Last week, Salem city councilors decided which community members would shape the future of Salem’s roads, parks, public art and more, in a split-vote that made appointments to seven boards and commissions.

The decision to appoint one person, Salem attorney Michael Sewell, to three separate bodies sparked concern from some residents who spoke to councilors during the meeting and submitted written testimony in opposition to the move.

On Dec. 8, the city council voted 5-4 in favor of authorizing appointments and reappointments to the Citizens Advisory Traffic Commission, Civil Service Commission, Community Police Review Board, Downtown Advisory Board, Salem Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, Salem Planning Commission and the Salem Public Art Commission. 

Councilor Mai Vang amended the motion to include the reappointment of Kyle Hedquist to the police review board. Hedquist was serving a life sentence for the killing of a teen in 1994 before having his sentence commuted by Gov. Kate Brown in 2022. After Vang made the change, Hoy and councilors Paul Tigan, Shane Matthews and Deanna Gwyn voted in opposition to the appointments. 

Mayor Julie Hoy also announced her appointments to the Airport Advisory Commission, the Historic Landmarks Commission and the Human Rights Commission.

Kyle Hedquist reappointed to police review board 

The city council unanimously appointed Hedquist to the city’s police review board in 2024, but his conviction recently came into focus during a city Boards and Commissions Appointments Committee meeting earlier this month, according to the Statesman Journal.

At that meeting, the appointments committee recommended not to reappoint Hedquist and to leave the position open given his conviction and the fact that members of the police review board felt uncomfortable with him serving. 

The police review board is tasked with reviewing external complaints made against the Salem Police Department, according to the city’s website. The website said a person who is unsatisfied with the results of an internal police investigation, may initiate a police review board review. 

“There are not many criminal histories that are more aggressive or at a higher level than this particular felony,” Councilor Shane Matthews, who serves on the appointments committee, said during the council meeting. “It is my opinion that if this particular one does not rise to that level of disqualifying someone from a board, or this board particularly, then I am not sure what one really would and why we evaluate it in the first place.”

Other councilors felt it was appropriate to reappoint Hedquist given his conviction was decades ago and that there was no indication he has had any issues since he reentered the community. 

In addition to getting reappointed by council to the police review board, Hedquist was reappointed by council for a second term on the Citizens Advisory Traffic Commission with his term ending on Dec. 31, 2028. He was also appointed to the Civil Service Commission with his term ending June 30, 2028.  

Mike Sewell, an attorney at Mannix Law Firm, who Hoy appointed to the Human Rights Commission, was also up for council appointments to the Citizens Advisory Traffic Commission and the Civil Service Commission.

Sewell’s appointment sparked concern from Salem residents who provided public testimony during the meeting and submitted in writing that they were worried that appointing one individual to a number of boards and commissions does not ensure a diverse cross section of the community will have the opportunity to serve. 

Others were concerned that putting the same person on so many committees would make it difficult for that person to serve effectively. 

Christina Ballard, a member of the city’s Human Rights Commission spoke before council, but as a concerned citizen.

She pointed out Sewell’s impressive laundry list of commitments which include serving as the vice chair of the West Valley Housing Authority in Polk County, and teaching business finance at Chemeketa Community College in addition to practicing law among several other commitments. 

“When is he going to have time to devote to balanced decision making for the four boards and commissions that he is going to serve on for Salem?” Ballard said. 

Leading up to discussion on the matter, City Attorney Dan Atchison clarified a mistake in an earlier version of the agenda packet which indicated Sewell was under consideration for a fourth board, which was not the case. Atchison also said that the only city board and commission that restricts a member’s commitments to other boards and commissions is the city’s budget committee. 

Sewell’s term on the Citizens Advisory Traffic Commission term ends on Dec. 31, 2028, and his term on the Civil Service Commission ends June 30, 2028. 

His appointment to the Human Rights Commission ends on Dec. 31, 2027. 

Mayoral appointments

Hoy made several other appointments:

• James Hutches, an aviation teacher with the Salem-Keizer School District who was appointed to the Airport Advisory Commission with his term expiring on Dec. 31, 2028
• Drew Cornedi, associate architect with CBTWO Architects to the Historic Landmarks Commission. Cornedi’s term expires on Dec. 31, 2028 
• Georgia Smith, a parent education coordinator with the Marion & Polk Early Learning Hub was appointed by the mayor to serve on the Human Rights Commission until Dec. 31, 2028
• Hoy also appointed a sociology and political science student at Willamette University, Katelyn Beissel Rosales, to serve on the Human Rights Commission, with her term ending on Dec. 31, 2027

The Salem City Council filled roles in several other boards and commissions:

• Cara Watson, a nurse practitioner at Woodburn Pediatric Clinic, was appointed to the Community Police Review Board.   Zane Goldberg, a private investigator with Capitol City Investigations, was also appointed. Both who will serve until January 1, 2028
• Christina Jensen, owner of The Bike Peddler, and Abigail Whalen, vice president of operations for Rubicon Investments Corporation, were appointed to the Downtown Advisory Board and will serve until Dec. 31, 2028
• Fraser Wick, Delight Walker and Chris Donaldson were all appointed to the Salem Parks & Recreation Advisory Board with their terms expiring on Dec. 31, 2028
• Nick Infante was appointed to the Salem Planning Commission with his term expiring on Dec. 31, 2027
• Krista Lauer, vice president of hospitality at Bryn Mawr Vineyards, was reappointed to the Salem Public Art Commission with her term ending on Dec. 31, 2028

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

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