June 9, 2017 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A
Airbnb fails to meet city’s rental standards
N
o longer a mom-and-pop,
starving-student operation,
the Airbnb Community is a
$30 billion global company. At the
time of this writing, according to
a March 2017 study conducted by
CBRE Hotels’ America Research, 40
percent of Airbnb’s revenue is driven
by multi-unit owner/investors. These
are people who buy and rent out
entire dwellings and then also rent out
two or more properties — people for
whom this is clearly a business and
not simply a way to make ends meet
or to supplement a fi xed income.
Over the last years, Seaside, Asto-
ria, and Cannon Beach have experi-
enced the effects of this unregulated
dynamic dramatically eroding the
livability and small business environ-
ment in our towns. The proliferation
of Airbnb’s unlicensed, unregulated
“illegal hotel” operations extracts
profi ts from our communities.
This proliferation broadsides local
law-abiding owner/operators, nega-
GUEST COLUMN
CYNTHIA MALKOWSKI
tively impacts neighborhoods, zoning
ordinances, regulatory compliance
and tax revenues. Airbnb inventory
consumes residences that otherwise
could be available as affordable hous-
ing for local families. This consump-
tion also perpetuates “urban creep,”
forcing unnecessary development.
Consequently, Airbnb impacts
our natural environment, such as the
a 40-unit Wahanna complex that was
approved proximate to a wetland area
based on the need for more affordable
housing. If Airbnb complied with ex-
isting ordinances and if Seaside had
monitored its activity, illegal Airbnb
housing might have been available
for families to rent and the wetlands
would not have been an issue.
Failing to agree to operate in a
transparent way, Airbnb also appears
not to comply with short-term rental
regulations, licensing, tax, zoning
laws or any other public health
requirements.
When Seaside (or Clatsop County)
tacitly turns a blind eye, this creates
an unfair playing fi eld that disadvan-
tages those of us who live here and
who create jobs by participating in
our community.
We are the ones who have to make
it through winter.
Airbnb, in an attempt to main-
tain secrecy and unfair advantage,
approached Seaside with its own
contract called a voluntary collection
agreement, which it wants the city to
sign.
This is like a stranger approaching
you to ask if you want some candy.
The terms imply that taxation and
licensing will somehow be addressed,
yet the city will not have access to the
information it needs in order to verify
overnight stays and the number of
Airbnb properties.
The contract would allow Airbnb
to be audited once within a 48-month
period, prevent transparency by
failing to disclose the addresses for
neighbors to know who is next door,
side-step licensing requirements and
be exempt from a tax look-back.
Wow.
If Seaside inks this contract,
we should all be able to have those
same terms, which include voluntary
disclosure agreements, not VCAs,
that require entities to pay taxes, hold
proper licensing, and open books for
audits. Our municipal leaders must
enforce compliance as a condition
for Airbnb doing business within the
city limits of our town. In addition,
according to Seaside’s two-year
strategic goals plan, our leaders must
move quickly to defi ne the parame-
ters and enforceability of VRD/STR
permits. How much is too much?
In the meantime, until this goal is
OBITUARIES
Dick James Betzer
Mary Rose Wiese
July 24, 1948 — Jan. 29, 2017
May 12, 1924 — May 23, 2017
Dick James Betzer was
born on July 24, 1948, to Ray
and Althea Betzer in Seaside,
Oregon. The youngest of
three children, he had a pas-
sion for baseball and partici-
pated in Little League. Later,
he coached his own team with
good friend, Gary Nelson.
Living most of his life in
the coastal community, Dick
worked for 14 years as a log-
ger for the Crown-Zellerbach
Company. He also served 28
years in the Army National
Guard at Camp Rilea in War-
renton, Oregon.
Becoming a fourth degree
black belt in tae-kwon-do, he
enjoyed competing and per-
forming as well as teaching
the art.
Moving to Kooskia, Ida-
ho, in 2011, Dick spent his
time hunting, fi shing and
camp hosting in the area.
He passed away while
snow-birding in Parker, Ari-
zona, on Jan. 29, 2017.
Dick is survived by his
wife, Hannah Betzer of
Kooskia, Idaho; a daughter,
Kimberly Betzer of War-
renton, Oregon; a son, Ty-
son Betzer of Kalahea, Ha-
waii; seven grandchildren, a
clearly accomplished, instead of ap-
proving VRDs by the handful every
month as has been the trend, I request
the following in order to protect our
community:
• A directive to all entities such
as Airbnb, Vacasa, Flipkey, VRBO,
Homeaway, to cease business within
the city of Seaside until such time that
they demonstrate that they abide by
the same rules as our other compliant
businesses;
• A moratorium on any more
VRD/STR licensing, until the city is
able and willing to defi ne its goals
and the means of enforcing these
goals;
• An overture on the part of the
city to assure advocates of local
businesses, affordable housing and
land conservancy that our concerns
regarding the threat by illegally op-
erating entities will be substantively
addressed.
Cynthia Malkowski is a Seaside
resident.
BUSINESS
DIRECTORY
F LOORING
CCB# 205283
y
ou ou
r r w
ep alk
ut o
at n
io
n
Flooring
Dick James Betzer
Mary Wiese
great-grandchild; a brother,
Jim Betzer of Tillamook,
Oregon; a sister, Bonnie Py-
ryt of Seaside, Oregon; and
many friends.
Please join us for a mili-
tary service and celebration
of life on Sunday, June 11,
from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Amer-
ican Legion in Seaside, Ore-
gon.
Contributions to the Dis-
abled American Veterans
would be appreciated.
Obituary Policy
The Seaside Signal publishes paid obituaries. The obituary can include a small
photo and, for veterans, a fl ag symbol at no charge. The deadline for all obituaries
is 9 a.m. the business day prior.
Obituaries may be edited for spelling, proper punctuation and style. Death notic-
es and upcoming services will be published at no charge. Notices must be submit-
ted by 9 a.m. the day of publication.
Mary passed away peace-
fully in her sleep Tuesday
morning, May 23, 2017.
She was born May 12, 1924,
in Portland, to Anton and Nina
Konzich. She was raised in
Jewell, and attended Jewell
Grade and High schools, where
she was a scrappy basketball
player.
Moving to Portland after
graduating from high school,
Mary went to work at the J.C.
Penney Co., quickly moving up
to lower management with her
keen business mind.
She met Larry Wiese at a
dance, where Larry was drum-
ming in the orchestra. They
were married on Sept. 28, 1946.
Both Larry and Mary worked
at the American Lumber Co. in
Vernonia until 1950, when they
moved to Molalla, Oregon.
Mary then became a housewife,
looking after her two children,
Edward and Douglas.
In 1963, the family moved
to Gearhart, Oregon. After
purchasing Bud’s Drive In and
Motel and selling it in 1973,
Mary worked part time in real
estate with Tarbell in Seaside.
In 1983, along with her son
Douglas, they opened Dooger’s
Seafood and Grill.
Mary retired again in 1994.
Finally having the time to pur-
sue one of her true passions,
Mary took her contract bridge
playing skills to multiple mas-
ters levels.
Mary was preceded in death
by her husband, Larry; her son,
Edward; and four step-siblings,
Ann, Francis, Eva and Tony.
She is survived by her son,
Douglas; her favorite daughter-
in-law, Mary Jean; two grand-
children, Carnegie and Elie; a
sister, Patricia Hanthorn; and a
brother, Henry Konzich.
Caldwell Luce-Layton is
handling the cremation, and
there will not be a public ser-
vice.
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L ANDSCAPING
Letters from Page 4A
that this stove is expected
to come up to standards
required by stoves equipped
with catalytic converters. Of
course, there is apparently no
way to get it certifi ed. I am
supposed to destroy it and re-
cycle the cast iron, acquiring
documentation and expense
along the way.
There is no such thing as
magic. Fuels for wood burn-
ing stoves and automobiles
are hydrocarbons. As one
might expect, the hydro part
of these compounds is water,
and the carbon part is carbon.
When they are burned they
turn in to water, don’t try to
drink it until mother nature
has done her thing, and
carbon compounds, mostly
carbon monoxide and carbon
dioxide. There are many con-
taminants in wood, diesel and
gasoline. They, too, survive
the burning process.
A catalytic converter
essentially tries to burn the
fuels more completely. Prob-
ably it does something along
these lines — when it is
new. Unfortunately, catalytic
converters quickly lose their
ability to do the job they are
reputed to do, and they are
expensive to replace. Some
of you probably have found
this out already.
Every atom or molecule
of gasoline, diesel or wood
that is burned becomes part
of the emissions, unless it is
an atomic reaction. To more
completely burn the fuel, the
catalytic converter needs —
guess what? More fuel. The
catalytic converter is supposed
to do its job at higher tempera-
tures. Higher temperatures are
not something one needs in
either a wood burning stove or
an internal combustion motor.
Many folks have already
found this out, the hard way.
We are sacrifi cing more
fuel to more completely
burn fuel. More pollution
being the end result. The end
product in catalytic converted
stoves and automotive vehi-
cles is hopefully less carbon
monoxide and more carbon
dioxide. Carbon monoxide,
as pointed out by afi cionados
of catalytic converters, is a
poison gas.
Carbon dioxide, we are
led to understand, is causing
global warming, and is threat-
ening to exterminate human
and most other animal life on
this planet.
There are many experts
in this fi eld who would
compromise their expertise,
education, morals and name
by lying.
There is no magic.
Benjamin A. Greaves
Seaside
Pub is good for
Gearhart
It is regrettable, but an
unfortunate sign of our times,
that Gearhart pub owner
Terry Lowenberg must not
only seek permission from
the city government to install
four lottery machines in his
place of business, located on
his own property, but that he
must appeal to that govern-
ment on the grounds that
the machines will be “good
for Gearhart and good for
Oregon” (“Gearhart’s video
lottery decision challenged,”
The Daily Astorian, May 12).
The Gearhart City Coun-
cil, in denying the request, is
quoted as saying, “there is no
evidence of demand for the
machines in the central city
core.” Of course there is not.
The “evidence” of demand
can only come after the
machines are installed, and
the measure of that “demand”
will become evident from
the amount of money patrons
spend on those machines.
Mayor Matt Brown is then
quoted, after casting his “no”
vote against the machines:
“It’s hard for me to see a
public need was proven.” It
is not for Mr. Lowenberg to
secure a public need. That,
in fact, is the business of
government, and those public
needs are a fi re department,
police protection, clean water,
paved roads, etc. After needs,
come enjoyments, or, those
things, great and small, which
can make life an occasional
delight rather than a daily
struggle to secure needs.
Enjoyments are private,
personal and individual. No
one else but me is qualifi ed to
say what I will need by way
of enjoyment. Mr. Lowenberg
is hoping, as all business
people hope, to provide,
profi tably, a modicum of
enjoyment to those residents
of, and visitors to, the city
of Gearhart. His success can
only be measured by the
number of patrons who visit
his pub, and the amounts of
dollars they choose to spend.
If he is successful, he will
have thereby provided that
evidence of demand, which
the Gearhart City Council and
Mayor Brown require of him.
And, what could be better
for Gearhart, better for Ore-
gon, or better for all people,
than those moments of con-
vivial enjoyment which we
are fortunate enough to fi nd
here and there?
Louis Sargent
Gearhart
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