Clatsop County Board of Commissioners Highlights of theWednesday, June 13, 2012 regular meeting

Somers contract approved

The board approved a contract with new County Manager Scott Somers. Somers, who will join the county July 16, replaces former County Manager Duane Cole, who retired May 31.

Under the contract Somers will earn a $112,000 annual salary plus benefits.

Wauna payment financing approved

The board approved a financing agreement covering payment of a $2.5 million settlement with Georgia-Pacific over the corporation’s tax appeal on its Wauna paper mill.

Under the agreement the settlement will be paid with a loan repaid over 10 years at an interest rate estimated at below 3 percent. All 60 taxing districts in the county will contribute to the payment.

In 2007 Georgia-Pacific was disqualified from a property tax-exemption program and required to pay more than $4 million to local taxing entities. The company appealed the disqualification and the assessment on the Wauna property to Oregon Tax Court. Both sides reached a settlement in May.

Three zone changes approved

The board approved three separate land-use applications:

-Michael Benesch, Warrenton Fiber, Waldo Veelle, Martin Nygaard and Mardi Nygaard – The applicants requested to rezone approximately 13 acres of property on Dolphin Road near Warrenton from Residential Agriculture-5 to Light-Industrial (eight acres) and Natural Uplands (five acres). The application also sought a cluster partition, and creation of two “density credits,” one for use on the subject property and another for future use.

-Gloria Edler – The applicant requested to downzone and partition approximately 10 acres of property on McCormick Garden Road near Gearhart from Residential Agriculture-1 to Open Space, Parks and Recreation. The rezone creates five density credits, two of which will be transferred to a development planned by Russ Earl, and the other three “banked” for future use.

-Russ Earl and Osburn-Olson LLC – The applicants requested approval for two cluster subdivisions located east of Surf Pines – the 18-lot West Dunes developed by Earl and the nine-lot Clatsop Estates by Osburn-Olson. The application also includes a downzone of three other properties, two owned by the National Park Service and another by William Fackerell, from residential to Open Space, Parks and Recreation and the transfer of the resulting 13 density credits to the two subdivisions. Two additional density credits would also come from downzoned property owned by Gloria Edler.

In exchange for the density credits the National Park Service receives protection for eight acres of property along Neacoxie Creek within the subdivisions.

Planning Commission members appointed

The board re-appointed current members Kay Foetisch-Robb and Michael Tiedeman to the Clatsop County Planning Commission.

Housing Authority members appointed

The board appointed Kenneth Culp and Robert Stang to two vacant seats on the Clatsop County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.

Budget hearings held

The board held public hearings on the 2012-13 Clatsop County budget and budgets for the 4-H and Extension Service, Road District #1, Rural Law Enforcement District and Westport Sewer Service District. Adoption of the budgets is scheduled for June 27.