NORTH COAST
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2015
3A
Astoria City Council approves budget
Budget includes
money for new
ladder truck,
sewer and
water fee hikes
partment and improvements
to the Astoria Aquatic Center,
the Astoria Public Library and
Ocean View Cemetery.
The budget is an increase
over the $37.2 million spend-
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General-fund spending is
$10.6 million, up from $9.2
million this year.
Water and sewer rates will
By DERRICK
each rise by 2 percent and a
Daily Astorian file
DePLEDGE
surcharge to help pay for the
This area of Uniontown waterfront north of Marine Drive
The Daily Astorian
city’s $40 million to $50 mil-
is part of the Bridge Vista phase of the Riverfront Vision
Plan.
The Astoria City Council lion sewer improvement proj-
voted Monday night to adopt ect will climb by 5 percent.
a $41.3 million budget for the The city is under a federal
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Continued from Page 1A
The plan was adopted in July, with money for a new WHUÀRZLQJLQWRWKH&ROXPELD
EXWWKH¿UVWSKDVH²WKH ladder truck for the Fire De- River.
The City Council voted 4-1 Civic Greenway leg from 16th
to advance Bridge Vista with an Street to 41st Street — was not
amendment that would ensure approved by the City Council BUSINESS
no variances could be granted to until last year. Bridge Vista,
building height restrictions over which covers Portway to Sec-
the river. City Councilor Drew ond Street, is the second phase.
The Urban Core — Second
Herzig voted “no.”
education and health services
Councilors rejected a mo- Street to 16th — and the Neigh-
The Daily Astorian
(100), and professional and
tion by Herzig to restrict all de- borhood Greenway — 41st
velopment north of the Astoria Street to Alderbrook Lagoon —
As spring progresses into business services (40). The
Riverfront Trolley tracks to the are scheduled to follow.
summer, seasonally adjusted industries shedding the most
The goal is for the city to unemployment rates contin- jobs in the past year were retail
height of the riverbank, and all
development south of the tracks have new planning require- ue inching downward across trade (120), food manufactur-
to 25 feet high. Herzig and ments to guide future develop- northwest Oregon, according ing (70) and paper manufac-
Councilor Cindy Price voted for ment.
to statistics from the Oregon turing (40).
Bridge Vista would replace Employment Department.
the motion, while Mayor Arline
LaMear, Councilor Zetty Nem- existing guidelines that are
In Clatsop County, the sea-
Columbia County
lowill and Councilor Russ Warr more permissive. “Essentially, sonally adjusted unemploy-
In Columbia County,
you could have a wall of build- ment rate over April was 5.1 April’s 6.7 percent seasonally
voted against the idea.
$¿QDOYRWHRQ%ULGJH9LVWD ings along this area, along the percent, slightly down from adjusted unemployment rate
is expected at a council meeting river,” said Matt Hastie, a city 5.3 percent in March. It was was down slightly from the
consultant.
later this month.
lower than the statewide (5.1 previous month and nearly 1
Many of the residents who percent) and national (5.4 per- percent down from the previ-
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chamber to urge councilors to oppose Bridge Vista acknowl- cent) rates.
ous year.
impose greater development edge the new planning require-
A gain of 460 jobs is nor-
A gain of 70 jobs is normal
restrictions and prevent new ments would be an improve- mal for April, but the county for the month, and the county
buildings that could block views. ment. New condominiums, added only 310, leaving total added 100, leaving total non-
1RUHVLGHQWZKRWHVWL¿HGDWWKH hotels, bars and restaurants, nonfarm payroll employment farm payroll employment at
meeting spoke in favor of the and fuel terminals, for example, at 17,350 jobs. The private sec- 10,250 jobs. The private sec-
Bridge Vista plan, which was would be prohibited over the tor added 300 jobs, and gov- tor gained all 100 jobs, and
approved unanimously by the water. On shore, a pedestrian ernment employment inched government employment was
friendly zone and broader com- up by 10 jobs. Leisure and unchanged. Retail trade added
Planning Commission in April.
“This is an area where there mercial uses could serve both hospitality grew by 240 jobs; 40 jobs; and educational and
food manufacturing and pro- health services gained 30.
were canneries,” LaMear said. residents and tourists.
But many do not think the fessional and business services
Total nonfarm employment
“It is a waterfront. It’s a working
waterfront. And I think that the restrictions are nearly strong each added 40; transportation, in April was 80 more than the
warehousing and utilities cut year before, a gain of a little
vision plan spells out that there enough to protect views.
“People don’t come to As- 70. State government added less than 1 percent. Private
are certain areas that should be
open for views, and certain ar- toria, or live in Astoria, because 20 jobs in April, as it typically sector employment was un-
changed, and government ac-
eas that are more useful for de- they have such nice buildings does for the summer season.
on the river,” Alan Batchelder, a
April’s total nonfarm pay- counted for all of the increase.
velopment.”
The mayor questioned retired family therapist, told the roll employment in Clatsop Local governments, mostly
County was 170 more than last school districts, added 40 jobs
whether the overwhelming op- City Council.
George “Mick” Hague, a year, a growth of 1 percent. In- over the year, and state gov-
position from residents at the
meeting, which included many retired teacher who lives at Co- dustries adding the most jobs ernment added 30 jobs. Some
who have fought development lumbia House, an over-the-wa- over the past year included of the state jobs are likely to be
SURMHFWVRYHUWKH\HDUVUHÀHFWHG ter condominium near Second leisure and hospitality (210), just summer positions.
the range of public opinion in Street he considers “a wart” on
the riverfront, said views of the
the city.
“Not everyone in this city — river are enjoyed by both resi-
subscribe online at
not everyone — feels that there dents and visitors.
“Why would we want to de-
should be no development along
dailyastorian.com
stroy that?” he asked. “Why?”
the river,” LaMear said.
Nemlowill described the
Riverfront Vision Plan as a “bal-
anced approach to commerce
and conservation.”
While Bridge Vista would
not eliminate future develop-
ment over the river, she said, “it
limits it drastically in size, mass,
w ould like to tha nk the follow ing
width, with view corridors.”
busi
ness for their generous dona tions
Herzig and Price believe,
however, that public opinion
• Brid g ew ater Bistro
• KOA
is clearly against development
• W arren ton -H am m on d • D utch Bros
over the river.
School D istrict
• N isa’s Thai K itchen
“I just really do not know
•
W
arren
ton
Fultan
o’s
• South Jetty D in in g Room
how long the City Council can
• El Com pad re
• Ban k of the Pacific
continue to ignore the wishes of
• Seasid e Tem ps
• O han a M ed ia Group
the majority of its constituents,”
• Casual Eleg an ce
• H ig h Life Ad ven ture
Price said.
Bridge Vista: Moving ahead
The
budget
contains
$500,000 toward a new
$880,000 ladder truck. The
outlay also includes $250,000
for repairs to the aquatic cen-
ter, $80,000 for a new roof for
the public library and $72,000
for weed eradication and re-
seeding at Ocean View Cem-
etery in Warrenton and other
city park grounds.
Before agreeing to approve
the budget, City Councilor
Drew Herzig won assurances
the city would address two is-
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the budget committee’s review
of the spending plan.
City staff has promised
to get a new contract with
the Astoria-Warrenton Area
Chamber of Commerce before
releasing money to the cham-
ber from the Promote Astoria
fund. The chamber has not had
a formal contract with the city
for the past decade and has not
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cial reports required under city
code.
City staff will also request a
letter from the Astoria Rescue
Mission stipulating the mis-
sion will follow the city’s non-
discrimination policy before
releasing grant money. Herzig
has alleged the Christian mis-
sion that helps the homeless
discriminates against women
and same-sex couples.
Unemployment down slightly in Clatsop County
Tillamook County
The 5.2 percent season-
ally adjusted unemployment
rate in Tillamook County
was barely down from the
previous month but 1.3 per-
cent lower than the year pri-
or.
A gain of 220 jobs was
expected for the month, but
the county added only 210,
leaving total nonfarm payroll
employment at 8,660 jobs.
The private sector grew by
170 jobs and governments
chipped in 40. The growth
was driven by the leisure and
hospitality industry, which
added 70 jobs, food man-
ufacturing (+40) and retail
trade (+30). State and local
governments each added 20
jobs, which is not unusual as
the summer season begins.
April’s total nonfarm em-
ployment was 190 more than
the year before, a growth
of 2.3 percent. The private
sector added 130 jobs, and
governments added 60. In-
dustries adding the most jobs
included food manufacturing
(60); and educational and
health services (60). Leisure
and hospitality was down 60
jobs over the year.
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Sum m er Rea d in g 2015
Th e W a rren to n H igh S ch o o l S a fe &
S o ber G ra d u a tio n Pa rty Co m m ittee
a n d th e 2015 gra d u a tin g cla ss
Pressure to develop
The Riverfront Vision Plan
was the city’s response to the
tremendous development pres-
sure along the river before the
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