On Monday Council will consider an appropriation for work on implementing our Climate Action Plan.
Council looks to authorize a transfer of "$200,000 from General Fund contingency to fund initial steps in implementing the CAP."
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| We might be ok this year, but just south is looking very bad (SF Chronicle) |
It's all very squishy still, however. In the February Staff Report from the former City Manager, referenced in the current Staff Report, the tone is so very lukewarm, totally setting the table for small gestures that don't accomplish anything meaningful:
The strategies identified in the CAP are non-regulatory and non-binding on the City or other parties. That is, submittal of the CAP to Council will not directly result in funding, staffing, or specific implementation of any of the strategies. Rather, the CAP and its various recommendations serve as a menu of further action and a source of information for the Council to consider.
So at least this would be real budget to continue work on things. But whether this becomes an instance of bureaucratic churn and posturing, or whether it yields real policy and measurable outcomes is not at all clear.
Fingers crossed!
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| Area to be studied in West Salem |
In what looks like a Pandemic delay, the Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Panel is being engaged finally to assist with a project just north of the Goodwill in West Salem.
You may recall a note in November of last year on this. The November WSRAB meeting had a timeline suggesting we would be reading a final report from that about now. But it seems funding was never assigned, a contract not signed, and the visit never happened. Now is a more propitious moment to try again.
The scope does not seem to have changed very much, except a new addition of a "coordinated dinner for panelists, two city staff and ULI staff after site visit." That might seem a bit junkety, but it's a good informal setting to hash out ideas before they are presented in any more formal setting.
(Which might remind Council that back in 2016 the Mayor went on a junket to Boise to learn about "revitalization" and he's never given any public report on what he learned. As a "fact-finding mission" what were the facts found?)
More interesting is that the current Staff Report doesn't mention the delay and previous planning from last Fall. That's a curious omission.
In any case, the fresh look from outside eyes seems like a reasonable step in trying to jumpstart near- and medium-term redevelopment and reuse for this area. It could also give new momentum to using second street more as a bikeway than just as a autoist connection to a future Marine Drive.
Other Items
Councilor Nordyke has a motion to "direct staff to explore the creation of a request for proposals to operate a mobile crisis unit."
Council called up for review the Planning Commission's approval of a change at the "Titan Hill" site, formerly Bone Parcel, from NCMU to RM2 zoning. This is an interesting case, and over the weekend we may post separately on it.
And we already mentioned making Juneteenth an official, paid City Holiday.
Next week is a potentially interesting joint Work Session "on Salem's Housing Needs with Marion County Board of Commissioners, Salem Area Mass Transit Board of Directors and Salem-Keizer School District Board."
3 comments:
On social media and by email, several have pointed out that a request by the Fire Department that "City Council adopt the National Fire Protection Association’s 1710 response time standard to better align reported call statistics based on national standards" may very well have a subtext for staff, equipment, and facilities expansion. By making a lightly shorter "response time standard," the current times will seem more deficient.
But rather than just going along with this, Council should take more time to consider the proportions of large fires, small fires, medical calls, and determine whether we have the right staffing for non-fire calls, and what mix of ambulance, small vehicle, and large fire apparatus are actually necessary for Salem's mix of actual emergencies and likely emergencies.
(Also, a post on the Titan Hill project did not turn out. Perhaps if the matter is continued, as seems likely on this kind of thing, there will be something to say later.)
Council pulled the Fire Dept. thing from the agenda, and separately, 350.org pointed out in public comment that the new Council Climate Subcommittee has only four members, and may be positioned for 2-2 deadlock. Something to watch.
On the Titan Hill/Bone property matter....
From the minutes: "A motion was made by Councilor Varney, seconded by Councilor Stapleton to affirm the Planning Commission's decision." Leung, and Varney opposed, and the approval passed 7-2. Since there had been a recess just prior to the motion, perhaps some future maneuvering was being set up.
We'll see if there is more.
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