Keizer work-session staff and council members on Dec. 9 reviewed two years of staff-level meetings with neighboring jurisdictions about the Salem–Keizer urban growth boundary and said the next step is public engagement, including town halls in early 2025.

City staff said prior meetings with the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and staff from Polk County, Marion County and the City of Salem yielded differing perspectives about whether and how the UGB could be separated or adjusted. "If the four jurisdictions got together and agreed that they wanted to separate the urban growth boundary, then that's a way that could happen," staff recalled about an earlier DLCD opinion, but added DLCD approval would still be required.

Why it matters: the UGB affects where Keizer can plan for housing, transportation and employment areas. Councilors and staff agreed the policy choice will require careful public conversation about trade-offs — for example whether to pursue a formal "divorce" of the shared UGB, negotiate land swaps, or retain current boundaries.

Staff described three takeaways from interjurisdictional meetings: Salem initially gave a low level of effort but later recognized regional connections and indicated it would consider expansions in Keizer when Salem performs future housing needs analyses; Polk County warned the process could be lengthy and deliberate (one example cited took about 10 years); and Marion County staff said they would want solid buy-in before committing to contentious changes.

City staff told the council that land north of Keizer includes prime farmland designations that could complicate boundary changes under DLCD rules. Staff also flagged that changes could have effects on school attendance and service boundaries that "we'd have to engage the school district with," and that such details would require separate coordination.

Council direction and next steps: staff said the council previously directed town-hall style public engagement and that staff will prepare materials that present options and constraints in concise terms to help community members weigh trade-offs. Council members suggested using a single online repository (a dedicated project webpage) and layered engagement — e.g., multiple small-topic sessions or breakout rooms — so residents can get focused information and then comment.

Staff reiterated that this issue will come back during the council's January 2025 goal-setting and that any formal change would require interjurisdictional agreements, DLCD review, and likely a lengthy implementation period.

Provenance:
Topic intro: "...the first 1 was we wanted some, discussion of next steps on the urban growth boundary and specific, specifically looking at transportation, education, and, say the last 1, employment areas, areas of employment." (block_186.095)
Topic finish: "So the long term goals take us back to urban growth boundary... we're going into that next phase of town hall discussions early this, in 2025." (block_5502.865)