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Dave Elliott named new Sisters mayor
By Jim Cornelius

Dave Elliott, right, has taken the helm at City Hall. Photo by Jim Cornelius

Dave Elliott has picked up the gavel as Sisters' mayor -- for the second time.

Elliott served briefly as mayor in the mid-1980s, during a long career of public service in Sisters. The council unanimously selected Elliott at its Thursday, January 9, meeting. His lengthy experience and background in Sisters made him an attractive choice for a relatively inexperienced council.

"I've been involved in city politics in one form or another for at least 17 years, so I do have the experience," he said.

He has been on the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors and has served on the planning commission as well as the city council.

The new mayor said the immediate priority is a review of the Sisters Model Code. Provisions allowing greater density have created controversy in recent months as residents have grown concerned about a proliferation of multi-plexes and smaller house lots in town.

"I wish we'd had the input two years ago, when we started, but we're getting it now," he said.

While the city will likely "tweak" the code, Elliott said, it is too early to say just how ideas for modification will shape up.

The completion of the Barclay Memorial Park is a high priority for Elliott. The park will offer public restrooms as well as a downtown rest area for pedestrians.

"I think it's going to be a great asset and new venue for the town," Elliott said.

Likewise, Elliott is excited about the creation of an Urban Renewal District to enhance the features of the downtown core area.

Elliott, who has long been an advocate for law enforcement, said he would like to see Sisters restore its own police department.

He said he is not dissatisfied with the job done by Deschutes County Sheriff's deputies, but he worries that the agency is "stretched thin."

"I want to see the police come back,"he said. "I think we're losing a community resource that is sorely needed."

Restoring a police department is a significant fiscal investment and Elliott acknowledged that it is a long-term goal.

City finances are in excellent shape, according to Elliott, though the crisis in the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) and rising insurance costs create some storm clouds on the horizon.

The new mayor said he encourages public involvement in city government, noting that city councilors are all citizen volunteers who "learn by doing."

"I'd like to increase the education of the public, the participation of the public,"Elliott said.

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