5A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
Housing: Some 500 housing units are in process in Warrenton
Bird’s-eye view
Continued from Page 1A
A request for proposals for
a consultant could go out by
the end of October, with the
goal of having someone on
board by the end of the year
or early next year. The county
also plans to form a steering
committee with representa-
tives from the cities .
“I don’t know where we’ll
end up dollar-wise on this,
but I’m pretty confi dent the
$100,000 is more than enough
to get this done,” Moore said.
Moore acknowledged that
most housing development will
take place within city limits,
not necessarily on county land,
but he said it seems appropri-
ate for the county government
to spear head this effort.
“Is the county part of the
solution? Yeah, we are part of
the solution.”
Why?
For many city offi cials, the
fi rst question they asked when
presented with the county’s
proposal was along the lines
of: “I understand where you’re
coming from, but why?”
Many of Clatsop County’s
cities already have a sense of
where they fall on the hous-
ing spectrum; they may have
even completed extensive
housing studies on their own.
Many have or are consider-
ing implementing construction
excise taxes to help fuel new
housing development . Asto-
ria recently completed a regis-
try to track vacant houses and
identify where housing could
be reopened or created.
At an Astoria City Coun-
cil meeting earlier this month ,
City Councilor Zetty Nemlow-
ill wanted to know what Moore
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
This apartment complex under construction in Astoria is part of a growing effort by local developers to increase the
amount of available housing in the area.
envisioned as the end product .
“The result,” she said. “Other
than just another study that sits
at C ity H all.”
E very city has one of those,
said city offi cials across the
county as they discussed the
county’s proposal. They have
the study that, as Warrenton
Mayor Henry Balensifer said,
“sits on the shelf and nothing
really comes of it.” Or, said
Warrenton City Commissioner
Tom Dyer, the studies that fol-
low other studies and are “the
same thing called something
different.”
In many ways Astoria and
Warrenton are at completely
opposite ends of the housing
issue.
Kevin Cronin, Astoria’s
community development direc-
tor, and Astoria Mayor Arline
LaMear say their city will
likely look at existing build-
ings, houses that need some
rehabilitation — or “adap-
tive reuse” — to make them
available for renters or buyers,
rather than new construction.
“I hope that we can get
more new construction proj-
ects like what (developer) Joe
Barnes is doing over above
the (Astoria Recreation Cen-
ter),” Cronin said, pointing to
a 32-unit apartment complex
in the works on Astoria’s South
Slope. “B ut for the most part
we’re a built-out community.”
In Warrenton, some 500
housing units are in process
this year alone — either under
construction or still in the per-
mit and design review stages
— and there is still more land
available.
But Warrenton and Asto-
ria both decided to partici-
pate in the countywide study.
City offi cials said no city has
taken the county’s full housing
market and related issues into
account. That lack of a bird’s-
eye view was what convinced
many of the cities to sign on.
Even though Cannon
Beach completed its own
housing study last year, the
C ity C ouncil unanimously
agreed to participate in the
c ounty study.
“All cities are in the same
boat right now when it comes
to affordable housing,” said
Jason Schermerhorn, the
interim city manager for Can-
non Beach. “It’s not just a
problem in this county, it’s
statewide. Being involved will
help us have a broader idea on
how to handle it.”
“I look at the housing issue
as not just a city of Astoria
issue,” Astoria City Manager
Brett Estes said. “ It’s really a
county issue and what can we
all collectively be doing.”
After all, he said, there’s
“leakage” between the differ-
ent cities, meaning people who
work in one city might be try-
ing to live in another, or might
be forced to live outside the
city they work in because of
the lack of housing. Balensifer
also made a similar point as
the Warrenton City Commis-
sion discussed the agreement.
“For me it’s, ‘OK, we can
look at Astoria but, really,
what’s the need for the whole
area?’” Estes said. “And
what’s the availability for the
whole area?”
Reporters Brenna Visser
and Jack Heffernan contrib-
uted to this report.
Thompson: Results of internal investigation were revealed in executive session
feared retaliation if they went
public. I now understand their
fears of retaliation.”
But Lee insists the internal
investigation was a human-re-
sources matter meant to
ensure that county staff are
protected from commission-
ers, who supervise the county
manager and staff.
“It’s outrageous that she
would accuse me of making
this issue politically moti-
vated,” Lee said. “I have
been following the advice of
county counsel.”
Continued from Page 1A
fellow commissioners, and
County Manager Moore that
has bubbled under the surface
for several months.
Commissioner Scott Lee,
the board’s chairman, learned
of the incident soon after it
happened, though he did not
disclose how. Lee then called
an executive session in late
July with other board mem-
bers and Portland-based labor
attorney Heather Martin. At
the private session, the board
decided to pursue an inves-
tigation and hire Jill Gold-
smith of Workplace Solutions
Northwest, a Portland medi-
ation service, to conduct the
probe.
Goldsmith
interviewed
the county employee who
had allegedly been touched
by Thompson, a witness to
the incident, and a county
employee who has a personal
relationship with Thompson
and is familiar with the com-
missioner’s demeanor and
concerns about the county
manager. Thompson declined
Offi cial role
Scott Lee
to be interviewed but submit-
ted her account through an
attorney.
The results of the internal
investigation were revealed
to commissioners during an
executive session Wednesday
night.
“Several staff have raised
issues about county govern-
ment with me,” Thompson
said in an email to The Daily
Astorian. “They said they
The internal investigation
found that Thompson was
acting in her role as commis-
sioner during the June 27 inci-
dent after a Red Cross meet-
ing at Fort Clatsop in Lewis
and Clark National Histori-
cal Park.
After the Red Cross meet-
ing, Thompson approached
the county employee and
expressed frustration with
Moore. She also allegedly
said that she “was the only
commissioner on the board
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6 PM
has no memory of physically
pushing anyone backward.
“She is the fi rst to admit she
is sometimes loud — a char-
acter trait she attributes to her
passion for the people of Clat-
sop County, to her blue-col-
lar roots, and to her hearing
loss. She is outwardly demon-
strative. She sometimes talks
with her hands or touches
people during conversations
(for example, she may place a
supportive hand on someone’s
shoulder or she might touch
someone’s arm while making
a point).”
‘Appropriate decorum’
According to board rules,
commissioners must com-
mit themselves to “ethical,
businesslike, and lawful con-
duct, including proper use
of authority and appropriate
decorum when acting as board
members.” The internal inves-
tigation concluded Thompson
violated this policy.
Lee pointed to an inci-
dent in 2014 when he casti-
gated former County Com-
missioner Dirk Rohne, now a
LISTINGS
THE DAILY
ASTORIAN
A
who worked.”
Thompson,
according
to the report, at one point
became agitated about Moore,
stepped toward the county
employee and asked, “Do
you know what he did?” As
the county employee refl ex-
ively placed her hands up,
Thompson allegedly placed
her hands on the employ-
ee’s hands or, according to
the witness, upper arms near
the shoulders. The county
employee then took two to
three steps back as Thomp-
son vociferously repeated her
question.
After untangling her-
self, the county employee
asked Thompson what she
was talking about. Thompson
then allegedly expressed her
belief that Moore had inten-
tionally scheduled a meeting
in May so that she would not
be able to attend. The county
employee described Thomp-
son as upset and agitated
during the conversation.
In the account Thompson
provided through an attorney,
the commissioner said she
Port of Astoria commissioner.
Rohne allegedly complained
about staff and former County
Manager Scott Somers to
Portland-based labor attorney
Akin Blitz.
“This is not the fi rst time
I’ve called out a commis-
sioner for failing to under-
stand how to do his or her job,
in my opinion, and getting out
of their lane with staff,” Lee
said. “It’s a very big problem
and it’s been something that I
take seriously.”
David Kramer, Thomp-
son’s Salem-based attorney,
questioned whether the board
has the authority to investi-
gate an independently elected
offi cial since that power is not
specifi cally outlined in the
county charter. He said the
board’s rules apply to con-
duct at board meetings, “but
nothing you allege arguably
relates to a board ‘meeting.’”
Kramer called the inter-
nal investigation “likely
politically motivated, and it
undercuts the political inde-
pendence of elected public
offi cials.”
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THURSDAY
S EPTEMBER 14
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