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.
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