TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Krishna Namburi, Interim City Manager
FROM: Mayor Julie Hoy
SUBJECT:
title
Appointment of City Councilors to the Riparian Advisory Committee
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Natural Environment Stewardship; Welcoming and Livable Community.
end
SUMMARY:
summary
Mayor Julie Hoy appoints City Councilors Micki Varney and Deanna Gwyn to the Riparian Advisory Committee, which will provide guidance and advise staff during the City’s project to better protect waterways and adjacent riparian corridors in Salem.
end
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
The City has started a multi-year project to better protect waterways and adjacent riparian corridors in Salem. This Riparian Corridor Planning project will be conducted in two phases. Phase 1, which has been funded and is being led by the Public Works Department, is primarily data collection with an inventory of riparian corridors. That work is underway and is expected to be complete by the end of this year. Phase 2 will use the data collected in Phase 1 to develop regulations to better protect Salem’s riparian corridors. That phase, led by the Community Planning and Development Department, is expected to start next year.
The City is forming a Riparian Advisory Committee (RAC) to provide guidance and advise staff during the project. The RAC is expected include two City Councilors, two Planning Commissioners, members of the development community, representatives of local watershed councils and environmental advocacy groups, and other community members.
The RAC is expected to meet at least four times throughout the project, which is anticipated to be complete in 2027. Much of the RAC work is expected to occur during Phase 2 of the project.
A project consultant team of Pacific Habitat Services and Winterbrook Planning has been contracted to assist the City during Phase 1 of the project. The City’s Planning Division staff will undertake Phase 2 of the project.
BACKGROUND:
On November 8, 2021, the Salem Planning Commission asked Salem City Council to consider funding a phased Goal 5 update, focusing first on inventorying riparian corridors. Goal 5 is a broad statewide planning goal that encompasses more than a dozen resource categories. It requires local governments to “adopt programs that will protect natural resources and conserve scenic, historic, and open space resources for present and future generations” in order to “promote a healthy environment and natural landscape that contributes to Oregon’s livability.” Salem Planning Commission identified updating Salem’s waterways map and adoption of minimum required setbacks along waterways as a high priority and an important first step to ensure that the impacts of development along Salem’s waterways is minimized. The City has funded Phase 1 of the project.
Eunice Kim
Long Range Planning Manager