(Astoria, OR) — Clatsop County welcomes applications for one seat on the Ambulance Service Area Advisory Committee. The vacancy is for a citizen position with a three-year term.
The committee meets at least four times annually and monitors and reviews local emergency medical services in accordance with the county Ambulance Service Area Plan and Ambulance Franchise Agreement.
The committee relies on information from service users, providers and the medical community, monitors coordination of service resources and dispatch procedures and reviews service area boundaries.
Application forms are available at the Clatsop County website and at the County Manager’s Office at 800 Exchange St., Suite 410, Astoria. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Friday, May 10, 2024.
The appointment will be made by the Board of Commissioners.
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(Astoria, OR) — Clatsop County is welcoming applications for four open seats for a three-year position on the Human Services Advisory Council.
The Human Services Advisory Council advises the Board of County Commissioners on developmental disabilities, mental health and alcohol and drug abuse services.
The council meets the first Thursday of each month to identify needs, establish priorities for publicly funded services and assist in selection of service providers, evaluate services and provide a link to the public through advocacy and education.
The deadline to apply is Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Application forms are available online at ClatsopCounty.gov or at the County Manager’s Office at 800 Exchange St., Suite 410, Astoria.
All applications will be reviewed by the Human Services Advisory Council and then brought to the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners for appointment.
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(Astoria, OR) —The Youngs Bay Boat Ramp temporarily will close to public access for the launching or retrieving of water craft from 12 p.m. Monday, April 22 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
Clatsop County Fisheries will temporarily block the boat ramp with a fish transfer pipeline for the receiving of salmon smolts to the net pens located at that site.
The boat ramp is located at the City of Astoria site, 1555 West Marine Drive in Astoria.
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(Astoria, OR) — Clatsop County Clerk Tracie Krevanko is alerting the public about U.S. Post Office changes that could affect whether mailed voter registration cards and election ballots will arrive by deadlines.
“Now that all mail postmarking is now being done in Portland, we encourage Clatsop County voters who choose to mail in their voter registration card or election ballots to put them in the mail at least five days prior to any deadline. We want to make sure every vote counts,” she said.
“We also encourage people to register to vote online at the Oregon Secretary of State’s My Vote webpage and to drop their election ballots at one of Clatsop County election ballot dropbox locations,” she said.
How to Register to Vote
There are three ways people can register to vote:
Returning Election Ballots
Completed and returned ballots will be counted if they are postmarked on or before Election Day, Tuesday, May 21.
Election ballots must be delivered to an official drop site or the County Clerk’s Office, 820 Exchange St., 2nd Floor, Astoria. The elections office will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day.
Clatsop County Voters Pamphlet
For the 2024 primary election, the Clatsop County voters’ pamphlet will be included with the ballots mailed to voters. The pamphlet also is available online at ClatsopCounty.gov.
Ballot Process Live-Stream
Clatsop County Clerk and Elections Office will provide live, online video streaming of its processing of local ballots, from the verifying of signatures through to the actual count.
The live feed will begin May 2. Activities that will be live-streamed are:
Beginning May 20, the video stream will also show ballot-processing at the Judge Guy Boyington Building. Activities that will be shown are:
The video feed will be live through certification. The video feed will continue to show ballot processing and counting after Election Day until all qualified ballots are counted.
While live, the video feed may show extended periods with no activity. That is because ballots are processed as they are received by the Clerk and Elections Office.
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(Astoria, OR) — Clatsop County is seeking public comment on its amended Property Management Policy. The deadline to receive comment is May 5, 2024.
The purpose of the Property Management program is to:
The policy guides the categorization of County-owned real property for future use, managing those properties, and selling, leasing, trading or transferring to other public, non-profit or private entities.
Comments may be submitted via:
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(Astoria, OR) — Nearly 45 percent, or approximately 14,000 registered voters in Clatsop County are at risk of not receiving a primary ballot with the names of Democratic and Republican candidates for offices, including for president.
All Clatsop County registered voters will begin receiving ballots for the May 21 closed primary in the mail in early May. Only voters who have chosen a political party will see the names of that party’s candidates on the ballot.
The good news is that voters can easily update their party identification by visiting www.OregonVotes.gov and selecting a party by Tuesday, April 30. Voters also can mail a voter registration card to the Clatsop County Clerk’s office that is postmarked by April 30. All changes to party affiliation must be complete by April 30.
“Ensuring all eligible Oregonians are given the opportunity to vote for the candidates of their choice is a responsibility that election officials take seriously,” said Clatsop County Clerk Tracie Krevanko.
“Voters can easily update their party affiliation, as well as their mailing address, online at www.OregonVotes.gov . I encourage all Clatsop County registered voters wishing to update their party affiliation to do so sooner rather than later,” she said.
The State of Oregon makes registering to vote simple. Every citizen who gets an Oregon driver’s license is automatically registered to vote. In Clatsop County, that means 94 percent of all eligible voters are registered. This far outpaces the national rate with 69% of voting-age Americans registered in 2022.
In order to vote for a political party’s candidates in Oregon’s closed primary process, registered voters must declare a political party before the primary in even-numbered years.
If voters have been receiving primary ballots with their preferred party’s candidates in the past, no action is needed. However, if voters have not been receiving ballots with specific party’s candidates, they must update their affiliation by April 30 ahead of this year’s primary.
For more information on voting in Clatsop County, visit ClatsopCounty.gov.
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(Astoria, OR) — The first week of April National Public Health Week. It is a time to raise awareness about the value and contributions of public health. It also is a good time to raise awareness of the need for Clatsop County residents to make sure their measles vaccines are current.
“The measles virus is just a jet flight away from the United States,” said Clatsop County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang. From January 1 to March 14, 2024, the CDC was notified of 58 confirmed U.S. cases of measles across 17 states.
Due to the COVID pandemic, measles and other recommended vaccines were missed or postponed, and now more than a dozen countries have measles outbreaks, with cases ranging from several thousand to more than 20,000.
In Clatsop County, early childhood immunization including measles containing vaccination coverages are lower than the state averages. In 2022, 87.1% of children statewide received the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles and other illnesses. In Clatsop County, that number is was 84.3%.
“For all vaccines, we need to get to herd immunity to protect those who are not or cannot be vaccinated. That means we need to have a measles vaccine rate of at least 95%,” Huang said.
This year the American Public Health Association chose the theme Public Health Week theme “We Are All Public Health.” It spotlights the connections between individuals, institutions, healthcare, mental health, social services, and public health in the community.
The theme is a reminder that the most effective way to address community health needs and build healthier communities is through collective responsibility and actions in promoting health and wellness for everyone.
Clatsop County is a collaboration-spirited community. During the COVID pandemic, volunteers, hospitals, community-based organizations, and government agencies worked together to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on the community.
“The Rural Health Coalition of Clatsop County was officially formed earlier this year to consolidate and strengthen collaborations formed during the COVID pandemic. We look forward to the coalition being the vehicle that drives community collaboration in health improvement for all. We have a lot to collaborate on,” Huang said.
Traditionally, the immunization program is part of public health. Public health must engage schools, early childhood education providers, and healthcare providers to ensure students are current with the MMR vaccine.
Other health concerns in Clatsop County include high cancer deaths from tobacco use. Alcohol kills more people than substance use overdose. Long-term planned collaborations can help solve these public health challenges.
Huang recommends celebrating Public Health Week by viewing video clips and short readings:
“I encourage individuals to reach out to me if to share some thoughts about public health and how we can improve our Community’s health. You can send your comments and suggestions to health@clatsopcounty.gov,” Huang said.
(Astoria, OR) — For the first time in more than 40 years, Clatsop County Development will update plans regarding estuarine resources, coastal shorelands, and beaches and dunes.
The public is invited to attend a presentation and provide comment from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Judge Guy Boyington Building in Astoria. Light refreshments will be served. Two additional public meetings will be scheduled in the future. Visit ClatsopCounty.gov for more updates.
The Clatsop County Comprehensive Plan describes the long-term vision for unincorporated Clatsop County, looking ahead to set direction for the County’s growth over the next 20 years. It contains common goals that guide development within the County, including in the areas of land use, environment, transportation, economic development, housing and resource use.
Clatsop County is updating three portions of the Comprehensive Plan: Estuarine Resources (Goal 16), Coastal Shorelands (Goal 17), and Beaches and Dunes (Goal 18).
The Estuarine Resources Goal 16 is focused primarily on the health and usability of the Columbia River Estuary. It contains policies and standards related to recreation, fish and wildlife, and the Federal Navigation Channel.
The Coastal Shorelands Goal 17 covers many areas next to bodies of water such as the Necanicum River, Nehalem River, and areas near Youngs River Bay. This goal has policies related to water quality, development adjacent to bodies of water, and the health of rivers for the purposes of fish species.
The Beaches and Dunes Goal 18 is concerned with sandy areas near the ocean coast. This goal has policies focused on protecting natural dunes by limiting ground disturbance and other developments.
It’s been more than 40 years since these goals have been updated. It’s important to have regular review of these goals using up-to-date data and maps so the public and environment can be better served.
The Boyington Building is located at 857 Commercial St. in Astoria.
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(Astoria, OR) — During Tsunami Awareness Week Clatsop County Emergency Management is encouraging residents and business owners to visit tsunami assembly locations in Clatsop County.
“The time to know assembly points and evacuation routes maps is now, not when a Tsunami is heading towards shore,” said Justin Gibbs, Clatsop County emergency management director.
“Recently, we took assembly point map locations and added crossroads so people can more quickly find this safe area,” Gibbs said.
Clatsop County residents and guests are at risk of being impacted by tsunamis, a series of waves usually caused by an undersea earthquake.
As these waves enter shallow water near land, they increase in height and can cause great loss of life and property damage.
The first wave is often not the largest. Additional waves may be spaced many minutes apart and can continue arriving for several hours.
Important tsunami safety tips are:
For more tsunami information and to view evacuation maps and assembly crossroads, visit ClatsopCounty.gov.
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(Astoria, OR) — Clatsop County Sheriff Matt Phillips is urging the public to be aware of attempts to financially scam Clatsop County residents.
A recent effort involved callers stating that a warrant would be issued for a person’s arrest unless they paid immediately.
It is common for scam callers to say they are with law enforcement or the Internal Revenue Service and ask for banking information or for the individual to send payment by gift cards or wire transfers.
“They are going to try to scare you and fluster you into sending money. One Clatsop County resident recently was tricked into sending nearly $300,000. Others were for gift cards of $100 or $200,” Sheriff Phillips said. “We have received about 50 calls from concerned residents and we want to make it clear that the Clatsop County Sheriff’s office never, ever will call a person and ask for money to pay any fine or to avoid arrest."
In some cases, caller ID may display the name Sheriff or other law enforcement employee. “Don’t answer that call. Instead, call us back at 503-325-8635,” Phillips said.
The Clatsop County Sheriff’s office has put together tips on how to avoid being scammed are available at Clatsop County Sheriff scam alert web page.
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Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9BUv3qwX_A
(Astoria, OR) — Clatsop County is seeking applications from individuals interested in serving on the Clatsop County Planning Commission.
“Planning commission members play a critical role in protecting the health and safety of our communities and property values,” said Gail Henrikson, community development director. “We strive to see that all geographical areas of the county are represented to the greatest extent possible.”
The Planning Commission is the county’s committee for citizen involvement on development and land use issues, such as zoning, natural resources, transportation, natural hazards, economic development, housing, farm and forest lands and coastal zones.
The commission makes land use decisions on subdivisions, and makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners on amendments to the comprehensive plan and its implementing ordinances.
Committee application forms are available on the Clatsop County website or at the County Manager’s office at 800 Exchange St., Suite 410 in Astoria. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 10, 2024.
The Planning Commission regularly meets in Astoria at 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are currently hybrid, with an in-person and virtual option available.
The Board of Commissioners is tentatively scheduled to review applicants at its Wednesday, June 5 work session, with appointments tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, June 26.
For additional information about the commission’s meetings or responsibilities, please email or call Gail Henrikson at 503-325-8611.
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