Keizer volunteer commission forwards appointments and survey proposal to City Council; discusses bike-safety work

The Volunteer Coordinating Commission (VCC) of Keizer voted on multiple appointments and approved sending a proposal for exit and “stay” interviews for volunteer committee members to the Keizer City Council during its Nov. 14 meeting.

The commission moved and seconded recommendations to forward three candidates for the Parks Board — Joel Gust (position 7), Matt Lawyer (position 8) and Lisa Sejica (position 9) — to city council for approval; the motion passed with no recorded opposition. The commission also voted to forward the reappointment of David Dempster to the Traffic Safety, Bikeways and Pedestrian Committee (position 6). A separate opening for traffic committee seat 4 received a majority “no recommendation” and will be reopened for applications.

Why it matters: The VCC vets applicants and makes appointment recommendations to the council. Forwarding these names sends the selections to the City Council for final confirmation. The commission also approved sending a draft policy change — adding exit interviews for departing volunteers and developing “stay” interviews to understand why volunteers continue serving — to the council for consideration, which would create a new feedback loop the city could use to address volunteer retention and…