PAGE A2, KEIZERTIMES, SEPTEMBER 6, 2019
Hoop schemes
B-ball standards will
face tighter scrutiny
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The Keizer City Coun-
cil voted to approve two
ordinances that will have a
limiting effect on when and
where basketball hoops can
be placed around the city.
Under two new ordinanc-
es approved by the council at
its meeting Tuesday, Sept. 3,
basketball hoops will no lon-
ger be allowed on sidewalks at
all. Additionally, placing them
in local streets will only be al-
lowed when owners and pro-
vide evidence of “active use.”
The changes also require
reflectors or reflective tape on
both sides of basketball stan-
dards and prohibits placement
entirely on streets where cars
cannot park legally.
Outcry was swift and op-
positional when Keizertimes
posted the plan on social me-
dia last week, but that did not
turn into dissent in council
chambers. Only Keizer res-
ident Jonathan Thompson
spoke to the council seeking
more discussion before taking
action.
“I’m not without empa-
thy. I think it deserves a much
larger conversation,” Thomp-
son said. “When these stan-
dards are filled with sand and
water they are not portable
and they are heavy without it.
I like that it is complaint-driv-
en, but I challenge us to find a
safe harbor.”
Thompson said he would
be more amenable to chang-
ing the types of hoops al-
lowed and suggested ones that
bolted in directly to the side-
walk, allowing greater space
for pedestrians.
The first ordinance the
council tackled prohibits any
sidewalk obstructions aside
“If you have
a kid walking
alone or some-
one in a wheel-
chair, it’s an ad-
ditional barrier,”
Freeman said.
Community
D eve l o p m e n t
Director Nate
Brown
noted
that hoops are
only one type
of obstruction
and the ordi-
nance applies to
any obstruction
– vegetation to
furniture.
Councilor
Dan Kohler said
he felt conflict-
ed about the
basket ban.
File
“I see kids
Basketball hoops will no longer be permit- enjoying basket-
ted on sidewalks and will face stricter guide-
ball hoops and I
lines for placement in roadways.
have friends in
wheelchairs,” he
from recreational vehicle
electrical cords running across said.
Mayor Cathy Clark ap-
sidewalks, which also must be
placed under a strip protector peared to be the most un-
or use cones “or other devic- swayed, but she was willing to
push for more work on the is-
es” to warn sidewalk users.
During discussion of the sue of basketball hoops. Clark
proposal, Councilor Kim suggested tasking the Keizer
Freeman said walking her Traffic Safety, Bikeways and
own neighborhood is difficult Pedestrian (TBP) Committee
with obstructions of various with developing a “menu” of
ADA-compliant alternatives
kinds blocking access.
Secure your identity–
shred your documents
Join us for a free community Shred Day and food drive.
Saturday, Sept. 21
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Volcanoes Stadium Parking Lot
6700 Field of Dreams Way NE, Keizer, OR 97303
Secure, convenient shredding
Bring up to three boxes of outdated documents
to our Shred Day for hassle-free, no-cost shredding.
Just drive up and drop off your documents at the
Volcanoes Stadium Parking Lot from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m., September 21. Open to the community.
What to bring
Old checks, charge receipts, credit applications,
insurance forms, physician statements, monthly
statements (financial and utility) and more.
FOOD
Bring a nonperishable food item to
donate to the Marion-Polk Food Share.
Visit oregonstatecu.com/shred-days
for more information.
to placing sporting equip-
ment on or near sidewalks.
The sidewalk obstruction
ordinance ended up passing
with a 5-1 vote. Reid op-
posed, Councilor Roland
Herrera was absent.
Next, the council took up
the issue of placing basketball
hoops on local streets. The
proposed ordinance would
have prohibited placing bas-
ketball standard in the streets
unless they were actively in
use and never between the
hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
The notion of defining ac-
tive use so stringently and as-
signing prohibited hours did
not sit well with Reid who
proposed leaving the term
“active use” up to interpreta-
tion and removing the stipu-
lation of prohibited hours.
“I would rather leave ac-
tive use up to interpretation
so we don’t set ourselves up
for a lot more enforcement
than we bargain for,” Reid
said. A friendly amendment
to the proposed ordinance
was accepted and the measure
passed unanimously, but the
council plans to ask the TBP
committee to come up with
more defined parameters for
the term “active use.”
When Reid asked Thomp-
son what he would envision
as a reasonable “active use”
standard, Thompson replied
used within the previous 15
days.
Failure to reasonably com-
ply could result in a $500 fine,
but the intent of the new or-
dinances is to give the city’s
code enforcement officer ad-
ditional arrows in his quiver
when seeking to handle nui-
sance complaints.
Caretaker nixed
at Keizer Rapids
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Despite calls to maintain a
park host program at Keizer
Rapids Park (KRP), the
Keizer City Council opted
instead to rent out a home
in the park at its meeting
Tuesday, Sept. 3.
Potential
legal
entanglements decided the
issue according to a staff
memo from Keizer City
Attorney Shannon Johnson.
Johnson had the city’s
labor attorney, Kathy Peck,
review the possibilities of
establishing an official park
host program and returned
with enough information
to dissuade the council from
pursuing it.
Peck’s assessment was
that both state and federal
law might not look kindly
upon listing the position as
a volunteer in exchange for
something as potentially
valuable as housing.
“Although
volunteers
are allowed some nominal
expenses and still remain
truly volunteer, the housing
would appear to be
compensation, could cause
some risks,” Johnson wrote.
An argument could also
be made that the position
would be covered by
the collective bargaining
argeement with city workers.
“If a volunteer later
brought a claim, the City
could be liable for up to
three years
wages/overtime
and
attorney fees, plus significant
penalties,” Johnson wrote.
A volunteer cannot waive
such claims even under the
provisions of a contract and
no insurance will cover the
potential liability, Peck reported.
Instead of maintaining the
property as a caretaker home,
it will be converted to a rental
property.
Johnson said City Manager
Chris Eppley is working with
other city staff and the police
department to address safety
concerns raised by residents
when the caretaker program
was originally slated for nixing
earlier this year.
“We also looked at having a
regular park employee in that
house but the downside was too
much to handle,” Johnson said.
Eppley added that there is
an exemption in the law for
designated campground hosts,
but the only camping in KRP
– aside from occasional special
events – is boat-in camping.
Councilor
Laura
Reid
made certain to note that a
considerable amount of time
was expended on the matter
after residents brought concerns
forward.
“It’s not something that we’ve
taken lightly,” Reid said.