12/17/19 Minutes

Members: Valerie Freeman, Richard McGinty 

Organizations: Raleigh Kirschman, UGM; Tyler Brown and Mark Bulgin, Isaac’s Room

City, County and State Representatives: Officer Kevin Hill; Fire Chief Mike Niblock; Councilor Cara Kaser

Guests: Lamont Smith, Sturgeon Development Partners; Chi Nguyen, Cherriots Board of Directors

The regular meeting of the CANDO Board of Directors was called to order at 6:00 p.m., on Tuesday, December 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 October and November meetings were approved unanimously.   

In interested citizen comments, Mark Bulgin offered to answer questions about Ike Box’s application for a retroactive change of use to allow it to operate a coffee shop.  It seems that a 2009 application for a variance of the parking requirements did not include this detail, even though it was agreed to in a pre-site-plan review. 

Councilor Kaser offered to answer questions on the implementation of the City’s new camping ban and said people should listen to what Jimmy Jones, Executive Director of the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency said at the last CC meetings (begins at 2:26:10).  She reported that he told Council the campers will disperse “and that’s fine”, they will come back for services.  She said she didn’t get the impression that he was concerned (3:20:00).  She said that, although the Council did not direct staff to pursue organized camping, Councilors were waiting to “see what happens with the next 90 days” with the expanded warming program.   

Sergeant Hill reported that the large camp in the 600 block of Commercial Street, as well as other camps in the neighborhood (on Division Street between Liberty and High streets and in the 700 blocks of Marion and Union streets).  He said initially the ban will be complaint-driven. He said implementation involves more than just posting camps -- e.g., he coordinates with providers, contacts campers ahead of time, brings them trash bags, talks with them, and all this takes many hours.  He said that, by tomorrow, some campers will have left, some will be packing, and some have to be encouraged to move. He said to limit the pressure/stress on campers, police, the Marion County Crisis Response Team with QMHPs, Be Bold Street Ministries and ARCHES Project staff will be at the camp before the cleanup crews arrive.  He said campers would be given new sleeping bags and tarps to help them get on their way. He said they can go to the warming centers that are open. Chief Niblock said that 4 sites had been approved as warming centers: South Salem Friends Church (54), First Presbyterian Church (78), Church at the Park (14) and Capital Park Weslyan Church (109).  (Note: the warming centers are staffed mostly by volunteers. A thin volunteer base has meant Capital Park Weslyan Church has not been able to open, so only 146 out of a possible 255 spaces have been available.) 

The board heard presentations by Lamont Smith on the construction of the Holman Riverfront Park Hotel and by Chief Niblock, Salem Fire Department, on the need to increase the City’s revenue.  

Michael Livingston’s motion to take a position on organized camping on City property within CANDO passed unanimously.  Michael will draft a proposed resolution for the board’s consideration in January.  

There being no other business before the board, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 7:17 p.m.