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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 2018)
T he C olumbia P ress August 31, 2018 Public Safety Calls Continued from Page 2 M ediCal Calls • Male having seizure, 11:25 a.m. Aug 20, 800 block Russell Drive. • Male lift assist, 9 p.m. Aug. 20, 100 block Southwest Cedar Avenue. • Male with diabetic emergency, 2:08 a.m. Aug. 21, 0-100 block East Harbor Drive. • Female child having seizure, 8:16 p.m. Aug. 21, 0-100 block Southeast First Street. • Male with chest pain, 9:04 p.m. Aug. 21, Fort Stevens State Park. • Female with self-inflicted cuts to arm, 3:14 a.m. Aug. 22, 900 block Lake Drive. • Female who fell and hit head, 12:19 p.m. Aug. 23, 1700 block Southeast Ensign Lane. • Male who fell and can’t remem- ber, 3:03 p.m. Aug. 23, 1000 block Iredale Street. • Male with diabetic problem, 4:08 p.m. Aug. 23, 200 block Southwest Alder Avenue. • Female with breathing difficul- ty, 10:21 p.m. Aug. 23, 100 block Northwest Date Avenue. • Female possibly not breathing, 10:10 a.m. Aug. 24, 200 block Southwest Second Street. • Male with difficulty breathing, 2:45 a.m. Aug. 24, Air Station Astoria. • Stand by at football game, 6 p.m. Aug. 24, Warrenton High School. • Female with unknown medical problem, 8:17 p.m. Aug. 24, 900 block Fifth Avenue. • Male who fell and is bleeding from arm, 1:28 a.m. Aug. 25, 0-100 block Northeast Harbor Court. • Female with loss of conscious- ness, 10:12 a.m. Aug. 25, 400 block Fleet Street. • Male having seizure, 11:14 a.m. Aug. 25, 400 block Fleet Street. • Suicidal female, 6:53 p.m. Aug. 25, 500 block Iredale Street. • Male with back pain, 12:03 a.m. Aug. 26, 1700 block Ensign Lane. • Male with third-degree burns to hand, 1:50 p.m. Aug. 26, 1700 block Ensign Lane. 3 City struggles to craft policy on home-stay residences The Columbia Press There are more than a doz- en Warrenton homes listed with Airbnb, an online com- pany that matches travelers with available rooms in resi- dents’ homes. All those listings are illegal in the city of Warrenton; cur- rent city codes do not allow them. Finding a solution has cre- ated a quandary for the City Commission, which held a workshop on home stays Tuesday evening. “We’re trying to be ahead of the game -- pre-emptive – how- ever you want to say it,” Com- missioner Rick Newton said. Other coastal communities, including Cannon Beach, Lincoln City and Manzani- ta, have dealt with housing problems after they’ve sur- faced, he said. Two Warrenton proper- ty owners spoke about their current and future plans and what they hope to see in the city’s home-stay rules, should the city adopt them. “I’m wondering what you’re so concerned about,” said Krista Bingham, who now lives in Costa Rica but owns a five-bedroom house in War- renton. “If you’re already re- ceiving room tax and bed tax … (do you need) fines, inspec- tions, approvals? I think the city is biting off more than it can chew. You’ll have to hire someone to do those inspec- tions.” Lisa Lamping, who rents a portion of her Main Avenue property to visitors about 130 days per year, wanted to see more dialogue and involve- ment from residents. “I really wish we could back up the whole train,” Lamping said. “My concern is that one size does not always fit all.” Commissioners agreed the new rules would require those offering home-stay rooms to obtain a city business license, provide adequate off-street parking and have a designat- ed person in charge on the premises. While Warrenton hasn’t had the problem of other cit- ies, allowing home stays with- in the city requires the des- ignation to be added to city codes with enforceable rules in place, City Manager Linda Engbretson said. Setting limits on vacation and home-stay properties is important because there is an available housing crises in Clatsop County, Commis- sioner Tom Dyer said. “When we can’t find housing for people and we’re trying to draw businesses, we have to have places for them to live,” Dyer said. “If we don’t license it some way, … it becomes a problem for all the neighbors and the city,” Commissioner Mark Baldwin said. “I don’t want to control anybody. I want to know what’s going on with my neighborhood.” The policy on home-stay residences will return to the City Commission at a future meeting. Tax appeals board needs members The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners seeks ap- plications from people inter- ested in serving on the Board of Property Tax Appeals for the 2018-19 term. The board hears petitions from taxpayers who want to decrease the real market or assessed value of their real and personal property. Applicants should have a working knowledge of the lo- cal real estate market, both residential and commercial, be willing to participate in public hearings and be able to make reasonable decisions with the parties in attendance. Those with mediation skills or backgrounds in real estate appraisal, financing or relat- ed are especially sought. Applicants must be county residents, but can’t be em- ployees of the county or of any of its taxing districts. The Clatsop County Com- mission makes appointments to a pool, from which the County Clerk selects three people to serve on BOPTA. Training is provided in Jan- uary. The committee holds several meetings beginning the first Monday in February to hear petitions. The com- mittee adjourns no later than April 15, with the term ending June 30, 2019. Applications, due Sept. 13, are available on the coun- ty website or at the County Manager’s Office, 800 Ex- change St., Suite 410, Astoria.
