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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 2018)
2A • September 7, 2018 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Information, please Housing administrator fires back Sims alleges retaliation By Jack Heffernan The Daily Astorian R.J. MARX It’s been a busy summer in Cannon Beach. Chris Olson, Val Nordquist and Laura Kaim take a break between vis- itors at the Visitor Center. NEWS IN BRIEF Candidate forum to submit questions candidates. in Cannon Beach The Cannon Beach Ga- zette and Daily Astorian present a candidate forum at the Coaster Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. The event will introduce City Council candidates Mike Benefield, Robin Ris- ley and Greg Swedenborg, who are vying for two open seats. Mayor Sam Steidel, who is running unopposed, will be featured. Anticipated topics in- clude affordable housing solutions, parking, traffic safety and emergency pre- paredness, among others. The event is free and open to all. Attendees will be invited to the Gazette editor R.J. Marx will serve as moderator. The theater is located at 108 North Hemlock. For further information, contact 503- 738-5561. Arts Council needs volunteers Applications are being sought for three openings on the Arts Council of Clatsop County. Applications are avail- able online at www.co.clat- sop.or.us, at the Clatsop County Manager’s Office at 800 Exchange St., Suite 410, Astoria or by calling 503- 325-1000. A top Northwest Oregon Housing Authority administra- tor who is on paid leave pend- ing the results of an investiga- tion has lodged a complaint against the agency with the state Bureau of Labor and In- dustries. The complaint, filed by dep- uty director Teresa Sims, claims Todd Johnston, the executive director, retaliated against her for complaints about his job performance. Her allegations reveal de- tails about ongoing investiga- tions at the housing authority that had been shielded from public view. The housing authority man- ages low-income housing in Clatsop, Tillamook and Co- lumbia counties and provides rental assistance. Since Sims was appointed deputy director in 2011, she has supervised the federal housing choice voucher program staff and overseen hu- man resources. In May, Sims sent a letter to Scott Lee, the chairman of the housing agency’s board, complaining about Johnston. The letter claimed that during his tenure as executive direc- tor, Johnston has mismanaged public funds, misused grant funds, engaged in negligent COLIN MURPHEY/THE DAILY ASTORIAN Discord between top administrators at the Northwest Oregon Housing Authority has led to investigations and a complaint to the state Bureau of Labor and Industries. hiring practices and failed to conduct employee performance reviews. The housing authority hired an outside firm to investigate Johnston. Sims was placed on leave around the same time as the ac- cusations against Johnston sur- faced. A different outside firm began investigating wheth- er Sims, in her role with the agency, had falsified records to allow her son and fellow em- ployee, Benjamin Natividad, to receive public housing assis- tance when he was renting from his uncle. Sims’ compliant to the Bu- reau of Labor and Industries claims Johnston was misrep- resenting federal regulations to “retaliate against me and to undermine my credibility in re- spect to the concerns I reported to the Board of Directors.” Johnston specifically claimed Sims falsified an in- come verification form on be- half of her son, according to Sims’ account. Sims claims that both her and her son’s signa- tures on the form were forged. “The handwriting appeared to be Johnston’s and I believe he forged this document to retaliate against me,” the complaint al- leges. “The investigator showed me a copy of the income verifi- cation form. I would never sign anything in respect to verifying Natividad’s income for Section 8 purposes.” Johnston could not immedi- ately be reached for comment. The complaint names the housing authority, Johnston, Lee and LinMarie DiCianni, who resigned from the agen- cy’s board in July following what she called a harassing email exchange with Sims. The complaint alleges Lee failed to offer the entire scope of the investigations and that DiCian- ni mischaracterized the email exchange in comments to the news media. “Why would I have retali- ated against her while she was already on leave?” Lee said. “These claims are baseless and mean nothing to me.” The housing authority’s in- vestigations, which have taken weeks longer than expected, could be completed soon. “I ex- pect to give a report by the end of next week,” Lee said. girl was part of a group reprimanded for having tents on the beach; her father was contacted; he told police he was releasing her to the custody of her male companions rather than coming to get her. All subjects were advised to pack up and return home to Hood River. Clatsop County Sheriff’s Department arrested the male; the female was arrested on a warrant. CANNON BEACH POLICE LOG Aug. 9 he would not let that happen again. Aug. 12 ing are reported. Ten incidents of overnight camp- ing are reported. Aug. 11 Seven incidents of overnight camping are reported. Aug. 10 Three incidents of overnight camp- ing are reported. Aug. 13 1:28 p.m., Braillier Street: A verbal dispute among adult siblings over the care of their elderly mother is resolved when all parties agree to separate and leave each other alone. Two incidents of overnight camp- ing are reported 1:05 p.m., Second Street parking lot: Police respond to a report of a dog locked in a vehicle with no ven- tilation. The temperature was 98.7 degrees. The owner was contacted by phone; he arrived to get the dog out of the vehicle. The dog was fine and was given water. The owner said 9:46 p.m., 400 block Fir Street: A ju- venile female is reported picking up bunnies and continued to do so after being warned by hotel management. Witness’s and the parents of the chil- dren were told the rabbits must be left alone. The group was asked to leave the property in the morning or be charged with trespass. Eleven incidents of overnight camping are reported. 12:14 p.m., Les Shirley Park: A tran- sient male reported as suspicious told police another man has his dog and his truck in Seaside. He declined help locating them. Aug. 14 Two incidents of overnight camp- Aug. 15 Eight incidents of overnight camp- ing are reported. 12:32 a.m., Hug Point: An intoxicat- ed male argued with a woman who ultimately agreed to drive him home. 8:50 a.m., Breakers Point: A runaway Aug. 16 Six incidents of overnight camping are reported. 1:12 p.m., Nordmark Drive: Police respond to a report of a male chas- ing a female with a metal pole. The Aug. 17 9:14 p.m., W. Gower: Police respond to a report of a fight at a wedding. One party left and went to a motel in Seaside. No one was assaulted. Aug. 18 2:10 a.m., N. Holladay Drive: Police assist Seaside police with a reported disturbance that turned out to be a game party. 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