City manager's job is on the line

A deeply divided Sisters City Council will meet in special session at 8 a.m. Thursday at City Hall for what the agenda lists as the "discussion and consideration of a vote to terminate the city manager."

Unless there is a dramatic change of heart between now and Thursday morning, that vote appears headed for a 3-2 split in favor of termination of the employment of Eileen Stein.

The special meeting will be open to the public and "visitor communication" will be allowed.

Councilor Pat Thompson told The Nugget, "It's time for a change in leadership. She's had a good 10 years and achieved many goals for the City of Sisters, but now it's time for a change of leadership to move forward."

Stein had her regular annual review in an executive session in December.

Councilor Wendy Holzman said, "Since the city manager review was done in executive session it must be kept confidential, but since it has now been made a public process I will simply say that Eileen has an almost 10 year tenure with the city, and I believe it is now time for a change in leadership. I have put a lot of deliberate thoughtful consideration into my decision. It was not an easy decision for me to make."

Mayor Lon Kellstrom has served on the city council since 1999 and as mayor since 2009.

Kellstrom said, "In my view, Eileen is one of the best small town managers in the state. I believe there is public support for that, as well as support from all the government services she worked with. It (the decision) is very short sighted and I disagree with it."

Kellstrom continued, "The decision has to be made in a public meeting. We tried to make a resignation work in an executive session but we couldn't reach an agreement (among the councilors and Stein). At that point Eileen said 'That's fine, if that's the situation they can just terminate me.'"

Councilor David Asson concurred with Kellstrom, saying "A severance agreement was proposed, but the parties involved (the councilors and the city manager) could not agree on the terms."

Asson said, "I'd like to make one further comment: We have been asked frequently in other council meeting to not rush something through. Even on very mundane issues it was frequently requested 'lets have a public forum; lets talk to the people; lets go down to the Friday market and have a booth. Why are we in such a hurry?' Yet in this case we have been very rushed. The word 'process' was always very important to some of the council members, but it is not being used here."

A frequent and vocal critic of city manager Stein, Councilor Sharlene Weed said, "It is on the agenda, I don't know what will happen on Thursday. There hasn't been a vote. It is a sensitive issue, and after we vote I will be willing to comment."

Weed detailed her dissatisfaction with Stein's leadership in a statement that she read into the council record after a recent water rate vote.

The proposed public airing of the discussion to decide Stein's fate stirred a flurry of activity in recent days. The meeting was first reported to be on Thursday morning. It was then moved to the regular Thursday evening agenda in the first published meeting announcement. Later in the day, a revised agenda was published with the meeting moved back to Thursday morning.

Stein reportedly shared her tenuous situation with the city staff in a meeting Monday afternoon.

Stein took the city manager position in April 2002 when long-time city administrator Barbara Warren retired. Stein had previously served for four-and-a-half years as a senior management analyst with the City of Springfield Public Works Department.

Stein did not respond to repeated phone requests for an interview.