1023 PM PDT FRI MAY 11 2012
...THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON COMBINED WITH COLD AND
SWIFT RIVERS WILL POSE A HAZARD TO RECREATIONAL WATERS USERS OVER
THE WEEKEND...
AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS REMAIN COLD WITH ELEVATED WATER FLOWS DUE
TO THE ONGOING MELTING OF SPRING SNOW PACK. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE
EXPECTED TO RUN AS MUCH AS 15 TO 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL OVER THE
WEEKEND...LIKELY LEADING TO INCREASED RECREATIONAL WATER ACTIVITY.
THE COLD AND SWIFT RIVERS WILL POSE A SIGNIFICANT DANGER FOR THOSE
WHO ENTER THE WATER. RIVER TEMPERATURES REMAIN IN THE 45 TO 50
DEGREE FAHRENHEIT RANGE...MUCH COOLER THAN DURING THE HEIGHT OF
SUMMER. EXERCISE CAUTION IN OR AROUND AREA RIVERS AND LAKES...AS
HYPOTHERMIA CAN SET IN FAST WITH SUCH CHILLY WATER TEMPERATURES.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Highlights Of May 9, 2012 Clatsop County Board Of Commissioners Meeting
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 regular meeting
Official minutes available once approved by board
Zone Change Approved
The board approved a re-zone, partition and “density credit” transfer application from Gloria Edler for two 10-acre parcels east of Gearhart.
The application rezones approximately 10 total acres on the two lots from Residential-Agriculture 1 to Open Space, Parks and Recreation. Under land-use regulations governing the Clatsop Plains region, the rezone creates five density credits that can be transferred to other Clatsop Plains properties. Two of the credits are to be transferred to the West Dunes/Clatsop Estates subdivision, an application for which will be considered by the board in June. The other three credits will be “banked” for future use.
Rilea Study Reviewed
The board heard a presentation on the newly completed Camp Rilea Joint Land Use Study. The project, organized by the Clatsop County Community Development Department with a Department of Defense grant, was designed to reduce potential incompatibility between the military facility south of Warrenton and surrounding areas, while protecting public health and safety, sustaining operations at the facility and accommodating new growth.
The study, which covered the area within five miles of Camp Rilea, is designed to promote communication and collaboration between the Oregon Military Department and surrounding jurisdictions and stakeholders. The document is advisory only and will not be adopted as part of the county’s comprehensive land-use plan.
The study does not recommend any rezoning of property surrounding Camp Rilea, but does suggest that no changes be made that would allow for increased density of development.
Applications Reviewed
In closed executive session, the board reviewed applications from candidates for the county manager position with consultant Greg Prothman. Based on recommendations from Prothman, six candidates were identified as finalists for interviews scheduled for May 30 in Astoria.
The county is seeking a replacement for County Manager Duane Cole, who is retiring May 31. The county received a total of 40 applications for the position.
The board also voted to designate Assistant County Manager Nicole Williams as interim county manager, to serve until the new county manager joins the county.
Tower Approved
The board approved a $60,720 contract with Valmont Industries Inc. for construction of a microwave communications tower at Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Facility. The tower is a component of the new county emergency operations center wing slated for construction at Camp Rilea’s Warrior Hall and will link to a multi-county microwave communications network. The tower project is funded by a federal Homeland Security grant.
Other Business
In other business the board:
-Voted to expand the membership of the Clatsop County Fair Board from five to seven, and to appoint Jack Edwards to one of the new seats.
-Approved a letter to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality supporting the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s deferral of action to list the Astoria Marine Construction Company on the federal Superfund environmental clean-up program, and recommending that DEQ be designated the lead agency for the proposed clean-up of the site.
-Approved an agreement with the Oregon State Marine Board for renovation of the John Day Park boat ramp. The project will be funded with a $23,000 state grant and $11,000 in county funds.
-Proclaimed May 20-26, 2012 to be Emergency Medical Service Week.
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000 ext. 1312
Official minutes available once approved by board
Zone Change Approved
The board approved a re-zone, partition and “density credit” transfer application from Gloria Edler for two 10-acre parcels east of Gearhart.
The application rezones approximately 10 total acres on the two lots from Residential-Agriculture 1 to Open Space, Parks and Recreation. Under land-use regulations governing the Clatsop Plains region, the rezone creates five density credits that can be transferred to other Clatsop Plains properties. Two of the credits are to be transferred to the West Dunes/Clatsop Estates subdivision, an application for which will be considered by the board in June. The other three credits will be “banked” for future use.
Rilea Study Reviewed
The board heard a presentation on the newly completed Camp Rilea Joint Land Use Study. The project, organized by the Clatsop County Community Development Department with a Department of Defense grant, was designed to reduce potential incompatibility between the military facility south of Warrenton and surrounding areas, while protecting public health and safety, sustaining operations at the facility and accommodating new growth.
The study, which covered the area within five miles of Camp Rilea, is designed to promote communication and collaboration between the Oregon Military Department and surrounding jurisdictions and stakeholders. The document is advisory only and will not be adopted as part of the county’s comprehensive land-use plan.
The study does not recommend any rezoning of property surrounding Camp Rilea, but does suggest that no changes be made that would allow for increased density of development.
Applications Reviewed
In closed executive session, the board reviewed applications from candidates for the county manager position with consultant Greg Prothman. Based on recommendations from Prothman, six candidates were identified as finalists for interviews scheduled for May 30 in Astoria.
The county is seeking a replacement for County Manager Duane Cole, who is retiring May 31. The county received a total of 40 applications for the position.
The board also voted to designate Assistant County Manager Nicole Williams as interim county manager, to serve until the new county manager joins the county.
Tower Approved
The board approved a $60,720 contract with Valmont Industries Inc. for construction of a microwave communications tower at Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Facility. The tower is a component of the new county emergency operations center wing slated for construction at Camp Rilea’s Warrior Hall and will link to a multi-county microwave communications network. The tower project is funded by a federal Homeland Security grant.
Other Business
In other business the board:
-Voted to expand the membership of the Clatsop County Fair Board from five to seven, and to appoint Jack Edwards to one of the new seats.
-Approved a letter to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality supporting the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s deferral of action to list the Astoria Marine Construction Company on the federal Superfund environmental clean-up program, and recommending that DEQ be designated the lead agency for the proposed clean-up of the site.
-Approved an agreement with the Oregon State Marine Board for renovation of the John Day Park boat ramp. The project will be funded with a $23,000 state grant and $11,000 in county funds.
-Proclaimed May 20-26, 2012 to be Emergency Medical Service Week.
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000 ext. 1312
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Clatsop County Budget Committee Approves 2012-2013 Budget!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The Clatsop County Budget Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved the proposed 2012-13 budget with one minor change.
The budget next goes to the county board of commissioners for a public hearing June 13 and final adoption June 27.
The budget committee, made up of the five county commissioners and five citizen members, went through the document department by department before voting for its approval, and also set next year’s property tax rate. The 2012-13 tax rate will be $1.5338 per $1,000 assessed property value, plus $.07 per $1,000 for the County Fairgrounds local option tax levy.
Commissioner Peter Huhtala recused himself from the vote after declaring a conflict of interest. He noted that the Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association, of which he is interim director, receives money from the county in the form of membership fees.
The entire budget document can be viewed online at www.co.clatsop.or.us. Copies are also available to view at local libraries and the County Manager’s Office, 800 Exchange St., Suite 410.
The special district budget committees are scheduled to meet beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 9 at the Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial St., Astoria to review the budgets for the 4-H Extension Service Special District, Road District #1, Rural Law Enforcement District and Westport Sewer Service District.
The proposed budget totals $54,801,500, 8.8 percent lower than the current 2011-12 budget, reflecting in part reductions in capital projects, debt service and contractual services. The General Fund budget increases 3 percent, to $19,529,600.
The budget trims a handful of county positions, which were targeted due to a drop in workload or declining outside revenue. A total of two and a half positions in Assessment and Taxation and the Clerk’s Office are cut due to a drop in property-related work and document-recording as a result of the construction slow-down, while the clinical services manager position in the Public Health Department is eliminated because of a drop in state funding. Two vacant positions – emergency services manager and a parole and probation officer – are left unfilled.
The budget also adds one FTE (fulltime equivalent) planner and code enforcement position on the Community Development Department, expands a part-time position in the Emergency Management Division to fulltime to partially replace the eliminated manager position, and expands the Jail Nurse position.
Finance Director Mike Robison noted that despite the tighter fiscal situation, the county was able to limit staff reductions and meet its goals for establishing minimum reserve funds in the 2012-13 budget. But the following two fiscal years may present larger challenges to maintaining services with limited resources in the face of rising costs, he said.
The committee approved a request from member Cary Johnson to allocate $18,000 from the Special Projects Fund to pay for public outreach efforts in support of the county’s Select Area Fisheries Enhancement program. Johnson said the program and the local commercial salmon fishery is in serious jeopardy from a proposed state ballot measure that would ban gillnet fishing on the Columbia River.
The committee’s five citizen members also voted to set the County Sheriff’s monthly salary for 2012-13 at $9,027 – in line with a 2011 policy setting the salary 10 percent above that of the next highest position in the department. They also voted to maintain the county commissioners’ monthly stipends at the current levels – $1,050 for chairperson and $840 for commissioners.
The committee took no action on a suggested re-allocation of county transient room tax revenue. More than 80 percent of the $140,000 average annual collection comes from Arch Cape, and some residents have requested that the county dedicate a portion of the money each year specifically for services or projects in the unincorporated south-county community. The funds currently go to the county general fund.
Released by: Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622
The Clatsop County Budget Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved the proposed 2012-13 budget with one minor change.
The budget next goes to the county board of commissioners for a public hearing June 13 and final adoption June 27.
The budget committee, made up of the five county commissioners and five citizen members, went through the document department by department before voting for its approval, and also set next year’s property tax rate. The 2012-13 tax rate will be $1.5338 per $1,000 assessed property value, plus $.07 per $1,000 for the County Fairgrounds local option tax levy.
Commissioner Peter Huhtala recused himself from the vote after declaring a conflict of interest. He noted that the Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association, of which he is interim director, receives money from the county in the form of membership fees.
The entire budget document can be viewed online at www.co.clatsop.or.us. Copies are also available to view at local libraries and the County Manager’s Office, 800 Exchange St., Suite 410.
The special district budget committees are scheduled to meet beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 9 at the Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial St., Astoria to review the budgets for the 4-H Extension Service Special District, Road District #1, Rural Law Enforcement District and Westport Sewer Service District.
The proposed budget totals $54,801,500, 8.8 percent lower than the current 2011-12 budget, reflecting in part reductions in capital projects, debt service and contractual services. The General Fund budget increases 3 percent, to $19,529,600.
The budget trims a handful of county positions, which were targeted due to a drop in workload or declining outside revenue. A total of two and a half positions in Assessment and Taxation and the Clerk’s Office are cut due to a drop in property-related work and document-recording as a result of the construction slow-down, while the clinical services manager position in the Public Health Department is eliminated because of a drop in state funding. Two vacant positions – emergency services manager and a parole and probation officer – are left unfilled.
The budget also adds one FTE (fulltime equivalent) planner and code enforcement position on the Community Development Department, expands a part-time position in the Emergency Management Division to fulltime to partially replace the eliminated manager position, and expands the Jail Nurse position.
Finance Director Mike Robison noted that despite the tighter fiscal situation, the county was able to limit staff reductions and meet its goals for establishing minimum reserve funds in the 2012-13 budget. But the following two fiscal years may present larger challenges to maintaining services with limited resources in the face of rising costs, he said.
The committee approved a request from member Cary Johnson to allocate $18,000 from the Special Projects Fund to pay for public outreach efforts in support of the county’s Select Area Fisheries Enhancement program. Johnson said the program and the local commercial salmon fishery is in serious jeopardy from a proposed state ballot measure that would ban gillnet fishing on the Columbia River.
The committee’s five citizen members also voted to set the County Sheriff’s monthly salary for 2012-13 at $9,027 – in line with a 2011 policy setting the salary 10 percent above that of the next highest position in the department. They also voted to maintain the county commissioners’ monthly stipends at the current levels – $1,050 for chairperson and $840 for commissioners.
The committee took no action on a suggested re-allocation of county transient room tax revenue. More than 80 percent of the $140,000 average annual collection comes from Arch Cape, and some residents have requested that the county dedicate a portion of the money each year specifically for services or projects in the unincorporated south-county community. The funds currently go to the county general fund.
Released by: Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622
Monday, May 07, 2012
Obama Discusses Increased LNG Exports To Japan
Posted: May 7, 2012
Sutherland LNGlaw.com
Last week, President Obama met with Japanese Prime Minister Noda and announced that they have agreed to "a new joint vision to guide our alliance," which includes strengthening energy cooperation and discussions on expanding LNG exports from the United States to Japan.A transcript of the President's remarks can be found here.
Sutherland LNGlaw.com
Last week, President Obama met with Japanese Prime Minister Noda and announced that they have agreed to "a new joint vision to guide our alliance," which includes strengthening energy cooperation and discussions on expanding LNG exports from the United States to Japan.A transcript of the President's remarks can be found here.
Sunday, May 06, 2012
Second Victim Identified In Seaside Double Homicide
NEWS RELEASE
Seaside Police have identified the second victim of in
Thursday’s double homicide as Guy C. Phillips, age 53 of Seaside.
The investigation indicates Phillips moved to Seaside from the Portland area on May 1st.
Autopsies were completed on both Laura Foster and Guy
Phillips on Sunday. Both victims died as a result of blunt force trauma to the
head.
The preliminary investigation indicates Laura Foster and Guy Phillips were
long time friends.
The Seaside Police along with the Clatsop County Major
Crime completed their search of the residence on 10 Avenue on Saturday as well
as searching the Toyota Scion driven by the Marcus Foster when he was stopped by a
Clatsop County uniformed deputy and arrested.
Investigators believe the murder weapon was an aluminum baseball bat recovered during Saturday’s search of the residence.
The Gold Toyota Camry owned by Phillips was also located
Saturday and investigators have determined it is not directly related to events
leading up to the homicide.
Marcus Foster remains in the Clatsop County Jail on two
charges of aggravated murder and is awaiting arraignment on Monday.
Anyone with information concerning this case is asked to
call the Seaside Police Department at 503-738-6311 or Crime Tip line at
503-738-0222.
Seaside Police have identified the second victim of in
Thursday’s double homicide as Guy C. Phillips, age 53 of Seaside.
The investigation indicates Phillips moved to Seaside from the Portland area on May 1st.
Autopsies were completed on both Laura Foster and Guy
Phillips on Sunday. Both victims died as a result of blunt force trauma to the
head.
The preliminary investigation indicates Laura Foster and Guy Phillips were
long time friends.
The Seaside Police along with the Clatsop County Major
Crime completed their search of the residence on 10 Avenue on Saturday as well
as searching the Toyota Scion driven by the Marcus Foster when he was stopped by a
Clatsop County uniformed deputy and arrested.
Investigators believe the murder weapon was an aluminum baseball bat recovered during Saturday’s search of the residence.
The Gold Toyota Camry owned by Phillips was also located
Saturday and investigators have determined it is not directly related to events
leading up to the homicide.
Marcus Foster remains in the Clatsop County Jail on two
charges of aggravated murder and is awaiting arraignment on Monday.
Anyone with information concerning this case is asked to
call the Seaside Police Department at 503-738-6311 or Crime Tip line at
503-738-0222.
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