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. Look at Portland.”
clip or CLICK!
10
®
$
Valid 10/2/18 thru 10/9/18
OFF
$
50
or more
*
Save on your next grocery purchase of $50
or more* with your Club Card & this Savings Award.
*Use this Savings Award on any shopping trip you choose at any Oregon Safeway or Albertsons store and S.W. Washington stores serving
Clark, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Skamania, Walla Walla and Klickitat counties by 10/9/18. This $10.00 Savings Award excludes purchases of
Alcoholic Beverages, Fluid Dairy Products, Tobacco, US Postage Stamps, Trimet Bus/Commuter Passes, Money Orders, Container Deposits,
Lottery, Gift Cards, Gift Certificates Sales, All Pharmacy Prescription Purchases, Safeway Club Savings, Safeway or Albertsons Store
Coupons and Sales Tax. One Savings Award redeemable per household. COUPON CANNOT BE DOUBLED. Online and in-store prices,
discounts, and offers may differ.
clip or CLICK!
®
Valid 10/2/18 thru 10/9/18
Signature SELECT ®
Pan Bread 24-oz.
or Oven Joy Bread
22-oz. Selected varieties.
¢
99
ea
Limit
4
*This coupon must be presented at time of purchase at Safeway / Albertsons. Offer valid with Card and Coupon.
COUPON CANNOT BE DOUBLED or combined with digital coupon. Coupon valid 10/2/18 - 10/9/18.
Prices in this ad are effective 6 AM Tuesday, October 2, 2018 thru Tuesday, October 9, 2018 (unless otherwise noted) in all Safeway or Albertsons stores in Oregon and S.W. Washington stores serving Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania, Walla Walla and Klickitat Counties. Items offered for
sale are not available to other dealers or wholesalers. Sales of products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine limited by law. Quantity rights reserved. SOME ADVERTISING ITEMS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN ALL STORES. Some advertised prices may be even lower in some
stores. On Buy One, Get One Free (“BOGO”) offers, customer must purchase the fi rst item to receive the second item free. BOGO offers are not 1/2 price sales. If only a single item purchased, the regular price applies. Manufacturers’ coupons may be used on purchased items only — not on free items.
Limit one coupon per purchased item. Customer will be responsible for tax and deposits as required by law on the purchased and free items. No liquor sales in excess of 52 gallons. No liquor sales for resale. Liquor sales at licensed Safeway or Albertsons stores only. © 2018 Safeway Inc. or © 2018
Albertsons LLC. Availability of items may vary by store. Online and In-store prices, discounts and offers may differ.
PG 1,Common
100318_POR_ROP_SA_8.722x17_DailyAstorian_V01_Common