By Mayor Charles McNeilly
Welcome to the City of Rockaway Beach Monthly Update with a look back at the month of October 2024.
The City’s Fall Newsletter should have arrived in your mailbox. It is also available on the City’s website.
Our draft Strategic Plan is posted on our City’s Website. You can also get the Strategic Plan at City Hall. The consultants will take public comment through November 6th. This is a big deal for our community as it provides clear guidance as to how you want the City to spend your money! Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their vision for Rockaway Beach. The Council will have an opportunity to approve the plan in November and prioritize the work in January.
City Hall staffer Kale Hesse received a scholarship to attend the Oregon Government Finance Officers Association Fall conference. In recent months, Kale has taken on tasks related to utility billing, accounts payable, and payroll. Oregon Government Finance Officers Association is a great resource for those in municipal finance to keep their skills current and for fostering professional growth. We have no doubt Kale will bring back useful information and fresh ideas. Nice work Kale!
City Hall
Finance Director Marni Johnston’s focus the last week of October was our auditor’s site visit for the fiscal year 2023/24 audit. Koontz, Blasquez & Associates will return in January to present the completed audit report.
Marni Johnston, Finance Director, added a Combined Cash Investment | Cash Balance Report to the monthly Council packet and produced the City’s 1st Quarter Financial Report available on our City web site. Marni will make these available quarterly for the Council and community. This is a level of financial transparency never seen before in Rockaway Beach governance. Hat’s off to Finance Director Johnston and City Manager Shepard!
Fire Department and Emergency Preparation
The Fire Department’s and Rockaway Beach Business Association’s 5th Annual Trunk or Treat was a huge success, even in the rain. It seems that children don’t mind going out in inclement weather for candy. Of note, is how much the children in attendance took advantage of the Anchor Street Playground.
The Fire Department was invited to visit the Garibaldi Grade School Kindergarten class. During their visit the class learned about fire safety and had an opportunity to explore the fire engine and try on some fire gear. I suspect this was the highlight of the week for these kids! It would have been for me.
The Rockaway Beach Fire Department and the Nehalem Bay Fire District partnered with the Neah-Kah-Nie High School and Middle School for fire prevention week. Fire personnel participated in fire drills and other related activities at both schools.
Chief Hesse visited General Fire this week to inspect our ladder truck which is in production; next step is painting. We are still looking at an early 2025 delivery date. We all can look forward to the fire truck push-in ceremony. The fire truck push-in ceremony is a time-honored tradition in the fire service. Celebrating the arrival of a new unit has been a source of pride for communities and fire departments across North America for over a century. Chief Hesse is also excited to be able to include the new Fire Department ladder truck in next year’s Trunk or Treat.
Another round of pump bearing repairs has been completed on the Fire Department’s pumper tender truck. This critical piece of equipment is now back in service. Let’s hope this unit remains functional until it’s scheduled replacement.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Great Oregon Shake Out in Rockaway Beach. City Manager Shepard had the opportunity to ride along with Chief Hesse and witness the drill firsthand. Kudos to all the volunteers, including the Rockaway Beach Emergency Preparedness, CERT, and Radio groups, for making it all possible. Thank you to all who are ready to put in the work to continue to move the city’s emergency management program forward. A total of 107 people participated in the Great Shakeout event. Chief Hesse and Captain Grace are in the process of going through the data that was collected and preparing an After-Action Review and a report for the Council with their findings from the exercise. Rockaway Beach is looking for more volunteers who want to get involved in any of the emergency preparedness groups. Please contact Chief Todd Hesse for more information.
Planning Department
The Salmonberry Trail was top of mind in October. I traveled into Portland to speak on Rockaway Beach’s segment of the Salmonberry Trail at a Salmonberry Trail Foundation Fundraising Event. Councilor Mary McGinnis and I joined a tour of segments (Rockaway Beach and Wheeler) of the Trail put on by the Salmonberry Trail Foundation for Senator Merkley’s field representative. A big thanks to Commissioner Mary Faith Bell and Commissioner Elect Paul Fournier for representing the County Commission at the Salmonberry Trail event. It was a joyous and forward looking time. The Salmonberry Trail will be a game changer for coastal communities in Tillamook County.
We received encouraging news about our Forest Legacy grant application for the purchase of the lower half of the Jetty Creek Watershed. Senators Jeffery A. Merkley and Ron Wyden signed a letter of support for the project. Their support letter was sent to Randy Moore, the Chief of the US Forest Service. Additionally, our staff is working with Sustainable Northwest to submit an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) grant. This OWEB grant will be used as “match” for the Forest Legacy grant funding award should we be awarded.
We held an EPA Community Change Grant open house. The EPA Community Change Grant is a $10-20 million opportunity with the potential to provide funding for the acquisition of the full Jetty Creek Watershed. Sustainable Northwest intends to work with the City of Rockaway Beach to develop a grant application. This community engagement session will be used to ensure the application is aligned with the goals of the Rockaway Beach Community. Community participation will help the City and Sustainable Northwest identify priority items needed for this application.
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on proposed amendments to the city’s sign ordinance. The current sign rules make no mention of municipal signage, or existing non-conforming signs. The Planning Commission recommended that language be included on dark sky guidelines for lighted signs, among other edits. The Planning Commission also discussed the new Community Grant program. They unanimously moved to keep language to allow the city to award grant funds to small, non-incorporated community entities. They made clear their support for these informal but important local entities. The Planning Commission also approved a request for a one-year extension for the Lake Lytle Estates Preliminary Subdivision.
Public Works
The Wayside Beach Accessibility Project continues. The sub-contractor poured the ramp walls and footings. However once the forms were removed, our Public Works Superintendent and prime contractor Advanced Excavation determined that the concrete work did not meet specifications. The work will be demolished, and another attempt made. Thank you to our Superintendent Dan Emerson for his attention to detail, and prime contractor Advanced Excavation for their commitment to high-quality construction. While this second attempt may extend the project schedule, it will not increase project costs. Even better, this “redo” will make possible the incorporation of relief art in the walls of the ramp. This may include starfish, seagulls, and chinook salmon. It great to see their collaboration elevate this project. Nice job Superintendent Emerson and Advanced Excavation.
Public Works took advantage of nice weather to complete a few end-of-season road maintenance projects. The road crew laid down 11 tons of asphalt, filling in potholes, utility installation trenches, and the trench over the new S. 2nd Ave. culvert. Public Works also completed two new sewer service installations.
The Public Works Department finished installation of Starlink internet service at the Jetty Creek Water Treatment Plant. With its remote location, this new internet service offers modern download/upload speeds at lower cost than is currently available. Also, this Starlink internet service ensures communication is possible in emergency situations independent of local conditions. This installation is one of the final steps to modernize the water systems telemetry system.
Public Works also installed two new bike racks in town. One at City Hall and the other at the Rockaway Beach Big Tree Boardwalk. The addition of more bike racks was the subject of public comment at our last budget meetings, and it is great to see two of the racks now installed and ready for use.
Public Works is flushing the city’s waterlines. This flushing keeps the pipes clean, allows crews to verify fire hydrant flow and operation, and removes any mineral buildup in the lines. You may have experienced a short duration of lower-than-normal water pressure when crews are in your area. Please feel free to contact Public Work Superintendent Dan Emerson with questions or concerns. Superintendent Emerson is always happy to answer questions and facilitate service to our community.
City Council
City Council, at their workshop:
- Discussed Conflicts of Interest/Impartiality in Quasi-Judicial Land Use Hearings
- Reviewed Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund Financing Contract & Memo from Business Oregon Regarding the Infrastructure Finance Authority Funding Assistance for Nedonna Beach Water System Improvements Project
- Reviewed Draft Resolution 2024-42 Adjusting Appropriations for the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year Budget for Attorney’s Fees related to the election lawsuit on which the City prevailed.
- Reviewed Planning Commission’s proposal for enhancements to our Community Grant Program Updates
City Council, at their meeting heard:
- A Strategic Planning Update
- A presentation on the Tillamook County Ballot Measure 29.180 Regarding Public Safety Emergency Communications System
The Land Use Appeal #24-1 Nedonna Wave Planned Unite Development Phase 2 was postponed until Wednesday, November 20th.
Tillamook Coast Visitors Association (TCVA)
Our official visitor web site (visitrockawaybeach.org) had 6,138 users in October 2024 which was a 52% increase over October 2023. The QR Code stickers continue to be used to access our visitor web site. Public Works installed a larger version of the QR code sticker on our Wayfinding signs around town. Scan the QR code to find out where to eat, shop, sleep, or recreate while in Rockaway Beach.
Tillamook Coast Visitors Association placed two articles in Portland media to boost awareness of Rockaway Beach as more than just a summer getaway: Winter Could Become Your Favorite Season in Rockaway Beach in Willamette Week and in Portland Monthly Rockaway Beach Hosts Winter Magic or Winter Getaway: A Rockaway Beach Itinerary.
Nan Devlin (TCVA) reports that she heard from several lodging/STR operators that October was a very busy month.
Key Dates in November for Community Engagement
The City Council Workshop is Wednesday, November 13th at 4:30 pm in the City Hall 2nd Floor Conference Room followed by the City Council Meeting at 6:00 pm downstairs in the City Hall Council Room.
Sourcewater Protection Plan Development Advisory Committee (SPPDC) meets on Wednesday, November 20th at 9:30 am in the City Hall 2nd Floor Conference Room.
Coffee with Manager and Mayor resumes on Thursday, November 21st at 9:00 am in the City Hall 2nd Floor Conference Room.
The Planning Commission meets Thursday, November 21st at 5:00 pm in the City Hall Council Room.
Please stay informed and engaged!
The most efficient way to keep up to date on your City government is to add your email address to the City’s email list through the City’s website, at the bottom of 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 charlesforrockawaybeachmayor@gmail.com.
I am still listening!
