News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Bill Hall steps away from council

Jim Cornelius, News Editor | Last updated Jun 30, 2015 12:0pm0
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After less than one month, Sisters City Councilor Bill Hall resigned his position last week, citing undue levels of stress imposed by a contentious civic climate in town.

"I felt an extraordinary amount of pressure while serving less than one month as a City Councilor, much more so than I would have expected - and what I would consider normal - for such a post," Hall told The Nugget in a written statement. "I felt that if I stayed on it would have negatively impacted my health, so I made the decision to remove myself from that situation."

Hall was appointed to replace Council President McKibben Womack, who also cited the stresses of the political climate and the effect on family life in his own resignation last April.

"I experienced firsthand what McKibben Womack spoke of when he departed City Hall, and I believe his analysis was spot-on," Hall stated. "I want to be clear that I do think improvements can and should be made in Sisters. I spent years in industry in the field of process and product improvement and feel that those same principles I utilized apply equally well to government. But the approach to those ends needs to be more one of collaboration and less one of confrontation. I am concerned that we will continue to lose good people like Mr. Womack and others from the City Council and from City Hall until the tone of discourse in this town improves."

Hall recommended that the City pursue something like the "Speak Your Peace Civility Project" to improve the tone and level of discourse in Sisters.

The full text of Hall's statement may be found with the online version of this story at www.nuggetnews.com.

Hall, a retired chemical engineer and project manager, had served recently as the chair of the City's Community Assets Committee.

"I will continue working for Sisters Country in such activities as economic development and the budget committee as well as any others where I may be of use," Hall said.

He closed his statement urging appreciation for the work of Sisters' volunteer public servants and paid staff:

"I would encourage folks, when they see a member of City Council or an employee of City Hall, to thank them for their service and loyalty to this town; in my estimation, they have earned it."

The City Council is currently taking applications for candidates interested in the open position. Interested parties may submit an application to City Recorder Kathy Nelson by July 10. Candidates must be a qualified elector within the meaning of the state constitution and have resided within city limits during the preceding 12 months. Applications may be found on the home page in the announcements section of the City's website at http://www.ci.sisters.or.us or at the reception desk in City Hall located at 520 E. Cascade Ave.

For more information contact City Recorder Kathy Nelson by email at [email protected]

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

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Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

  • Email: editor@nuggetnews.com
  • Phone: 5415499941

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Bill Hall statement

I felt an extraordinary amount of pressure while serving less than one month as a City Councilor, much more so than I would have expected (and what I would consider normal) for such a post.

I felt that if I stayed on it would have negatively impacted my health, so I made the decision to remove myself from that situation.

I experienced firsthand what McKibben Womack spoke of when he departed City Hall, and I believe his analysis was spot on.

I want to be clear that I do think improvements can and should be made in Sisters.

I spent years in industry in the field of process and product improvement and feel that those same principles I utilized apply equally well to government.

But the approach to those ends needs to be more one of collaboration and less one of confrontation.

I am concerned that we will continue to lose good people like Mr. Womack and others from the City Council and from City Hall until the tone of discourse in this town improves.

Recently, I was made aware of a program called the "Speak Your Peace Civility Project" that has had significant success elsewhere in the country in improving discourse and promoting respectful and effective communication.

I had discussed this with Mayor Frye and I would encourage him to continue exploring this concept.

As for myself, I will continue working for Sisters Country in such activities as economic development and the budget committee as well as any others where I may be of use.

President Theodore Roosevelt once said, as part of a speech he gave in 1910 entitled "Citizenship in a Republic":

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

I'll close by saying that I would encourage folks, when they see a member of City Council or an employee of City Hall, to thank them for their service and loyalty to this town; in my estimation, they have earned it.

William Hall

June 27, 2015

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