Category: General Interest

Submitted By: madrona.hill@frontier.com – Click to email about this post

I’m voting for the First Amendment and freedom of speech.
I’m voting for the Second Amendment and my right to defend my life and my family.
I’m voting for the next Supreme Court Justice(s) to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
I’m voting for the continued growth of my retirement and reducing inflation.
I’m voting for a return of our troops from foreign countries and the end to America’s involvement in foreign conflicts.
I’m voting for the Electoral College and for the Republic in which we live.
I’m voting for the Police to be respected once again and to ensure Law & Order.
I’m voting for the continued appointment of Federal Judges who respect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
I’m voting for keeping our jobs to remain in America and not be outsourced all over the world – to China, Mexico and other foreign countries. I want USA made.
I’m voting for secure borders and have legal immigration.
I’m voting for the Military & the Veterans who fought for this Country to give the American people their freedoms.
I’m voting for the unborn babies that have a right to live.
I’m voting for peace progress in the Middle East.
I’m voting to fight against human/child trafficking.
I’m voting for Freedom of Religion.
I’m voting for the right to speak my opinion and not be censored. I am voting for the return of teaching math, history, and science instead of indoctrination of our children and pronouns.
I’m not just voting for one person, I’m voting for the future of my Country.
I’m voting for my children and my grandchildren to ensure their freedoms and their future.
I’m voting for someone who has courage to carry out the duties of Commander-in-Chief and I believe truly loves our country and its people.

Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Look what we found arising during our morning walk in Manzanita.
Noticed they’re also beginning work on the Police Station.

Submitted By: cbbcalm@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

THANK YOU for everyone coming by to leave cans and bottles .The Animal shelters everywhere are in great need for dog food and help. Some have been destroyed by fires.
Donation go to Barrels in driveway of 454 Dorcas Lane and 5 th .
Petfinder.com:
save a life don’t buy please. All purebreds have a their rescue site too. People die, get separated, loose their home, and dogs and cats are left behind.
thank you

Submitted By: judysugg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Ordinances are amended or replaced over time to reflect changes. Manzanita is getting ready to reevaluate its Comp Plan and there will be Ordinances that will be rewritten, updated, amended. This is not illegal. It’s logical.

In 2023, the Council led by Mayor Simmons voted on changing the billing cycle, water rates and units tied to the base rate. There was plenty of notice given to water users through communications through the water bill notices, city website, public meetings, etc. Ordinance 90-8 was amended to reflect the billing cycle change to monthly. The City did amend the Ordinance once the mistake was discovered.

From Yachats to Astoria, not one city bills quarterly. Why move backward?

Submitted By: norcocompcare@outlook.com – Click to email about this post

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Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Today’s Useful Manzanita Headlines:

All Oregon Municipalities Bill Monthly or Bi-Monthly for Water. NONE bill quarterly.
(for specifics refer to Kim Rosenberg’s in-depth analysis)
The good news: the election is almost here (Tuesday, November 5th).
The bad news: That’s 49 days.
For voters who want to learn more about Manzanita Water Meter Reading/Billing, there will be a bunch of informational (Q and A) meetings in September/October hosted by Manzanita City Councilors.
When in doubt, support our elected/appointed Manzanita Mayor/Councilors:
VOTE YES on REFERENDUM 29 179.

Submitted By: rkinor@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

A recent post that attempts to portray my position as City Manager of Philomath on monthly water meter readings as being inconsistent in light of my filing of the Referendum in November totally fails.

1. Meter readings and billings are two totally separate issues.
2. Only 2 cities in the 2023 League of Oregon Cities Water Rates Survey cited by the author have any similarities to Manzanita with both of those Cities of Gearhart and Seaside billing water customers every 2 months. STRs in both constitute a much smaller percentage of the residential housing stock than in Manzanita.
3. Radio read meters installed in Philomath and are presently being installed in Manzanita are absolutely more efficient than manual reading. Again, this has nothing to do with billing efficiencies and costs for Manzanita.
4. Detecting residential leaks through monthly meter reading does happen but it is random and infrequent. In Philomath, it amounted to about .3% of all homes each month and consisted primarily of running toilets and leaking faucets.
5. The City Manager and City Council failed to correctly implement new water rates in July of 2023 through passage of the necessary implementing Ordinance. The City still has not taken steps to acknowledge that it violated its own Ordinance by collecting water charges that it was not entitled to for 7 months and owes customers who paid tier charges and late fees credits for those unauthorized billings.
6. It was not until the required implementing Ordinance was passed by the Council that citizens could file the Referendum to have a vote.

Solution:
1. Citizens vote in November to return to quarterly meter reads and billing.
2. The Council then presents an Ordinance to citizens with an amendment that allows the City to READ water meters monthly. I totally support the City reading water meters monthly if the City can provide citizens the total costs including additional staff time to see if it makes financial sense in light of the benefits that it provides.

As Manzanita City Manager, the City provided residents with 6,000 gallons of water each month in the base at an affordable rate for families and seniors of modest means while completing some of the most significant improvements to the water system in City history. In recognition of these accomplishments, the City won the 1992 League of Oregon Cities First Place Award for Excellence for its Small City Water Conservation Program. The City’s lack of a creative and comprehensive strategy regarding the operation of our water system has resulted in the present situation of residents receiving less water, higher monthly bills and the message of how dare we seek to have a vote on the matter.

The City and its supporters want to distract citizens with personal attacks and innuendo in order to avoid a community conversation as to why residents should continue to subsidize water usage by visitors. The dramatic increase of TLT revenue during the past several years provides the City with the funding means to both restore our monthly water allotment to 4,000 gallons and keep rates affordable for all residents.

Why do you think the City is so resistant to using even 10% of this increased TLT revenue to the benefit of residents in this important matter?

If you are a Manzanita water customer either living inside or outside of the City and want to keep up with the issues affecting your water service, please send me your email at rkinor@gmail.com to directly receive these updates. Your email will not be shared with anyone.

Randy Kugler

Submitted By: dixiegainer@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

I will be voting for Donald Trump for President. He has had 4 years experience. In these 4 years we did not see crippling inflation or war. He protected the border. He understands the effect of sanctions and tariffs. He can deal effectively with other world leaders. He worked for 4 years for president and did not take any pay, and instead donated his salary to various federal agencies, such as Health and Human Services for the opioid crisis and Covid 19.
He says he is going to remove taxes on overtime pay and not tax tips. He has his faults as do all of us, but when I watch him on TV (and I can’t stand the way he talks by the way – sort of ADHD) I get the feeling that he really loves this country as do I. The country with the best constitution in the world hammered together by a very diverse group of individuals who understood tyranny very well.

Trump supports farmers and ranchers. The Trump Administration led the United States to become the number one producer of oil in the world while maintaining America’s position as the number one natural gas producer. The year 2019 marked the first time in 67 years that American annual gross energy exports exceeded gross energy imports. There are so many reasons to vote for Trump. The media, owned by the 1% has another opinion.

Submitted By: babbles@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

hello there, all you water users in manzanita.

i just read mark kuestner’s 9/14 BBQ post, where he gives a link to the recent Manzanita Water Rate Study. i have copied and pasted his post below.

reading the charts and slides of that study, honestly i didn’t understand all of it. but what i did see was that the difference between monthly and quarterly billing cost to individual users is a very minimal amount.

all this brouhaha over monthly vs. quarterly billing, and ensuing cost to the city because of legal fees and ballot measure expense, seems to me to be Much Ado About Nothing.

IMHO.

lucy brook
nehalem resident

Manzanita Water Rate Study
Posted on September 14, 2024 by North Coast BBQ

Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com

There was an interesting and informative presentation of the most recent Manzanita Water Rate Study at the Manzanita City Council’s Work Session this past week. For those interested in this issue, I urge you to look through the slides here, and if you have time, watch the video recording available via the city’s website.
ci.manzanita.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WATER-RATE-STUDY.pdf

If you have further questions, you can send an email to the entire Manzanita City Council at:

citycouncil@ci.manzanita.or.us

Submitted By: carolynnkutz@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

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Restock in the textiles

Great collection of vintage jewelry

Front of store * most items * 50% off

Back room 50% off on 2+ items

Date: 9/14 + 15
Saturday + Sunday
Hours: 12:30 to 5PM

Submitted By: bill.brayman@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

I enjoyed reading the Rosenberg recent post “water log” to the BBQ, and greatly appreciate the fact based approach. I have comments on two aspects of the post.

1. The post states: “All see the value of monthly billing to prevent water loss by identifying leaks and faulty meters sooner than later”

At a city coffee session it was stated that it takes only a couple hours, maybe half a day, to read all water meters with Manzanita’s current method of reading water meters. So, frequent meter reading is no big deal.

The current water billing software is limited because it will only trigger a meter reading during the billing process. That is a software limitation that should be able to be solved (probably quite easily) so that meters can read often enough, anytime actually, to detect leaks or other conditions. That ability to read meters often should be there regardless of billing requirements.

So, quarterly billing doesn’t have to be a problem because it delays meter readings. But quarterly billing, itself, is appealing because it reduces the water bill for people who go over their base allotment. Plus, It is actually significantly less expensive to the city to bill quarterly. Plus it’s easier for the custom to write 4 checks per year instead of 12 checks per year.

2. The other item mentioned that i will comment on is the use of base allotments as part of the billing process.

Base allotments turns out to be quite a ridiculous hold over (in my not so humble opinion), a legacy method of billing. It’s complicated to explain why we should get rid of the base allotment method of billing, but i’ll outline the idea below. I have communicated with a city official about this, but they haven’t responded.

The stated policy for the water enterprise fund is to establish billing fees that will recover the expenses of maintaining and operating the water system.

In other words, an enterprise fund is not meant to be a profit center, but is meant to bring in enough revenue to recover near and long term expenses. If the city wants to make a profit to help other city expenses, that is perfectly legal, but of course it should be done transparently with stated policy and public budget disclosures.

So the math of budgeting the water system is simple: Revenue = Expenses

(Well, actually forward budgeting is sophisticated and tricky, allocating and projecting expenses and revenue and all that)

With a supply system there are two basic kinds of expenses:
1 Fixed expenses that are more or less constant no matter how much water is supplied.
2. Variable expenses, mostly the cost per gallon of supplying variable amounts of water.

Given that, logically, all customers should be billed a basic monthly subscription fee which represents their share of the fixed expenses, plus an additional fee proportional to how much water they individually consume.

This is the way most services operate – TV, telephone, trash, and so on.

So where does the base allotment of so many free gallons of water come from?

Well it doesn’t figure into anything mathematically, but it does complicate matters any time you want to adjust billing rates. It complicates it much more than is apparent. A base allotment isn’t a fixed expense and it isn’t a variable expense.

For example, the city wants to do a rate study to account for a possible change back to quarterly billing. But, again, it is the legacy “base allotment” complication that requires a new study.

My concern is that instead of a rate study the city should do a cost management study. Once costs are determined, rates are easily determined. So, in my opinion, the city should be focused on cost management. But, psychologically people want to talk about rates, not realizing it is the costs that drive rates. I have seen this behavior in a city meeting video.

From what I can tell, the base allotment method comes from a long ago idea that it encourages water conservation. Supposedly people will try to stay within their allotment so they don’t have to pay extra, and thus they end up conserving water.

Now, the obvious thing to do is to re-examine what we need regarding water conservation. Then if conservation is needed, the intelligent thing to do is have a focused method to achieve conservation.

As it is now with the base allotment, the conservation incentive really only works for those people who are frugal. It doesn’t incentivize well to do users. So, in many ways the base allotment method of incentivizing conservation is unfair and has completely unknown effectiveness. It is an obsolete method. If anything it is the short term rentals that use a very large amount of water. Perhaps they should be targeted for water conservation. But maybe not. The point is to do things thoughtfully and effectively.

It is questionable that we need any conservation program at all. After all most of the year we live in a rain forest. There is no shortage of water. And if unusual circumstances arise, then water conservation methods should be targeted carefully, not just targeted to frugal customers, and should be done in a way that is known to be effective.

So, there isn’t anything wrong with quarterly water billing, and there are improvements to the billing method and the cost management process that are available that would simplify the water billing process and would help reduce the confusions and controversies.

Thanks,
Bill

Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

There was an interesting and informative presentation of the most recent Manzanita Water Rate Study at the Manzanita City Council’s Work Session this past week. For those interested in this issue, I urge you to look through the slides here, and if you have time, watch the video recording available via the city’s website.
ci.manzanita.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WATER-RATE-STUDY.pdf

If you have further questions, you can send an email to the entire Manzanita City Council at:

citycouncil@ci.manzanita.or.us

Submitted By: ben.killen.rosenberg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Water Log

Posting on behalf of Kim Rosenberg
loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

With Referendum 29-179 on the ballot for this November’s election, I wanted to understand how other Oregon cities bill for water, so I did a little research.

For 24 years the League of Oregon Cities has compiled Water Rates Surveys from cities in Oregon to understand trends in water and stormwater rates. Most cities in the survey use a drinking water rate structure like Manzanita’s tiered rate structure that includes a base rate with additional charges for water use beyond that amount. It’s not the same thing as a surcharge which is a fee for specific costs or conditions like when you use a debit card at a different bank or ask for cash back at Fred Meyer.

Of the responding cities 90% bill monthly, 10% bill bi-monthly and 0% bill quarterly. While not all cities in Oregon responded to the voluntary survey, that’s a pretty stunning result. So, I decided to look at the City of Philomath, where Randy Kugler, the author of the referendum, was City Manager for 18 years, to see how Philomath does it.

The city of Philomath bills monthly. In Philomath City Council meetings, archived from 1994 and available on their city’s website, Mr. Kugler often spoke about the importance of water conservation and how monthly billing helped save water. In addition, he praised the monthly billing system technology as increasing efficiency for the city at the March 14, 2011, Council Meeting. Mr. Kugler also included ways consumers could improve water conservation at home in the 2011 Philomath Water Study. During that time Philomath Public Works was in the process of installing radio read water meters throughout the city at the behest of Council and the recommendation of the Public Works Committee.

The Philomath Public Works Operations Supervisor reported at the August 13, 2012, Philomath Council Meeting that the last radio read water meters had been installed resulting in huge savings in staffing to read the meters every month.

As City Manager, Mr. Kugler saw the benefit of monthly billing and water conservation for consumers and Philomath. No other cities in Tillamook County bill quarterly. All see the value of monthly billing to prevent water loss by identifying leaks and faulty meters sooner than later while encouraging conservation by consumers.

It just makes sense.

Kim Rosenberg

Philomath City Council Minutes Archive
portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/Browse.aspx?id=59316&repo=r-7906069a

Submitted By: sheila.bayside@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

This post is a Recognition of Mary Moran who has managed the NCRD Theater for the past eight years.

A person of many talents she helped grow the NCRD Theater into its present, impressive condition. Mary did everything from book performers, sew stage backdrops, run sound and lights for performances, design posters, write successful grants for the theater’s needs and perhaps most Herculean of all, she managed a performing arts venue through the worst of COVID.

NCRD boasts a vibrant and popular presence in our community today. Thank you, Mary, for 8 years of work to help make this possible. Earlier this week she quietly and almost under the radar passed the torch to a new NCRD theater director.

If I recall, it was Mary’s success with managing and participating in our local Trashion show that began her journey into theater. Hopefully, we will continue to see her on that stage. I’ve encountered a number of people who were surprised to hear of Mary’s retirement as theater manager since it didn’t seem to be common knowledge. However, she isn’t going far away. She continues to reside in our area so you may bump into her and still have the opportunity to greet her and acknowledge her contributions if you are feeling the desire.

Submitted By: Diwax54@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

She has promised and pledged to prioritize and protect the reproductive rights of women
She has always fought for the rights of people regardless of their political party.
She has represented the nation abroad–embarking on more than a dozen foreign trips, traveling to more than 19 countries, and meeting with more than 150 world leaders to strengthen critical global alliances.
She assisted in investing in the economy to create a record number of jobs and keep unemployment low.
Her work has led to more small business creation in a two-year period than any previous administration.
Vice President Harris set a new record for the most tie-breaking votes cast by a Vice President in history.This included casting the decisive vote to secure passage of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment ever in tackling the climate crisis.
She presided over an unprecedented vote to confirm the first Black woman, to the Supreme Court.
She achieved historic representation of women and people of color among nominees at all levels of the federal government. She championed legislation to fight hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal health care, expand access to capital for small businesses, revitalize America’s infrastructure, and combat the climate crisis.
She has worked to bring people together to advance opportunity, deliver for families, and protect fundamental freedoms across the country.
She helped cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors, cut prescription prices, and improved maternal health by expanding postpartum care through Medicaid.
THIS IS WHY I’M VOTING FOR KALAMA HARRIS FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IN 2024…
IT IS TIME TO TURN THE PAGE FORWARD FOR HOPE AND CHANGE
Quoted from Kalama Harris when she excepted the nomination for President at the DNC; “With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past,”

Submitted By: info@beachbeagleprint.com – Click to email about this post

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Submitted By: Wheelertattletales@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Hi Wheeler friends!

I’m excited to share Denise’s campaign flyer with you! It includes more details about her and her platform as she runs for Mayor of our wonderful town. We’d love for you to take a look and learn more about her vision for Wheeler.

Submitted By: eagles789@comcast.net – Click to email about this post

According to the Center for Creative Leadership after working with leaders at thousands of organizations they have found the best leaders possess 12 essential leadership traits.
#1. Self-Awareness
The better leaders understand themselves and recognize their own strengths and weaknesses, the more effective they can be as leaders.

#2. Respect
Respect, shown consistently, is one of the most important things a leader can do. Building a culture of respect helps ease tensions and conflict, fosters trust, and improves effectiveness.

#3. Compassion
Compassion is more than simply showing empathy or even listening and seeking to understand. Compassion requires leaders to act on what they learn.

#4. Vision
Vision means a leader’s aspiration for the future. Motivating others and garnering commitment toward that vision are essential parts of leadership.

#5. Communication
The best leaders can skillfully communicate in a variety of ways, both orally and in writing, and with a wide range of people from different backgrounds, roles, levels, geographic and more.

#6. Learning Agility
Learning agility is the ability to know what to do when you don’t know what to do. All great leaders are really great learners.

#7. Collaboration
Great leaders value and embrace collaboration, working effectively with people of different social identities, locations, roles, and experiences. They span boundaries and learn to work across various types of divides.

#8. Influence
Requiring high levels of emotional intelligence and trust, leaders must be able to influence others to get the work done-they cannot do it alone. Influence is quite different from manipulation, and it needs to be done authentically and transparently.

#9. Integrity
Integrity-being consistent, honest, moral, and trustworthy-is an essential leadership trait especially important for top- level executives who are charting the course and making countless significant decisions.

#10. Courage
Courage enables leaders-and their team members- to take bold actions that move things in the right direction. It’s a key leadership trait because it takes courage and truth-telling, to do what’s right.

#11. Gratitude
Gratitude is the uplifting emotion experienced after receiving something of value. Sincere gratitude makes you a better leader. The best leaders know how to actively show gratitude in the world.

#12. Resilience
Resilience is more than the ability to bounce back from obstacles and setbacks-it’s the ability to respond adaptively to challenges. It also means projecting a positive outlook that will help others maintain the emotional strength they need to commit to a shared vision, and the courage to move forward and overcome setbacks.

So how does your candidate measure up to this list?

Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Manzanita has now spent upwards of $20,000 + in legal fees and administrative costs solely because of resident Kugler’s obsession with water and getting his own way (and his tragic ongoing and hard-to-fathom, ignorance of municipal budget and water issues). We should include additional costs associated with his suing the City of Manzanita along with W. Stone and L. Swanson.. Kugler and Stone regularly insult Manzanita’s councilors, mayor, committee volunteers and city staff with rude and derogatory comments. As a small town, we need to acknowledge that these actions are not normal, nor are they healthy. I urge my neighbors, please do not enable these pitiable efforts. Please contact our competent, truthful and professional municipal representatives to understand the issues we truly face: citycouncil@ci.manzanita.or.us Manzanita is run by volunteers: City Council/Mayor and numerous committees/commissions. All the committee members volunteer, are interviewed and then appointed to bring their skills to help our town. So “we” run our city. There is no us vs. them. They are in turn ably supported by our professional City Government employees.
There are over 600 registered voters in Manzanita, along with friends in our Urban Growth Boundary (many who work here and volunteer in local nonprofits). It is our collective voices that matter. Volunteer, put your name forward to be part of solutions to some difficult issues. Learn the facts. There’s a lot of exciting and positive challenges facing Manzanita and Tillamook County as well.

Submitted By: cbbcalm@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

As a 45 years American Citizen who was born in France 2 years after Hitler ‘s regime occupation who killed all the men in my family . It is deeply offensive and ignorant, to hear some people comparing mr. Trump to Hitler .
Only the extraordinary bravery of all the ” Private Ryans know what I am talking about . they were there on our door step and saw…
corinna

Submitted By: nehalembayexperience@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

My name is Drew and I am a local (Bayside Gardens) video tech. You know that box containing old tapes of birthdays, Christmas mornings, graduations, vacations, Grandma’s last visit? Well it’s time to save and share those precious moments with family, friends and with generations to come.
I can transfer ‘old school’ video and audio formats into digital files. Just let me know what you want transferred and I will give you an estimate. Cheers, Drew.

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

The goal of the bbq administration’s presidential vote survey was to share information about why people are choosing their presidential candidate WITHOUT trashing anyone.

If you disagree with a poster, PLEASE DO NOT attack them with an email.

We have already had one poster request their post to be deleted because they were stressed out from emails they received.

PLEASE SHOW SOME RESPECT.

Thank you,
Barbara and Chuck

Submitted By: heidiangelaparker@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Hello.

I wish you would have made it a rule that people could not respond to posts via email. Will you go ahead and please take my post down about Trump.
It’s not worth it. I enjoy this site too much for it to cause me stress.

Heidi

Submitted By: rkinor@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

The City will hold a workshop on September 11 at 2 pm to discuss what new quarterly water rates will be should voters approve the November Referendum to return to quarterly billing. A quick review of why the City is reexamining water rates and billing is in order.

After 10 years of past Councils talking about the need to raise water rates but not acting, the City conducts a rate review and passes a Resolution in July 2023 increasing water rates and cutting in half our base allotment of water from 4,000 gallons per month to 2,000 gallons.

In March 2024 it was discovered that the City Manager failed to have the Council amend the quarterly meter reading and billing requirements of the existing Ordinance to allow for the new monthly meter read and billing schedule. The existing Ordinance only allowed meters to be read at intervals “90 days apart ” and “water service shall be billed on a quarterly basis “.

Passage of an amended City Ordinances in this instance to allow for monthly meter reading and billing is required before the July 2023 Resolution could be implemented.

For approximately 7 months until the Council finally passed the required Ordinance to remedy this oversight, the City without any authority to do so, billed monthly late fees and collected monthly surcharges from customers for using more than their new base allotment. The Mayor and Councilors in taking their oath of office swear to obey City Ordinances but in this instance have failed to acknowledge or take steps to remedy this mistake. Customers are entitled to credits on their water bills for those late fees and surcharges collected during this 7 month time period.

The eventual passage of the amending Ordinance in May 2024 by the Council to allow for monthly billing provided the opportunity for citizens to review and challenge these Council decisions through the Referendum process as guaranteed by the Oregon Constitution.

Citizens by now had experienced 7 months of monthly billings and the associated late charges and surcharges. 115 registered Manzanita voters were offered the opportunity to sign the Referendum petition to allow a vote to be taken on the Council’s decision. 114 signed with 1 declining because of the preference for monthly billing.

A closer review of the initial rate study revealed a flawed analysis of how the City came up with the new 2,000 gallon base water allotment that the City continues to rely upon. City staff admits that they have no way to distinguish monthly household water usage between full time residents and the majority part time homes that are not used for short term rentals in Manzanita that are vacant for weeks or months at a time. Staff simply combined all full and part time households and came up with the winter and summer average usage that they continue to cite for the “general homeowner”.

Additionally, questions as to why the visitors who are driving up demand for water especially during the summer are not paying their share towards the cost of that demand have simply been ignored. Rather than address these factual issues, the City and its Council supporters become indignant when citizens exercised their right to the Referendum process and decry the costs and time to reexamine the initial rate study.

How ironic it is that if only the City Manager had prepared and the Council had approved the necessary Ordinance changes when the rate change Resolution was passed in July 2023, there would not be the outcry and hand wringing by the City and its Council supporters because there would have been no opportunity for citizens to place this Referendum on the ballot. The City’s reluctance to provide citizens the opportunity to vote on major community issues is well established. It now appears that when citizens exercise their rights to have a vote, their motives apparently deserve to be questioned and criticized.

A solution that is in the best interests of the residents of Manzanita is:

1. Restore a reasonable residential household base water allotment of 12,000 gallons per quarter consistent with recognized national studies.
2. Do not increase the base residential water charge to more than $142.68 per quarter which is the current monthly charge of $47.56 times three. A tiered rate for usage in excess of the 12,000 gallon quarterly base is reasonable.
3. Require visitors to pay their share of any additional needed Water Utility Fund revenue for costs for the operation and production of our water through transfers of Transient Lodging Tax revenue to the Water Utility Fund. The City tells us that visitors through TLT taxes are paying to support our water infrastructure then fails to budget a single dollar of those taxes to the Water Utility Fund to back up this claim.

A reasonable request by residents would be to ask the Council to transfer a modest 7 – 10% of the annually collected TLT revenue to the Water Utility Fund as compensation from those visitors who are creating the demand and increased costs for the single most important infrastructure system in our community.

The City wants to present a water study on Wednesday of a typical small Oregon City where most if not all single family residential homes are occupied by full time residents. Not a single mention will be made of the impact of the now year round visitor customers who the City agrees drive up both water demand and costs.

The study conveniently omits any analysis of how TLT funds from visitors could be used to fund infrastructure improvements and keep rates lower for full time residents. Instead the study concludes that there are no other funding options available to the City other than rate increases combined with the continued present unrealistic base water allotment.

Conclusion. The City is content to have the relatively small number of actual full time residential households continue to subsidize visitor water usage and costs.

This Council believes compliance with City Ordinances is an option not a requirement.

Faulty analysis of water usage by full time residents doesn’t need further explanation.

Conservation is good, collecting monthly surcharges from full time residents is even better.

When the City claims that TLT revenue helps pay for water infrastructure, we shouldn’t expect to believe that this Council would really take the necessary steps to make this happen.

A relatively routine City business matter of adopting new water rates has now become a political embarrassment for the Council. The Council can take the opportunity to fix the problem it created and get on with other pressing matters or show us it is just business as usual when it comes to ignoring the interests of residents.

Randy Kugler

Submitted By: babbles@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Hi everyone on BBQ,

I am responding to BBQ invitation to make a positive statement about: for whom you are going to vote and why you have chosen that candidate.

I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Here is why I have made that decision:

In their careers Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz have worked to better the lives of ordinary citizens, the common people–you know, like you and me. Together they are an effective team that will work to build a more hopeful future for each of us. As a senior citizen, my dollar will go farther to buy food and medicine, as well as the expenses of owning or renting a home.

Vice President Kamala Harris has shown herself through her various roles in the California justice system and state and federal government to be a fighter for the people. From her days as a prosecutor in California to her work as Vice President, she has defended the rights of the American people by standing up to predators, scammers, and big corporations. Thank you, Kamala Harris, for standing on principle and not being swayed by big money interests.

As Vice President, Kamala Harris helped deliver economic progress across the country. In Governor Tim Walz she chose a running mate who shares her vision. Together they will work to better the lives of working families. That’s you and me.

Until a couple of weeks before Kamala Harris had picked her Vice Presidential running mate, I had never heard of Tim Walz. Honestly, I don’t know much about politics in other states. Since then I have googled information to learn that he is a lifelong Midwesterner who has delivered for the middle class in his state of Minnesota. As Governor he signed the single-largest investment in public education in state history. He established reproductive freedom as a fundamental right in Minnesota. He cut taxes in every state budget; he lowered the cost of prescription drugs. I urge you to google “Signature Accomplishments of Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Kate Flanagan.” As I was, you will be amazed at the broad spectrum of what he accomplished to help families, working people, and seniors have a better life. Like Vice President Kamala Harris, he will never stop fighting for working families.

I want a President and Vice President that will promote the welfare and well-being of the common man, of people like you and me.

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will get my vote on day 1 of our Oregon voting period.

Lucy Brook
Nehalem resident

Submitted By: nehalemfreespeech@gmx.com – Click to email about this post

Diwax, I also conclude the GOP and the Red party voters don’t give a crap about winning in Oregon (for the top candidate of the Red Party), because The Don will never, ever win in Oregon, which is likely why the party declined, again, to submit a statement to Oregon’s state-issued voters’ pamphlet.

Some things I found on the Veeps:

Walz bribed poor Minnesotans to inject their children with new mRNA tech the kiddos surely didn’t need:

bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/walz-announces-200-reward-for-families-who-get-kids-aged-5-11-vaccinated

Bill Gates explains the process:

rumble.com/vmww7d-bill-gates-in-2015-discusses-vaccinating-children.html

Then Walz created a tattle-tale line for adults:

rumble.com/v59zt0t-minnesota-governor-tim-walzs-pandemic-tattle-tale-hotline-sparks-controvers.html

Then Walz oversaw this:

rumble.com/v3vyvzv-the-fall-of-minneapolis.html

And Vance: Whitney doesn’t like him, and not because he wears eyeliner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGySygy0LWs

But Vance sure looks good in drag, eyeliner and all, don’t he???

www.yahoo.com/news/fact-check-yes-photos-show-165100903.html?guccounter=1

Andy
Nehalem Bay
🙂

Submitted By: Diwax54@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Does anyone else conclude the GOP and the Red party voters doesnt give a crap about Oregon? They, (the campaign for the top canidate of the Red Party) declined again to submit a statement to Oregon’s state-issued voters’ pamphlet.

Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

The September issue of Manzanita Today is available: www.manzanitatoday.com/