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Governmental Affairs

Local Issues Archive

December 10th, 2007
City Manager Wells honored in last Council meeting, air service discussed

City Manager Bob Wells was thanked with a standing ovation in Council Chambers Monday evening for his dedication to the Salem community. Monday evening marked Manager Wells' final City Council meeting with his retirement set for the end of the month. Council will not meet through the remainder of December.

"He's been such an outstanding City Manager," said Mayor Janet Taylor. "This is a man we're really going to miss."

Wells joked about his long standing commitment to the City on Monday nights saying he heard somewhere that you can watch a football game that same night.

"This is a great organization to work for and a great community," said Wells. "I wish all of you the best."

Monday's Council meeting lasted a little over 3 hours with a number of issues being discussed in detail. For one, final agreements between the City and PacTrust moved forward with the City Council's commitment to area residents that tenants would not be in operation on the land off Kuebler until the necessary traffic improvements had been made.

"This motion makes it clear that we want to make traffic move good or better then it did before," said City Councilor Dan Clem. The approval of the motion will now result in the project moving forward.

City Council also agreed to look further at surcharges paid by water and sewer customers outside the City limits. Keizer Mayor Lore Christopher in a letter dated April of 2007 asked the City of Salem to remove a 7.5% surcharge paid by Keizer residents to use the City of Salem's water and sewer system. The issue will be discussed further in January 2008 when Council resumes.

Commercial air service in Salem also received attention as the City moves forward in pursuing a direct flight to Los Angeles. Partners to put together an incentive package for Delta include the City of Salem, SEDCOR, Marion County, the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Governor's office.

December 3rd, 2007
Municipal golf course, ambulance service dominate the discussion

City Council spent a small amount of time at the beginning of their agenda to discuss the possible merits of a municipal golf course. On a previous date, Council asked for some research on municipal golf courses which exist within the Northwest with a cursory look at the Battle Creek property, which was shared by Presenter Jerry Draggoo as a part of the meeting.

"The debt service is what you have to be careful about," said Draggoo, referring to the costs of land acquisition, upkeep of the course, and preparation needed for play.

City Councilor T.J. Sullivan asked the Presenter how long a marketing study would take. Draggoo said it would most likely take 60 days. Council will continue the discussion that specifically relates to Battle Creek after the Planning Commission has forwarded a recommendation regarding the land.

In other news, the City Council authorized City Manager Bob Wells to sign an application for an Extension of the Ambulance Service Area Franchise agreement. The City of Salem has been in discussion with Marion County about the partnership and relationship between Marion County Ambulance service and City of Salem service provided through Rural/Metro.

"The ambulance service boundaries have not kept up with the City of Salem boundaries," said Fire Chief Greg Keller.

As annexations have been approved by City of Salem voters, those areas have not all been incorporated into the service area for City of Salem ambulance service.

"We still have a lot of work to do on this," said City Manager Bob Wells.

November 26th, 2007
City Council recognizes Gerling, supports EID, and celebrates softball

City Council's last meeting for November included an award, a retirement, and discussion on a downtown EID, or Economic Improvement District.

Tim Gerling, Director of the City of Salem Public Works Department will be retiring as of November 30th.

"Its been a job in the City that I love," said Gerling after receiving a standing ovation for his service in the Council Chambers. "The folks that really deserve the credit are still here."

Serving as Interim Public Works Director will be Peter Fernandez who has been working under Gerling as the Assistant Public Works Director.

The City of Salem's softball efforts this past summer were also recognized with an award received from the Amateur Softball Association or ASA. Mike Wells, State Director for ASA shared his insight on the grades Salem received for hosting two national tournaments.

"Salem is one of only 7 cities nationwide that ran 2 tournaments and is one of only 4 that received the James Farrell Award for Excellence."

On a scale of 1-100 percent, the City of Salem scored a 98% for the management of the 16B Girls Fastpitch National Tournament and a 92% for the Women's Slow Pitch C National Tournament. Wells said tournament scores usually range between 80-85%.

In other news, City Council approved a motion to move forward with the creation of an Economic Improvement District for downtown Salem. The motion authorized City Manager Bob Wells to mail notice to property owners within the district of a public hearing to be held on the issue on January 7th, 2008.

The Economic Improvement District would move management and control of downtown operations into the hands of downtown stakeholders through the new entity Go Downtown Salem. Financial support including paid staff would be created through a property tax assessment agreed to and paid by downtown property owners.

So far, Go Downtown Salem supporters have talked to property owners that represent 30% of the total assessment revenue that would be created.

"Our success rate in getting agreement to the assessment has been almost 100%," said Doug Vande Griend, Board Member for Go Downtown Salem.

Also at City Council, a housing proposal for land adjacent to West Salem High School was denied. A variance included in the proposal for the property's western boundary was the main issue with Council concerned about why a variance was needed in the first place.

November 19th, 2007
City Council will move forward on pedestrian/bike bridge

The Urban Renewal Agency and City Council moved forward with their plans to convert Salem's railroad bridge across the Willamette River into a bike/pedestrian bridge. Much of the evening's discussion revolved around the increased costs of the project which now has a price tag of $3.3. The project was originally expected to cost $2.3 million.

"I've been a supporter from the beginning and I'm still a supporter," said Mayor Janet Taylor. "I'm just sorry it's going to cost more money."

Additional funds to close the gap on costs will come from the Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon Parks and Recreational Department, the West Salem Urban Renewal Fund and the Riverfront/Downtown Urban Renewal Fund.

Go Downtown Salem!, the newly formed entity representing downtown business owners was present at the meeting expressing their support.

"I see this as a long-term investment," said Suzi Bicknell, who works for the organization. "Let's move forward and get some more vibrancy downtown."

Councilor Dan Clem expressed concern that urban renewal department staff costs were included in the estimated costs of the project. Clem pointed out that personnel costs for the department are established as part of the budget process and it was unclear why a premium needed to be paid for specific projects as they arise.

"It just seems like every time we turn around, we need another $200,000," he said.

City Council also discussed upcoming interviews of applicants interested in serving on the City of Salem Planning Commission.

Council received ample applications from residents in Wards 7 and 8 but have seen a lack of interest from residents in north Salem. In an effort to encourage more to apply, City Council extended the application deadline to Monday, December 10th.

For more information on the Planning Commission opportunity, click here.

November 14th, 2007
City Council focuses on plan in West Salem for majority of meeting

Salem City Council spent much of their evening on November 13th discussing a land-use decision relating to the potential construction of a 40-lot subdivision in West Salem.

Two Councilor items were also brought forth by Councilor Kate Tarter as part of the meeting. Council has asked staff to bring back information relating to safety at busier intersections throughout Salem that involve rail lines and traffic. In addition, staff has also been asked to bring back information relating to the potential creation of a Nature Park next to the location of the future Kroc Community Center. Tarter asked that staff look into potential grant monies available to fund the development of that park.

November 6th, 2007
Council discusses Church Street Project, thanks Police

Salem City Council is moving forward with a multi-use project scheduled for groundbreaking on November 28th at the corner of Church and Trade streets in downtown Salem. The public/private partnership is being spearheaded by LCG Pence Construction and Cascadia Development with the help of City of Salem Urban Development staff.

"85% of the budget for construction labor will be spent on local contractors and sub-contractors," said David Hays, Principal for LCG Pence.

The project, featured at right, will house the City of Salem Information Technology Department, Capital Community Television commonly referred to as CCTV, residential units, and some retail space.

"At no time in the process did the City fail to meet any commitment," said Curt Pence with Cascadia Development LLC. "All timelines were met."

Alan Bushlong who leads the team at CCTV also shared his excitement for the long awaited move out of their current location beneath the Salem Public Library.

"This will be a long-term community asset," said Bushlong. "This is a great community that deserves the very best in media."

Also last night, Gerry Moore of the Salem Police Department recognized the Drug Activity Response Team, or DART for their diligent efforts in removing drug houses from Salem.

"This is one of the most effective teams ever created," said Police Chief Moore.

The Salem Police Drug Activity Response Team has arrested over 2,000 people on drug related offenses and has put over 1,000 children into protective custody as a result of those arrests. Moore also thanked the City Council for providing the funding last year for 4 additional police officers which he says has directly impacted their effectiveness in ridding the community of meth.

The Police team received a standing ovation from those present at the City Council meeting.

October 30th, 2007
Salem's Parks Master Plan

The City of Salem is currently undergoing an update to the Salem Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan. Feedback and comments on the current parks system are sought at town halls taking place during the month of November. The dates and times are as follows:
 

Thursday, November 1, 6:30pm
Houck Middle School
1155 Connecticut St. SE

Tuesday, November 27, 6:30pm
Crossler Middle School
1155 Davis Rd. S

Thursday, November 29, 6:30pm
West Salem High School
1776 Titan Dr. NW
 

For more information on the process of updating the plan, click here.

City Council work sessions and public hearing regarding the master plan updates are currently scheduled for March of 2008.

October 30th, 2007
Progress Report - Salem River Crossing Project

Where will a third bridge across the Willamette River go? View 13 possibilities currently being considered as potential locations and share your feedback.

Open Houses on the proposed locations for the third bridge will take place at the following times:

Thursday, November 8, 5:00 to 8:00pm
Highland Elementary School Gymnasium
530 Highland Avenue NE, Salem

Wednesday, November 14, 5:00 to 8:00pm
Roth's Hospitality Center, Oregon Room
425 Glen Creek Road NW, Salem

To view the latest newsletter online with the 13 potential locations for the bridge click here.

October 9th, 2007
Street/Bridge Needs for the City of Salem described in detail

The first of two October Governmental Affairs Forums focused on infrastructure needs within the City of Salem but also broadly speaking across the state. Senator Rick Metsger and Public Works Staff with the City of Salem Tim Gerling and Mark Becktel discussed the need to reinvest in our street and bridge system.

Senator Metsger solicited input and worked to open the lines of communication. "The goal is to move the transportation conversation in the interim so we can take action in the 2009 Legislative Session," said Metsger. "We need to continue having these conversations and move forward."

According to a recent study, Oregon is the 9th most dependent state on transportation. In other words, over 400,000 jobs rely on the efficiency of the street/bridge system. That equates to 1 in 5 jobs being defined as either transportation dependent or transportation reliant.

The Oregon Business Council recently conducted a comparison between Oregon and other states to communicate the differences in transportation investments. This per capita investment comparison used a percentage of the cost of each gallon of gas.

In Washington, $1 from every gallon of gas in invested in infrastructure.
In California, it's $1.13 from every gallon
In Idaho, it's 70 cents from every gallon
In Oregon, it's 35 cents from every gallon

The state discussion on transportation investments became more localized with the presentation by City of Salem Public Works staff.

"Only 7 percent of transportation revenue comes from Salem's citizenry directly," said Mark Becktel, with the Public Works Department. "More than half of our revenue for investments in infrastructure comes from system development charges paid by private developers."

The backlog of street and bridge repair projects that have been identified totals close to $300 million. Due to budgetary constraints, Public Works staff has done what they can with the current dollars available to hold streets together using 1 to 2 inch overlays. Those overlays on city streets provide a smooth ride temporarily for drivers and passengers but do not solve structural issues that still need to be addressed.

"Most of Salem's bridges were built before the Great Depression," said Becktel.

The Salem Chamber will continue working closely with business leaders and city staff to identify future challenges and specific needs of the community's street system.

August 2nd, 2007
Mayor Taylor, Gorsuch, and City staff touch on Boise & South Waterfront URA Proposal

The Salem Chamber's August Governmental Affairs Forum included discussion centered around Salem's future. The plans to revitalize the southern area bordering Salem's downtown have gained a lot of attention as one of Salem's industrial businesses, Boise Cascade, moves out of their current location along the Willamette River.

The move by Boise creates an opportunity for economic development in line with Salem City Council goals to revitalize the downtown. A number of Salem residents have shared their viewpoints about the need for Salem to increase its number of destination points.

"I would like to see something to be proud of downtown by the waterfront," said AJ Nash, Campaign Director for the United Way. "We need something that gets people out there like an outdoor shopping area or restaurant experience by Riverfront Park."

Although the buyers of the Boise Cascade land have not been publicly disclosed, land use lawyer Kris Gorsuch who represents the local buyers shared some insight as part of the forum.

The mixed-use zoning designation on the Boise Cascade land will create opportunities for housing, office space, and even a restaurant on the river.

"The mixed-use zoning will help create a partnership between the city and the developer that will benefit the community," said Mayor Janet Taylor. "This is a very exciting project for Salem."

Plans for the property continue to be shaped and may include many of the components of the Urban Land Institute study which was conducted in June of 2006 regarding the Boise Cascade land.

For more information on this study, visit: http://www.cityofsalem.net/departments/urbandev/revitalization_uli.htm

The August Governmental Affairs Forum also included discussion on the larger issue of creating another Urban Renewal Area or URA referred to as the South Waterfront. Pictured at right, the proposed URA would include the Boise Cascade land, the new Meridian project and Minto Brown island.

"A lot of redevelopment will not occur without the support of urban renewal dollars to make needed infrastructure improvements," said Mayor Taylor. "We included Minto Brown in the urban renewal boundary and that could help finance trails and other amenities in the future."

For more information about the proposed South Waterfront Urban Renewal Area, visit:
http://www.cityofsalem.net/departments/urbandev/revitalization_swf.htm

For the lineup of Salem Chamber Governmental Affairs Forums into November, click here.

July 23rd, 2007
Salem Chamber Takes Position on City of Salem Sidewalks

In the months of May and June, the Governmental Affairs Team at the Salem Chamber and Board of Directors has participated in ongoing discussions relating to the status of City of Salem sidewalks. The issue includes a number of variables which require attention including the number of sidewalks currently in disrepair (current repair costs are estimated at $3-5 million), the transferring of responsibility of sidewalks from the City of Salem to private property owners, and the impact of City owned street trees which have caused current sidewalk damage and will continue to cause sidewalk damage in the future.

The City of Salem estimates that a total of 3,300 sidewalk repair projects are in need of repair. The current fiscal year budget has a total of $1 million dollars allocated for sidewalk needs.

The Salem Chamber Board of Directors supported the recommendation by the Governmental Affairs Team with a majority vote in support of the following points:

1) The Salem Chamber is in support of private property owners being responsible for their respective sidewalks.

2) We recommend that the City first inspect and identify the actual costs associated with repairing sidewalks.

3) Eliminate loan programs and utilize $1 million allocated for sidewalks to make as many repairs as possible. Priority should be given to sidewalks in the worst condition and in disrepair due to City street trees while also taking into consideration sidewalk projects which are close to one another (i.e. same city block or adjacent city block) to ensure staff efficiencies in making repairs.

4) After $1 million has been expended, notices should be sent to adjacent property owners of those sidewalks still in need of repair according to the assessment. In other words, the responsibility of sidewalks should transfer to the property owners after the $1 million in repairs has been completed. Public Works estimates they will only be able to make $250,000 worth of repairs each year due to staff constraints. As a result, the contractor of record should be used to assist in making repairs as quickly as possible. The City should retain responsibility for fixing all current sidewalk damage caused by City owned street trees before turning over responsibility of sidewalks in those cases to property owners.

Notices will convey to the property owner the responsibility and duty to repair the sidewalk. Property owners should be given 30 days to apply for a Sidewalk Repair Permit or must appeal to the Citizens Advisory Traffic Commission within 14 days of receipt of enforcement notice. In the notice, the City of Salem should fully disclose the estimated cost of the sidewalk repair if done by a private entity, financial options available to the property owner such as a home equity line of credit, and also the alternate cost of having a City crew repair the sidewalk.

If after 30 days the Property Owner does not apply for a Sidewalk Repair Permit, a follow-up notice should be sent to the property owner. If the Property Owner does not then apply for a permit within 14 days of receiving the follow-up notice, the Public Works Director can authorize City crews or City’s contractor of record to perform the repair and bill the property owner. In light of this process, the Chamber sees no reason to encumber realtors with another disclosure form.

If the Property Owner does not pay the bill, the City could proceed by placing a credit due against the value of their home.

5) Communication to all private property owners regarding the transfer of sidewalk responsibility should be conveyed through existing city communication vehicles already in place (i.e. website, neighborhood associations, city newsletter, etc.). City staff should take immediate steps to inform all property owners of their right to fix their own sidewalks at anytime.

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Based on the philosophy of transferring the responsibility of sidewalk repairs to private property owners, it would be consistent to support the idea of street trees to be the choice and responsibility of property owners as well and the Salem Chamber would like to encourage further discussion on this matter in the future.

June 20th, 2007
Building Inspection Permits Available Online

Contractors now have access to permits via the Internet. The new website, https://buildingpermits.oregon.gov/ allows contractors to purchase electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits from Marion County Inspection.

- There are no additional fees to use the online service and contractors can print out an authorization to begin work and can start immediately.

- Contractors can purchase permits from other participating jurisdictions at the same time.

- The web site has an address search function so "anyone" can look up an address and determine whether they are in Marion County Building Inspection's jurisdiction or another participating jurisdiction.

- There are also links available on the web site allowing "anyone" including a homeowner, to download a permit application which can be printed and faxed or hand delivered to Marion County Building Inspection to obtain a permit.

- Permits can be issues for work in Aumsville, Aurora, Detroit, Gates, Gervais, Hubbard, Idanha, Jefferson, Keizer, Mt. Angel, St. Paul, ScottsMills, Stayton, Sublimity, Turner and Woodburn (Electrical and Plumbing only in Woodburn)

April 27th, 2007
Chamber Board Takes Position on Health Care Reform

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted to support the action of sending a statement to the legislature in support of Senate Bill 27 and the pending amendments.

After hearing the Chamber Forum presentation by John Kitzhaber, the Executive Team and Board of Directors believes the discussion on health care reform should be allowed to move forward. Senate Bill 27 essentially establishes the process for the discussion on reform to occur.

April 11th, 2007
Meth Strike Force Progress Report

$300,000 was raised by area business and community leaders to help launch the Marion County Methamphetamine Strike Force as a significant criminal justice and law enforcement weapon in targeting meth dealers and manufacturers for investigation, arrest, prosecution and imprisonment.  The Strike Force is an integral part of a comprehensive approach that is being taken in Marion County to combat the methamphetamine epidemic that will be highlighted during the community meeting as well.        

The Strike Force has been operational with seasoned team members assigned from the Marion County District Attorney’s office, Marion County Sheriff’s office and the Police Departments from the cities of Salem, Keizer and Woodburn.  Overall collaborative support for the Methamphetamine Strike Force includes every city in Marion County as well as the united and coordinated assistance of the Marion County Circuit Courts and numerous participating local, state and federal agencies and organizations and their leaders. 

A high degree of community accountability was built into the creation of the Marion County Methamphetamine Strike Force.  As contributing shareholders were sought to help fund the $300,000 late last year in start-up funding, consistent community reports on the Strike Force were made a part of its ongoing plan for its communication responsibilities. 

The community meeting to be held on May 8^th at Chemeketa Community College is a direct reflection of that commitment to communication and accountability on the part of those responsible for the operation of the Marion County Methamphetamine Strike Force. 

The First Quarterly Report will be presented by Marion County District Attorney Walt Beglau and Marion County Sheriff Raul Ramirez with the assistance of noted business and community leaders.  Salem Police Chief Jerry Moore, Keizer Police Chief Mark Adams and Woodburn Police Chief Scott Russell take up the other key leadership positions in this integrated Strike Force effort that is directed at methamphetamine dealers and manufacturers. 

For more information contact:  Mike Ryan at Professional Mortgage Corporation.  Mike.ryan@promortgage.net.  503-385-4018 (Direct) – 503-409-7353 (Cell). 

January 3, 2007
Water & Sewer Rates - Why the increases?

In December 2006, the Salem City Council approved rate increases to support mandated infrastructure improvements for water and sewer systems beginning February of 2007. The proposed revenue increases have created frustration and concern about the Public Works Department’s use of taxpayer dollars and rightly so as these increases do have great impact on the bottom lines of businesses both large and small, especially those operating in water or sewer dependent industries.

However, make sure the frustration and concern is aimed in the right direction. Some worry that the rate increases are a result of the city’s continued growth but the Public Works Department says growth has little impact on rates as those costs are paid largely by developers through system development charges.

“Even if growth were to come to a standstill, the city still would be on the hook for costly upgrades to its sewer and water infrastructure,” said Tim Gerling, Director of the City of Salem Public Works Department.

The Salem City Council and staff in the Public Works Department have taken drastic steps to reduce operational costs to keep rates affordable. In fact, in July of 2004, the City Council challenged staff to attempt to reduce projected costs over the ensuing five-year period by 20 percent, an amount equal to roughly $60 million. The Public Works Department did meet the challenge saving an estimated $42 million by deferring projects that were not a priority. In addition, staff began plans for a facility that would save taxpayers an additional $110 million by getting full approval from the Department of Environmental Quality to build a Wet Weather Treatment facility in River Road Park, thought to be the first of its kind in the nation.

“Coming up with the satellite treatment plant option (Wet Weather Treatment Facility) versus the changes that would have been made to transport all the wastewater to Willow Lake and treat it saved us $110 million,” said Mike Gotterba, with the City of Salem Public Works Department.

So why with the aforementioned cost savings is the Public Works Department still in need of additional revenue?

Salem is in the process of investing over $270 million to double the wastewater treatment capacity of our sewer system and replace an upper transmission line built in 1936 that transports Salem’s drinking water from Geren Island to all Salem area customers. The treatment capacity expansion is mandated through a Mutual Agreement and Order (MAO) compliance executed with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality back in 1998. The capacity expansion will result in a significant reduction in the amount of Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) that flow into area streams and rivers during heavy rain and storm conditions. The agreement is aimed at returning the Willamette River and other waterways to more healthy conditions by the year 2010.

These two major capital projects (the mandated sewage treatment expansion and the replacement of a 70-year old drinking water transmission line) have resulted in the need for additional revenue. In addition, increases in construction material costs across the globe have resulted in increases to projected project costs.

But Salem’s position is no different from other municipalities who must plan for future economic growth to stay competitive.

In a comparison with other Northwest Cities, Salem ranks 7^th on a list of 13 for the costs of water and sewer service combined after the rate increase. For a complete look at the comparisons review the chart below.

“The capital projects being undertaken now will help secure our water and sewer infrastructure for the next 50 years and beyond,” said Mike Gotterba.

City officials believe these improvements will have a positive impact on future economic development opportunities.

“We are one of the few municipalities that will be able to deliver water service to larger water dependant businesses,” said City Councilor T.J. Sullivan. “We’re only 5 years away from all infrastructure improvements and that puts us in a fantastic position.”

 *Medford and Springfield have summer and winter water rates – for comparison purposes, summer rates are utilized.

November 8th, 2006
Local Election Results

The advocacy of the Salem Chamber for local issues appearing on the November ballot has proved to be effective. The following results of the 2006 General Election are in order of priorities set by the Board of Directors as recommended by the Governmental Affairs Team.

1)       Salem Fire Bond
The Salem Fire Bond passed with overwhelming support. 73% of voters supported the passage of the general obligation bond. The Salem Chamber has been actively involved in the efforts of the Fire Bond with representation on the task force for the past 4 months while providing public statements of its importance as the number one priority for Salem.

2)       Annexations
The Salem Chamber Board of Directors has consistently shown their support for the city’s efforts to efficiently manage their growth within the Urban Growth Boundary. As a result, the Salem Chamber was intimately involved in the campaign to pass all 32 annexations appearing on the November ballot with the establishment of a PAC titled “Help the Chamber Keep Salem Livable.” All 32 annexations have passed demonstrating the importance of the aggressive education campaign led by the Salem Chamber.

3)       Chemeketa Community College Bond 
Although the bond passed in Marion County with 50.56% of the vote, the larger Chemeketa Community College District voted against the bond proposal by a slim margin. 50.9% voted against the capital construction plans of Chemeketa. The Salem Chamber was not involved directly as a part of this campaign but did provide support for the passage of the bond.

4)       Salem Area Mass Transit District Operating Levy
51.1% of voters said no to the transit district’s 5-year operating levy to maintain and improve bus service. The Chamber gave “Qualified Support” for the local measure noting a number of efficiencies that still need to be addressed.

Contact the Salem Chamber:

For additional information on the Chamber's business advocacy efforts, please contact Jason Brandt at 503-581-1466, ext. 304.