Keizer council backs joint public safety facility, asks staff for state‑funding support
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Summary
Keizer Fire District and Marion County Fire District 1 asked for partnership and state aid for a joint public safety facility; the council unanimously authorized a letter of support and asked staff for materials to submit to the state (initial ask $778,000; estimated full project cost about $17 million).
Keizer — Fire chiefs from Keizer Fire District and Marion County Fire District No. 1 briefed the City Council Feb. 2 on a preliminary plan to build a joint public safety facility near River Road between McGee Court and the Hitching Post to improve response coverage and prepare for projected growth.
Chief Ryan Russell (Keizer Fire District) said the idea grew from shared needs: aging, space‑constrained stations and opportunities to consolidate facilities with partner agencies to avoid repeating investments. Marion County Fire officials said existing Clear Lake facilities are landlocked and not sized for current career staffing levels; moving to a consolidated site could improve four‑minute response coverage in parts of the service area.
Daryl Fuller, a Keizer Fire volunteer, told council Representative Kevin Mannix will ask the legislature for an initial $778,000 appropriation for land acquisition and initial design; staff reported the full project is currently estimated at roughly $17 million including equipment. Fuller asked council to authorize a letter of support to be filed through the state’s OLIS system ahead of an upcoming hearing.
Council president Shaney Starr moved and the council unanimously authorized staff to draft and submit a letter of written support on behalf of the city for the joint public safety facility. Council members asked the chiefs to provide maps and response‑time data so staff can finalize the OLIS submission and advised coordination with regional emergency‑management partners for resiliency planning.
What’s next: The fire districts will provide the state hearing details and supporting materials; city staff will prepare the letter and submit it through OLIS as requested.
Representative quote: "We're trying to relocate the station... and tap into dollars that are already in the system, without burning fully on our taxpayers," Keizer Fire representatives said.
