Keizertimes., May 13, 2016, Page PAGE A9, Image 9

MAY 13, 2016, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A9
Bouvier becomes full-time employee for civic center
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
Limited duration no more.
When Kristian Bouvier be-
came Event Center Coordina-
tor for the Keizer Civic Cen-
ter in January 2014, the future
of the job was uncertain.
It was listed as limited du-
ration, in essence needing to
prove it was worthy of bring-
ing in more funding in order
to become a regular full-time
position.
The last two budget cycles,
the position stayed as limited
duration as revenues continue
to hover around the $90,000
a year mark. Keizer Budget
Committee members hotly
debated the topic, with sev-
eral questioning the wisdom
of continuing to fund such a
position.
Two things happened:
budget committee members
boosted marketing funding for
the civic center from $1,000
to $6,000 and the rental ar-
rangements changed in terms
of fees, including getting rid
of the “Tightwad Tuesday”
special deal state agencies were
taking advantage of.
The result has been a no-
table surge in revenue for
the civic center. Revenue in-
creased to $115,844 last fi scal
year and was at $127,029 as
of May 2. By the time the fi s-
cal year ends June 30, revenue
for the year is projected to be
around $135,000.
Because of that, Bouvier’s
position is now full-time with
benefi ts.
City Manager Chris Eppley
indicated at last month’s Keiz-
er Long Range Planning Task
Force meeting the change
would happen.
“I asked it to be funded as
a regular position,” Eppley said
at the time. “It has been limit-
ed duration longer than a lim-
ited duration position should
be limited duration.”
City Recorder Tracy Da-
vis, who formerly oversaw the
civic center and has worked
closely with Bouvier, was
among those expressing satis-
faction at the May 5 budget
committee meeting.
“This position has been in-
valuable,” Davis said. “Kristian
OFFICER,
continued from Page A1
I would love to put another
offi cer in this budget. But
we would have to dismantle
the parks and community
development departments to
do that.
“I don't agree with Mr.
Bersin on his calculations,”
Eppley added. “If you look
at the long-range plan, what
we anticipate, we would need
to go into the reserves or go
into the red. At the point we
can add an offi cer and we can
sustain it, I'll be the fi rst person
to call for it. I hope at mid-year
we'll see I'm too conservative
and we can add it then. We will
do it when it's fi scally sound to
do so.”
Councilor Amy Ryan also
questioned why no offi cer
position was added.
“I'm confused,” Ryan said.
“This is my second year on
the budget committee and
adding an offi cer has been the
top priority both years. We're
at $156,000 in overtime for
the same number of offi cers.
This (request) isn't new; we
approved it last year.”
Eppley said this year's
newsworthy crimes – a fatal
shooting in February, a shooting
in March and a fatal stabbing in
April – don't necessarily reveal
an ongoing trend that could
justify a new offi cer.
“We can't look at them and
project there will be every year
more and more,” he said.
Ryan then asked why the
budget is status quo in light of
more revenue coming in with
new housing.
“Revenues don't support
adding more positions,” Eppley
said. “The county will send us
tax dollars, but they are coming
in at a slower rate than would
support (a new offi cer). The
general fund, which is property
tax
supported,
supports
police which is 80 percent
of the fund, plus community
Wood said the amount in
the reserve fund was right at 15
percent, which the city uses to
cover bills in the time between
the start of the fi scal year in
July and money coming in
from the tax rolls in November,
while Eppley emphasized the
need for sustainability.
“I have said this before to
this group, I don't withhold
funding just for fun or to hoard
cash,” Eppley said. “I will never
suggest a budget I don't believe
we can fully sustain in the
future. What would be worse
than adding a position is adding
one we'd have to terminate
next year because we can't
afford it. Personnel services are
very expensive. Police offi cers
are the most expensive with
costs, training, retirement, etc.
Bouvier
puzzle answers
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Bouvier has done an excellent
job bringing events to Keizer.
She used the marketing mon-
ey you generously put in last
year’s budget. She also did a
study of rental rates to pro-
vide equality within the local
market. I contribute a lot to
Kristian and the marketing we
have done.”
Mayor Cathy Clark noted
Bouvier works with Davis as
well as front desk receptionist
Allison Sebem, who took the
position when Paula Collins
transferred to the Keizer Po-
lice Department.
“Absolute kudos to Kris-
tian Bouvier, you and Paula
and now Allison,” Clark told
Davis.
Davis noted the great rela-
tionship extends to the Keizer
Heritage Center and JoAnne
Beilke as well.
“Kristian and JoAnne work
together well,” Davis said. “We
have worked in tandem with
JoAnne a lot in the last year.”
Clark noted the relation-
ship has indeed benefi ted all.
“The Keizer Heritage
Center has seen a signifi cant
increase in revenue,” the may-
or said. “They credit the rela-
tionship with Kristian and the
staff here.”
Councilor Amy Ryan had
high praise for the work Bou-
vier has done.
“I have worked closely with
Kristian on several events,”
Ryan said. “She’s truly a rock
star. We struggled last year with
seeing a return on investment.
Now we’re in a high growth
mode. She’s done an amazing
job. She’s gone above and be-
yond expectations.”
The proposed 2016-17 fi s-
cal year budget, approved by
the budget committee and
awaiting approval by the Keiz-
er City Council next month,
lists a salary of $37,900 for
Bouvier’s position – a 19 per-
cent increase from this year –
and $20,600 for insurance, a
329 percent increase. The in-
surance fi gure caught the eye
of several budget committee
members.
“The insurance going up,
is that by bringing in the full-
time employee?” Ron Bersin
asked.
Machell DePina, Human
Resources director for Keizer,
said that was the case. In the
past, the city paid a fl at stipend
of $4,800 a year.
Finance director Tim Wood
said the fi gure is correct.
“This is the fl at rate of ev-
eryone,” Wood said. “We are
spending quite a bit (on insur-
ance).”
DePina said the city pays
either 90 or 95 percent of
employee insurance costs, de-
pending on classifi cation.
“The number does con-
tinue to go up each year,” De-
Pina said.
development and parks. They
are all competing for the same
dollars. Any additions to police
have to impact those other
functions, since it's the same
pool of money. They compete
with one another.”
Ryan stated adding the
offi cer had already been
approved.
“We approved it based on
having enough revenue to
support it, but it didn't occur,”
Eppley said.
Ryan continued to press the
issue.
“The numbers are there, but
we're not moving forward,” she
said.
“Show me how the numbers
support that,” Eppley retorted.
Councilor
Marlene
Parsons, chair of the budget
committee, attempted to stop
the discussion, but co-chair
Joseph Gillis continued the line
of questioning.
“I share the concern,” Gillis
said. “We talk about police
being a priority, but we don't
take action on that. You say the
budget doesn't support it. I'm
not sure I buy that there are
not the funding mechanisms.
When and how do we explore
other ways?”
Eppley said there are indeed
other ways to try and fund the
position.
“There are communities
that have passed public safety
assessments,” the city manager
said. “For example, they agree
to charge a certain amount
on the water bill, for a specifi c
thing like an offi cer. We tried it
six or seven years ago. It went
to a vote of the people, but it
was soundly defeated by the
people to add to water bill,
by a margin of something like
eight to one. That was after a
fair amount of public outreach.
We did a bunch of open
houses, campaigned and it was
still soundly defeated. I'm not
saying we can't do it again, but
we don't want to do it every
year. Maybe it is time to do it
again.”
Eppley said the number
of homes added wouldn't be
enough to overturn the past
results.
“I really want to provide a
budget that gives this group
and this community the level of
service it wants and demands,”
Eppley said. “That's tough to
do with limited resources.”
Committee member Allen
Barker wanted to know how
quickly an offi cer could
be added once there is the
funding. Eppley said getting an
offi cer that has to go through
the necessary training would
be an 18-month process,
while a lateral offi cer (trained
elsewhere) would be quicker.
Teague said his department
has all the tools a new offi cer
would need, minus the cost of
a uniform.
“Those costs don't keep me
from doing this,” Teague said of
adding a position.
Clark said the issue goes
back to the city's low tax rate
of $2.08 per $1,000 of assessed
value, which has been a source
of pride for nearly 25 years but
limits the funds coming in.
“We brag about having the
lowest tax rate in Oregon,” the
mayor said. “I see our staff work
hard each year. We've stretched,
matched, leveraged, granted
and volunteered tremendously.
But at some point the elastic
wears out. I'm hearing we
might have fi nally hit that
point. We keep pulling, but the
elastic wears out. From 1992 to
now we've been at the $2.08.
Cities in our (comparables) are
at a much higher rate. We are
frozen unless we fi nd another
funding mechanism.
“It's time for this community
to have an honest conversation
about how to have the
community we want to live
in,” Clark added. “I'm not still
living on a 1992 budget. We've
made changes in our income.
But we're asking Keizer to
operate a 2016 city on a 1992
tax base. We have taken those
dollars and stretched them
out. But is it time to have that
honest conversation? Have we
stretched that elastic as much
as we can? We've got to be
realistic what those dollars
can buy. We've gotten a whale
of a deal, with city staff and
volunteers. But we have to face
fi nancial reality.”
Clark wants to see what
citizens wants.
“I'm willing to have that
conversation,” she said. “People
in parks are willing to have
it. We need to have that
conversation about police as
well. Trying to pick apart our
budget to eek out another half
of a position is not a good use of
time. We need to have a deeper
community conversation.”
As was pointed out in a
series of Keizertimes stories in
2014, the tax rate can't be raised
due to the state Measure 50.
“The cheapest way to (add
revenue) is on the utility bill,”
Eppley said. “Others have used
that method. We can cost that
out.”
After
more
discussion
followed, Parsons once again
paused things by calling for a
seven-minute break.
Bersin brought the issue up
again later.
“I've
been
on
this
committee nine years,” Bersin
said. “Every year we've asked
for more police offi cers. Again
we're not going to do that.
We fi nd funding where we
want, but not for this. The city
continues to grow. We have
more households coming in
and a large retirement center.
It all requires more resources,
but we're not adding more
resources. People ask for safety
as their number one priority.
Until we can support that, I'll
be a no vote (on the budget).”
Bersin indeed voted against
the budget.
“To Mr. Bersin and to Amy,
I truly hear what you're saying,”
Eppley said following the vote.
“The moment we're able to
add an offi cer, I will bring it
back for your approval.”
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