Portland firm contracted for city planning services

Bill Adams, Sisters' new planner. photo by Jim Mitchell Bill Adams of Portland and his planning services firm will take over the reins as Sisters' new planning director this month.

City Manager Eileen Stein announced this week that the City of Sisters will enter into a contract with Adams Planning & Development Services. Adams will begin work on July 26. Adams proposed a structure in which he would contract his services to the city. In essence the city will be contracting with Adams Planning & Development Services rather than hiring Bill Adams as the Planning Director.

According to Stein, "As we have building official services under contract (inspection), I see planning services working very similar to that."

Stein said, "cost-wise, contracting on an hourly basis comes out about the same as we have budgeted for an employee, but with the added benefit of having available the expertise of Adams' firm."

Adams' firm will replace Neil Thompson, who left his position as planning director to take a job in New York. Brian Rankin has served as interim planner and will continue to serve the city in a support role.

Adams, from the Portland area, has extensive experience in municipal planning. His firm has performed planning services for Stayton, Woodburn, Hood River, Gresham, Milwaukie, and Multnomah County. Stein added that Adams has "quite a bit of experience in municipal planning, which is what I was looking for."

When Stein was asked about day-to-day office availability, she replied, "We have our building officials in the office every day. So, from a timeliness standpoint we will have continuous planning coverage as well. I expect Bill will be available in the office every day and Brian Rankin will continue on the planning department staff."