Salem city councilors on Monday, April 27, will consider a new plan intended to guide the city’s next five years, and several initiatives related to downtown.

Read the full agenda here.

City strategic plan, goals

What’s going on 

• Councilors will vote on adopting a strategic plan that sets broad goals for city leaders to work toward over the next year.
• The plan includes targets for public safety response, infrastructure maintenance, development, environmental conservation and efficient city operations.
• Among the proposed metrics to evaluate city performance are an ongoing reduction in the crime rate, increasing housing available in Salem and improving business retention and survival rates.

Why it matters

• The plan gives Salem residents criteria for evaluating how well the city is doing at meeting its goals.
• While broad in scope, the 12-page document gives tangible items Salem residents should expect to see in the first year, including a streamlined permitting process and new city website.

Downtown ambassadors and vision

The proposal

• Council President Linda Nishioka wants a downtown ambassador program similar to ones in other Oregon cities, where ambassadors patrol and help respond to business concerns about unsheltered homelessness.
• If the council decides to move forward, city employees will study the feasibility and cost of an ambassador program.

Why it matters

• Downtown safety and cleanliness have been major focuses for city leaders over the past year as a vocal group of business owners have pushed for improvements.
• The proposal comes as city officials are proposing creating a broader vision for downtown because of the number of initiatives and programs targeting the area, according to a report from Assistant City Manager Courtney Knox Busch.

New air service grant

• Councilors will vote on a city application for a $950,000 federal grant to subsidize future commercial air service. That would be combined with a $1.5 million commitment from local business and tourism groups, as well as the city, to subsidize up to three years of operations.
• “The combined funding would better position Salem to attract a legacy airline by helping to offset the risks of starting new air service, particularly in the early years,” a report from Airport Manager Aaron Ison said.
• The city airport has been without a commercial carrier since Avelo Airlines ended service on the West Coast in August 2025 after a little under two years operating in Salem.

Contact Managing Editor Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.

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