Shaping Sisters' future

Within the next four years Sisters Country will beautify Cascade Avenue, add miles of multiuse pathways and safe school routes, gain rights to USFS property, install roundabouts, enhance Barclay Drive, bring fish back to Whychus Creek, extend affordable housing, add dozens of jobs, upgrade our sewer system, be recognized as a music and art destination and have a balanced budget. That is our humble goal.

That is the grandeur of our village's hopes. It is based on a survey I conducted over the past two months. My survey began as a way to introduce myself to the public and hear one-to-one about strongly voiced differences. Perceptions do prevail in our wonderful little city. The most apparent alleges that "self interests" and "good old boy" intransigence is destroying our ability to grow. When I asked for examples of the harm that was caused, I found less objectivity than I think necessary to form such a conclusion.

I believe the distressful perceptions were caused by poor analysis and hasty communication. Had our leaders been more careful, more patient, and did more homework before announcing action, much stress could have been avoided. And had our council presented a more unified front after making some votes, reactions may have been more relaxed. Extenuating circumstances played a large role in the processes.

Even so, there is less disagreement than I had been led to believe. The differences are not so much in what the community wants as it is in the methods proposed to achieve them. The more striking discovery was the gamut of our hopes and the incredible possibility that many can be realized.

I asked 27 questions in three broad sections: Tourism, Industry and Civic Issues. My survey is not scientifically designed. It is limited in scope - some 30 in-depth interviews and many less-formal visits. Still, I feel that the responses reflect a valued consensus of peoples' attitudes. A sampling follows:

Quality of life and our public school system are unanimous reasons why Sisters is an exceptional place to live and the primary reason people want to settle here.

Tourism is highly regarded, although sixty percent say tourism should not be our primary economic focus. Most expect emphasis to be placed on improving curb appeal both downtown and along industrial corridors. We should highlight current events, promote new tourist venues, but also look for other year-round jobs.

New employment should be pursued in the technology field, say 85 percent of respondents, and light industry should be sought after, according to 65 percent. There is much skepticism that either tourism or industry will bring new jobs soon but the general feeling is that we must actively search for both.

Many non-city residents own property and businesses in Sisters and contribute much time and money to the community. They strongly favor gaining some kind of voice in future decisions.

Sisters Country is home to many talented individuals who are eager to serve. Residents with extensive experience in business, finance, tourist facilities, computer applications, sports, marketing, education, medicine, construction and more live here. Many have worked abroad. Some have investable funds or sources. More are out there waiting to find a home in Sisters. It is all about our unique quality of life.

Our city has many goals to pursue. We must shrewdly prioritize and focus the talent of an excellent staff on a multitude of long-range opportunities. There is little that the city should do aside from organizing and monitoring the overall effort - then get out of the way. The council meets later this month to set current and future years' goals. It is critical that we utilize our limited capital, our worthy staff and our remarkable volunteer talent in a responsible manner. Many dedicated citizens eloquently expressed these thoughts in my interviews. It is what they want us to do. It can work!