PAGE A6, KEIZERTIMES, OCTOBER 12, 2018
Opinion
We recommend Kohler
The general election ballot will
show an unusually rich slate of can-
didates for city offi ces. Mayor Cathy
Clark is unopposed as she seeks her
third term. Also unopposed is Ro-
land Herrera as he seeks
his second term in Posi-
tion #4.
For Position #6 two
qualifi ed candidates will
face each other: Michael
De Blasi and Dan Kohler.
De Blasi serves on the
Planning
Commission
and the Transportation/Safety/
Bikeways/Pedestrian Committee.
Kohler has been a community vol-
unteer but is primarily known for
his stewardship of the resurfacing
project at The Big Toy at Keizer
Rapids Park.
Kohler is the business candidate.
He has been endorsed by the Keizer
Chamber of Commerce, a present
and a past mayor of Keizer and all
the sitting city councilors. This is
support that can be envied.
De Blasi doesn’t have a long list
of bold name endorsers, but he is
sure of himself and of his views.
Though the candidates will not
face off in a debate they have their
differences on upcoming issues
such as the third bridge (De Blasi is
against it; he’d rather see tolls on the
existing bridges).
For this election, Dan Kohler is
the right choice for position #6.
But we think that De Blasi needs
to stay as involved as he is and not
count out running for the
council in two years.
De Blasi is younger
and would be a different
voice altogether on the
council, which is needed,
but there is time for him
to add his voice later.
By voting in Kohler,
the city still benefi ts because De
Blasi’s voice will still play loud on
the Planning Commission and the
traffi c committee. Kohler will bring
a consensus view to the council and
will not cause sparks to fl y over cer-
tain issues.
We envision a city council in a
few years in which both Kohler and
De Blasi have seats and engage oth-
er councilors in robust discussions
on such topics as the look of River
Road, housing density and Urban
Growth Boundary expansion.
Until that time, we recommend
Dan Kohler for city council posi-
tion #6.
Next week: Our recommendation for
city council position #5.
—LAZ
oditorial
Yes on KFD levy renewal
Safety fi rst. That is rule number
one for every business and every
household. Safety fi rst is always top
of mind for our fi rst responders, es-
pecially the Keizer Fire District’s fi re-
fi ghters and medical response teams.
The number of emergency calls
have increased more than 16 percent
but the Keizer Fire District responds
to them with the same revenue as be-
fore the increase. That says mountains
about the fi duciary mangement of
the district.
That’s the best reason for vot-
ers to approve Measure 24-432. The
measure renews the current 59¢ per
$1,000 of assessed value for fi ve years
beginning in 2019. That means there
is no tax increase for what will surely
be increasing calls.
Some voters may decide to vote
no on every measure on the bal-
lot thinking they are voting against
new taxes. It is important that voters
look over their ballots carefully and
read their voters pamphlet. A vote
for Measure 24-432 is not a vote for
higher taxes, it is a vote for superior
service from our fi rst responders.
The Keizer Fire District has con-
sistently responded within six min-
utes more than 95 percent of the
time, far exceeding response times for
other fi re departments and districts.
We are confi dent in the leadership
of the Keizer Fire District to contin-
ue its great service to our community.
Vote yes on Measure 24-432.
—LAZ
Vote De Blasi
ers and hats to keep us
warm when the tem-
peratures drop. All very
good.
But what about the
homeless men, women
and children whose
only home is the dirt of
the earth or the hard cold concrete?
What can the city of Keizer do for
these homeless ones?
I am glad I met our mayor, Cathy
Clark. I met her at the 50th celebra-
tion of Simonka Place, the shelter
for women and children in the cen-
ter of Keizer on River Road.
I observed many things about our
mayor as we followed our Simonka
Place tour guide through the halls.
The mayor didn’t come for a piece
of cake or to give a speech. It was
evident that she came to access any
need for this building where many
women fi nd new meaning for their
lives.
Mayor Clark is dedicated to help-
ing the homeless. Since her compas-
sion reaches to the homeless, it is be
reckoned that it covers all citizens
of the city she serves. I hope that
Mayor Clark’s humble leadership,
along with the cooperation of all
the citizens, will put Keizer on top
for worthwhile achievements.
Genie Sessums
Keizer
To the Editor:
Election Day will
soon be upon us. Now
is the time to decide if
you want the same old
or if you want to see real
change here in Keizer—
Mike Deblasi can do that for you.
Mike has real concerns with the
safety of our streets here in Keizer
and especially the south end of
River Rd. (which has long been
neglected) where there have been
numerous pedestrians injured try-
ing to get across the street.
Mike also has experience (un-
like his opposition) working with
the city; he is currently sitting on
the Planning Commission and the
Traffi c Safety Bike and Pedestrian
Committee.
Last but not least, Mike would
like to see every neighborhood rep-
resented on the City Council.
Michael Deblasi doesn’t have a
million signs or the council behind
him but he has youth and freshness.
That is why “I like Mike” and will
be voting for him on Nov. 6. You
should, too.
Carol Doerfl er
Keizer
lottors
Winter coming
down
To the Editor:
The birds have taken their fl ight
south, seeking the sun. The four-
footed creatures have holed up
enough food to last winter. We hu-
mans have brough out coats, sweat-
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Growth report a must read
By LYNDON ZAITZ
It doesn’t have sexy and compel-
ling title like Fifty Shades of Gray, a
best seller a few years ago, but its
content is just as scintillating.
Keizer Growth Opportunities—
Costs of Growth Memo is an intrigu-
ing report on what it will take to ex-
pand the Urban Growth Boundary
to serve the city’s growth
30 years into the future.
Everyone who will be in-
volved in any expansion
decisions or has the slight-
est interest in the look of a
future Keizer should read
this 34-page report from
start to fi nish. The decisions
that will need to be made before the
UGB is pushed out are sobering and
should make one seriously consider
if it is good move.
To give context to discussion
about an expansion of our urban
growth boundary, the report cites
three other Oregon cities—Wood-
burn, McMinnville and North
Bethany—that have had their own
UGB expansion journeys. The pro-
cesses of those three cities are a les-
son for Keizer as it turns its eyes to-
ward the future.
Woodburn’s UGB expansion was
a decade in coming and cost the
city over $1 million in public funds.
The sticking point for much of that
decade was the city’s desire to add
acreage for industrial uses on rich
agriculutral land. Years of lawsuits,
appeals and mediation fi nally result-
ed in an expansion that was less than
half of what was desired.
In McMinnville the process was
slowed through legal action and ap-
peals. After courts remanded the de-
cision to the Land Conservation De-
velopment Commmission (LCDC),
McMinnville not to pursue the ex-
pansion any further. The key issue
for McMinnville’s proposed UGB
expansion was in choosing to ex-
clude some land adjancent to its
boundaries; it was the location/type
of land that became the key issue.
North Bethany is an unincorpo-
rated area of Washington County
yet part of the Port-
land Metropolitan Ur-
ban Growth Boundary.
Though the expansion
of the UBG by 800
acres in North Bethany
was approved in 2005 it
remained undeveloped
for years.
The report says that the critical
lesson of the North Bethany expan-
sion is just how costly growth can
be. The planning process revealed
that infrastructure would cost ap-
proximately $100,000 for each
house built. The average System De-
velopment Charge for single-family
houses in the Portland Metro UGB
expansion areas are $44,774—10
times the SDCs for a new home in
Keizer’s current borders.
To pay for infrastructure in North
Bethany, Washington County had to
increase its SDC fees, used county-
wide transportation funds and set
higher property taxes for lots in
the expanded areas. Keizer is not
North Bethany but that Washington
County area offers clues as to po-
tential costs for us. The homes that
were fi nally built in North Bethany
are selling north of $500,000—that’s
about $200,000 more than an aver-
age sale price in Keizer.
That begs the question of how
much would infrastructure cost,
how would the city pay for it, aside
from passing costs to developers and
from tho
publishor’s
dosk
who would buy expensive homes in
Keizer expanded UGB?
It is key to remember than an
expanded Urban Growth Bound-
ary doesn’t mean an automatically
expanded Keizer. Voters would have
to approve any annexation of land
in an expanded UGB into city lim-
its and that is not a certainty. In a
election a concentrated opposition
could make viable reasons for not
pushing Keizer northward.
The Costs of Growth Memo
demonstrates that if the city pursues
an expansion of the UGB it would
be a lengthy and costly process and
the public may not be as eager as
government offi cers and develop-
ers to see it happen. There are good
reasons not to expand, primarily be-
cause it would gobble up prime ag-
ricultural land. There are good rea-
sons to expand such as added jobs.
Reserach from the Portland
State University’s Population Cen-
ter shows that Keizer needs to add
more than 4,000 housing units by
2030. Until any expansion of the
Urban Growth Boundary and an-
nexation into Keizer happens the
city will have to focus on its infi ll
progarm and zone for mixed used
developments, two ways to house
more people in Keizer. If you can’t
move out as fast as one wishes, the
only way is up.
For all the reasons listed in the re-
port it is important that all the city
councilors and all the members of
the Keizer Planning Commission
carefully read Keizer Growth Oppor-
tunities—Costs of Growth Memo. The
future of Keizer depends on an en-
gaged leadership.
(Lyndon Zaitz is publishor of tho
Koizortimos.)
The sexual politics of 2018
During a recent 81-minute press
conference in New York that was
unusually long but another of the
President Donald J. Trump ram-
bling kind, Trump was given what
many would consider an easy ques-
tion, that is, “You’re a father. This
moment we’re in, this
cultural moment, what
messages do you have
for the young men of
America?”
Although not di-
rectly referenced by the
reporter, the question
referred to the Brett Ka-
vanaugh hearings. Those
hearings, which featured
a woman accusing a prominent po-
litical ally of the President of sexual
assault, were ultimately dismissed
by the Republicans in Congress.
Of course, the whole matter was
wrapped up in complex political and
cultural relationships. Nevertheless,
President Trump could have taken
the high road by using inspiring,
measured and challenging remarks.
He could have told America’s
young men to be more civil to
women, recognizing that “No!”
means “No!” In other words, he
could have explained what moral re-
sponsibility means as it relates to the
consent and respect of boundaries
women want men to adhere to. He
could have borrowed his wife Mela-
nia’s new theme, “Be best.” Instead,
the American President went to a
dark and depressing place that could
lead any young man to seek counsel-
ing should he take Trump’s advice.
Trump began well enough by
acknowledging the question was
a good one. But all went directly
downhill thereafter. He wants our
young men to know that any wom-
an can accuse a man of anything. He
said he has been accused many times
of things. But, according to him, no
one can prove these kinds of charg-
es. “Honestly,” said he, “it is a very
dangerous period in our
country and it is being
perpetrated by some
very evil people.”
So, who are these
“evil” people? Wom-
en, maybe? Democrats,
most likely, according
to Trump. His message,
however would prob-
ably inspire any young
man without a knowledge base to
become the owner of conspiracy
theories during the day and rampant
gono
h.
mcintyro
paranoia at night.
In his conclusion, Trump pon-
dered the phrase, “innocent until
proven guilty.” And concluded from
his point of view that all male-fe-
male relations at present have be-
come “guilty until proven innocent.”
Meanwhile, our young men
should be receiving better advice
than that which comes from he
who should be in touch with the
disgraceful conduct with which
he’s been charged in the alleged
sexual abusing of at least two dozen
American women. cannot offer con-
structive, upward leading advice he
should refrain from giving advice
altogether.
(Gono H. McIntyro sharos his opin-
ion froquontly in tho Koizortimos.)
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