9/17/19 Minutes

Members: Jim Griggs, M. Bryant Baird  

Organizations: Robert Oakes, Community Relations Liaison, Salem Health   

City, County and State Representatives: Darren Mumey, Downtown Enforcement Team; Cara Kaser, Ward 1 Councilor; Julie Warncke, Transportation Planning Manager, City of Salem

Guests: none

The regular meeting of the CANDO Board of Directors was called to order at 6:00 p.m., on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, at the First Christian Church at 685 Marion Street NE, Salem.  The Chair and Secretary-Treasurer were present.  

The agenda and minutes of the July meeting were approved.   

Officer Mumey reported that the Downtown Enforcement Team recently ended a relatively quiet summer event season and had spent the last week working with the Parks Department to prevent people displaced from the area around Wallace-Marine Park from camping either in that park or in Minto-Brown Island Park.  He said he had expected downtown would be flooded with campers, but there were only a few. He said he did not know where the others had gone. He said Marion Square Park had far fewer issues this year than in the past.  

Councilor Kaser reported that the City will be using other funding sources (e.g., urban renewal and donations) to cover police facility cost increases that are largely the result of tariffs.  She said Council would be deciding whether to refer the City operating fee to the voters at the next meeting, and the payroll tax at the meeting after that. She was undecided as to whether she would support implementing either revenue measure in the event voters rejected it.  She said she will be seeking reelection. She said she did not know when Ordinance Bill 10-19 or “sidewalk behavior ordinance”, which she described as “obviously super contentious”, would be going to Council. She said there would be a third forum on it at the Salem Housing Authority, date and time TBD.  She said violations within a crime prevention district would result in exclusion, but she did not know the penalty for a violation outside a CPD. Asked whether there was any talk of compromise, e.g., leaving the abandoned property and camping ban provisions and removing the offenses, she said she had not heard any, and she “didn’t want to make the perfect the enemy of the good.”  She said that she had heard a lot of people expressing unfounded fears about the ordinance, and that the police could do a better job of communicating. She said “people” were not being held “accountable.” She also said the ordinance was needed “for prevention.” She said she had had many conversations with people “about behaviors” who “don’t know what to do.” She said the ordinance was not “an ideal thing, but we have a problem, and not a whole lot of other solutions coming forward.”  Asked if there had been any indication that it would be challenged in court, she said the City Attorney had reviewed it against the case law. Asked if there would be a work session, she said none had been scheduled. Sarah Owens asked that the Council hold a work session.    

The CANDO board heard a presentation by Julie Warncke on the recommendations of the Congestion Relief Task Force that affect CANDO directly, in particular the recommendation to close the north crosswalk at Front Street/Court Street to facilitate right-hand turning movements from Court Street NE to Front Street NE, which may reduce queue lengths on Court Street during peak hours.  ODOT would have to approve the closure. CANDO agreed to discuss the closure and take a position at its October meeting.

Michael Livingston’s motion to adopt CANDO Resolution 2019-1 concerning the proposed sidewalk behavior ordinance passed unanimously.  

There being no other business before the board, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 7:30 p.m.