News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Independent consultant Vergie Ries will provide information and help identify residents' concerns regarding a proposed sewer system in Sisters.
The Sisters City Council hired Ries for $6,700 to act as a "communication and citizen involvement specialist." Ries will be paid with funds already set aside as part of the grant awarded the city for the sewer project study.
The council also voted on Thursday, February 12, to put a request for $7 million sewer bond on the May ballot. The vote will decide whether or not a sewer system will be built.
Council President Gordon Petrie was the sole vote against placing the measure on the ballot.
The council also split over the hiring of Ries.
Ries is to act as a neutral facilitator at city workshops on the sewer. She will also create a "stakeholder focus group" representing a variety of interests and points of view among city residents.
According to Ries' contract, "the group will have access to resource experts and will work to provide accurate information for consideration by the voting public of Sisters."
Ries will also create monthly newsletters reporting on the findings of the focus groups. Those will be mailed to registered voters and made available to the general public.
Petrie and Councilor Tim Clasen disapproved of the scope of Ries' role. Clasen argued that she should only act as a neutral party to run workshops.
Councilors Sheryl Whent and Kathy Pittman supported hiring Ries for the full contract, and Mayor Steve Wilson broke the tie in their favor.
Ries recently served as the temporary city manager for Redmond.
She has worked on numerous water quality projects, including the Tualatin River clean-up and the Redmond sewer plant expansion.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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