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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (July 27, 2018)
VOL. 42, ISSUE 15 WWW.CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM JULY 27, 2018 Rental owner fights $1.8M fine Federal lawsuit filed over lodging tax dispute in Manzanita By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette BRENNA VISSER/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Sandra Petersen is suing Manzanita in federal court over $1.8 million in vacation rental fines. MANZANITA — A property owner hit with $1.8 million in vacation rental fines has filed a federal lawsuit against Manzanita claiming the city’s enforcement is unconsti- tutional. Sandra Petersen, a co-trustee of the King- wood Trust, which owns the home on Ed- mund Lane, was fined by the city in October for operating a vacation rental without a li- cense and for not paying the lodging tax. Petersen, who lives in Washington state, said the city notified her of the citations in one document, nearly two years after the first alleged violation in January 2015. “When I got the letter, I was in total Flowers, flavor and fun PHOTOS BY COLIN MURPHEY/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Fresh fruits and vegetables are just one of the many options available at the farmer’s market in Cannon Beach. Farmer’s Market showcases fresh summer bounty By Colin Murphey For Cannon Beach Gazette PAID PERMIT NO. 97 ASTORIA, OR PRSRT STD US POSTAGE Every Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. during the summer, the Cannon Beach Farmer’s Market is alive with music, flowers, produce, meats and seafoods, organic cheeses and other foods through Sept. 25. The market is held in the east public parking lot at the inter- section of Hemlock and Gow- er streets, next to City Hall. Flowers for sale are displayed at a booth at the Cannon Beach Farmer’s Market. People gather at the farmer’s market in Cannon Beach to check out the selection of vendors. shock,” she said. “It was very unexpected. I had no idea that I was disobeying any or- dinances.” In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Portland in June, Petersen has tried to block Manzanita from enforcing the citations, al- leging the $1.8 million penalty is a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which protects against excessive fines. The city declined to comment. See Rental, Page 5A Levy renewal seeks to meet fire costs Tax to bring in about $1.2M over five years By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette Cannon Beach Rural Fire District is ask- ing voters to renew a five-year fire chief levy. The levy pays for the chief’s salary, ve- hicles, administrative costs and supplies. It will go up to $0.19 per thousand of assessed property up from an average $0.14 voted in five years ago. With the new rate, a home- owner would pay $19 a year on a $100,000 house. Earlier in the year, the board indi- cated an intention to keep the levy rate the same out of fear that voters would have “tax fatigue” from multiple levies and bonds coming on the ballot in November, but decided an increase was needed to cover growing costs. Between 2019 to 2024, the levy is esti- mated to bring the district about $1.2 mil- lion over five years. The last levy brought in approximately $700,000 over five years. With the current rate, the district has had to dip into reserves to cover growing costs associated with the position, Fire Chief Matt Benedict said. Rising health insurance costs and PERS rates are the biggest increases. If rates aren’t raised, there will not be enough in the fund to cover the fire chief’s position for another year, if the voters chose not to renew the levy, he said. Raising the levy 4 cents allows the dis- trict to build up a reserve to prepare for fu- ture cost increases, including slowly raising the salary, Benedict said. Benedict, who is paid $80,000 a year, would make $90,000 in two years. Benedict said $90,000 is on par with oth- er chiefs around the county, and that if the district wants to encourage well-qualified people to fill the position in the future, the district must start gradually increasing the salary to be competitive. It will also help account for rising PERS and health care costs in the future. “It’s getting us up to where Cannon Beach needs to be to get someone experi- enced in the future,” Benedict said. Four board members supported the pay increase, saying it was necessary given the difficulty of the job and Benedict’s perfor- mance. Fire board member Sharon Clyde was the one dissenting vote, saying it wasn’t the most prudent way to spend resources in a time when the district is short on cash. “It’s not about how well he’s doing. It’s about fiduciary responsibility,” Clyde said. Voters will see the levy on the Special Election ballot Sept. 19. New owners, new location and new vision Cannon Beach Fitness Center to reopen under new ownership on Sunset Boulevard By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette The Cannon Beach Fitness Center is going to have a new home — and a new vision — by the end of summer. Christy Baker of the Cannon Beach Spa and Emma Molyneux purchased the local gym in June from Patrick Nofield. The two will move the fitness center from its current location in Sandpiper Square to 171 Sunset Blvd. by Labor Day, Molyneux said. “It caters more to tourists and travel- ers in Sandpiper Square,” Molyneux said. “We wanted this to really be for the com- munity, and midtown is more accessible for locals.” The gym will retain a similar weight and cardio room that people can access with a membership. But past that, the two hope to expand the fitness center to have a variety of family-centered fitness activ- ities, running and cycling training groups and yoga classes — all for free. “We want this to be a place where even if you can’t afford a membership you can be a part of the fitness community,” Moly- neux said. Molyneux, a triathlete with a long- held passion for fitness, moved to Cannon Beach about a year ago, but said she found herself missing the “town hub feel” of her former gym in California. Baker and Molyneux met at the Can- non Beach Academy, where both of their children go to school, and bonded over a passion for loving health and wellness. They often discussed ideas on starting new athletic opportunities and amenities for the town. See Fitness, Page 7A CANNON BEACH FITNESS Cannon Beach Fitness Center owners Christy Baker and Emma Moly- neux with their children, Cayden, Kora, Emily, Ayden and Chloe.