City Council, August 22nd

Council meets on Monday, and garbage rates will probably be top of mind for most. Here, there are few items of interest.

New City Flag, slightly modified

Salem Reporter has a nice little note about the new City Flag going up. As I was thinking about the cherry blossom, I turned from the history of "Cherry City" to its significance in Japanese symbolism with notions of transience, fragility, and beauty.

One of the items on the agenda is a minor budget and CIP adjustment to account for "a state grant in the amount of $540,388 for the purchase of equipment to support commercial air service at the airport." It is a done deal, and on the consent calendar.

To cost millions of dollars, from last month

But as Council considers all the funding and subsidy necessary to land commercial air service, I hope they will give stronger consideration to greenhouse gas emissions and climate, and to the impacts of increased leaded fuel usage. The airport has been insulated from our Climate Action Plan and any greenhouse gas analysis, and that needs to end.

Bullets for the rest:

• Parking rules changes: "The Administrative Rules include more policy details on residential and carpool permit parking, Salem Convention Center oversized vehicle parking, and Airport parking, which were not previously reflected in the Rules." The attachment labeled "redline" is not redlined, alas.
  
• A proposed revised bond explanatory statement: "Shall City Council modify the Explanatory Statement for the Salem Community Capital Improvements Bond to remove a reference to a restroom replacement at Marion Square Park?" As we debate the current omnibus bond concept for $300 million, it is worth considering that it is already in some sense split up. From last week's Work Session: "This is currently modeled at three issuances of $100 million over the 10-year period, with one issuance scheduled in 2023, again in 2026, and finally 2029." (Italics added.) Aside from the inconvenience of having to vote three times, by splitting it, Council and the Citizenry could adjust each tranche's bond project list to respond more closely to exigencies as they are known and valued.
  
• Reallocating $750K in State funding for homeless response from a Front Street site to the micro-shelter site at 2410 Turner Rd. SE. The Front Street side was looking too expensive.
  
• An Intergovernmental Agreement with Marion County to "connect Gaia Street SE to Culver Drive SE" at the Salem Business Campus. "The $600,000 from the City will be from the sale of City owned development lots at the Salem Business Campus and transportation system development charges, if necessary."
  
• Emissions induced by travel to the Conference Center is another gap in our Climate Action Plan. Council looks to approve administrative details on the annual allocation of Transient Occupancy Tax revenues to pass through to the Conference Center for marketing purposes. "Each fiscal year the Urban Renewal Agency and Manager execute a Marketing Addendum to the Management Agreement, outlining budget line items for marketing and the Agency’s expected payment."