Council to review report on city manager

The investigation into complaints received from several Sisters City Hall employees regarding City Manager Andrew Gorayeb is complete, and the Sisters City Council is trying to determine how to review the report.

According to Mayor Chris Frye, the investigator hoped to have the report completed by the end of this week, with perhaps an executive summary prepared by the time of an already-scheduled executive session on Wednesday, March 16. However, that executive session was canceled on Monday.

The interviews of employees at City Hall by the outside investigator were completed last week. The results of the interviews were given to each employee to review for accuracy. The investigator had originally set a deadline of March 16 for return of the interview documents from employees, after which a final report would be submitted to the City Council, the City attorney, and the City's insurance carrier.

At last week's council workshop it was discovered that Councilor David Asson is scheduled to be out of town all this week and that Councilor Nancy Connolly is leaving March 17, for two weeks.

To avoid the possibility of only three Council members being available to review the final report and make any necessary decisions, Council approved granting City employees work time last Friday to complete reviewing their statements. It was hoped that with receiving feedback by Friday, the investigator would be able to prepare the final report in time for Wednesday's executive session. That did not work out.

Frye told The Nugget on Monday that the council may have to review the report, then conduct an executive session with a conference call with the absent councilors.

Gorayeb was placed on paid administrative leave on February 25, after Mayor Chris Frye received the complaints. Frye contacted Citycounty Insurance Services (CIS), the City's insurance carrier that frequently deals with these kinds of issues; CIS provided a course of action.

CIS will make no formal recommendation regarding the findings of the investigation, but will act in an advisory capacity, helping Council to understand and weigh possible consequences of any actions they decide to take.