The Salem City Council Monday night approved a new ten-year comprehensive plan and the fiscal year budget that begins May 1st.
Jim Arndt of Arndt Municipal Services presented the comprehensive plan, noting the plan develops a vision and targets for the city.
“The plan includes insights about the community and an analysis of the community,” Arndt said. “The most important crux of the plan is the elements of the plan. That’s basically breaking it down into the administration, housing, parks and recreation, and the goals that are assigned to each of those elements. Areas that you want to focus on over the next ten years.”
Mayor Nic Farley is pleased with the plan.
“I’m really proud of that comprehensive plan because it did involve the community members and business leaders,” Farley said. “It was not just dictated from the city council or city government, it was really a collaboration with a lot of folks to say where we want to put our energies for the next ten years. It’s really nice to be able to say that we have a vision to help improve the city over the next ten years.”
Farley explains some of the biggest areas of work.
“I think we’re targeting more industrial development, commercial development, and obviously we’re trying to incentivize new housing development. I think those are three big key issues that we’re working on and continue to work on.”
Arndt commended the council for the hours of work put into the comprehensive plan.
The council approved its annual budget with one dissenting vote from Gerald Molenhour. Mayor Farley commended the city staff for the time put in with the council to give them an understanding of the city’s current budget situation. City Manager Lisa Peck describes it as very tight due to only pension funding requirements and a loss of state revenue.
