New City personnel on the horizon

The City will soon have the services of an AmeriCorps intern for 11 months, starting in September. The person filling the position will be part of the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) federal program administered through the University of Oregon.

According to City Manager Cory Misley, who served as a RARE intern while in school, they will be interviewing possible candidates to find the person who best fits the areas in which they will be working — community engagement and project management, mainly around the Sisters Vision Project. Some nonprofit experience would be a plus, or other municipal experience.

To participate in the program, the City pays the U of O $23,500 to help cover expenses to place, train, and support the intern. The City is able to recoup $10,000 of that amount with a grant from the Ford Family Foundation.

The mission of the RARE Program is to increase the capacity of rural communities to improve their economic, social, and environmental conditions, through the assistance of trained graduate-level members who live and work in communities for 11 months. Members assist communities and agencies in the development and implementation of plans for achieving a sustainable natural resource base and improving rural economic conditions while gaining community-building and leadership skills.

Through the service-learning program, RARE AmeriCorps members gain important service and professional experience by helping to solve community and regional development issues.

The posting for the City’s Community Development Director position is now open. Misley hopes to have the position filled by fall. Check the City website for the posting or contact City Recorder Kerry Prosser for information on the position, 541-323-5213.

A new City position, Parks Planning and Public Events Coordinator, has been created to assist with the workload in both the Public Works Department and the Community Development Department. The new employee will oversee the City Parks Advisory Board, handle the planning for new parks, and will manage the applications and arrangements for all public events in the City. Watch for the job posting on the City website.