City Councilor Kate Schwarzler posts past city contracts online, following a public records request
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
Citing a desire for transparency, Independence City Councilor Kate Schwarzler posted multiple city contracts online this week that show more than $100,000 was awarded by the city to a non-profit that she founded and two companies she owns.
The listings, which date back to 2017, were posted following a public records request for the contracts by Trammart News. “I don’t mind coming under scrutiny from citizens, local press, malcontents or anything in-between,” Schwarzler stated on her website, kateschwarzler.com.
Schwarzler is based at Indy Commons on Main Street downtown, the location of her co-sharing and space-rental business. She also runs the non-profit Indy Idea Hub and Creo Solutions, a consulting company that began by offering landscape architecture.
All three have received grant money from, or through, the city – the commercial kitchen at Indy Commons is widely credited with being a launch pad for food businesses.
Schwarzler's services also have been sought by the Central School District, which contracted with her for an estimated $8,400 to assist the district's volunteer committee on bond development more than a year ago. Though an outside consulting firm was hired to help hold committee meetings and conduct the exploratory work on bond feasibility, CSD 13J offered Schwarzler the job as a "facilitator" for the committee, according to Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for the school district.
For the sake of transparency, she’s making information accessible on her website, Schwarzler added. “I aim to provide clarity and reassurance that the decisions made in our local government, and myself, are above board and in the best interest of our community.”
In a description of her mission at another of her internet sites, Schwarzler ‘s role is defined as helping “clients work on livability issues, such as developing thriving main streets, building an entrepreneurial ecosystem, placemaking, parks and recreation, and natural resource management.”
At kateschwarzler.com, she noted that she took “the proactive step” of not entering into professional services contracts with the city once she became a city councilor.
However, in February, the city council voted to seek a USDA grant application of $100,000 that would involve Schwarzler’s Indy Idea Hub. Independence intends to partner with the “hub,” should the grant be awarded, said Shawn Irvine, the city’s economic development director. (Schwarzler recused herself from the vote.)
Though all other councilors supported the action, City Councilor Dawn Roden voted against the grant proposal, asserting that Indy Idea Hub “continually gets the grant money.”
This spring, the partnership between the city and Indy Idea Hub gained public attention during the final budget committee meeting, after Schwarzler urged committee members to “trust” staff – and to send the budget that committee members were analyzing back to city personnel for possible revision, instead of undertaking further discussion.
Roden, also a member of the budget committee, expressed disappointment – she wanted committee members to take more time going over some suggested options. With four dissenting votes, the committee followed Schwarzler’s recommendation, cutting short the vetting.
Frustration with the process seemed to surface among several attendees and some members of the budget committee, which was comprised of the city councilors and mayor, and an equal number of community members. The apparent source of frustration: Only a few of the budget-balancing ideas were reviewed by the committee.
Several residents who viewed the budget session raised questions about it; Trammart News consulted the statute on budget law and, under ORS 294.453, the governing body – defined as the city council – appears able to vote for final budget adoption only on a budget that’s been approved by the budget committee. This year's fiscal budget was passed on to the city council without a final formal endorsement by the budget committee.
Schwarzler acknowledged to Trammart News that the city has challenges, but they are “ones that we are actively trying to balance and address. And we also have a lot of great things that are worth celebrating, something I also feel deserves attention.”
(Trammart News will address city-reported outcomes from the grants in the near future, which may require additional public records requests – the Independence communications director has not responded to Trammart News press inquiries for many months.) ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
Citing a desire for transparency, Independence City Councilor Kate Schwarzler posted multiple city contracts online this week that show more than $100,000 was awarded by the city to a non-profit that she founded and two companies she owns.
The listings, which date back to 2017, were posted following a public records request for the contracts by Trammart News. “I don’t mind coming under scrutiny from citizens, local press, malcontents or anything in-between,” Schwarzler stated on her website, kateschwarzler.com.
Schwarzler is based at Indy Commons on Main Street downtown, the location of her co-sharing and space-rental business. She also runs the non-profit Indy Idea Hub and Creo Solutions, a consulting company that began by offering landscape architecture.
All three have received grant money from, or through, the city – the commercial kitchen at Indy Commons is widely credited with being a launch pad for food businesses.
Schwarzler's services also have been sought by the Central School District, which contracted with her for an estimated $8,400 to assist the district's volunteer committee on bond development more than a year ago. Though an outside consulting firm was hired to help hold committee meetings and conduct the exploratory work on bond feasibility, CSD 13J offered Schwarzler the job as a "facilitator" for the committee, according to Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for the school district.
For the sake of transparency, she’s making information accessible on her website, Schwarzler added. “I aim to provide clarity and reassurance that the decisions made in our local government, and myself, are above board and in the best interest of our community.”
In a description of her mission at another of her internet sites, Schwarzler ‘s role is defined as helping “clients work on livability issues, such as developing thriving main streets, building an entrepreneurial ecosystem, placemaking, parks and recreation, and natural resource management.”
At kateschwarzler.com, she noted that she took “the proactive step” of not entering into professional services contracts with the city once she became a city councilor.
However, in February, the city council voted to seek a USDA grant application of $100,000 that would involve Schwarzler’s Indy Idea Hub. Independence intends to partner with the “hub,” should the grant be awarded, said Shawn Irvine, the city’s economic development director. (Schwarzler recused herself from the vote.)
Though all other councilors supported the action, City Councilor Dawn Roden voted against the grant proposal, asserting that Indy Idea Hub “continually gets the grant money.”
This spring, the partnership between the city and Indy Idea Hub gained public attention during the final budget committee meeting, after Schwarzler urged committee members to “trust” staff – and to send the budget that committee members were analyzing back to city personnel for possible revision, instead of undertaking further discussion.
Roden, also a member of the budget committee, expressed disappointment – she wanted committee members to take more time going over some suggested options. With four dissenting votes, the committee followed Schwarzler’s recommendation, cutting short the vetting.
Frustration with the process seemed to surface among several attendees and some members of the budget committee, which was comprised of the city councilors and mayor, and an equal number of community members. The apparent source of frustration: Only a few of the budget-balancing ideas were reviewed by the committee.
Several residents who viewed the budget session raised questions about it; Trammart News consulted the statute on budget law and, under ORS 294.453, the governing body – defined as the city council – appears able to vote for final budget adoption only on a budget that’s been approved by the budget committee. This year's fiscal budget was passed on to the city council without a final formal endorsement by the budget committee.
Schwarzler acknowledged to Trammart News that the city has challenges, but they are “ones that we are actively trying to balance and address. And we also have a lot of great things that are worth celebrating, something I also feel deserves attention.”
(Trammart News will address city-reported outcomes from the grants in the near future, which may require additional public records requests – the Independence communications director has not responded to Trammart News press inquiries for many months.) ▪
Independence faces a financial squeeze threatening the library that other cities have solved
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
The probability that other town libraries would hit the chopping block arose during a discussion of the potentially sad fate of the Independence Library during a budget meeting this past spring.
Two examples were Salem and Eugene.
Though Independence staff is still considering a levy on a future ballot to save the town library, the two other cities seem a bit like the announcement of Mark Twain’s too-early death. It was duly reported but, as the writer himself famously confirmed, greatly exaggerated.
So, what is occurring in Salem? And how about Eugene?
Salem’s major library cuts reportedly have been averted, at least for a year, by money from the city’s Cultural & Tourism Fund. Eugene’s library services never risked a sudden shutdown, though the city is financially burdened – a biennial budget there extends to fiscal year 2025.
And the Eugene library system has a unique site: An all-volunteer library, “The River Road Santa Clara Library,” featuring a 12,500-item collection in a building that is open six days a week, 10am-to-4pm. “It’s practically a no-rent building, thanks to the local water district,” explained Laura Sarantis, the head librarian.
The water district had extra room – and handed the space over to the library. Volunteers worked to get it into shape. Now it operates on a shoestring, as a 501(c)(3). Fundraising is through voluntary payments by patrons, sales of items such as coffee cups, and sponsorship by monthly or annual donations.
There’s a $20 donation suggested for signing up for a library card, but anyone can get one – the fee is not mandatory, Sarantis noted.
Grants are another source, she added. For example, Volunteer Charissa Nelson, who has been with the library since its early days, is an “expert talent,” she said. Nelson has obtained grants and other forms of funding that have allowed newer titles to be purchased, Sarantis pointed out.
A few years ago, shortly after he became Independence’s Library Director, Patrick Bodily reflected on how important libraries were to his early life.
Though he hasn’t commented on the financial strain now confronting the Independence Library, Bodily stated in that early interview that easy accessibility to books – he hauled stacks of them home from his neighborhood library as a boy – was continually reassuring.
No matter how many books he checked out, there were always more on the shelves, he recalled. No matter how often he visited as a kid, the library remained a place that was nice to go, to browse, to make a selection, Bodily said.
In a study led by Portland State University in 2022 – and publicized by Pew Research – more than half of 2,000 young adults who were surveyed said they’d visited a library in the past year. Library resources are used by Gen Z, Millennials, older adults and young children – an intersection of ages that typically occurs regularly, according to the studies. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
The probability that other town libraries would hit the chopping block arose during a discussion of the potentially sad fate of the Independence Library during a budget meeting this past spring.
Two examples were Salem and Eugene.
Though Independence staff is still considering a levy on a future ballot to save the town library, the two other cities seem a bit like the announcement of Mark Twain’s too-early death. It was duly reported but, as the writer himself famously confirmed, greatly exaggerated.
So, what is occurring in Salem? And how about Eugene?
Salem’s major library cuts reportedly have been averted, at least for a year, by money from the city’s Cultural & Tourism Fund. Eugene’s library services never risked a sudden shutdown, though the city is financially burdened – a biennial budget there extends to fiscal year 2025.
And the Eugene library system has a unique site: An all-volunteer library, “The River Road Santa Clara Library,” featuring a 12,500-item collection in a building that is open six days a week, 10am-to-4pm. “It’s practically a no-rent building, thanks to the local water district,” explained Laura Sarantis, the head librarian.
The water district had extra room – and handed the space over to the library. Volunteers worked to get it into shape. Now it operates on a shoestring, as a 501(c)(3). Fundraising is through voluntary payments by patrons, sales of items such as coffee cups, and sponsorship by monthly or annual donations.
There’s a $20 donation suggested for signing up for a library card, but anyone can get one – the fee is not mandatory, Sarantis noted.
Grants are another source, she added. For example, Volunteer Charissa Nelson, who has been with the library since its early days, is an “expert talent,” she said. Nelson has obtained grants and other forms of funding that have allowed newer titles to be purchased, Sarantis pointed out.
A few years ago, shortly after he became Independence’s Library Director, Patrick Bodily reflected on how important libraries were to his early life.
Though he hasn’t commented on the financial strain now confronting the Independence Library, Bodily stated in that early interview that easy accessibility to books – he hauled stacks of them home from his neighborhood library as a boy – was continually reassuring.
No matter how many books he checked out, there were always more on the shelves, he recalled. No matter how often he visited as a kid, the library remained a place that was nice to go, to browse, to make a selection, Bodily said.
In a study led by Portland State University in 2022 – and publicized by Pew Research – more than half of 2,000 young adults who were surveyed said they’d visited a library in the past year. Library resources are used by Gen Z, Millennials, older adults and young children – an intersection of ages that typically occurs regularly, according to the studies. ▪
Ash Creek sidewalk relocation closure frustrates summer river trail walkers
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
Independence resident Mark Winningham wasn’t ready to give up his morning walk in north Riverview Park, even though a sign said so.
At the last city council meeting he – and others who take frequent strolls along the paved trail by Ash Creek – attended to make their affection for the pathway known and to show their objection to its closure. Winningham took his comments straight to the public podium at the start of the meeting.
Noting that signage now says a section of the trail needs to be shut off so a new sidewalk can be laid, he told city councilors that fencing and a temporary path were needed to maintain access. “My guess is that there are 100 people or more out there on that trail,” he said.
Two years ago, torrential rains caused the creek to swell, with wrenching water that cut into the embankment. The sidewalk suddenly was at the edge of what remained: a fractured wall of earth. A plastic orange construction fence was put there, which often sagged – and there was worry that dogs or children might try to explore the area behind the fence.
It was determined that the sidewalk needed to be moved further west, forcing closure to provide access for the earth-moving and paving equipment.
Following Winningham’s presentation, the city Facebook page featured a multi-pictorial display of the city manager and public works personnel looking for a way to provide access during construction.
“City staff scouted the area high and low for a detour that could handle both our trusty machinery and intrepid walkers, but it seems like this trail's as narrow as the Snake River crossing,” the posting stated.
However, the recommendation that followed that text had some walkers questioning the city’s alternate route. “Head on up to Main Street and hang a right onto Grand Street to keep your adventure rolling into the Independence Dog Park,” the advisory suggested.
Winningham, in an apparent observation for safety’s sake, had cautioned against just such a bypass at the city council meeting – it would mean trekking on part of the highway that lacks a sidewalk, to get to Grand Street.
“I think maybe the city staff people meant to write to get into your car and drive to the dog park and start from there,” said one of the city council attendees who read the Independence Facebook posting. “I don’t know why they didn’t put that in (the posting) because it doesn’t make sense to walk that way.” ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service
Independence resident Mark Winningham wasn’t ready to give up his morning walk in north Riverview Park, even though a sign said so.
At the last city council meeting he – and others who take frequent strolls along the paved trail by Ash Creek – attended to make their affection for the pathway known and to show their objection to its closure. Winningham took his comments straight to the public podium at the start of the meeting.
Noting that signage now says a section of the trail needs to be shut off so a new sidewalk can be laid, he told city councilors that fencing and a temporary path were needed to maintain access. “My guess is that there are 100 people or more out there on that trail,” he said.
Two years ago, torrential rains caused the creek to swell, with wrenching water that cut into the embankment. The sidewalk suddenly was at the edge of what remained: a fractured wall of earth. A plastic orange construction fence was put there, which often sagged – and there was worry that dogs or children might try to explore the area behind the fence.
It was determined that the sidewalk needed to be moved further west, forcing closure to provide access for the earth-moving and paving equipment.
Following Winningham’s presentation, the city Facebook page featured a multi-pictorial display of the city manager and public works personnel looking for a way to provide access during construction.
“City staff scouted the area high and low for a detour that could handle both our trusty machinery and intrepid walkers, but it seems like this trail's as narrow as the Snake River crossing,” the posting stated.
However, the recommendation that followed that text had some walkers questioning the city’s alternate route. “Head on up to Main Street and hang a right onto Grand Street to keep your adventure rolling into the Independence Dog Park,” the advisory suggested.
Winningham, in an apparent observation for safety’s sake, had cautioned against just such a bypass at the city council meeting – it would mean trekking on part of the highway that lacks a sidewalk, to get to Grand Street.
“I think maybe the city staff people meant to write to get into your car and drive to the dog park and start from there,” said one of the city council attendees who read the Independence Facebook posting. “I don’t know why they didn’t put that in (the posting) because it doesn’t make sense to walk that way.” ▪
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