SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 8
SECTION A
NOVEMBER 25, 2016
$1.00
Council denies Keizer Chamber
request for parade fee waivers
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
A Keizer Chamber of
Commerce request that city
offi cials waive fees and other
costs associated with the Hol-
iday Lights Parade was snuffed
out at the Keizer City Coun-
cil meeting Monday, Nov. 21.
The Keizer Chamber re-
quested waivers for fees total-
ing $5,805 related to police
staffi ng, public works costs
and temporary use permits
among others, but councilors
were not in a giving mood.
One city councilor even ex-
pressed frustration at the ask-
ing.
“The chamber did come
to council a month ago and
we were honest about what
we could waive and what
we couldn't. I'm a little dis-
appointed that they came
“I think we all love this
event, but we have a
city to run and we have
to be diligent with
the money we have.”
— Kim Freeman, Keizer City Councilor
and asked for it anyway,” said
Councilor Kim Freeman. “I
think we all love this event,
but we have a city to run and
we have to be diligent with
the money we have.”
Danielle Bethell, executive
director of the Keizer Cham-
ber of Commerce, asked the
city council to consider fee
waivers at a previous meet-
ing and, while no action was
taken, councilors made it
clear that waivers would be
unlikely.
At the time, Mayor Cathy
Clark said she wanted to hear
from River Road North busi-
nesses about their success dur-
ing the parade before dipping
into city coffers in support of
it.
At the meeting Monday,
the biggest topic of discussion
was a request to waive $4,000
for police staffi ng. Granting
such a waiver would subtract
from the city's general fund
which is already stretched
thin, and even a $4,000 ex-
pense could create a shortfall
down the line.
“I feel like that during the
budget process in May would
be the proper time to ask for
a waiver like this. I will be a
no vote on waiving anything,”
said Councilor Amy Ryan.
The fees the Keizer Cham-
ber was requesting waivers for
generally fell into two cat-
egories hard costs and fore-
gone revenues. In addition to
the $4,000 for police staffi ng,
there were another $1,300
in costs to the Keizer's Pub-
lic Works Department that
would have to be absorbed.
Other costs – $50 for an ap-
plication fee and $275 in tem-
porary use permits – would
simply have resulted in less
revenue.
Councilor Bruce Anderson
said he was impressed with the
Chamber's discussions regard-
ing the decision to take on the
parade, and would have sup-
ported many of the fee waiv-
ers, but not the police staffi ng.
“The police staffi ng is a
bridge too far, but I think
looking at the other fee waiv-
ers are reasonable,” Anderson
said.
In the end, the only waiver
the Chamber left the meet-
ing with was worth $180,
which covers the costs of
parade coverage on Keizer's
public access cable channel,
Keizer 23. Keizer 23 funds are
sourced outside the general
fund.
The parade is slated for 7
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10.
Keizer church hosts OSP outreach
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Trooper Shelly Squibb talks with Sol Rivera, Patty Echeverria and Diana Alvarez at Inglesia Luz Del Valle Church
during a law enforcement outreach event Thursday, Nov. 17.
All-Class
Reunion
PAGE A3
Stuffing
the bus
PAGE A5
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Oregon State Trooper Cris-
tian Cuevas was only called in
to meet with his high school
counselor once, and it remains
something of a sore point.
“They only wanted to ask
me why I wasn't picking up my
free bus passes,” said Cuevas at
Inglesia Luz Del Valle Church
C. Cuevas
in Keizer Thursday, Nov. 17.
Cuevas took part in a outreach event at the
church on Dearborn Avenue Northeast intend-
ed to connect local Latino youth with potential
job opportunities in law enforcement. Rev. Jose
Dominguez arranged the gathering, which drew
about three dozen attendees, as a follow-up to a
community event in August to talk about com-
munity relations with local law enforcement.
One of the concerns that arose from the earlier
conversation was the lack of diversity among the
local law enforcement while minority populations
continue to grow.
Cuevas, a native of Chile, talked about his path
to the Oregon State Police, which he felt was
probably refl ected in the experience of today's
youth.
“I wish my councilor had brought me in to
Please see OUTREACH, Page A10
City recognized for Mecha-cow proposal
bicycle friendliness
meets resistance
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Keizer has earned an
honorable mention as a
bicycle-friendly city from the
League of American Bicyclists
(LAB).
It was announced last
week in Washington, D.C.,
that Keizer joined 33 other
communities throughout the
nation in the honorable
mention category
of recognition.
Platinum,
gold,
silver
and
bronze
designations
are
also
available
should
city
offi cials decide
to
pursue
them. Oregon
has
11 communities that rank
bronze or higher. Ashland
(gold), Corvallis (gold) and
Bend (silver) also received
designations this time around.
An honorable mention
recognizes Keizer’s efforts
toward improving conditions
for
bicycling
through
investment
in
bicycling
promotion,
education
programs, infrastructure and
pro-bicycling policies. The
Bicycle Friendly City (BFC)
program provides a benchmark
for communities to evaluate
those conditions and policies,
while highlighting areas for
improvement.
A trio of city volunteers
were the driving force behind
the application to LAB.
Hersch Sangster, Pat Fisher
and John Henry Maurice, all
members of Keizer's Traffi c,
Bikeways and Pedestrian
Safety Committee, took
on the effort with the
blessing of the city
council.
“We
really
tried to play
devil's advocate
as we went
through
the
checklist
of
qualifications,”
said
Sangster.
“And we came
out better than we
expected. This is a big thing
for the city.”
More than an honorable
mention
or
a
metal
designation,
the
group
wanted a baseline assessment
of where Keizer stood in
relation to other cities in the
LAB program. In addition
judging the application to the
program, LAB offi cials sought
out input from residents who
use Keizer's bikeways through
an online survey and then
selected some responders to
Please see BIKE, Page A10
has on-hand so fundraising
By ERIC A. HOWALD
would be required.
Of the Keizertimes
Before the conversation
The Keizer roundabout
opened just three months moved toward approval, the
ago but the Keizer Public idea met with resistance
Arts Commission is already during discussions.
Commis-
trying to fi gure
sioner
Jessi
out what to put
Long said the
in the center of “There’s
idea of cows
it.
something
gave her pause.
Commis-
“ T h e r e ’s
sioners
dis- about cows
something
cussed the po-
tential of the that screams, about cows that
screams, ‘Let’s
space and even ‘Let’s mess
mess with it,’”
one
proposal
Long said. “I
from a Keizer with it.’”
think
maybe
sculptor with
— Jessi Long,
a
windmill
a piece along
Keizer Public Arts
or a piece
the River Road
Commissioner
of
farming
North art walk.
equipment
Rick Smith,
a salvage artist who crafted might be a better idea.”
When ideas for an old
the Iron Glory sculpture of the
American fl ag near Copper truck or piece of farming
Creek Mercantile on River equipment were fl oated,
Road North, submitted a City Councilor Amy Ryan
proposal to construct a trio opposed.
“I hesitate to say a truck
of salvage-metal cows that
would stand in the middle of or farm vehicle because
when I was growing up
the intersection.
Smith's proposal called people always complained
for $2,000 in materials and about the old, rusty trucks
supplies and $7,500 in labor, in the fi eld there,” said Ryan,
but he would donate half the city council liaison on
of the latter amount to the the committee.
She also opposed the cow
project for a total cost of
$5,750. That amount is more idea given the affi nity for the
than the Arts Commission herd that calls the property
next to the roundabout
home. The family that owns
that property petitioned
the city earlier this year to
rezone it paving the way
for 112 apartments. The
request was approved in
September, but construction
is likely a ways off. Ryan
proposed a Celtic sculpture
as an alternative, and said
the commission should be
prepared to replace or repair
anything that goes on the
site
Nate Brown, Keizer's
community
development
director, said concern about
cows might be overblown.
“The cows are a sensitive
issue, but people have had
some time to adjust to the
idea and I don't think we
should be too concerned
offending someone,” he said.
Brown said that whatever
art takes up residence on
the roundabout should be
substantial.
“Anything small could
be more easily vandalized.
The beefi er it is, the better,”
Brown said.
Commission chair Beth
Melendy tasked commis-
sioners with brainstorming
alternative ideas they could
approach Smith with.
Please see COW, Page A10
Keizer kids
blazing
trail
PAGE A11
Lady Celts
lock sights
on title
PAGE A12