By Mayor Charles McNeilly
Welcome to the first installment of the City of Rockaway Beach Monthly Update. If you have questions or concerns about what is going on in the City of Rockaway Beach, please email me your questions or concerns at charlesforrockawaybeachmayor@gmail.com.
City Hall
Our city Safety Committee performed their quarterly worksite inspections this week. The safety committee is comprised of a representative from each city department and is led by Superintendent Emerson. The committee meets monthly, performs accident workplace investigations, and other duties as mandated by Oregon OSHA. With over 35,000 hours worked by all employee’s last year, the city reported no work-related injuries.
City Manager Shepard announced the hiring of Marni Johnson as Finance Director. Ms. Johnson previously worked for Rockaway Beach from 2011 to 2019 with her last position being Finance Officer. Since her stint with Rockaway Beach, she spent three years as Assistant Finance Director for the City of Cannon Beach and most recently as Finance Manager and Grant Coordinator for the Tillamook Coast Visitors Association. Since leaving Rockaway Beach, Ms. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. We are excited to have her return to our City staff!
Since I took office in January 2023, City Manager Shepard has reorganized our City Hall staff. He added a City Recorder … Melissa Thompson, a full time City Planner … Mary Johnson, and his recent add of a Finance Director … Marni Johnson. I am over the moon excited for our City and where it will go next.
The City now has a fully executed agreement with GSI Water Solutions, Inc to prepare a Source Water Protection Plan. The Plan, when approved by the State, will open up funding opportunities for the purchase of the Jetty Creek Watershed. The Source Water Protection Plan Advisory Committee (SWPPAC) was formed (see City Council update below) and will have their first meeting, a public meeting, on April 29th. The SWPPAC will work closely with GSI. We recently learned that both Jetty Creek Watershed landowners have indicated a willingness to sell their share of the watershed at a fair price. The City is drafting a Letter of Interest that will need City Council approval (perhaps in May).
The City will be kicking off a Strategic Planning Initiative in early June to ascertain the mission and vision for our community; and create a five-year roadmap for Rockaway Beach leveraging input from stakeholders and community members. Please watch for and engage in opportunities to contribute to the future of Rockaway Beach.
Fire Department
The Rockaway Beach Fire and Rescue Department hosted a graduation ceremony for our class of 12 newly minted CERT members on February 27th. A big shout out to Carolyn Walters for spearheading recruitment; Captain Geoff Grace for leading the training and CERT program; and Jo Cooper and the Emergency Volunteer Corp of Nehalem Bay for their support of our CERT program.
Our Fire Department purchased a second vehicle extraction E-tool which was deployed in our first response vehicle. This E-Tool is designed to allow a single first responder to begin the process of removing trapped and often injured persons from a damaged vehicle before the full response team mobilizes and arrives.
Planning Department
The City received an application for a 22-unit housing development in the Nedonna Beach area. After staff review, this application will head to the Planning Commission in May for a decision.
City Planner Johnson reports that she has already received 13 zoning applications for new dwelling units this year. The total for all last year was 16. I like to think that Mary Johnson’s skillset, professionalism, and work ethic play a role in making Rockaway Beach a desirable place for developers to do business.
City Planner Mary Johnson submitted our prepared presentation to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept for a grant to install new restrooms at Lake Lytle. Our City Manager and Planner will travel to Salem to pitch the Lake Lytle restroom project with a funding request of around $430,000. Thanks to Mary Johnson for all her work on this. A thank you also goes out to Bill Hassel for providing us with drone video footage showcasing the Lake in our presentation.
We received notice that our Wayside Beach access project – ramp and stairs – is now officially under review by the Oregon Parks Department. If all goes well we are looking at a Fall 2024 project deadline.
Rockaway Beach applied for federal funding through the STAG program. If awarded, this congressionally directed funding will go towards water and sewer system upgrades and expansion north of Lake Lytle in the largely undeveloped area between the lake and the school grounds to the north. At an estimated cost of $6 million, this new infrastructure will reduce financial burden to development in the area and enable further increases to our housing stock.
Public Works
Public Works secured two mobile roadside message boards to be staged during 4th of July week at both ends of town reminding those entering that the discharges of fireworks is illegal in Rockaway Beach. City will also look for other ways to leverage the two message boards.
Public Works put the new Scenic View water pumping station into service with the work on the automatic standby generator complete. No doubt the added water pressure is appreciated by residents in the area.
Public Works is preparing to award the S. Pacific St. Water and Streets project (P1-2 in the Streets Capital Plan). Public Works will issue the award after City Council approval in April. This project will replace aging watermain on S. Pacific St. between 3rd and 4th Ave., and will include an asphalt overlay. Funding for this project was approved in this year’s budget, and will also be the first project completed in the Streets Capital Improvement Plan.
City Council
At the March Council Meeting we …
- Proclaimed March 2024 American Red Cross Month
- Set a cap of 420 STR business licenses. This represents the number of STR businesses plus motels needed to support a robust overnight tourist economy. Although we currently have 519 STR business licenses, which will not be impacted by the Cap, Council set the CAP at 420 to let our community know that they understand that dropping an STR commercial business into residential neighborhoods hollows out the neighborhood and reduces community connectivity. Council does understand the importance of STR businesses to providing tourist lodging but wants to balance community and business interests.
- Filled the five slots on the Sourcewater Protection Plan Development Advisory Committee.
- Adopted the South Coral Street Stormwater Feasibility Study and directed City staff to investigate funding.
- Appointed our City Manager as the Budget Officer; let the budgeting season begin in earnest.
Our next Coffee with Manager and Mayor will be Thursday, April 18 at 9 am at City Hall in the 2nd floor conference room.
I am still listening!