In Saturday’s paper, there was an article titled “County cuts SDCs in half for subdivision.” It is true that new development helps with the overall economy of the community. It also brings excessive wear and demands to the infrastructure of Deschutes County and Bend. It doesn’t make sense to give them disproportionately lower fees. There is plenty of evidence of the damage heavy trucks make on our roads and roundabouts. The reduction of the fee from $3,044 to $1,522 per new construction illustrates two things: 1) The fee is a token compared to the associated costs the county will incur; 2) The fee is a drop in the bucket compared with the cost of the new home in Tetherow. If anything, they should be paying higher fees to offset the damage they cause and the demands they put on our infrastructure. This misguided decision to reduce the fee should be revisited and have public hearings.

Richard Morris

Bend