OUR 115th Year July 29, 2022 SEASIDESIGNAL.COM $1.00 Overnight move-out requirement lifted for homeless campers Length of stay extended to six days By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal The Seaside City Coun- cil extended the length of stay as part of the city’s pro- gram for temporary home- less camping. Campers will now be able to receive permits for a six-day span, eliminating a requirement for the daily move-in at 8 p.m. and move- out at 8 a.m. “If they’re abiding by our rules and regulations, why should we keep making them move in and out?” City Councilor Dana Phillips said on Monday. Homeless campers at the designated city-owned lot off Alder Mill Avenue described the difficulty of unpacking and breaking down tents only to pitch them hours later. Having to move vehicles and seek parking only to have to move again proved expen- sive and unnecessary. There’s nothing reason- Council welcomes City Manager Kyle able about asking people to move their home every sin- gle day, City Councilor Tita Montero said. Montero proposed a six consecutive day stay. “Then we can measure who is living there in a rea- sonable fashion,” Montero said. “We can define what ‘doing it right’ means. Doing it right means you throw your garbage in the bins we pro- vided. It means you don’t leave garbage behind when you check out. It means that you don’t do drugs or alcohol. R.J. Marx See Campers, Page A3 RVs and campers at the city’s camping area off Alder Mill Avenue. Fire destroys two homes By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal On Monday, Spencer Kyle, Seaside’s new city manager, attended his first Sea- side City Council meeting. The meeting was the start of Kyle’s second week in Seaside. He was greeted by Mayor Jay Barber and city councilors. “We have a new city manager on the job tonight,” Barber said. “Spencer, wel- come. We’re glad you’re here. Great to see you sitting at that desk.” Kyle’s predecessor, Mark Winstanley, filled the chair for 37 years, as finance director and city manager. “First of all, I came back today, so that was a success,” Kyle said. “I will say the staff and the council have made it very welcoming, both for myself and for my family.” As director of administrative services in South Jordan, Utah, Kyle helped man- age 16 departments, including emergency management, parks and recreation and IT facilities. Kyle has a master’s in public admin- istration from Brigham Young Univer- sity Marriott School of Business and is See Kyle, Page A3 City of Seaside Seaside Fire and Rescue responded to a structure fire at 961 Fourth Ave. in Seaside. The two-alarm blaze engulfed the neighboring home at 951 Fourth Ave. and at least five propane explosions occurred. Fourth Avenue property suffered blaze earlier this year Seaside Signal T wo homes on the south- east corner of Fourth Avenue along North Roosevelt Drive in Seaside were destroyed by fire early Monday morning. The blaze, reported at 4:19 a.m., started at 961 Fourth Ave. and spread to the house next door, 951 Fourth Ave., Seaside Fire Department Div. Chief David Rankin said at the scene. The home at 961 Fourth Ave. had suffered a fire earlier this year and was considered uninhabitable, Rankin said. See Fire, Page A2 Chalk art to decorate sidewalks of the Prom Gearhart to craft campaign sign ordinance By KATHERINE LACAZE For Seaside Signal Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District’s Chalk Art Contest is returning to the Seaside Promenade for the sec- ond year this weekend. Artists of all ages and skill lev- els will be at the Prom — between the Turnaround and the Seaside Aquarium — starting at 9 a.m. Saturday to cre- ate chalk artworks that highlight marine life, Seaside culture and the iconic boardwalk itself. “It was so successful that this year we decided to do it again,” said Melissa Ousley, manager of marketing and spe- cial events. The recreation district introduced the contest last year in conjunction with the city’s Prom Centennial celebration. This iconic landmark was built in 1921 and the contest was one of several dif- ferent events and festivities put on for the 100th anniversary. “It went really well,” Ousley said. “People passing by really seemed to love it.” They brought it back for a second year in hopes of making it an annual tradition. “It captures the spirit of Seaside,” Ousley said. The event kicks off with a workshop for participating artists from 6 to 8 p.m. By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal Campaign signs matter. That was the message that came through this spring in Gearhart as “yes” and “no” signs advocated for or against the city’s $14.5 million firehouse bond vote. These campaign signs could be found not only on lawns, fields, fences and houses, but also on trees, roadways and at intersections. How to regulate cam- paign signs to maintain public safety while permit- ting free speech is the goal of a new ordinance regard- ing the signs. “Currently, the city doesn’t have any regulations See Signs, Page A3 Summer school ahead at Seaside High School By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal See Chalk art, Page A5 The Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District’s second annual Chalk Art Contest will take place at the Promenade in Seaside this weekend. Last year, artists displayed their skills. The high school and middle school campus is in “summer mode,” Susan Penrod, the superintendent of the Seaside School Dis- trict, said to members of the Seaside Chamber of Commerce. “Our custodians are waxing floors and rooms are being switched around,” she said. In the library, stacks of Chromebook laptop com- puters lay stacked high, one for every student, checked in and out at the start and finish of the school year, at which time they are repaired or refurbished. Students in more remote areas without Wi-Fi access See School, Page A5