Growth, transportation and the city’s payout on a resident’s Measure 37 claim are among the issues facing Prineville city officials and a new council member who will be appointed to fill a vacant seat later this month.

Four candidates have applied for Bobbi Young’s position, which became available when she left the seven-member council after approximately four years of service. She married and moved outside city limits this summer. The council is expected to select one of the candidates — Connie Hansen, Stephen Ilk, Jennifer Letz and David Neuberger — in a meeting on Sept. 25. The term will end Dec. 31, 2008.

Young said the candidate should be ready to take on careful management of taxpayer money, and to effectively balance economic growth while maintaining the city’s character.

“We do planning for five, 10, 20 years down the road,” she said. “I think that changes will continue to come and that the council and community leaders all need to do whatever is necessary to keep the doors open for business, strengthen the local businesses and attract good new ones, but to keep that Prineville feeling.”

In the coming weeks, the council will act on the Measure 37 claim regarding land owned by Grover and Edith Palin. The couple had planned to build a home on a 2-acre rimrock portion of property they have owned since the 1960s, but it is not allowed under current zoning regulations. Last year, the City Council voted to pay the Palins for the lost value of their land — making Prineville one of the few government entities to pay a Measure 37 claim. Now, the council must review value estimates for the Palins’ land.

According to Prineville Mayor Mike Wendel, the recent slowdown in the housing market should provide council members and city staff the chance to tackle some issues that had been placed on the back burner.

“I would like to see the council start looking at some of the ordinances and update those,” he said. “It’s something that needs to be done on a regular basis.”

On a broader level, both Young and Wendel said the candidates will need to keep an open mind and maintain a sense of humor if elected. They will join a relatively freshman council.

“My advice would be to listen effectively, ask questions of staff, read and study the material and again ask questions if anything isn’t clear,” Young said. “I’ve learned that this community really cares about itself and it is concerned about the growth that is happening. It’s a very proud community.”

The four candidates for the council come from varied backgrounds.

Hansen has worked in the planning and public works departments for the city of Fairview and served as the staff liaison for the planning commission and City Council, her application states.

Ilk, who is retired from the Port Angeles Police Department, has lived in Prineville since 2004 and served on the city’s budget committee, according to his application.

Letz, who grew up in Bend, is a relative newcomer to Prineville. She has worked as a National Park Service ranger, among other federal government jobs, according to her application.

Neuberger, a service consultant for Robberson Ford of Prineville, has lived in the city since 1989 and attended Crook County schools, his application states.