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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021
VOL. 130, NO. 20 Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
Port Westward rezone approved JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners has approved the Port of Columbia County’s application to rezone 837 acres at Port Westward from Primary Agriculture to Resource Industrial Planned Development. The approval came at the county commissioners regular public meeting Wednesday, Sept. 22. The decision follows deliberations on the rezone efforts during the board of commissioner’s July meeting. The Columbia County Board of Commissioners previously approved the rezone application in 2014 and 2018. In its 2018 ruling, Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) remanded the application back to Columbia County for additional information on one point, asking for further analysis that the five allowed uses for the rezone property can be reasonably compatible with neighboring farms. “We are pleased that the Columbia County Commissioners continue to agree with the Port’s assessment that responsible industrial and agricultural uses can exist together as good neighbors as they have historically,” Columbia County Port Executive Director Doug Hayes said. “The Port has effectively answered the question of compatibility and now looks forward to moving in a positive direction for economic development in north Columbia County.” Port Westward is a deep-water port with existing dock facilities and direct access to the 43-foot
federal navigation channel in the Columbia River. The 837-acre expansion area at Port Westward will address the need, both at the local and state level, for industrial land. Prior to the rezone, there was no developable acreage at Port Westward that was not encumbered with wetlands, conservation easements, existing rural industrial facilities, transmission lines, or long-term leases. In its application the Port identified the deep-water port at Port Westward as the “unique resource” justifying the rezone, as specifically allowed in Oregon Administrative Rules. As a result, any business wanting to locate on the rezone property must be significantly dependent on the river port. The Port further limited the rezone property to five allowable uses: • Forestry and Wood Products processing, production, storage, and transportation • Dry Bulk Commodities transfer, storage, production, and processing • Liquid Bulk Commodities processing, storage, and transportation • Natural Gas and derivative products, processing, storage, and transportation • Breakbulk storage, transportation, and processing “It’s worth noting that LUBA
Courtesy photo from the Port of Columbia County
See PORT Page A6
Port Westward is a deepwater port with existing dock facilities and direct access to the 43-foot navigation channel in the Columbia River.
COVID-19 impact at local schools JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Metro Creative Connection / The Chief
The Clatskanie School District reports two staff members and 10 students are quarantined.
COVID-19 cases among children in Oregon have been climbing over the past several weeks. Health officials have said the virus is not as severe in children as it is in adults. Clatskanie School District Superintendent Cathy Hurowitz said two staff members and 10 students are currently quarantined. “We are asking families to not send their students to school if they are having any COVID symptoms or if students do not feel well,” she said. “Most of our staff are vaccinated and we strongly recommend that students 12 and
older and eligible family members get vaccinated.” Hurowitz said in the event of an exposure, vaccinated staff or students do not have to quarantine if they are not showing symptoms. “We have the ability to do rapid testing for staff and students if they are showing symptoms,” she said. “The Health Center at Clatskanie Middle/High School is also able to test for COVID as well as provide vaccines on Tuesdays and Thursdays for anyone in the community.” The district has multiple levels of mitigation in the school buildings, from hand washing to desk barriers, and distancing. “All staff and students wear
masks except when eating,” she said. “We have lunch outdoors for the elementary students and at Clatskanie Middle/High School there are barriers set up on the lunch tables. All of our efforts are to keep staff and students safe.” The quarantined Clatskanie district students are receiving their school work from teachers through CANVAS or Google Classroom. According to Hurowitz, the Columbia County Health Department has been very responsive and collaborative during the pandemic. “They, like many state agencies, are understaffed,” Hurowitz said.
Rainier School District Since the beginning of the school year Rainier School District has had 18 positive cases among staff and students, according to Rainier School Superintendent Joseph Hattrick. “Any time we receive word that there is a positive case in our school community, we work directly with public health to determine who may have been exposed,” he said. “As a result, this year approximately 160 students and staff have been required to quarantine. When determining See COVID-19 Page A5
Job Recruiting: Searching for the right person JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
“We are starting again from scratch,” Rainier City Administrator Scott Jorgensen said as the city launches a third effort to hire a new police officer. Rainier is currently served by a police chief, sergeant and two patrol officers. The search for the third officer began in after May 10-year veteran officer Nolan Borders announced that he would retire June 1 of this year.
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“We began to look for a lateral police officer that can hit the ground running,” Jorgersen said. “With a new recruit, they have to go through the police academy and that takes time and money.” Jorgensen said during the first recruiting effort the city did not receive any applications. “We reopened the recruiting effort and we were willing to accept new recruits,” Jorgersen said. The city received approximately 12 applications for the police officer position and it set up a physical and written testing process. Jorgersen defined the physical portion of the testing as “rigorous by design.” “No candidates have been able to make it through the testing process,” he said. The challenges That meant that the recruiting process had to be started once again. Further challenging the effort
is the current political climate surrounding law enforcement. “Given the political climate of the last few years it has been increasingly difficult for police agencies to recruit and retain police officers,” Jorgersen said, adding that competition is also a key factor. “Many other agencies are also hiring,” he said. “The sheriffs office, St. Helens, Scappoose. It is extremely competitive right now for any city that is looking for police officers.” According to Jorgersen, other cities are adding hiring bonuses, assistance for house payments, and they are boosting pay to attract and retain officers. “Cities like Rainier simply cant afford to do that,” he said. “At the same time the officers we do have, have been here for a long time and they are very vested in See POLICE Page A3
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chief
The City of Rainier is struggling in efforts to hire a new police officer.
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