COMMUNITY

Council delays adoption of new goals, work plan

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 consternation 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 something that legally binds us to a course of action,” said Councilor Ross Day. “Things may change.”

Councilor Laura Reid offered a counterpoint.

“I think the work plan needs to be more formalized because it is no less of a commitment. As with any goals, you don’t commit 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 codification.

• 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.