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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 31, 2017)
26 Wednesday, May 31, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon ANNEXATION: Change clears way for housing construction Continued from page 1 facility. After hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, the Bend developer pulled out of the project. Despite receiving City approval for an assisted-liv- ing facility on another parcel of land in town, Adolf has never paid the fees required to pick up his building per- mits, so his approved project is not yet under construction. Their request to remove the requirement for the assisted-living facility frees the developers up to start building affordable and market-rate apartments and houses for all ages of residents. The approved revised and restated amendment spells out clearly the provi- sions regarding affordable housing, water rights, infra- structure, master plan, and open space. The requirement for the senior-living facil- ity is removed. However, it could still be built at a later date. During the hearing sev- eral community members spoke in favor of the pro- posed amendment with no one speaking against it. In his testimony before the Council, Bill Willitts indicated that Mark Adolf had already requested the records of the evening’s pro- ceedings. He closed his tes- timony by saying, “We can’t continue the war. It’s just untenable.” The Nugget Newspaper Crossword By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service — Last Week’s Puzzle Solved — KUCERA: Manager previously served in Cannon Beach Continued from page 24 strategic planning process.” Eric Jensen and Jeff Aprati of Jensen Strategies received high praise from those who participated in the various parts of the selection process. Community member Cris Converse “loved every min- ute of it and would do it again in a heartbeat.” Converse thought very highly of the job done by Jensen Strategies. “They were worth every penny the City spent on them. Jeff (who facilitated the com- munity panel) was respect- ful, thoughtful, and insight- ful, such a professional,” Converse said. Converse’s impression of Kucera is that “he will pro- vide stability — someone both the City Council and staff can trust.” She noted his experience, his education, and his knowl- edge of Oregon land-use laws as strengths. “Because he knows Oregon law, he won’t have a big learning curve,” she noted. Aaron Okura, owner of Sisters Saloon and Ranch Grill, also thought the inter- view process was very good. “They (Jensen Strategies) were very professional and gave us good guidance as how to be most helpful to the process,” Okura said. He liked being able to communicate with the other community members on the panel and hear their different perspectives. “I’m glad I did it,” he added. Okura thinks there are a number of important quali- ties and abilities that Kucera brings to Sisters. “His experience with another tourism-based small town. He recognizes the importance of change and looking to the future. He has strong communication skills and was able to answer our questions concisely. He wasn’t afraid to say ‘I don’t know’ when he needed to. He has a likeable personality. He clearly understands his role as city manager. The Council are the policy makers and he’s the implementer,” Okura summarized. Fire Chief Roger Johnson agreed with the others that the interview process was effective. “It was professionally managed and all the candi- dates were very qualified,” he said. “It was an open, trans- parent process.” Family Access Network representative Dawn Cooper enjoyed the process. “We were provided with a script of questions to ask and then we could ask follow-up questions,” she explained. Cooper found Kucera to be genuine, honest, and very comfortable. “He answered all of our questions completely. He stayed on topic and knew the most about the issues. Brant was very impressive. I think he is a good fit,” Cooper said. She thought it was refresh- ing to hear him speak about the importance of nonprofits to the community. “I think the 5-0 vote is exciting,” she concluded. “I feel great about the pro- cess and where it led us,” said Mayor Chuck Ryan. He talked about how important the right fit is between the City Manager and the community. “I think we have the right fit with Brant. He has the intangibles that are difficult to measure.” This Week’s Crossword Sponsors When the going gets tough, even the tough call us. Buy More, Save More!* 25% OFF BLINDS! FREE Cordless Upgrade! PLUS buy 5 blinds GET AN EXTRA 5% OFF or buy 15 GET AN EXTRA 10% OFF 541-788-8444 • Free Consulting • Find us online at www.BudgetBlinds.com CCB Licensed #197715 | Bonded | Insured | 30+ Years Experience Offer valid through Budget Blinds of Deschutes County only. Cannot be combined with any other offers. *On Signature Series. Expires 6/30/17 Pain, Injuries & Sports? Sisters Acupuncture Center Let us help. G Greg reg Wieland W i ellannd L L.Ac. A c | 27 yrs. experience i 541-549-1523 | 352 E. Hood Ave., Ste. E