A6 • Friday, December 24, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
Johnson resigns from state Senate to focus on governor’s race
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
State Sen. Betsy Johnson is running for governor as an independent.
State Sen. Betsy Johnson announced
that she will resign from the state Senate
to focus on her independent campaign for
governor.
The Scappoose Democrat said her resig-
nation was effective immediately.
“Serving in the Senate has never been a
part-time job for me but neither is running
for governor. Northwest Oregon deserves
a full-time senator and running for gover-
nor is a full-time job,” Johnson said in a
statement.
Johnson represents state Senate District
16, which covers the North Coast.
Elected to the state House of Repre-
sentatives in 2000, she served until 2005,
when she was appointed to finish the Sen-
ate term of Joan Dukes. She was elected to
the Senate in 2006 and is in her fourth term.
“Together, we’ve done some great
things,” Johnson said. “I will never forget
the opportunity you’ve given this daughter
of Oregon to serve, to learn and to continue
to lead.”
Under state law, county commissioners
in Senate District 16 will make the appoint-
ment to fill Johnson’s vacancy in the Sen-
ate until a new senator is elected next year.
The Democratic Party will recommend
nominees.
State Rep. Suzanne Weber, R-Tilla-
mook, has announced she will run for Sen-
ate District 16 next year.
Johnson will resign from the Demo-
cratic Party to pursue her independent cam-
paign for governor. She needs to gather
more than 23,700 signatures by next sum-
mer to qualify as a nonaffiliated candidate
for the November 2022 ballot.
Andy Davis, the chairman of the Clat-
sop County Democratic Party, said, “It’s
a surprise that she’s taking this step right
now, though I understand wanting to con-
centrate on the governor’s race.
“On a logistical level, I wish we had
more time to prepare for the upcoming leg-
islative session.”
He said Johnson’s decision to resign
puts her replacement in a bind because that
person will have to climb a steep learn-
ing curve. “But we’ll make the best of it,”
Davis said.
Davis said he talked to the state Dem-
ocratic Party to coordinate steps for find-
ing Johnson’s replacement. The Clatsop
County Democratic Party had anticipated
running someone next year for Johnson’s
seat and so far hadn’t settled on anyone, he
said. The senator’s announcement speeds
up the timeline.
Asked who might step up, Davis said,
“Given we just found out, I haven’t had
time to talk to anybody to even sound them
out. We’ve got a couple of names that we
might try, but I certainly haven’t got any-
body that would be committed to that yet.”
Pot shop: Park district director and
board president seek to block license
Continued from Page A1
“The SRC may not meet
the OLCC (Oregon Liquor
and Cannabis Commission)
definition of a school,” Sky-
ler Archibald, the execu-
tive director of the park dis-
trict, told the City Council last
Monday. “Clearly it is a build-
ing that’s used for the growth
and development of children
and youth. It is our position
that this location is not suit-
able for a dispensary due to
its proximity to the vulnera-
ble populations we are cur-
rently serving and will con-
tinue to serve at the SRC.”
Archibald was joined
by Katharine Parker, the
president of the park dis-
trict’s board, and Elizabeth
Friedman, of the Northwest
Regional Education Service
District, which leases space
in the recreation center.
“SEPRD is working
towards creating a fami-
ly-friendly space to meet
community needs,” Parker
said. “And I believe that the
proposed location is not a
good fit for our kids and for
our community. Our youth
do not need to be exposed
to cannabis at such a young
age.”
She called for emergency
action prohibiting the shop.
“By adopting this emer-
gency ordinance, the Sea-
side City Council will be
protecting the youth of our
community in the heart of
Seaside,” Parker said.
The city is in the pro-
cess of responding to a Ore-
gon Liquor and Cannabis
Commission land use com-
patibility request, Planning
Director Kevin Cupples
said. The applicant, CCC
Holding Co. LLC, intends
to use a suite in the build-
ing as a retail marijuana
dispensary.
Before licensing, Sea-
side must complete a sec-
tion in the land use compat-
ibility statement indicating
whether the proposed use
meets the city’s land use
regulations.
Mayor Jay Barber asked
the city manager to con-
sult with the city attorney
to determine if there is any
action that can be taken.
“Would you proceed to
give us as quickly as possi-
ble any feedback as possible
regarding any options that
we have?” he asked.
After a legal review,
Kimberley Jordan, the city
recorder, said last Friday
that the retailer had all his
paperwork in long before
the public comment from
the park district and others
on Monday.
An emergency ordinance
for this particular cannabis
shop cannot be done, Jor-
dan said, but the City Coun-
cil can pass an ordinance for
future shops that may be a
concern.
“We’re just simply fol-
lowing the rules that you’ve
laid out and the state’s laid
out at this point,” City Man-
ager Mark Winstanley said
at last Monday’s meeting.
“And just like any other
applicant, they have the
right to have us go through
the process.”
Proposed location of a cannabis dispensary on North Roosevelt Drive.
Water bond refinance to fund
wastewater sludge dryer
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The city will refinance
old general obligation
bonds and finance improve-
ments to the wastewater
system.
The City Council unan-
imously approved up to $5
million to reimburse itself
for the capital expenditures
associated with the waste-
water project.
Refunding bonds issued
in 2007, 2011 and 2012 will
result in debt service sav-
ings, City Manager Mark
Winstanley said.
A portion of this will
finance the sludge dryer at
the city’s wastewater treat-
ment plant, estimated at
$3.3 million.
With the new equipment,
the city can provide U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency Class A biosolid
suitable for agriculture pur-
poses, which the city could
turn a profit from.
Seaside’s biosolids are
so rich in nutrients that it
would not require watering
or nitrogen pellets to pro-
duce higher yields.
The cost includes the
dryer and centrifuge with an
additional $700,000 for con-
struction and engineering.
City councilors and
Mayor Jay Barber unani-
mously approved the bond
refinancing and sale.
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Camping: Public hearing set for January
Continued from Page A1
People may legally sleep
in cars in publicly owned
lots, also from 8 p.m. to
6 a.m. It is against the law to
store camp paraphernalia on
the publicly owned property
during the day.
Details of the ordinance
concerned Councilor Tita
Montero, starting with clar-
ifying definitions, hours of
enforcement, rule limitations,
liability and rules for home-
owners permitting camping on
their properties, including fees
they may potentially charge
for utilities or expenses.
She asked for a map of
locations considered off limits
and where camping could be
allowed.
Montero also requested
copies of relevant statutes be
accessible and hard copies
available that residents with-
out internet access be able to
view. “I’d like to make sure
that all of these referenced
documents are easily obtain-
able by anybody who is going
to be under this ordinance.
And that means anybody from
a homeowner to a homeless
person.”
Because the ordinance
originated in Coos Bay, she
also sought feedback from
Coos Bay.
“I would like to know, in
Coos Bay, where did those
people go?” Montero asked.
“Did they move and sit in
the streets somewhere in
Coos Bay? Because most
of these people don’t have
another place to go. And so
I really would like to under-
stand more. What have been
the results in Coos Bay? Not
just from the Coos Bay Police
Department, but I’d like to
hear it from a city councilor.
I’d like to hear it from some-
body who maybe has had
people camp in their yards.
Because we can learn from
other people’s experience.”
With Seaside legal coun-
sel Dan Van Thiel absent,
answers remain.
“This does not mean that
by any stretch of the imagi-
nation that this ordinance is
perfect,” Winstanley said.
“It’s not. Staff is going to lis-
ten very carefully to council-
ors’ questions, discuss these
items and come back to you
at your next council meeting
with answers.”
The council and Mayor Jay
Barber unanimously voted to
approve the first reading of the
ordinance.
A public hearing and sec-
ond reading will come in
January.
“Next meeting, I’m hoping
that we’ll hear from the com-
munity a little more,” Barber
said. “They’re just now learn-
ing about this.”
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