Clatsop County Board of Commissioners Highlights Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 regular meeting

Highway project approved

 

The board approved a $728,092.50 contract with Henderson LLC of Lake Oswego for the flood control/wetland mitigation project on U.S. Highway 101 south of Seaside.

The project will involve the removal of earthern berms and road fill along the Necanicum River and nearby property. The work is designed to allow water in the river to flow into the adjacent fields during rain-driven high-water periods and reduce flooding on the highway that often causes traffic restrictions. The neighboring property is owned by the North Coast Land Conservancy, which is participating in the project as part of a plan to restore wetland habitat to the former pastureland. Funding comes from the Oregon Department of Transportation wetland mitigation bank program.

The project’s completion date is Sept. 30, 2013. Public Works Director Ed Wegner and County Engineer Ron Ash told the board that some work on the project could begin this month with some favorable weather.

Land sale approved

The board approved the sale of three county-owned properties totaling 93.79 acresnear Ridge Road in Warrenton to the North Coast Land Conservancy for $65,000. A reversionary clause will be placed on the properties designating them for conservation and preventing development in perpetuity, but the county will retain eight “development credits” that can be transferred to other property in Warrenton.

Road application approved

The board approved an application to the Oregon Department of Transportation to add the proposed Westport Ferry Access Road project to the agency’s State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) 2015-18 project list. The project, with a total estimated cost of $3 million, involves the construction of a new route linking the ferry terminal with Highway 30 to move ferry traffic off of the existing residential street.

The project must be included on the STIP list to qualify for federal transportation funding.

Dam plan approved

The board approved the City of Astoria’s Bear Creek Dam Emergency Action Plan. The plan, developed by the city with assistance from the county Emergency Management Division and Oregon Department of Water Resources, details the response measures and agency roles in the event of a breach or other failure at the city-owned dam, located approximately three miles south of Svensen.

Emergency action plans are required for all dams designated by the state as high-risk, which is determined by the number of homes and businesses at risk from a dam failure, not from the condition of the structure.

Other Business

In other business the board:

-approved the transfer of two warning sirens to the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District. The sirens, including poles and associated equipment, were among 19 acquired by the county Emergency Services Division from the former Umatilla Chemical Depot in eastern Oregon. The fire district plans to install the sirens in Arch Cape to replace two obsolete sirens.

-approved a letter to the Oregon and Washington fish and wildlife commissions expressing concern over planning efforts surrounding a proposal from Gov. John Kitzhaber to restrict Columbia River gillnet salmon fishing.