Should the Salem-Keizer “Working Together” sign be removed? The city council decides

The Salem City Council is set to vote on whether to remove and replace “Working Together” monument to Salem-Keizer. — a brick wall on the border of cities, which collapsed due to numerous collisions with drunken drivers.

The sign at the intersection of Stark Street N-Broadway Street NE-River Road N was built in 1993 through the cooperation of private citizens and leaders of the cities of Salem and Keizer.

It soon became known like a magnet for drunk driversand received at least eight hits. The damage from recent accidents has not yet been repaired.

Current repairs cost $39,510. Previous repairs cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Salem officials said repairs to the sign had become “onerous.”

The city council will vote on whether to allow the removal of the brick structure and replace it with a welcome sign that is easier to repair.

“Since its construction, the driveway has spent a significant amount of time in a state of disrepair, not as a welcoming facility for the community,” the city council report says. “Removing the circular brick structure and replacing it with conventional welcome entrance signs will ensure that replacement costs are reduced if the area is again exposed to traffic in the future.”

They said staff will also consider pavement markings, such as lane arrows and additional signs.

City leaders said Keizer officials support the proposal to replace the brick structure. The final design of the sign will be discussed with Keizer prior to his selection.

Other items on the Salem City Council agenda

• Vote on whether to apply for $20 million in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environment and Climate Change Grant Program to create a network of drop-in centers and improve energy efficiency for low-income households, including providing portable heat pumps .

• Voting on the appointment of members of the public budget committee.

• Motion by Councilwoman Virginia Stapleton to direct staff to submit a report on the city’s implementation of business license requirements.

• Quarterly information report on economic development.

How to attend a Salem City Council meeting

The meeting will take place at 18:00. It will be held in person in the City Council Chambers at the Salem Community Center, 555 Liberty St. SE, and will be available on Comcast Cable’s CCTV Channel 21 or Salem’s YouTube channel at English/American Sign Language and Spanish.

Those wishing to speak in person can sign up on the lists at the entrance to the hall before the meeting begins.

Written public comments on agenda items can be submitted by email until 5:00pm Monday to [email protected]. Or pre-register from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday at cityofsalem.net/Pages/Public-Comment-at-Salem-City-Council-Meeting.aspx talk during a Zoom meeting.

Statesman Journal reporter Capy Lynn contributed to this report.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at [email protected], call 503-910-6616 or follow X at @wmwoodworth

This article originally appeared in the Salem Statesman Journal: The Salem-Keizer “Working Together” sign may be substituted