:
- Improved news feed and community calendar modules that will help you easily stay up to date on what's happening at the City.
- Subscription capabilities that will allow you to sign up for notifications when particular pages/topics are updated.
- Powerful search functions that will make it much easier to find the content you're looking for.
City staff are also working on a project that will make the Municipal Code fully integrated and searchable on the new website - look for that feature later in 2021.
We remain committed to developing ways to provide our community with a fully-functional, accessible, and transparent web experience.
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As you may have read in our recent Library Newsletter, during January the Sandy and Hoodland libraries will participate in Beanstack’s Fourth Annual Winter Reading Challenge, “Book Like Us,” sponsored by Simon and Schuster.
We challenge our patrons/students to read at least 10 hours during the month and keep track of their reading on our Beanstack site at sandy.beanstack.org. Thousands of libraries and schools across the nation will be encouraging their communities to read a target number of minutes and books.
Prizes will include book collections and virtual author visits. 10 winning schools or libraries will each get a collection of 50 books from the “Books Like Us” collection.
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New City Councilors to be Sworn In - January 4th, 2021
The City is pleased to welcome three newly-elected members of the City Council: Richard Sheldon, Kathleen Walker, and Don Hokanson. These new Council members, along with Mayor Pulliam who was reelected in November, will be sworn in during the Council meeting on January 4th. See below to find meeting details.
Be a part of the process! Members of the public are always welcome at meetings of the City Council and other boards and commissions.
During COVID-19 restrictions, the City Council is conducting meetings virtually via the Zoom video conference platform. Learn more about the variety of ways you can still participate by visiting our electronic meeting information page.
Mark your Calendars:
- City Council (and swearing-in of new Council members) - 1/4/2021
- City Council - 1/19/2021
- Planning Commission - 1/25/2021
Click the image below to access Sandy's full public meeting calendar with date and time details, and learn more about everything your city government is doing to serve you better!
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