4A • October 21, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
Views from the Rock
How ‘institutional’ knowledge shapes a city
CANNON SHOTS
R.J. MARX
T
he League of Oregon Cities hosted
its City Hall Week in Septem-
ber. Participating were 256 city
offi cials, 83 cities, 25 legislators,
31 candidates and 59 citizens. Of
their four legislative priorities — property
tax reform, restoring recreational immunity,
transportation funding and state employee
pension reform — not one of these was raised
in a Cannon Beach City Council candidate
forum on Oct. 12. The city’s priorities remain
as separate and iconic as its geography.
Candidates Brandon Ogilvie, Herb
Florer and Nancy McCarthy focused on
the unique characteristics of a city where
1,500 residents play host to 750,000 guests.
They pointed to crowded city streets, a lack
of parking options and a dearth of housing
for local employees, especially those in the
service sector.
While the unity of the candidates fell short
of a kumbaya moment, there were a few jabs
thrown at city staff and the Cannon Beach
Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber’s role as a function of city
government was debated and city offi cials
were accused of lacking “institutional mem-
ory.”
R.J. MARX/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
Herb Florer, Nancy McCarthy and Brandon Ogilvie at the Oct. 12 forum.
Staff , council disconnect?
When a city manager, city planner, public
works director and police chief all left at the
same time, changes came in the city’s man-
agement style, sometimes discomfi ting older
residents and leaving newer ones without a
road map.
“We’ve lost a lot of institutional knowl-
edge,” Ogilvie said. “It’s up to us and the
people on the City Council to try to keep
the character that this town has developed
and built and ensure that it stays the way we
would like it rather than be changed by some-
one else governing the city that just didn’t
have the understanding and knowledge of
those who previously occupied those jobs.”
Part of the problem is that some city staff
either do not live in Cannon Beach or cannot
afford to do so.
“We’ve had such a huge change in
management,” McCarthy said. “Some of the
city offi cials that have been hired in the past
few years should go out and get to know the
community.”
Florer said relationships between City
Council, city management and citizens could
be improved via better communication. The
City Council has a duty to “guide and moni-
tor the city staff,” he said.
Forum moderator Andrew Tonry pointed
out sections of Tolovana Park were omitted
from the recent Citizen Survey because offi -
cials were unaware the community was part
of Cannon Beach.
Chamber role
Candidates had differing expectations for
the chamber and its role in the community.
How much tourism is too much, and how
much should be spent on promotion?
“We have to decide if we want to main-
tain a small village arts atmosphere that we
have or if we’re going to become a high-end
destination resort,” McCarthy said.
“I’d like to see us preserve our village at-
mosphere,” she said. “The biggest challenge
for me will be clinging to the small-town
feel — especially in a world of encroaching
national events. I think Cannon Beach is at a
crossroads right now.”
Pondering the city’s future in 1977.
Council candidates in 1988. Councilors,
like staff , off er an insight into the city’s
“institutional memory.” George Vetter,
lower right, is a current council member.
Th e role of the Cannon Beach Chamber
of Commerce has evolved throughout the
years.
FILE PHOTOS
City councilors will be expected to build a new institutional
memory that matches the colorful, historic small-town
past with today’s Cannon Beach international brand.
There is no longer an off-season, McCa-
rthy said, and “some of the tourism that we
have today is diluting the community spirit
that we have all known for so long.”
Florer identifi ed the divergent goals
between drawing tourists and managing local
infrastructure. “My biggest issue is the infl ux
of people as our community has grown,”
Florer said, citing limited parking and traffi c
jams.
“I’m confl icted at almost all times — but
it’s what we are,” Ogilvie said. “I think the
best we can do to welcome people to this
town and at the same time try to create an
atmosphere that is workable for those of us
that live here.”
What we hear the candidates saying is
they want to take a fresh look at the relation-
ship the city and chamber of commerce and
a determination that this is the best formula
for the city. The city needs to clarify the
chamber’s roles and objectives, complicated
by the state’s unique tourism fund distribu-
tion rules.
Maybe the state transient lodging tax —70
percent of the new .8 percent tax increase
goes to “putting heads in beds” — is some-
thing to be discussed not only locally but at
the League of Oregon Cities and in Salem.
Why can’t a larger portion of those funds
go to city infrastructure needs — like replac-
ing the Fir Street bridge — that would not
only benefi t residents, but potentially save the
lives of visitors in the event of an earthquake
and tsunami?
Instilling confi dence
Whichever candidates prevail, there needs
to be enhanced communication between
council, residents and staff.
The divide could play out on a number of
issues — be it transition of the e-prep com-
mittee from volunteer to staff support, action
on resident survey results, commission and
board decisions and more.
As long as residents feel a disconnect
from their city offi cials, the sense of commu-
nity and small-town values — the institution-
al memory — invoked by Florer, McCarthy
and Storer will never truly be instilled. A
35-percent confi dence rating in city govern-
ment as indicated in the city survey is not
high enough.
In Cannon Beach, city councilors will be
expected to build a new institutional memory
that matches the colorful, historic small-town
past with today’s Cannon Beach international
brand.
Accomplishing that will require more than
a village, it will require a vision.
Aft er fall fest, looking forward to a season of author visits
irst of all, library friends, we would like
to thank each and every one of you for
your contributions to our wonderful Fall
Festival. So many of you baked, produced
crafts, manned the cash registers, and came
up with awesome ideas to make our Festival
the warm and profi table event it was! And
thanks to our local businesses who provided
gift certifi cates and to the hotels who came
forward with special deals on rooms for our
silent auction. Best of all, thanks to all of you
who came to the festival to make purchases,
drink coffee, and just spend a while enjoying
one another and the items we had available!
Hard to believe, but October is drawing
to a close, and soon it will be November!
But never fear, the Cannon Beach Library
will help us get through that blustery month.
The fi rst library event will be our monthly
membership meeting, which will be held on
Wednesday, Nov. 2. Our hostesses will pro-
vide a delicious brunch, we will have a short
business meeting, and then enjoy what should
be an interesting presentation by Patrick Lath-
rop from the Coaster Theatre.
F
Publisher
David F. Pero
Editor
R.J. Marx
Reporter
Lyra Fontaine
Sales/Advertising Manager
Betty Smith
Production Manager
John D. Bruijn
Circulation Manager
Heather Ramsdell
Classifi ed Sales
Jamie Ramsdell
Advertising Sales
Holly Larkins
Brandy Stewart
AT THE LIBRARY
CARLA O’REILLY
Our fi rst “World of Haystack Rock” lecture
for 2016-17 is scheduled for Wednesday,
Nov. 9, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wayne Hoffman,
Policy Director for Mid Coast Watershed
Council, will be on hand to give what should
be a very interesting and informative lecture.
His lecture is entitled: “Peregrine Falcons of
Yaquina Head.”
The Northwest Author Series will continue
at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12. Author Carolyn
Wood will be present to talk about her book
Tough Girl: An Olympian’s Journey. In the
summer of her high school Freshman year,
she became a competitive swimmer who
actually proceeded to the 1960 Olympics in
Rome, where she won a gold medal. This na-
tive Oregonian swam competitively for three
more years and then attended the University
CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
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of Oregon. She taught English for 35 years
and fi nally decided to write about her own
experiences. Her books will be available for
purchase, and the event is free of charge, as
always.
Finally for the month of November, Can-
non Beach Reads will meet at the library at 7
p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16, to discuss the
book they will have read for the month, which
is “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” by
author Willa Cather. Linda Schaeffer will be
discussion leader for the evening. The group
always encourages new members to attend!
Also, library friends, keep in mind that
during and after Thanksgiving, our well-
stocked craft table will return for early Christ-
mas shopping. Quilt drawing tickets will
continue to be sold for the month of Novem-
ber for the drawing in early December, when
the ticket of the lucky winner will be drawn
at our holiday tea. Also, the library will be an
important participant in Haystack Holidays
starting Nov. 25. More news to follow!
We would like to wish one and all of you a
very happy Halloween!
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BUDDIE ANDERSON DENI
Kathe Leduc and Judy Wood dressed up for
Halloween 2015.
THE NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING