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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 2018)
October 19, 2018 T he C olumbia P ress Local woman appointed to state panel Letters to the Editor City transparent under Balensifer There have been some un- fortunate and misinformed opinions circulating about Mayor Balensifer, the City Commission and the work they have done. The accusation that the cur- rent city administration and government is not transpar- ent is simply untrue. My husband and I began at- tending weekly Mayor’s Cof- fee meetings a couple years ago, as well as the City Com- mission meetings. Through our attendance, we’ve met some neat people, have been able to voice our ideas on improving our city, and even found ways to be bet- ter involved, such as joining the Economic Roadmapping process that Mayor Balen- sifer helped start. From our observation, Mayor Balensifer and the commission work well to- gether, and we see no reason to change that. If you don’t want to sit through the formality of commission meetings, or fall asleep reading budgets, the mayor hosts a coffee every week and holds town halls on pressing issues. The coffee is a low-pressure informal hour focused on providing updates and listening to constituents. We also hear from the school district and nonprofits like the VFW. Both the Mayor’s Coffees and town halls are a great opportunity to meet city employees responsible for daily operations and bet- ter understand how the city operates. The mayor has an occasion- al column in The Columbia Press, posts a great deal of in- formation on Facebook and, under the new city manager’s leadership, now has a City Administration Facebook page to provide updates not covered by the police or fire department Facebook pages. With the exception of legal documents, the city website contains the packet of infor- mation the commission gets ahead of the meetings, as well as the budget and capi- tal improvement plan, which outlines all the infrastructure projects and equipment pur- chases the city plans to do in the next six years. That’s all information available from your smartphone or comput- er. Sounds like a transparent city government to me. Brenda Hoxsey Warrenton sionalism is demonstrated by staying informed through contact with city staff and researching and reading up on the various issues that are of concern to the citizens of Warrenton. If issues require additional information, he makes sure that they are looked into and the results shared with the citizens and city commis- sion. He runs meetings that are kept under control and is respectful of the differing opinions that come before the commission. Please join me in voting to retain Henry Balensifer as the mayor of Warrenton. Ken Yuill Warrenton Balensifer should remain mayor Just say ‘yes’ this This letter is in support of election period Mayor Henry Balensifer. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to observe Henry, first when he was appointed to the Warrenton Planning Commission, and then when he was elected to the Warrenton City Commis- sion. After Mayor Mark Kujala resigned his position, the City Commission voted to appoint Henry as Mayor Pro Tem in order to fill Mr. Kujala’s un- finished term. Mayor Balensifer does an excellent job of serving all the citizens of Warrenton and he makes sure that all of the ar- eas in our city are included -- from the airport to Fort Ste- vens, the Hammond area and our marinas. I have seen our mayor han- dle items brought forth by citizens that were not listed on commission agendas in addition to answering ques- tions that come up at his weekly “Coffee with the May- or,” where everything is on the table. Mayor Balensifer’s profes- 9 There is a lot for our community to say “yes” to on this year’s November ballot. “Yes” on Measure 105 protects families, Oregon jobs and our state’s economy. “Yes” on Measure 104 limits the power of Oregon government to raise taxes and allows families to keep more of their hard-earned money. “Yes” on Measure 106 gives Oregonians the choice of how their own tax dollars are spent. “Yes” on Measure 103 prevents local governments from taxing groceries. A “yes” vote on these measures and a “yes” vote on 4-195, Clatsop County’s Jail Bond Measure, supports local law enforcement who protect our families and communities, upholds our most important values and keeps power in the hands of the people. Oregon wins with “yes”! Christine Bridgens Warrenton Tiffany Brown, Clat- The Oregon Legis- sop County’s emergen- lature established the cy services manager, group in 1991 to influ- has been appointed by ence decisions and pol- Gov. Kate Brown to the icies regarding pre-di- Oregon Seismic Safety saster minimalizing of Policy Advisory Com- T. Brown earthquake and tsu- mission. nami hazards, increase The panel, also known as public understanding of the the Earthquake Commis- risks, exposure and vulnera- sion, is tasked with promot- bility through education, and ing statewide awareness and be responsive to new stud- preparedness for natural di- ies and issues raised around sasters. earthquakes and tsunamis. Brown’s appointment runs Brown has been emergency through June 2022. services manager since 2013.
