Shawna Bell takes seat on Sisters City Council

The second order of business for the Sisters City Council after the pledge of allegiance last Thursday night was to appoint Shawna Bell as a councilor. Bell took the oath of office to fill the position that was recently vacated through the resignation of Judy Trego.

Bell has been interested in government for much of her life, and when the position opened on the city council, it seemed like a good fit.

"I have always been interested in city government and had intended to run someday. Now that I am working parttime, I feel I have the time to fulfill the commitment of the city council position. The timing was perfect," said Bell.

Bell has many life experiences that she believes will add to her ability to be an effective city council member.

After serving 18 years in management in the high tech industry, she brings skills of budgeting, cost analysis, problem solving and an innate understanding of how to achieve a return on investment that will be an asset in the performance of her duties as a city council member.

Bell believes that her talents and personal qualifications will serve the city well.

"I feel that these skills will come in very handy when helping make decisions on using the taxpayers' money wisely. I also live, work, play and shop in Sisters. Therefore, I am completely invested in the success of the city," said Bell.

Bell believes that there is a strong council in place and that it is an effective team that will continue to provide leadership and direction to the growing city. Because of the different abilities and strengths of the council members, there is the opportunity to work as a synergistic team where the end result can be greater than the sum of the combined individual talents.

"The other four council members are very strong individuals that bring different skills and passions to the table. The mayor is, of course, the leader of the council, and the president keeps the business end of the council under control. It is the job of the entire council to seek the opinions of the citizens of Sisters and to bring those thoughts, ideas and opinions forward," said Bell.

She intends to be available for input.

Growth for Sisters is viewed by Bell as not only inevitable but also a potential asset to the community. She is concerned that any growth that does occur be orchestrated in a manner consistent with community desires.

Believing that this guidance is a part of her responsibility, she said, "I would like to see our charming town grow responsibly. This would include adequate infrastructure to support the influx of new full-time and part-time residents that will move to the new housing developments that have already been approved."

The economy is another issue that is of concern to Bell.

"I would like to see if we can attract companies with higher paying wages and then make sure we have adequate housing so the people that work in Sisters can live in Sisters," she said.

Bell has been involved in the Sisters visioning process since last October and has remained active in all the follow-through meetings. She even led one of the eight sub-teams. The vision for Sisters included the input of 250 citizens along with the comprehensive plan for the city. Bell believes that the visioning guidelines are excellent measures to follow in making decisions that will impact the future of the city.

The new city council member is looking forward to filling the vacated position with considerable enthusiasm. It is a fulfillment of her dream to be more engaged in the political process and to help to make Sisters a better place to live and work.

"I am very honored and excited to be selected to fill Judy Trego's remaining term. I look forward to serving the community and working with four very diverse and interesting council members. The current team, including city staff, seems to be very collaborative in making decisions but not timid about bringing up opposing thoughts and ideas. This is an exciting time to participate in decisions to help shape the future of this city," said Bell.