News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Candidates for the Sisters City Council share concerns about managing growth and traffic in Sisters.
The six candidates, vying for three open seats in the November 3 election, staked out a large chunk of common ground in a forum sponsored by two local political action committees on Friday, September 25. The candidates responded to six prepared questions. Lon Kellstrom and Dave Moyer were out of town; their written responses were read aloud by facilitator Harold Gott.
While there was some difference of opinion about whether Sisters should annex all the land in the Urban Growth Boundary and on whether the city charter should mandate high systems development charges, there was broad agreement that Sisters must plan for inevitable growth and make development pay its way.
There was also emphasis on reducing the tensions that have arisen in recent months on the city council. Current planning commissioner and candidate Wayne Kimball drew the strongest applause of the afternoon with a pledge to change the tone of the council.
"I want to bring civility back to the city council," Kimball said. "We're too darn small a community to have bickering."
Traffic was a serious concern for all the candidates. Kimball and Libby Bottero went the furthest in their solutions, proposing traffic signals to increase safety on Cascade Avenue.
"We've got to find some way to slow the traffic down or bypass it," Kimball said. "I propose that we really bear down and get a stop light (at Camp Polk and Highway 20)."
Kellstrom noted that about 30 percent of the traffic on Cascade Avenue is local. He hopes to continue efforts to develop local "by-pass routes" like the Hood Avenue and Barclay Drive extensions. Although he sees no "clear cut solution," Moyer advocates taking any opportunity to divert traffic off Cascade.
"We want to stick to a village atmosphere," Maggie Hughes said, encouraging foot traffic.
Incumbent Tim Clasen also favors development of a bike- and pedestrian-friendly town.
"I'm a big fan of alternative transportation," Clasen said. "We should reduce car usage if we can."
Candidates were asked to explain their position on the SDC measure that will share the November 3 ballot. The initiative would amend the city charter, requiring the city to charge the maximum systems development charges allowed by law.
Candidates were divided on the issue.
Libby Botttero, one of the authors of the initiative, said "it simply requires Sisters to do what state law already allows."
Maggie Hughes said she supports charging SDCs but opposes putting the issue in the city charter. That position was echoed by Kellstrom.
"The city ordinances are the proper location for items like SDCs, items that, by their very nature, require debate, public input and discussion," Kellstrom stated.
Moyer, too opposes the initiative. Kimball said he favors charging to make growth pay its way, but he said he's unsure how best to implement charges.
Clasen, though he did not take a clear position on the initiative, said he favors SDCs and believes that people will be willing to pay the cost of living in Sisters.
"I don't want Sisters to end up like Redmond," he said. "They've not charged the full cost of growth in a long time."
Candidates were also divided as to whether Sisters should pursue a blanket annexation of all the land inside the Urban Growth Boundary. With changes in tax laws, the city can now bring bare land into the tax base and still get the full tax value of any improvements.
Kimball enthusiastically endorsed blanket annexation as a "first step" in incorporating outlying areas like Tollgate and Indian Ford that use Sisters as a service center but pay no taxes to the city.
"I submit to you that we've already got 'country sprawl,'" Kimball said. "Thirty years from now, I'd like to see Sisters include these outlying areas."
Kellstrom, Hughes and Moyer also supported blanket annexation as a way for Sisters to control how that land is developed.
Bottero and Clasen disagreed.
"I think it is best to look at each area as it is developed and decide accordingly," Bottero said.
Clasen argued that annexation on a case-by-case basis means developers have to take their case to the residents.
"This whole annexation issue requires developers to sell their product," he said.
The candidates agreed that Sisters should encourage clean, light industry and businesses that serve residents to reduce the city's dependence on tourism.
Bottero expressed concern about drive-through fast-food restaurants and urged that they be limited.
Kellstrom noted that, while broadening the economic base is important, Sisters should not "attempt to limit tourism in an effort to make us less dependent on it."
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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