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Wednesday, January 14, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
SprD board has vacancy after resignation
By Jim Cornelius
News Editor
The Sisters Park &
Recreation District (SPRD)
board of directors has a
vacancy in the wake of the
resignation of Mike Morgan.
Morgan submitted his resig-
nation at a board meeting on
Tuesday, January 5.
Morgan had been dissatis-
fied with the board’s handling
of the absence of fellow board
member Andrew Gorayeb,
who had told the board he
could not attend board meet-
ings due to pending litiga-
tion in which Morgan and
Gorayeb both figure.
SPRD will post the
vacancy in local newspapers
and on its website. The SPRD
board will appoint a candidate
to serve out the remainder of
Morgan’s term, which ends
June 30. Interested candidates
may contact SPRD at 541-
549-2091 for information
on applying for the interim
position.
Board members of the
park and recreation district
are elected by voters of the
district. The next election
affecting SPRD is May 19.
Candidates must file for elec-
tion by March 19. Current
chair Jeff Campbell’s seat will
also be up for election.
The attendance issue that
led to Morgan’s departure
from the board was fallout
from a matter unrelated to
SPRD. Gorayeb, in his role
as Sisters City Manager,
was named in a lawsuit filed
against the City by food-stand
owner Ky Karnecki in
December 2013. Morgan is
a cooperating witness in the
suit and related a conversation
with Gorayeb in which he
alleges that Gorayeb said neg-
ative things about Karnecki.
Because he informed the
board of his inability to attend
meetings, the board consid-
ered Gorayeb’s absences
“excused.”
Morgan asked that
the SPRD board request
Gorayeb’s resignation. The
board has no authority to
remove an elected board mem-
ber, but can formally request
that a director step down. At
its November 11, 2014, meet-
ing, the board voted 3-1 not
to ask for Gorayeb’s resig-
nation. Morgan wanted the
board to reconsider that deci-
sion after then-chair Darren
Layne had acknowledged to
The Nugget that the situa-
tion could not go on indefi-
nitely. Morgan told board
chair Jeff Campbell he would
resign if the board did not
act, and on January 5, he did.
In a letter to board mem-
bers he wrote: “Passing
a board resolution asking
Andrew to resign would be
doing everything we reason-
ably can be expected to do
to resolve the non-participa-
tion and conflicts problem.
We would be doing what the
public expects us to do which
is putting the well-being of
SPRD first. What I absolutely
don’t understand is your
refusal to date to do that.”
The board, however, con-
sidered the issue resolved by
the November vote, in the
absence of a material change
in circumstances.
Gorayeb told The Nugget
he has remained engaged in
SPRD’s work, despite not
attending board meetings. He
says he now will be able to
attend.
...sometimes you
have to endure hardship
in order to stand up
for what is right.
— Andrew Gorayeb
“I can go back to board
meetings,” he said. “Based on
direction from the city attor-
ney, I couldn’t attend board
meetings… I’ve not shirked
any responsibility at all. I just
wasn’t able to attend board
meetings. I wish I could have
attended board meetings. I
wanted to be there.
“I am proud of my board
colleagues for resisting a
regrettable ultimatum in
this unfortunate situation,”
Gorayeb said. “Given the
nature of things, I’m sure both
SPRD and I are in for a rough
time, but sometimes you have
to endure hardship in order to
stand up for what is right.”
COuNCIL: Chris Frye
named mayor by
city council
Continued from page 1
took less than 30 seconds.
This is typical.
First the newly elected
councilors were sworn in and
seated. Next, the council pres-
ident called for nominations
for mayor. Womack opened
the nominations and nomi-
nated Frye. Returning coun-
cilor Wendy Holzman sec-
onded the motion, and briefly
gave her reasons for support-
ing Frye.
“I believe that Chris Frye
is qualified to bring our coun-
cil together; to work together
collaboratively,” Holzman
said. “He is level-headed,
thoughtful, prepared, listens
well, and can articulate coun-
cil positions to the public.”
I believe that Chris frye
is qualified to bring our
council together; to work
together collaboratively.
— Wendy Holzman
Frye was selected on a 4-1
vote.
The selection of council
president took one minute.
Connolly nominated Asson
and gave a brief discus-
sion of her reasons for the
nomination.
“I would like to nominate
David Asson,” she said. “I
think his experience on coun-
cil; his willingness to stand
up and disagree with council
members gives him the faith
and trust of the community.”
I think that mcKibben
has done a really good job
as council president...
His experience would
serve us well.
— Chris frye
The nomination died for
lack of a second. Holzman
then nominated Womack. Frye
seconded the nomination.
“I think that McKibben
has done a really good job as
council president for the last
two years, doing the ins and
outs of the agenda items, and
running meetings well. His
experience would serve us
well,” Frye said.
Womack was selected on
3-2 vote.
Elections for the city coun-
cil are held every two years.
At each election three council
seats are up for a vote. The top
two vote-getters are elected
for a four-year term. The third
is elected for a two-year term.
In the latest election, Connolly
and Asson were voted in for
four years and Holzman for
two years.
• Eyelash Extensions
• Airbrush Tanning
• Manicures
• Pedicures
– We can straighten ‘em out –
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• Nikibiki Apparel
January 15 i” “Thank Your Mentor Day”
Sarah Rybka, Owner/Technician
473 W. Hood Ave., Ste. 101
Loaner Cars
Deductible Assistance
Windshield Replacement
p
541-549-DENT
— 541-549-3368 —
332 W. Barclay Dr., Sisters
Try Our Famous
Fish & Chips!
Choice of
Halibut
or Cod
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Homemade
coleslaw!
Breakfast & lunch 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Full-service dining in the bar
nightly until 10 p.m. (21 & over)
171 W. Cascade Ave., Sisters | 541-549-2631
FREE CUP OF HOUSE COFFEE to mentor” in our
community on January 15 – ju”t ”ay “I’m a mentor.”
541-549-0527 • 273 W. Hood Ave.
Breakfast 6-11 | Lunch 11-3 daily | Buy coffee at SistersCoffee.com