March 24, 2017 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 7A
Local water rates poised to soar
Water from Page 1A
An additional $2 million
is needed to fund the city’s
wastewater management up-
grades, he said.
General fund transfers
The rate study was outlined
in January at the City Council
goals session and reviewed at
last week’s work session.
“For the city, the issue has
been the council has known
for several years the rate
structure that the city has in
place for water, wastewa-
ter and storm, the enterprise
funds, has not fully funded
those programs,” Grassick
said. “The rates don’t support
basic operation expenses. Ev-
ery year, we’ve had to go back
with supplemental budgets
for expenses we incurred for
maintenance or emergency
expenses. That’s not the way
to run a train on time.”
Grassick said a public
process — including a citi-
zens’ advisory group, council
members and members of the
public works committee and
staff — have been meeting
for 15 months. “It all really
came together in the last ses-
R.J. MARX/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
Cannon Beach water, wastewater and stormwater rates
could increase up to 40 percent.
sion,” he said.
Along with expenses for
water-tank repair or replace-
ment, the city faces costs to
replace brittle underground
pipes, some of which have
been in the ground for more
than 50 years.
More use, more cost
The base rate for home or
commercial property owners
is determined by the cost “to
get water to your front door,”
Grassick said.
In a city where 75 percent
of property owners are sec-
ond homeowners, owners are
charged the base rate whether
they use the residence or not,
Grassick said. “You incur costs
even if you don’t use water,”
he said. “That’s the base rate.”
The base rate for home-
owners provides about 100
cubic feet of water or 748 gal-
lons per month.
The unit rate, based on
water usage, would increase
from $4.35 to $7.15 per 100
cubic feet of water used per
month.
Commercial water rates
correspond to meter size,
from a base allowance of 400
cubic feet to 20,000 cubic
feet. Cannon Beach Rural Fire
Protection District is exempt
from charges.
Storm drain costs are an
additional fee for homeown-
ers and commercial proper-
ties, Grassick said, and “will
be close to double what it is
right now.”
Vetter said the hikes are
still “conjecture” and must be
approved by council.
“We’ve got the study from
Civil West, they are making
recommendations, and now
we, as a council, have to do
decide which recommenda-
tions we are going to follow,”
Vetter said. “The reality is
we could decide not to raise
the rates, but that’s not likely
to happen. But we have not
made the decisions yet. Mov-
ing forward, we have to make
decisions about what aspects
of that master plan we’re go-
ing to execute and when.”
The council plans to adopt
the master plans April 4 and
posted on the city website the
next day, Grassick said. The
new rate structure could be re-
flected in the budget 2017-18
and go into effect July 1.
Bills would reflect the new
costs in August.
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Along with Patrick Nofield, Brian Tay-
lor is one of two Seaside School District
directors to represent Cannon Beach on the
seven-person board. Taylor is running unop-
posed for re-election.
Q: What have you learned during your
time on the board?
It’s been eye-opening, how the public
administrative side works with the school
district. We’ve got a really good board that
works well together, complements each oth-
er. Everybody has a different point of view,
but the one thing we all have in common is
we’re all here for the kids.
Q: As owner and production manager
of Bruce’s Candy Kitchen, how has your
business experience impacted your board
experience?
I would say being able to work together
with people and management. There are cer-
tain steps you have to take to make the pieces
fit, all come together. One person can’t do ev-
erything. I couldn’t make that candy myself.
Delegate, work with others and realize every
person is important, everything is a piece of
the puzzle.
Q: Tell me your thoughts on the Can-
non Beach Academy.
When Cannon Beach Elementary School
had to be closed due to financial issues, it was
sad because I had been able to walk my kids
to school every day. But we had to do what
was best for the district.
The charter school group has worked re-
ally hard. We had our struggles in the first
couple of years, but I think it will be a good
addition to the school district. They’re still
going to have their challenges, but they’ve
got a really good group of people.
Q: What made the difference for the
academy?
Right now I have a fifth- and a sev-
enth-grader. I had a second- and a fourth-grad-
er when the school closed. When the acade-
my tried to go for all six grades, the chance
for error was higher, but when they decided
to start with a young group and build it from
there, that was a really good idea. Start small
and build it, like anything else in life.
I know our kids have to travel a little fur-
ther. But it’s no further than Cullaby Lake
to Gearhart Elementary School. It’s 8 miles.
There are a few more kids out our direction
than Cullaby Lake. That’s our biggest con-
cern — how far it is to travel. My kids ride
the bus and they actually enjoy the ride. It’s
a chance for kids to interact with each other.
— R.J. Marx
seeking his second term.
Wunderlich, who describes
herself as “coffee slinger” at
Seaside Coffee, is a Seaside
High School graduate with
an undergraduate degree from
Portland State University.
“I feel I am a product of
Seaside,” Wunderlich said. “I
feel like the district has done
a great job, and what it comes
down to is the kids. It’s a great
time to be the community, just
coming off the heels of bas-
ketball, we’re all superexcit-
ed, with the new school — I
guess it’s time.
“I have an open mind and
have kind of made a career
out of listening to people
here,” Wunderlich added. “I
feel like I have a lot of unique
perspectives brought to me.
Then of course I have my own
perspective. And I’m a good
listener, I can listen to what
people have to say, but at the
end of the day, do what I think
is right.”
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Q&A with Cannon Beach’s Brian Taylor
CCB#199205
Two races are contested. In
Seaside’s Zone 6, Custer chal-
lenges Stelson, who joined the
board in 2013.
In Gearhart’s Zone 3, Wahl
and Lum compete.
After district consolidation
in 1967, seats were divid-
ed with two each to Cannon
Beach, Seaside and Gear-
hart. The seventh member
of the board serves at-large
and may live anywhere with-
in the district. Both Gearhart
incumbent Lynn Ulbricht and
at-large incumbent Tom Malt-
man are stepping down from
the board.
Maltman said he was retir-
ing after 16 years on the board
to pursue new directions.
“The big goal was getting the
relocation situated and the
bond passed,” Maltman said.
“That’s done, so I think it’s
time to pass it on to fresher
individuals with a little more
energy than I might have.”
Stelson, the incumbent in
Seaside’s Zone 6, is a retired
family physician. He brings
experience on the school
board and as a member of the
city’s improvement commis-
sion.
“I enjoy it,” Hugh Stelson
said of serving on the school
board. “I have learned a lot
about schools in general, and
our schools and staff in par-
ticular. We do a lot with what
we have. I’d like to see the
district through the construc-
tion, the charter school tran-
sition and continuing evolu-
tion of improving teaching
and outcomes using data and
individual connections to stu-
dents and families. I worry
about funding, PERS (Public
Employees Retirement Sys-
tem), and the current federal
approach to public education,
but expect that those issues
are out of my hands.”
Taylor, a Cannon Beach
resident, runs unopposed in
Zone 1. Taylor is a Seaside
High School graduate and
the production manager of
Bruce’s Candy Kitchen. He
was elected to the board of
directors in 2013 and is now
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