Downtown Salem Partnership president proposes fee-funded sidewalk maintenance

Will Klein, president of the Downtown Salem Partnership, praised the city’s snow response and urged a formalized public-private partnership to ensure consistent downtown sidewalk maintenance.

"You had a plan. You executed the plan," Klein told the council, then outlined a proposal to make downtown sidewalks reliably passable year-round through a contracted maintenance program. He said a contractor quoted about $32,000 a year (with a two-year commitment) to clear sidewalks on core downtown blocks — Lincoln, Persian, Lundy and State through to Second — and that about half the estimated cost would be for salt and materials.

Klein recommended the city designate the downtown commercial C3 zone as eligible for the program and collect a maintenance fee from building owners to fund the contract. He suggested the city negotiate and collect payments on behalf of building owners and use tax liens or other enforcement if owners do not pay. Klein and council members also discussed surge needs for extreme events and suggested the National Guard or reserves as possible surge-capacity partners.

Council members raised questions about how priorities would be set if contractors also serve private customers and about how to ensure participation from vacant-property owners. Officials noted existing law: the transcript cites zoning ordinance section 521.06, which places the duty to keep sidewalks free from snow and nuisance on property owners, but the ordinance does not explicitly require the city to remove downtown sidewalk snow.

The council thanked Klein for bringing a solution-oriented proposal and agreed further discussion and written parameters are needed before any program or fee is adopted. The meeting adjourned with a commitment to continue the conversation.