3A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017
Cannon Beach considers New mayor, council
new tree rule changes
president in Gearhart
Nearby property
owners would
get notification
Jesse is
Gearhart’s
second in
command
By LYRA FONTAINE
The Daily Astorian
CANNON BEACH —
More requirements for tree
removal requests on city-
owned property could be
ahead.
After residents complained
in November about tree cutting
on city property near the city-
owned RV Resort, the Plan-
ning Commission approved
recommending amendments
to the city’s tree removal ordi-
nance at a late December
meeting.
The City Council will
discuss the recommended
changes on Tuesday and hold
a public hearing on Feb. 7.
If the council follows the
Planning Commission’s rec-
ommendations, tree removal
requests on city-owned
property could be subject to
additional requirements. The
city would need to notify
property owners within 100
feet of the trees requested
for removal and give notice
to any person who has com-
mented on the request. The
city would also be required
to post its tree removal
request on the city’s website
and at City Hall.
In November, the city
removed about 35 trees from
the RV Resort. Some trees
that were removed were dead
or dying, according to the per-
mit application. Residents
who live near the RV Resort
expressed concerns to the the
Cannon Beach Gazette about
the removal.
The trees were selectively
thinned as part of the sec-
ond phase of the RV Park util-
ity upgrade, Public Works
Director Dan Grassick said in
November.
“Thinning will allow the
healthy tree specimens that
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
GEARHART — With
a change at the top of city
government came a call
for a second in command,
council president. Mayor
Matt Brown ushered in the
new year at Gearhart’s first
council meeting of 2017
and among his agenda items
was the job of appointing a
council president.
Dan Jesse was unani-
mously elected to serve the
role.
The position, man-
dated in the city’s charter,
calls for council members
to elect a president among
themselves. In the may-
or’s absence from a council
meeting, the council presi-
dent would preside. When-
ever the mayor is unable
to perform the functions of
office, the president acts as
mayor.
Sue Lorain held the post
under the term of Dianne
Widdop.
In nominating Paulina
Cockrum, Kerry Smith
called for a “well-rounded
council.”
“Instead of re-electing a
person, I’d like to see some-
body else has the chance,”
Smith said. “It makes sense
another council member to
get the experience.”
Lorain nominated Jesse,
who is serving his second
four-year term after running
unopposed in November.
Cockrum, the junior
member on the council,
withdrew her name from
consideration and joined
Brown, Lorain and Smith in
voting for Jesse.
Jesse’s career in pub-
lic service began with the
Seaside Civic and Conven-
tion Center and the Sea-
side Improvement Com-
mission, before he and his
wife, Julie, moved to Gear-
hart, where he served on
the Planning Commission
before election to the City
Council.
“Being the council pres-
ident in Gearhart is largely
symbolic, but if the mayor
were to be absent, at that
point I would be next in
line,” Jesse said after the
meeting.
The Daily Astorian/File Photo
Trees fill the city, like this reaching to the sky at Spruce
and Harrison streets.
remain to branch out and fill
in the upper canopy while cre-
ating a more park-like atmo-
sphere versus dense forest,”
Grassick said. “The under-
ground utility construction also
will damage a few trees that
likely will need to be removed
as a result of the excavation.
Those will be evaluated on a
case-by-case.”
The park was over-planted
with the idea that not all of the
trees would survive since it
was too dense, but nearly all
the trees survived and were
never thinned, Grassick said.
This has led to forest health
issues, such as one pine spe-
cies starting to die off, Gras-
sick said. The overcrowding
has also created challenges
with RV sites since the RVs
have become larger with more
accessories.
The city is following the
recommendations of licensed
arborist Joe Balden, who was
hired to evaluate the health of
the park’s forested area. More
than 250 trees will remain,
Grassick said.
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