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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (July 27, 2018)
6A • July 27, 2018 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Getting to the source of the WATER WOES Cannon Beach revives water testing after high bacteria readings By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette After high bacteria readings at Cannon Beach outfalls, the city has revived a water testing pro- gram in search of a solution. In late June, routine sampling conducted through the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program found readings at two freshwater outfalls exceed- ed the state’s recreational water standard of 130 mpn, or most probable number, a testing method used to estimate the number of colony forming units of bacteria. The Chisana Creek outfall at Tolovana State Park registered at 465 mpn, more than three times what is considered safe by the U.S. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency. The Ecola Court outfall pipe hit 134 mpn. Ingesting bacteria con- taminated water can result in illness. Bacteria levels appear to have steadied for now. But questions persist about why, after al- most a decade, Cannon Beach continues to see higher levels of bacteria at several beach outfalls. According to the Surfrider Foundation, which has tested outfalls around Cannon Beach for 10 years, 25 to 50 percent of readings have exceed- ed state standards, depending on the year. There have been four high readings registered since 2016 with the Oregon Beach Monitoring Pro- gram. Cannon Beach is consistently one of the five beaches on the Oregon Coast that causes the or- ganization the most concern with regard to bac- teria levels, Charlie Plybon, Surfrider’s Oregon Policy Manager, said. So what is the source, and why is it difficult to identify it? The problem Sources of contamination to surface waters include wastewater treatment plants, septic sys- tems, storm runoff, and domestic and wild animal manure, according to the EPA. For almost a decade, the city ran a variety of tests to try to identify anything within the in- frastructure that could be the source. The steps included weekly water sampling, using optical BRENNA VISSER BRENNA VISSER Assistant Public Works Director Trevor Mount collects water samples at the Chisana Creek outfall at Tolovana State Park. Assistant Public Works Director Trevor Mount pours a water sample into a vial. brighteners to look for human causes of pollu- tion like household detergents and cleansers, and conducting smoke tests. The monitoring sought to find out whether human fecal matter was mak- ing it to the beach. The program ended in 2015 after former Public Works Director Dan Grassick deemed issues were unrelated to the wastewater system. Historically, the city has also considered oth- er sources, such as wildlife, as a possible culprit. Two DNA-tested samples were inconclusive, but pointed to some animal contamination. This could be waste left by seagulls on someone’s roof or feces left by an elk near a stream getting fil- tered down through the city’s water channels. “I think it’s normal activity. Dogs or elk or what have you are going to do what they are go- ing to do,” City Manager Bruce St. Denis said. “It washes into a gully where it concentrates, and then when it rains it all comes out one outfall.” While the source remains unclear, St. Denis said recent smoke testing did not indicate issues within the wastewater system. “If the contaminants were coming from the city’s wastewater system, the readings would be St. Denis said projects listed in the master plan are long-term issues, and to his knowledge are not directly contributing to bacteria spikes. elevated on a continuous basis,” St. Denis said. “They are not.” But Plybon argues that given how frequent high bacteria readings have been historically, it is unlikely Cannon Beach’s aging infrastructure plays no role. Plybon cited multiple infrastructure issues listed in the city’s wastewater master plan, which was adopted earlier this year and outlines projects that need to be addressed over 20 years. When it was adopted, the Ecola Creek Watershed Council requested the city prioritize repairs near the Chis- ana Creek and Gower Street outfalls. Plybon said he applauds the city for doing a wastewater review, which Surfrider has asked the city to do for years. But without first addressing infrastructure issues, the city can’t rule out the possibility high bacteria could be related. “Maybe not all of these things will contrib- ute to the issue, but in my opinion it’s likely a cause,” Plybon said. “Because it’s been a cause in every community we’ve been to with these issues. These are common issues, having aging infrastructure on the coast — and it contributes to bacteria problems.” Without a pattern Part of the difficulty in narrowing down a source for the bacteria is the fact high readings don’t appear to have a pattern, St. Denis said. Spikes are often seen after heavy rains or at the height of tourism season, but high readings have been recorded during all times of the year and in different weather. That is why the city decided to reinstate the water testing program, only this time to schedule samples on the day before and after heavy rains to see if there is a pattern. The city will also start testing on the east side of U.S. Highway 101 — farther than previ- ous tests have gone — to see if any bacteria is originating from wildlife in the hills. There are also plans to do more extensive DNA testing, St. Denis said, but the city is searching for a lab to analyze samples since Oregon State University no longer offers the service. “We’re just looking for clues,” he said. City Council considers changes to short-term rental rules Rental process confusion prompts review ‘WHEN IT’S UNLIMITED, YOU’RE BASICALLY RUNNING A MOTEL IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. IT VIOLATES THE CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY.’ By Brenna Visser Cannon Beach Gazette Cannon Beach wants to cut the confusion over short-term rentals by reviewing the per- mit structure. In a work session Tuesday, July 10, city councilors began re-evaluating the town’s short- term rental ordinance, which regulates where vacation rent- als can operate, how often houses can be rented, off-street parking and safety inspections. Substantive changes pro- posed include possibly ad- justing the 14-day rule, which limits property owners to one renter in a single 14-day pe- riod, and ending, through at- trition, a lottery system that allows some vacation home- owners the chance at a five- year, unlimited rental permit. The council is following up on a promise made last year to take a deeper dive into short- term regulations in pursuit of making a clearer ordinance. Most issues lie in vacation rental owners not fully under- standing the 14-day rule, City City Councilor Mike Benefield BRENNA VISSER/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Vacation rental owners and management companies may need to make changes. Planner Mark Barnes said. Many have issues tracking ex- actly when a period stops and starts, leading to more viola- tions. Instead, Barnes suggested changing it to allow a home- owner to rent to two parties anytime within the month. This would simplify enforce- ment for rental owners who are not professionally man- aged — the group of people who tend to see more viola- tions, Barnes said. Half of all short-term rent- als fall in the 14-day permit category. “I think it would generate fewer violations,” Barnes said. Experience Family Dining in a Relaxed & Friendly Environment “Sure, some are willfully not understanding the rules, but I think it’s mostly confusion.” The vacation rental man- agement industry has claimed the current rule prohibits them from effectively renting their properties in the off-season when business is most needed. Often one family will want to rent a house around Christ- mas and another will want to rent around New Year’s Eve, but because the two holidays fall within the same 14 days, the home can only be rented once. This change would allevi- ate this issue. “In the winter, we’re hap- py to get any business,” Linda Beck-Sweeney, owner of Can- non Beach Vacation Rentals, said at the meeting. “It affects the shoulder months.” There is the possibility the change could lead to more oc- cupancy in a vacation home, depending on whether a renter checked in at the beginning or the end of the month. A re-ed- ucation effort would need to take place, Barnes said, and companies would have to change their management soft- ware to the current rules. Overall, the City Council saw the change as mostly pos- itive. “I’d rather have a system that’s easier to understand,” City Councilor Mike Bene- field said. Unlimited permits Councilors also discussed slowly eliminating the lottery powered by SERVING LUNCH & DINNER OPEN AT 11:30 Delightful Beer Garden • Ocean View Deck Pool Tables • Darts Full Bar ( including Bill’s Tavern brews ) but that’s not all... 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