SUNSET EMPIRE TRANSPORTATION NEW BOARD DIRECTOR

Mitch Mitchum has been appointed to the Sunset Empire Transportation District’s Board of Commissioners.  Mitchum has a background of experience in transportation management and community service. Mitchum served as a Public Works Officer and Manager of Transportation Services while in the Navy and was the Public Works Director for the City of Astoria for 11 years. Mitchum is a volunteer in the community serving as the President of the Astoria Sunday Market, he is on the Board of the Clatsop County Health District and is the Vice President of the Clatsop Cruise Hosts. He was appointed to the position 7 seat.  The term expires on June 30th of 2015.

Kotek announces 2015 House committee assignments

Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek has announced house committee assignments for the 2015 Legislative Session. 
 

The assignments come after Kotek met with every returning and incoming member of the House of Representatives to discuss their priorities and interests.   

District 32 Representative Deborah Boone will be Vice Chair of the Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Committee; she will also be a member of the Energy and Environment Committee

District 31 Representative Brad Witt will chair the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.  He will also be a member of the Rules Committee and the Rural Communities: Land Use and Water Committee.  

The House will convene January 12, 2015 for an organizational session, which will include the swearing-in of all House members, the official election of the constitutional officers and the introduction of the first set of bills. The 2015 Session will officially begin February 2.  

Clatsop County Board of Commissioners Dec 10 Meeting Highlights

Flood map study

The board of commissioners approved contributing up to $7,000 to fund an independent technical review of a new flood study released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency identifying flood areas in Clatsop County for the purpose of flood insurance coverage. County staff told the board that due to a data anomaly, the new maps give a higher base flood elevation and place many inland areas within the “velocity zone” flood designation, which would result in new, severe restrictions on development if the maps are adopted without change. The cities of Astoria and Warrenton and Port of Astoria will also contribute to the technical study, which is estimated to cost $15,000 to $20,000.

Wetland discussion

The board held a joint work session with the county Planning Commission and Southwest Coastal Citizens Advisory Committee to discuss wetlands regulations and protection measures in the Arch Cape area. The discussion followed the board’s decision last month to accept an opinion from county land-use counsel that the county could no longer enforce setback requirements on most wetlands.

At the conclusion of the session, Board Chairman Scott Lee said the board would explore the creation of an ad hoc committee to further investigate possible protective wetlands regulations.

CEDR NAMES NEW BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEMBERS

Clatsop Economic Development Resources elected new board members during their Annual Meeting on November 25^th.  The new board members were elected for a three year term. 

The new board members are Chris Nemlowill, Co-owner of Fort George Brewery representing the Craft Brewing Cluster, Kurt Englund, Owner of Englund Marine Supply representing the Marine & Fishing Sector, Linda Beck Sweeney, Owner of Cannon Beach Vacation Rentals representing the Hospitality Industry, and Mark Morgans, Area Manager for Lewis & Clark Timber/Campbell Global Group, representing the Forestry & Forest Products Sector.

 

Rosemary Baker-Monaghan, Executive Director of the Liberty Theater, representing the arts & culture cluster, was re-elected to a three year term, and will also continue to serve on the CEDR Executive Committee as Board Secretary and Treasurer.

Clatsop Community College Welcomes New Board Members

At a special meeting on December 8, 2014, the Clatsop Community College Board of Directors elected two new members to fill recent vacancies resulting from the departures of Dr. Frank Satterwhite and Larry McKinley.

Esther Moberg was elected to fill a position in Zone 3 that is generally described as the City of Cannon Beach, City of Seaside, City of Gearhart, Arch Cape area, City of Warrenton, Clatsop Plains area, Necanicum area south of Seaside, and Stanley Acres north of Seaside.  Moberg currently serves as Director of the Seaside Public Library. She holds a Masters in Library Science from Emporia State University and a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University. She is also a former Clatsop Community College student. Moberg is engaged in a variety of community initiatives including the Columbia Pacific Assistance League, P.E.O.-Chapter FE and the City of Seaside Emergency Preparedness Team.

Clatsop Community College Lives in Transition Program Expands to Serve Latina Community

Clatsop Community College’s Lives in Transition (LIT) Program has announced an expansion specifically for the Latina Community. The new program, Transiciones Costa, will be taught in Spanish. The culturally-appropriate program will align with the goals found in Lives in Transition, and will provide an educational forum for Latina adult learners. Topics covered will include: learning about Clatsop Community College resources, exploring career and work possibilities, developing basic computer skills, enhancing self-esteem, improving communication skills, exploring life goals, and establishing educational goals.  

 

Transiciones Costa includes two classes. One class will be taught each term and classes will alternate from term to term. Both three-credit classes are free to participants. The Winter Term class will meet on Wednesday mornings, 9:00am-11:50am, beginning January 7, 2015. 

Para obtener más información en Español: 503-338-2379. For more information in English: 503-338-2377. 

Lives in Transition programs are designed to support adult learners complete or continue their education. Program participants typically see themselves as displaced homemakers, single parents, or dislocated workers. Lives in Transition encourages students to develop greater self-awareness about their educational goals, enhance self-esteem, overcome personal barriers, and establish clear career directions. 

CLATSOP COUNTY NATURAL HAZARDS PLAN UPDATE AVAILABLE TO VIEW

   Clatsop County’s plan for handling natural disasters is updated and available to view.

The Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan identifies the types of hazards that threaten the county and local communities, evaluates vulnerability to those hazards and outlines a strategy to reduce or eliminate the risk to life and property.

The multi-jurisdictional plan was developed in 2008 in coordination between Clatsop County and the cities of Astoria, Cannon Beach, Gearhart, Seaside and Warrenton. The state and federal governments require local jurisdictions to adopt hazard mitigation plans to be eligible for certain disaster assistance and recovery funding. The county launched an update of the plan earlier this year.

The updated plan has been submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for review and adoption. Citizens are invited to view the plan and provide their own input on their biggest natural hazard concerns through an online survey at www.co.clatsop.or.us.