City of Salem Council Meeting - October 12 , 2026

The City of Salem Council meeting of October 12, 2026, approved a $749,000 Urban Renewal Area grant exception for Marion Polk Food Share to help finance building improvements. Council members supported the exception unanimously after discussing available Urban Renewal funds, the nonprofit’s community benefit, and the project’s estimated $7 million total cost; speakers noted the city had already provided more than $1 million in federal grants for the project. The consent calendar also approved a $50,000 transfer from the FY2027 General Fund budget to Capital Community Media. No contract awards or competitive bids were identified.

Council considered the wastewater collection system master plan, which identifies future infrastructure needs and estimates that investment of about $12–13 million annually could support the collection system; staff emphasized that the plan does not itself commit funding, and projects will be considered through future capital budgets. Council advanced Ordinance Bill 11-26 for a second reading. The council also reviewed a proposed NDA policy that would prohibit NDAs for data-center developments and impose safeguards and council notice for other NDAs; the transcript does not capture a final vote on that policy. A downtown parking update reported revenue above projections and discussed possible uses for maintenance and public safety, but no new spending approval was recorded.