FEBRUARY 5, 2016, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A9
RUN,
continued from Page A1
sidewalks, we have continued
to work together to make
Keizer a great city. In fact,
in 2015, Keizer was named
the fourth happiest city in
Oregon.”
Clark also looks forward
to
new
ownership
of
Schoolhouse Square, roadway
improvements, work to be
done by various citizen
committees and working with
other local governments to
tackle the issue of homelessness
in the area.
“I am honored to serve
with
six
hard-working
community members on
our city council,” Clark said.
“Together, we strive to listen
to you and each other to keep
our city on track as a great
place to live and do business.
And I believe that we have
even more to look forward to
celebrating this year.”
Parsons has been busy
since first joining the council.
She opened an insurance
agency, but retired last year.
She has stepped away from
some responsibilities, but
has chaired the Community
Build Task Force and got
married last year. Now, she's
ready to accomplish more as a
councilor.
“I'm going to run again,”
Parsons said on Tuesday. “I'm
running for council. It's not
my time to run for mayor.
I'll be on council at least for
four more years. I have some Parsons said. “If I do want
unfinished business.”
to become mayor down the
That
includes
more road, knowing all the issues is
work on the Urban Growth important. The whole thing is
Boundary (UGB) issue, as well so massive. I've learned a lot
as finishing work on the Big already about transportation,
Toy play structure at Keizer but I have so much more to
Rapids Park.
learn. I think four years is the
“I want to see the learning curve.”
construction of everything
Parsons likened her initial
done with that,” Parsons said stint on council to being
of the Big Toy. “I want to see a freshman in school, with
it through. And the UGB another term being her junior
is something we all want and senior years.
to work on. There's a lot of
“I can better serve the
things. There are a lot of old city now than I could three
ordinances and resolutions years ago,” Parsons said. “The
sitting in archives and people hardest part was familiarizing
are
taking
yourself with
advantage
each of the
of that. We
committees
have to keep
and
the
changing
demands
of
them.”
them.
You
Parsons
have to know
anticipates
them all. The
Schoolhouse
budget, oh my
Square “will
— Cathy Clark goodness. The
look
much
first time I was
different” 18
on the budget,
months from now, but feels it was very complicated. Three
any potential grocery store years later, I'm getting it. At
would have to go elsewhere.
first I thought anyone could
“I want to see us sell the rest do this. But it takes a lot of
of Area A in Keizer Station,” work and effort. It feels like
Parsons said. “I want to see I'm going to school again,
some of that money be used with a lot to study. I want to
for revitalizing River Road. make sure I can ask intelligent
I want to see more work on questions.”
River Road. Parts are nice, but
Parsons feels her experience
other parts are not so nice. The means she can serve the city
vacancy rate is going down.”
well for at least four more
Parsons noted Clark wants years.
her to work more with the
“I don't know how many
mayor on transportation issues. more years I'll serve,” she
“I have to do that in said. “I will continue to listen
four years, not one year,” to the people. If that's four
“I plan to seek
a second
term as your
mayor.”
more years or two more years
beyond that, I can't tell you.
I will serve as long as I am
effective and the people feel
I am effective. When I'm not,
it'll be time to step down.”
Freeman noted her decision
to run wasn't easy.
“I've been mulling it
around,” she said. “It's one of
those things where I go back
and forth. It's the same thing
I did when I applied the first
time. Time commitment is
always a factor. I had to look
at it again. With my husband,
we always have a good family
conversation. I have good
family support, which helped
me decide to run.”
After approximately 30
months on council, Freeman is
just now feeling comfortable.
“I feel I am finally
understanding things that have
been in play in past councils,”
she said. “It takes a while to
get up to speed on those items.
I want to continue those
discussions. Budget time is
one of my favorites. I want to
continue that. The Volunteer
Coordinating Committee is
one of my passions.”
Before throwing her name
into the hat to fill the vacancy
in 2013, Freeman asked
around to figure out how
much of a time commitment
there would be. The answers
ranged from two hours a week
to 20 hours.
“I've found my time spent
will depend on the length of
the agenda,” Freeman said. “I
give kudos to the city staff for
giving us as much information
as they can, without bias. They
tell us here's the history, here's
what happened, here's all
the information to make a
good decision. They are very
neutral.”
Freeman is usually quiet
during meetings, which she
said is in line with her nature.
“If I have questions, I
will ask the staff,” she said.
“I try to do my homework
to make sure I have as much
information as possible.”
Freeman likes how the
councilors get along.
“Council works really well
together,” she said. “We all
bring different sets of skills,
but we all work well together.
We respect differences but
work well together. We're all
different. That's a benefit. We
have a fabulous staff and a
great community, as seen with
the Big Toy and the turf field
(at McNary High School).”
Just
in
case
you're
wondering, Freeman doesn't
see herself being mayor
anytime soon.
“I applaud Cathy and Lore
before her,” Freeman said.
“Being mayor is a full-time
job in itself.”
While those three are
running again, that's not the
case with Koho.
“I'm not running again,”
Koho said on Tuesday. “I've
known that for probably a
year. I've been pretty open
about that with those on the
council and some people in
the community, encouraging a
variety of people to consider
running. I've been on the
council about a dozen years all
told. It's fun and I've enjoyed
it, but it's time for someone
younger. One term was
enough this time.”
Koho predicted Keizer's
parks, UGB issues and possibly
grocery stores will be hot
topics for the fall.
“Those are probably the
three things that will motivate
voters the most this time,” he
predicted.
Koho referenced how
many times he has run.
“I've been on the ballot for
each of the last four decades,”
he said. “That's enough. It's
time for fresh faces. I'm no
longer a fresh face, at least
that's what the mirror tells me
every day.”
Koho wouldn't mind seeing
multiple fresh faces vying for
his seat and the others.
“I'd like to see some
competition for the seats,”
Koho said. “We're usually
lucky to get competition for
half the seats. It's good for the
community to have dialogue.”
In the 2014 election,
Clark ran unopposed as did
councilors Roland Herrera
and Brandon Smith. Amy
Ryan defeated Matt Chappell
in the only contested race.
In
2012, Christopher
defeated David McKane
for mayor, Parsons defeated
Eamon Bishop and Chappell
for her seat and LeDuc beat
write-in candidate Smith,
who had decided late in the
race to defend his seat. Koho
returned to the council in an
unopposed race.