June 27, 2012 CCBofC Meeting Hightlights

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 regular meeting

Official minutes available once approved by board

Hood to Coast permit approved

The board approved a Road Event Permit for organizers of the annual Hood to Coast Relay event, scheduled for Aug. 24-25. The permit was the first issued under a new ordinance, adopted in 2011, that establishes the road event permit process and requires a public hearing for each application.

The board amended two of the 30 permit conditions after organizer Bob Foote and Felicia Hubber suggested that the conditions, which gave the county the authority to shut down the event, were too vague. One condition allowing the county to end the event for public safety “or other reasons” was eliminated, and a second was amended to identify the county sheriff as having the authority to stop the event.

The permit requires organizers to post a $14,627 deposit to cover expenses incurred by the county Sheriff’s Office and planning department, as well as local fire districts.

The annual Hood to Coast Relay and the Portland to Coast walk relay bring 1,500 teams to the county.

Developments approved

The board approved a consolidated land-use application from Russ Earl and Osburn-Olson LLC requesting approval for two cluster subdivisions located east of Surf Pines – the 18-lot West Dunes developed by Earl and the nine-lot Clatsop Estates by Osburn-Olson. The application also included a downzone of three other properties, two owned by the National Park Service and another by William Fackerell, from residential to Open Space, Parks and Recreation and the transfer of the resulting 13 density credits to the two subdivisions. Two additional density credits would also come from downzoned property owned by Gloria Edler.

In exchange for the density credits the National Park Service receives from the developers protection for eight acres of property along Neacoxie Creek within the subdivisions.

Westport sewer fees raised

The board approved fee increases for customers of the Westport Sewer Service District. Monthly rates for residential customers will increase from $33.61 to $39, and rates for commercial customers, currently $77.31 for all customers, will increase to between $111 and $215 depending on size. The rate adjustment is the first since 2005 and will cover increased operating costs for the district and provide contingency funds for maintenance and replacement costs.

Drone training plan presented

The board heard a presentation from Gregg Schroeder from the State Army Aviation Office regarding plans for a training program at Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center involving small, unmanned surveillance aircraft known as Ravens.

In response to questions from commissioners about privacy concerns of neighboring residents, Schroeder said that the aircraft will remain within the boundaries of Camp Rilea during their flights, and added that training protocol requires that all camera footage recorded by the vehicle that is not part of the training exercise be purged following each flight.

County code first reading

The board heard the first reading of an ordinance adopting the updated Clatsop County Code, which contains all current county ordinances.

A public hearing on the revised code will be held July 11.



Other Business

In other business the board:

-approved the 2012-13 fiscal year budgets for Clatsop County, 4-H and Extension Service, Road District #1, Rural Law Enforcement District and Westport Sewer Service District.

-approved a resolution officially appointing Scott Somers as County Manager. Somers, who was hired in early June, will join the county on July 16.

-approved a $476,010 contract with David Evans and Associates for design services on the planned new Wahkiakum Ferry terminal in Westport. The structure is being upgraded to accommodate the new, larger ferry vessel scheduled to go into operation in 2014. The Oregon Department of Transportation is providing $150,000 for the design contract.

-approved a contract of up to $57,768 with Cascade Networks Inc. for construction of a microwave link connecting the new communications tower at the county’s Emergency Operations Center at Camp Rilea with the Megler Mountain radio site. The project is part of a Homeland Security-funded interoperability emergency communications project.

-declared the used bleachers at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds as surplus and approved their transfer to the City of Seaside. The bleachers will be refurbished and installed at Broadway Park Field.

Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000 ext. 1312