The Salem City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on a $195,000 settlement for a woman injured in a 2017 car crash with a Salem police officer.
Read it: agenda
On Monday prior to the council meeting, councilors will meet as the Salem Housing Authority and Urban Renewal Authority board of directors.
participate
The City Council will meet in person on Monday, April 22 at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers (555 Liberty St. SE, Room 220), and the meeting will also be available to watch online.
The meeting will be livestreamed on Capital Community Media's YouTube channel, with translations available into Spanish and American Sign Language. Anyone can attend the meeting to observe and comment.
The public comment portion of the meeting will take place after opening exercises such as roll call and the Pledge of Allegiance. Residents are encouraged to comment on any topic, whether it is on the agenda or not. If public comments are not related to an agenda item, they may be saved until the end of the meeting.
To comment remotely, register on the city's website between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday.
For written comments, please email us [email protected] by 5 p.m. Monday or on paper at the City Recorder's Office, Civic Center, 555 Liberty St. SE, Room 225. Please include a statement indicating that your comment is a public record.
Insurance claim settlement
City Council members will consider paying a $195,000 settlement to Cynthia Garza, who sued the city after she was injured in a traffic accident with a Salem police officer in 2017.
Garza claimed in a 2019 lawsuit that on Nov. 25, 2017, he was a passenger in a vehicle that ran a green light on Northeast Court Street, which crossed Northeast 12th Avenue. A Salem police vehicle driven by Joshua Walker failed to stop at an intersection and crashed into the vehicle. The car she was driving.
According to Garza's lawsuit, she incurred $131,000 in medical bills and more than $71,000 in lost wages as a result of her injuries sustained in the accident. She sought $202,000 in damages and $700,000 in non-economic damages.
A staff report by Deputy City Manager Krishna Nambri said the city was likely at fault for the crash.
If the City Council agrees to the settlement, the pending Marion County Circuit Court case would be resolved with a payment and release agreement.
Apply for an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Commission grant
Councilors will consider whether to apply for an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Commission Restoration Grant to continue restoration work on the Mint Island Conservation Area.
“This 48-acre area has undergone repeated treatments for invasive plants over nearly five years and more than 75,000 native plants have been planted, but efforts to restore native floodplain forest and shrub habitat are continuing. It is clear that we are not done yet. Aggressive invasive plants continue to threaten native vegetation and established floodplain functions,” Public Works Director Brian D. Martin said in a staff report. I mentioned it in the book.
If approved, the city would apply to the board for $550,000 to contribute staff time, planning and project management. A decision on the grant is expected to be made this fall. If the bid is won, the city will continue the restoration for another five years, expanding the range of treatments and improving methods, Martin said.
Councilors will also consider whether to apply for a $150,000 grant from the board to make Salem's rivers easier to navigate for spring Chinook salmon and winter steelhead. The city will pay up to $15,000.
According to Martin's staff report, Salem has not studied fish passage barriers in more than 20 years. The grant will help pay for new studies on barriers at Glen Gibson, Mill Creek and Pringle Creek, which Martin said will make the city more competitive when applying for the fish passage grant program. said. If funding is raised, the project is expected to begin in winter 2025.
Library parking lot repair work
According to a staff report by Chief Financial Officer Josh Eggleston, the City Council will use funds from the city's reserve funds to repair a library parking structure that was damaged when a patron drove over a curb stop and crashed into a wall inside the garage. The company plans to consider whether to transfer the $150,000. . Cost estimates include engineering, permitting, and repairs.
Eggleston said the city's insurance company has filed a claim and will seek payment from the driver's insurance. City officials say the damage is so severe that panels in the garage will have to be torn down and repaired.
Property tax exemption
Deacon Development has applied for a 10-year property tax exemption for an apartment complex planned for 277 High Street Northeast, the site of the former Salem City Hall. The council is scheduled to vote on the exemption on Monday.
Tentatively known as High Street Apartments, the property will have 105 units and 29 on-site parking spaces. Councilors will decide whether to approve the application and direct city staff to ask other taxing districts, like the Salem-Keizer School District, to agree to exempt the multifamily portion of their taxes. Determine.
The city can waive developed property taxes to encourage new housing if the property meets the city's standards for being in the public interest.
The property meets eight of the city's 19 public interest requirements, enough to qualify for the exemption, according to a staff report from Community Planning and Development Director Christine Retherford. That includes rents that are “accessible to a wide range of mixed income groups.” The apartments will be rented for $1,375 to $1,995 per month, according to the report. Other benefits include open space in the form of rooftop decks for gatherings and the development of underutilized or blighted land.
Pavement repair of Southeast Commercial District and Southeast Fabry Street
City Council members will consider whether to approve spending $660,000 from 2022 Safety and Occupancy Bond insurance premiums on over-budget paving projects.
The project includes the construction of Southeast Commercial Street from Southeast Fabry Road to the Interstate 5 on-ramp, and Southeast Liberty Street between Southeast Mill Street and Southeast Trade Street. Street pavement will be replaced and sidewalk ramps will be updated.
Eggleston said in a staff report that construction costs are rising starting in 2022 due to material prices and accessibility requirements.
federal aid spending
Lawmakers will consider whether to adopt a spending plan for federal housing aid for the year. The $2.3 million federal grant is earmarked to serve low- and moderate-income households, homeless people, and people with special needs.
The 2024 draft plan recommends spending $223,000 on case management, including $100,000 for the Hope and Safety Center, $85,000 for the St. Francis Shelter, and $38,000 for the St. Francis Shelter. Dollars will be donated to Northwest Human Services.
and $1.4 million to support the expansion, rehabilitation, and construction of several affordable housing projects, including $600,000 to a Micronesian Islander community that is building a 41-unit apartment complex. is also recommended.
Other items
-The council will consider whether to annex 1.32 acres of territory at 4785 and 4815 Northeast Auburn Road.
– Councilors will consider a recommendation from the Rules Committee that would limit councilors' ability to call certain types of land use decisions. A convocation occurs when the council considers a decision made by the planning administrator, public hearing officer, historic landmarks commission, or planning commission. If approved, the rule changes would remove the ability to review decisions by the council, which has limited authority under state law to change outcomes.
-Councilors will hear the 2023 annual report from Center 50+, the Planning Commission and Travel Salem.
– City Council members will hear about a 186-unit apartment development at 2916 Orchard Heights Road. NW was approved by the planning administrator.
-The council will consider an application for a $100,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Energy to plan a community project for in-pipe hydroelectric turbine energy generation at the Turner Management Site for water treatment. It's a schedule.
-The City Council will hear a quarterly report on the city's economic development and will also review a summary of city purchases approved in March.
Contact reporter Abby McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251
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Abby McDonald joined Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as a business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A graduate of the University of Oregon, she has also reported for Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review, and Willamette Week.
