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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 2019)
DECEMBER 20, 2019 KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3 CITY CHARTER REVIEW Hearing on potential council election changes TBD By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes After kicking off a review of the Keizer city charter with a bang in November, the mem- bers of the task force slowed things down a bit at its Dec. 11 meeting. The possibility of electing councilors by wards or districts received a lot of attention a month prior, the group is postponing that conversation for later and will likely hold a public hearing once a draft of the revised charter is available. “I think it would be some- thing we’d want to hear from a number of people regarding. There are any number of ways we could change it if we don’t feel the current way [of elect- ing councilors] is adequate- ly representing people,” said Kathy Lincoln, a member of the task force. In addition to dividing the city up into wards, other elec- tion options include ranked choice voting. Any switch would likely require some education for voters before a public hearing. Councilor Kim Freeman said it would be better to have a working draft of the docu- ment before the group begins holding hearings on individual topics. “I think we should keep going and then present all of the recommendations at once. I think our citizens deserve our best work possible and M emorial C enters ◆ C remation & B urial Simplicity - Convenience - Low Cost simple cremation simple direct burial traditional funeral ◆ $695 ◆ $995 ◆ $2965 Salem Portland Eastside 275 Lancaster Dr. SE Salem, OR 97317 832 NE Broadway Portland, OR 97232 1433 SE 122nd Ave. Portland, OR 97233 (503) 581-6265 (503) 783-3393 (503) 783-6865 Tualatin Tigard Milwaukie 8970 SW Tualatin Sherwood Rd. Tualatin, OR 97062 12995 SW Pacifi c Hwy Tigard, OR 97223 16475 SE McLoughlin Blvd. Milwaukie, OR 97267 (503) 783-6869 (503) 653-7076 (503) 885 -7800 “Easy Online Arrangements” CrownMemorialBurial.com Privately Owned Cremation Facility Family Owned – Family Focused some of the ideas are going to take time to research,” Free- man said. No major immediate re- visions were discussed during the meeting, but members of the task force also briefl y con- sidered altering the terms of city councilors. There were no motions to change the current terms of two years for mayors and four years for city coun- cilors, but task force member Pat Fisher fl oated the idea of making some council seats two-year stints. Fisher said it might broaden the pool of po- tential candidates without as much time to commit to pub- lic service. Freeman and Garry Wha- len, another member of the task force and former city councilor, thought it would be a diffi cult change. “I like the idea, but I think it would be really hard for someone to come in for only two years,” Freeman said. “It takes 12 to 18 months before you are really con- tributing,” added Whalen. “I think [four-year terms] create a more educated and stable set of decision-makers. Christmas Eve Service Second to none Submitted The McNary Jazz 1 Band took fi rst place at the Greater Valley Jazz Festival on Saturday, Dec. 7 at McKay High School. Front Row: Tessa Welterlen (Jazz Band Director), Gavin LaRoche, Torren Hamilton, Nathaniel Eggert, Nicholas Weathers and Julia DaSilva. Back Row: Felipe Hernandez Estrada, Jacob Zelenka, Joshua Coburn, Dante Olivo, Wyatt Kirk and Colin Vasas. Perry wants advisory committee to address equity in schools By HERB SWETT For the Keizertimes Superintendent Christy Perry urged the Salem-Keiz- er School Board on Tuesday, Dec. 17 to think about the possibilities rather than im- mediately forming an advi- sory committee on equity matters. The occasion was a board work session for counteract- ing the problems that have kept minority students as a whole from equaling the achievements of students who are white, native En- glish-speaking, straight, iden- tifying with birth genders and without disabilities. Perry and other adminis- trators showed slides listing the objectives of equity train- ing, which were: • Review board member team priorities. • Defi ne equity-based leadership. • Understand psychologi- cal framing • Set goals Linda Myers, an assistant superintendent, defi ned equi- ty as a system that supports all students and said it involves diversity (honoring individ- ual differences) and inclusion (welcoming all people). Another assistant superin- tendent, Kraig Sproles, said equity calls for working to understand the problems of minorities and seeking out different viewpoints. with handbell music and candlelight communion Tuesday, Dec 24th at 7pm Come celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Hope of the World JOHN KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Administrators divided people in attendance into small groups, with board members rotating around the groups to get their ideas. Af- ter they conferred with the groups, several board mem- bers discussed what they learned. “I hope the invitations provided for us are followed through,” said Danielle Beth- el. Satya Chandragiri, who immigrated from India, add- ed: “Thank you for the op- portunity to listen to others’ experiences.” Jesse Lippold, amember of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, said: “I was not trusting of my tribe (while growing up). You start to real- ize there is a difference.” One idea on which sever- al of the speakers agreed was that hiring more minority teachers and administrators would help achieve the goals. “Probably the best part of this was you (Perry) telling me we needed to listen. I ap- preciate people sharing their experiences,” Board Member Sheronne Blasi said. 452 Cummings Ln N 503-393-0404 They don’t need to leave home to live better Senior Helpers is the premier provider of in-home senior care. We off er tailored home care services ranging from companion care for seniors who need daily assistance to in-depth specialized care for those with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Parkinson’s and other chronic diseases. 2659 Commercial St SE Suite 270 Salem, OR 97302 503-990-7112 Schedule an in-home assessment seniorhelpers.com/or/salem
