Keizer council pledges quick review after residents say holiday light‑tour signs cause safety hazards

Several Keizer residents told the City Council on Dec. 15 that changes to directional signs for the annual Miracle Lights holiday tour are creating hazardous conditions and prompting last‑minute U‑turns on residential streets.

“People are almost getting run over a nightly basis,” said Matt Nagley, a Keizer resident who described signs moved past turns, smaller nonreflective boards and the removal of flashing yellow lights that had previously warned motorists. Nagley provided staff with a list of four problem locations and photos and said volunteers and neighborhood leaders had been “stonewalled” when raising the issue.

The council and staff responded that they take the safety concerns seriously and will follow up. “We’ll take a look at it tomorrow,” said Mister Brown, who agreed staff would work with the event organizer to update sign placement and then memorialize those positions in written event plans so volunteer changes do not reintroduce safety risks.

Chief (police) said he drove the route at night and found the older yellow sign effective, and recommended that preapproval of signage be part of next year’s permit process so problems can be fixed before the tour opens. City staff confirmed there is an event permit for the tour held by Marion‑Polk Food Share and said signage and permit conditions can be revisited.

Council members suggested practical fixes, including reinstalling higher‑visibility markers or solar‑powered flashing lights and ensuring that volunteer instructions and a handover notebook capture the exact locations used year to year. Mayor Clark said staff and event organizers will work together and that the city will seek to balance volunteers’ efforts with consistent written directions: “It’s very important to have everything in writing.”

Next steps: staff will meet with the event organizers and volunteers to identify the four flagged intersections (Rockledge Drive at Rockledge Court; Rockledge at McLeod; Amy and Stonehenge; and Mistwood and Fourteenth), review visibility at night, propose specific placements or enhanced devices (for example, solar flashers), and bring a recommended memorialized plan for signage to council or to the event organizer before the next permit cycle.