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WEEKEND ‘CHRISTMAS UNPLUGGED’: FINAL ASTORIA SHOW FOR OLD-STYLE MUSIC MAKER COAST DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2018 146TH YEAR, NO. 114 Complaint against housing authority dismissed ONE DOLLAR FEELING BLUE Cities, Democrats carry more weight in Clatsop County’s vote Deputy director made claims By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian The state Bureau of Labor and Industries has dismissed a complaint lodged against the North- west Oregon Housing Authority by the agency’s deputy director. Teresa Sims, who has been on paid leave since May, filed the complaint in August, detail- ing a long list of issues with Todd Johnston, the agency’s director. Sims is being investigated by the agency for actions she’s taken at work. Issues listed in the complaint included claims that Johnston promoted an employee who wasn’t qualified for the position, obscured information and that he and Helping Hands — a nonprofit that works with the homeless — mismanaged public funds and created a fear of retaliation against those who reported problems. Investigators for the agency refuted the claims in a report released in October. The report stated that many of the claims failed to match up with emails and other records, as well as other people’s recollections. A letter sent to Sims from the state last week said it did not find sufficient evidence to sub- stantiate the claims. “We’re happy, I’m happy that this was dis- missed,” Johnston said. “We knew that the claims were false, so we were confident that this would be the outcome.” Krista Le Roux, Sims’ Portland-based attor- ney, said she plans to file a defamation lawsuit in Circuit Court this week regarding some of the information provided to investigators. She declined to discuss specifics of the state’s find- ings as she awaits more information. “They won’t state an actual reason why,” Le Roux said. “We’re left in the dark.” Sims can still file a lawsuit based on the claims in Circuit Court within 90 days of last week’s letter from the state. She is considering it but has not made a final decision, Le Roux said. Meanwhile, an outside firm is finalizing its investigation into Sims on behalf of the hous- ing authority, Johnston said. Investigators plan to speak to Sims one more time and finish the probe by Christmas. Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian A voter drops off a ballot in Astoria. and interest building since 2016 created that outcome in 2018,” said Bryan Kidder, who was elected last week as chairman of the ith each congressional election county’s Democratic Central Committee. year, Clatsop County’s cities are In the 2016 election, the difference between exerting more influence over the cities and unincorporated areas largely mir- rored the national trend, where urban voters vote, and Democrats’ already steady grasp is tend to vote for Demo- strengthening. crats and rural voters pre- More than 63 percent fer Republicans. of people who cast bal- lots in November live in In Clatsop County, all cities, a more than 2 per- but two of the 16 city pre- cincts voted for former cent jump from 2010, U.S. Secretary of State according to county elec- tion data. The slight, Hillary Clinton, the Dem- ocrat. Conversely, only but consistent, rise this three of the 17 unincor- decade comes as popula- porated precincts did not tions continue to grow in back President Donald the relatively rural coun- ty’s five cities. Trump, the Republican. Democrats cast more “Where you have large than 2,500 more ballots groups of people living than Republicans this together, you tend to have year, the widest gap this different needs,” said John John Horvick | vice president and decade. The schism has Horvick, the vice presi- political director of Portland-based dent and political director expanded — except for polling firm DHM Research of Portland-based polling 2014 — in each congres- sional election. firm DHM Research. “It’s a huge factor,” said Jim Hoffman, The county’s historically blue-collar the former chairman of the county’s Republi- workforce, born from industries like fishing can Central Committee. “It’s been something and logging, created a base of centrist Dem- ocratic voters decades ago. Recently, liberal we’ve watched for years.” retirees and younger voters have also moved Overall, more ballots were cast this year to the region. than any other election this decade, save the 2016 presidential election. See DEMOCRATS, Page 8A “I believe the combination of excitement By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian W ‘IT’S LONG- TERM HISTORY AND SHORT- TERM HISTORY THAT COME INTO PLAY THERE.’ Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Complaints against the executive director of the Northwest Oregon Housing Authori- ty have been dismissed. Longtime Port tenant was asked to move for log business Reason behind the decision comes to light By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian Bergerson Construction, located on the Port of Astoria’s central waterfront for more than 40 years, moved to Hyak Maritime’s boat fabrication and repair facility at North Tongue Point. Bergerson Construction, one of the Port of Astoria’s longtime tenants, was asked to move from Pier 3 to make way for more logs from Astoria For- est Products. The company announced in April that it would move its equipment and office from the central waterfront to North Tongue Point, but the reason behind the decision did not publicly come to light until this week. Bergerson has been a tenant of the Port for more than 40 years and involved in many of the region’s marine construc- tion projects, from rebuilding the city’s 17th Street Dock to repairing much of the Port’s infrastructure. In addition to property it had rented from the Port, the company owns an office building on Portway Street just outside the Port in Uniontown. “There was increasing pres- sure to get us to move off of Pier 3,” said Greg Morrill, the company’s co-owner. The pressure was related to expanding Astoria Forest Product’s area for logs to get more ships in each year, Mor- rill said. Astoria Forest Prod- ucts’ business of exporting logs has recently been stalled by the trade war between the U.S. and China, with no new ships scheduled for next year. Bergerson and the Port’s boatyard on Pier 3 have faced increasing pressure for space since Astoria Forest Products began processing logs there several years ago. Bergerson wanted to stay, but saw the writ- ing on the wall and had already begun negotiations with boat- builder Hyak Maritime for a new location, Morrill said. See PORT, Page 8A
