Keizer City Councilors were faced with a agenda packet for the May 15 meeting that totaled 1,077 pages—a record.
Despite the volume of the packet the meeting was completed in two hours.
Two public hearing items made up most of those 1,000 plus pages: one dealt with a text amendment of the Keizer Development Code, making corrections, addressing accessory dwelling units and cottage cluster standards. The second was information for adoption of a natural hazards mitigation plan for Marion County.
The council approved changes to the Keizer Development Code. Several minor changes are made to various sections of the code to correct identified errors and language corrections. Shared Housing Facilities was renamed Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). The changes offer flexibility for property owners to accomplish their development goals, such as the development of an ADU over a garage. Regarding cottage cluster development, changes to the code clarifies the building height allowance and that an existing ADU may be incorporated into a cottage cluster development.
In April the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a multi-jurisdictional Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. All the cities in the county must adopt the plan as a condition of future funding for mitigation efforts under FEMA.
The plan is a framework for mitigating and preparing for the effects of hazards on the people, property, economy, and environment of Marion County. The plan was developed by the county in partnership with the jurisdictions of cities and districts including the City of Keizer and the Keizer Fire District.
In other public hearings the council approved the liquor license applications for Brix Tavern (in the former Gustav’s Keizer Station location) and Kagoshima Ramen House (in Keizer Village). The recommended approvals will be forwarded to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. A fourth public hearing regarded placing a lien on a residence at 961 Chemawa Rd. NE, for violation of Ordinance No. 2019-808, not completing required sidewalk repairs. After the owner failed to correct the violation, the city made the necessary removal and reconstruction of the sidewalk. The total costs were $1,605.
Grayton Woodward was appointed as the next Youth Councilor. He will take his seat in September.
Councilor Robert Husseman announced his appointments to two city committees. He appointed Thais Rodick to the Community Diversity Engagement Committee and R.J. Navarro to the Volunteer Coordinating Committee.
Rodick works at Oregon Lottery and has spearheaded diversity engagement and inclusion initiatives within that department.
“I’m deeply impressed by her approach and I think she’ll be able to identify opportunities within multiple levels of city business to make Keizer a more equitable and functional city for its residents,” said Husseman.
Each councilor and the mayor make their personal appointments to those two committees.
Presidents of the Greater Gubser (Patti Tischer) and Greater Northeast Keizer Neighborhood (Tammy Kunz) Associations gave their respective annual reports to the council. The council then voted to accept the reports and extend the city’s recognition of each association for an additional year.
In other action the council:
• Approved a text amendment for the Chemawa Station development in Area D of Keizer Station. The development is joint project of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde.
• Adopted a resolution amending the City Council Rules of Procedure requiring appointees to city committees be at least 18 years of age, unless otherwise specified by an ordinance or resolution.
• Passed an ordinance giving the city council authority to name public art that is not named by the artist.
• The council meeting opened with Mayor Cathy Clark proclaiming May Older Americans Month.
At the May 1 council meeting Clark read a proclamation designating May as Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month. City committee volunteer Carrie Brown addressed the council on that proclamation. Born in Cuba of Chinese descent, Brown talked about her early life and then gave a history of Chinese in Oregon.