TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Krishna Namburi, City Manager
FROM: Dan Atchison, City Attorney
SUBJECT:
title
Recommended amendments to the Salem Revised Code concerning boards, commissions and committees.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Good Governance
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SUMMARY:
summary
Ordinance Bill No. 8-26 contains proposed amendments to the Salem Revised Code to update, modify, and standardize requirements for boards, commissions, and committees (“Governance Groups”) and their membership requirements, as recommended by the Boards and Commissions Appointments Committee (“B&C Committee”) and city staff.
The recommendations are the result of a multi-year process initiated by council to review governance groups, that began with work and recommendations from Moss Adams (now Baker Tilly) consultants. The consultant’s recommendations were further refined by staff, the B&C Committee, and City Council.
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ISSUE:
Information only.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information only.
body
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
This information report is provided to give Council and interested parties advance notice and an opportunity to review of the proposed Code changes relating to City boards, commissions and committees (“governance groups”) resulting from the City’s governance project. The proposed ordinance is tentatively scheduled for first reading at the July 27, 2026 city council meeting. Staff requests that City Council review the proposed changes and provide direction to staff on any desired changes to the proposal prior to first reading of the ordinance bill.
In May 2024 Moss Adams provided a governance assessment to the City (<https://www.cityofsalem.net/home/showdocument?id=30861&t=639168509043877057>). The assessment reviewed the City’s governance framework, including the Salem Charter, governance groups, and the City’s neighborhood association program. The assessment provided 15 observations and corresponding recommendations concerning governance groups. The City has implemented many of the assessment’s recommendations and continues to work toward others. The proposed Code changes discussed in this report are specific to recommendations for boards, commission, and committees, as well as other specific code changes to update related code sections.
The proposed amendments fall into three primary categories:
1. Governance Group General Requirements: establish standardized membership qualifications, terms, reporting requirements, and operational expectations for boards and commissions across the City.
2. Sunsetting Commissions: formally eliminate inactive advisory bodies that are no longer meeting or serving an ongoing functional purpose.
3. Updates to code language: provide clarity, remove redundancies,
and ensure consistency with state law and current City practices.
Proposed changes:
1. Governance Group General Requirements. These general requirements apply unless the ordinance or resolution that created the board or commission provides otherwise. As an example, SRC 8.010(b) provides for a youth member on the Human Rights Commission, the general requirement that members be at least 18 years old would not apply to this special provision for the HRC:
• Annual Reports and Annual Work Plans - SRC 2.535.
Council has already given direction to implement these requirements. A staggered schedule for governance groups to provide these reports will be implemented administratively.
• Public meeting and public record compliance - 2.545.
Compliance is already required by state law, this code change simply memorializes that requirement and removes redundant language found in other code sections.
• Qualifications and terms for members of governance groups - SRC 2.560.
This new code section standardizes membership requirements and creates a single rule, subject to specific exceptions for some boards (such as the allowance for a youth member on the Library Advisory Board). The generally applicable standards include:
o Minimum age of 18 for members,
o Resident or have their place of business or employment in Salem,
o Service on a maximum of two boards or commissions at the same time,
o Default term length of two years,
o Maximum of two terms of continuous service,
o Must pass a criminal background check at the beginning of their continuous service,
o No compensation for service, but may be reimbursed for authorized costs,
o Preference for applicants with broad range of socio-economic and professional backgrounds, and broad city geographic representation on groups.
• Criminal background check - SRC 2.565.
o No cost to applicant (approximately $15/check),
o Applicant must consent,
o Failure to pass background check results in an administrative denial, but the applicant may request Council reconsider their application notwithstanding the criminal history,
§ Background check results will be considered confidential, unless the applicant consents to make it public by appealing to Council for reconsideration, in which case the background check results will be included in a staff report to the B&C Committee and potentially city council.
o Background check criteria:
§ Violent felony conviction,
§ Being under investigation for a crime or pending criminal case,
§ Any misdemeanor conviction within the last three years, and
§ Other criminal history that gives reasonable concern about the safety of others.
• Community Advisory Traffic Commission - SRC 5.010 - 5.030.
o No change to membership qualifications.
o Proposed changes to name and purpose.
o Changes were proposed following conversation with council and community groups in 2024. The proposed changes address inclusivity and clarify that the scope of CATC includes all modes of transportation.
o Removes confusion of the purpose of the Commission.
o Provides guidance on procedures to address transportation issues brought to the Commission.
o The Commission does not have decision-making authority on any issue that will result in a land use decision.
• Planning Commission - SRC 6.010 - 6.030.
o The B&C Committee considered setting aside positions for certain land use related professions, such as land use planning, transportation planning or architecture, as proposed by the Planning Commission, but ultimately elected not to recommend those changes.
• Human Rights Commission - SRC 8.010.
o Preference for applicants who self-identify as part of a marginalized community or from a class not currently represented on the Commission.
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Board - SRC 13.030 - 13.070.
o Eliminate Salem Keizer School District representative position.
o Changed requirement that one member have experience in certain professional areas related to parks and recreation to a preference that all members have that experience - with the effect of making it easier to find qualified applicants and reduce vacancies.
• Public Art Commission - SRC 15.020.
o Reduce specific membership requirements for six positions with a general professional experience requirement for five positions and increase of at-large positions from one to two.
• Library Advisory Board - SRC 18.020 - 18.040.
o Addition of one youth member (between 15-20) of the nine-member board.
o One member may be from outside the city limits.
o Applicants must have a library card at the time of application.
• Historic Landmarks Commission - SRC 20C.020 - 20C.040.
o Reduce from five to four the number of members who must meet certain historic preservation qualifications, and
o Add a requirement that one member be an archaeologist meeting the state law definition.
• Center 50+ Advisory Commission - SRC 20E.040.
o Increase “community” members to 8 from 7.
o Reduce “partner” members from 8 to 7.
o One member may be from outside the city limits but within the Urban Growth Boundary.
o Provided standing partner membership for an authorized representative of the Friends of Center 50+.
• Community Police Review Board - SRC 20I.020.
o Criminal background check requirement is now required for all boards and commissions.
o Added consideration for at least one member who is a victim of a felony crime.
o Other considerations, including criminal history, are retained in the code.
• Downtown Advisory Board - City-URA IGA and resolutions.
o Created via resolution, not included in this code amendment,
o Amended resolution(s) will be brought to Council and the URA Board later this summer.
o Changes generally try to make appointments more flexible and reduce chronic vacancies.
• North Gateway Redevelopment Advisory Board - URA resolution.
o No changes recommended because the URA is expected to close in FY27.
• West Salem Redevelopment Advisory Board - URA resolution.
o Created by URA Board resolution,
o Amended resolution will be brought to the URA Board later this summer.
o Changes generally try to make appointments more flexible and reduce chronic vacancies.
• Civil Service Commission
o Criminal background check now required for all boards and commissions.
2. Sunsetting Commissions
• SHA Housing Advisory Committee
o Created by SHA resolution.
o Recommend sunsetting this commission.
o Resolution to sunset this committee will be brought to the SHA Commission later this summer.
• Youth Advisory Commission
o Sunsetting this Commission was not considered by the B&C Committee.
o This commission has been inactive since at least the early 2000’s.
o “Youth” members on other boards and commissions include the Library Advisory Board (proposed) and Human Rights Commission.
o City capacity to administer and support reactivating this commission is limited.
• Sister City Advisory Commission
o Sunsetting this Commission was not considered by the B&C Committee.
o This commission has also been inactive for several years.
o Purpose of the commission is to enhance communications and activities between the City and its sister cities, implement the goals and objectives of the sister city program, monitor programs and activities undertaken by sister city organizations in Salem, and advise council on the establishment of new sister city relationships.
3. Code Updates
Proposed changes to Title I - Government to update code language and provide consistency with state law.
• SRC 2.040 - Administering oaths. Expanding the classification of people who may administer oaths to include any Oregon elected official.
• SRC 4.035 - Municipal Judge Compensation Commission. Allow City Manager to recommend salary increases for the Judge if the Commission is unable to meet.
o The City has had difficulty in finding volunteers to serve on this commission, in part because it meets infrequently and limited purpose.
o Judge Beatty recommends that the Commission’s role be expanded to serve a judicial fitness role to hear complaints against the Judge. This commission may not be well suited for that role, and would allow non-attorneys, who also have authority to recommend salary adjustments for the Judge, be in a position to discipline the Judge.
o Staff are investigating alternatives to address the issue the Judge raises.
• SRC 12.015 - Ethics Code definitions.
o Modified definition of actual and potential conflict of interest and added definition of “member of household” to conform to state law.
BACKGROUND:
Governance groups perform a vital function for the City; providing advise and recommendations to city staff and city council on a wide span of issues and subject matter, consider issues, taking public input and issuing decisions that affect the rights of private parties, and give residents the ability to serve their community and become directly involved in the city policy formation and implementation. The recommended changes are intended to standardize the form and function for governance groups and membership requirements and qualifications for those groups; ensure groups’ mission and practice are consistent with City Council policy, and; ensure the continued vitality and relevance of each group.
Dan Atchison
City Attorney
Attachments:
1. Ordinance Bill No. 8-26
2. Exhibit A, proposed code amendments.