A4 • Friday, August 12, 2022 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
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City, county eye aff ordable housing collaboration
‘IT REALLY TAKES ALL
HANDS. I’M HOPING THAT
NOHA WILL NOT JUST
FOCUS ON WHAT WE OWN
AND MANAGE, BUT HOW
TO HELP CITIES HAVE
CAPACITY, HOW TO FIND
RESOURCES, HAVE THE
PIECES BE STRONGER
TOGETHER THAN WE
ARE ON OUR OWN, SO
THAT WE CAN DO MORE
TOGETHER.’
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
R.J. MARX
wo properties on the north end of
Seaside could be part of a collabora-
tion with Clatsop County on aff ord-
able housing.
“The county has off ered some land to
Seaside and we are underway with get-
ting that land that will go for some type
of aff ordable housing that’s to be deter-
mined,” said City Councilor Steve Wright,
who serves as chairman of a city task force.
“It’s possibly as many as 24 more units, if
it fi ts.”
The county would transfer the land at no
cost.
The housing task force brought voices
from the county and regional level to City
Hall on Aug. 1 with Elissa Gertler, the
executive director of the Northwest Oregon
Housing Authority and Pamela Wev, a Clat-
sop County commissioner who represents
the county on the housing authority board.
As many as 3,000 housing units are
needed to meet demand in the county.
In April, the county issued a request for
expression of interest on 15 surplus prop-
erties that could be used for housing, child
care and social services. Four of the prop-
erties are in Seaside.
“We received a response from the city of
Seaside regarding the following accounts
to utilize for aff ordable housing,” Monica
Steele, the assistant county manager, said.
“While some of these sites might require
some zoning changes, those are options the
city is exploring as well as working with
potential developers.”
Two of the parcels are designated wet-
lands and will remain so, Wright said, pos-
sibly to be used in the future for mitigation
off sets.
But two sites near the former high
T
Elissa Gertler, executive director,
Northwest Oregon Housing Authority
Two of the four Seaside sites listed by the county for aff ordable housing purposes. Tax Lots
6500 and 6100 are both located in the M-1 industrial zone, and neither has any development
constraints, according to the county’s report.
school show housing potential.
“I believe two of the parcels — about
1.5 acre — can be used for building aff ord-
able housing,” Wright said. “We will
accept them on that basis, once we review
the terms and conditions applied by the
county.”
The sites are north of the “North 40,”
former school district land owned by the
city and used as sports fi elds.
Steele said the county Board of Com-
missioners is supportive of the expres-
sion of interest submitted by Seaside to
utilize the sites for aff ordable housing
development.
The conversation comes as the city
seeks to address a shortage of workforce
and aff ordable housing, while meeting the
needs of the homeless.
The housing authority owns, manages
or partners to serve low- and moderate-in-
come tenants and administers a federal
housing choice voucher program.
“One of the things I think that the board
has wanted in hiring me is to really start
thinking about the partnerships that go
beyond the housing authority,” Gertler
said of the county, cities, developers and
residents.
“It really takes all hands,” she said. “I’m
hoping that NOHA will not just focus on
what we own and manage, but how to help
cities have capacity, how to fi nd resources,
have the pieces be stronger together than
we are on our own, so that we can do more
together.”
Housing task force weighs options for help
Some want to tap into
housing authority
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
A regional housing task force may try
to fold the Northwest Oregon Housing
Authority into the process of fi nding local
solutions to the shortage of aff ordable and
workforce housing.
The task force — a group of elected
and administrative offi cials, as well as
planning staff , from Clatsop County and
North Coast cities — met in late July at
the Seaside High School library. It marked
the fi rst meeting since an inaugural work
session brought the local governments
together in May at the Clatsop County
Fairgrounds.
Jeff Adams, Cannon Beach’s commu-
nity development director, led the meet-
ing, while Denise Lofman, the director of
the Columbia River Estuary Study Task-
force, helped facilitate the discussion.
As the topic of next steps came up,
county staff noted the absence of the
Northwest Oregon Housing Authority.
The housing authority manages prop-
erties for people with low and moderate
incomes in Clatsop, Columbia and Tilla-
mook counties. It runs a federal housing
choice voucher program that helps low-in-
come families and vulnerable individuals
fi nd places to rent.
County Manager Don Bohn said that
the housing authority, unlike the county,
has staff and resources devoted to the
housing issue. “From my thinking, what’s
going to be important is to bring NOHA
along,” he said.
Bohn said the county, in considering
what to do with its federal American Res-
cue Plan Act funds, off ered money to the
housing authority so the agency could hire
a housing development expert who could
represent the interests of the county. He
said the housing authority turned the off er
down.
“We’re happy to give them money
today if they’re willing to hire somebody
who can provide some of that leadership
on the housing side,” Bohn said.
Brent Warren, a Gearhart city coun-
cilor, agreed that someone should shep-
herd the process and provide techni-
cal expertise, but questioned whether the
housing authority was in a position to do
it.
The housing authority is emerging
from a period of struggle in leadership and
fi nance.
An audit and review of the housing
authority’s housing choice voucher pro-
gram yielded a poor rating in January 2020
that led to a corrective action plan. Work-
ing with the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development, the agency has
improved its rating from “troubled” to a
“standard performer.”
At one point, the agency had a budget
defi cit that led to the suspension of new
vouchers. Little more than a year ago, the
housing authority started issuing vouchers
again, The Astorian reported.
The housing authority recently hired an
executive director after a long period with
an interim director.
Bohn told the group that he sees the
housing authority, and their ability to fund
experts that can fl oat into the cities, as a
“missing piece” of the conversation.
“They can be kind of the conduit,” he
said. “They could be fi guring out where
the commonalities are, where the oppor-
tunities are.”
GUEST COLUMN
PUBLIC MEETINGS
An abundance of caution needed
GUEST COLUMN
DANA GOULD
am writing in response to the article in
the Seaside Signal about the Gearhart
City Council’s eff orts to increase security
at City Hall. I would like to clarify that the
council has yet to make its fi nal decision on
this matter.
The options described in the article will
be discussed further before this issue is
put to a vote. I was not on Gearhart’s City
Council when the issue of improving secu-
rity was fi rst raised. It is my understanding
this became a concern when rumors about
weapons being brought into council meet-
ings began to spread shortly before my
appointment.
This isn’t the fi rst time rumors about gun
threats have made their way around the city.
This paper previously reported on a per-
ceived gun threat posted on a Facebook site
in 2019.
In this most recent instance, two citizens
also heard a rumor about guns at the meet-
ings and called the Clatsop County Sher-
iff . I am happy to report the Clatsop County
Sheriff ’s Offi ce and Gearhart’s police chief
I
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Kari Borgen
R.J. Marx
have both determined there is no immediate
known risk to citizens, councilors, or employ-
ees. I concur with their threat assessment.
I have seen social media posts scoff -
ing at the council’s concern for mitigat-
ing the impact of such rumors in the future.
Strangely, the persons making those posts are
attacking the city for considering increased
security measures, while discounting the fact
that citizens were genuinely scared by the
rumors, and in at least two instances they
were worried enough to fi le police reports.
I applaud Mayor Smith’s quick and deci-
sive action in putting temporary procedures
in place to ensure council meetings are safe,
while still allowing citizens to participate
via Zoom. He made an appropriate decision
based on the limited information he had at
the time.
As a Gearhart homeowner said in the
July meeting, “See something, say some-
thing.” In this case, the mayor also fulfi lled
his obligation to citizens by doing some-
thing. Not doing something would have been
unconscionable.
Now that the matter has been unfounded
through investigation, it’s time to let it drop.
However, it is reasonable for the council to
fi rst take steps to repair the damage to public
confi dence these types of rumors can create,
and to prevent a repeat.
CIRCULATION
MANAGER
Samantha
Stinnett
ADVERTISING
SALES MANAGER
Sarah Silver-
Tecza
PRODUCTION
MANAGER
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
John D. Bruijn
Skyler Archibald
Joshua Heineman
Katherine Lacaze
CONTRIBUTING
PHOTOGRAPHER
Jeff TerHar
My objection to the proposal for a walk
through metal detector was, in part, because
I concur with the sheriff ’s and police chief’s
threat assessment. Installing a walk through
metal detector may create more fear and
could present diffi culties for those with
disabilities.
Banning guns in government buildings is
not unusual. Particularly in locations such as
courthouses and council meetings where dis-
agreements are common and emotions may
run high.
As a concealed carry weapons license
holder, I know I am usually prohibited from
carrying my weapon into such locations.
However, if we are going to prevent citizens
from bringing weapons that may be used for
self-defense, I do think the city is then obli-
gated to provide an alternative means of pro-
tection for them. That is just one of many rea-
sons why I believe a law enforcement offi cer
needs to be present.
I cannot speak for the entire City Council,
but I suspect they agree with me that we’d
all like to get past this issue and resume reg-
ular in person meetings as soon as possible.
I want citizens to know it is safe to come to
city hall when that happens. I will not apol-
ogize for acting in an abundance of caution
when safety is a concern.
Dana Gould is a Gearhart city councilor.
Contact local agencies for latest meeting
information and attendance guidelines.
TUESDAY, AUG. 16
Community Emergency Response Team,
5 p.m., 989 Broadway.
Seaside School District, 6 p.m., 2600 Spruce
Drive.
Seaside Planning Commission, work ses-
sion, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 17
Tourism Advisory Committee, 3 p.m., 989
Broadway.
THURSDAY, AUG. 18
Transportation Advisory Commission,
6 p.m., 989 Broadway.
Gearhart City Council, work session,
6:30 p.m., cityofgearhart.com.
TUESDAY, AUG. 30
Gearhart City Council, work session,
6:30 p.m., cityofgearhart.com.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 1
Seaside Parks Advisory Committee, 6 p.m.,
989 Broadway.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 6
Seaside Community Center Commission,
10 a.m., Bob Chisholm Community Center,
1225 Avenue A.
Seaside Library Board, 4:30 p.m., 1131
Broadway.
Seaside Planning Commission, 6 p.m., 989
Broadway.
Seaside Signal
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