Ric
Holt
Jackson
County Commissioner
10
S Oakdale
Medford,
Or 97501
Re:Shady
Cove Upper Rogue Water
& Power District or
Smith
& Company
DearRic:
Before
I get into the subject of
the Water System, I want
to thank you for all your
efforts on stopping the
destruction of the Elk
Creek Dam.
First
I want to introduce
myself. I have been a
resident of Jackson
County for these past 27
years. I have resided in
Shady Cove and held every
position in City
government except for
Mayor. I helped write the
first Comprehensive Plan
accepted by the State of
Oregon back in the late
70’s. I have spent
most of my time with the
Jackson County Sheriffs
Department and the Civil
Air Patrol in Search and
Rescue for the last 27
years.
I
had attempted the first
Water District in the
Upper Rogue with the
endorsement of the County
Commissioners under Carol
Doty, and Sickles. The
project did not succeed
at that time because the
people turned it down in
spite of the acute water
shortage in late
70’s. I have kept
trying to pursue the need
for water since the
failure of the Elk Creek
Dam.
Shady
Cove has experienced
three failures trying to
pass a water system. The
Council’s have not
understood that most
people prefer to keep
their wells. The
deathblow for each
attempt was the bonded
indebtedness that would
tax people out of their
homes.The present
approach by the City
continues this pattern
and their charade of
being a private group is
not true.
The
Smith Committee has two
City Councilors’
being Hansen and Wendt.
The two City Officials
are Purdy and Smith, both
being on the Budget
Committee. Mike Malepsy
is also on the Smith
Committee, though he does
not live in the City.
These meetings are closed
to outsiders and secrete.
The Mayor always attends,
thus violating the Open
Meetings Law.
The
Mayor, Mr. Anderson would
have you believe that
there is a critical water
shortage and that many
are going without water.
Of the eighteen families
that are having problems,
Mike Malepsy, developer,
built thirteen of the
homes with out adequate
water. He is now being
sued over the
misrepresentation
regarding the
water.Questionable
adherence to State and
Federal Laws have brought
four Federal cases with
City having been served
to date. There are 7 more
being prepared and one is
a Class Action.
On
behalf of the Upper Rogue
Water and Power District,
I made an offer to the
Shady Cove City Council
for free water to needy
families The Mayor said
that he would post it in
the monthly paper put out
by the City, but to date
that has not happened.
That was several months
ago. Minutes of the
meeting and many
witnesses will bear that
out.
After
the meeting before the
Commissioners on January
30, 2002; where Anderson
stated that he had
endorsed both water
groups, he stopped Will
Hardy and me in the hall,
and stated he would never
give a written resolution
to our group, never the
less we are on the Agenda
for Feb 07, 2002.
We
hope to offer water to
more than just Shady Cove
in the near future given
adequate water recourses.
Sams Valley has serious
water needs that will be
met if we are permitted
to complete our systems
of wells and springs from
Board Mountain’s 440
acres and the 40 acres
that are just above Shady
Cove near or just above
the back of the School
property.
We
believe the revenues from
the hydropower will more
than meet the cost of the
entire system development
and the proper
engineering. We expect
there will be no need for
bonds or additional
property taxes.
If
you have any questions,
please call or write at
you earliest convenience.
I would also offer a tour
of the area and the
proposed sites, all being
on private property.
We
are asking nothing for
our involvement and the
only recipients of any
monetary means will be
the land, spring and well
owners.
One
or two Indian
Confederations that
Congressman Walden and
Senator Smith have dealt
with on three other
functioning facilities
may fund the entire
project.
We
will not be excluding any
people that would bring
about serious charges of
Civil Rights under Title
42.
Respectfully,
Wayne
F. Barnes
PO
Box 1265
Shady
Cove, Or 97539
541-878-2578
wfbarnes@ccountry.net
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