PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, APRIL 9, 2021
Finance dir. appointed city manager
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Tim Wood, Keizer’s fi nance director,
will serve as Keizer’s city manager for the
next 60 to 90 days while the city council
searches for an interim city manager.
The announcement was made at a
Keizer City Council meeting Monday,
April 5. Wood has been the city’s fi nance
director for nearly fi ve years.
“It was an easy decision to temporar-
ily take on some additional responsibili-
ties. That is because of the commitment
of our staff , the city council and resi-
dents,” Wood said. “We’re determined to
keep Keizer moving forward and doing
the things that we do best.”
Former city manager Chris Eppley
resigned April 5 after discharging a gun
in his offi ce in early March. The city coun-
cil allowed Eppley to continue working in
the wake of the incident while an internal
investigation was conducted, but off ered is necessary and he is a good fi t for that
his resignation on Thursday, April 1. The job,” Reid said.
council accepted the resig-
Mayor Cathy Clark said
nation at a special meeting
she would be contacting
later that day
the Mid-Willamette Valley
While Wood is serving as
Council of Governments
pro temp city manager, the
to see what that organiza-
council will begin a search
tion could off er as far as
for an interim city manager.
guidance given that it also
Once hired, the interim city
has recently selected a new
manager will serve until the
director.
council hires a permanent
“We want a professional
replacement.
and someone with experi-
The council unanimously
ence who already knows the
passed a resolution estab-
job,” Clark said.
lishing Wood as city man-
She also off ered encour-
ager. Wood received verbal
agement for the city’s
T. Wood
encouragement from coun-
administrative team.
cilors Roland Herrera and
“You are an amazing
Laura Reid as he stepped into the new team for the quality work that you con-
role.
tinue to bring to everybody in Keizer,”
“I am confi dent that Tim will do what she said.
Council delays adoption
of new goals, work plan
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Members of the Keizer City Council
delayed adoption of its bi-yearly short
and long-term goals at a meeting Monday,
April 5.
Between adding an additional short-
term goal of recruiting and hiring a new
city manager, there was some consterna-
tion as to whether the council should only
adopt the new goals or the goals and a work
plan explaining how the council plans to
move forward and achieve the goals.
“While I understand the value of the
work plan, I am hesitant to adopt some-
thing that legally binds us to a course of
action," said Councilor Ross Day. “Things
may change.”
Councilor Laura Reid off ered a
counterpoint.
“I think the work plan needs to be more
sudoku
formalized because it is no less of a com-
mitment. As with any goals, you don’t com-
mit to achieving the goals, but you commit
to working on the goals and that needs to
be part of what we are doing here,” Reid
said.
The council agreed to revisit the matter
at its April 19 meeting and decide whether
both the goals and the work plan would be
adopted.
Short term goals on the docket for the
council include:
• Recruitment and hiring of a new city
manager.
Parks master plan update.
• Community outreach.
• A water rate structure study.
• UGB studies and next steps.
1) Housing needs and disparity to home
ownership.
2) Employment.
3) Transportation
4) Considerations in decision making.
• Emergency preparedness update.
• City ordinance codifi cation.
• Community diversity engagement.
• Council rules and procedures update.
• Volunteer committee training.
Short-term goals are those the council
hopes to complete within two years. Long-
term goals are those expected to take more
than 24 months.
Long-term goals to be adopted by the
council include:
• Implementing a sidewalk gap repair
program.
• An update of the Water Master Plan.
• Updating the Transportation System
Plan.
• Continued UGB studies.
• Investigating funding for the River
Cherry Overlay District.
brainfood
of the Week
presented by
LARRY JACKSON
Where and how
do you volunteer?
"My volunteering has changed
over the years. It's gone from
being a volunteer fi refi ghter in
Keizer to coaching Little League
teams to serving on the Keizer
Chamber board. I have served with
the city's Volunteer Coordinating
Committee, Men of Action in Keizer
(MAK). Helped KNOW serve the
community with the Christmas
Giving Basket program. I've gone
into state correctional facilities
and recovery facilities carrying the
message of recovery."
Why do you volunteer?
"I do it because there was always
someone that had done these
things for me."
What does volunteering
do for you?
"Has given me a wealth of new
friends. A sense of belonging to the
sudoku answers pg A6
community where I have lived my
entire life."
How would you get
others to volunteer
in their community?
"I have always tried to get others
involved in the things I was
volunteering for. Showing others
how you can aff ect another person’s
life with a simple and easy task of
Enter digits 1-9 into blank spaces. Every row must contain
one of each digit. So must every column, & every 3x3 square.
maze by Jonathan Graf of Keizer
showing up and giving back."