City of Rockaway Beach Mayor’s Monthly Update – October 1, 2025

By Mayor Charles McNeilly

The Rockaway Beach Fire & Rescue Push In Ceremony was held Saturday, September 27^th. A “push-in” ceremony for a new fire truck, particularly a ladder truck, is a cherished tradition that symbolizes the truck’s official entry into service. The ceremony is rooted in the horse-drawn fire wagon era when firefighters had to physically push the wagons back into the station after a call. I learned that our ladder truck is a quint. A quint fire truck combines a ladder truck and fire engine, with five main tools: pump, water tank, hose, aerial device, and ground ladders. The well attended community event featured the push in, hot dogs, ice cream and drawings for a “Go Bag” and rides in the truck. It was an honor to have Commissioner Erin Skaar and State Representative Cyrus Javadi in attendance.

I am excited to share that our City Recorder Melissa Thompson received the Oregon Association of Municipal Recorders’ Recorder of the Year award. Melissa’s family, the City Manager, and I attended the ceremony in Eugene to celebrate her well-deserved recognition. There’s nothing better than seeing a hard-working staff member receive the recognition for all they do for Rockaway Beach.

Here is an excerpt from the nomination letter submitted on her behalf:

“It is with great pride and enthusiasm that we nominate Melissa Thompson, City Recorder for the City of Rockaway Beach, for the Oregon Association of Municipal Recorders (OAMR) Recorder of the Year Award.

In just two years with the City of Rockaway Beach, Melissa Thompson has successfully implemented transformative changes across our organization. Her organizational expertise and collaborative spirit have helped guide the city through a period of significant growth.

Through her leadership, commitment to excellence, and adherence to the highest standards of ethics, she truly sets the benchmark for the municipal recording profession. She’s truly amazing, and we believe the City of Rockaway Beach hit the lottery the day she applied.”

Congratulations Melissa!

We are all excited about the arrival of a new all-terrain Track-Chair to replace our used chair. This new chair was generously provided by David’s Chair Outdoor Mobility Systems and was funded by a grant from Travel Oregon.

I’m proud that our community supports such a wonderful service. As Bill Hassel said, “…if we also count the family and friends that shared the activity, well over 200 people have pictures and memories they’ll never forget.” Remember, you can reserve the use of the Track-Chair at the David’s Chair website.

CITY HALL

City Manager Shepard submitted a letter of support for ColPac’s application to the Rural Opportunities Initiative (ROI) Grant Program. The Rural Opportunities Initiative Grant Program could help Rockaway Beach in several ways. If awarded, the ROI Grant Program aims to address the needs of small businesses, revitalize downtowns, improve infrastructure, and foster a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem.

City Manager Shepard attended the “It’s About the Water” Association of Oregon Counties VIP Tour hosted by the Working Lands & Waters Cooperative. Stimson Lumber invited City Manager Shepard and other water system managers to speak about the importance of protecting and managing our watersheds. These events go a long way towards reinforcing our working relationship with the owner of the upper Jetty Creek Watershed.

Councilor Kiley Konruff successfully organized a productive meeting with Justin Smith, the executive director of the North County Recreation District. Establishing a partnership with the NCRD to bring recreation to Rockaway Beach aligns perfectly with our strategic plan initiatives, and it’s exciting to see their enthusiasm about this collaboration. We anticipate some positive developments in the coming months. A big thank you to Councilor Konruff for initiating this promising opportunity!

Councilor Mary McGinnis received a scholarship from the Oregon Coast Visitors Association to attend the Travelability & Accessibility Summit conference in Sun River, October 13–15. Councilor McGinnis looks forward to sharing strategies to make Rockaway Beach more accessible, especially for senior travelers.

FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMERGENCY PREPARATION

The quarterly (formerly monthly) Emergency Preparedness meeting is scheduled for Wednesday October 1^st at City Hall at 6:00 pm

Staff has been busy compiling data for our ISO rating. An ISO rating scores a community’s fire prevention and suppression capabilities. The onsite portion of the process occurred on September 30^th. The Ladder truck should provide a boost to our rating and may provide savings on fire insurance premiums for residents. Pump testing on the Tender and Engine was completed this week. The results will be included in the ISO rating assessment. The ISO rating process is ongoing and has required significant time for data collection. An ISO site visit is scheduled at the Fire Station.

Chief Hesse and Captain Grace have been busy working with the Oregon State Fire Marshall (OSFM) performing fire code inspections. Completed so far have been the schools and school district offices, two food trucks, and two local businesses. The fire department assists OSFM with local knowledge of the facilities and is the liaison in most situations. Food trucks are a different story. All food trucks since January 2025 are required to meet new fire code requirements. This means that we inspect at the local level for compliance and collaboration with OSFM to correct any violations.

The Fire Department is also providing medical standby at football games at Neahkahnie High School as well as being on site for fire drills. Fire Drills were conducted today at both the middle and high schools. We are also working with both schools on steps to be taken during a natural disaster. Both schools will be conducting exercises during the Great Shakeout event on October 16^th.

Chief Hesse attended a meeting with the consultants for the Tillamook County Wildfire Protection Plan. The plan is anticipated to be completed in the spring of 2026 and will allow eligibility for wildfire grant funding for the city of Rockaway Beach. Chief Hesse gave the group a tour of Rockaway Beach and discussed local hazards and concerns.

Hose Testing and Ladder Testing was completed last week with only 1 section of hose failing inspection and testing. Annual pump testing will be completed soon.

Chief Hesse and Captain Grace are working with Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) to have new Evacuation Route signage in place before the Great Shakeout October 16th @10:16am

PLANNING DEPARTMENT

The primary focus of the Planning Department this month has been the Remand hearing. This project has required significant time and effort, and we are preparing to close this chapter (at least for the time being). Staff members are currently completing the Final Order to reflect the Council’s decision.

The Planning Department has revised several planning forms to reflect the recent modifications associated with middle housing including the Zoning Permit, Floodplain Permit, Lot Line Adjustment, Sign Permit, and Excavation and Fill Permit.

PLANNING COMMISSION

At the Planning Commission’s monthly meeting City Planner Tapia updated the group on the LUBA remand and explained that the City Council reversed its 2024 decision regarding the planned unit development at Nedonna Beach.

Planner Tapia also delivered a presentation on Tillamook County’s Housing Needs Analysis, which included notable population data on Rockaway. I was excited about and impressed with the data.

If any of the Planning Commission activities listed for September are of interest, you can read the meeting materials and view recordings of all Planning Commission meetings on the City Website.

PUBLIC WORKS

Public Works mailed a flyer – “WHAT ARE SEWER RATES AND WHY DO THEY MATTER?” to keep customers in Rockaway Beach Water District up to date on our Sewer Rate Study. If you did not receive the flyer, please contact City Hall at 503-374-1752. Key dates are:

HRD Engineers will present a sewer rate analysis at the City Council Workshop on Wednesday, November 12^th at 4:30 pm in the City Hall 2^nd Floor Conference Room.
City Council will hold a public hearing to consider adoption of new sewer rates on Wednesday, December 10^th at 6:00 pm in the City Hall Council Room.
If approved, new sewer rates to take effect on January 1, 2026.

The Department of Environmental Quality and the Oregon Health Authority have approved the City’s 2025 Source Water Protection Plan. GSI Water Solutions and city staff collaborated with these agencies to make minor revisions to the draft plan previously approved by the city council. The City is now able to submit a reimbursement request for funds awarded as part of the initial Source Water Protection grant, which helped launch the Jetty Creek Watershed Acquisition Project in 2023. I would like to extend sincere thanks to former Council member Aleisha Franken, who served as liaison to the Source Water Protection Plan Development Advisory Committee, as well as to all committee members who served alongside her. It’s great to see what this community can accomplish by working collaboratively.

Another busy month for Public Works:

Crews traveled to Portland for Hwy 101 culvert supplies and 23^rd lift station valve parts.
The Hwy 101 stormwater project was completed
Councilor McGinnis reported structural issues with the Old Growth Boardwalk —repairs started and finished within a day! The boardwalk was then inspected with four “high priority” areas identified. Public Works will be working on these repairs soon and will ensure any boardwalk closure is shared with the public prior to these repair dates.
Maintenance: Meter rereads completed, biosolids hauling scheduled, and the south 5th lift station pump was cleared of debris (again). Staff are seeking quotes for a rebuild or replacement to prevent future issues.
Upgrades at the 23rd Ave. lift station included installing a new gate and check valves, as well as repainting the interior.
The upper Shop was pressure washed and painted.
The street crew repaired potholes in several locations, with additional asphalt work scheduled to continue for three weeks.
Fire flow tests were conducted on 16 hydrants.
Staff completed CPR training required for confined space entry.
Two crab-apple trees were planted at Anchor Street Park.
Staff placed 2 tons of asphalt; storm drainage improvements remain a top priority.
Reported damaged Hwy 101 street signs to ODOT.
Kite Festival had no Public Works issues.
Staff completed emergency repair of a hydrant at Dolphin & S. 2nd Ave. after it was struck by a vehicle.
Staff completed the water portion of the Fire Department’s ISO insurance form.

The city submitted a $3,750,000 grant application to the Forest Legacy Program. This marks our second attempt applying to this program, and if successful, the funds will be allocated toward acquiring the lower portion of the Jetty Creek watershed. While this funding is not essential for the project’s advancement, it would significantly reduce the financial impact of the land acquisition.

Public Works received a Jetter trailer from Bay City in exchange for two loads of sand. Although it was built in 1993, with proper maintenance it will be a valuable asset for emergency sewer main blockages, allowing us to respond independently. What a great example of our cities working together.

We received a letter from Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offering a no-cost workplace safety evaluation. Scheduling is in progress.

Public Works met with the Gordian Group regarding their procurement and project contracting services, which could streamline future projects.

The N. Pacific Pre-Construction meeting was held on 9-18-25. I was present and signed the N. Pacific contract. Public outreach to follow.

The Safety Committee had their monthly safety meeting on 9-18-25 and are scheduling a CPR class for all staff.

Rockaway Beach and other local jurisdictions are partnering with Wheel the World and Tillamook Coast in their Accessibility Verified initiative. Please check out this great promo video: https://youtu.be/WrlIniK2NW4.

Race Stryker, Tillamook Estuaries Habitat Restoration Project Manager, informed us that their restoration project on Jetty Creek is now complete.

Public Works Director Mertz is building a web page that will show the timeline of our work on the Salmonberry Trail Project with links to all the artifacts that were created during this journey.

CITY COUNCIL

Special City Council Meeting – 9/9/2025

PUBLIC HEARING: Application on Remand by the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) No. 2025-001 on July 2, 2025 related to Application of Nedonna Development for Phase 2 Planned Unit Development approval: #PUD-24-1. The Case File for this matter is #Remand-25-1.

Motion: “I move based on the facts and evaluations presented in the City Staff Report, and evidence presented, that the Rockaway Beach City Council REVERSE the Planning Commission’s July 18, 2024 decision on application #PUD-24-1 and, in doing so, DENY application #PUD-24-1, and direct staff to prepare findings and conclusions consistent with this decision, and authorize the Mayor to sign an order to that effect.” (APPROVED)

City Council Workshop – 9/10/2025

Presentation – Tourism Report – Nan Devlin, Tillamook County Visitor’s Association

Year-end round-up
Ideas for Off Season Activities
Suggested Workforce and Tourism Training Workshops

Salmonberry Trail Discussion

City Council Regular Meeting – 9/10/2025

Presentations, Guests & Announcements – Undersheriff Matt Kelly, Introduction of new Rockaway Beach Patrol Deputy Mark Weir.

Executive Session -Pursuant to ORS 192.660 (2)(f) to Consider Information or Records that are Exempt by Law from Public Inspection Related to Potential Franchise Agreement. (NO FINAL DECISION)

If any of the Council activities listed for September are of interest, you can read the meeting materials and view recordings of all Council meetings (except Executive Sessions) on the City Council page.

ROCKAWAY BEACH PATROL

A major highlight for September is the successful appointment of Rockaway Beach Patrol’s fourth and final deputy, marking a significant achievement for our community. At the Council regular meeting, Undersheriff Matt Kelly shared the great news that Rockaway Beach Patrol reached full staffing with the addition of Mark Weir, an experienced former jail deputy. Our Rockaway Beach Patrol includes these individuals:

Deputy Sean Ahlers
Deputy Kevin Grogan
Deputy Terrance Watters
Deputy Mark Weir

Achieving full staffing for the Rockaway Beach Patrol fulfills one of the city’s principal goals and showcases the progress and dedication driving our five-year strategic plan.

TILLAMOOK COAST VISITORS ASSOCIATION (TCVA)

Check out the recognition of our city’s accessibility efforts in Willamette Living and Portland Monthly—great coverage for Rockaway Beach as we continue to make our city accessible for all!

We continue to see exceptional engagement on Facebook.

KEY DATES IN OCTOBER FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Rockaway Beach Emergency Preparedness Present the Great Shake Out event on Wednesday, October 1st at 6:00 pm in the City Hall Council Room.

The City Council Workshop is on Wednesday, October 8^th at 4:30 pm in the City Hall 2^nd Floor Conference Room followed by the City Council Regular Meeting at 6:00 pm downstairs in the City Hall Council Room.

The Planning Commission is not meeting in October.

Forest Stewardship Plan Advisory Committee is on Friday, October 17^th at 12:00 noon in the City Hall 2^nd Floor Conference Room.

We offer in-person and virtual options for attending all our meetings. Meetings are recorded so they are available for viewing at your convenience. Agendas and packets are available on our city website. Sign up for our city email list on our city website to have meeting packets sent to you automatically.

The Coffee with Mayor and City Manager is Thursday, October 16th at 9:00 am in the City Hall 2^nd Floor Conference Room.

PLEASE STAY INFORMED AND ENGAGED!

The most efficient way to keep up to date with your City government is to add your email address to the City’s email list through the City’s website, at the bottom of the landing page.