Salem city councilors voted 6-3 Monday to accept private donations to pay for an expansion of the city’s homeless services team.

Mayor Julie Hoy voted alongside Councilors Paul Tigan, Shane Matthews, Deanna Gwyn, Mai Vang and Vanessa Nordyke to accept the gift while Councilors Linda Nishioka, Irvin Brown and Micki Varney voted not to accept it.

Councilors also voted unanimously to approve a contract for City Manager Krishna Namburi that will pay her a $305,000 salary.

Original story below:

Salem city councilors on Monday will decide if they will accept private money to fund two new police officers for the Salem Police Department’s Homelessness Services Team, according to a staff report from City Manager Krishina Namburi. 

The $180,000 in private funds were offered to the city by business leaders associated with the Salem Main Street Association and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and will pay for a six month pilot program that will put two more police officers on the streets to deal with unmanaged homeless camps.

The two officers will double the size of the police department’s Homelessness Services Team, and the private donors will consider releasing another $180,000 if the program is successful. 

In an unsigned letter to Namburi, Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack, Salem Mayor Julie Hoy and Salem city councilors, business leaders said, “Under the leadership of Mayor Julie Hoy and from the voices of downtown business owners, employees and customers, it has been recognized that downtown Salem is incredibly deserving of our strategic investment.”

“We believe the HST (Homelessness Services Team) Salem Police officers to be thoughtful, engaging and resourceful as they assist downtown businesses, their customers, and those experiencing crisis,” the letter said. 

Expanding the team will allow it to do its work engaging with homeless residents, connecting them with services, and allowing trash and debris to be cleaned up by the city’s Outreach and Livability Services Team. 

One donor, Larry Tokarski, the president of the Mountain West Investment Corporation, authorized the release of his name. Other donors were not publicly disclosed in the council packet.

The initial donation proposed funding two bicycle-mounted police officers to increase patrols downtown, but the proposal has been altered to better suit the city’s plan to improve safety and cleanliness downtown and in northeast Salem after local business leaders complained about conditions.

While the donors proposed putting the two new officers exclusively downtown, the donors have accepted that the two officers could be deployed in other parts of the city as needed.  

The two additional homelessness services team officers and other associated costs like supplies would cost the city about $275,000 for the rest of the year. If accepted, the $180,000 donation would cover a portion of that cost and would also reduce the city’s costs for its overall safety and livability plan from $626,000 to $446,000. 

The city’s plan also includes expanding the city’s cleanup capabilities to seven days a week, and standing up a crisis response team through the fire department pairing emergency medical workers with a mental health specialist. 

City manager agreement

Councilors will also consider approving an employment contract with Namburi which sets her annual salary to $305,000 and requires her to relocate from her current residence in Keizer to Salem within the next 12 months, a staff report from City Attorney Dan Atchison showed.  

The agreement provides an extra $8,000 to assist Namburi in her move.   

Namburi was appointed city manager on Oct. 13 after serving about nine months as the interim city manager following the abrupt departure of former Salem City Manager Keith Stahley in February. 

Prior to becoming the city manager, Namburi had worked for the city of Salem for about 25 years overseeing departments including human resources, information technology, customer service and risk services. 

Stahley’s annual salary leading up to his ouster was about $270,000 per year.

Bond funded sidewalk improvements 

Councilors will vote on approving nine sidewalk projects recommended for funding by the committee overseeing the $300 million city infrastructure bond passed by voters in 2022, according to a staff report from Public Works Director Brian Martin. The bond allocates $6 million to sidewalk improvements and those projects include: 

• At the intersection of Southeast Hawthorne Avenue and State Street  
• Northeast Park Avenue from Northeast Fredrick Street to Northeast Center Street
• Northeast Fisher Road from Northeast Ward Drive to Northeast White Oak Court
• Northeast Kay Street from Northeast 17th Street to Northeast 19th Street
• Northeast Brenner Street from Northeast Cypress Street to Northeast Weathers Street
• Northeast 38th Avenue from Northeast Manor Drive to Northeast D Street 
• Northeast Hickory Street from Northeast Liberty Street to Northeast 4th Street
• At the intersection of Northeast Northgate Avenue and Northeast 30th Avenue
• Northeast Church Street from Northeast Pine Street to Northeast Spruce Street  

Other items

• Councilors will vote on increasing general fund expenditures for the police department on Monday to account for about $105,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice to pay for a strategic investigations unit, according to a staff report from Chief Financial Officer Josh Eggleston. The funds would be used to pay for training and two new police vehicles to be used in local investigations related to community violence. 
• The Salem Police Department will also present its strategic plan defining its priorities and goals for 2025 through 2027. 

Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790.

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