Agenda Packet 9-24-18 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Argument in Favor Farm families in Clackamas County ask you to vote yes on Measure 49 Sandwiched between a thriving metropolis on the valley floor and the forested slopes of the Cascades, Clackamas County agriculture is a great example of why Oregon needs Measure 49. Clackamas County is an integral part of the Portland metro area and home to about 375,000 Oregonians. Complementing that urban character is a thriving family farm economy. Farm families in our county produce nearly $400 million in sales each year, not including off-farm businesses like transportation, processing, marketing, restaurants, and retail. Blessed with some great soils, Clackamas County is the second most productive agricultural county in Oregon. Clackamas County is a virtual who’s who of beloved Oregon products. Strawberries, Christmas trees, blueberries and blackberries, ornamentals and shade trees, fresh vegetables, hazelnuts, wine, and many more Oregon farm favorites are grown here. Clackamas County is also home to tulip-filled fields, a sea of colors that so beautifully represents Oregon in calendars, posters, and cards. How can Clackamas County be such a family farm success story? The farm answer is that we have the quality land, water, labor, and know-how to be successful. The public policy answer is balance. Oregon needs laws that emphasize balance among different kinds of uses for our irreplaceable land. With balance, family farming can continue to thrive for decades to come, in harmony with flourishing urban areas. Measure 49 brings balance to the heart of our public policy. It allows a reasonable number of homes to be built in farming areas while protecting these areas from runaway development. A lack of balance breeds conflict. Conflict undermines the quality of life enjoyed by all who call this wonderful place home. By bringing balance, Measure 49 will reduce conflicts. We all benefit from that. Clackamas County Farm Bureau has more than 650 farm families working together toward positive solutions. We ask you to join us in voting yes on Measure 49. (This information furnished by Joe Casale, Jr., Clackamas County Farm Bureau.) This space purchased for $500 in accordance with ORS 251.255. The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by the State of Oregon, nor does the state warrant the accuracy or truth of any statement made in the argument. Argument in Favor Oregon’s Fire Chiefs Urge You to Vote Yes on Measure 49 It may seem unusual that Oregon Fire Chiefs would weigh in on an issue like Measure 49. After all, what does firefighting have to do with who gets to build what buildings, and where? The answer is: it matters a lot. Our job is to protect the structures, and the people who live and work inside them. That job can be made much more difficult if those structures are not built with fire protection in mind. And even if those homes and businesses are well-built, they can be at risk if they are built in the wrong places. That is what is happening with Measure 37. And Measure 49 will help fix it. Many Measure 37 claims are for massive housing subdivisions on remote farm and forestland that are not appropriate from a fire protection standpoint. •They are isolated from fire stations and other services. •They are often in places at risk for wildfires. •These areas have limited water supplies, and housing developments could drain them even further. It’s very hard to put out a fire without enough water. It would be very difficult, and in some cases perhaps impossible, to provide adequate fire protection for the kinds of large development Measure 37’s loopholes are now allowing.And to the extent that we can, it will be very expensive – an expense that will be born by local property taxpayers. Measure 49 will protect the rights of landowners to build a few houses on their land, if the law allowed them to when they bought it. But it will also help us protect you, by preventing the wrong kind of development in the wrong kinds of places. Roy Hari Fire Chief - retired, Marion County Fire District 1 Larry D. Eckhardt Retired Fire Chief, Sheridan Oregon (This information furnished by Liz Kaufman, Yes on 49 Campaign.) This space purchased for $500 in accordance with ORS 251.255. The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by the State of Oregon, nor does the state warrant the accuracy or truth of any statement made in the argument. Measure 49 Arguments Official 2007 November Special Election Voters’ Pamphlet 46 | State Measures continued September 24, 2018, Meeting - Item 3