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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 2019)
A4 • Friday, February 8, 2019 | Cannon Beach Gazette | CannonBeachGazette.com Cannon Beach welcomes a new code enforcement offi cer Thompson-Kiefer lived on-and- off on the North Coast for years ENFORCEMENT ROLE Thompson-Kiefer will be tasked with enforcing everything from design review and planning codes to vacation rentals. By BRENNA VISSER Cannon Beach Gazette For years, Jenny Thomp- son-Kiefer got to know the world of vacation rentals as a house cleaner with a local property management company. Now, Thompson-Kiefer will be returning to that world, but this time as Can- non Beach’s new code enforcement offi cer. “I’ve seen the other side, and now I’m going to com- ing from a completely dif- ferent side. I think seeing the backside of short-term rentals and knowing what it’s like will help in this job a lot,” she said. “And, I know where a lot of them are already.” Last year, Cannon Beach decided to hire a code enforcement offi cer after not having the position since the 1990s. Thompson-Kiefer will be tasked with enforc- ing everything from design review and planning codes to vacation rentals. Thompson-Kiefer’s jour- ney to this job started about 20 years ago as a 18-year-old girl in the Columbia Gorge with a dream to go into law enforcement. After high school she began college but By Brenna Visser/Cannon Beach Gazette Jenny Thompson-Kiefer joined the police department earlier this month. left early, eventually moving around and working a vari- ety of jobs. In 2004, Thomp- son-Kiefer made it out to the coast, where she was drawn by the natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities. “I love the coast, the beach, the atmosphere,” she said. “I like the small town environment.” Over the course of 10 years, either lived or worked in Cannon Beach in retail and the property management business. But still, Thomp- son-Kiefer couldn’t shake her law enforcement dream. “I realized I could be doing more to help peo- ple and the community,” she said. “I decided to fi n- ish what I started a long time ago. It was a professional goal, but in a lot of ways it was also a personal goal.” So she decided to move to Grants Pass to start her education and be closer to her family. She then moved back to the coast, transferred to Portland State University and completed her criminal justice degree online. Soon after completing her degree, Thompson-Kiefer through luck and circum- Invasive weed management Cannon Beach Gazette On Feb. 14, the Lower Nehalem Watershed Coun- cil hosts Troy Abercrombie for his talk “A Marginally Comprehensive Overview of Invasive Weeds Manage- ment.” Abercrombie is the Invasive Weeds Program Coordinator at the Tilla- mook Soil and Water Con- servation District. Drawing on a decade of work in weed management in both the public and pri- vate sector, he will intro- duce us to the major species of concern for Tillamook County. He will also talk about integrated pest man- agement as a framework for weed control. Before Abercrombie’s talk, the Lower Nehalem Watershed Council will hold its February board beeting. This is an opportunity for the public to see how the watershed council operates. Following the board meet- ing, there will be a short summary of council activ- ities before Abercrombie’s talk begins. This event will be held at the Pine Grove Community MEETINGS MONDAY, Feb. 11 House, 225 Laneda Ave., in Manzanita. The board meet- ing begins at 6 p.m. The pre- sentation will start at 7:10 following a brief update from the Lower Nehalem Watershed Council at 7. This event is part of the Lower Nehalem Watershed Council’s regular speaker series. The event is free and open to the public. stance saw the job posting for Cannon Beach’s code enforcement offi cer posi- tion pop up on her Facebook newsfeed after a mutual friend liked it. She sent in an application. “It just seemed like a good fi t ... a good way in,” she said. As the fi rst code enforce- ment offi cer for the town in many years, Thomp- son-Kiefer hopes to use her position to educate and inform people about the city’s codes, rather than being seen as “the bad guy.” “A lot of comments of being the most hated person — I don’t think it has to be that way,” she said. “I think people often are unaware that they are breaking rules.” Thompson-Kiefer is excited for the challenge. “I’m drawn to law enforcement because you never know what you are going to be dealing with in a day ... and you’re helping your community,” she said. “I like the feeling of getting involved, being in service. I’m excited to work for Can- non Beach.” Dining on the North Coast Excellence in family dining found from a family that has been serving the North Coast for the past 52 years Great Great Great Homemade Breakfast, lunch and pasta, Clam dinner steaks & Chowder, but that’s not all... menu,too! seafood! Salads! Seaside • 323 Broadway • 738-7234 (Open 7 Days) Cannon Beach • 223 S. Hemlock 436-2851 (7am-3pm Daily) Astoria • 146 W. Bond • 325-3144 239 N. Hemlock • Cannon Beach • 503.436.0208 I’m so glad I found you – and that the folks at Providence knew how to get you gone. These days, the view from here is lovely. Darn lucky and blessed, Penny Cannon Beach Rural Fire Pro- tection District Board of Direc- tors, 6 p.m., 188 E. Sunset Blvd. TUESDAY, Feb. 12 Cannon Beach City Council, 5:30 p.m., work session, City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. THURSDAY, Feb. 14 Cannon Beach Academy Board of Directors, 5:30, 3781 S. Hem- lock St., Cannon Beach TUESDAY, Feb. 19 Cannon Beach Public Works Committee, 9 a.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. Seaside School District Board of Directors, 6 p.m., 1801 S. Franklin. Cannon Beach City Council, 5:30 p.m., work session, goal setting, City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. THURSDAY, Feb. 21 Parks and Community Services Committee, 9 a.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. Cannon Beach Design Review Board Meeting, 6 p.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. THURSDAY, Feb. 28 Cannon Beach Planning Com- mission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. prov idenceoregon . org / de a rnorthcoa s t
