Gold Beach looks for approval of 'granny units' By Julie Akins For The Pilot
In its latest effort to make progress on the lack of affordable housing, the Gold Beach City Council on Monday asked Curry County to pre-approve additional dwelling unit plans for home owners who want to offer a year
around rental on their property. While the ordinance allowing for so called “granny units” has been in place, people haven’t always known how to get the process started. This plan would allow them to access one stop shopping at the county’s planning office without having to wait. “People want to do it, they just
don’t know how. This gives them a plan and a pre-approval which can save them time and money,” said Mayor Tami Kaufman of the council’s decision. Since the county is the agency which processes permits and inspections for the city, the request goes to them from the council. “I expect them to approve
it,” said Kaufman. The fast track additional unit plan is just one of many processes Gold Beach has implemented. It’s also restricted the number of vacation rentals in residential zones to 21 and as properties turn over, they expect to bring that number down, according to the mayor.
Additionally, Kaufman is working with NeighborWorks Umpqua to identify four acres to build 50 units of affordable housing. “The median is said to $850 in rent per month, but that’s not reflective of new people coming into the market. For a person More GRANNY, Page A9
Studying a changing coastal ocean Report details medical debt in Oregon Hilary Dorsey Country Media
Top photo file photo, bottom photo contributed
As climate change impacts the environment, the coastal region of Oregon and California is likely to see more changes. Below, a marine heat wave followed by the loss of sea stars led to purple urchins reproducing in record numbers, putting further strain on the kelp forests from California to Washington.
Scientists looking for answers to climate impact along coast By DAVID RUPKALVIS The World
As the ocean changes due to climate change, the pressure is on scientists and others to find a way to determine how the ocean will adapt and if people can help protect it. During a discussion with the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition last week, Mark Carr, a professor of marine ecology in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California Santa Cruz, said the challenge is immense. "In my humble opinion, climate change is the greatest challenge in our current time," Carr said. "It manifests itself in many ways." Carr said as the ocean warms up, especially near the coast, there are clear changes in currents, sea levels, acidity as well as temperature and precipitation.
OSPIRG released a report Sept. 9 detailing medical debt in Oregon and how it can lead Oregonians to bankruptcy. The report, “Unhealthy Debt: Medical costs and bankruptcies in Oregon,” states at least 60 percent of Oregon’s consumer bankruptcies included medical debt in 2019. In a press conference Sept. 9, health care advocates discussed the medical debt situation and offered ways to address the problem. Maribeth Guarino, health care advocate with OSPIRG, said the nonprofit advocacy group looked at 8,000 bankruptcy filings in 2019. The report gives insight into the burden of medical debt. “This report shows that high health care costs are not a problem limited to a single geographic area or economic demographic,” Guarino said. “It's everywhere and we have to do something about it.” The report examined nearly $30 million in medical debt, Guarino added. “Our report shows that the average medical debt was $2,362,” Guarino said. “Over 600 people had $10,000 or more in medical debt.” Medical costs are increasing. In a poll released last May by OSPIRG, 30 percent of Oregon voters reported seeing an increase in their medical costs in the last 12 months. “We desperately need to enact policies to address More DEBT, Page A10
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Curry County escapes Gold Beach names interim police chief worst of the pandemic By Julie Akins For The Pilot
By DAVID RUPKALVIS The Pilot
While devastation from the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hit neighboring counties, Curry County may be missing out on the worst of the pandemic. In the last week, Coos County has reported 17 new COVID deaths while Del Norte County reported 21 over the last several weeks. In Curry County, the worst of the Delta variant may have
passed, but the impact is still being felt. In the last three reports from the Oregon Health Authority, Curry County reported 47 new cases with no new deaths. Coos County reported eight additional deaths in the last few days, bringing the number of people who have died after contracted COVID to 69. The county has seen a slight decrease in total cases over the last two weeks, but those suffering remains at the highest level since the pandemic began.
With an end to his job as Gold Beach’s top cop, Chief Tracy Wood’s interim successor was named by the Gold Beach City Council at Monday’s meeting. Sergeant Donald Miller will fill in as police chief until a permanent person can be named. Wood retired at the end of August after roughly 12 years on the force, the last three as chief. Throughout his tenure he stressed community involvement and creating strong relationships both in the community through partnerships and with outside policing agencies. When asked about his goals at the start of his
tenure as chief, Wood said he wanted to rebuild and maintain good relations with the other agencies in the area.” Police Chief Wood made sure the department joined the interagency task force on narcotics among others in the region. An Oregon Coast native, Wood said he loves to “hunt, fish and go camping,” something he’ll presumably have more time for now that he’s out of the hot seat. Wood’s departure is part of a rapid amount of turn over at the top for the small department with only seven full time employees. Interim Chief Miller also plans to retire and move with his family back to Texas as soon as
his successor can be identified and hired. “He’s promised to stay with us until we can find a replacement,” said Mayor Tamie Kaufman who appointed Interim Chief Miller. “We’re close on a potential hire. We just have to wait for some tests to come back,” according to Kaufman. The Gold Beach Police Department doesn’t operate 24 hours per day and receives coordinated assistance from the Curry County Sheriff’s Department. Both Wood and Miller transferred from the Curry County Sheriff’s Department and worked their way up through the ranks. More CHIEF, Page A3