Friday, January 8, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A3
SEASIDE CITY COUNCIL
Nancy McCarthy
Seth Morrisey taking the oath of offi ce in 2016,
administered by City Manager Mark Winstanley.
Morrisey thanks
community, city staff
at council farewell
R.J. Marx
Elk grazing at Gearhart Elementary School in December.
Elk: There will likely be a town hall
Continued from Page A1
Growth is expected to
be substantial in the years
ahead.
In 2019, Gov. Kate
Brown designated the Clat-
sop Plains Elk Collaborative
an Oregon Solutions Project,
to develop sustainable solu-
tions to community-based
problems through the collab-
orative efforts of businesses,
government and nonprofi t
organizations.
Warrenton
Mayor Henry Balensifer
and Seaside Mayor Jay Bar-
ber are co-conveners, with a
project team of 26 members.
No one tool will serve as
a magic bullet to solve the
problem, Padilla said.
To be effective, a culling
strategy needs to be used in
conjunction with no feed-
ing laws, hazing, fencing,
increased hunting opportu-
nities, better road signs and
rumble strips in strategic
areas, he wrote in an exec-
utive summary delivered to
City Councilors.
Educational programs,
wildlife
corridors,
elk
behavior modifi cation plans
and land use tools would
also be utilized to increase
and preserve land for elk.
There is no precise
‘ALL OF THE FACTORS POINTED
OUT DURING THE WORK SESSION
ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC
TO HEAR. PARTICULARLY THE
RICH FOOD SOURCE THE URBAN
SETTING PROVIDES FOR THE
GEARHART ELK HERD AND
SAFETY FACTORS WHEN LIVING
NEAR IN THEIR MIDST, HOW
TO KEEP HUMANS AND ELK AT
SAFE DISTANCES FROM ONE
ANOTHER, AND THE COORDINATED
APPROACH WE WILL NEED TO
TAKE TO MANAGE THE SHARED
ENVIRONMENT GOING FORWARD.’
Gearhart Mayor Paulina Cockrum
number that can be pre-
determined that will mark
“success”
or
“mission
accomplished,”
Atwood
said. “To eliminate an entire
group is not feasible.”
A culling plan would pro-
vide details on best methods
and locations for culling out-
side of the city limits.
“It’s a very tight space,
very urban,” Padilla said.
“There are probably not
many, if any, areas for cull-
ing within the city limits of
Gearhart.”
An initial number to be
culled can only be reached
after Gearhart passes a res-
olution authorizing culling
to take place and a permit
sought from the department
of fi sh and wildlife.
All meat would be
donated to local food banks.
Project team members
aim for approval of a decla-
ration of cooperation among
partners for the end of Feb-
ruary, Padilla said.
After the declaration
has been signed, the proj-
ect team will plan a more
detailed timeline and imple-
ment the work outlined in
the declaration.
“You will likely see
broad community engage-
ment about the new plan is
one of the fi rst things that
happens after the DoC has
been signed,” Padilla said.
Gearhart Mayor Paulina
Cockrum said she antici-
pates scheduling a town hall
concerning the elk.
“All of the factors pointed
out during the work session
are important for the public
to hear,” she said. “Particu-
larly the rich food source the
urban setting provides for the
Gearhart elk herd and safety
factors when living near
in their midst, how to keep
humans and elk at safe dis-
tances from one another, and
the coordinated approach
we will need to take to man-
age the shared environment
going forward.”
Ham: ‘I have zero issue with their decision’
Continued from Page A1
“He will not be join-
ing the Enterprise Police
Department,”
Enterprise
City Administrator Lacey
McQuead told the Wal-
lowa County Chieftain last
week . “I am not able to go
into detail regarding this
decision.”
The decision to rescind
the offer was made after a
three-part hiring process,
which included an applica-
tion scoring committee and
interviews by a panel consist-
ing of the council’s executive
committee, law enforcement
personnel and community
leaders. The decision was
fi nalized through a formal
recommendation made to
the council by the Enterprise
Police Committee.
“I always knew it was a
possibility it wasn’t a done
deal,” Ham said. “I have zero
issue with their decision.
They just decided to go in a
different direction to look at
some other candidates.”
The vacancy arose after
Enterprise Police Chief Joel
Fish was elected sheriff for
Wallowa County.
The city made the offer to
the 25-year law enforcement
veteran after discussing the
matter in executive session
Nov. 9. He accepted the con-
ditional offer Nov. 13.
The move was “strictly a
personal decision my wife
and I have thought about,
contemplated and researched
for the past several years,”
Ham told the Signal in
November. “If this works
out, it’s a good time to make
that move.”
Ham, 50, was raised in
Salem. He started his law
enforcement career as a
reserve offi cer in Indepen-
dence and received his fi rst
paid police job in October
1995, when he joined Sea-
side police as a patrolman.
Ham has been police chief in
Seaside since 2014.
In the new year, Ham
plans to lead the department
in a time of changing proto-
cols as a result of the corona-
virus pandemic.
With 17 full-time offi cers,
the department is seeking to
hire a community service
offi cer and patrol offi cer.
He plans on introducing the
city’s lieutenant, sergeant
and corporal promotions at a
future City Council meeting.
“We’re looking forward
to continuing our work here
in Seaside,” Ham said.
Bill Bradshaw of the Wal-
lowa County Chieftain con-
tributed to this article.
Posalski elected
to Ward 4 seat
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
When City Councilor
Seth Morrisey was sworn
in to the City Council in
2016, Mayor Don Larson
called him a “wonderful,
new young asset.”
In his last meeting as a
city councilor, Morrisey
thanked Larson for his
mentorship after he won
election to the Ward 4 seat
vacated by Stubby Lyons.
“In politics, you’re
always going to make
someone mad, but I just
try to do my best, and
look at the issues objec-
tively,” Morrisey said.
“I’m trying to represent
the people.”
A Seaside High School
graduate, Morrisey, 38,
studied business at Lane
Community College and
then at Portland State Uni-
versity. He is co-founder
and president of Morrisey
Productions and Oregon
Web Solutions. He and
his wife, Aimee, have two
daughters, Emy and Ava.
After winning election
in 2014 and serving the
fi nal two years of Lyons’
term, Morrisey ran unop-
posed in 2016. In August
he announced he would
not fi le for reelection,
with a growing citing
family, and professional
commitments.
City Manager Mark
Winstanley led an evening
of kudos for the departing
councilor.
“Morrissey did the
business of being a coun-
selor the right way,” Win-
stanley said. “I’m not sure
we could get a word out of
him during those fi rst few
council meetings except
the appropriate vote when
the vote came. But he took
the time to listen. Now he
has become a very, very
valuable member of this
council, someone who is
not afraid to register his
opinion. That opinion has
become a very important
part of this council.”
City staff and council
members recalled Mor-
risey’s efforts as a former
member of the Seaside
Civic and Convention
Center and council liai-
son to the Seaside Tour-
ism Advisory Commit-
tee. Morrisey represented
Seaside on the county-
wide housing task force,
seeking to chart a process
for one of the region’s
most persistent concerns.
“You are very forth-
right,” City Recorder
Kimberley Jordan said.
“You stated exactly how
you’re feeling it doesn’t
matter as far as other peo-
ple’s opinions. You know
what your opinion is and
you’re not afraid to state
it.”
Calling Seaside “one
of the best-run cities in
the state of Oregon,”
Morrisey thanked coun-
cil mentors Winstan-
ley, Larson, Don John-
son and City Councilor
Randy Frank, as well as
city residents, staff and
volunteers.
Morrisey
congratu-
lated David Posalski, who
fi lls the Ward 4 seat.
“Our city is blessed
to have so many volun-
teers on committees and
nonprofi ts tirelessly and
behind-the-scenes with
very little credit and we
can’t thank these folks
enough for the time they
donate,” Morrisey said.
“I want to thank the resi-
dents of Seaside and gen-
eral for putting their faith
in me as your represen-
tative, I can’t thank you
enough. Most importantly
I want to thank my wife
and children missing bed-
time missing dinners as a
lifelong resident of Sea-
side. It’s been a privilege
to serve.”
facebook.com/seasidesignal
ATTN: Dan Hess Ltd & HJB Logging
Vance Hensala (formerly a Seaside, Oregon native) expresses
his gratitude to the Dan Hess Ltd & Howard B. Johnson
Logging Companies for helping him acquire his truck driving
skills in the mid 1970’s.
“Those steep, narrow, and twisted logging roads made me a
safer driver... a 33 year career with no at fault accidents”.
Your willingness to take a chance on a young man with your
operations in the woods allowed me to have a very enjoyable
lifelong trucking career; for that I am forever grateful!
Sincerely, Vance Hensala - Troy, Texas
Vance is currently fighting advanced stage 4 Bone Cancer.
Those wanting to reconnect/express their well-wishes are encouraged to write him at: 310 Coby Drive, Troy, TX 76579 or email: afinnsfarm@gmail.com