Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2018)
ASTORIA RESIDENT HELPS WITH FIRE RECOVERY WEEKEND BREAK 146TH YEAR, NO. 125 WEEKEND EDITION // FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2018 RIDING OUT Departing county commission chairman refl ects on time in offi ce ONE DOLLAR Credit union banks on pot money Wauna among the few to work with new industry By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Scott Lee, owner of Bikes and Beyond in Astoria and the chairman of the Clatsop County commission, works on a bike in the shop. By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian E nergized by President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, Scott Lee decided to delve into local politics. He took offi ce a few years later as residents were beginning to feel the effects of an economic upswing after the Great R ecession. Lee, the chairman of the Clat- sop C ounty commission, did not seek re-election this year after serving since 2011. He said the county, due to prior planning, fared better in the recession than other rural areas. But staffi ng and service cuts still cause headaches. “We really worked hard to sta- bilize the county,” Lee said. “Now See Lee, Page A7 Scott Lee speaks after accepting a plaque during his last county commission meeting in December. ‘YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE I’LL POP UP. YOU NEVER KNOW WHICH NEXT FIGHT IS GOING TO COME THAT I’M NOT GOING TO INVITE.’ Over the past year, Wauna Federal Credit Union has found a new area for growth: the marijuana industry. The credit union is one of two in Ore- gon , along with MAPS Credit Union in Salem, that manages bank accounts for the emerging sector . “We feel that it’s a need of our mem- bers and the community,” said Wauna CEO Robert Blumberg. “Having that cash laying around, they become a tar- get for criminals, and we’d rather have that cash where it needs to be, the Federal Reserve or in the vault, rather than lay- ing around and them becoming a target for criminals.” Wauna provides savings, checking and money market accounts for marijuana businesses, along with debit cards and online banking services, through a pro- gram known as Cannabis Business Solu- tions. Its 35 accounts in n orthwest Ore- gon include eight retailers and producers in Clatsop County. As of two months ago, Wauna was also the only fi nancial institution in the state taking money from a hemp business, Blumberg said. One of Wauna’s accounts is Sweet Relief, a local chain of marijuana stores. Co-owner Oscar Nelson said having a place to deposit cash was like a breath of fresh air and a new safety net for his business. “It really surprised me, because they’re really what I consider small, conserva- tive” fi nancial institution, Nelson said. Having a bank account brings mari- juana businesses one step closer to other legal enterprises, he said. But businesses like Sweet Relief still can’t get basic busi- ness loans because of the federal prohibi- tion on the drug, nor take advantage of many tax deductions. Wauna does not offer banking for mar- ijuana businesses in Washington state because of different laws and regulations, Blumberg said. “That is something we’ll be taking a look at down the road,” he said. Wauna went through two years of due diligence before taking on marijuana accounts, said Debi Smiley, the credit union’s chief marketing offi cer. The credit union hired an attorney and reached out to the National Credit Union Adminis- tration and the state attorney general to ensure it was covered. Wauna follows the guidelines of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, to not run afoul of federal reg- ulators. The guidelines came out around Scott Lee | outgoing chairman of the Clatsop County commission See Wauna, Page A7 Grazing and timberland lost in wildfi res Costly fi re season By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Oregonians saw $62 million in private grazing and timberland go up in fl ames this fi re season. Fire seasons continue to grow worse, longer and more expensive , posing more threats to life and property. Gov. Kate Brown has proposed a special council to take a new look at how the state fi ghts fi res and pays for that work. The state Department of Forestry reported to legisla- tors recently that large fi res cost the agency $102 million this year. The federal government will cover much of that cost, and private landowners chip in some, but the high price tag still creates a budgeting frenzy as the state waits for federal reimbursement. Brown’s proposed coun- cil is likely to look at whether the state is staffi ng fi res effi ciently. Every summer, desk- bound f orestry employees like accountants and human resources staff can be taken off their regular duties to help on fi re crews. That is called a “militia model.” Other states, like California, have a dedicated fi refi ghting agency. As fi re seasons grow lon- ger, militia-style fi refi ghting could actually cost the state more by taking employ- ees off key functions of the department for months at a time. The governor’s council is likely to include offi cials from Oregon’s tribes, state and federal forest agencies, environmental groups and landowners. See Wildfi res, Page A7 Oregon Department of Forestry Wildfi res were costly in Oregon this year.
