NEWS

Parks advisory board meeting Jan. 12

 The replacement of a play structure at Claggett Creek Park is delayed until at least April. Before installing the equipment, the contractor needs to install a pour-in-place, fall protection surface. By the time that portion of the project was set to proceed there were no tents available that would provide adequate cover from the weather. Businesses had scooped up all the tents to offer outside dining.

• The request for proposal for new management at Keizer Little League Park is expected to be released soon. The city is looking for an entity that can operate the park for youth leagues and attract outside tournaments to bolster revenue.

• McNary Youth Baseball is seeking to use fields at Keizer Rapids Park and have the city waive the associated fees.

• A recent survey of residents on local parks and what they would like to see in a recreation program garnered more than 1,700 responses. The consultant on the study hoped for 400 to establish an adequate sample of the Keizer population.

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• Committee members are investigating the possibility of conducting a traffic safety survey, similar to recent surveys in regard to city parks. Chair Mike De Blasi is advocating for a resident survey as a way to get a clearer picture of where residents perceive traffic safety concerns or risks.

De Blasi hopes it would give all residents a more transparent and comprehensive look at how the city prioritizes traffic concerns.

Some committee members voiced concerns about overlapping with planned studies, which led to a discussion of why the committee was not being included in a planned update of the Transportation Safety Plan.

City Councilor Ross Day, the council liaison to the committee, said he would make the topic a priority at an upcoming city council meeting.

“We’re planning on tackling the TSP in the next 2-3 years, and I think it would be wise for the council to engage this committee on that issue.”

De Blasi asked the committee members to return next month with questions they would like to see on a survey.