SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 30
SECTION A
APRIL 28, 2017
$1.00
Keizer cracks down on taxi drivers
Operators will need cityvissued license after years of reciprocity
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Al Wakefi eld, owner of
Willamette Valley Yellow Cab,
asked the city to suspend its
ordinance requiring taxi driv-
ers to pay for an additional
license to operate in Keizer
at the Keizer City Council
meeting Monday, April 17.
Wakefi eld was, in part,
responding to a letter he
“If I had to ask my drivers to
come in and pay $50 apiece
to do pickvups here, no
one would come in.”
— Al Wakefi eld, Owner
Willamette Valley Yellow Cab
and a half-dozen other local
vehicle-for-hire companies
received in March request-
ing compliance with local
ordinance. The move is a shift
in longstanding policy that
has allowed drivers with a
Salem-issued license to oper-
ate in Keizer.
With a new city empha-
sis on enforcement, drivers
operat-
ing in Keizer would need to
pay a $50 application fee and
$35 in annual fees to contin-
ue picking up and dropping
off in Keizer.
“One of our issues right
now is that there are several
(legislative) bills about ride-
sharing controls, taking all
services out of the hands of
the city and placing them in
the hands of the state. While
we are waiting, I am asking
for a suspension of your ordi-
nance,” Wakefi eld said.
The letter sent
by the city
urged companies to take ac-
tion by May 1 or face disci-
plinary action. Wakefi eld was
the only company owner to
respond privately or pub-
licly, said Nate Brown, Keizer
Community Development
Director.
Wakefi eld said only a
handful of daily calls for Wil-
lamette Valley Yellow Cabs
originate in Keizer, but that
the company participates
in non-emergency medical
transportation which some-
times includes Keizer resi-
dents.
Please see TAXI, Page A9
New Lady
Celt b-ball
coach
PAGE A10
Hearts
Like Fists
Keizer Homegrown Theatre
takes stage Friday
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
Jay Gipson-King, president
of the Salem Theatre Net-
work, is bringing something
unique to Keizer.
Hearts Like Fists, Keizer
Homegrown Theatre’s spring
production, debuting Fri-
day, April 28 at 7 p.m. in the
Chemeketa Community Col-
lege auditorium, comes from
the Geek Theater: Anthology
of Science Fiction and Fantasy
Plays.
“It’s a comic book play, re-
ally,” Gipson-King said. “One
Please see FISTS, Page A9
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
Rachael Wiggins and Kyrie Haskins act out one of fi ve fi ght scenes in Hearts Like Fists.
‘Are these ideas dead or reduced?’
Kloset fills
gaps for
students in
need
PAGE A3
City pulls plug on economic development commission
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The most recent meeting of
the Keizer Economic Devel-
opment Commission sounded
more like a funeral dirge than
buoyant talk about the state of
Keizer’s business climate.
Members of the commission
met for the fi rst time since Au-
gust 2016 on Wednesday, April
19, to discuss the future of the
commission itself rather than
the future of business in Keizer.
Despite a charge to meet
quarterly, meetings were post-
poned again and again during
the past seven months when a
quorum couldn’t be reached.
While receiving updates on
several city-owned properties,
which were thought to be-
come a source for economic
development fund, commis-
sioners learned that the city has
changed course.
Commissioner Rick Day,
who researched and presented
a detailed outline for a city-
funded economic development
grant program, seemed most
perturbed at the lack of follow-
through.
“Are these ideas dead or re-
duced?” Day asked.
“To be blunt, my under-
standing it is dead because the
city is struggling to add staff to
parks and police,” replied Nate
Brown, Keizer’s community
development director. Brown
added that any new funds from
sale or lease of city-owned
property would likely be di-
rected to shortfalls involving
police and parks.
Photo Illustration
KEIZERTIMES/Andrew Jackson
Please see PLUG, Page A9
Treed at
Keizer
Station
PAGE A5
Baseball
slump
PAGE A10