Keizer volunteer committee elects officers, approves amended volunteer-appointment process to send to city council
January 10, 2026 | Keizer, Marion County, Oregon
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The Keizer Volunteer Coordinating Committee met Jan. 28 and elected Jane Hurd as committee chair and Kim Freeman as vice chair for the coming year. The committee then approved an amended volunteer-appointment process that clarifies how criminal-history screenings and position assignments will be handled and instructed staff to forward the revised process to city council for final approval.
Committee members had pressed for clearer language on what it means to "successfully pass" a criminal-history check. A staff member explained that the police department’s return indicates only whether an applicant meets the screening criteria and that the city manager makes the final determination; the city attorney would be involved when a background return raises questions. Members agreed to revise the draft so the responsibility for determining a successful screen is explicitly assigned to city staff (city manager and legal) rather than the volunteer committee.
The committee also debated how to assign multiple open positions when term lengths differ. Options discussed included allowing the top vote-getter to choose a preferred term versus having the committee assign positions in order of vote totals while considering applicants’ stated preferences. Members discussed a recent case where a shorter term helped a new volunteer acclimate; the revised language preserves committee discretion while clarifying how the order of selection operates.
After amendments were offered from the floor and incorporated into a friendly amendment, a member moved to approve the document "as presented along with the changes made tonight." The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The chair said the next step is for staff to place the amended process on a city council agenda; a councilor who joined the meeting recommended that the chair or vice chair attend the council meeting to present and answer questions.
The committee set a next meeting date of Feb. 12. The meeting adjourned at 6:58 p.m.
Committee members had pressed for clearer language on what it means to "successfully pass" a criminal-history check. A staff member explained that the police department’s return indicates only whether an applicant meets the screening criteria and that the city manager makes the final determination; the city attorney would be involved when a background return raises questions. Members agreed to revise the draft so the responsibility for determining a successful screen is explicitly assigned to city staff (city manager and legal) rather than the volunteer committee.
The committee also debated how to assign multiple open positions when term lengths differ. Options discussed included allowing the top vote-getter to choose a preferred term versus having the committee assign positions in order of vote totals while considering applicants’ stated preferences. Members discussed a recent case where a shorter term helped a new volunteer acclimate; the revised language preserves committee discretion while clarifying how the order of selection operates.
After amendments were offered from the floor and incorporated into a friendly amendment, a member moved to approve the document "as presented along with the changes made tonight." The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The chair said the next step is for staff to place the amended process on a city council agenda; a councilor who joined the meeting recommended that the chair or vice chair attend the council meeting to present and answer questions.
The committee set a next meeting date of Feb. 12. The meeting adjourned at 6:58 p.m.
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