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Gearhart voters reject firehouse bond
The $14.5M request was backed by city leaders
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Voters rejected a $14.5 million
bond measure for a new firehouse
on Tuesday, a stinging message to
city leaders who had argued that
the project was critical to replace
the aging fire station on Pacific
Way.
Measure 4-213 was failing 66%
to 34%.
The new firehouse, at 13,000
square feet, would have been off
Highlands Lane along U.S. High-
way 101.
Jack Zimmerman, a critic of
the project whose unsuccess-
ful legal challenge kept the bond
measure off last November’s bal-
lot, said city leaders ignored
questions and concerns from
residents.
“Gearhart will build a new
fire station when they know their
money will be well spent, and not
wasted on something that they do
not want, need or understand,”
he said. “The taxpayers who will
have to tighten their belts to fund
this project in this shaky econ-
omy deserve consideration, trans-
parency and respect.”
The vote came after months of
fierce campaigning, social media
blazes and neighbor-versus-neigh-
bor duels in the small, beach com-
munity. The cost and size of the
new firehouse and the distance
from the city center, among other
concerns, rallied opponents.
See Bond, Page A5
CLATSOP COUNTY
COMMISSION
Thompson,
Wev hold
advantage
in races
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
R.J. Marx
Arborist Pam Fleming, Connor Long, Daniel Schirman and teacher Jeff Corliss building a Japanese-style fence to go around the
ginkgo peace tree.
Incumbents held the advantage Tuesday
night in campaigns for the Clatsop County
Board of Commissioners, maintaining an
ideological balance on a board that has
grown more conservative
after recent elections.
In South County’s Dis-
trict 5, Commissioner
Lianne Thompson led
Steve Dillard, an innkeeper
from Seaside who sits on
the Port of Astoria’s Air-
Lianne
port Advisory Committee,
Thompson
61% to 38%.
“Thank you, voters of
District 5,” Thompson said. “I’m so grate-
ful for their vote of confidence. I just love
See County commission, Page A5
High schoolers construct fence
to protect ginkgo peace tree
Seaside Signal
ndustrial arts students in Sea-
side took to Cartwright Park last
Monday.
Connor Long and Daniel Schirmer
were joined by woods class teacher
Jeff Corliss and arborist Pam Fleming
to add protection to a young ginkgo
tree.
The tree, which marks the 75th
anniversary of the close of World War
II, was delivered in 2020 as Seaside
joined other communities throughout
I
the state in planting the peace tree.
The seedling ginkgo and Asian per-
simmon trees were grown from seed
collected from trees that survived the
atomic bombing of Hiroshima and
brought to Oregon by Medford resi-
dent Hideko Tamura Snider, who sur-
vived the bombing.
Tamura Snider is the founder of
the One Sunny Day Initiative, which
along with the Oregon Department
of Forestry and Oregon Commu-
nity Trees helped distribute the trees
across the state.
In locating the tree in Cartwright
Park, Fleming and Dale McDow-
ell, the city’s Public Works director,
selected the southern area of the park.
The Seaside Tree Board’s Bill
Barnes reached out to Corliss at the
high school with the fence proposal.
They found plans online for the
Japanese-style fence, which stands
about 4 feet high.
While still small, the tree could
grow from 30 to 45 feet, Fleming said.
Schirmer, a senior, has taken wood
classes since freshman year. Long is a
freshman. Both hope to make careers
in the construction trades.
City struggles
to find sites for
homeless campers
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The list of no-camping zones grew at a
workshop last Monday as city councilors
struggle to find places for the homeless to
stay overnight within city limits.
When the City Council voted in late
April to enact an ordinance prohibit-
ing overnight camping in most parts of
the city, including a makeshift camp
off Necanicum Drive, they delayed the
See Camping, Page A6
For Winstanley, a final
budget in his retirement year
Committee
approves
proposed budget
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The city budget com-
mittee recommended City
Council approval of the
proposed 2022-2023 bud-
get on Monday night.
For City Manager Mark
Winstanley, it will be his
final Seaside budget. Win-
stanley will retire June 30
after having served with the
city first as finance direc-
tor in 1994 and then as city
manager from 2001.
Mayor
Jay
Barber
described the proposed docu-
ment as “a very strong budget.”
“Budgeting is what
makes his heart beat,” Bar-
ber said of Winstanley. “He
did a superb job of put-
ting together his last bud-
get. Basically, I would say
Seaside is in the best finan-
cial condition of any North
Coast community, mainly
because of his philosophy
and keeping good reserves
and planning ahead for
potential challenges.”
Overall, the budget
shows about a 25% jump
in expenditures, from
$34 million in 2021-22 to
See City budget, Page A6
Convention center zeroes in on general manager finalists
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Three finalists will take
part in a process to deter-
mine the Seaside Civic and
Convention Center’s next
general manager.
Their names will be
released at a public meet-
and-greet at the convention
center on Friday from 5 to
6:30 p.m., Assistant City
Manager Jon Rahl said.
Russ Vandenberg has
held the position since 2005.
He announced his retire-
ment in February and will
work through July.
The center opened in
1971 and after expansion in
2018-19 has nearly 24,600
square feet of meeting
space. During the pandemic
usage dropped from 37,000
R.J. Marx
Seaside Civic and Convention Center.
in 2019 to 8,000 in 2020.
The center operates on a
proposed $12.4 million bud-
get for 2022-23, up from
$9.4 million in 2021, when
limited in use as a result of
the pandemic.
The proposed budget
includes a fund balance of
$6.8 million and revenue of
$4.5 million in room tax. The
food and liquor franchise is
budgeted to bring in $1 mil-
lion in 2022-23. Demand
will continue to outpace
supply, Vandenberg said, as
the center looks ahead, with
bookings through 2030.
The general manager
oversees a staff of 10 full-
time employees and is
charged with managing the
24,600 square-foot facil-
ity while also serving on
the 10-member manage-
ment team for the city. Van-
denberg receives about
$115,000 per year; the posi-
tion is budgeted at about
$98,600 for the new fiscal
year.
Finalists were selected
from a pool of 12 can-
didates. A fourth candi-
date was invited to partic-
ipate but dropped out of
consideration.
Candidates will take part
in interviews with busi-
ness and community leaders
before the public session.
The city plans to make a
selection in June, with the
intention of having the new
executive director in place in
early July.