»INSIDE
THURSDAY
APRIL 28
2022
‘The Great River’
A PHOTOGRAPHI
C JOURNEY ON
THE COLUMBIA
PAGE 9
HULL
GALLERY
CELEBRATES
35 YEARS
PAGE 4
A SPRING
STRAWBERRY
CAKE
PAGE 8
PENINSULA
RES
AUTHOR SHA
MYSTERIES
DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022
149TH YEAR, NO. 129
Seaside
approves
homeless
camping
ordinance
$1.50
After complex negotiations, the Port moves to
clean up contamination along the waterfront
City could clear camp at
10th and Necanicum
By R.J. MARX
The Astorian
SEASIDE — A new ordinance
designed to get homeless campers off the
street and establish an overnight parking
program was approved
by the City Council on
Monday night.
MORE
The City Council
INSIDE
voted 5 to 2 to enact
School
rules to close a home-
district
less RV camp on 10th
renews
Avenue and Necani-
focus on
cum Drive and present
Broadway
alternatives for over-
Field • A3
night shelter.
Tom and Roxanne
Veazey, who live near
10th and Necanicum, see the ordinance
as the fi rst step toward clearing the camp.
Lydia Ely/The Astorian
Slip 2 at the Port of Astoria is a source of environmental concern.
Old petroleum leaks caused environmental challenges
By ETHAN MYERS
The Astorian
fter years of studies, negoti-
ations and settlements, the
Port of Astoria can fi nally
move toward a full-scale cleanup
of a contaminated section along the
waterfront.
Throughout the 1900s, several
oil companies, including McCall
Oil and Chemical Corp. and Exx-
onMobil, occupied the central
waterfront on Port property, where
petroleum was stored and distrib-
uted through pipelines and storage
tanks below ground. Over the years,
releases from both the Port’s and
A
See Ordinance, Page A6
Timber
verdict
overturned
the oil companies’ facilities caused
contamination.
In 2001, after an oil sheen
appeared on the Columbia River, the
state Department of Environmen-
tal Quality launched negotiations
with the Port and the oil compa-
nies – which were no longer operat-
ing in the area – about investigating
the extent of the pollution and per-
forming a study of potential cleanup
The Port of Astoria’s waterfront
used to be occupied by several
bulk fuel plants, seen on the left.
options.
While not all were on Port prop-
erty, the state identifi ed fi ve areas of
concern with contamination, with
the worst of the bunch – known as
“AOC4” – in slip 2 between P ier 2
and Pier 3.
At a Port Commission meeting
earlier this month, Will Isom, the
Port’s executive director , announced
a consent judgment between the
Port, the oil companies and the state.
The news was met with applause
from Port c ommissioners, who com-
mended Isom for his eff orts on get-
ting the agreement signed .
See Port, Page A3
Clatsop County Historical Society
Appeals court sides
with the state
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
SALEM — The Oregon Court of
Appeals has struck down a $1 billion jury
verdict that was intended to compensate
county governments for insuffi cient log-
ging on state forestlands.
A law that requires Oregon to manage
the forestland for the greatest permanent
value does not create an “immutable prom-
ise” to maximize revenue for the counties,
the appeals court ruled Wednesday.
The appeals court said that “histor-
ically, ‘value’ has myriad defi nitions,
some of which could relate to revenue
production and others that do not relate to
revenue production.”
See Timber, Page A6
In South County, county
commission candidates
diff er over pace of progress
Thompson, Dillard
face off in District 5
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
As Clatsop County Com-
missioner Lianne Thompson
seeks a third term, she said
the county is on the verge of
realizing goals long
discussed.
She believes the
skills, knowledge and
relationships she has
built up over nearly
eight years represent-
ing South County’s District 5
will come into play as county
projects, such as expand-
ing child care and setting up
Lianne
Thompson
Steve
Dillard
broadband in underserved
areas, get underway
over the next four.
“It takes a while,
but now I see things
coming to fruition,”
she said, “so that’s
really exciting.”
In the May election,
Thompson faces Steve Dillard,
See District 5, Page A6
Warrenton’s search for city manager goes on
Contract negotiations
with fi nalist snagged
By ETHAN MYERS
The Astorian
WARRENTON – The city will
have to look elsewhere for its next
city manager after contract negoti-
ations with the only fi nalist failed.
Earlier this month, the City Com-
mission unanimously approved
off ering the position to Ben Burge-
ner, the city manager in Stanfi eld.
Mayor Henry Balensifer, who was
tasked with handling negotiations,
announced at a City Commission
meeting on Tuesday night that sev-
eral off ers were made between the
parties, but Burgener’s fi nal off er
exceeded the city’s budget.
Commissioners chose to move
on and terminate negotiations.
“The city manager is a critical
piece to the city’s leadership, there’s
no doubt about it. But we also need
to make sure that we’re not cutting
services to just get the CEO in the
C suite,” Balensifer said. “I don’t
have any ill will or any issues with
‘THE CITY MANAGER IS A CRITICAL
PIECE TO THE CITY’S LEADERSHIP,
THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. BUT WE
ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE
NOT CUTTING SERVICES TO JUST GET
THE CEO IN THE C SUITE.’
Henry Balensifer | mayor of Warrenton
Mr. Burgener. I’m disappointed
that we’ve reached this point but it
is a tight job market, and housing
is expensive and we are at where
we’re at.”
The city made two off ers to Bur-
gener, with the second off er being
fi nal. Burgener made three coun-
teroff ers, according to the city, all
higher than the city’s budget and
raising his asking amounts each
time.
Balensifer said Burgener’s
off ers, which were looking for
a base salary far higher than the
advertised amount, caught the city
off guard.
He was also looking for signifi -
cant relocation benefi ts, which the
city couldn’t meet, Balensifer said.
Balensifer was sympathetic to
concerns of housing, but Burgener’s
lesser experience and room to grow
had to be considered by the city in
the process, he added.
The city held several staff
and community receptions with
See Warrenton, Page A2