NOVEMBER 12, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
City accepting letters of interest for
Community Diversity Engagement Committee
By JOEY CAPPELLETTI
Of the Keizertimes
The City of Keizer is calling for
any citizens interested in serving
on the new Community Diversity
Engagement Committee to submit let-
ters of interest to the city recorder no
later than Nov. 30.
The newly-named committee was
at the center of focus during a Nov. 1
Keizer City Council meeting that led to
the resignation of Councilor Ross Day.
Day objected to the council adding the
word “diversity” to the name, saying
that he believed the committee would
be used by its members as a platform
to attack others. Day resigned two days
after the Nov. 1 meeting.
The friendly amendment eventually
passed and the committee was offi -
cially called the Community Diversity
Engagement Committee.
The committee will act in an advi-
sory capacity to the Keizer City Council
and hopes to help the council increase
engagement in the civic process.
Appointees to the committee will be
asked to “think broadly in terms of how
issues of racism, sexism, ableism, and
other discriminatory and prejudicial
biases impact all residents in Keizer.”
The nine-person committee will
consist of six citizen-at-large mem-
bers, two Keizer city councilors and
one youth member. Each councilor will
have sole discretion to appoint one cit-
izen-at-large member.
“I would like this person to be a
direct extension of me to talk about
what I want to talk about through this
committee,” Councilor Kyle Juran said
at the Nov. 1 council meeting. Juran’s
proposed amendment to have each
councilor appoint a committee mem-
ber was later approved in a vote by the
council.
Under this appointment system,
two Keizer City Councilors will have
the ability to both appoint members
and sit on the committee. The mayor
will
appoint
the
youth
member,
who
must be under
19-years-old.
E a c h
non-councilor
member
will
be
appointed
for a three-year
term, with ini-
tial terms being
staggered
so
that not more
than
three
expire in the
same year.
A n y o n e
interested
in
Keizer City Councilor
serving on the
I would like this
person to be a direct
extension of me to
talk about what I want
to talk about through
this committee.
— KYLE JURAN
committee is encouraged to submit a
letter of interest to Keizer City Recorder
Tracy Davis by email (DavisT@Keizer.
org) or mail (930 Chemawa Rd N,
Keizer, OR 97303). The deadline for
submitting letters is 4 p.m. on Nov. 30.
Submitting a letter of interest does not
require someone to serve on the com-
mittee or guarantee appointment.
YOU
Matter
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