Last year, Dylan McDowell wasn’t sure if anyone would be interested in the first annual Walk to a Park Day.
It was an event he’d pitched and organized as a member of the Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
With the support of the Salem City Council, it was a hit. Four city councilors, the mayor, and over 50 students from nearby Liberty Elementary School joined McDowell on a walk to Wendy Kroger Park.
“Seeing so many councilors and the mayor show up was really special, and just talk about how important it is to be outside,” McDowell said. “There’s a lot of appreciation for how Parks and Rec really does serve the community and help everyone.”
It’s a highlight for McDowell from his time on the board, which guides the city’s parks and recreation management and evaluates tree removal permits for the city. McDowell’s second and final term ends Jan. 1.
“It’s very sad. I’ve been on it for six years now, and that’s been a big part of my life. I’ve really enjoyed it, and I feel like I’ve been able to build a lot of good connections,” he said.
Ahead of his departure, McDowell reached out to Salem Reporter in hopes of encouraging other people in the community to apply for and make comments to the city’s commissions and boards.
There are 30 vacant or soon opening volunteer positions as of Wednesday, according to the city website.
McDowell said he was struck by recent city polling which found that most Salem voters, at this point in time, won’t pay more in property taxes to avoid deep cuts to the city’s library, parks or emergency services as the city faces a budget shortfall. He said it shows a mix of dissatisfaction and concern about the city.
“I just want people to know that (being on a board) is an option. There’s so many ways to get involved, and it’s easy, it’s free and it’s a great way to make your voice heard,” he said.
He runs the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, a nonprofit based in Washington D.C. which provides information and resources to policymakers working on environmental policies. McDowell grew up in Yachats and went to Oregon State University. After working for the nonprofit in Washington D.C., he moved to Salem in 2018.
“When my wife and I moved to Salem, this was a chance, looking through the boards and commissions of like, ‘How do I actually get involved and make a difference and use the skill set?’” he said. “I love environmental education, I love thinking about best practices and bringing those in.”
The parks board, he said, “was right at that sweet spot.”
As a board member, McDowell attended monthly meetings which lasted about two hours each. He would receive information about the topics from city employees a few weeks before each meeting.
“That’s really the base commitment is reading some information, showing up, asking questions, being part of the dialogue,” he said.
McDowell chose to commit more time by joining subcommittees, and doing research on his own time. A major goal of his was to make the board more active and involved in the community and city council processes.
Last year, McDowell and the team engaged with every neighborhood association to share the board’s resources, including the Salem Park Improvement Fund grants which award up to $60,000 to various neighborhood park projects each year. This year, Salem parks will see more benches, new activities and fewer invasive plants because of it.
McDowell got the idea for Walk to a Park Day from his day job, where he often works on state policy about outdoor engagement. He noticed a lot of cities have opted into the campaign, led by Trust for Public Land, which aims to have everyone within a 10-minute walking distance from a park.
“I noticed Salem was not on the list of Oregon cities,” McDowell said. That’s despite the city having a similar goal of every resident living within a half mile of a park.
He asked Mayor Chris Hoy about joining the national walking campaign, and city staff worked with Trust for Public Land to make a proclamation last year. It culminated in the walk to the park Oct. 10. He hopes it will be an annual event.
McDowell also helped coordinate communication between the board and the city, which led to improving the information and photographs of parks on city websites.
He’s successfully advocated that some issues relating to parks and recreation, like complaints about lighting, go to the board first rather than city council. It allows city staff to address them with the board without using council time, McDowell said.
The council has also been delegating more tasks to the board, like asking the members and staff to evaluate the efficiency of city park policies and permits. That work led to the creation of a liaison role between the board and council.
McDowell’s position, opening Jan.1, is among the board and commission vacancies that can be applied for on the city’s website. Additional vacancies will help guide downtown Salem, the city budget, Center 50+ and more.
McDowell said that with major budget cuts likely ahead in Salem, now is a good time to get involved in city decision-making.
“I think there’s two real benefits for being part of this process. One is, you start to learn some of the inner workings of why things cost as much as they do, or how some of the funding decisions are being made,” he said. “Then you can also be a part of the promotion and advocacy around making sure there’s a voice for these issues.”
For those who don’t have the time to join a board or commission, McDowell recommended submitting public comments to them.
“I wish we had more public comment. I wish it was more representative of the users I see in the parks,” he said. That will require continued efforts from the city and board to do outreach in underrepresented communities, he said.
McDowell said that they don’t have many applications for boards, and he thinks a large barrier to applying is people being nervous about not being qualified.
“Just start with the application and see where it goes,” she said. “Most people will find that it’s actually very easy to engage, and there’s a lot of support from staff to make sure that you are educated as a board member and have the tools needed to be successful.”
Position descriptions and applications are on the city website. One application can be used to apply to multiple positions, and there are no specific deadlines for the vacancies according to city spokeswoman Courtney Knox Busch.
Each board and commission has different eligibility requirements, such as residency, Knox Busch said. She said the city’s Boards and Commissions Appointments Committee meets every two to three months, next on Nov. 7, and reviews applications.
See detailed instructions on applications here.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.
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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
