News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Candidates for Sisters City Council fielded questions from citizens at a final pre-election forum on Thursday, October 22.
The forum was sponsored by the political action committee Citizens for Cooperative Urban Planning (The Nugget's October 14 report that the PAC People's Council was a co-sponsor was incorrect). Four of the six candidates attended. Wayne Kimball and Libby Bottero did not attend.
Schools superintendent Steve Swisher sought candidates' positions on annexing 30 acres of school district property at the north end of Pine Street. All four candidates favored the move.
Tim Clasen said he approved of creating more light industrial land, but he believes those seeking annexation need to offer more public information on their efforts.
Maggie Hughes thinks the site is much better for expansion of Sisters' light industrial zone than areas further east which offer spectacular mountain views.
The candidates believe the availability of the sewer and state mandates for development inside urban growth boundaries will lead to more density in Sisters.
Dave Moyer noted that many relatively large town lots soon could be broken up into smaller lots and built on.
Lon Kellstrom said the city can zone for greater density and provide economic incentives for denser housing if that is what the city wants.
But, he said, "there's not much government can do to force the issue and I don't think we should, because we tend to lose our character."
Clasen wants to see strict architectural standards applied to high density housing units to maintain the city's 1880s theme.
Hughes noted that it will take careful planning to make allowable density - 16 units on a parcel the size of the Village Green - fit into Sisters.
However, she said, "we do need the affordable housing."
The candidates were asked their position on a Community Action Team proposal that local government be restructured to include members of the outlying Sisters community.
"Restructuring our government is not something the city can really do," Moyer asserted.
Like other candidates, he acknowledged that "outsiders" should have a voice, particularly those who pay property taxes in the city.
But, he said, "they should not have a vote inside the city."
Clasen agreed that community members should have a voice. He urged that representatives of homeowners in outlying subdivisions come to council meetings to be heard.
Hughes thought the city should explore the possibility of annexation of some outlying subdivisions or creating districts that could be assessed for common services.
Kellstrom was leery of "add(ing) another layer of government" between the city and the county. He also noted that discussions about the impact of "outside" residents often underestimate the positive impact that outside residents have on the city through their civic contributions.
The city council election is set for November 3. Three of the six candidates will be elected; the top two vote-getters will serve four years, the third highest vote-getter serves a two-year term.
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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