Salem City Council Chambers. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
The Salem City Council meets Monday to appoint an interim city manager, add a housing status as a protected class under city law and explore a mobile crisis response pilot project.
The council will vote to appoint Kristin Retherford, urban development director, as interim city manager starting on March 1.
Current City Manager Steve Powers is retiring on Feb. 28.
Councilor Virginia Stapleton plans to make a motion that begin a process to include housing status as a protected class in the city code.
The idea was brought forth by Salem’s Human Rights Commission because of ongoing reports of violence against homeless people and the annual discrimination survey, which found homeless people are targeted at a rate far higher than their peers.
“The change would provide for a reporting mechanism for micro aggressions and bias incidents affecting the unsheltered,” a Human Rights Commissions agenda item reads.
The document said that Madison, Wisconsin and Louisville, Kentucky currently provide for the protection of persons based upon housing status in their municipal human rights code.
Stapleton’s motion also calls for removing gendered language from the human rights section of city code to make it more inclusive.
Councilor Vanessa Nordyke will make a motion to request city staff bring council a report on a mobile crisis unit pilot project.
The report would identify community partners, funding sources and costs.
The council will vote to appoint two applicants to the Planning Commission for positions that expire on December 31, 2025.
The council will consider authorizing two intergovernmental agreements with Marion County for improvements to Northeast Center Street and Northeast Hayesville Drive.
The Oregon Department of Transportation awarded federal funds to improve a section of Northeast Center Street from Northeast Concord Street to 15 feet east of Northeast Mitchell Street.
ODOT also awarded federal funds to improve Northeast Hayesville Drive from Northeast Portland Road to Northeast Fuhrer Street.
How to participate: View the meeting on YouTube or watch on CC:Media Channel 21. Submit comments on agenda items by 5 p.m. the day of the meeting at [email protected]. Public comment and testimony may also be provided during the meeting via Zoom. Pre-register between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. the day of the meeting at the following link: https://www.cityofsalem.net/Pages/Public-Comment-at-Salem-City-CouncilMeeting.aspx.
-Saphara Harrell
