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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 2016)
‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’ AT THE COASTER THEATRE COAST WEEKEND • INSIDE 144TH YEAR, NO. 115 ONE DOLLAR DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016 Seaside files suit against Shilo Inn Hotel chain owes city more than $100,000 By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian The Jia Da bulk carrier anchored in the Columbia River on Tuesday with snowy peaks in the background. Snow and sleet is in the forecast for Astoria today as the National Weather service issued a winter storm warning until midnight tonight. Snowy weather forecast prompts area closures The weather outside could be frightful The Daily Astorian I t could be a wintry day. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the North Coast until midnight. “A winter storm warning means significant amounts of snow, sleet and ice are expected or occurring,” the weather service said. “Strong winds are also possible. This will make travel very hazardous or impossible.” The storm notice prompted the closure of Clatsop County offices, although the courts remained open. State offices also closed. Clatsop Community College announced it was closing at 1 p.m. Final exams scheduled prior to 1 p.m will still be held. School districts in Astoria, Knappa, War- renton-Hammond, Seaside, Jewell, Neah- Kah-Nie, Tillamook and Clatskanie also closed, along with the Northwest Regional Education Service District’s Clatsop Service Center in Astoria and Washington’s Ocean Beach School District. Craig Hoppes, superintendent of Asto- ria School District, said school districts throughout the county had been confer- ring and decided to cancel school after tak- ing part in a webinar with the National Oce- anic and Atmospheric Administration, which upgraded the likelihood of a winter storm from possible to imminent. “The other thing that makes me nervous is that … the storm was supposed to happen while kids were in school,” Hoppes said. Hoppes said the district didn’t want a sit- uation in which parents would have trouble picking up children from school. He said it has been at least two years since all school districts closed at once. The schools also can- celed all athletic and extracurricular activi- ties for today. Warrenton also closed the pre- school and kids care programs. Snow of up to 1 inch is possible near Asto- ria and Long Beach, Washington, according to the forecast. Federal agencies, meanwhile, have post- poned a public meeting in Astoria to dis- cuss the future of dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The meeting, which had been scheduled for this afternoon at The Loft at the Red Building, will now take place Dec. 15. SEASIDE — Shilo Inn owes Seaside more than $100,000 in lodging taxes, and the city went to court this month to collect. The complaint in Clatsop County Circuit Court asks for delinquent taxes of $112,574, with interest of 1 percent per month and an additional penalty of nearly $17,000. It is the third time the city has sued Shilo for back taxes this year. “If you’ve looked at the complaint that I’ve filed, this is the third time I’ve had to do that within the last five or six months,” City Attorney Dan Van Thiel said. “I take the position that any of the hotels or any- body who has the responsibility to collect that money is a fiduciary. That’s the city’s money.” Altogether, the city is seeking to collect almost $143,000 in tax, penalties and inter- est on Shilo’s taxable room rentals of almost $1.5 million. See SEASIDE, Page 7A Submitted Photo The Shilo Inn in Seaside owes more than $100,000 in room taxes to the city of Seaside. Warrenton prepares to sue over dam The city would operate dam for flood control By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian The Daily Astorian/File Photo Warrenton could sue the Skipanon Wa- ter Control District and take over the Eighth Street Dam for flood control. WARRENTON — The city has drafted a lawsuit against the Ski- panon Water Control District to take over the Eighth Street Dam and operate the aging structure for flood control. The lawsuit describes the dam as an integral part of the city’s levee system overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The suit claims an emergency exists and that War- renton must reinstall tide gates on the dam to avoid the harm of flooding. Akin Blitz, a Portland attorney representing the city, gave the water district until a City Commission meeting on Tuesday night to resolve the dispute or face the lawsuit in Cir- cuit Court. Tessa Scheller, the chairwoman of the water district, said the water dis- trict remains committed to removing the dam as a hazard and to improve fish passage on the Skipanon River. The water district removed the tide gates last year and believes the dam is not useful for flood control. “We are sad to see the city pro- posing to waste public funds on liti- gation against another public body,” Scheller said. “We have previously suggested the city engage in medi- ation through (Portland State Uni- versity’s National Policy Consensus Center). “It’s not clear to us why they have instead chosen to go to court and to waste taxpayers’ funds doing so.” Quiet title The city has threatened to sue since September to settle ownership rights to the dam. Blitz has drafted what is known as an action to quiet title, which seeks a court order to establish property ownership. The Eighth Street Dam was built in 1963 with the financial help of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The water district obtained an easement from the city to operate the dam in partnership with the USDA’s Natu- ral Resources Conservation Service. See DAM, Page 7A Cannon Beach adopts first affordable housing plan Park models, code changes could come By LYRA FONTAINE The Daily Astorian CANNON BEACH — The Cannon Beach City Coun- cil has voted unanimously to adopt the city’s affordable housing task force report. The plan — which aims to encourage and facilitate the creation of long-term work- force rentals for year-round residents — recommends plac- ing park model homes within the city-owned RV Resort and council work ses- amending munici- sion in January. pal code. “Most, if not all, of the initia- Workforce tives end up coming housing back before you in a Up to 10 spots more detailed form in the RV Resort as a fleshed-out pro- should be dedi- posal,” City Plan- cated to park model ner Mark Barnes homes, the report said Tuesday to stated. The cus- Mark Barnes the council, which tomizable homes, reviewed the report in Novem- about 400 square feet, can ber. “If you do adopt this, some be installed in the RV spaces of this you’ll see very soon.”’ and hooked up to existing Each proposal requires water and electrical systems. additional action by the City The program could start with Council, Planning Commis- three to eight park models and sion or Design Review Board. potentially grow to 25. Barnes will present imple- mentation measures at the See HOUSING, Page 7A Submitted Photo The city plans to place up to 10 park model homes at the city-owned Cannon Beach RV Resort.