By Jerry Keene, Editor, The Oceansider
Jeff McBrayer of Netarts will lead the Netarts-Oceanside Fire Department (NOFD) after current Chief Tim Carpenter retires in June. McBrayer will be only the second Chief since the Netarts and Oceansider Fire Districts merged a quarter-century ago. In an interview with The Oceansider, Chief Carpenter indicated that McBrayer was ranked highest among the contenders in all subject areas during the panel interviews conducted in early March. He added that McBrayer and he have the “same outlook on a lot of issues” which will “ease the transition for the community, Department volunteers and our staff.”McBrayer will leave his current position as Chief of the City of Tillamook Fire Department, where he worked for several years as both a volunteer and on staff. McBrayer told The Oceansider that he decided to apply for the NOFD position after he and his wife moved to Netarts three years ago, primarily because it offered an opportunity to work closer to home (“literally across the street”). McBrayer said his top priorities will be to revitalize volunteer firefighter recruiting efforts and fill current vacancies in the program that enables NOFD to station resident firefighters at the Oceanside and Netarts fire stations.
All Five Commissioner Candidates to Appear at Oceanside Forum on April 27
Two of the three seats on the Tillamook County Board of Commissioners are up for election and will be the focus of contested races in the upcoming May 21 Primary Election. Oceansiders will have an opportunity for a first-hand look at all of the declared Commissioner candidates in an online Candidate Forum sponsored by The Oceansider and the Oceanside Neighborhood Association on Saturday, April 27, at 10 a.m. The forum will be by Zoom only. The candidates (with links to their campaign websites) are as follows: Candidates for Position No. 1: Bruce Lovelin, Erin Skaar (incumbent) and Jeff Spink. Position No. 2 (no incumbent): Paul Fournier and Darcy Jones (no website). Tillamook County officials anticipate mailing ballots to voters by May 1, 2024. If none of the 3 candidates for Position No. 1 receives more than 50% of the votes cast, the top two vote-getters will move on to a runoff election in November.
Your friendly editor will moderate the forum. The candidates will be offered the chance to make brief opening and closing statements and to respond to questions selected in advance. Feel free to submit suggested questions or topics to jerrykeene@oceansidernews.com. A Zoom link will be distributed by email on the day prior to the forum.
Court of Appeals to Consider Oregon Coast Hosts’ Challenge to New STR Rules Tomorrow
The Oregon Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments tomorrow (April 22) in the case brought by supporters of Oregon Coast Hosts in their attempt to overturn the new Tillamook County rules that capped and imposed tighter restrictions on STRs last year. A lower tribunal (the Land Use Board of Appeals or “LUBA”) ruled against OCH’s initial challenge to the rules in February, which set the case up for this appeal. The arguments at the Court come after it issued a ruling on Friday rejecting OCH’s attempt to eject the group of Tillamook County homeowners who joined the case as “Intervenors” to support the new regulations. Lawyers for the OCH group argued that homeowners who are neighbors of STRs did not have sufficient “standing” or “personal interest” in the dispute to participate as parties to the court case. The Court summarily rejected OCH’s arguments. The Court of Appeals oral argument is scheduled to be heard with a group of other cases commencing at 1:30 p.m. on April 22. The half-hour arguments in the OCH case will be the third item on the Court’s docket (labeled the “Akiyama” case) and can be viewed at the Court’s Webcast Page. The Court is not expected to issue a decision in the case until later this year.COMMUNITY CALENDAR
April 22 ONA Zoning/Community Plan Committee Meeting
Netarts Fire Hall and by Zoom – 6 p.m.
Special “Land Use 101” Presentation
Click her to view Public Notice and Agenda
Click her for Zoom link to attend online
Guest Speaker: Fisheries Biologist Robert Bradley
Oregon Fish & Wildlife Department
Netarts Fire Hall and by Zoom – 6 p.m.
Special “Land Use 101” Presentation
Click her to view Public Notice and Agenda
Click her for Zoom link to attend online
May 6 Oceanside Community Club Monthly Potluck
Oceanside Community Hall – 6 p.m.
Guest Speaker: Fisheries Biologist Robert Bradley
Oregon Fish & Wildlife Department
And that’s the view from Oceanside!
jerrykeene@oceansidernews.com
www.oceansidernews.com