Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 2016)
BOYS SOCCER: SEASIDE WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT CLATSOP CLASH SPORTS • 10A DailyAstorian.com // WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016 144TH YEAR, NO. 74 ONE DOLLAR City Commission opposes property sales measure Warrenton measure lets voters decide large city sales by double-majority By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian WARRENTON — The City Com- mission agreed Tuesday to oppose a ballot measure that would amend the city charter to require double-ma- jority voter approval before the city sells, trades, divests or otherwise dis- poses of a city asset valued at more than $100,000 . Measure 4-181, which will appear on Warrenton’s Nov. 8 ballot, would prevent the city from taking such an action unless more than 50 percent of eligible electors vote on the sale, and a majority of them vote to approve it. The measure’s explanatory state- ment in the Clatsop County Vot- er’s Pamphlet states that, without the required double-majority approval, the city will not be able to, for exam- ple, use a city-owned garbage truck or ladder fi re truck as a trade-in for a new vehicle; replace parts in the city’s water system; sell city-owned build- ings; and dispose of certain outdated and surplus equipment, such as a city- owned backhoe. The measure was spearheaded by Warrenton Property Protection Com- mittee, which initially created the amendment to oppose a possible land exchange between the city and War- renton Fiber at Tansy Point. The amendment would not apply to assets owned by the Urban Renewal Agency. The elections for asset disposal may occur during a regularly sched- uled election, or at a special election. The city would be responsible for the costs of special elections. The measure itself will need to pass by a double-majority in order to become law. See MEASURE, Page 9A An olive FROM PARKING LOT branch TO PONDS in dam Work continues on Port of Astoria stormwater dispute S treatment upgrade PORT OF ASTORIA CLOSES IN ON NEW STORMWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM 101 By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian ia Columb River 30 Area in detail b The Port’s plan to treat stormwater lum o C includes pumping the runoff to a settling pond and bioswales Outfall 1 before it is discharged into the Columbia River. ia e Riv r Youngs Bay r Youngs Rive 101 BUS 101 202 Pier 1 Legend Pier 2 Existing drainage basin Planned storm forcemain Planned pump station Outfall 2 e u ven y A Pier 3 a tew Ga Source: Port of Astoria Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group Biofiltration swales t ee ry ust Str Ind e tre eg Or Pumping to the ponds e Shellfish provide filtration and buffering ive Dr See PORT, Page 9A 101 ri n Ma W. Water flow Next to the plot it leases from the Port at the end of Pier 3, Bergerson Construc- tion has been building a 20-foot-deep Avenue Ala m eda Settling pond with pre-treatment forebay PVC coated basket on C oast H wy. Tay lor Ave nue t Gabion biofilter City, water district locked in standoff By ERICK BENGEL and DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian d S En trollers on the Astoria Riverwalk’s west end might have noticed the transformation along the western edge of Pier 3. Dug out, hydroseeded a deep green and surrounded by access roads, a for- mer storage area on the p ier has nearly become the multimillion-dollar storm- water treatment system the Port of Asto- ria needs to stay in business amid tougher environmental requirements. T he construction is being overseen by Conway Construction Co., the Port’s gen- eral contractor and engineers from envi- ronmental consultant fi rm Maul Foster Alongi, which designed the stormwater system. On Tuesday, Maul Foster civil engi- neer Cem Gokcora toured the site, check- ing on progress. “It’s probably about 70, 75 percent complete,” he said, noting the pumps that take the water to the treatment system are some of the last major components to be installed. The plan, Gokcora said, is to complete the entire system, go through the fi nal checkoff and go active by late November. N 400 feet BELOW: The public has a full view of the Port of Astoria’s more than 2-acre stormwater treatment system on the western edge of Pier 3. The Port will also build an educational kiosk explaining how the system of settling ponds and bioswales works. Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian WARRENTON — The vice chairman of the Skipanon Water Control District sug- gested Tuesday night that the water dis- trict and the city negotiate over the future of the Eighth Street Dam to avoid expensive litigation. Bruce Francis, who said he was speaking to the City Commission as a citizen represent- ing his independent view, thinks there is room for some negotiation that might satisfy both sides in an increasingly contentious dispute. Akin Blitz, a Port- land attorney for the city, sent a letter to the water district in late September assert- ing that the city owns the dam. The attorney gave the water district Bruce a deadline last week to Francis surrender ownership interest or risk a potential lawsuit or the city’s seizure of the dam. The water district, which has sought to remove the dam as obsolete and to improve fi sh passage on the Skipanon River, did not respond by the deadline. “So I would like to just perhaps bring to the council that negotiation really is a very valuable tool to save the coffers of the city, of whom I am a ratepayer. I live here,” Francis said. “And I think that I would like to see us not turn the barnyard into a group of roosters clucking around and we get into a cockfi ght, in which nothing really gets achieved.” The water district has scheduled a board meeting Tuesday to discuss the dam. The City Commission is likely to address the dam again at a meeting later this month. “I would really like to get some negotia- tion before that,” Francis said. Mayor Mark Kujala thanked him. “We appreciate that,” he said. See DAM, Page 9A Shark attack victim warned others of danger By LYRA FONTAINE The Daily Astorian CANNON BEACH — Even after a severe shark bite, surfer Joseph Tanner was able to warn others of danger and direct bystanders how to tie a tourniquet around his leg. Tanner, a 29-year-old trauma nurse in Portland, was surfi ng at Indian Beach in Ecola State Park when he was attacked by a shark late Mon- day afternoon, sustaining bites to his upper thigh and lower leg. He fought off the shark by hitting it in the face, Cannon Beach volunteer fi refi ghter David Norris said. Then bystanders at the beach applied a tourniquet to his thigh to stop the bleeding. “He directed his own fi rst aid, what needed to be done,” surfer Jeff Rose said. “He asked us a lot of questions: what we were seeing, if we saw spurting blood.” According to eyewitness West Woodworth, 29, Tan- ner had been in the water for approximately 10 to 15 min- utes before the shark attack occurred. When Woodworth paddled toward Tanner and another man, Tanner started to fl ail around. According to Oregon State Police, Tanner yelled to others to get out of the water. Woodworth told police all three started paddling back into the shoreline 40 yards away. Tanner was able to get almost to the shoreline when Woodworth pulled him out of the water. With Tanner providing instruction, they used the leash of Tanner’s surfboard with square knots as the tourniquet. Tanner was then placed on his board and carried to the park- ing lot. Tanner was stabilized on scene and transported via air ambulance to Legacy See SHARK, Page 9A Cannon Beach Fire and Rescue Cannon Beach Police Officer Matthew Nunnally and vol- unteer firefighters Shaunna White and David Norris work to stabilize Joseph Tanner, who was bitten by a shark Monday at Indian Beach in Ecola State Park.
