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Public Policy - Local Issues

Local Issues Archive
 

Posted November 25th, 2008
Citizens express frustration about Transit Levy/Taylor optimistic about growth
(City Council Podcast - Listen to the Report)

Salem City Council listened to testimony from two individuals about the levy that failed to pass on the November ballot for the Salem Area Mass Transit District. The individuals encouraged City Council and Neighborhood Associations to work closer with the Transit District in getting the levy passed in the future.

"We need to come up with some sort of plan to address this issue," said local resident Pat Williams regarding the need for transit services.

Residents are being asked to participate in a survey regarding the next moves for the Transit District. The survey can be taken through the following link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Vb3OrPFx78s2VzeVNvf_2bJw_3d_3d

In other news, City Council voted unanimously to direct city staff to participate in an analysis on regional economic opportunities being funded by the Department of Land Conservation and Development. Population growth projections for the Salem Area are expected to be 1.1% annually according to a recent study conducted by Portland State University. Growth projections are used to help establish the Urban Growth Boundary for areas throughout the state.

Mayor Taylor expressed her concern that the estimate on growth projections may be low. Business interest in the Gaffin Road property and the Mill Creek Corporate Center have the potential to bring family wage jobs and opportunities to the area beyond the projections in the study, said Taylor.

Posted November 4th, 2008
Council honors Salem Police, approves PGE substation
(City Council Podcast - Listen to the Report)

Salem City Councilors honored the live saving efforts of two Salem Police officers Monday night, November 3rd. Officers Terry Moore and Jared Novak were recognized for saving the lives of a mother and two children in a house fire which took place on October 9th. Both officers received a standing ovation from all those in attendance within City Council Chambers as Chief Jerry Moore handed them awards for their bravery in the line of duty.

In other news, City Council approved the creation of a Portland General Electric substation on city owned property to prepare the necessary infrastructure for future economic development investments. The new electric substation will provide the capacity necessary to support the investment of SANYO Solar of Oregon who will bring a minimum of 200 full-time family wage jobs to Salem and an investment of over $80 million into our local economy.

Portland General Electric representative Wendy Buck expressed the company's thanks and appreciation for the City Council's efforts to recruit business and jobs to our community.

Council also moved through discussion on the City's management and operations agreement for the Olinger and Walker pools. Roughly 25 years ago, the City made the move to get into the business of partnering with the Salem-Keizer School District through a joint use agreement. The agreement allowed access and use of the pools to the public at certain times throughout the year. Council has expressed interest in finding local service organizations that may be willing to take on the management of the pools in light of City budget shortfalls in coming fiscal years.

Posted October 29th, 2008
There was no City Council meeting held the week of Monday, October 20th.

Posted October 14th, 2008
Council denies zone change, approves downtown parking changes
(City Council Podcast - Listen to the Report)

Salem City Council met for roughly 3 hours on Monday, October 13th receiving numerous status reports on current contracts and agreements with local service providers. Included as a part of the agenda was a report by the Salem Convention and Visitors Association CEO Angie Morris on the status of the tourism based promotions association. An exciting announcement regarding SCVA's move to downtown Salem was announced at Council and promoted by the Statesman Journal in depth as a part of Tuesday's news coverage. The new location for the SCVA will be at the corner of Court and High streets.

The City of Salem was also honored with an award from Portland General Electric as the first capital city in the nation to purchase renewable power. Council President Brad Nanke also announced that close to 1,000 citizens attended the grand opening of Center 50 Plus which is a facility designed for Salem's seniors at the corner of Pine Street and Portland Road.

Council also heard from Fire Chief Greg Keller about his satisfaction with the current contract agreement with Rural/Metro Ambulance in providing ambulance care to City of Salem residents. Keller praised the company saying they continue to deliver high levels of customer service and care to those in need.

In other news, Council moved through 3 public hearings. Considerable time was spent in the discussion of whether or not to grant a zoning change for property located in southeast Salem. Current property owners have expressed interest in changing the zoning designation from industrial to multi-family residential.

Councilors Rogers and Tarter expressed concern about reducing the inventory of industrial lands within the city limits. A motion was made to rescind the Planning Commission decision to approve the zone change. That motion passed 8-1 with Councilor Nanke in opposition and Mayor Taylor absent. The applicant was encouraged to return to Council Chambers with a revised plan which included other components in addition to multi family residential zoning.

Council also moved through a public hearing to make changes to Salem's downtown parking rules. Ordinance language was cleared up with the main change impacting those visitors to downtown that move their cars to avoid surpassing the 2-hour on-street time limit. The city will allow patrons of downtown to park in a new location downtown on the same day without an infraction as long as the car is moved around an intersection from the block face where it was originally parked.

Posted October 7th, 2008
City pledges support for Boise Cascade redevelopment
(City Council Podcast - Listen to the Report)

The Salem City Council met for just over 2 hours on Monday night. A number of community updates were provided to the Council including presentations on the Hands and Words are Not for Hurting project, the Census 2010 project, and the United Way charitable giving campaign among others.

Approval was given by Council to assist with a crucial public rail crossing component of the Boise Cascade redevelopment project. Executive Director Suzi Bicknell of Go Downtown Salem and private consultant Tim Gerling testified in support of the move to have the City of Salem apply for a new at-grade public street crossing with the Oregon Department of Transportation Rail Division.

The move will keep the transformation of the former Boise Cascade property on track with demolition of some structures expected to start this winter with construction beginning as early as this summer.

In other news, four partition cases received public hearings with no opposition. Council approved all four cases with amendments as recommended by City staff.

September 15th, 2008
There will be no Salem Chamber City Council Reports on Monday, September 15th or Monday, September 22nd due to this year's Business of the Year Awards celebration and 19th Annual Salem Chamber Golf Tournament. City Council reports will resume the week of September 29th.

Posted September 8th, 2008
Battlecreek sale approved unanimously by Council
(City Council Podcast - Listen to the Report)

City Council has made the decision to move forward with the sale agreement to purchase 38.52 acres of the former Battlecreek Golf Course property in south Salem and an adjoining residential property located at 6526 Doral Drive SE. The agreement to purchase the south end of the former golf course from private property owners Terry Kelly and Mary Renfro will assist the Public Works Department in their effort to adhere to federal flood mitigation standards.

"I think this is a great opportunity for the potential environmental benefits," said City Council President Brad Nanke.

Interim Public Works Director Peter Fernandez made it clear that property taxes and water and sewer rates will not be affected by the purchase of the property.

"There is no property tax dollars being used here," said Fernandez. "This is such a small project that it will not impact rates."

Fernandez went on to explain that the purchase of the property represents 2% of total fund expenditures in the water and sewer fund for the fiscal year.

"I think what we have in front of us is a purchase and sale agreement that is a fair deal," said City Councilor Dan Clem.

The Council vote was unanimous (with Councilor Bob Cannon absent) in approving the sale and purchase agreement as recommended by staff with an amendment being made regarding the sale price and conditions associated with the adjoining residential unit.

In other news, Council heard a brief public hearing on the vacation of right of way property adjacent to Doaks Ferry Road in West Salem. Council voted unanimously (with Councilor Bob Cannon absent) to approve the vacation subject to the adjacent property owner paying a special assessment of $17,795. Councilor Dan Clem made a motion to use the funds for the purchase of defibrillators to be installed in city facilities in the case of life threatening situations such as heart attacks or heart failures. At a cost of roughly $1,700 a piece, the City expects to purchase 10 defibrillators with the funds and install the technology in high traffic city owned areas.

Posted August 26th, 2008
Battlecreek analysis sought, franchise rights solidified
(City Council Podcast - Listen to the Report)

City Council met for approximately 3 hours on Monday, September 25th to consider a number of issues. Two topics in particular took the majority of the Council's time - the first relating to the decision whether or not to purchase a portion (38.52 acres) of the former Battlecreek Golf Course land from private property owners Terry Kelly and Mary Rentfro.

Discussions have revolved around whether Council should approve City purchase of this land over the past few months. The property makes up a major portion of the south end of the former Battlecreek Golf Course. According to the City staff report, the intention of the purchase would be to develop flood control and environmental enhancement projects on the site. The funds to purchase the property would come from wastewater rates and stormwater system development charges.

The Public Works Department has expressed interest in managing the property due to the convergence of four urban streams on the parcel. The site is also crossed by a Federal Emergency Management Agency floodway according to the staff report.

"This isn't park land," said Councilor T.J. Sullivan who represents the Ward where the property is located. "This is part of our public utility system."

After much discussion, Councilors voted unanimously to make a final determination as to the fate of the property as part of their September 8th meeting agenda. City staff is expected to provide their feedback to City Council regarding the private studies that have been conducted on the site.

The second major topic of discussion related to whether or not to grant a franchise exemption to 1-800 Got Junk? The local business has provided in-home junk removal services over the years which includes recycling and deposing of unwanted waste from households and businesses.

7 local garbage haulers including companies like D&O Garbage in south Salem and Pacific Sanitation in north Salem have franchise agreements with the City to provide not only curb side services but also in home waste removal services.

Those garbage haulers also have the exclusive right to dispose of commercial and residential waste at the Marion County Transfer station. However, according to Marion County Administrator John Lattimer, 414,000 pounds of waste was deposited at the transfer station by 1-800 Got Junk? in the year 2007 alone.

Mary Kanz, Executive Director of the Mid-Valley Garbage and Recycling Association, expressed the ongoing efforts of the garbage haulers to pro-actively inform the public of their in-home/in-business removal services.

After much discussion, the City Council voted unanimously to deny the exemption. The motion was made by City Councilor Chuck Bennett.

"Franchises are for the public benefit," said Bennett. 'It's one of the best services we offer in the City. I can't see doing anything that disturbs such an excellent service."

Posted August 19th, 2008
Council seeks 'Intake Center' element at State Hospital
(City Council Podcast - Listen to the Report)

City Councilors seem to agree that the new Oregon State Hospital design plans should include a component for the creation of a Crisis Intake Center. Council held a special meeting on Monday, August 18th for close to an hour and a half. The agenda item which dominated the discussion was the Historic Landmark Commission's recommendation to City Council to approve the demolition of 7 buildings, 11 structures, and portions of the "J Building" which are all located within the Oregon State Hospital Historic District. The recommendation also included 14 conditions of approval.

Discussion did arise as to whether the City should consider adding an additional condition of approval to the Historic Landmark Commission's recommendation. The condition discussed was the creation of a crisis intake center as a part of the new state hospital facility that could be accessed by local law enforcement to bring persons that may be mentally ill to the center for evaluation.

"I'm behind the mental hospital being built," said Mayor Janet Taylor. "We need to do it. I would be very reluctant to do anything that prevented any kind of delay but I'm also a tasked as the Mayor to be sure that our community has the assistance that we need to handle the impact of the prisons and the mental hospital."

Linda Hammond, an administrator at the Oregon State Hospital testified before City Council in support of the Historic Landmark Commission's full recommendation and expressed concern about the additional condition the Council was proposing to add.

Hammond said they believe the crisis intake center issue to be unrelated to the historic preservation concerns and therefore appears to be outside the scope of the Historic Landmark Commission's purview.

"We do have several committees...where we are addressing many of the areas working with local law enforcement," said Hammond.

Oregon State Hospital staff are expected to be back before City Council several time to discuss the design of the new facility as well as other aspects.

Council may hold a public hearing in early September to open community dialogue about the concept of a crisis intake center. A motion was unanimously approved to defer the matter for further discussion on Monday, August 25th at 6:30pm.

In other news, City Councilors expressed their reluctance to terminate Bookmobile services in early September 2008.

"There's a lot of programs that all of us would like to have and would like not to cut," said City Councilor T.J. Sullivan.

Council has faced tough decisions relating to program funding as the City budget has tightened in recent years.

The motion was approved unanimously to end the Bookmobile program and use the remaining program budget of $25,000 for additional library shelving. The bookmobile as of September will be used for a local 1st grade reading program.

Posted August 12th, 2008
City Council accepts Connect Oregon II Grant Funding From State
(City Council Podcast - Listen to the Report)

Council met for close to an hour and a half on Monday, August 11th with most discussion focused on two agenda items relating to airport issues.

The first issue discussed was determining lease rates for hangars located at Salem's Municipal Airport. The purpose of the City Council report was to review and establish by resolution new base rates for the South Hangar Area, the 25^th Street Hangar Area, and the Industrial area. 3 other hangar areas on the airport property are also scheduled for evaluation later this fall.

Third-party appraisals for the hangars would result in a recommended increase in lease rates from 18 cents per square foot to 21 cents per square foot for tenants of the South Hangar, an increase from 22 cents per square foot to 50 cents per square foot for the 25th street hangar, and an established rate of 34 cents per square foot for the industrial hangar.

“I have a hard time seeing how the property value could increase over 200% unless there was a substantial improvement to the property” said City Councilor T.J. Sullivan referring to the proposed increase in lease rates for the 25th street hangar property. The last appraisal on the hangar was completed in 2004 when the 22 cent per square foot lease rate was established.

Council made a motion to enact the lease rate changes as proposed by city staff as of January 2009 with a 3-year phase in period for effected businesses to adjust. The move to make changes effective as of January 2009 will give the Council time to compare the increase to the other three hangars which will receive appraisals this fall leading into December. The motion was approved unanimously with Council Tarter absent and Mayor Taylor recusing herself.

Also discussed at Council was whether to accept grant funding from the State of Oregon through the Connect Oregon II grant program.

“I am hoping that by accepting this grant and making these proposed improvements Salem can attract another airline carrier”, said City Councilor Laura Tesler.

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce provided written testimony as part of the agenda item.

"It is absolutely crucial that Salem put itself in the best position to capture future opportunities via the Salem Airport," said President Terri Frohnmayer in a written letter to City Council. "Expanding and improving our infrastructure shows business investors that we are serious about strengthening our local economy."

City Council voted to accept the airport grant funding from the state unanimously with Councilors Dan Clem and Kate Tarter absent when the vote was taken.

Posted August 5th, 2008
Council approves reimbursement district, temporary facility access agreements
(City Council Podcast - Listen to the Report)

City Council met for approximately 2 hours on Monday, August 4th following a work session regarding the Battlecreek property in south Salem. The City has expressed interest in purchasing the southern portion of the property for flood mitigation. The Public Works Department feels the site is well suited for flood management as four creeks converge on the property. City Council is expected to take action on August 25th as to whether or not to purchase the 40-acre property at a cost of $3.7 million.

The continuation of a public hearing from July 28th helped clear up confusion about how a reimbursement from the city would work with developers of the West Salem Brush College Heights subdivision. The City required the developer to install a 21-inch trunk sewer line which provides far greater capacity to service future homeowners in addition to residents of the subdivision. Future residents surrounding the subdivision that will be serviced by the sewer line will share in the cost of the sewer system expansion.

“We have gone from a per acre methodology to a per lot methodology” said Peter Fernandez, Interim Public Works Director for the City of Salem.

The new methodology will result in a $1300 fee per residential lot, regardless of size. City Council and the effected developer were pleased with the resolution as it collects the reimbursement from users based on actual impact to the sewer system. The Council was unanimous in their support for the reimbursement methodology for this case with Councilor Bob Cannon abstaining for missing the first half of the discussion on July 28th.

Three similar public hearings were also held on August 4th to approve temporary facilities access agreements for three private properties in south Salem. The three private properties are located south of Kuebler Boulevard and west of Liberty Street. In order to develop the properties, the developers must be hooked up to available water supply.

Although the City's water system is interconnected, boundaries have been created to identify service areas for Salem reservoirs. Properties are required to have access to reservoirs in the case of fire emergencies or other instances in which the City would need access to large quantities of water in a short amount of time. Council unanimously approved three temporary facilities access agreements with the three properties to allow them to access the Champion Hill Reservoir which has extra storage capacity. Property owners will pay a temporary access fee which will be set aside to go towards the construction of a future reservoir for south Salem.

Posted July 29th, 2008
City receives Class 8 certification from FEMA
(City Council Podcast - Listen to the Report)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA presented the City of Salem a certificate for their successful completion of the Agency's Community Rating System (CRS) application. The completion of the application will result in a 10% reduction for the over 1,000 national flood insurance policy holders in the City of Salem. Mark Smith, Director of the Mitigation Division for FEMA's Seattle regional office was present at City Hall to present the certificate of completion.

The majority of the City Council meeting on July 28th was spent discussing the public hearing relating to the formation of a reimbursement district for the developers of the Brush College Heights subdivision in West Salem. In order to move forward with the project, the City required the developer to install a 21-inch sewer trunk line to service the subdivision. Since the size of the sewer line is larger than what is needed for the subdivision, the developer is eligible for pass through credits. This reimbursement could come from future property owners outside of the subdivision that utilize the sewer line to connect to City sewer services.

The proposed reimbursement district is 139 acres in size and includes those properties estimated to be served in the future by the 21-inch trunk sewer line.

Mark Grenz with Multi-Tech Engineering was present at City Council to speak to the issue at hand on behalf of the developer. Grenz has worked with city staff to try to figure out the best methodology to use to establish the district.

This was an expensive sewer line due to its depth but the price came in better than anticipated, said Grenz.

Debate amongst City Councilors focused on whether a reimbursement to the developer should be based on a per acre fee for property owners or a per housing unit fee. City Council made a motion to keep the public hearing open until August 4th 2008 and is expected to make a decision about the reimbursement district as a part of that meeting.

"We don't have a problem with however Council or staff want to craft the methodology so long as the reasonable expectation is that the developer would be made whole," said Grenz.

Posted July 22nd, 2008
Council approves tree removal, reviews sign ordinance
(Listen to the Report)

City Council met on July 21st for a special meeting for brief discussion on 3 issues. The first was to grant the termination of restrictive covenants against the old West Salem City Hall. Owners of the building are supportive of a tenant's request to remove a tree from the premises for safety reasons. The Head Start program which operates out of the building uses the land behind the building as a play area for children and has asked that the tree be removed. Council voted unanimously to terminate the covenant restrictions to make way for the removal of the tree and an expansion of the playground.

Also discussed and approved at Council was the decision to build out Studio 2 at the future site of Capital Community Television (CCTV) at 295 Church Street. Due to savings realized, the city will now be able to include the original plan of building out Studio 2 on the premises for CCTV.

"I just can't emphasize enough what a wonderful resolution this has been," said City Councilor Bob Cannon of Ward 7. "CCTV has been fantastic. These people just can't be given enough credit."

The motion to build out Studio 2 passed unanimously.

The sole public hearing held on July 21st was to address language in the Salem Sign Code. Chapter 62 of the Salem Revised Code deals with the rules and regulations for signage within the City of Salem. In summary, the unanimous approval by City Council to make housekeeping changes to the language in the Salem Sign Code will allow stadiums and sports facilities to operate signs using new technology while events are taking place. Willamette University, for example, plans on installing a new LED sign at their football stadium.

“There are some inconsistencies with our sign code that we need to start addressing,” said City Councilor T.J. Sullivan of Ward 4. "This is a good first step to take."

Sullivan encouraged neighborhood association members to contact sign companies so those businesses can share their experience and comments with neighbors interested in the topic.

June 17th, 2008
Council denies conditional use for business, moves 4 more annexations to November
(Listen to the Report)

Salem City Council met for roughly 3 hours on Monday night, June 16th with the majority of time spent on the discussion of whether a business should be allowed to operate in a residentially zoned neighborhood. The building which is located at 925 Hood Street is designated as a Local Historic Landmark. The applicants seeking the approval had interest in relocating their business from south Salem to the property. The business would have included counseling services and self-help products for sale to complement the psychiatric care clients would receive.

Council passed a motion to reverse the decision of the Hearings Officer. The staff recommendation was to grant a conditional use for the property as long as the owners secured the necessary off-street parking required by the City to accommodate their clients. The motion to reverse the staff recommendation was granted in a 5-2 vote. Councilor Chuck Bennett moved the motion and was supported by Laura Tesler, Bruce Rogers, Kate Tarter, and Mayor Taylor. City Councilors Brad Nanke and Dan Clem opposed the motion with Councilors T.J. Sullivan and Bob Cannon recusing themselves due to business relationships.

“Every time we lose a single family home it changes the character,” said Chuck Bennett. "If we mess with this we take away from the preservation of the neighborhood."

In other news, 4 additional city-initiated enclave annexations were approved by Council for voter consideration on the November ballot. Enclaves are properties surrounded by the city limits on all sides and are commonly referred to as "islands" of county property.

June 10th, 2008
City Budget moves through public hearing, 2 more annexations slated for ballot
(Listen to the Report)

The Council meeting on June 9th started with a moment of silence for community leader Bryan Johnston who passed away unexpectedly this past weekend. Mayor Taylor and Council took the moment to acknowledge all leaders in the community who graciously give of their time for the sake of others.

5 public hearings were held as a part of the Council agenda on Monday night. The first will allow the City to receive a share of revenues from the State of Oregon general fund. The State Revenue Sharing program allocates 14 percent of state liquor revenues to cities, according the a city staff report. The City has met the requirements outlined by the state in order to be eligible for the funds. The recommendation of the Budget Committee is to spend the $1.12 million to offset the costs of police patrols.

Council also moved forward with the City of Salem budget for fiscal year 2008-09. The public hearing held on June 9th will move the budget to the agenda on June 23rd as a resolution. Four amendments to the budget were made by city staff and approved by Council including:

• $558,960 increase to the City Services Fund to cover the increased cost of gas to operate City vehicles throughout the next year.

• Increasing the Willamette Valley Communications Center Fund budget by $100,000 to cover fiscal year cost of living adjustments in 2007-08.

• A $125,000 increase to the Urban Development Department for site development of the Gaffin Road property and increase General Fund loan proceeds from the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department by the same amount

• A $140,000 increase to the Administrative Services Department for Senior Center fixtures, furnishings, and equipment as well as relocation costs.

The final 3 public hearings related to annexations in northeast Salem. The first was a petitioner-initiated annexation located at 4963 Center Street NE. Due to testimony received in opposition to the annexation, Council will keep the public record open for another 2 weeks.

The other 2 annexations were City-initiated enclaves, which refers to land surrounded by city limits. The annexations moved quickly through the public hearing process. New state law now allows property owners on the subject property to vote on their annexation if it is city-initiated. As many as 15 enclave annexations and 13 petitioner-initiated annexations may be on the ballot in November.

May 28th, 2008
Bob Cannon joins Salem City Council (Listen to the Report)

City Council met on Tuesday night this week due to the Memorial Day holiday. One of the first orders of business was to appoint Bob Cannon of South Salem to the vacant Ward 7 seat. Cannon was sworn in by Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court Paul De Muniz. De Muniz and Cannon have known each other for roughly 35 years since they attended community college together in Bend.

The City Council agenda included four public hearings on Tuesday night, one of which was postponed until the next meeting on June 2nd. Deliberations regarding whether or not to locate a new helicopter school at Salem's McNary Field will be moved to that night. Leading Edge Aviation based out of Bend has expressed interest in locating a satellite school at Salem's Airport.

The 3 additional public hearings related to petitioner-initiated annexations. The Council continues to move through a slate of annexations that are expected to appear on the November 4th ballot for voter consideration. 2 of last nights annexations are located in northeast Salem and the other is located in West Salem. All three were approved by Council for the ballot with no interested parties in attendance to speak in support or opposition.

May 20th, 2008
Council declares Ward 7 seat open

City Council last night on May 19th declared the Ward 7 City Council seat open. Brent DeHart who has served as the Councilor for Ward 7 for the past 4 years has resigned from the post. Council is expected to appoint the sole candidate appearing on primary ballot Bob Cannon later this month.

In other news, David Glennie with Telos Development Company spoke to the Urban Renewal Agency just prior to the start of the City Council meeting. Glennie asked for the City's support in removing liens from the property currently being developed at the corner of Market and Broadway. Two projects located on north Broadway will create more housing and entertainment options for residents in the area.

"We couldn't have done it without the Urban Renewal Agency support and the loan," said Glennie referring to the redevelopment project. "If people want workforce housing and downtown housing that is what it takes."

May 13th, 2008
City Council continues to move through annexation cases

Salem City Council continued to direct staff to gather information about annexations which may appear on the November 2008 general election ballot.

Two annexations east of the city limits received public hearings at Monday's meeting. There were no residents interested in testifying in regards to either annexation.

15 additional annexations were also on the Council agenda. These parcels of land located in varying geographic regions at the edges of the City (west, east, and south) will receive public hearings in the future. City staff has been directed to gather more information relating the these parcels of land and the fiscal impact they may have on the budget.

April 29th, 2008
Council Chamber packed as Helicopter debate ensues

Virtually every seat was filled for Monday's City Council meeting on April 28th. Proponents and opponents showed up in droves to provide their testimony on whether or not Leading Edge Aviation should be allowed to operate a helicopter school from McNary Field at Salem's Airport.

The Bend-based company has expressed interest in location at Salem's Airport after bankrupt Silver State Helicopters shut down there helicopter school earlier this year. The Leading Edge Aviation operation would be a satellite office for the company providing flight training for private and commercial licensing. Daily operations would be from 7am to sunset.

Opponents to a new flight school in Salem included neighbors upset with the noise and flight path of the pervious flight school, Silver State Helicopters.

Proponents also showed up in force with a number of past Silver State students expressing their great desire to have another flight school located here to further their training education.

Council has not taken a position on the matter as of yet and has given Leading Edge Aviation the opportunity to meet with Neighborhood Association groups to work through the concerns of residents.

In other news, both the Strategic Economic Development Corporation, or SEDCOR and the Salem Convention and Visitors Association or SCVA presented annual reports to the City of Salem. President of SEDCOR Ray Burstedt expressed optimism about current and future opportunities in locating higher paying jobs to add to Salem's manufacturing job base.

CEO of the SCVA Angie Morris also shared positive news relating to the growth Salem has seen in recent years as a part of the tourism industry. Those facts include growth in Transit Occupancy Revenue of 60% between 2005-06 and 2006-07, travel industry employment up by 6.1%, and a 17% increase in travelsalem.com traffic over a years time.

April 15th, 2008
Volunteers recognized by City Staff, Annexation Public Hearings begin

According to City of Salem staff, the commitments of volunteers to the City has added up to over 275,000 hours of service which is equivalent to 132 full-time employees this past fiscal year. That work is valued at $5.1 million. City staff and Salem City Council has continuously praised the work of volunteers over the years for their contributions to different City departments.

The first of numerous annexations received its public hearing this past Monday. Roughly 26 annexations are expected to be placed on the November ballot for voter consideration. City Council is expected to hear more annexation testimony beginning in May and through the summer months.

Discussion relating to the city owned land adjacent to the future Kroc Community Center was also on the Council's agenda. The Council moved to obtain more input from the public regarding their preferences for the land. In past plans, the adjacent land had been designated for a city park and Council is interested in collecting feedback from neighbors regarding the amenities they would like to see if a park were to be considered.

April 8th, 2008
Go Downtown! Moves Forward, Public Hearings extended

City Council Chambers was full last evening as churchgoers expressed their support for looking into a modification to the Central Business District zone. Currently religious organizations are only allowed to occupy historic buildings downtown that contain a theatre. The recommendation which was moved forward by City Council last night is to allow religious organizations as permitted uses downtown, which would expand their flexibility in finding available space for worship.

"I want to commend the Council for directing staff to look into this issue," said Sam Skillern, Executive Director of Salem Leadership Foundation.

A public hearing will be set in 4-6 months after City staff works through amendments to Salem Revised Code (SRC) Chapter 154.

In other news, final notices were received by four property owners in downtown Salem to allow them to provide input on the newly formed Economic Improvement District or EID. The assessment for downtown property owners will raise $200,000 for marketing and promotion for Salem's core area. In order to stop the assessment, property owners representing at least 33% of the square footage downtown needed to participate in a remonstrance or objection to the self-imposed assessment. A total of 49 properties representing 20.04% were opposed to the EID which was not enough to stop its creation.

Also, public hearings on the annexation of 5122 Hazel Drive NE and proposed changes to the Transportation System Development Charge (TSDC) we extended. The public hearing regarding the annexation will take place on April 14th and the TSDC hearing will be held on May 5th.

Council also reviewed the 5-year Capital Improvement Program or CIP. According to the City staff report, the CIP is a five-year plan for the construction or acquisition of major public assets based on the City-adopted master plans, goals and policies and anticipated revenue. The document is available through the City of Salem website, www.cityofsalem.net.

"I'll vote for the CIP knowing that we'll be looking at it again this fall," said City Council Dan Clem.

April 1st, 2008
Council moves forward with Street/Bridge Bond

Salem City Council last night voted to move forward in preparing a street/bridge bond for the November 2008 general election ballot. The motion approved last night directs City of Salem staff to prepare the measure, ballot title, explanatory statement, and other documents necessary to refer to the voters the general obligation bond.

"We haven't been investing in our infrastructure and it's time we step up and do it," said Mayor Janet Taylor.

The total cost of the bond is $99.8 million which equates to $0.27 cents per $1,000 of tax assessed property value. If the bond were to pass in November, an owner of a $200,000 home would pay roughly $55 per year for the street and bridge projects.

Due to retiring debt, property owners are expected to see only a slight increase in their tax payment (see graph below).

One last minute change was made to the project list as a result of the vote in Council Chambers last night. An intersection expansion project at Commercial and Kuebler in south Salem has been removed from the funded project list and replaced with the expansion of Kuebler Boulevard from Sunnyside Road to Lone Oak Road.

The addition results in the funding needed to expand Kuebler Boulevard to 2 lanes in both directions from Interstate 5 to Lone Oak Road. Some private and public works funds outside of the street/bridge bond proposal will be used for expansion of Kuebler from I-5 to Commercial Street.

"Models and traffic counts justify a build out to Lone Oak," said Transportation Services Manager Mark Becktel. He also noted that build out further west beyond Lone Oak would build capacity for future congestion but isn't justified based on current traffic counts.

Council is expected to approve the measure, ballot title, and explanatory statement for the street/bridge proposal later this month.

City of Salem voters have not passed a bond for infrastructure improvements since 1995.

In other news, City Council will hold a public hearing later in the month of April regarding the operation of a helicopter school interested in locating at Salem's Airport. Leading Edge Aviation, based out of Bend, has expressed interest in operating a flight training school in Salem.

Residents both for and against the flight school shared their views on whether a hearing should be held.

March 18th, 2008
The decision by the Salem City Council to move forward with a street/bridge bond on the November ballot is still in the works. A motion made last night by City Councilor Brad Nanke closed the public hearing while leaving the written record open through March 24th at 5pm. Council is scheduled to deliberate the potential street/bridge bond on March 31st.

Although the public hearing was open on Monday night, no additional public residents testified. However, written letters were submitted over the course the past week and will still be accepted through the 24th.

In other news, the City Council did approve a memorandum of understanding with the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation. 310 acres of land on Minto-Brown Island could be purchased by the state and ultimately leased to the City. The 6-2 vote in support of the agreement marks one of the first steps in the planned connection of Minto-Brown Island and Riverfront Parks across the Willamette River slough.

March 11th, 2008
City Council moved quickly through their consent calendar on Monday night and into a public hearing for a proposed street/bridge bond which could appear on the November ballot for City of Salem residents.

Just over ten people provided testimony relating to the proposed bond, with the majority expressing their support for the package. The public hearing will remain open for residents still interested in providing feedback on the $98.6 million bond until this coming Monday, March 17th.

The package includes projects in all areas of the City and is said to help relieve congestion, maintain/rebuild current pavements/bridges, and improve safety throughout the community's transportation system.

March 4th, 2008
City Council addressed a light meeting agenda on Monday night, March 3rd adjourning in roughly an hour. On Wednesday, March 5th, Mayor Taylor and Councilors Rogers, Sullivan, and Tesler will represent the City in an Oregon State Hospital and Penitentiary Properties Area Plan Stakeholder meeting hosted by the Oregon State Department of Administrative Services.

In other news, Council asked City staff for more information before any implementation of parking permit increases were considered for Salem's downtown.

"I'd really like to have outreach to folks that have blocks of permits," said Mayor Taylor. To date, blocks of permit parking spaces in downtown parking garages are held by a few parties. Taylor expressed interest in learning more about how widely they are used.

The Council also quick approved an amendment to the Economic Improvement District motion made last Monday, extending the deadline for certain parties downtown to community their support or opposition to an Economic Improvement District. The revised deadline is now Monday, April 7th.

February 26th, 2008
Council shows support for downtown Economic Improvement District

City Council held a public hearing on the evening of February 25th for residents to openly discuss the merits of moving forward with an Economic Improvement District, or EID for downtown Salem. In an 8-0 unanimous vote (Counilor DeHart was absent), Council made a motion to support the district. The public hearing will remain open for the owner of the Equitable Center who failed to receive a second notice of last night's hearing. As a result, Council will give that sole property owner 30 more days to share their support or opposition to the proposed district.

A number of business owners, downtown residents, and property owners shared their testimony in support of the effort with one individual testifying in opposition.

"This was envisioned in 2001 and 2002," said Doug VandeGriend, current Secretary for Go Downtown Salem. "Its been a long, long road but we've got there."

Go Downtown Salem! is the non-profit organization that will receive funding as a result of the move forward with an Economic Improvement District. An annual assessment to property owners to support the efforts of Go Downtown Salem! will total 7 cents per square foot for commercial property and 2 cents per square foot for unimproved property and parking lots.

"I am very much in favor of the Go Downtown Salem group," said Christi Finholt, owner of downtown Salem's Blue Pepper art, music & internet cafe.

Finholt also expressed excitement in seeing continued growth and expansion in Salem's core area.

To view a PowerPoint presentation featured at last night's City Council meeting, click here. The file includes specific information relating to the future plans for Go Downtown Salem!

February 21st, 2008
Chamber Board takes Strong Stands in Support

Unanimous votes in favor of Chemeketa Community College, streets and bridges, and a major downtown project dominate discussion at the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce February Board of Directors meeting.

As a major election year begins to take shape, business leaders begin to set priorities to assist in shaping the direction and momentum behind local needs.

Chemeketa Community College
Chemeketa Community College has made the decision to move forward with a $92 million bond on the May ballot. If passed, the average homeowner in Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties would pay $29 per year to support the capital investments included in the package.

Members of the Board and Governmental Affairs Team applauded Chemeketa leadership for moving quickly to take advantage of an opportunity to go to the voters in May. Businesspeople cited ongoing challenges in training and empowering the next generation of Salem area workers looking to Chemeketa for needed professional education.

Capital improvements for a Health Sciences Center, Public Safety Building, and Industrial Technology Building would cater to growing demand for nurses, computer technicians, emergency medical technicians or EMT's, firefighters, plumbers, electricians, and other trade skills. 

Chemeketa will face the additional challenge of getting at least 50% of registered voters to cast a ballot in May due to state double majority requirements.

City of Salem Streets & Bridges
Investments in street and bridge infrastructure throughout the City of Salem was given high priority by the Salem Chamber Board. A detailed project list of improvements for all regions of the city focus on relieving congestion, maintaining and rebuilding existing pavements/bridges, and improving safety.

City Council will hold a public hearing to make decisions on the formulated project list on Monday, March 10th. The Salem Chamber will encourage city leadership to keep the total cost of the bond package under $100 million as a part of public testimony.

Voters supported similar bond measures for streets and bridges in 1992 and 1995 and all 33 promised projects were completed.

If City Council does move forward in putting the expected street/bridge bond on the November 2008 ballot and are successful, property owners would see only a slight increase in taxes as the City continues to retire debt from previous bond offerings (see chart below).

If the City were unsuccessful in passing a streets and bridges bond in 2008, the next likely opportunity would be in 2010 with corresponding improvements being made in 2011 and 2012. Local businesses are looking to work hard in supporting efforts to get the bond passed this year to avoid additional costs into the future as streets and bridges exponentially deteriorate.

Downtown Colson Project
The Colson family in their commitment to Salem, is proposing a major development at the southeast corner of Chemeketa and Liberty streets in the heart of downtown. The multi-million dollar project would be yet another catalyst in embracing mixed use developments to boost Salem's local economy.

The Board voted to unanimously support the demolition of the current building at the site as a necessary step if any redevelopment project is to occur there. The current building on the site has stood vacant for over 7 years.

February 19th, 2008
Council holds special meeting to interview Planning Commission applicants

Salem City Council interviewed 10 applicants for 3 open Planning Commission positions the evening of February 19th. In addition to the interviews, each Salem resident interested in the open positions submitted written answers to a series of City Council questions relating to the purpose and role of the Planning Commission.

The 3 chosen appointees include:

-  Roger Budke of Ward 7. Budke has been retired for the past 10 years formerly working as a City of Salem urban planner.

- Tom Gallagher of Ward 8. Gallagher works as a government relations consultant.

- Thomas Smith of Ward 6. Smith is an accounts payable coordinator and current Chairperson of the Northeast Salem Community Association, or NESCA Neighborhood Association.

February 4th, 2008
Council approves changes to water/wastewater methodology

Salem City Council approved changes to the Public Works Department's system development charge or SDC methodology Monday. The move will impact the way in which water/wastewater revenue relating to residential and commercial growth is collected and does not apply to ratepayers. The Homebuilders Association for Marion and Polk Counties did provide testimony reluctantly supporting the changes and recommended that there be a 4-year phase in of the proposed SDC increases. That change was supported unanimously by City Council.

For a detailed report on the SDC methodology, visit:
http://www.cityofsalem.net/departments/spubwork/

Also, City Council will be interviewing 15 people for 3 open positions on the Salem Planning Commission. The interviews will take place in Council Chambers on Tuesday, February 19th.

On Wednesday, February 13th, the State of Oregon will hold an open forum relating to the location of the state mental hospital. The forum will take place from 5-8pm at the Salem Conference Center for interested citizens.

January 28th, 2008
Council challenges state hospital location, moves forward with LAX proposal

City Council spent over 3 hours in Council Chambers at City Hall on Monday night, one hour of which was spent on details and concern relating to plans for a new state mental hospital. Mayor Taylor urged state officials during a work session to reconsider actions taken last legislative session to build a new state hospital at the building's current location in the heart of Salem off Center Street.

Facts recently shared publicly prove that Salem continues to be home to patients from around the state at the time of release.

"We're very willing to do our fair share and a little more," said Mayor Janet Taylor.

Taylor thanked the state for their partnership and took some time to make sure Salem citizens knew the statistics relating to crime, admissions, releases, etc.

The Facts:

• Over 3 quarters of the patients located at the state mental hospital are there due to criminal action.

• 9% of those admissions come from Salem and Marion County while 30% of the discharges come into Salem and Marion County.

• In the last 3 years, the Salem Police Department has responded to roughly 2,200 calls related to someone experiencing a mental health issue. These calls do not include street calls which could double that number.

• During the same 3 year period, there were over 300 protective custody holds placed on individuals who were experiencing mental health issues.

• 30% of the property within the Salem city limits does not pay property taxes to support city services such as police and fire. These properties, which include the State Hospital, include local, county, and state government buildings.

• 67% of the occupants currently residing in group homes in Marion County are not from Marion County originally.

Mayor Taylor expressed great concern over these statistics and asked that plans for the new mental hospital in Salem be re-evaluated. Instead of looking at a 600 plus bed hospital in Salem, maybe the State could look at locating one 300 bed hospital in the Salem area and another 300 bed hospital in another location.

Taylor challenged arguments that the process to rebuild the state mental hospital was too far along to consider change.

"I've done a lot of property development," she said. "Until you have a design, until you have selected where on the site you want to build, and until you have provided an architect with construction plans, it is not too late to change where you're going to build a hospital or how big it's going to be."

Council urged state officials to have a serious discussion amongst staff at the Department of Administration Services, the Governor's Office, Department of Human Services staff, and appropriate legislators.

"You're taking far more than your share back into the community," said Bruce Goldberg, Director of the State Department of Human Services in referring to the number of patients that have been released and are currently residing in Marion County group homes.

Goldberg stated that Senator Jackie Winters may be willing to push for a legislative fix if necessary.

In other news, City Council voted unanimously to move forward with a proposal to Delta Air Lines for expanded commercial air service between Salem and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Councilors Clem and DeHart did recluse themselves from the discussion due to occupational conflicts of interest. The decision will lead to a formal submittal to Delta Air Lines which will include a number of incentives in an effort to capture the new service. Those incentives include an Airline Travel Bank with a goal of raising $150,000 in prepaid ticket purchases to support the airline. The Salem Chamber has been successful in raising $158,500 in pledges from 30 participating parties to support this component of the package.

In addition, a revenue assistance program of $175,000 will be funded with the assistance of Marion County lottery funds, the State of Oregon Economic Development Department, and the Strategic Economic Development Corporation or SEDCOR.

Also, $100,000 in marketing money will be included in the proposal to help market the LAX service if Salem is successful.

Scott Hossner, President of Allied Video Productions, testified in support of the City's efforts.

"I'm excited about what's happening in Salem," said Hossner. "It's truly a great time to be a resident of Salem."

Hossner's small business is one of the many local firms that have benefited from Salem's current air service and are stepping up to support the possibility of LAX service through the Airline Travel Bank.

"Business has come into our community thanks to this service and adding a flight to LA can only help," he said.

January 22nd, 2008
City Council Report - Focus was on addressing airport noise complaints

City Council met on Tuesday, January 22nd for a special meeting to address concerns relating to noise originating from the Salem Airport. Airport Administrator Alan Alexander presented information to the Council regarding complaints that have been filed, the majority of which concern helicopter noise.

"McNary is at times a very busy airport," said Alexander. A small group of Salem residents were on hand to give their feedback to City Council relating to their noise concerns. Comments focused on issues with noise from private helicopters flying over residential areas.

The purpose of Tuesday night's report was to provide information relating to noise as consideration is given by Council to pursuing Salem to LAX service.

"We've received one complaint regarding the SkyWest plane coming and going," said Alexander.

To view the presentation on noise complaints, visit:
http://www.cityofsalem.net/ and click on link in the "What's New" section.

In other news, City Council approved a collective bargaining agreement between the City and the Salem Professional Fire Fighters for a period of three years. The contract is valid from July 1st of 2007 through June 30th of 2010.

January 17th, 2008
"Keep Salem Moving" Campaign schedules public forum

Salem Mayor Janet Taylor, City Councilor Brad Nanke, and CEO of the Salem Chamber Mike McLaran will be sharing presentations as a part of a public forum at the Salem Conference Center on Wednesday, January 30th from 5 to 7pm.

The forum will focus on finding solutions for congestion as well as deteriorating streets and bridges throughout Salem. Community members in attendance at the forum will be using state of the art electronic polling to share their priorities for reconstruction projects safety improvements citywide.

Downloads:

• Transportation Map and List of Projects (1.45MB)

• Cost Table

• Detailed Project List

Timeline of Events & Meetings:

For More Information:
To find out more visit the Keep Salem Moving! website at:
www.cityofsalem.net/keepsalemmoving.html

 or contact Mike Gotterba at 503-588-6211  or mgotterba@cityofsalem.net.

January 14th, 2008
Council meeting short and to the point

City Council wrapped up in less than one hour Monday night moving quickly though items on the agenda. One public hearing was held regarding the demolition of a structure located at 4192 Sylvia St. SE. The remnants of the house which was damaged seriously by a fire will be taken down this week with the help of a private contractor. The city will bring the costs of that demolition back to City Council for the purpose of placing a lien on the property.

January 7th, 2008
City Council Report

Council met for nearly four hours on January 7^th, moving through two public hearings and an hour long work session on transportation system development charges.

Mark Becktel with the City of Salem Public Works Department provided an update on proposed changes to the methodology used. Becktel expressed that review of the system takes place every 5 years. A public hearing regarding the proposed changes has been scheduled for February 25^th and Council deliberations will take place in March of 2008. If approved through the process, changes could take effect as early as July 1^st, 2008 coinciding with the beginning of the City’s fiscal year.

For a copy of Mark Becktel’s presentation and for more details, email mbecktel@cityofsalem.net

In other news, Council moved forward in making revisions to the City’s Solid Waste Ordinance. City Attorney Randall Tosh has been working to clarify language in the ordinance. The motion was made to close the public hearing and move the revisions to second reading as a part of next week’s Council meeting. 

City Council continues to show its support for an economic improvement district for downtown Salem. The second public hearing of the night focused on the need for a funding mechanism to support the promotion of downtown through Go Downtown Salem. The group is made up of  business leaders located in the core area and places emphasis on promoting and advocating for a healthy downtown. Funding for the group would mainly be provided through a self imposed property tax assessment. If property owners representing two-thirds of the square footage downtown agree to the assessment, the economic improvement district will move forward.

Interested businesses and citizens will have the opportunity to participate in a second public hearing on the issue which will be scheduled in the near future.

Contact the Salem Chamber:

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

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