»INSIDE
149TH YEAR, NO. 74
Police chief
to retire
Spalding has led the force
in Astoria since 2017
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
When Geoff Spalding joined the Asto-
ria Police Department in 2017 as interim
chief, he had already retired twice during
his four decades in law enforcement.
The role was supposed to be tem-
porary, but after sev-
eral months, he agreed
to take on the position
permanently.
Now, after four years
as the city’s top cop,
Spalding, 65, announced
his retirement this week,
Geoff Spalding calling
the decision
bittersweet.
“For me, it’s always been in the
blood,” he said. “I enjoy the interactions
with people and the challenges — that’s
why I’m here.”
Spalding said he and his wife fell
in love with Astoria after his fi rst few
months as interim chief, and felt the city
could be their new home.
“We were able to fi nd a house and
everything just kind of fell into place,” he
said. “I always said that I will stay until
I’m no longer having fun — I honestly
can’t say that’s the case.”
The chief will continue to lead the
department through the recruitment pro-
cess, which is expected to take up to four
months.
“I plan to work hard up until the last
day I’m here,” Spalding said, adding that
he wants to make sure the new chief is
See Police, Page A2
WEEKEND EDITION // SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2021
$1.50
CANNON BEACH
Fire district will bill
for calls to state parks
Lydia Ely/The Astorian
A headland in Oswald West State Park is seen through tree branches.
Calls to the parks have more than doubled since 2017
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
State approves
aggressive
climate plan
Commission’s move comes
after lawmakers did not act
By CASSANDRA PROFITA
Oregon Public Broadcasting
The Oregon Environmental Quality
Commission approved a new Climate Pro-
tection Plan for the state Thursday. It targets
a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emis-
sions from transportation fuels and natural
gas by 2050.
The commission’s 3-1 vote of approval
follows years of state lawmakers’ unsuc-
cessful attempts to launch an economy-
wide cap-and-trade program to reduce the
carbon emissions that contribute to climate
change.
“It has been an enormous lift to get this
program to this point,” Kathleen George,
the commission’s chairwoman, said after
the vote. “Our fi sheries, our farms, the
snow in our mountains, our forests and
vineyards, they all depend on a healthy
climate.”
C
ANNON BEACH — In an
eff ort to increase funding
from the state, the Cannon
Beach Rural Fire Protection District
plans to begin billing for calls for ser-
vice at s tate p arks at the start of the
year.
A contract obligating the fi re dis-
trict to respond to calls at state parks
and recreation sites in the region
expires at the end of December , but
Fire Chief Marc Reckmann said
the district is not willing to renew
the agreement at its annual rate of
$1,000.
He said the fi re district devotes
an increasing amount of time and
resources to state parks, making it dif-
fi cult to justify the annual compen-
sation, especially when billing for
each response could have brought in
more than $20,000 this year alone.
He added that calls to the parks have
more than doubled since 2017.
“It feels like there’s expectation
for service without compensation,”
Reckmann said .
He pointed to other fi re district s
throughout the state that respond to
fewer state parks, yet receive more
than $10,000 annually from the state.
After communicating with state
offi cials, Reckmann said he has not
been given an explanation for the dis-
Lydia Ely/The Astorian
The Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District wants more state money to cover
the costs of responding to calls at state parks.
crepancies in payments, and that the
state showed no interest in raising the
annual rate .
Chris Havel, the associate direc-
tor at the Oregon Parks and Recre-
ation Department, told The Astorian
the annual rate is intended to cover
some of the costs associated with the
fi re district’s response to incidents in
Ecola State Park and other state parks.
The state was prepared to increase the
rate, he said, “but how much of an
increase is still under discussion. ”
Havel added that while the state
has agreements with other fi re dis-
tricts that exceed $10,000, there are
no agreements or payments at all in
most parts of the state.
However, the state did not provide
information on how payments are
determined.
“We will continue to discuss
options for supporting fi rst respond-
ers based in Cannon Beach, and we’re
See Parks, Page A2
See Climate, Page A3
Park district concerned about pot shop location
Director claims retailer
too close to rec center
By R.J. MARX
The Astorian
SEASIDE — The Sunset
Empire Park and Recreation Dis-
trict wants the city to block a can-
nabis shop seeking to move into
property near the Sunset Recre-
ation Center, but it is unlikely the
city will take action.
The property on N. Roosevelt
Drive is less than 500 feet from the
northwest corner of the recreation
center, which was formerly Broad-
way Middle School. State law gen-
erally prohibits marijuana retailers
within 1,000 feet of schools, but
the recreation center does not meet
the defi nition of a school.
The recreation center houses the
catalog of the park district’s youth
programs, including the preschool,
after-school programs and summer
camps.
“The SRC may not meet the
OLCC (Oregon Liquor and Can-
nabis Commission) defi nition of
a school,” Skyler Archibald, the
executive director of the park dis-
trict, told the City Council on Mon-
day . “Clearly it is a building that’s
used for the growth and develop-
ment of children and youth. It is
our position that this location is not
suitable for a dispensary due to its
proximity to the vulnerable popula-
tions we are currently serving and
will continue to serve at the SRC.”
Archibald was joined by Kath-
arine Parker, the president of the
park district’s board , and Eliza-
beth Friedman, of the Northwest
Regional Education Service Dis-
trict, which leases space in the rec-
reation center.
“SEPRD is working towards
creating a family-friendly space to
meet community needs,” Parker
said. “And I believe that the pro-
posed location is not a good fi t
for our kids and for our commu-
nity. Our youth do not need to
be exposed to cannabis at such a
young age.”
She called for emergency action
prohibiting the shop .
“By adopting this emergency
ordinance, the Seaside C ity C oun-
cil will be protecting the youth of
our community in the heart of Sea-
side,” Parker said.
The city is in the process of
responding to a Oregon Liquor
and Cannabis Commission land
use compatibility request, Planning
Director Kevin Cupples said. The
applicant, CCC Holding Co. LLC,
intends to use a suite in the building
as a retail marijuana dispensary.
Before licensing, Seaside must
complete a section in the land use
compatibility statement indicating
whether the proposed use meets the
city’s land use regulations.
Mayor Jay Barber asked the city
manager to consult with the city
attorney to determine if there is any
action that can be taken. “Would
you proceed to give us as quickly
as possible any feedback as possi-
ble regarding any options that we
have?” he asked.
After a legal review, Kimber-
ley Jordan, the city recorder, said
Friday that the retailer had all his
paperwork in long before the pub-
lic comment from the park district
and others on Monday.
An emergency ordinance for
this particular cannabis shop can-
not be done, Jordan said, but the
‘WE’RE JUST
SIMPLY
FOLLOWING
THE RULES THAT
YOU’VE LAID OUT
AND THE STATE’S
LAID OUT AT THIS
POINT.’
— Mark Winstanley,
Seaside city manager
City C ouncil can pass an ordi-
nance for future shops that may be
a concern .
“We’re just simply following
the rules that you’ve laid out and
the state’s laid out at this point,”
City Manager Mark Winstanley
said at Monday’s meeting. “And
just like any other applicant, they
have the right to have us go through
the process.”