AUGUST 7, 2020, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
Council approves Storytelling with a chainsaw
sending charter
changes to ballot
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Keizer voters will have the opportunity to update the city’s
charter for the fi rst time in almost three decades this November.
If the changes are approved, it will remove the language put
in place the last time voters were given the chance to amend the
city’s founding document.
The Keizer City Council voted 5-0 to put changes to the city
charter before voters on Nov. 3. Councilors Marlene Parsons
and Laura Reid were absent.
“I’m thrilled to see this, it’s been a long time coming,” said
Councilor Dan Kohler.
The council convened task force with an eye toward removing
a section that marginalizes LGBTQ+ residents last year. The re-
moval of the offending section, Section 44, was the major change
recommended by the task force, but its members also found oth-
er ways to make the document more inclusive, such as using less
gendered language throughout the document, and more readable.
While city staff are prohibited from promoting the charter
changes, Mayor Cathy Clark said it was the responsibility of the
council to advise voters on why the changes are needed.
“It would behoove us as council to put together messaging to
explain this to voters,” Clark said.
Councilors Elizabeth Smith and Roland Herrera volunteered
to lead the charge.
Section 44, which was added to the charter in 1993, prohibits
the city from: extending minority status to individuals based on
sexual orientation and expending funds that “promote homo-
sexuality or express approval of homosexual behavior.”
The effort to pass the measure in Keizer was a last-ditch at-
tempt by members of the No Special Rights Committee and
Oregon Citizens Alliance to put in place such language wher-
ever they could. After several attempts to have similar measures
passed statewide, the groups targeted a more limited number
of individual cities and counties where they thought the ideas
might gain traction. Keizer was on the short list and didn’t dis-
appoint the idea’s supporters when it hit the ballot box. Voters
approved the measure with a 55 percent majority.
Since that time, the Oregon Legislature passed a measure
making all such local provisions unenforceable, but then re-
turned to the issue in 2017 with a statute putting any local gov-
ernment that tried to enforce on the hook for court challenges.
Despite the neutering, the language has remained in the city’s
founding document for 27 years.
obituaries
Darold Milton Strean
April 17, 1927 – July 25, 2020
Darold Milton Strean of
Keizer, Oregon peacefully
passed away on July 25, 2020.
He was born to Milton and
Mary Strean in Fernwood,
Oregon. He attended school
in Fernwood, and also
Molalla High School. He was
preceded in death by his wife
of 57 years, one brother and
six sisters.
Darold was drafted from the
11th grade into the U.S. Army
in 1945 and was stationed in
Garmisch, Germany, during
WWII. After returning home,
he
married
Gwendolyn
Ochampaugh. They lived in
the Salem/Keizer area and
raised fi ve children: David
Strean (Diane), Steven Strean
(Ying), Gerald Strean, Cheryl
Rempel (David), and Rebecca
Barker (Kent), all of Salem.
He had 10 grandchildren and
11 great-grandchildren.
Darold was a patriot, and at
the end of his military career
of 35 years, he retired as an
E-9 sergeant major, serving in
the Army Reserves and Army
National Guard.
Darold
enjoyed
woodworking, reading and
exploring places in Oregon
and learning, together with
his wife, about early Oregon
pioneer history. Darold was a
devoted father and was always
there for his children. He
spent much of his time sharing
patiently his
experience
with each one,
and was always
there to lend a
hand. Darold
lived the last
seven years of
D. Strean
his life with
his youngest
daughter, Becki and her
husband Kent, and enjoyed
many outings and camping
trips with them. Darold was
a lifelong follower of Christ,
and will be remembered for
being such a wonderful role
model for his children and
grandchildren. He was always
faithful to his church and was
active in his seniors group,
“Prime Timers.” Anyone who
ever met or knew Darold will
miss him greatly. Well done
good and faithful servant.
Enter in the joy of your Lord.
Matthew 25:23. Due to Covid
restrictions, an immediate
family graveside service will
be held. In lieu of fl owers,
contributions can be made to
Willamette Valley Hospice.
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald and Brooklyn Flint
Artist James Lukinich outlines trees with a chainsaw at the second of two story poles in
front of the Keizer Civic Center Tuesday, Aug. 4. LEFT: Close-up of a frog and dragonfl y
near the base of the pole.
New wave of city-sponsored
business loans in the works
Keizer eligible for $1.1 million
in CARES pandemic grants
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
In May, the City of Keizer
awarded 18 $2,500 grants to
local businesses struggling in
the wake of the COVID-19
pandemic. Thanks to a match-
ing grant from Oregon Busi-
ness Development Department,
another round of grants will be
offered.
The new grants will look
quite different from the fi rst
wave, in which a total of
$45,000 was awarded via draw-
ing business names out of a
bucket. There could also be far
fewer grants available out of the
second $45,000 allotment.
Because the money is arriv-
ing through the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief, and Economic Se-
curity (CARES) Act approved
by Congress earlier this year,
there will be a completely
different system of awarding
grants.
This time around, grants
could range from $2,500 to
$12,500 depending on the
number of employees or verifi -
able expenses. Applications will
likely be accepted through the
city’s website, www.keizer.org.
“These loans will also be
geared toward minority-owned
or historically disadvantaged
businesses,” said City Manager
Chris Eppley.
“The goal of the program
is also trying to get at least 50
percent of the grant awards to
sole proprietors,” added Shane
Witham, interim development
director.
Keizer had applied to re-
ceive a matching grant from a
state program ordering a cash
infusion into local businesses,
but the terms the city set for
the fi rst round of grants did not
align with that program.
Under the terms of the
CARES agreement, the city
Free bike repair offered Aug. 21
A free bike repair session hosted by the NW Hub will be
held in the Kennedy neighborhood at the Keizer Church of
Christ, 5405 Ridge Dr N.E on Friday, August 21 from 2 to 4
p.m. The City of Keizer’s Traffi c Safety, Bikeways and Pedestrian
Committee will be offering helmets in exchange for a $5 dona-
tion. Fittings are free.
could be eligible for up to $1.1 pandemic in the United States
million in federal reimburse- and massive economic shut-
ments for expenditures related downs, the city agreed to ac-
to COVID-19. However, the cept $15,000 a year from Mar-
city would need to spend the ion County over the next three
years. Part of the
money
fi rst,
agreement was
then apply for
deter mining
reimbursement.
how the money,
E p p l e y
which is com-
said the reim-
ing from the
bursements
Oregon Lottery,
did not seem
would be used.
to cover staff
Numerous pos-
time related to
sibilities were
COVID-19 is-
mentioned,
sues, but that
but all fell to
it could cov-
the
wayside
er some other
in the wake
pandemic-re-
of
COVID-
lated projects.
19’s spread and
“We
are
councilors em-
looking at ren-
braced a for-
ovating the cus-
tomer service
— Chris Eppley givable business
counters in the
Keizer city manager loan program.
Po t e n t i a l
civic center as
projects
that
a result of the
pandemic and it may cover lost out included: prepping
those sorts of expenses,” Ep- city-owned properties to be
pley said. “It looks as though placed on the market for lease;
we could possibly partner with development and support of
some social service organiza- sports facilities; revitalization
tions to help them. We’re going of public investment projects,
to work hard to get this back installation of a food truck pod
on city-owned property; and
into the community.”
paying consultants to advise the
Background
The original money ap- city on creation of an urban
proved for the fi rst round of renewal district or expanding
grants was a result of fortu- Keizer’s urban growth bound-
itous timing. In January, prior ary for employment land.
to the onset of the COVID-19
“It looks
as though
we could
possibly
partner
with some
social service
organizations
to help them”
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