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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2017)
APRIL 21, 2017 • VOL. 41, ISSUE 8 WWW.CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM COMPLIMENTARY COPY Water discussion reaches a boiling point Hike seeks to fi nance infrastructure C ouncil meeting as originally planned, members of the com- mittee decided to schedule a special meeting May 9 to dis- cuss issues each had with the proposal . “I think it’s a little rushed. We need a more robust con- versation about priorities and where all the money goes,” public works committee ice chairman Richard Bertel- lotti said . “The reality is we have to raise some rates to do some maintenance, but we need to understand why it is needed.” By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette After four hours of heat- ed debate, the public works committee decided Tuesday to table a plan that would in- crease water rates in Cannon Beach by 40 percent . Instead of recommending the plan at the May 2 C ity Dan Grassick, the city’s public works director, said the average combined sewer and water rate in Cannon Beach would increase from about $52 a month to $70 beginning in July . Infrastructure needs The water and wastewater master plan seeks to fi nance about $3.4 million in water in- frastructure, as well as about $1.3 million in wastewater projects, according to the Civ- il West Engineering Services study commissioned by the city. These projects would fo- cus on rehabbing or replacing a variety of systems, includ- ing brittle water lines and wa- ter storage tanks. “We are retaining the same rate structure, just increasing the base price and unit price to fund operations, maintenance and capital projects,” Grass- ick said. But members of the pub- lic works committee took is- sue with how projects were prioritized, how high the rate would jump, and, most nota- bly, the lack of involvement the committee had in forming the plan. “We were frozen out of this process,” Bertellotti said. “That’s got to change or there is no reason to have a public works committee.” Grassick said he apolo- gizes for not including them in the two preliminary plan- ning meetings last year. He also said committee members were given the master plans in December, but due to trav- el and weather complications couldn’t meet until now to discuss it. Why now? There has not been a signifi cant rate increase in Cannon Beach for 10 years, Grassick said. Because of this, the Pub- lic Works Department has not been able to fully cover oper- ational costs without dipping into the general fund, Grassick said. While this has been the status quo in Cannon Beach, Grassick said there are long- term issues with depending See Water, Page 7A City council considers inclusivity resolution By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette Following the trend of many cities along the North Coast, the Cannon Beach city council is considering adopting an immigrant inclusivity resolution. The resolution, which “embraces, cele- brates, and welcomes its immigrant and refu- gee residents and their contributions,” is not the same as becoming a sanctuary city. The resolution was drafted after several citizens approached Cannon Beach Police Chief Jason Schermerhorn about wanting Cannon Beach to become an inclusivity city like their northern neighbor Astoria did in March. Seaside City Council also is consid- ering an inclusivity resolution. Schermerhorn said he then went to the Lower Columbia Hispanic Council, a major player in passing the resolution in Astoria, to discuss next steps and in the hopes of build- ing a closer relationship with the Latino com- munity. “I know there is a lot of fear growing,” Schermerhorn said. “We want people to know we’re not actively seeking to deport undocumented folk.” This string of proposals come in light of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January that would with- hold federal grant money from sanctuary cities—a general term describing cities that seek to protect undocumented immigrants from federal immigration policies. The City of Seattle has fi led a lawsuit challenging the order. Inclusivity resolutions allow cities to sup- port immigrants and refugees without run- ning the risk of possibly losing that money by not cooperating with federal immigration agents. There was never a discussion suggest- ing becoming a sanctuary city rather than an inclusivity city with the citizens who ap- proached him, Schermerhorn said. In the draft of the resolution, it states the policy is aimed to keep the roles of local and federal government clear and enforceable, rather than framing it as a resistance to federal deportation practices. No changes to current Cannon Beach police policy are necessary to adhere to these goals, Schermerhorn said. BRENNA VISSER/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Seaside Heights Elementary School students play with thermometers in the touch tank at Puffi n Welcome. Bring on the puffi ns Event welcomes tufted puffi ns to Cannon Beach By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette Kindergartners came to explore, learn and welcome tufted puffi ns back to Haystack Rock at the Puffi n Wel- come on Friday, April 14. Haystack Rock Awareness Program volunteers were scattered about, im- parting the lessons of local marine life with touch tanks and tide pool tours. Some were supervising games like “Puffi n Predator,” the main objective of which was to pick up as many piec- es of driftwood — which represented BRENNA VISSER/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE See Puffi ns, Page 10A HRAP Education and Volunteer Coordinator Lisa Habecker and volunteer Tracy Abel explain the rules to a game at Puffi n Welcome. PAID PERMIT NO. 97 ASTORIA, OR PRSRT STD US POSTAGE See Resolution, Page 10A THE RETURN OF THE ‘BLUE TIDE’ By-the-wind sailors make landfall again EO Media Group NEWPORT— The Oregon coast- line is again experiencing a “blue tide,” when beaches are strewn with an aquamarine layer of jelly-like or- ganisms. Each spring, there are innu- merable bodies of by-the-wind sailors or Velella velella, and their strandings are a regular, but still fascinating phe- nomenon on the coast. The common name of these gelat- inous creatures — by-the-wind sailor OREGON COAST AQUARIUM — refers to the clear, triangular sail Velella velella, the so-called “blue tide,” are less of at the top of the animal’s body which a threat to animals and people than the red variety. catches the wind and propels it across the surface. Short tentacles hang from the underside of the sail. Found in all the world’s oceans, these animals have no independent form of movement and will drift at the whim of the breeze. Despite Velella’s simple yet ef- fective sail, heavier winds during the spring and summer months may cause mass strandings. During such condi- tions, it isn’t uncommon to see miles and miles of Oregon beach carpeted with stinking heaps of Velella, which quickly die and decay on shore, turning from a metallic blue to a lifeless white.
