By Mayor Charles McNeilly
Welcome to my City of Rockaway Beach Monthly Update with a look back at the month of June 2025.
The Fire Department, Rockaway Beach Patrol, and Public Works are getting prepared for the 4th of July events – the parade, t-shirt sales, Weiner Dog Races, Lions Club Treasure Hunt, our famous Fireworks Show, and flyover, along with an influx of tourists and an increase in call volume. We are fortunate to have a city government that puts in the effort to make the 4th of July both memorable and safe and attract visitors to town in support of our merchants and restaurants.
Congratulations to Pat Olson and Barb Riley. After reviewing our community’s nominations, the City Council selected Pat Olson as Grand Marshal of the 2025 July 4th Parade and Barb Riley as Volunteer of the Year! It was a tough choice as this city has so many deserving individuals and dedicated volunteers. Look to see Pat and Barb showcased in the July 4th Parade.
Congratulations to this year’s Business Façade Grant awardees. The City Council awarded $209,000 to nine local businesses. These grants are funded through the City’s transient lodging tax revenue and are designed to encourage economic development by making commercial buildings in town more attractive and accessible. The staff will reach out to the four applicants that were not selected for an award and determine if their applications can be revised to bring them into compliance with the program. Those that can do so will be brought to the next City Council workshop for consideration by the City Council.
Businesses are blooming in Rockaway Beach with:
- Blue Water Fine Arts Gallery holding their grand opening. Blue Water Fine Arts Gallery is dedicated to showcasing exceptional artwork from both emerging and established artists. Their mission is to create a vibrant space that fosters appreciation for the arts and supports the creative community that captures the beauty and spirit of the Oregon Coast.
- Seaquest Gifts have updated their space to further highlight local artisans with their Artisan Gallery on Miller Street.
- The Beach Bite re-opened for pasta and pizza from 11 am to 9 pm.
City Hall
Please take a look at the Summer 2025 City Newsletter that went out in June.
It’s time for our STR owners to renew their licenses. This year’s renewals mark a milestone as we roll out the full suite of the Granicus-backed digital program. This new system offers many benefits to both STR owners and the city. I recommend checking out the 2025/2026 Short-Term Rental Information page and scrolling through the “Short Term Rental How-To Guide” that Lark Reifenstahl put together—it’s a top-shelf tutorial. Lark led this rollout and put in an incredible amount of work over the past six months. Thank you, Lark!
I want to make sure you all know that Elizabeth Avila, an amazing City Hall staffer, will be leaving her position on July 3. Elizabeth has been an exceptional member of our team. All our staff are understandably disappointed by her departure, as she has truly raised the bar during her time here. We wish her the best of luck in the next chapter of her life.
Fire Department and Emergency Preparation
Manufacturing our ladder truck is nearing completion. Chief Hesse will be headed to South Dakota on June 30th for the final inspection. Delivery will be in early July with an anticipated in-service date of early August. I look forward to the “push in” ceremony.
Captain Grace started an EMT-Advanced class on June 25th.
The Department is now in the hiring process for summer staff. The application period is open, and we anticipate hiring by July 1.
Chief Hesse met with the Emergency Volunteer Corps of Nehalem Bay (EVCNB) to discuss what supplies we should have available in case of a large-scale disaster. The meeting was productive and encouraging. The north county will be working in a collaborative effort to make sure all our communities are prepared.
Tillamook County will enter into a county-wide burn ban on outdoor burning on July 15, 2025 at 12:01 am. This means no outdoor debris pile burning or burn barrels. The ban does not include permitted campfires and campfires in designated sites.
Planning Department
The City Council acted on June 11th towards easing the housing crunch in Rockaway Beach and opened the door to allow for “Middle Housing.” The Council amended the city’s zoning code to allow duplexes, townhomes, and other multi-unit housing as directed by Senate Bill 406. Throughout the month-long public engagement process, our residents have repeatedly shown support for these efforts. It’s great to be mayor of a city willing to take positive steps forward on important issues.
The city has concluded its search for a new City Planner. We’re pleased to announce that Abram Tapia, our top candidate, has accepted the position. Abram holds a Master’s in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon and will start on July 1. He has already secured housing and is eager to get started. With so much happening in Rockaway Beach, he’ll need to hit the ground running!
Rockaway Beach’s Lower Jetty Creek Acquisition loan application for $5,000,000 was scored and will move forward for State Revolving Loan funding. The project is eligible for up to $2,000,000 in loan forgiveness.
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission began their review of the city’s Business facade grant program with a focus on criteria, process and the application.
If any of the Planning Commission activities listed for June are of interest, you can read the meeting materials and view recordings of all Planning Commission meetings on the City Website.
Public Works
Visitors flock to Rockaway Beach for our seven miles of walkable beach; Pronto Pup and Flamingo Jim’s among many reasons to visit Rockaway Beach but high in the mix of reasons to visit Rockaway Beach is the Big Cedar and Preserve Boardwalk. The length of the boardwalk can be a challenge for some, so Public Works added two benches to provide a place to sit, relax and appreciate the wetlands or simply to catch one’s breath along the boardwalk. One more step in creating equitable access to the outdoors in the City of Rockaway Beach.
Public Works had a busy month as usual. Stormwater work at Beacon Street was completed, with five culverts adjusted to meet the engineer’s plan. Fireworks prohibition signs have been secured from Tillamook and will be posted in Rockaway from Monday, June 30 through Wednesday, July 9. Public Works is also ordering 50 new cones for July activities. Additional Boardwalk cameras have been installed and are operational, with signage in place.
City Council
The City Council discussed the following at their workshop in June:
- Update on Proposed Ordinance Updates Related to Flood Hazard Overlay Zone
- Review of Ordinances 2025-02/03/04 Updating Zoning Code, Subdivision Code & Comprehensive Plan Related to Middle Housing
- Review Façade Grant Recommendations
- Review of Nominations for Grant Marshal and Volunteer of the Year
- Review of Amendments to Employee Collective Bargaining Agreement
- Screening Process – City Council Vacancy Applications (Pat Ryan, Kenneth Kenichi Nakamura, and Brian Collar)
- Review of Resolution Establishing Forest Management Plan Development Advisory Committee
The City Council acted on the following at their Regular Meeting in June:
- Consideration to Continue the Public Hearing on Ordinances 2025-05 and 2025-06 Updating the Zoning Ordinance and Comprehensive Plan Related to the Flood Hazard Overlay Zone to the City Council Meeting on August 20, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. (Approved)
- Public Hearing on Ordinances 2025-02/2025-03/2025-04 Updating the Zoning Code, Subdivision Code, and Comprehensive Plan Related to Middle Housing
- First & Second Reading of Ordinance 2025-02 Amending City of Rockaway Beach Zoning Ordinance 143 (Code Chapter 155) Related to Middle Housing (Approved)
- Consideration to Adopt Ordinance 2025-02 Amending City of Rockaway Beach Zoning Ordinance 143 (Code Chapter 155) Related to Middle Housing (Approved)
- First & Second Reading of Ordinance 2025-03 Amending City of Rockaway Beach Subdivision Ordinance Related to Middle Housing (Approved)
- Consideration to Adopt Ordinance 2025-03 Amending City of Rockaway Beach Subdivision Ordinance Related to Middle Housing (Approved)
- First & Second Reading of Ordinance 2025-04 Amending City of Rockaway Beach Comprehensive Plan Related to Middle Housing (Approved)
- Consideration to Adopt Ordinance 2025-04 Amending City of Rockaway Beach Comprehensive Plan Related to Middle Housing (Approved)
- Consideration of Resolution 2025-30 Reappointing Members to the Planning Commission (Approved) Lydia Hess and Penny Cole
- Consideration of Resolution 2025-31 Approving the Collective Bargaining Agreement with Employees Represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2734-1, AFSCME Council No. 75 AFL-CIO (Approved)
- Consideration of Resolution 2025-32 Approving Awards for the 2025 Facade Improvement Grant Program (Approved)
| Business | Grant Amount |
| 126 LLC (Hope Chest Building) | $22,214 |
| Green Coast Market | $17,910 |
| Joe’s Snacks & Beer | $19,250 |
| Old Oregon Smokehouse | $30,000 |
| Pete Anderson Realty | $6,500 |
| Sand Dollar Restaurant | $30,000 |
| Sea Breeze | $30,000 |
| Seaquest Treasure’s | $28,689 |
| Troxel’s Rock Garden | $24,500 |
- Consideration of Resolution 2025-33 Establishing Forest Management Plan Development Advisory Committee (Approved)
- Consideration of Resolution 2025-34 Recommending Granting of Liquor License Approval for Pelican Brewing Company (Approved)
- Consideration of Resolution 2025-35 Selecting the Volunteer of the Year (Barb Riley) and Grand Marshal (Pat Olson) for the 2025 4th of July Parade (Approved)
If any of the Council activities listed for June are of interest, you can read the meeting materials and view recordings of all Council meetings (except Executive Sessions) on the City Council page.
Tillamook Coast Visitors Association (TCVA)
Nan Devlin (TCVA) hired Sea Legs Media to produce a video portraying accessibility in Rockaway Beach. You can watch the video here:
A Lincoln City resident sent me a postcard about our work on accessibility. She wrote:
“Dear Mayor McNeilly, City Council, and everyone who worked on the beach accessibility project. Hi, my name is Jan Killian, and I live in Lincoln City. I just read the Oregon Coast Today article of 5/16, and I want to thank you — for the great public service and congratulate you on the Destination Verification status. I didn’t even know where Rockaway Beach is — so now I do and will look forward to a road trip up there this summer.”
The Tillamook Coast Visitors Association reached out to ask about the experiences and expectations of local providers in five sectors of the tourism economy:
(1) farms/fisheries/agritourism
(2) museums and cultural heritage
(3) retailers
(4) restaurants
(5) lodging
In their report the current government of Rockaway Beach drew praise as business friendly, and for the community grant, facade grant and off season marketing grant programs. One local retailer asked that TCVA’s social-media posts spotlight local businesses with short videos. Nan Devlin is putting together a plan to make this happen.
Key Dates in July for Community Engagement
- Wednesday, July 16th City Council Workshop and Regular Meeting
- Thursday, July 17th Planning Commission Meeting
- Thursday, July 24th Coffee with Mayor and City Manager
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.
If you have ideas to share; questions or concerns about what is going on in the City of Rockaway Beach, please email me at cmcneilly@corb.us.
I am still listening.