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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2020)
NEW SERIES EXAMINES IMPACT • INSIDE 147TH YEAR, NO. 127 DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2020 $1.50 CORONAVIRUS PURPLE AND GOLD Feds fund new tent for local shipwright A $573,000 federal grant By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian Astoria-based WCT Marine & Con- struction, one of the few remaining ship- wrights in the region, has secured a $573,000 federal grant to build a self-con- tained outside work area at North Tongue Point. The U.S. Maritime Administration pro- vided the grant through its Small Ship- yard Grant Program. WCT will match $191,000. Carol and Willie Toristoja started at North Tongue Point several years ago , eventually buying out the neighboring J&H Boatworks and Columbia Steel Sup- ply and nearing 50 employees at times. Remi Toristoja, an in-law of the family and offi ce manager with Columbia Steel, wrote the grant with consultant Bill Cook, a former Port of Astoria administrator. The company’s been applying for three years, Remi Toristoja said, while slowly The Astoria Column glowed purple at sunset on Friday night in honor of Astoria High School’s Class of 2020, whose senior year was interrupted by the coronavirus. The colors switched between purple and gold until dawn. See Shipwright, Page A6 Loss of lodging taxes a blow to cities Wellness provider responds to virus Crossfi eld is a health educator By NICOLE BALES The Astorian fter living in India on and off for four years, Paula Crossfi eld moved to Astoria in 2018, where she runs a business as a health educator spe- cializing in essential oils and Ayurveda, an ancient Indian health science and sister science to yoga. She started practicing yoga about 20 years ago while she was in college. “I thought yoga was mostly just about stretch- ing your body and feeling less stressed for about 10 years,” she said. “And I did A See Crossfi eld, Page A7 Paula Crossfi eld moved to Astoria in 2018. By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian C ities on the North Coast have outlawed short-term lodg- ing and pleaded with tour- ists to stay home to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus . But entering budget season, local governments face millions of dollars in lost lodging tax reve- nue that, along with an uncertainty about property taxes, has leaders wondering how to continue opera- tions with no clear source of state or federal support. Seaside, by far the city most dependent on tourism, estimates that more than $1 million will be lost in lodging taxes through the end of the fi scal year in June. Astoria estimates a loss of around $500,000, while Warrenton projects $250,000. Warrenton, where Mayor Henry Balensifer said visitors at Fort Ste- vens State Park and private camp- grounds can double the city’s population, was the fi rst to ban rec- reational camping, short-term rent- als and hotel stays for all but essen- tial workers. The city also stopped disconnecting water and sewer for customers with late payments, cost- ing it an estimated $20,000, and has frozen utility rates and other fees. Gov. Kate Brown has eased requirements on holding budget meetings but has kept the same June 30 deadline for cities to have new spending plans . Warrenton City Manager Linda Engbretson, used to austerity with- out the pandemic, said the city’s proposed budget was an estimated $115,000 in the hole, including the departments’ various asks and losses from coronavirus. Staff have cut new police and fi re vehicles, along with badly needed administrative help, in an attempt to cobble together a balanced bud- get to the City Commission on May 16. They’re planning to begin the new fi scal year with $50,000 in reserve, compared to $110,000 this fi scal year . That beginning balance has to get the city through the fi rst several months of the fi scal year before property taxes start com- ing in, said April Clark, the city’s fi nance director. “That’s another concern, is we don’t know how people are going to react to this, whether or not they’ll be able to make their tax payments in November,” Engbretson said. “It Photos by Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian With the beach blocked off and hotels under restrictions, Seaside sits empty at a time when tourists usually fl ood the coast. $1 MILLION Estimated loss for Seaside $500,000 Estimated loss for Astoria $250,000 Estimated loss for Warrenton Fort Stevens State Park and the neighboring KOA campground are closed by government restrictions. takes three years for the county to foreclose, so if you’re behind on everything, you may choose to put food on your table rather than pay property taxes.” Cuts are coming In a recent Astoria City Council meeting, City Manager Brett Estes echoed Engbretson’s comments about the uncertainty over property taxes on top of the loss in lodging taxes. The city has taken the route of creating a similar proposed bud- get to this year’s, with a prioritized list of cuts to account for a loss of revenue. “We know that we’re going to have to come back with some revised budgets at some point next (fi scal) year,” said Susan Brooks, Astoria’s director of fi nance. “Because there are just too many unknowns to be reasonably close.” Asked where the cuts might likely come from, Estes said parks facilities, including the Astoria Aquatic Center, likely won’t restart for some time, fi rst because of social distancing orders and later because of the lack of lodging taxes and fee revenue. See Lodging taxes, Page A7
