Candidates sought for city council

August 30 at 5 p.m. is the deadline for filing completed and verified applications with the Deschutes County Recorder's Office in order to be on the ballot in November to run for Sisters City Council. However, the deadline for petition to file with Kathy Nelson, Sisters city recorder, is August 16 at 5 p.m. at City Hall. Candidate packets are still available from Nelson.

There are three positions that need to be filled, with terms beginning in January 2017. Those positions are currently held by Chris Frye, Andrea Blum, and Amy Burgstahler, all of whom were appointed to fill vacancies created at different times by the resignation of elected Council members. Frye will be stepping down at the end of August due to his move outside the city limits. David Asson and Nancy Connolly still have two years left to serve in their terms.

Interim City Manager Rick Allen pointed out the importance of finding qualified candidates who are willing to serve and of having choices from among a pool of qualified candidates.

"It's paramount to the success of Sisters in the short term and, more importantly, the long term. The lack of stability that has been part of the political landscape over the last few years has damaged the community in many ways. As elected officials come and go, often they lack the knowledge of exactly what their role is, and they tend to make decisions that are based on knee-jerk reactions to immediate controversy," Allen said.

From his years of experience in local government, Allen knows that it takes a couple of years to really learn what the role of a Council member is and how to use authority in a way that benefits the community.

"Stability of elected officials has a calming effect on business prospects looking to locate in a community, on small-business owners looking to expand, modernize and grow their company, and offers the general public some certainty in making plans for homes, careers, and the future," he elaborated.

Sisters relies heavily on state, Federal, and private grants to help fund many of the improvement projects needed in town, like the Cascade Avenue project and the new restrooms at Village Green and Cliff Clemens Parks. (See photo, page 4.)

"Groups that give out grants want to know the community is stable and that there is some level of continuity in policy. That is difficult when those making decisions are changing every few months," Allen cautioned.

Some people tend to think that serving on City Council requires a huge time commitment. At times in the recent past that may have been true, but as the City gets back on a firm footing, the need for endless meetings is greatly reduced.

"We plan to reduce the number of meetings to twice per month with a work session prior to the regular Council meeting. This will allow for less of a time commitment and (have Sisters) function like most of the smaller cities in the region. Other meetings will be scheduled as needed," confirmed Allen.

Council currently meets on the second and fourth Thursday evenings of the month at 7 p.m., with a 5:30 or 6 p.m. workshop beforehand. They used to also meet the first and third Thursday mornings for workshops, but that is no longer the case, making it more convenient for citizens who work to serve on Council.

To have a strong, healthy community that citizens can be proud of and enjoy living in, it takes qualified citizen involvement in the local government as councilors, commissioners, and task-force members. A vibrant community has citizens who work together for common goals. Additionally, being of public service can be a gratifying endeavor, as current Councilor Nancy Connolly shared.

"It is humbling to know that people voted for me to be on Council, showing they believe in my ability to do what is best for the community, even though at times it might not appear that way. By serving on Council, I am able to effect change and shape the future of the city for years to come and hopefully leave future Council members with clear, fair, well-thought-out policies," Connolly offered.

Allen has offered to meet with anyone who is considering running for the Council to discuss the time commitment and the roles and responsibilities of a Council member.

"I would like to hear from people so that I may ease the fears of service and learn what hesitation they might have in serving," said Allen.

He can be reached at 541-815-4380 or [email protected] to schedule a meeting.