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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017
Cannon Beach approves excise tax for housing
Tax on permits
would finance
affordable units
By BRENNA VISSER
The Daily Astorian
CANNON BEACH — City
councilors approved an excise
tax Tuesday designed to fund
affordable housing projects.
In a 4-1 vote, councilors
approved a 1 percent tax that
would be applied to build-
ing permits — so if someone
applied for a permit to build
$200,000 home, $2,000 would
go into the fund.
If the surcharge was applied
to commercial and residential
permits in 2016, the tax would
have yielded about $96,000,
City Planner Mark Barnes said.
Councilors who voted for
the tax supported any way
for the city to raise money for
affordable housing projects, as
well as the builder incentives
that would waive the tax if the
proposed units were affordable.
What projects are cho-
sen and assessed to be afford-
able — which means house-
holds intended for people
with incomes 80 percent of
the median county income —
would be decided by the City
Council.
But Councilor George Vet-
ter, the one dissenting vote,
took issue with the principle of
taxing a small group of people
to solve what he calls “a com-
munity problem” in Cannon
Beach.
“I would much prefer to see
this issue solved with a general
obligation bond,” Vetter said.
“In a citizen survey, the peo-
ple identified this as a com-
munity problem. I’d like to see
the solution come from their
pocketbooks.”
Vetter also said that he
doesn’t think the waiver will be
enough to entice developers.
“We’re talking about mar-
ket value,” he said. “To get the
best return, we would need to
make up with some kind of
subsidy.”
Other cities like Salem and
Portland have passed simi-
lar taxes, while Astoria is still
considering the option.
Affordable Housing Fund
The city’s budget com-
mittee approved next fiscal
year’s budget, but not without
heated debate over the mer-
its of the newly-added Afford-
able Housing Fund.
The budget was approved
9-1, with the ‘no’ vote com-
ing Vetter.
Because of the increase in
Police chief will serve as the
interim CB city manager
Cannon Beach
recruiting to
replace Kucera
The City Council voted
unanimously for Schermerhorn.
Selecting the police chief
also means the city does not
have to spend time or resources
finding, hiring and training an
interim pick from outside City
By BRENNA VISSER
Hall.
The Daily Astorian
Schermerhorn has been the
CANNON BEACH — police chief of Cannon Beach
Police Chief Jason Schermer- since 2012, and before then
horn will serve as interim city was a sergeant for Seaside
Police from 2005 to 2012. He
manager starting in July.
received a bachelor’s
After 2 1/2 years in
degree in criminal jus-
Cannon Beach, City
tice from Western Ore-
Manager Brant Kucera
gon University.
is leaving at the end of
He will be receiv-
the month to become
ing Kucera’s salary
the city manager of
during the interim.
Sisters, citing the need
The City Council
for “a change of pace.”
will be presented with
Schermerhorn was
Jason
quotes from recruit-
suggested as a candi-
Schermerhorn
ment firms at a work
date because he had
session next week.
served as an interim
city manager briefly between Whichever firm is chosen will
former city manager Rich have four months to begin a
Mays’ retirement and interim national search to fill the posi-
city manager Jennie Messer in tion by November, according to
2014, Kucera said, and is famil- the city charter.
The interim city man-
iar with the duties.
“He is well-liked and well- ager serves mostly as a point
known throughout the commu- of contact to make sure pre-
determined projects and busi-
nity,” Kucera said.
ness keep moving efficiently,
Kucera said.
While summer is gener-
ally the busiest time for law
enforcement in Cannon Beach,
Schermerhorn said he was not
concerned with an overwhelm-
ing workload. With how the
hierarchy of the department
works, Lt. Chris Wilbur is
already accustomed to tak-
ing on chief duties when he is
away, he said.
Before departing in June,
Kucera plans to sit down with
department heads to solidify
projects, as well as finish lease
negotiations between the city
and the Cannon Beach Acad-
emy concerning its new loca-
tion at the former Children’s
Center on Hemlock.
Kucera advised whoever
takes on the role next to be
very physically present in the
community.
“This community expects
the city manager to be visible
and out there in the commu-
nity — more than I have been,”
Kucera said. “The next man-
ager needs to recognize being
active in the community is the
key to their success.”
the lodging tax from 7 to 8 per-
cent in 2016, the budget grew
4.7 percent, City Manager
Brant Kucera said. The bud-
get includes four major water
and wastewater improvement
projects, a newly funded posi-
tion for an in-house build-
ing official to evaluate build-
ing codes and procedure and
additional funding for updated
radio technology for police.
But one of the most signif-
icant changes to the budget
landscape is the Affordable
Housing Fund. The fund’s
purpose in this budget cycle is
to build five affordable homes
in the RV Resort on Elk Land
Road and Haskell Lane, and
$92,000 of that fund is made
up from excise tax revenue.
The park was identified
as a potential site in a report
compiled by the affordable
housing task force last year,
citing the fact the city owned
the land, as well as relatively
low startup costs as benefits.
Each house would be
around 400 square feet and
mobile, Kucera said. With
rent anticipated to be $600
to $800 a month, the homes
would be intended for sin-
gle and working-class people
who earn about $15 an hour.
Different approaches
While the $429,740 fund
has remained in the budget,
some members of the com-
mittee took issue with the
homes relying on a bank loan,
rents and construction excise
taxes tied to a building econ-
omy — all sources of income
the committee interpreted as
either too risky or unfair to
business.
“I don’t think it’s good
for us to charge such a tiny
group of people for something
that won’t make that much
money,” Vetter said in refer-
ence to excise taxes.
During a May budget meet-
ing, Kucera argued that tak-
ing out loans to buy a home is
standard procedure, and that
the plan is low risk given that
the city already owns the land
and could sell the units if the
program does not succeed.
“Maybe there is some
assumption of cost,” budget
committee member Carolyn
Propst said, “but if you don’t
start with a low-risk project
then how do you get started?”
But with Kucera leaving
as city manager at the end of
the month, how this project
will roll out isn’t set in stone.
Tentatively, implementation
will be pushed from summer
until fall, Kucera said, where
it will be under the direction
of a new city manager.
Man accused in Portland stabbings
targets victim in court outburst
By STEVEN DUBOIS
Associated Press
PORTLAND — The
man accused of killing
two men and wounding a
third who tried to stop his
anti-Muslim tirade against
two teenagers on a Port-
land light-rail train shouted
he was “not guilty” today
during a courtroom out-
burst directed at one of the
victims.
Jeremy Christian, 35,
didn’t enter a plea during
his brief court appearance
but said he was “not guilty
of anything but defend-
ing myself against the vio-
lent aggression by Micah
Fletcher!”
Fletcher was in the
courtroom but said nothing
to reporters and displayed
no reaction as he left. The
21-year-old was stabbed
in the neck during the
May 26 attack that killed
Ricky Best and Taliesin
Namkai-Meche.
Christian was arraigned
on a 15-count indictment
charging him with aggravated
murder, attempted murder
and other crimes. The hear-
ing lasted about two minutes,
and his next court appearance
is July 18.
Prosecutors who have
reviewed videos and inter-
views with witnesses say in
court papers that Christian
yelled hateful comments at
two black girls, one of whom
was wearing an Islamic head
covering called a hijab.
When the girls moved
away from Christian, he made
a sudden move toward Nam-
kai-Meche and got into a
confrontation.
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Thank you, everyone, for making the 10 th annual Assistance League ®
the Columbia Pacific Golf Ball Drop such a great success.
WINNERS OF PRIZE PACKAGES/PRIZE DONORS
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CMH cares for
the whole family.
You can pay your bill online.
CMH provides an athletic trainer to
schools at no cost.
Our volunteers are priceless!
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www.columbiamemorial.org • A Planetree-Designated Hospital
Chris Luhrs – Wine Cellar on
10th
Tami Aho – Columbia River Bar
Pilots/Fulio’s
Lou Marconeri – Ocean Lodge/
Tom’s Fish & Chips/The
Driftwood
Christine Lalich – City
Lumber/4 Seasons
Pam Cartwright – Complete
Beauty Spa/Fairweather’s Gift
& Gallery/Doogers/Ter Har’s
Jo Pappas – Cannery Pier
Hotel/Bridgewater Bistro/
Columbia River Maritime
Museum
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Public Coast
John Nybakke – Gearhart Golf
Course/Gearhart Crossing
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Adventures/Human Bean
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Young at Heart Paper Crafting
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& Nut/Vintage Hardware
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-won in kids raffle
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Ares Covell
Donors not listed above: Bruce’s Candy Kitchen, Utti’s Fultano’s,
Funland, Gearhart Bowling, Purple Cow Toys, Dutch Bros. Coffee,
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a sincere apology and thank you to MAIDEN ASTORIA for the
error in their name and their graciousness.
HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR MAJOR SPONSORS:
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THANK YOU FOR HELPING US “CLOTHE THE KIDS!”