Frazee stepping down from post

Gary Frazee is stepping down from his position as Public Works Director for the City of Sisters. He will continue working for the department in a newly created field operations director position.

The city is currently advertising for a new public works director.

"I have given a lot of thought to the situation," Frazee said. "Facing the rapid growth that we are, the position has outgrown my expertise."

Frazee said it is no longer possible for one person to manage both the "outside" operations - the actual functions such as sewer, garbage, snowplowing, water system and other infrastructure maintenance - and the "inside" work of planning and participating in multiple meetings with a variety of agencies.

And Frazee makes no bones about it: He prefers to be on the outside.

City Manager Eileen Stein said that she believes the move is best for both the city and for Frazee.

"Gary's job has really turned into two jobs," she said.

Stein believes Sisters citizens want Frazee "outside" as much as he prefers to be there.

"I think that the community loves to see him out there," she said. "When people see him driving out there, they feel better. Things are getting done."

Frazee will not take a pay cut to assume the new position. He earns $31 per hour now and will continue to draw that wage, which amounts to approximately $65,000 per year in compensation, plus benefits.

The new public works director will earn anywhere from $27 to $39 per hour (approximately $56,000 to $81,000 per year) depending upon experience and qualifications.

The pay is based on a recently adopted pay scale that brings Sisters' city employees close to the median pay for equivalent positions in other cities in the region, including Bend and Redmond.

According to Stein, Frazee's current pay is commensurate with the new position in that pay scale. She acknowledged that having two supervisory positions with relatively high pay is somewhat unusual for a city like Sisters.

"It's not standard with cities of this size, but that doesn't mean I would demote Gary to make it all work," Stein said. "I'm comfortable at this point in time that we can afford both (positions)."

Stein and Frazee both noted that Sisters is somewhat unusual in that it is a service center for a population nearly 10 times that within the city limits and draws thousands more in for tourist activities.

"I honestly believe I can go out into the field and make the public works department a very effective, efficient, productive organization," Frazee said. "I think I can certainly be well worth my money out there."

The public works department has struggled in recent years to attract employees with specialized skills. While the current crew is notably hardworking and dedicated, the department lost a water system operator to a position in eastern Oregon and has had a hard time filling other slots.

A recent advertisement for a lead sewer system operator drew two applicants, neither with any relevant experience or certifications. The new salary scale didn't seem to make a difference.

"I've never had to deal with the job market as it is today," Frazee said.

Frazee believes his day-to-day hands-on involvement will help fill some gaps in the department's capabilities.

Frazee's move came in the same week that the city's Finance Officer Emma Sivers quit, citing a stressful work environment where she felt unappreciated.

Stein did not wish to discuss what she described as "internal personnel matters," but she acknowledged that there have been strains on staff.

"I would say we are cracking a little bit due to the pressures and expectations that are put on us," she said. "I think it just goes back to the stress and strains of growth. There's a lot coming at us."

Stein noted that recent salary increases - which took some five months to evolve - have eased some morale problems, but she said the wage bump is not a panacea.

"Everybody earning a little bit more is not going to help us with the cracking," she said. "We need more people in play."

She said that balancing competitive wages with budgeting to add staff is one of the more delicate and difficult aspects of her job.

Stein has issued advertisements for a Finance and Administration Director, a position that will supplant the finance officer position. That director will shape his or her own staff, according to Stein.

Neither position will be filled immediately. The hiring process entails several months, and it could be the end of June before new people come on board. Frazee will continue to handle public works director chores until the new director is hired, and he will assist in the transition.

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Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

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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