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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THuRSDAY, JANuARY 10, 2019
Health: County hopes to issue proposal requests by end of February
Continued from Page A1
New contracts in July
Clatsop
Behavioral
Healthcare, a private non-
profit, is the county’s long-
time mental health contrac-
tor. The agency expanded
over the years to also pro-
vide the county with addic-
tion treatment and care for
people with developmental
disabilities. The contracts
expire in June.
The county hopes to
issue requests for proposals
by the end of February and
close the bidding by the end
of March. After the bids are
scored, county commission-
ers would review the pro-
posals and award new con-
tracts effective in July.
“CBH is welcome to, of
course, apply, and encour-
aged to apply,” Steele told
county commissioners. But
she said “it’s good to make
sure that we aren’t being
stagnant and just letting
somebody assume that they
will always receive a con-
tract renewal.”
The county — the local
mental health authority —
will likely demand timely
access to information about
staff and operational matters
as a condition of the new
contracts.
“My vision is to make
sure that we won’t have the
same situation happening
now, where we don’t have
any information whatso-
ever, and it’s really hard to
get anything out of them,”
said Michael McNickle,
the county’s public health
director, who has oversight
responsibility. “I want it to
be, when we first start, the
expectation is going to be
that I’m a partner in this
from the very get-go.”
The partnership behind
the crisis respite center —
the county, Greater Ore-
gon Behavioral Health Inc.,
Columbia Memorial Hospi-
tal in Astoria and Providence
Seaside Hospital — will
also likely put the contract
to operate the respite center
up for bid, Steele said. Clat-
sop Behavioral Healthcare
has operated the respite cen-
ter since it opened in 2016.
Several county com-
missioners are alarmed by
the mental health agency’s
secretive approach given
the history of management
dysfunction and the life-
and-death nature of crisis
intervention.
Baker arrived in 2016
after three top administra-
tors left and the agency was
hobbled by staff defections
and legal disputes. Many in
the county believe Baker has
made progress, although the
agency still struggles with
high turnover and adminis-
trative challenges.
“Am I the only person
who sees an elephant in
this room?” Commissioner
Pamela Wev said of learn-
ing about Baker’s leave
from The Daily Astorian,
Unsettling
The mental health agen-
cy’s board sent an email to
staff last week acknowledg-
ing that recent events have
been unsettling.
The board said Baker
was on administrative leave
pending an investigation.
“The board has not
assumed any wrongdo-
ing because of this and nor
should you,” according to
the email. “It is our duty
as your board to assure the
investigation occurs as thor-
oughly and quickly as pos-
sible and it would be inap-
propriate for any of us to
comment further at this
time.”
The agency’s board
also defended the decision
to name Ben Paz, the cri-
sis services manager, as
interim executive direc-
tor. Several staffers on the
agency’s leadership team
had signed a letter to the
board with concerns about
Paz’s appointment, sup-
port for Baker, and ques-
tions about the process the
board followed in placing
Baker on leave, a source
familiar with the letter
explained.
“Our hope is you will
keep your focus on what’s
most important right now,
our clients and provid-
ing excellent services,”
the agency’s board told
staff.
Chair: Functionality
was an immediate
priority for the new board
Abuse: ‘Mr.
Hagnas, you
are a wolf
in sheep’s
clothing’
Continued from Page A1
Continued from Page A1
Hagnas’ access to children —
largely due to his likability and
occupations, and despite a 1986
sex abuse conviction — was a
common theme Wednesday.
The victims’ families and oth-
ers said Hagnas tried to groom
their children. Some of the tac-
tics included obtaining the cell-
phone numbers of children and
attempting to spend time alone
with them.
“Mr. Hagnas, you are a wolf
in sheep’s clothing,” the mother
of the victim from the 1990s said.
“You manipulated your way into
people’s lives for the sole pur-
pose of molesting their children.”
The first crimes were reported
in 2005, but investigators at the
time did not find enough evi-
dence, beyond hearsay, to pursue
charges. But 10 years later, an
unusual encounter would even-
tually strengthen the case.
When Hagnas visited the fam-
ily of the two more recent vic-
tims, the girls typically would
rush to greet him. One time,
though, one of the girls darted
toward her room, raising the
suspicion of her grandmother,
Deputy District Attorney Dawn
Buzzard said. The girl eventu-
ally reported the abuse to her
grandmother.
With the additional allega-
tions, investigators conducted
more interviews and arrested
Hagnas in 2017.
In the two decades since the
first incidents, the victim devel-
oped a drug addiction as she
coped with the trauma, her
mother said. She described her
daughter’s struggle with normal
physical contact.
“You make me uncomfortable
and scared around guys,” the vic-
tim wrote in a statement read in
court. “I don’t want you to hurt
anyone else like you’ve hurt me.”
Buzzard said Hagnas has
repeatedly denied committing
the crimes, claiming that family
members may be responsible and
that the girls forced themselves
on him.
“For once in your life, Mr.
Hagnas, tell the truth. These girls
deserve it,” the mother of the first
victim said.
Later in the hearing, Cir-
cuit Court Judge Cindee Matyas
asked Hagnas if he wished to
make a statement.
“Not a word, your honor,”
Hagnas said.
Matyas said the girls were
brave to report the abuse by a
family friend.
“In my generation, there was
a lot of abuse going on, but we
weren’t sure about what to call
it,” Matyas said. “We’ve thought
we’ve evolved and can recognize
that special kind of suffering, but
I think we’ve got a long way to
go.”
The grandmother of one of the
children Hagnas allegedly tried
to form a relationship with said
he probably thought he “pulled
the wool over” her eyes.
“I had a long time to not say
things because I knew he would
be arrested,” the grandmother
said. “You may be able to fool
some of the people some of the
time, but you can’t fool all of the
people all of the time. Many peo-
ple have been affected for a life-
time because of your cunning
ways.”
rather than county staff.
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Markers on a map at Gearhart City Hall indicate the location of vacation rental
properties.
Airbnb: Homeowners could unknowingly
be breaking Gearhart’s ordinance
Continued from Page A1
Brewer, the city’s finance
director, said after sending
a series of emails, Airbnb
responded and agreed to
start collecting local taxes
in October.
Writing an ordinance
that aligns with state law
does make the process
smoother, Johnson said,
but she feels it is ultimately
Airbnb’s responsibility to
reach out to local govern-
ments — not the other way
around.
“If you’re going to take
rental money from the
community, you have to
pay taxes due in that com-
munity. You are required
by law to file,” Johnson
said. “(Airbnb) needs to
reach out to those cities and
make sure they are com-
plying with local tax laws
like any other company.”
Part of what makes the
situation difficult is that
many of the taxing dis-
tricts affected are smaller
and can’t leverage pres-
sure like a large city or
county might. The biggest
taxing districts in Oregon,
like Portland and Washing-
ton County, have voluntary
agreements with Airbnb
and are already receiving
money, Johnson said.
“Short of lawsuit,
how do (smaller cities)
enforce?” Johnson said.
“(They) can’t afford to go
toe-to-toe with Airbnb in
court.”
Local impact
With only about 80
rentals in Gearhart, and
only some using Airbnb,
Sweet expects the amount
of taxes the city would get
from the platform would
be relatively small.
The lack of reporting,
however, interferes with
the section of Gearhart’s
short-term rental ordi-
nance that requires a per-
mit holder to prove they
are actively using their
home as a rental. They do
that by showing they’ve
paid lodging taxes.
But if Airbnb is not
collecting and paying
the taxes to the city, like
some would assume under
the new law, homeown-
ers could unknowingly
be breaking the city’s
ordinance.
“If you’re relying on
(a) third party, you expect
they are following all the
rules,” said Peter Watts,
the city’s attorney. “Peo-
ple not getting taxes paid
might be completely
unaware.”
Even if Airbnb did start
paying the city directly, it
would be in a lump sum,
making it difficult for the
city to cross-reference to
see who paid their taxes
and who didn’t. The city is
facing similar difficulties
with VRBO, which does
collect and pay the tax,
but doesn’t provide home-
owner information.
Because these compa-
nies will not reveal where
the taxes are coming from,
the city warned permit
holders in a letter that even
if companies are collect-
ing the taxes they could
still be in violation of the
city’s code.
“Unfortunately,
the
lack of reporting has put
you, and other short-term
rental owners, out of com-
pliance with the city’s
code,” according to the
letter. “The city under-
stands that this is likely
being done without your
knowledge and is inter-
ested in coming up with
a solution that allows us
to ensure that all taxes are
being collected and paid.”
In the short term, the
city is looking for ways
to independently get the
information from home-
owners and cross-refer-
ence themselves — an
exercise that creates extra
work for both the city and
residents.
“This disproportion-
ately affects small cities,”
Watts said.
To avoid any compli-
ance issues, Fullerton pro-
vides a schedule to the
city of when rooms were
rented and through which
booking site, and then
lists whether he or another
agency has paid the lodg-
ing tax.
“It’s just extra work.
We’d always have to rec-
oncile, but if Airbnb was
doing this properly, we
wouldn’t be sending (the
city) a check,” Fuller-
ton said. “The ideal solu-
tion would be for (the plat-
form) to collect and remit
the right amount, and pro-
vide the city with a level
of detail.”
people who care a lot about
the citizens of our county,”
Nebeker said.
Former Warrenton Mayor
Mark Kujala was sworn in
to replace Lee in District
1, and Pamela Wev suc-
ceeded former Commis-
sioner Lisa Clement in Dis-
trict 3. Thompson, who
was re-elected in Novem-
ber, took her second oath of
office in District 5.
“We collaborate with
our colleagues to define and
accomplish the work of our
collective body, the board.
We act to further our work
by our liaison assignments.
That much, I think, we can
agree on,” Thompson said
in a statement she read at
the meeting. “After that, we
have differences. How we
resolve those differences
arising as our intentions
are translated into words
and actions determines our
effectiveness and results.”
Functionality was an
immediate priority for the
new board after two rocky
years. Commissioners plan
to meet in the coming weeks
to discuss board rules and
potentially make changes.
“As we revisit our rules, I
have some ideas that I think
may improve our meetings,
so that’s my first thought,”
Nebeker said.
Another new face at the
meeting served as a visible
example of her thinking.
Nebeker asked Larry Tay-
lor to take notes as a voluntary
parliamentarian, an expert on
board rules and procedures.
Taylor sat behind a table near
the dais and next to County
Clerk Theresa Dursse.
One of Nebeker’s ideas
is to enter into a contract
with Taylor to help stream-
line meetings and ensure
that commissioners are fol-
lowing board rules and Rob-
ert’s Rules of Order, a set of
guidelines for public meet-
ings widely used in the U.S.
The board rules, adopted
in 2014, require that meet-
ings adhere to Robert’s
Rules unless they conflict
with previously stated man-
dates. The rules also give the
chair the power to appoint a
parliamentarian.
“I just thought it would
be good if he could face the
board so that if anyone had
a question to ask about pro-
cedure or had a point of
order, they could ask him,”
Nebeker said. “We have, in
the past, run our meetings, I
think, quite casually. But it
worked, and we may agree
that we want to continue to
do that. But our county coun-
sel is not a parliamentarian,
and we all look to her for that
advice. But I just thought,
let’s give this a try.”
In an email forwarded to
commissioners Wednesday
morning, County Counsel
Heather Reynolds said she
had “grave concerns” about
the idea.
“A parliamentarian usu-
ally serves a large legislative
body, and the board of county
commissioners acts both in a
legislative and quasi-judicial
capacity,” Reynolds wrote.
“The chair runs the meeting
(and) determines the order of
the board business under the
rules of the board per chap-
ter 3, section 4 of the (Clat-
sop County) Charter.”
Both Reynolds, in the
email, and Thompson, at the
meeting, also raised concerns
about an appearance of par-
tisanship. The county char-
ter mandates that all county
offices be nonpartisan.
Taylor, a longtime Dem-
ocratic activist who ran
for Astoria mayor in 2014,
served last year as chairman
of the Clatsop County Dem-
ocratic Central Committee.
“I’m eager to keep a
bright, clear line between any
affiliation and the operation
of this nonpartisan board,”
Thompson said. “Anybody
who thinks Larry Taylor
isn’t still active in the Dem-
ocratic Party locally and at
the state level just isn’t pay-
ing attention.”
During the discussion,
Sullivan offered support for
Nebeker’s idea.
“I have no problem with
working towards better
understanding of Robert’s
Rules of Order. I think that
they can be very helpful in
a meeting,” Sullivan said. “I
also know that Mr. Taylor
has recently been certified
as a parliamentarian, which
is not an easy task, and not
many people have that level
of skill.”
Elk: Oregon Solutions often plays the role of mediator
Continued from Page A1
But working with Oregon
Solutions, based out of Portland
State University’s National Pol-
icy Consensus Center, may be
one way for diverse groups to
develop a cohesive management
plan.
The organization met with
Warrenton Mayor Henry Balen-
sifer and Gearhart Mayor Matt
Brown, law enforcement, state
fish and wildlife employees and
other stakeholders to discuss the
growing number of elk in and
around the two cities.
Karmen Fore, the director of
Oregon Solutions, and her team
plan to talk with more stakehold-
ers and determine whether tack-
ling the elk issue should become
one of the organization’s projects.
The organization could also ask
Gov. Kate Brown’s office to offi-
cially designate the work an Ore-
gon Solutions project, opening up
potential state funds.
Oregon Solutions often plays
the role of mediator, but also
enters the scene when communi-
ties are struggling to determine
oversight and responsibility of an
issue.
One example is the group’s
involvement after flooding in
Vernonia in 2007 destroyed the
town’s middle school and high
school. Rebuilding the schools
was vital to the town’s survival,
but was too much for a single
group — or someone like a school
principal — to coordinate.
Warrenton and Gearhart lead-
ers told Fore and Michael Mills,
program outreach manager with
Oregon Solutions, that the elk
herds pose public safety risks and
damage private property. Last
month, an elk clambered over the
hood of a Toyota Prius that had
stopped to let a herd cross state
Highway 104. The elk slipped
and smashed into the windshield.
Neither Mayor Brown nor
Mayor Balensifer believe they
would find widespread commu-
nity support for culling the herds.
But Balensifer said Warrenton is
interested in discussing a variety
of options, including controlled
hunting.
Brown noted Gearhart is still
interested in looking at the pos-
sibility of relocating animals,
even though state wildlife offi-
cials have said this would not be
possible.
Most elk-appropriate habi-
tat in Oregon already has plenty
of elk. Some of the animals even
came originally from Clatsop
Plains stock, noted Chris Knut-
sen, northwest watershed man-
ager for the Department of Fish
and Wildlife.
Transporting elk is no lon-
ger considered biologically or
socially responsible, Biederbeck
added. There is always the chance
of transferring disease along with
the animals.
John Putnam, northwest direc-
tor for the Oregon Hunters Asso-
ciation, said it is important to
explore all solutions.
Human behavior — feeding
the elk, stopping to take pictures
of them — has helped to create
the problem, habituating the ani-
mals to the presence of people.
“But we need to keep all options
on the table,” he said.
It is unlikely the elk will ever
be gone for good, no matter
what solutions communities may
attempt. But on a scale from zero
to a million elk, stakeholders still
do not know what their communi-
ties are willing to tolerate.
“We don’t even really know,
from a public perspective, what
an acceptable number is,” Knut-
sen said.