Salem councilors reject third bridge agreement with state department

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the residence of Brian Hines.  He lives in an unincorporated section of Marion County.

Opponents of a third Salem traffic bridge over the Willamette claimed a victory Monday as a majority of city councilors rejected an agreement with the state on the so-called Salem River Crossing project.

The denial Monday evening represented a shift in tone in City Hall toward the project to build another bridge between Marion County and West Salem, with some elected officials sworn in this year taking a less favorable stance on it than the council that approved a land-use decision last year to help pave the way for a new bridge.

First-year councilor Cara Kaser introduced the motion Monday to deny an agreement between Salem and the state Department of Land Conservation and Development.

The intergovernmental agreement emerged as a condition of the state department’s backing down from its intent to appeal last year’s land-use decision with the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals.

When the motion came to a vote, Kaser found backing from councilors Matt Ausec, Sally Cook, Tom Andersen and Chris Hoy.

Councilors Jim Lewis, Steve McCoid, Brad Nanke and Mayor Chuck Bennett voted against her motion.

After Kaser’s motion to shoot down the agreement passed, Matthew Crall, a representative with the Department of Land Conservation and Development, said in an interview he didn’t know what would happen next.

Part of the failed intergovernmental agreement said the city would have to include an analysis on “congestion pricing” while it created a funding strategy for the project, highlighting concerns among opponents and councilors about bridge tolling.

"Do you agree that congestion pricing is tolling?" Councilor Andersen asked Crall flat-out during the council meeting.

"Yes," Crall said.

Public Works Director Peter Fernandez said tolling of a new bridge wouldn’t necessitate tolling on existing bridges. In fact, he was adamant: tolling current bridges wasn’t an option.

But he didn't back down from the idea of tolling altogether.

"(Congestion pricing) was frankly an idea that we brought to the table," Fernandez said, later adding, "We have to figure out a way to pay for this thing."

Before councilors rejected the intergovernmental agreement, Salem-area resident Brian Hines said a vote for the memo of understanding was a vote to move forward with tolling the new and old bridges. (The vote Monday was on an intergovernmental agreement, not a memo of understanding.)

The city of Salem has repeatedly said that tolling was not being considered, Hines claimed. He said the memo of understanding contradicts that, adding that if councilors thought tolling was popular, they should approve the agreement and see how their reelection campaigns go.

"I don't think anyone in the city of Salem is in favor of tolling," Councilor Nanke said in response.

If you don't toll, you can't pay for the bridge, but if you do, people won't use it, Hines argued.

Sarah Deumling asked those who were against the bridge to stand up, a tactic deployed before at a meeting for city matters. Many people in council chambers stood up.

Deumling, speaking on behalf of third-bridge opponents, said people should begin to "end this fiasco tonight."

Councilors also voted to send a bill changing city codes to regulate transportation network companies like Lyft and Uber to a second reading.

In other news, the Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge will see a soft opening to the public Friday morning, Mayor Bennett announced. The soft opening will come after he and Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, walk the bridge Thursday morning.

Send questions, comments or news tips to jbach @statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6714. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanMBach.