A group of Hood River short-term rental owners intend to file an appeal with the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, claiming residency requirements in the City’s STR regulations adopted seven years ago are unconstitutional. According to documents sent to the appeals board by the law firm Tonkon Torp of Portland on behalf of the plaintiffs, the appeal has been filed shortly after the expiration of a seven-year period for STR’s that were in operations before the regulations were adopted to come into compliance. The documents contend the ordinance violates the dormant commerce clause by imposing a residency requirement for holders of short term rental permits, and is a taking of private property without compensation, in violation of both the U.S. and Oregon Constitutions. Eighteen different people or couples were listed as plaintiffs in the appeal document.
White Salmon Gets State Grant For Water Mainline Work
The City of White Salmon was awarded $1.2 million in grant funding from the Washington State Public Works Board for the the next phase of planned improvements to the mainline of the city’s water delivery system. This phase spans from Forester Lane to the top of Bald Mountain Corners on Highway 141 and is anticipated to move into construction in early 2025. The city submitted a loan application for the 2023 Washington State Public Works Board funding cycle seeking $8,045,000 in financing for the project, which was awarded earlier this fall. The grant award now reduces the anticipated loan amount to $6.8 million. White Salmon Public Works Director Andrew Dirks says completion of the mainline improvements will ensure stable water delivery on the City’s main transmission feed to town going forward, and help to address known water losses currently within the system.
Klickitat County Moves Closer To Stopping Large Scale Solar In Some Areas
The Klickitat County Commission approved taking the next step toward adopting amendments to the County’s zoning ordinance to prohibit large scale solar development over one acre in size in ten townships in the Goldendale and Centerville valleys. Commissioners accepted the County Planning Commission’s findings and conclusions calling for adopting the amendments, and asked planning staff to prepare an ordinance to present at the next Commission meeting on November 21. Commission Chair Dan Christopher and Lori Zoller voted in favor, while Jacob Anderson was not present at the meeting.
Pikas Making Comeback
In the wake of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, conservationists were relieved to learn that one of the Columbia Gorge’s fluffiest residents — the American pika — was still squeaking by. The Oregon Zoo says recent surveys show the tiny animals are making a strong comeback from the fire. Pikas are potato-sized rabbit relatives known for their distinctive, squeak-toy-like calls, and typically live on mountain slopes at elevations above 6,000 feet, but a somewhat anomalous low-elevation population is living in the Columbia Gorge. Over the past five years, biologists have been especially eager to track how pikas are faring in those areas most affected by the Eagle Creek fire. This year, Cascade Pika Watch volunteers reported pikas at 23 out of 31 sites surveyed, an increase of more than 50% since 2018. In addition to the reported increase in pikas reported this year, Cascades Pika Watch benefitted from a record number of volunteers: 168 trained citizen scientists spent 1,620 hours searching for the tiny mammals, and the effort will continue next year.
PUD Names Scruggs New Chief Legal Officer
Northern Wasco County People’s Utility District has selected Irene Scruggs as its new Chief Legal Officer. Scruggs will serve as general counsel to the PUD’s Board of Directors and as a key strategic leader and partner to the General Manager and executive management team with programmatic responsibilities in several key areas of the utility. Scruggs will assume the position in January of 2024. Scruggs was the Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel of the Public Power Council, the region’s largest association of consumer-owned utilities. Prior to that, Scruggs was in private practice with large firms in Portland representing business clients in commercial litigation. As Chief Legal Officer, Scruggs will support Northern Wasco PUD’s evaluation of future power supply agreements, enterprise risk management, and corporate governance.
D21 Vote In Final Stages
We are in the final hours for ballots in the North Wasco County School District 21 bond measure vote to be returned. Ballots must be postmarked on or before Tuesday’s election day, or returned to the County Courthouse or placed in authorized drop boxes at the Wasco County Courthouse or Mosier City Hall by Tuesday at 8 p.m. The Wasco County Clerk’s Office will be open to receive ballots during regular business hours on Monday and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Wasco County Chief Deputy Clerk Chrissy Zaugg says as of the end of Friday, they had received 4,946 ballots back. That’s out of 14,626 eligible voters, for a return rate of 33.82% For comparision, at this time in the 2022 general election the return rate was at 35.93%. D-21 is asking voters to approve a 30-year, 140-million dollar bond measure to build a new high school at the Wahtonka campus.
Port of TD Should Finalize Strategic Plan In November
The Port of The Dalles is now expecting to finalize its strategic plan in December. That after the Port Commission took a second read of the draft plan, and wanted to do a little more work to make sure they capture the idea of looking at redevelopment and infill within The Dalles’ urban growth boundary. Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says at the outset, infill can be more expensive, but at the same time it takes lower-value property and increases its value and provides additional opportunities for different types of businesses. Klaas says infill and redevelopment is one of the reasons they have been looking toward the tech sector for opportunities. She notes the Port will be looking to partnerships with other agencies when looking at infill projects.
Bridge On Track To Reopen
The Port of Hood River says work is on track to reopen the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge by midnight tonight as planned. The bridge has been closed since Friday morning to allow for work to replace the bridge lift wire ropes. The Port says in addition, to take advantage of the four-day closure it scheduled additional bridge deck maintenance welding that has continued all weekend and into today. That’s to make significant and needed weld repairs to the steel grate bridge deck. The Port says several other small repair projects and bridge inspections were also taking place, adding all crews are on schedule to reopen the bridge at midnight tonight.
TD Public Works Starts “Operation Clean Leaves”
The Dalles Public Works Department is embarking on its “Operation Clean Sweep” this month to pick up leaves so they don’t block storm water catch basins and before they freeze onto the streets. Citizens in The Dalles are asked to park off the street during street sweeper work hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Do not rake leaves from your yard into the street. Compost leaves at home or put them in your yard debris container for pick-up. You can also put them in compostable paper bags and take them to The Dalles Transfer Station, where during November they will accept yard debris from City of The Dalles residential customers only at no charge weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Remove large sticks or branches from the roadway so they don’t jam the sweeper. Clear storm drains in front of your house to prevent flooding during a rainstorm.
November 3-4 Prep Sports Roundup
Boys Soccer
Oregon Class 5A Quarterfinal
Hood River Valley 3, Crescent Valley 2 (OT): The Eagles will host Wilsonville for a semi-final match on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Oregon Class 4A Quarterfinal
The Dalles 2, Crook County 1: The Riverhawks will visit Cottage Grove for a semi-final match on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Girls Soccer
Oregon Class 4A Quarterfinal
North Marion 5, The Dalles 1
Cross Country
Hood River Valley’s boys were fifth at the Oregon Class 5A Cross Country Championships at Lane Community College in Eugene, falling just two points short of a trophy finish. Logan King was the top finisher for the Eagles in 21st. HRV’s girls had an eighth place finish, as the Eagles’ Syl Perrin took 15th.
The Dalles boys finished third and the girls fourth at the Oregon Class 4A Cross Country Championships in Eugene. Alaina Casady had a fourth place individual finish in the girls’ run, while the Riverhawks’ Tyson Long took tenth in the boys race.
Columbia’s Lilah Zimmerman finished 11th at the Washington Class 1A girls’ cross country championships in Yakima. Daisy Jones of Stevenson was 65th.
Goldendale’s boys were 11th in the Washington Class 2B boys’ cross country championships in Yakima. The Timberwolves’ Sean Henrikson was the top GSH finisher in 18th. Goldendale’s Emma Meagher was 23rd in the girls’ race.
Football
Oregon Class 5A First Round
Silverton 44, Hood River Valley 7
Southwest Washington District 4 Playoff
Montesano 71, Stevenson 0
Oregon Six-Man First Round
South Wasco 51, Falls City 36: The Redsides advance to visit Elkton in the quarterfinals on Friday at 1 p.m.
EWAC Playoff
Goldendale 40, Columbia (Burbank) 0: Goldendale will host Brewster for a first round game either Friday or Saturday
Volleyball
Oregon Class 5A Tournament at Springfield High School
Quarterfinal: Marshfield def. The Dalles 25-13, 25-19, 25-14
Consolation: North Bend def. The Dalles 25-18, 22-25, 21-25, 26-24, 15-5
Washington Class 2B Volleyball Tournament at Yakama Sun Dome
First Round: Goldendale vs. Liberty (Spangle), Wednesday, 11:45 a.m.