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Council delays vote on water-ordinance technical correction amid questions about Silcoos water rights
Summary
The council opened a public hearing on a proposed correction to the city's water ordinance (Ordinance 2-71) intended to clarify a definition and municipal reporting; residents and councilors requested written clarification from the Watermaster regarding whether Dune City holds water rights to Silcoos Lake, and the council continued the item for further review.
The council opened a public hearing on Ordinance 2-71, intended to correct and clarify definitions in Ordinance 2-31A and to align city reporting with state water-right records. Mayor Ed McGuire read the ordinance title and explained the change was meant to add a definition for Woking Lake and clarify reporting requirements tied to a state water permit number.
Multiple residents and councilors questioned whether Dune City actually holds water rights to Silcoos Lake. Public commenter Sabrina (recorded in the transcript as speaking under the public-hearing registry) and others said they had spoken to the Watermaster who told them the city does not hold a right to Silcoos; other participants said their conversations with the Watermaster produced different answers. Several speakers urged the council to obtain a written statement from the Watermaster to resolve conflicting verbal accounts before proceeding.
Council members and staff agreed to continue the ordinance to a future meeting, request written clarification and mapping from the Watermaster, and prepare a parcel-level map showing which properties are associated with municipal water rights before bringing the ordinance back for further review.
