Kollodge steps down from city council

A seat on the Sisters City Council will soon be open.

The council voted unanimously on Thursday to accept a letter of resignation "with regret" from Deb Kollodge, a councilor who has served since December 1, 2001.

Kollodge is resigning so she can work with her husband in their fishing-rod building business. Kollodge and her husband Jerry own Sisters Compound Rods and they have been selling a new concept in fishing rods through the business for six years, Kollodge said.

Kollodge told The Nugget she is stepping down from the council because she and her husband will dedicate their time to traveling to trade shows.

Kollodge said she does enjoy acting as a city councilor and said she may return in the near future.

Looking back, she said she is pleased to see the council working in collaboration with the community.

"They work with the chamber (of commerce), CATS (Community Action Team of Sisters) and the school district to make decisions for the community," Kollodge said. "I thought we just weren't using the resources we could have been for the community (when I started serving)."

Kollodge was appointed to the city council on December 1, 2001, and was elected to a four-year term in November 2002. The two councilors with the highest number of votes receive four-year terms, and others receive two-year terms.

The council will appoint the replacement for Kollodge by majority vote. The replacement will serve as councilor until the end of Kollodge's term in November 2006, according to City Manager Eileen Stein. Stein said the city will begin advertising the position and asking those who are interested to submit a letter of intent. Candidates must have lived within in the city limits for the past year and be registered to vote.

Stein said she will miss the unique qualities Kollodge brought to the council.

"She was very detail-oriented, always asking detail-oriented questions and reading the (council) packets thoroughly," Stein said. "She was also concerned about how the council functioned as a whole and how the people worked together."