Friday, July 16, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A3
Cannon Beach pursues food tax to help pay for emergency response
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
CANNON BEACH —
The city is moving forward
with a tax on prepared food
in an eff ort to get tourists
to help pay for emergency
response and infrastructure.
The City Council voted
3-2 last week in favor of
proceeding with an ordi-
nance that would levy a 5%
tax on prepared food. City
Councilor Nancy McCar-
thy made the motion, sup-
ported by Councilor Mike
Benefi eld and Councilor
Brandon Ogilvie. Mayor
Sam Steidel and Coun-
cilor Robin Risley voted in
opposition.
McCarthy, acknowledg-
ing a concern expressed
by restaurant owners, also
asked that the ordinance
include a promise of fi nan-
cial assistance to businesses
to help them cover the cost
of implementing the tax.
Steidel believes the ques-
tion of a local tax should go
to voters in November —
something some residents
have urged against, saying
it would lead to even more
division in the community
around an already conten-
tious issue.
The city is still consider-
ing a ballot measure.
The new tax could raise
an estimated $1.7 million
a year. The revenue would
be divided between the
city and the Cannon Beach
Rural Fire Protection Dis-
trict, giving each about
$863,000 per year.
A consultant the city
partnered with estimated
that 96% of the tax revenue
would be generated from
purchases by nonresidents.
Oregon is known for its
lack of a statewide sales
tax, but several cities have
already implemented local
food and beverage taxes or,
like Cannon Beach, have
considered it. Yachats, far-
ther down the coast, and
Ashland, near the Califor-
nia border — both cities
that see signifi cant tourism
— have levied food and
beverage taxes for years,
using the revenue col-
lected to fund infrastructure
needs.
Proponents say the tax
in Cannon Beach is neces-
sary to fund operations at
the fi re district. The district
is fi elding ever-increas-
ing calls for service that
spike during the busy sum-
mer tourist season. The city
hopes to use its share of the
revenue to replace an aging
City Hall and police depart-
ment and secure funding for
future infrastructure needs.
City leaders and Fire
Chief Marc Reckmann have
argued a prepared food tax
is a way to spread the bur-
den of paying for the fi re
district and other infrastruc-
ture fairly between visitors
and residents.
The proposed tax has
drawn the ire of restaurant
owners who worry about
negative impacts on their
businesses and the cost of
implementing the tax.
While they support the
fi re district, they say they
are still reeling from a year
under ever-shifting coro-
navirus restrictions. Some
noted that they would have
to invest in new point-of-
sale systems in order to cal-
culate the tax.
“The single industry that
has been hurt most by this
pandemic is the restaurant
industry,” wrote Jim Oyala,
the owner of Bill’s Tavern
& Brewhouse, in a com-
ment he sent to the city.
Hotels
and
shops
returned to business as
Task Force 18 responds to Bootleg fi re
Seaside Signal
Clatsop County sent Task
Force 18 to Klamath County
to assist with the Bootleg
fi re last Thursday afternoon.
The task force has members
and apparatus from Seaside,
Knappa, Lewis and Clark,
Warrenton, Gearhart, Can-
non Beach and Nehalem fi re
departments.
Seaside Fire and Rescue
task force leader is Mathew
Keefer. The department sent
a brush engine, with engine
boss Katie Bulletset, fi re-
fi ghter Dillion Rhinevault,
fi refi ghter Arteim Yelfi -
mov, riding and working on
Gearhart 2972.
Division Chief David
Rankin is working a mem-
ber of the Blue Team of
the Oregon State Fire Mar-
shal team as a safety offi cer
at the Jack fi re in Douglas
County.
Gearhart fi re sent Lt.
James Paul Ħutchinson,
fi refi ghter James Schneider
and fi refi ghter Amy Lair.
They join the exist-
ing local, state, and federal
resources at the incident.
usual much earlier than
restaurants, which are only
slowly getting back to full
capacity, he said.
“This tax would be kick-
ing a dog that is already
down,” Oyala wrote.
Cindy Beckman, with
Ecola Seafoods, agreed.
She supports the fi re dis-
trict — in 2018 Ecola Sea-
foods would have burned to
the ground if the fi re district
hadn’t responded — but the
tax could be a burden, she
said.
Restaurants operate on
thin margins, she told the
City Council. The labor
force is limited and imple-
menting a tax would cost
the business not just hard
dollars, she said, “It’s a
huge bill on our time.”
She asked that the city
provide some relief to busi-
nesses to help them recoup
their costs if the tax is
implemented.
However, others in the
community say the money
needs to come from some-
where and they’d pre-
fer visitors shoulder their
share of the cost. The tax
is a pass-through for busi-
nesses, they said.
“I have a choice about
whether I want to go out
and eat and pay a prepared
food tax,” resident Betsy
Ayres told the City Coun-
cil. “If we decided to go
ahead and fund these ser-
vices though an increase in
property taxes, I won’t have
a choice about that. I will
just have to pay that.”
“We cannot aff ord to not
do this,” she added. “Let’s
get it done.”
Darryl Komesu noted
that some of the businesses
opposed to the tax received
grants from the city last
year for pandemic relief.
Now the city has a need,
he said.
Task Force 18 in Seaside before they left to fi ght the Bootleg
Fire in Klamath County.
DINING
on the
NORTH COAST
PUBLIC SAFETY LOG
SEASIDE POLICE DEPT.
PUBLIC SAFETY LOG
July 3
7:39 p.m., N. Columbia: Caller
reports a “dine ‘n dash” incident.
8:17 p.m., 1000 block S.
Downing: Police assist another
agency.
9:04 p.m., Turnaround: Police
seize illegal fi reworks on the
beach.
9:48 p.m., Worldmark: Illegal
fi reworks.
11:11 p.m., Convention Center
parking: Fireworks off ense.
July 4
12:54 a.m., Carousel Mall: A
disturbance is reported.
1:42 a.m., Broadway and Edge-
wood: Visitors to the area are
assisted fi nding their vehicle.
6:21 a.m., 400 block S. Roos-
evelt: A person is arrested and
charged with theft.
6:24 a.m., 1100 block Broad-
way: A lost dog is brought to
the kennel.\
July 5
12:33 a.m., Shilo Inn: Fireworks
off ense.
12:34 a.m., First and Columbia:
A disturbance is reported.
1:09 a.m., Beach and Avenue
U: 911 open line, no sounds
of an emergency; on call back
male refused to provide infor-
mation and called dispatch
“weird.”
1:29 a.m., 12th and beach: A
disturbance is reported.
2:14 a.m., Turnaround: Fire-
works off ense.
12:52 p.m., 2400 block U.S.
Highway 101: Police respond
to a report of a dog locked to
a fence.
3:39 p.m., 800 block 1th
Avenue: A missing person is
4:10 p.m., Turnaround: Anoth-
er missing person is reported.
7:00 p.m., 300 block Broadway:
An intoxicated male harassing
customers and staff is advised
of trespass. The same male is
reported harassing customers
and being aggressive with staff
at two more locations along
the street. Police continue to
advise him of trespass.
8:14 p.m., 84000 block
Nordmark Drive: Police assist
Clatsop County Sheriff ’s Offi ce
on a disturbance call.
8:43 p.m., 200 block Avenue
U: Caller reports witnessing
domestic violence; police
responding fi nd an intoxicated
couple; the female fell down
and the male was assisting her
to their room.
July 6
12:47 p.m., 1300 block 12th
Avenue: A caller reported
identity theft saying someone
fraudulently applied for unem-
ployment; they never worked
for the stated employer.
7:20 p.m., 400 block S.
Roosevelt: Caller reports an
intoxicated man stumbling in a
parking lot, blood on his face,
dragging a dog. Police contact
the man who said he fell but
did not want medical attention.
A sober friend showed up to
escort him home.
July 7
12:58 p.m., 19th and Colum-
bia: Caller reports eight bags
of garbage left behind; police
check the bags and see they
are fi lled with wood with a note
they are to be used that night.
2:35 p.m., 400 block Oceanway
Street: Caller reports subject
“ranting from his perch,” fright-
ening tourists. Subject was
contacted and calmed down.
10:39 p.m., 400 block S. Roos-
evelt: Caller reports smashing
watermelons outside a busi-
ness. The subject is contacted
and told they’ve been tres-
passed from the establishment.
July 8
8:49 a.m., 400 block S.
Roosevelt: Caller reports male
trespassing; on arrival both
parties come to an agreement
to “give it one more chance,”
before pressing charges.
11:19 a.m., Movie theatre:
Caller reports a distraught
woman who on arrival refuses
help. Offi cers notifi ed another
agency.
1:08 p.m., 2000 block Cedar
Street: Property crimes are
reported.
SEASIDE FIRE & RESCUE
PUBLIC SAFETY
LOG
July 5
4:05 a.m., 700 block Fifteenth
Avenue: EMS call; assist anoth-
er agency.
2:50 p.m., U.S. Highway 101
and Beerman Creek Road: Car
accident.
July 6
12:15 p.m., Aldermill and
Avenue S: Police assist another
agency on a medical call.
June 21
12:30 a.m., 700 block Avenue
S: Structure fi re.
11:16 a.m., 1800 block Broad-
way: Fire investigation.
4:21 p.m., 1800 block Broad-
way: Fire investigation.
6:53 p.m., 2300 block Beach
Drive: EMS call.
June 22
10:30 a.m., Avenue A and the
Beach: EMS call.
10:56 a.m., Avenue and The
Prom: EMS call.
3:07 p.m.: Avenue S and
dunes: Fire investigation.
3:41 p.m.: Firefi ghters are
dispatched to the Klamath
Falls wildfi re.
Seaside Fire
June 20
3:56 p.m., Avenue A: EMS call.
4:56 p.m., 4000 block U.S.
Highway 101 and Lenore Lane:
Structure fi re; fl ames and
smoke reported.
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1:13 p.m., Ocean Lane and
Beach: Water rescue.
8:29 p.m., 300 block 12th
Avenue: EMS call.
1:59 a.m., Forest Drive: EMS
call.
11:01 a.m., 800 block 15th
Avenue: EMS call.
11:21 a.m., Hug Point: Water
rescue.
June 25
1:21 a.m., 1000 block S. Prom:
EMS call.
3:38 p.m., 800 block S. Holla-
day: Fire alarm.
5:54 p.m., U.S. Highway 26:
Car accident with injuries.
6:00 p.m., Oregon Avenue:
Fire investigation.
7:15 a.m., Avenue G: EMS call.
6:52 p.m., 900 block Avenue S:
Fire investigation.
12:29 p.m., Indian Beach:
Water rescue.
June 26
9:29 p.m., Avenue I and the
beach: Fire investigation.
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3:01 p.m., 1100 block Avenue
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2:48 p.m., 900 block 16th
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7:59 p.m., 19th and Franklin:
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4:26 p.m., Firefi ghters are dis-
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12:52 p.m., N. Downing: EMS
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2:14 p.m., 84000 block Nord-
mark Drive: EMS call.
2:49 p.m., 1700 block S.
Downing: EMS call.
CANNON BEACH
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7:01 p.m., 500 block S.
Columbia: Caller reports
being punched in the face by a
juvenile.
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1:16 p.m., Ninth and Roo-
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