Letters to the Editor 09/29/2010

To the Editor:

Attention all city water users!

City of Sisters held a workshop a couple of weeks ago to discuss raising the water rates for all city residential and commercial accounts. Last Tuesday, September 21, 2010, a Bulletin headline read "Sisters water bills may get increase."

Without getting into the confusing details, what really caught my attention was a quote from current City Manager Eileen Stein. Stein said increase is overdue. Sisters has not increased its water rates since 1994. If the city did not increase rates, the water fund would have a roughly $90,000 deficit and would have to spend some of its reserves.

The truth is the city raised water rates effective July 1, 2009. Most folks didn't notice but when they raised the rate of a water meter from $16.50 for 10,000 gallons to $19.80, they also lowered your sewer rate from $39.00 to $35.70. Your total bill was still the same, $55.50.

The key is the fact they raised your water bill $3.30/month 15 months ago, NOT 15 years ago!

Gary D. Frazee

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To the Editor:

In this small town, probably in all small towns, more often then not, we collide in our different opinions about what is the best for the place we live: the best way to approach the future; the best way to learn from the past; the best way to look at where we are right now and evaluate how well (or not so well) we are doing.

I have been involved in several of these opinionated collisions since I moved here, but now I believe that most us want what is best for Sisters. Most of us want choices made by the city that are best for most of our citizens and neighbors, which in a democracy means best for all of us. Question is, how do we get there?

Best to start from the ground up. First and foremost in leveling the playing field is: food. Food for everyone! Not an easy task, but I have been delighted and excited to contribute to the Sisters Food Bank in the name of three city council candidates who have asked us to do so, rather then make a regular campaign donation to their cause. I thank Wendy Holzman, Sharlene Weed and Jacki Shepardson for their "direct deposit" into what matters most, over $2,600 for the food bank. It is an excellent start.

Sincerely,

Pamela Burry

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To the Editor:

We write in recommendation of Wendy Holzman for Sisters City Council.

Since moving here over five years ago, Wendy has invested countless hours in service of our community. Examples include current chair of the Committee for Citizen Involvement (a liaison to the City Council) and serving on the Development Code Technical Advisory Committee, Parks Master Plan Committee, and Three Sisters Scenic Bikeway Committee.

Through her involvement in these organizations and her open and listening spirit, Wendy is exceedingly well-informed and articulate regarding the issues, challenges, and opportunities facing our small town.

It is important to us that she is not beholden to any particular interest group. Rather, after years of working in the Beaverton public schools, she brings a balanced approach and an independent, thoughtful voice as a person who is genuinely interested in what is best for the needs of her community.

As an attorney, I spend a lot of time communicating with folks who have developed their opinion on issues and refuse to open their minds to other perspectives. Our conversations with Wendy in our front yard have been refreshing in the openness and intelligence she brings to the issues we discuss. She has insightful thoughts and opinions, but she is not closed to finding new wisdom, new perspectives, a better way to solve a problem. If more people involved in politics shared this approach, we might not so often look at the results from Washington, Salem, etc. and scratch our heads in disbelief.

We also support Wendy's interest in encouraging a vibrant downtown Sisters core as a focus for economic development here, generating jobs and creating an appeal that draws visitors and locals alike. Wendy has a strong vision for leveraging Sisters' unique qualities to grow our local economy in ways that make sense for the long-term health of our town.

If you are interested in the future of Sisters, engage in a conversation with Wendy. We expect you will enjoy the experience.

Brian and Amy Flagler

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To the Editor:

This letter is in reply to the letter submitted by Virginia Lindsey in the last issue of The Nugget.

The majority of city council votes do not involve controversy. Approval of minutes, payment of accounts payable, or grant applications are generally unanimous. Staff and council come together and achieve wonderful things for our city all the

time.

When it comes to substantive issues and votes - the votes surrounding bringing a destination resort to the Metolius, bringing a destination resort to Aspen Lakes, approving the gas tax, and altering the makeup of the planning commission, Mayor Kellstrom and Councilors Thompson and Bogart did vote as a "bloc."

These issues are not "nonsense" as you have implied.

The bloc consists of council candidates who were supported by the Citizens for Sisters PAC. This same PAC supports your candidacy as well as

Bogart's.

It is time not only to promote jobs, but to approach policy making as an inclusive process. What you are hearing relative to the "bloc" is the deep community concern that the council majority is making decisions from a single pro-business, pro-development focus with a disregard for other points of view.

We need a dialogue that promotes inclusion and mutual respect. Jerry Bogart said the night of the McKenzie Meadows Annexation vote, "If you cannot or do not want to vote for this agreement, then I believe you are saying 'no' to our seniors; you are saying 'no' to affordable housing."

Imagine that, Sharlene Weed, the executive director of Sisters Habitat for Humanity, saying 'no' to affordable housing and seniors! Statements like this, and there have been others, are disrespectful and exclusionary. We must diversify our council. A council with many voices makes for a healthy democratic debate and in the end better results for Sisters.

Ed Protas