Tensions continue to run high at Sisters City Hall

Mayor Lon Kellstrom's frustration with two local activists bubbled to the surface during an otherwise quiet and uneventful city council meeting Thursday.

In the face of a threatened suit, the council voted to concede to the refund a $65 dollar fee paid by Mike Morgan for a records request. Mayor Kellstrom then indicated that he would entertain a motion that would allow the city staff and city council to completely ignore any input from two prolific e-mail activists.

Public records requests would be their only option.

Kellstrom was referring to what he called "...the overuse and abuse of requests for information from staff by Ed Protas and Mike Morgan."

Kellstrom continued, "Far from being occasional requests which the city staff would be happy to respond to, they could be characterized as repetitive, never-ending serial demands on staff time.

"These e-mails have absorbed staff resources far beyond what would be considered appropriate... They could also be characterized as condescending and rude... and by someone who serves on the planning commission of the city (Protas), and someone that is not even a citizen of the city."

Freshman Councilor David Asson responded with a motion to ignore input from Morgan and Protas, which was seconded by Councilor Pat Thompson. After significant debate, Thompson averted a showdown by extracting a promise from Councilor Sharlene Weed to pull all the parties together in a constructive dialogue before the next council meeting.

The culmination of Weed's work is to result in a single one-hour meeting of all parties in an attempt to find a more constructive, positive and less inflammatory way to resolve the differences of opinion, and the divisiveness of the council. Freshman Councilor Wendy Holzman expressed her support for finding a basis for dialogue as opposed to trying to pass a motion excluding Protas and Morgan.

By all reports, Weed is working diligently behind the scenes to facilitate that meeting. She has already met with Morgan and Protas and a few others. She has meetings scheduled with city staff yet this week.

"I really want our city government to be open and responsive to citizen's concerns and I think there is a way that we can do that while also making sure that it is not a burden on city staff," said Weed.

Morgan and Protas have submitted literally hundreds of pages of challenges to the city staff's computations for water rates, including supporting data. Both men have spent a large number of hours in technical research intended to demonstrate that the city staff is making unnecessary additions to the capital and expense budget based on faulty assumptions.

Councilor Asson has responded to what he considers "misguided zeal" with his own detailed set of facts and figures that challenge the basis of a number of Protas' arguments.

Protas responded, "It is ridiculous that the mayor would think that it is possible to treat interested and concerned citizens in a specific way. The idea of public records access is a two-edged sword... there are citizens that really like to stir up trouble... the municipalities do have to protect themselves.

"Mike and I do not come under that category... Our requests are not superfluous and they are not designed to waste the city's time."

Morgan called Thursday's actions "outrageous."

"This approach does not represent open and honest government," he said.