3A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018
ELECTION 2018
Candidates talk rentals, rabbits in Cannon Beach
26 junction, as well as parking
at South Wind. Risley leaned
more toward creating a com-
mittee to study the issue, as
well as leveraging underuti-
lized parking lots at busi-
nesses like the Cannon Beach
Community Church or banks
while they are closed.
Swedenborg said he wasn’t
sure of the solution, but advo-
cated for paid parking in city-
owned parking lots. By his
estimates, the three lots could
raise about $500,000 a year
to fund whatever option the
council decides.
Mitchell and Halvorsen
also chimed in about the
impact of tourism in the
region, saying each would
work on the state level to
rework the way lodging tax
revenue gets distributed to
cities.
“A lot of people already
know we’re here,” Mitchell
said. “So let’s cut back a lit-
tle on promotion and reinvest
in things like our roads, our
schools … which would not
only be a benefit to the com-
munities, but would ease the
tax burden on those who live
here.”
Policy issues
debated at
election forum
By BRENNA VISSER
The Daily Astorian
CANNON BEACH —
Candidates for City Coun-
cil generally share a common
vision: preserve the character
and charm of Cannon Beach.
But when asked at an elec-
tion forum Thursday night
about how they would manage
key issues which define that
character — vacation rentals,
parking and how to contain a
growing bunny population —
their views diverged.
City Councilor Mike Bene-
field, Greg Swedenborg, a
hotelier and Cannon Beach
Chamber of Commerce board
president, and Robin Risley,
a real estate agent and plan-
ning commissioner, are vying
for two seats on the coun-
cil in November. Mayor Sam
Steidel is running for his seat
unopposed.
They were joined by state
House District 32 candidates
Brenna Visser/The Daily Astorian
Brenna Visser/The Daily Astorian
Mayor Sam Steidel speaks at a candi-
date forum.
City Council candidates Mike Benefield, Robin Risley and Greg Swedenborg
speak at an election forum.
Tiffiny Mitchell, a Democrat,
and Brian Halvorsen, an Inde-
pendent. Republican Vineeta
Lower was invited but did not
attend. The forum was spon-
sored by The Daily Astorian.
On some issues, like the
bunny infestation frustrating
neighbors in Tolovana, candi-
dates were equally stumped.
“But I think the problem
lies in the eye of the beholder,”
Benefield said. “You either
love them or hate them.”
But on others, like regulat-
ing vacation rentals, the candi-
dates disagreed on approaches.
Benefield advocated for a
proposal about to go before
the Planning Commission that
would eliminate the five-year
rental permit that allows some
homeowners nightly rentals.
“It’s putting a commercial
business in a residential neigh-
borhood,” he said.
Risley instead felt the city
should do more to crack down
on illegal rentals, which she
believes will happen once the
city hires a code enforcement
officer.
Swedenborg,
however,
feels the number of rentals
registered with the city is fair.
Only about 30 homes have
the five-year unlimited per-
mit, and the revenue generated
from those rentals benefits
the city significantly, he said.
Instead, he would propose
raising the annual fee for the
permit from $350 to $3,000
and suggest using the revenue
to fund more affordable hous-
ing solutions.
“These houses we’re
talking about are designed to
Governor moves to head off Trump
on environmental regulations
Brown
wants state
protections
By CLAIRE
WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Gov. Kate
Brown wants to guard against
a rollback of federal environ-
mental rules by moving them
into state law where the Trump
administration couldn’t touch
them.
Brown, a Democrat up for
re-election next month, pro-
posed legislation Wednes-
day that would have the state
adopt all federal clean air and
water standards as of Jan. 19,
2017 — the day before Don-
ald Trump was inaugurated as
president.
“As states, we can take a
leadership role in prevent-
ing the erosion of core laws
that protect our environment,”
Brown said in remarks at an
event at the Oregon Museum
of Science and Industry.
“Together, states must stand
up to the Trump administra-
tion’s continuous attacks on
our health and environment.”
Brown said that the Trump
administration has already
scaled back some rules that
aim to keep the country’s air
and water clean.
The administration has
repealed or proposed elimina-
tion of about 46 regulations,
according to Brown’s office,
citing the Harvard Environ-
mental Law Program Regula-
tory Rollback Tracker.
These include fuel effi-
ciency standards and regula-
tions on mercury emissions
from coal-fired power plants.
Oregon has one such plant.
The U.S. Environmen-
tal Protection Agency is also
considering aspects of rules
adopted in 2016 to require
reduced emissions from public
landfills. Landfills emit high
levels of gases such as methane
and carbon dioxide. Nation-
ally, they are the third-largest
source of anthropogenic meth-
ane emissions.
attack on clean air standards,
clean water standards, and
federal efforts to fight climate
change,” Brown said. “In Ore-
gon, that rollback stops now.”
Nikki Fisher, a spokes-
woman for the governor, said
in an email that there would be
no expected additional cost to
state government as a result.
Brown’s opponent, state
Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend,
said in response to the pro-
posal that he too would
“defend Oregon and our clean
air and clean water.”
“As governor, if the Trump
administration attempts to
roll back rules that safeguard
‘In Oregon, that rollback
stops now.’
Gov. Kate Brown
Eight state attorneys gen-
eral, including Oregon Attor-
ney General Ellen Rosen-
blum, sued the EPA over the
proposed rollback in May “on
behalf of (Oregon’s) citizens
and residents to protect their
health and well-being and to
protect natural resources held
in trust by the state.”
“It is widely assumed that
the next wave of rollbacks
will be to core safeguards of
the Clean Air Act and Clean
Water Act,” according to
Brown’s press release.
“Over the past two years
Oregonians have witnessed an
unprecedented and aggressive
Oregon’s environment, I will
defend Oregon and our clean
air and clean water,” Buehler
said in a written statement. “I
have shown this repeatedly
by breaking with my party
on this important issue. I
opposed the president’s deci-
sion to remove the U.S. from
the Paris climate agreement
and broke with my party to
replace coal energy in Oregon
with cleaner renewables like
wind and solar.”
Buehler supported 2016
legislation that required Ore-
gon to stop using coal-gener-
ated electricity by 2030. He
also criticized Brown’s direc-
tion of the state Department of
Environmental Quality, which
regulates air and water.
In February 2017, Brown
appointed Richard Whitman
director of the agency. The
previous director resigned in
2016 over a heavy metal air
pollution scandal in Portland.
In January, state auditors
found that backlogs in per-
mits and inspections at the
agency “endanger the state’s
air quality and the health of
Oregonians.”
“In addition to talking
about federal environmental
regulations, I would challenge
Gov. Brown to fix her own
DEQ which has been mired in
chaos and turnover, failing to
protect and enforce our state
laws,” Buehler said.
A spokesman for Brown’s
campaign, Christian Gaston,
claimed in an email Thurs-
day morning that Buehler was
“lying.”
The Capital Bureau is a
collaboration between EO
Media Group, Pamplin Media
Group and Salem Reporter.
be rentals. We can’t turn back
the clock on that,” Sweden-
borg said.
Candidates also differed on
how they would address park-
ing during the city’s peak tour-
ism season.
“A flashing sign that says
we’re full?” Benefield joked.
“Unfortunately we’re a beau-
tiful place, and the rest of the
world is finding out. I’m not
sure what to do about that.”
Benefield supports creat-
ing a shuttle system between
town and the U.S. Highway
Hawaiian Chieftain tours back on
The Daily Astorian
After being delayed
because of emergency repairs,
the tall ship Hawaiian Chief-
tain will offer sails and tours
in Astoria as scheduled this
weekend.
Grays Harbor Historical
Seaport, the nonprofit that
maintains both the Hawaiian
Chieftain and a larger ship,
the Lady Washington, had
worried repairs to the Hawai-
ian Chieftain’s rig could take
the ship out of the water for up
to two weeks. They were pre-
pared to postpone a journey
Astoria offers middle school tour
The Daily Astorian
The Astoria School District
is hosting an open house on
facility needs Monday at Asto-
ria Middle School in advance
of a $70 million bond measure
going to voters in November.
The district is asking vot-
ers for the bond to improve
its five campuses. The center-
piece of its improvement plan
is a nearly $45 million mod-
ernization of Astoria Middle
Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber
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Volunteer
Pick of the Week
Holly
AMERICAN LEGION
October 6 th /9 am - 5 pm
Come meet our crafters and local
businesses. Bake goods, candles, clothing,
fabric items, etched glass and more!
School, including the recon-
struction of a dated class-
room wing into a three-story
academic hall with identical
learning communities on each
floor. Support areas of the
school would also be modern-
ized, and the track resurfaced.
The open house from 5:30
to 7 p.m. on Monday will
include a campus tour and
information session. The mid-
dle school is located at 1100
Klaskanine Ave.
WANTED
SEASIDE
CR A F T
FA I RE
to California to make up for
the lost sails, tours and edu-
cational programs in Astoria.
Now, the Hawaiian Chief-
tain will arrive at the Colum-
bia River Maritime Muse-
um’s dock Friday and will
offer sails and tours on Satur-
day and Sunday.
The last time the group
had to cancel a sail was due to
weather, said Zachary Stocks,
program development officer
with Grays Harbor Historical
Seaport.
“The only thing I can say
is these are unexpected chal-
lenges,” Stocks said.
4 year old
Bassett/Lab Blend
The greatest gifts are always
hidden in the most
unlikely places.
Adopt the gift of happy devotion.
Investigative Journalist
David Barsamian
Host of the public radio talkshow “Alternative Radio”
Read about Holly on Petfinder.com
Sponsored
By
C LATSOP C OUNTY A NIMAL S HELTER
1315 SE 19 th Street, Warrenton • 861 - PETS
www.dogsncats.org
All proceeds will go to the local back pack program
Great Columbia
Crossing
1315 Broadway in Seaside
Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat
PRESENTING SPONSOR
10k run/walk
Astoria Band Boosters
CAN & BOTTLE DRIVE
1 P.M.- 3 P.M. • SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7TH
AT ASTORIA HIGH SCHOOL
C
h e ck th e L a b e
l
!
P LEASE , NO EARLY DROP - OFFS
Items must have the 10 cent, OR redemption label
in order to benefit the band programs
The Band Boosters are the primary source of funds to
keep Astoria’s school band programs functioning. Please
help by dropping off your empties or making a donation.
Call (503) 791-8134
or email i_want_to_help@astoriabands.org
for more information.
Oct pm 5 th
7
Astoria Peforming
Arts Center
Free event
to the public
Barsamian lectures
nationally on world
affairs, imperialism,
capitalism, propaganda,
and the media.
Sunday, October 14
$40 per person
Sign up online!
the
Columbia
Astoria-Megler Bridge
CLOSED to vehicles
8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
More info at coastradio.org
The event is a fundraiser for Coast Community Radio,
donations at the door will be gratefully accepted
GreatColumbiaCrossing.com