Keizer committee examines volunteer recruitment, eyes student-focused video and outreach updates

The Keizer Community Diversity Engagement Committee on Tuesday reviewed the city’s volunteer recruitment process and agreed to pursue short-term steps to boost youth participation, including a small work group to draft a student-focused recruitment video and edits to a public outreach rack card.

Jane Herb, chair of the Volunteer Coordinating Committee, told the committee the city posts volunteer opportunities on the city website, the Chamber of Commerce social pages and on social media; applications are available in English and Spanish. “The candidates would have a background check run on them prior to coming in front of the volunteer coordinating committee,” Herb said, adding that the city manager and other staff review those checks before candidates are interviewed and forwarded to city council for final appointments.

The volunteer process is a two-step civic appointment: candidates apply online, are interviewed by the Volunteer Coordinating Committee, then nominated to the city council for confirmation. Herb said committee terms run two years and are tied to the appointing councilor or the mayor. The Volunteer Coordinating Committee provides sample interview questions and has received training from the city attorney on legally appropriate questioning.

Committee members repeatedly raised youth recruitment as the area with the greatest shortfall. Herb said the city has struggled recently to fill the youth seat and, for a time, openings on the Keizer Public Arts Commission. “We need more youth involvement,” she said, noting efforts to contact McNary High School and principals, and that the committee has sent recruitment notices to school principals and arts teachers with limited response.

To address the shortage, a member proposed producing a short video to place on McNary High School’s opportunities page, and to use the school’s media room for production. The committee discussed legal and public-meeting constraints for small working groups and the video’s content and consent if minors appear on camera. Dawn (city staff) said she maintains a template email to invite applicants to interview and can forward materials; Tim (city staff) agreed to request parameters and legal guidance from the city attorney on content and public-meeting rules.

The committee did not pass a formal motion to produce the video. A separate motion to have the committee and the Volunteer Coordinating Committee make a pilot video for McNary High School was made earlier in the meeting and later withdrawn. Instead the committee agreed to form a small work group of up to two committee members to meet with Herb and draft a short outline (length, messaging, location, and consent processes) to present back to the volunteer committee and then to city council for approval. Councilor Lehi and other members volunteered to help identify student or media contacts at the school.

The committee also approved edits to a two-sided rack card used for public outreach. Members agreed to simplify text on the back to a bold line reading “We are here to listen. Please come and share.” The committee asked staff to update the card and provide a version to the packet by the Monday prior to the next meeting. Robin (committee member) moved the rack-card edits and the committee voted in favor.

Operational items recorded during the meeting included acceptance of the Aug. 25 minutes, and the committee’s election of its chair and vice chair during roll call (the chair announced a 3–2 vote in favor of the nominated chair). The committee scheduled follow-up work: the Volunteer Coordinating Committee meets Oct. 9 at 6 p.m., and the video outline work group was asked to be ready to present an initial concept before that meeting so the volunteer committee can review and, if ready, forward the concept to city council.

Committee members also discussed hosting a relocated meeting later in the year to increase community access and reducing the intimidating “fishbowl” setup in the council chamber. City staff agreed to research possible civic-room layouts and the public-meetings process for moving a meeting site.

The committee heard one additional operational note from staff: a suggested community barbecue tied to outreach work would likely cost about $2,000 and would require sponsorships or donated resources to avoid use of city funds.

The meeting combined an informational presentation from the Volunteer Coordinating Committee with committee direction to staff and volunteer partners to pursue targeted youth outreach and simpler public materials. Committee members emphasized legal review and clarity around consent, messaging and public-meeting rules before any video production.