Keizer council amends Community Diversity Engagement Committee after weeks of public comment

The Keizer City Council on March 17 adopted an amended resolution (R-2025) that revises the Community Diversity Engagement Committee(CDEC) practices and asks the committee to produce action plans for engagement and civic processes. The motion to adopt the resolution passed 5-2.

The issue drew extensive public comment in person and in writing. Several residents urged the council to keep the word "diversity" in the committee name and to preserve the committee's role in promoting inclusive participation. Marcy Wilkin told the council, "Words matter." Ryan Hewlett urged councilors to "stop wasting time on these pointless discussions about name changes" and to "Focus on what actually matters." Michael Welsh said, "Diversity is not a threat."

Nut graf: The council's action follows weeks of written input and multiple public speakers urging the city to preserve the committee's original purpose. Councilors added language requiring the CDEC to draft action plans that can be recommended to council for approval; they also instructed staff and the committee to develop clearer metrics and to return with refinements, while scheduling final appointments for the committee on April 7.

The council voted 5-2 to adopt the amended resolution R-2025; councilors Kohler and Clark voted no. In related votes, the council retained the committee's name (no formal objection recorded) and kept the youth liaison as a voting member after a separate motion passed 4-3. Councilor Kelsey Cross was appointed the council liaison to CDEC by unanimous vote, and the council agreed to table the committeeappointments to the April 7 meeting.

Council discussion focused on balancing the committee's autonomy and the city's desire for measurable outcomes. Council President Starr and other members asked the CDEC to deliver proposed action plans that include outreach steps, timelines and measurable engagement metrics rather than a long list of undifferentiated tasks. Staff said the revised resolution asks the committee to "assist in developing action plans to be recommended for council approval for community engagement and civic processes." The council instructed staff to work with the CDEC on a marketing/outreach template and to invite an annual joint work session between council and the committee.

Ending: The CDEC-related agenda items will come back to council in April with appointments and with a refined proposed marketing/outreach approach; in the meantime the committee will draft the action plans requested by the council and report progress at the next scheduled work session.