Pacific City
SUN
Holiday bazaars set for Dec. 3 in Cloverdale and Pacific City
Neskowin Creek RV Resort plans embankment repairs............................ 2 Nestucca Valley Lions Club carries on Christmas basket tradition..........................4
10
New book recounts a life growing up dory boat fishing.......................11 FREE – TAKE ONE
Vol. 16, No. 407 • November 18, 2022
PCJWSA reminds short-term rental owners of rate hike By CHELSEA YARNELL for the Sun
W
Feeding the
Hungry Grateful Grub continues to bring food to those in need Commissioners to hold Nov. 30 hearing on proposed business license fee By TIM HIRSCH of the Sun
Tillamook County Commissioners will hold the first of two scheduled public hearings on Nov. 30 for a proposal to enact an annual business license fee for the unincorporated areas of the county. The hearing has a 10:30 a.m. time certain (meaning the hearing won’t start before this, but could start afterwards). The public can also submit written testimony to publiccomments@co.tillamook.or.us. The fee would apply to all businesses except nonprofits. The proposed cost is $75 for businesses with 1 to 10 employees, $150 for businesses with 11-30 employees,
and $300 for businesses with 31 or more employees. If approved by Tillamook County Commissioners, it is slated to go into effect on Jan. 1. Monies raised would support the Tillamook County Economic Development Council. “(We’re going to have) a minimum of two public hearings,” Tillamook County Commissioner David Yamamoto, told the Sun. “We’re looking forward to interaction with business owners. It’s not to say that the current (draft of the) ordinance is going to be imposed. That’s why we’re having public hearings.” Yamamoto also defended the idea saying it was a way for EDC to develop a list of businesses, a list that could be
used proactively in the EDC’s mission to help those same businesses through the programs it offers. “Small businesses are in a tough position,” he said. “They don’t have the staff to know all the changes to rules and regulations for small businesses in this country. That’s what EDCs are all about, but without proper funding they really can’t do that job.” The second of two public testimony opportunities in front of Tillamook County Commissioners will be on Dec. 14, also at 10:30 a.m. To read the complete proposed ordinance, visit co.tillamook.or.us/ ordinances.
riting checks to Tillamook County aren’t the only financial burdens facing Pacific City short-term rentals — they will also be tasked with absorbing a Pacific City Joint Water-Sanitary Authority rate hike. And some homeowners have been caught unaware. “We got another communication from a customer about our short-term rental rates,” PCJWSA Authority Manager John Wesely reported at the Nov. 8 Board of Directors meeting. “(These complaints) still trickle in.” A single-family dwelling monthly user fee for sewer with PCJWSA has a base monthly rate of $39.30. A short-term rental is $51 a month with an additional base rate of $39.30 for up to 399 cubic feet of water consumed, typically the metered commercial user fee. “The underlying (thought] is that if they’re a short-term rental…they’re actually running a business, and the residential rates shouldn’t apply,” Wesely added. County Commissioners temporarily suspended the issuance of new short-term rental permits from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023 per Order 22-033. “The moratorium they put on the shortterm rentals seems to be the catalyst for this,” Wesely said. “A lot of people (were) moving in that direction to obtain these permits before the deadline. The problem is that most of them — if not all — are not aware that in addition to fees with the County, it increases their water rates with us.” Wesely added that some homeowners have asserted that they are currently not renting out their home despite having a short-term rental permit issued on their property. Therefore, those customers believe they should not be paying the increased rate at this time. “It has caused some concern,” Wesely said. “We have a couple situations where people aren’t planning to use (the permit), but were wanting to get it mainly for the purpose of selling. A lot of them believe that it will help with the sale of their house to have an active permit, and now they’re having to pay higher fees. We got some requests to delay our rate hike for them until after they sell.” However, Wesely noted that it would be very difficult to verify if a short-term rental permit was being “used” or not. “It’s not something that we can manage,” Wesely said. “From the Board’s perspective,… our rates have to be based on whether a permit is issued — not on whether it’s being used.” For a list of fees, visit pcjwsa.com.