The Government Camp Community Planning Organization (CPO) will move
forward this month with a subcommittee that will update the 2008
Incorporation Study, offering insights into the costs and benefits of a possible
incorporation effort for the community. The formation of the subcommittee
follows a survey the CPO performed last year in which 83 percent of 41 total
responses supported the effort (registered voters in the community comprised
19 of the 41 responses).

“Everyone on the committee and the community at large is interested in
finding the information first,” said Nick Rinard, president of the CPO board,
adding that the goal is for the discussion to be guided by the facts. “That’s
what motivated the interest in an updated study. People felt it was time to get
informed again.”

The study could help answer a number of questions, such as the possible
impact on taxes, how much the assessed property value changed since 2008,
the impact on relationships with other agencies (including the Oregon
Department of Transportation and the U.S. Forest Service) and others.
Rinard added that there are no deadlines and the work will be exploratory,
and once the study is officially underway, it could conclude in approximately
six months.

He added that the scope of work will take place in two phases, with the first
working with a consultant, Ed Trompke from Jordan Ramis, to come up with a
recommendation for the community.

If that recommendation is to move ahead with an incorporation effort, phase
two would be getting it put on a ballot.

Rinard noted that there is no glaring need for incorporation, but there are
issues for the community that may be helped by it, including policing, parking,
FIREWISE efforts, traffic and the public restroom project that the CPO is
working closely on with Oregon Solutions.

“The idea of the locals having more control is attractive, (and) how feasible,
how much responsibility comes with that,” he said.

The 2008 study resulted in an incorporation effort for the May 2010 ballot,
which was defeated with 48 “no” votes to 35 “yes” votes.

Rinard, who was not the CPO president at that time, noted there was some
vocal opposition to the effort then, while he senses people are now open
minded about the possibility of exploring it again.

Rinard added that a city can provide as many or as few services as wanted,
while a physical building, such as a city hall, is not a necessity.

The community is currently served by two local special districts: a road district
with a three-member board of directors and a sanitary district with a five-
member board.

“They’re doing a great job,” Rinard said. “They could serve under a different
structure and carry on with the same work, with protections and possible
controls of a city.”

Rinard has a list of people willing to volunteer on the subcommittee that will
update the study, but he added that the goal is to be as diverse as possible in
representing the community, including the ski areas, full time and part time
residents, plus those in the communities of Summit Meadows and Wapinitia.
He added that anyone who is interested in participating can contact the CPO
for more information.

“The sense I get from the community is that people are passionate about
Government Camp,” Rinard said. “That’s a good citizen base to have. We all
feel united by our love for the Mountain.”