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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 2015)
PAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, APRIL 17, 2015 BUDGET, continued from Page A1 One position that caused some concern was the event center coordinator position fi lled by Kristian Bouvier in January 2014. The hope was the limited duration position would have transitioned to a regular full-time job. However, that changeover is on hold. “We’re putting the brakes on that for now,” Wood said. “We will keep it as limited du- ration.” Eppley said it’s decision time with the operation of the Keiz- er Community Center, which opened in 2009. “The community center has leveled out in terms of rev- enues,” Eppley said. “This year you’ll have to decide that you either live with that or make major changes to it. Right now we assume you’re going DISC, continued from Page A1 Work is expected to include backfi lling concrete disc golf tee pads with bark chips, build- ing new signs, clearing fallen trees, building two new kiosks, providing a new map, building a new main trail to subvert hole 16 and having a Bobcat brought in to remove invasive blackber- ries and scotchbroom. Wilson said the new trail means people walking wouldn’t be cutting through the course inadvertently and risking get- ting hit. SIGHT, continued from Page A1 are asked to do something they don’t want to do, and for par- ents to help them develop that skill. “My pimp taught me to de- velop a character going into a room. Part of my healing was fi guring out who I am,” said Hunt. “It’s why I do what I do now.” She said part of her re- claiming of her identity was learning to speak up when she to live with that. We subsidize the center $80,000 a year. We would have to raise rates signif- icantly to get to that mark, but then we would lose bookings. “If we gain so many book- ings at our current rate, we would need more staff and that costs more money,” he added. City councilor Amy Ripp worried about the instability of the position possibly driving Bouvier away. “She has done an amazing job,” Ripp said. “She has done a lot with very little. I don’t want to lose her. I want to keep her. I would love to fi nd a way to increase usage.” Eppley said rates were ad- justed once, three years ago. He noted some groups are taking advantage of a special deal on Tuesdays. “On Tuesday, community groups can use a room for $15 for a fair amount of time,” Ep- pley said. “State agencies like the Department of Revenue take advantage of Tuesdays and will book the whole facility. We need to adjust some of those policies, because clearly that’s not what it was meant for.” Lore Christopher said the discount was meant for small non-profi t groups. “It was not meant for state agencies,” Christopher said. “Maybe that can be better de- fi ned in the future.” Eppley said the issue high- lights the diffi culty between offering public space and pay- ing for the space. “It’s a balance you have to make,” he said. “We’re a pub- lic agency. We don’t want to compete with the private sec- tor. There is a sweet spot. A decision to raise the rate can be a decision to not compete. That’s something coming to you soon.” If Eppley had his way, there would be no question about the future of Bouvier’s position. “We were hoping it would be full-time by now,” he said. “It’s still limited duration, which is less expensive. It’s not full-time with benefi ts. I want to make that position full-time. Kristian does a good job, but we can’t afford her (full-time) at this moment.” Wood said the hope had been to increase wages and salaries by 2.5 percent, but that has been scaled back to 1.5 percent. More noticeable is the city’s required increase for PERS (Public Employee Re- tirement System). “We have a 20 percent in- crease from PERS,” Wood said as groans fi lled the room. For down the road, he predicted the rates would stay fl at or reduce slightly, but that’s not what he is seeing for the fi scal year ahead. Eppley acknowledged the impact. “PERS and other fac- tors hit us hard,” he said. “We don’t have the fi nancial capac- ity we thought we’d have. The economy has increased, but not as much as we were hoping. PERS has really increased. We try to look at where we’re at for the future.” Another budget concern was brought up Tuesday night during the Keizer Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting. Bill Lawyer, Public Works director for Keizer, said that board’s matching grant program – implemented for this budget year and gaining in popularity – has been suddenly cut for next year. The program, which was set at $14,000 this year, allows the Parks Board members to partner with com- munity members looking to do park improvement projects, essentially doubling contribu- tions. “The budget is drafted and turned in,” Lawyer said. “The proposed budget does not in- clude the matching grant pro- gram, due to a shortfall in the general fund. I don’t want to have to share the news, but I must.” The news caught Parks Board members by surprise. Clint Holland quickly made a motion to ask the budget com- mittee to put the $14,000 for the matching grant program back in. The motion was ap- proved unanimously. “It’s been a successful pro- gram,” Holland said. “A lot of people understand it now. We need to keep it going.” Lawyer encouraged Parks Board members to let their voices be heard on May 5. “If you all can be there, it’s benefi cial,” Lawyer said. “There is public comment at the start of each meeting. Plan to be there for the fi rst meeting.” Lawyer said the news about the matching grant program was given to him by Eppley last Friday. “Chris said it was cut,” Law- yer said. “It was a total surprise.” “It’s a safety thing, basically,” Wilson said. Bruster said the changes have been looked at by city parks of- fi cials in recent years. “It was approved at that time to make changes on the trail, to make it a safer route and to make it more aesthetically pleasing,” Bruster said. Bruster said the kiosks would be at the pull out parking areas on the gravel portion of Che- mawa Road. “The park rules signs are pretty well destroyed,” he said. “This would be mainly for park rules signs and access to infor- mation of where you’re at in the park.” A big part of the discussion revolved around the use of the Bobcat mower. “We are looking at doing the scotchbroom with the Bob- cat,” Bruster said. “This would be on the northern end of the pond, where they have some overnight camping. It would be cleared out in that area.” Bruster noted the Bobcat owner being brought in can help out in other places as well. “If there were other proj- ects in the area the city wants to do, he would be willing to leave his equipment here and the next day do something else for the city if they’re interested,” Bruster said. Parks Board member Clint Holland liked what he heard, plus he likes what’s already been done. “I want to compliment you guys for the great work,” Hol- land said. “I talked to a lot of people about the disc golf course and you never hear any- thing negative. People say this is one of the best in the state. I’m in favor of helping you.” Wilson noted a unique as- pect of the KRP course. “A lot of parks don’t have the terrain, all the up and down,” Wilson said. “With some TLC, this would really appeal to more people.” Wilson and Bruster both noted getting the Bobcat in will help with clearing regrown scotchbroom. “It’s an ongoing process,” Bruster said. “We’ll probably have to work with the city on that.” Parks Board members unani- mously approved the project. The total cost for the project was estimated to be $6,002 which includes $3,752 in la- bor, in addition to the matching grant funds. sees something upsetting, and urged attendees to look for the little things they do that dam- age self-esteem of others. “For the guys, be careful how you treat girls because that girl could be someone else’s wife someday. You want your future wife to have been treated well before you meet her,” she said. Kirstin Heydel, youth ser- vice coordinator for the Sa- lem-based Center for Hope and Safety, said the little mo- ments add up over time. “Using words like slut, whore and prostitute are harmful, and a woman’s worth becomes tied to their sexual identity,” she said. Ashley Buckle took the stage with her mother to promote Oregon House Bill 2356. Buckle was secretly vid- eotaped by her stepfather, a Keizer man, along along with her roommates and neighbors. Currently, the crime is a misdemeanor. Passage of the bill would make it a felony. “He’s in jail not for the in- vasion of privacy, but because he stalked and harassed me and broke into peoples’ houses,” Buckle said. While the evening struck serious tones throughout, Hunt took one of her opening moments to applaud the ef- forts of the AWARE Club. “You guys are freaking rockstars,” Hunt said. No Job Too Big or Too Small • Additions & Repairs • Dry Rot Repairs • Flooring & Countertops • Roofi ng & Siding • Kitchens & Baths • Doors & Windows • Decks & Fences • Patio & Deck Covers 503.393.2875 remodelkeizer.com CCB#155626