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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 2018)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018 Gearhart: City’s wildlife population has become a heated issue Continued from Page 1A “The park was deeded to the city by the county as a park, and it should be continued as a park,” he said. The cost of new infrastruc- ture at that site could be prohib- itive, he added. Zimmerman suggested a new building at the fire station’s current site, which already has infrastructure. A new building could be constructed to “withstand vari- ous scenarios.” Smith countered that build- ing the firehouse at its current site could prove even more expensive, with a temporary structure needed during con- struction and work needed to backfill unstable ground. “The park doesn’t have that problem and neither does ‘High Ground,’” Smith said, referring to a third site on North Marion under consideration. “There are issues with both of them,” Smith continued. “Nobody wants to lose a park and it’s going to be more expen- sive — but those two sit on sta- ble dunes.” life. “No feeding is the first step we can take to stop the habitua- tion of elk-human interaction,” he said. Culling the herd should be a last measure, he said, with sharpshooters or bow hunters tracking the animals outside of city limits. Zimmerman said the Ore- gon Department of Fish and Wildlife has underestimated the herd’s numbers and condition. “They’ve mismanaged that thing so bad that the herd’s grown to a population where they have hoof rot, one of the most debilitating diseases an animal can get. What has hap- pened to the elk herd is a trav- esty and borders on negligence in terms of state supervision,” he said. The herd should be trans- ported out of the city when pos- sible and culled if necessary, Zimmerman said. Smith said if the elk are moved from the area, “they’ll just set up shop in someone else’s town.” The city, which provides an online blog to chronicle elk-hu- man encounters, is building the paper trail with comments to the Department of Fish and Wild- life, and is likely to pass the ordinance to stop the feeding of wildlife except for songbirds. “The elk are state prop- erty and that’s about all we can do until ODFW comes to us,” Smith said. “As it is now, our hands are tied. I’d cull the herd, but not within the city limits at all.” John Dudley Elk in a Gearhart backyard. Growth BUY ANY 5 participating items and receive a code to enter for a *NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win. Open to legal U.S. residents, residing in Oregon or SW Washington, 18 years and older (must be 21+ to purchase alcohol). Promotion ends and Entry Codes must be entered by 11:59 PM PT on 11/22/18. 5 participating items must be purchased in a single transaction. For complete details, see Official Rules at www.cwseries.com. WIN A AV4 ND P s R or I B Z e E avers A R 2018 Toyota R ies G uck Pair of 201 ll 9 S D eason Tickets Adventure Ser a tb Foo Elk With a growing elk herd and increasing encounters between elk and people, the city’s wild- life population has become a heated campaign issue. Residents and businesses complain about the loss of plantings, damage to lawns, and hazardous meetings between the herd and visitors. Smith is in favor of an ordi- nance under consideration that would prohibit feeding wild- 4 to the - Air Travel for estination d apply Alaska Airlines Some blackout dates of your choice a Year - Groceries for l Getaway - 2 Night Coasta and More! N SEASO TS SEASON TICKETS TICKE PROTOTYPE SHOWN WITH OPTIONS. THANK YOU SPONSORS: Spending Zimmerman’s concern about growth spilled into his views for the city’s future. The most important issue for the city, he said, is spending priori- ties and the impact they have on the community. “That’s especially true in terms of how much spending are you going to ultimately levy on the property taxpayer,” he said. Building fees, a septic fee or taxes on cigarettes might also “throw off excess revenues” for the city’s parks and other needs, Zimmerman said. Smith said he would seek to limit future expenses in “small ways that add up,” with house- keeping cuts and tightening up of expenditures. Money saved could be moved to the city’s Community Emergency Response Team and resiliency planning, he said. If elected, Zimmerman said the first thing he would change in Gearhart would be to open the budget process to greater scrutiny. Right now, he said, it’s limited in scope. “I’d like to see that process come into the light of day and provide an opportunity in a town hall meeting and get up and describe what they want to spend money on, why they want to spend, where they’re limited,” Zimmerman said. “The taxpayer who has to pay that bill should have the ability to either agree, disagree or say ‘great job.’” Smith said the process offers residents an opportu- nity to study the budget for 30 days before it is accepted by the council and presented for a pub- lic hearing where they can let their input be known. S WEEKLY PRIZE 2019 2019 Both candidates said they share a love for the city and a passion for its protection. Smith said the city must comply with state regulations that require Gearhart to main- tain a 20-year inventory of buildable lots. “The state has notified the city that we need to comply with this requirement,” he said. New development could provide workforce housing, which could prove a boon for the city and region, he added. As a “no-growth” candidate, Zimmerman said an expan- sion of the city’s urban growth boundary would create higher density, require more services, employees and costs. “How much do you want to put on the back of the tax- payers?” he asked. “Gearhart doesn’t necessarily want to change — I don’t think any- body’s made the case that Gear- hart has to be dragged into the 21st century, or that Gearhart has to provide high-density apartments. 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