Councilors deny 'micromanagement'

Members of the Sisters City Council and the planning commission have come under fire from members of the Sisters business community for allegedly interfering with city operations and overreaching their bounds to make demands or suggestions based on personal opinions and interests. (See "Community concern focuses on leadership," The Nugget, July 25, 2007, page 31.)

Councilors think that their role is appropriate.

City Manager Eileen Stein created a framework that allows council members to approach city employees outside of the public forum to conduct some council business, as long as the discussion is kept to a short time frame.

"Eileen told us that it is completely appropriate and acceptable as councilors to ask questions of staff or ask for clarifications on issues with the city, as long as it doesn't take more than 15 minutes of their time," said Councilor Sharlene Weed. "If it does (take more than 15 minutes), we are expected to go through the city manager to insure that the employee has enough time and that that is something that is appropriate for them to be working on."

Councilor Weed believes that the system is a good arrangement that prevents city employees from being embarrassed in the event of omissions or errors in projects that go before the council.

Nevertheless, the removal of the discussion of council business from the public forum, for however brief a period it may be, has created concerns in the community. There are those who believe the mechanism allows the council to micromanage the city.

"I always abide by the 15 minute rule and as far as I know the rest of the councilors do," Weed said. "Again, I think that there is a level that is appropriate. I have never gone into the planning department and said that: 'This needs to run this way,' or 'I want finance to run this way.' When you get into the whole micromanagement thing, it is the city manager - it is not city council. But when it is specifically related to topics that the council is working on, then it is appropriate for us to be asking that question."

Other councilors don't use up their 15 minutes with a department head; they go to the city manager.

"When I have a concern, I go to see Eileen (Stein), then she takes the steps that need to be taken. That is her job. I don't go to the department," said Councilor Bill Merrill.

That's the course he took when he raised a question as to whether ramps installed in sidewalks on the west side of town met Americans With Disabilities Act requirements.

Lon Kellstrom, a long-time veteran on the council, has the same approach as Merrill.

"If I see something that needs attention or have a question, I go to see Eileen (Stein), not to see a department head. That is the appropriate way to handle things as far as I am concerned. She is the city manager," Kellstrom said.

Weed is often singled out as acting behind-the-scenes to influence city policy and actions on housing. Weed is the executive director of Sisters Habitat for Humanity.

"I have never gone in and made demands of the departments. I have only raised questions and concerns about issues that are specifically related to decisions that the council will make, not anything that is outside of a council decision. I may have said: 'This is not what I expected,' or 'this is not what the agreement was,' or 'I was hoping it would be this way.' That is different than making demands," said Weed.

When does a suggestion or a leading question from someone in authority become a demand? The fuzzy boundary must be interpreted by city employees who may view things from a very different perspective than the council member (see related story, page 34).

According to some members of the community, the city manager should be the main interface to the employees for the city council when issues move beyond the public forum of workshops or council meetings.

"She (Stein) should be keeping them (city council members) from interfering in operations of the city," said Peter Storton, co-owner and principal broker at RE/MAX Town & Country Realty.

"She should be training the councilors to do their job. What is the city attorney doing? Why isn't he keeping the ship on track when he sees council members or the planning commission stepping over the boundaries?" Storton said.

Weed disagrees that everything needs to be kept in the public forum, and she said that council members do not interfere with the operations of the city.

Micromanagement was one of the concerns raised by a group of citizens who met last month at City Hall. Some of them drafted a letter detailing concerns and offering suggestions.

That letter will be discussed at a city council workshop at 6 p.m., Thursday, August 9, at City Hall.