The Policy Committee for our local Metropolitan Planning Organization meets on Tuesday the 25th, and how to add Aumsville to the MPO is generating a good bit of interest, discussion, and debate.
In preliminary discussion last month, rural and suburban interests wanted to keep things the way they are.
Commissioner Cameron spoke about “the big picture”, which he needs to do as a county commissioner. When he looks at projects (using State Street as an example that is partly in the city of Salem and partly in Marion County), he approaches them as a whole, working to improve the whole SKATS area. When the committee starts to focus on this area or that area and which has more citizens (and moving to a weighted representation) a committee begins to lose the big picture. Commissioner Cameron feels that the committee has approached things in this wholistic [sic] way and should continue to do so. His belief is to not waste time and money on a facilitator, keep things simple and add Aumsville with the current voting structure, but that would be up to the group. Commissioner Mordhorst took up the discussion from Commissioner Cameron and spoke about SKATS being “most likely the most successful board within the Willamette Valley because of having the big picture vision, understanding each other’s unique needs, and prioritizing needs”. He feels that if the policy committee moves to a weighted population basis that things will change and members could feel left out.
The idea that urban residents might be left out, unrepresented, or underrepresented did not seem to register in any notion of a "big picture."
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| Population disproportion in 2021 |
Marion County also asked why the School District is a member, and seemed to want to muddy the debate.
Commissioner Cameron asked further, if we are considering transportation entities, then do we invite the school district [for Aumsville] or the transportation provider? The Cascade School District contracts out their bussing system.
Cherriots seemed interested in a more proportional allocation of representation. In fact, Cherriots saw that there might be a regular review process that was being short-changed.
Director Carney noted that this agreement was proposed for revision every 5 years and the committee has not held to that. She feels this is the opportunity for a comprehensive look at the agreement and the proper time to make significant revisions. She informed the PC that the SAMTD board voted unanimously last week to support a facilitated process to update the Cooperative Agreement and Bylaws....Director Carney shared that the transit board reviewed the population break-down that was shared by SKATS staff and there was concern that some areas that are representing very few people were speaking with as loud a voice as areas where entities that were representing the vast majority of the population within the metropolitan planning area.
The City of Salem echoed this.
Virginia Stapleton [alternate for Councilor Phillips] described that Trevor Phillips asked her to come and represent his views, which were that he was likewise in agreement with the recommendation listed on the agenda to have a facilitator for the process. She could not elaborate as to why he has reached that conclusion, but he has talked about it and holds the same view of it being “population based” for representation and voting purposes.
So it looks like there will be robust debate and perhaps real disagreement as small cities and rural interests try to preserve disproportionate representation - more like the US Senate than the House.
- For more see from June, "Thinking about Governance Structure and Cost Escalation: At the MPO."
One action item of interest is cancelling the enhanced crosswalk on Mill Street near 12th at the Amtrak Depot and Promenade.
Referenced, but not really a part of the agenda is a note about the Cordon-Kuebler Corridor Study.
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| Draft plan out for review? |
Is there a plan out? Not according to the project site!
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| Project site hasn't been updated lately |
At some point there will be more to say on that project.
The Policy Committee for SKATS meets on Tuesday the 25th at noon. The agenda and packet, which is large because of several maps for Aumsville and new SKATS boundaries, can be downloaded here.
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