Stein, council continue work

City Manager Eileen Stein and the Sisters City Council continue to work on improving a relationship strained by a falling-out at the beginning of the year between Stein and three councilors.

In a private executive session, the council gave City Manager Eileen Stein an informal progress report on her performance on her current work plan. The work plan was developed by Stein as a result of the March executive session/facilitation conducted by Judge Paul Lipscomb to resolve the schism between Stein and several members of the council.

This informal interim three-month review was requested by Stein at the conclusion of the March session to allow her to get feedback on her work plan before the formal six-month evaluation scheduled for September.

Stein and members of the council spoke to The Nugget after the session.

Stein said, "I am very pleased with the direction this is going."

"The informal review was positive and came from a good place," said Councilor Wendy Holzman. "There was significant improvement and obvious efforts to address the council's concerns."

Councilor Pat Thompson said, "Three months is not really enough time to make any major adjustments. Eileen is making a conscious effort to improve communications."

Councilor Sharlene Weed, a frequent and vocal critic of Stein's performance, told The Nugget that "Eileen has made good progress toward her goals."

In other council business: During his regular Sisters substation report to the council, Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Captain Erik Utter said, "We have had lots of interaction with the public in the city's back-in parking areas. Thus far the tone of those contacts have been positive. We haven't issued any citations to date. We have been handing out the city-developed tri-fold brochures with a written warning."

Utter continued, "On a side note, I personally like that format of parking. My personal opinion is that it is an effective way to help with the safety issues in terms of pulling out. It gives you a better view of traffic. I wish Bend would do that on Wall Street."

Board attorney Steve Bryant reported that the Oregon Petroleum Association (OPA) has petitioned the Oregon Supreme Court to review the Oregon Court of Appeals decision to uphold Sisters' three-cent gas tax. Bryant estimates it will take the court a month or two to decide whether to hear the case.

As the council's representative on Central Oregon Area Commission on Transportation (COACT), Councilor Wendy Holzman reports that ODOT's Steve Farnsworth will visit with the council in August to discuss ODOT's new approach to project selection, and to removing restrictions on city streets (as opposed to state highways). Both of these issues could have a significant bearing on ODOT's influence on local economic growth.