APRIL 15, 2016, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A9
BUDGET,
continued from Page A1
budget seasons. Members of
the task force – who will also
be members of the Budget
Committee next month –
indicated adding a new offi cer
would be their top priority
for next fi scal year, followed
by another employee in the
parks department.
City
Manager
Chris
Eppley cautioned there may
not be the money in the
budget.
“I don't want you to think
we have funding to add into
the budget this year,” Eppley
said. “We have leveled out. We
will slowly add positions back
to the budget. The budget
this year is based on taking a
breath, then let new revenue
come online next year. If we
get those property statements
or franchise fees higher than
we expect, we could bring
on a person for half a year. I
hesitate to add positions, even
if you want to, unless we can
predict sustainability. I'm not
in the business of just putting
it in for show, I want to make
sure we can sustain it.”
Earlier in the meeting,
Eppley had mentioned tax
revenue from new building
often doesn't come in until
the following year, meaning
city offi cials aren't banking
on new funds from various
housing developments to be
available come this July.
“It has been
limited duration
longer than a
limited duration
position should
be limited
duration.”
— Chris Eppley
“This is going to be a fairly
dull year,” he said. “There is no
fi scal crisis. We don't have to
make a drastic decision. We're
approaching our growth limit
within our Urban Growth
Boundary, so we don't have
millions extra to spend. There
won't be big changes in next
year's budget. I want to give
you a snapshot, but it will be a
boring budget year, I believe.”
In the general fund long
range forecast initiative update,
adding a parks employee and
an offi cer are both listed as
not being sustainable for the
2016-17 budget. Transitioning
the Event Center Coordinator
position – Kristian Bouvier
– from limited duration to
regular, however, is anticipated
in next year's budget.
Task force member Ron
Bersin lobbied for adding a
new offi cer, which would
raise the KPD to 38 positions.
“We've been talking about
this for years,” Bersin said.
“With the senior centers,
there will be a big population
increase. At some point we
will have to step up and add
positions, because it means
community safety.”
Teague said the average in
Oregon for a city Keizer's size
would be 52 positions.
“We need about 41,” Teague
said. “We are holding our own
at 37. We're able to police
with fewer offi cers. I'm a team
player. I'm not demanding
more cops. It is what it is. We
have a limited budget. I know
the city manager would love
to give me three or four new
cops.”
births
Luke Alvin King was born
March 21, 2016 at Salem Hos-
pital. The baby boy weighed 5
pounds 13 ounces. The parents
are Nickolas King and Samantha
Blome of Keizer.
Joelle Taylor Osteen was
born March 27, 2016 at Salem
Hospital. The baby girl weighed
7 pounds 2 ounces. The parents
are Aaron and Akami Osteen of
Keizer.
Asher Thomas Tribby was
born March 30, 2016 at Salem
Hospital. The baby boy weighed
9 pounds 2 ounces. The parents
are Joshua and Claudia Tribby of
Keizer.
Jack Edward Day was born
March 31, 2016 at Salem Hos-
pital. The baby boy weighed 6
pounds 10 ounces. The parents
are Jason and Arwen Day of
Keizer.
Emmett Edward Kinkaid
was born April 6, 2016 at Salem
Hospital. The baby boy weighed
7 pounds 3 ounces. The parents
are David and Cheri Kinkaid
of Salem. The maternal grand-
parent is Rose Foreman of Sa-
lem. The paternal grandparents
are Ken and Sherry Kinkaid of
Keizer.
Tiara Marie Annette
Gleason was born April 9, 2016
at Salem Hospital. The baby girl
weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces.
The parents are Eugene Gleason
and Tiffany Gillis of Keizer. The
maternal grandparent is Belinda
Lundberg. The paternal grand-
parent is Mary Gleason.
Eppley
laughed
and
responded, “Love is a strong
word.”
Eppley pointed out a city
Keizer's size would typically
have 17 or 18 parks employees.
“We have two,” he said.
“The primary reason is our
tax rate of $2.08 (per $1,000
of assessed value). We are a
minimal services government.
We provide a lot of services
for the buck. We do things
differently.”
Council president Dennis
Koho recalled a time in the
1990s when the argument was
whether the KPD should have
14 or 15 positions.
“The fact we have nearly
40 positions now is great by
that comparison,” Koho said.
“But it was a different city
then.”
Councilor Amy Ryan
noted she's been doing ride-
alongs lately with emergency
responders.
“Our crime rate is higher
than I remember,” Ryan said.
“That's putting pressure on
our cops to respond. They do
an excellent job.”
After a conversation shift,
Bersin changed it back to
police.
“So the 37, how long have
we had that?” he asked.
Teague said it's been at that
level for six years, after being
at 41 prior to the recession.
“Don't interpret my realism
as a lack of concern,” Teague
said. “Our guys are working
mighty hard, but we work
with what we're given.”
Bersin said the KPD's
recent caseload shows the
need for more to work with.
CHANGES,
continued from Page A1
owner Terry Ricker in regards
to fi nding a new space. In
that story, Ricker expressed
reservation about moving
into a smaller, less visible space
within Schoolhouse Square.
In a Facebook post on April
1, however, Ricker noted that
was an option.
“We have since talked to the
new owner of Schoolhouse
Square about a location a little
smaller than the current store
next to the new B Fit gym,
if or when the new building
is built,” Ricker wrote on
April 1. “We love Keizer and
hopefully will be serving the
and Mr. Video/LimeBerry.
“The plan is to build the
pad building. We hope to
break ground in early July or
late June, but more realistically
early July,” Bloch said. “We
have two signed leases for
that new building, which
represents about 40 percent of
that building.”
Earlier this month, the
Keizertimes ran a story about
the concerns of Mr. Video's
“We can’t
keep pushing
this off...”
— Ron Bersin
“You've had shootings at
Keizer Station,” Bersin said in
reference to the Feb. 14 fatal
shooting.
“And in the heart of town,”
Teague responded, referring
to last month's shooting at Bi-
Mart.
“We can't keep pushing
this off to the next year,”
Bersin said.
Nate Brown, director of
Community Development,
noted code enforcement
offi cer Ben Crosby takes
on issues such as graffi ti
abatement
and
parking
enforcement typically handled
by the KPD in the past.
“As few as fi ve years ago,
you would hear us fi ghting for
more cops,” Teague said. “The
value added with the code
enforcement position does a
lot to help with crime. Public
safety is more than just adding
cops.”
Ryan asked if Bouvier's
position was going to become
full-time.
“I asked it to be funded as a
regular position,” Eppley said.
“It has been limited duration
longer than a limited duration
position should be limited
duration.”
As was previously reported
in the Keizertimes, the
community center revenue
has gone up noticeably this
year, possibly calming a
concern expressed during the
last two budget seasons.
“The community center
this year became a lot closer
to being self-sustaining than it
has been,” Eppley said. “We've
had a big increase in numbers
into that center. Kristian does
a great job and has a great
reputation.”
Mayor
Cathy
Clark
noted Bouvier works well in
conjunction with staff at the
Keizer Heritage Center next
door to city hall.
“The cross advertising and
referrals have led to an increase
at both facilities,” Clark said.
“The collaboration has been
benefi cial.”
Eppley said the two groups
feed off each other well.
“It's still a new business for
us,” he said. “The fact we're
approaching sustainability is
impressive to me.”
The
fi rst
Budget
Committee meeting will take
place on May 3, followed by
meetings on May 5 and 10. If
needed, another meeting will
be held May 17. Meetings will
all start at 6 p.m. in council
chambers at Keizer Civic
Center.
community for years to come
with your support.”
Bloch confi rmed such
discussions have happened
with Ricker.
“There have been some
initial discussions with him,”
Bloch said. “My thought is
we might locate him where
Anytime Fitness was.”
Overall, Bloch is liking
the direction of the shopping
center.
“We're
making
good
progress,” he said. “We would
love to have everything fi lled.
We're happy with the tenants
we've signed up and we have
a good mix going forward. I
believe it will create some
good synergy to attract new
clients to the buildings.”
puzzle answers
Sam Goesch CLU, Agent
Sam Goesch Ins Agcy Inc
3975 River Road North
Keizer, OR 97303
Web: SamGoesch.com Bus: 503-393-6252
1211999
State Farm , Bloomington, IL