During its June 24 meeting, the City Council moved to repeal a 1964 ordinance that provides fluoridation in the city’s water system.
With very little discussion on the matter, the council voted 6-0 (Councilor Ken Bronson was absent) to conduct the first two readings of an ordinance that would effectively remove fluoridation of the city’s water supply.
Following a special election held in November 1964 revealing residents wanted fluoride added to their water, the City of Sweet Home created Ordinance No. 454 ordering the fluoridation of the city’s water supply.
In 2014, residents requested the council consider removing fluoride because they believed the chemicals cause health problems and called it “forced medication.” Following a public hearing on the matter – with 10 residents speaking out against fluoride and eight speaking in favor – the council voted to take no action, saying they weren’t willing to overturn the vote of the people but current residents could gather a petition to place it on the ballot again.
During the council’s May 27 meeting this year, Councilor Dylan Richards requested the matter be brought forth for discussion at the June meeting. City Manager Jason Ogden informed the council that adding fluoride to the system costs the city about $20,000 a year.
The council had several options before them: request more research from staff, refer the matter to a ballot of the people, create an ordinance repealing the fluoridation of water, or do nothing.
Deputy City Manager Cecily Pretty told The New Era that the system to fluoridate the water has been broken for several years, so the water has not been fluoridated during that time. Since there is an ordinance requiring the water to be fluoridated, it came before the council to address the matter.
Ogden had provided the general history of water fluoridation in Sweet Home during the June 24 meeting, and Public Works Director Greg Springman reported the city pays about $3,000 a year in hazardous waste fees for having the product on site.
A motion to repeal the ordinance was approved without opposition. Pretty told The New Era that given the fact the topic had received much more public scrutiny in the past, she was surprised it sailed through this meeting so smoothly.
The third and final reading of the ordinance is expected to be held at the next City Council meeting on July 8.
Original article online at: https://www.sweethomenews.com/fluoridated-water-on-its-way-out-in-sweet-home/