​INTERIOR ANNOUNCES $30.1 MILLION IN PAYMENTS TO RURAL SCHOOLS IN WESTERN OREGON COUNTIES
News Release from Bureau of Land Management Ore. & Wash.
May 15th, 2019 9:26 AM

​WASHINGTON – U .S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced today the issuance of $30.1 million to 18 counties in western Oregon as a part of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and Community Self-Determination Act extension. The funding will go directly to the counties, supporting investments in education, infrastructure, public safety, health services, and other critical expenditures made by these jurisdictions.

“The money appropriated to these communities through the Secure Rural Schools Act is critical to their continued prosperity and the vibrancy of our public lands,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “At the Department of the Interior, we are committed to being a good federal partner and neighbor, and this program is one way we help these local economies.”
 
“This announcement is welcome news for Oregon counties that rely on this program,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (OR-02). “I worked closely with the last two Republican Speakers of the House to secure SRS funding for our schools and counties. I applaud the Trump Administration for prioritizing rural Oregon and promptly issuing these payments. While we are all pleased the checks are getting written, what we really need is reform of forest management so we can reduce the size and severity of wildfires and produce good paying jobs and tax revenues in our forest counties. I look forward to continuing to work with President Trump and his team to achieve that goal.”
Background
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the SRS program in Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands, known as the O&C Lands, in concert with the U.S. Forest Service. The O&C Lands lie in a checkerboard pattern through 18 counties of western Oregon. These lands contain more than 2.4 million acres of forests with a diversity of plant and animal species, recreation areas, mining claims, grazing lands, cultural and historical resources, scenic areas, wild and scenic rivers, and wilderness. SRS payments are made to over 700 counties across the United States, including the 18 counties containing O&C Lands, according to a formula set by Congress.
​
The O&C Lands Act and Coos Bay Wagon Road (CBWR) Act require 50 percent of receipts collected from the sale of timber on O&C lands to be distributed among 18 counties in western Oregon. The payments follow a formula established by these laws, both of which authorize timber receipt-based payments to western Oregon counties, and both of which remain in effect following the expiration of the SRS and Community Self-Determination Act. 

Contact Info, for media use only:
Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

From: Rob Taylor 
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2019 9:30 AM
To: Denise Russell <drussell@ci.bandon.or.us>;
​Robert Mawson <citymanager@ci.bandon.or.us>
Subject: Inquiry
Hello,
Could you please send me all the info on the recent purchase of the Face Rock golf course next to best western?
What money source was used to purchase this land?
What are the city's intentions for this property?  
How much will the city lose in property taxes?  
Sincerely,
Rob Taylor

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) with the participation of the cooperating agencies listed below, has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas Project proposed by Jordan Cove Energy Project LP (Jordan Cove) and the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline Project proposed by Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline L.P. (Pacific Connector) (collectively referred to as the Jordan Cove Energy Project or Project). Under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), Jordan Cove requests authorization to liquefy at a terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon up to 1.04 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day for export for to overseas markets. Pacific Connector seeks a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under Section 7 of the NGA to construct and operate an interstate natural gas transmission pipeline providing about 1.2 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from the Malin hub to the Jordan Cove terminal, crossing portions of Klamath, Jackson, Douglas, and Coos Counties, Oregon.

The draft EIS assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As described in the draft EIS, the FERC staff concludes that approval of the Project would result in a number of significant environmental impacts; however, the majority of impacts would be less than significant because of the impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures proposed by Jordan Cove and Pacific Connector and those recommended by staff in the draft EIS.

The United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM); U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (Forest Service); Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation); U.S. Department of Energy; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service; U.S. Department of Homeland Security Coast Guard; the Coquille Indian Tribe; and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation participated as cooperating agencies in preparation of this EIS. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the proposal and participate in the NEPA analysis. The cooperating agencies provided input into the conclusions and recommendations presented in the draft EIS. Following issuance of the final EIS, the cooperating agencies will issue subsequent decisions, determinations, permits or authorizations for the Project in accordance with each individual agency's regulatory requirements.

The BLM, with the concurrence of the Forest Service and Reclamation, would adopt and use the EIS to consider issuing a right-of-way grant for the portion of the Project on federal lands. Other cooperating agencies would use this EIS in their regulatory process, and to satisfy compliance with NEPA and other related federal environmental laws (e.g., the National Historic Preservation Act).

The BLM and the Forest Service would also use this EIS to evaluate proposed amendments to their District or National Forest land management plans that would make provision for the Pacific Connector pipeline. In order to consider the Pacific Connector right-of-way grant, the BLM must amend the affected Resource Management Plans (RMPs). The BLM therefore proposes to amend the RMPs to re-allocate all lands within the proposed temporary use area and right-of-way to a District-Designated Reserve, with management direction to manage the lands for the purposes of the Pacific Connector right-of-way. Approximately 885 acres would be re-allocated. District-Designated Reserve allocations establish specific management for a specific use or to protect specific values and resources. In accordance with Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 36 CFR 219.16, the Forest Service gives notice of its intent to consider amendments of Land and Resource Management Plans (LRMP) for the Umpqua, Rogue River and Winema National Forests. Proposed amendments of LRMPs include reallocation of matrix lands to Late Successional Reserves and site-specific exemptions from standards and guidelines and other LRMP requirements to allow construction of the Pacific Connector pipeline. Exemptions from standards and guidelines include requirements to protect known sites of Survey and Manage species, changes in visual quality objectives at specific locations, limitations on detrimental soil conditions, removal of effective shade at perennial stream crossings and the construction of utility corridors in riparian areas. Further information on Forest Service LRMP amendments is included below.

The Commission mailed a copy of the Notice of Availability of the draft EIS to federal, state, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Indian Tribes; potentially affected landowners and other interested individuals and groups; and newspapers and libraries in the Project area. The draft EIS is only available in electronic format. It may be viewed and downloaded from the FERC's website (www.ferc.gov), on the Environmental Documents page (https://www.ferc.gov/​industries/​gas/​enviro/​eis.asp). In addition, the draft EIS may be accessed by using the eLibrary link on the FERC's website. Click on the eLibrary link (https://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​elibrary.asp), click on General Search, and enter the docket Start Printed Page 13649number in the “Docket Number” field, excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP17-494 or CP17-495). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.

Any person wishing to comment on the draft EIS may do so. Your comments should focus on the draft EIS's disclosure and discussion of potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. To ensure consideration of your comments on the proposal in the final EIS, it is important that the Commission receive your comments on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 5, 2019.
​
For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit your comments to the Commission.[1] The Commission will provide equal consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form or provided verbally. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. Please carefully follow these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.

(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment feature on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and Filings. This is an easy method for submitting brief, text-only comments on a project;

(2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling feature on the Commission's website (www.ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and Filings. With eFiling, you can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on “eRegister.” If you are filing a comment on a particular project, please select “Comment on a Filing” as the filing type; or

(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to the following address. Be sure to reference the Project docket numbers (CP17-494-000 and CP17-495-000) with your submission: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426

​(4) In lieu of sending written or electronic comments, the Commission invites you to attend a public comment session that will be held in the Project area to receive comments on the draft EIS. The dates, locations, and times of these sessions will be provided in a supplemental notice.


Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must file a motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214). Motions to intervene are more fully described at http://www.ferc.gov/​resources/​guides/​how-to/​intervene.asp. Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing or judicial review of the Commission's decision. The Commission grants affected landowners and others with environmental concerns intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which no other party can adequately represent. Simply filing environmental comments will not give you intervenor status, but you do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered. Subsequent decisions, determination, permits, and authorization by the cooperating agencies are subject to the administrative procedures of each respective agency.

​Questions?

Additional information about the Project is available from the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC, or on the FERC website (www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. The eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.

In addition, the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription that allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to the documents. Go to www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp.

Dated: March 29, 2019.

​Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
Footnotes

1.  The contents of your comment including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information may be made available to the public. While you may request that your personal identifying information be withheld from public view, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Back to Citation [FR Doc. 2019-06715 Filed 4-4-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OREGON EMPLOYER COUNCIL SPRING CONFERENCE 2019 ANNOUNCEMENT
News Release from Oregon Employment Department
March 26th, 2019 2:30 PM

Downloadable file: Oregon Employer Council Spring Conference 2019

THE MILL CASINO  – The Oregon Employer Council Spring Conference, an annual event, will be held on Monday and Tuesday, April 29th and 30th at The Mill Casino in North Bend.

The Fall Conference offers keynote speakers and breakout sessions on human resources, labor law, and business topics, as well as opportunities to network with businesses from around the state. SHRM credits will be available.

Early bird registration is $299 and standard registration after April 1st is $349. Booths are available for exhibitors for between $600 and $800. To register or for more information, contact Greg Ivers gregory.e.ivers@state.or.us. Agenda and more information are available at www.oec.org.

The Oregon Employer Council is a nonprofit organization with chapters throughout Oregon.  OEC chapters create bridges between business and government, and provide low cost, local training for businesses. Membership is open to all Oregon businesses.


Contact Info:
Greg Ivers, 503-947-5403,
​gregory.e.ivers@state.or.us 

The editor of the Bandon Western World refused to print this letter to the editor, but we will print it here on Coos County Watchdog.  Anyone is welcome to submit their letter to the editor....Rob T.  

​LEGAL POOL VOTE
 
Mrs. Lawson, the only part of your letter that is not propaganda is these four words:  "It needs city utilities."
 
Our utilities exist because of 100+ years of tax dollars paid to establish and maintain them.  The rightful owners of our utilities are all the citizens, all the taxpayers of Bandon.  These rightful owners must have the final say on whether your private corporation, with its outsized water needs, gets access to the services.
 
This permission must be granted via a formal, legal ballot--a ballot mailed to us under the signature of the County Clerk, a secret ballot that is opened and counted only by legally appointed and sworn election workers. 
 
You claim that your  project is for "everyone" in Bandon.  Prove it, by 1) ceasing your back-room collusion with the Mayor and two Councilors, and 2) directing your energy toward a legal ballot measure which asks:
 
"Do you want to allow a private corporation to locate its swimming pool in City Park for the purpose of taking city utilities?"
 
In a world where you can be anything, be honest!
 
 
William Hand
PO Box 1353

​PACIFIC POWER OFFERS NEW EQUAL PAYMENT PLAN OPT-OUT OPTION

News Release from Pacific Power
 March 12th, 2019 3:07 PM

Media Contact:                                                          
March 12, 2019
Pacific Power media line                                           
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
800-570-5838


Pacific Power offers new Equal Payment Plan Opt-out option
Customers choosing to opt-out of the statewide meter upgrade can now select a new plan to reduce monthly fees

PORTLAND, Ore. — As part of a statewide metering upgrade designed to improve service to customers through shorter outages and hour-by-hour energy usage information, Pacific Power is providing an additional offering for customers who wish to opt out. As part of a final filing to the Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Oregon on Monday, March 11, Pacific Power will now offer a commission-approved Equal Payment Plan Opt-out option to help reduce monthly fees starting March 13.

“We’ve heard from customers that the fee to opt out of a smart meter is burdensome, and we have continued to look for new options,” said Pacific Power Vice President of Regulation, Etta Lockey. “This has been a collaborative process with the PUC and the Citizens’ Utility Board, and we are pleased to offer this new option to customers.”

Smart meters wirelessly deliver hour-by-hour energy usage information to customers via their online account, eliminating the need to wait for a manual meter read and a monthly bill. While only around one percent of customers are opting out of the meter upgrade, choosing to do so adds a cost to continue manual meter reads.

The Equal Payment Option reduces opt-out fees for customers from the current $36 a month to $9 a month, by reducing the number of manual reads to three times per year ($36 per reading, spread across 12 months). It also allows customers to pay a level or equal monthly amount based on a historical average of their previous bills.

The standard opt-out plan will continue to be available as well and provides monthly manual $36 meter reads and bills based on monthly usage.

Customers must select the new option by calling 1-866-869-8520. All residential customers with non-standard meters are eligible to participate. Residential customers with net meters, time of use meters or demand registers would not qualify because it is necessary for the company to obtain routine meter reads to bill customers under those circumstances accurately.

Pacific Power’s upgrade of 590,000 meters began in January 2018 and continues through 2019. Installs are already complete for more than two-thirds of Pacific Power customers in Oregon. An opt-out option was made available during the upgrade to customers who choose to opt-out. In August, Pacific Power removed a $137 fee covering a future replacement of a non-communicative meter with a smart meter to help address the upfront financial impact of the program. This new Equal Payment Plan Opt-out option is part of Pacific Power’s continued review of opt-out fees, to ensure costs are fair for all customers.

Additional information on smart meters, including installation updates, are available at
www.pacificpower.net/smartmeter.
​Customers can also call 866-869-8520 for help with any questions.


-###-
About Pacific Power
Pacific Power provides electric service to more than 740,000 customers in Oregon, Washington, and California. The company works to meet growing energy demand while protecting and enhancing the environment. Pacific Power is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, with 1.9 million customers in six western states Information about Pacific Power is available on the company’s website, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via pacificpower.net.

Contact Info:
Media hotline: 800-570-5838

The City of Coos Bay, along with the City of North Bend and the Coquille Indian Tribe, recently adopted an ordinance to increase the local Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) (also known as the Hotel Occupancy Tax) by 2.5%.
 
Beginning April 1, 2019, lodging facilities within the city limits of Coos Bay or North Bend will begin collecting 9.5% tax per overnight stay in a commercial lodging facility, including hotels/motels/B&B inns, RV parks, and vacation rentals. This applies to check-ins on or after April 1, 2019.
 
State Law now allows lodging properties collecting local TLT to keep 5% of the total amount of local TLT collected as an administrative fee. New reporting forms will be made available for use when remitting TLT and will provide instructions for retaining this administrative fee.
 
The increase to the TLT will allow the Coos Bay-North Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau to increase their advertising, marketing and promotions efforts to bring more tourism to the Coos Bay, North Bend, and Charleston area, collectively known as Oregon’s Adventure Coast. This will allow our area to compete for the tourist dollars against our neighbors on the Central and North Coast.
 
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the City of Coos Bay’s Finance Department at 541-269-8915. ​

AGENDA
Community Enhancement Plan Workgroup
December 6, 2018 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Coos Bay City Hall City Council Chambers
2:00 Welcome and Introductions Melissa Cribbins
2:15  Presentation on history of CEP discussions and EZ Agreement
 
2:45 Review of proposed EZ Agreement between Jordan Cove and Sponsors
 
3:00 Review of proposed CEP Agreement between Zone Sponsors
 
3:15 Discussion of EZ Agreement and CEP Agreement
Workgroup Members
 
Public Comment will be taken at the end of the meeting.  Workgroup Members are not approving either agreement, but may make a motion to recommend passing the agreements to their respective governing bodies.  Both Agreements (the EZ Agreement and the CEP) must be approved by all four Zone Sponsors at a duly noticed public meeting.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/569e6f1176d99c4f392858c4/t/5c01abc74fa51ac22714df29/1543613387743/CEP+Presentation+12+06+18.pdf

​The city council of Coos Bay is going to vote to increase and extend the indebtedness of the Empire Urban Renewal Plan and we plan to file a referendum. 

There will be petitions to sign and copies available for anyone who would like to help gather signatures.   The GOP is giving out signs for candidates and ballot measures.  

 There will be discussions on how we are going to get the signatures and how we are going to run the campaign.  There will be updates on Measure 6-168 and the Coos County Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance.

If the politicians of CB cannot put it on the ballot for the voters to decide then we will have to do their job for them. 
  ​
Here is a link to the CB city council meeting on Tuesday October 16, 2018.
​Coos Bay City Council Votes to Extend Empire UR Tax Debt Plan October 16, 2018

Every election seems to come with the promise of more tax increases.  The government never seems to have enough.  Even with record revenues, the Oregon state government finds itself with shortfalls and more unfunded liabilities left for the repayment of future generations.
 
Our own Coos County commissioners are always mulling over new taxes.  The museum tax, the transient tax, the road tax, the marijuana tax and of course the urban renewal tax they are insatiable in their appetite for the people’s money. 
 
In late March of this year, the commissioners bypassed the people and voted unanimously to renew the county’s North Bay Urban Renewal plan, which has the potential of going into thirty-two million dollars of debt.
 
The commissioners give the same cheesy excuse that only the people living in the UR area are paying the UR tax, but that is a half-truth.
 
It is true that only the property owners in a UR area pay their property taxes directly to that area’s UR agency over the frozen tax base.  Anything over the frozen base is the increment of taxes that goes to finance the UR agency, hence the term tax-increment financing. 
 
However, those tax dollars were supposed to go to several other overlapping taxing districts to cover the cost of the services provided by those districts. 
 
Everyone in the county uses the services provided by those districts, including the owners of the properties inside the UR area.  When taxpayers of the property inside the UR taxing area do not pay for the services they are using because the system has redirected the money to the UR agency, other taxpayers in the other overlapping countywide districts have to cover the cost of those expenses.  Therefore, everyone who pays property taxes in Coos County pays taxes directly or indirectly for the debt accrued by all seven urban renewal areas that exist in the county through this process of tax increment financing. 
 
Otherwise, property owners would not see UR taxes listed on their tax bill. 
 
The county loses $3 million annually in tax revenue to urban renewal, which represents 5% of the total amount of property taxes collected in the county.  Multnomah County, which is essentially Portland, dedicates about 25% of their total annual property taxes to urban renewal, and their number one complaint is affordable housing, which is partially due to TIF. 
 
There is no such thing as free money. 
 
Since the politicians are going to use most of this money to facilitate the development of private corporations, it then comes down to a simple question.
 
Should the government use public tax dollars to gamble on private development or should corporations gamble with their own money?
 
Politicians are neither lucky nor skillful enough to be rolling the dice with the people’s money, and that includes the three political hacks currently serving on this county’s Board of Commissioners.  
 
People rarely get a chance to rescind an ordinance that continues a tax, and once the government enacts a tax, it is impossible to stop.  In the November election, the people will have a chance to repeal the county’s urban renewal plan and the tax debt that goes along with it. 
 
The voters of Coos County should take advantage of this possibly once in a lifetime experience and vote yes to repeal. VOTE YES for Measure 6-168 and feel-good about repealing a tax because it is the right thing to do. 
 
Anyone interested in finding out more information on urban renewal and tax-increment financing can go to www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.  

Town Hall Meeting Considers Amending
Empire Urban Renewal Plan

The Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency (Agency) will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting next Tuesday, July 31 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss amending the Empire Urban Renewal Plan (Plan). The City of Coos Bay adopted the Empire URA Plan in 1988. This Plan allows for the expenditure of funds within the Empire Urban Renewal Area (Area). The City (also the Urban Renewal Agency) has completed numerous projects in the Area. These projects include assistance in the renovation of the Dolphin Theater, the Newmark Widening Project, South Empire Improvements, Hollering Place Wayside, Boat Building Center Improvements, Storefront Improvements (Empire Mercantile, Subway, and several others) a bathroom complex at the Empire Boat Ramp and other projects. 
 
The Agency and City Council have been evaluating the Empire Urban Renewal Plan (Plan) over the last year. In 2018, they adopted a minor amendment to update the projects in the Plan. The projects identified for the future are the Hollering Place Development, a Façade Program, street improvements, library assistance, and signage. As part of the minor amendment process, the financial projections were updated, and the City determined they would like to proceed with a substantial amendment to the Plan to increase the maximum indebtedness of the Empire URA District. This increase would allow financial capacity to undertake a number of capital street projects within the Empire URA District. 
 
The Town Hall meeting will be held at the Dolphin Theatre, located at  580 Newmark Avenue. ​

May 1, 2018 
 
PRESS RELEASE- 
 
The Coos County Board of Commissioners is now accepting applications from anyone interested in applying for a position on the Coos County Parks Advisory Committee.  There are several positions available and commissioners are looking for interested persons from all of the incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county.  
 
There are four vacant positions, and two of the successful candidates will be completing vacant terms.
 
Interested parties must send a completed county application to:
 
Coos County Board of Commissioners Office 250 N. Baxter Coquille, Oregon 97423
 
Applications are available on the county’s website at www.co.coos.or.us and click on “county boards and committees” or by contacting the Board’s office.  Deadline for submitting an application is Friday, May 25th at 12:00 PM. 

Cascade Policy Institute recently commissioned economist Eric Fruits, Ph.D. to do a comparative analysis of nine Western states with large Common School Trust Land portfolios to determine under what circumstances it might make sense for states to sell these lands and invest the net proceeds into stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments.

Management of Oregon’s 1.5 million acre portfolio of Common School Trust Lands has long been a contentious issue. Twenty-five years ago, Oregon Attorney General Charles S. Crookham issued an opinion clarifying that Common School Trust Lands must be managed primarily for revenue maximization.

But environmental groups have repeatedly lobbied and litigated to eliminate revenue generation from the Trust Lands, claiming that commodity production is an outdated concept. They finally succeeded during 2013-15, when Oregon’s Trust Land portfolio lost $360,000/year in net operating income. Those losses had to be paid for by Oregon public school students.

In his report, A Proposal to Generate Adequate Returns from Common School Trust Lands, Dr. Fruits concluded that revenue generated for schools by the Oregon Common School Trust Lands likely would go up by 600% if the lands were sold and the net income were invested in the existing Common School Fund.

On February 20, 2018, the Coos Bay City Council will be voting on a Resolution to put a measure on the May ballot that would add an amendment to change three sections of the city charter.  One of the changes would eliminate the ability of the voter to approve the sale of Revenue Bonds returning that authority to the city councilors to decide. 
 
The city officials are making the argument that the city should not have to ask the voters permission to sell Revenue Bonds because this type of bond has existing revenue sources to repay the debt, so it does not require the enactment of a new tax.  However, the city has to repay the debt with public money, so it is a tax nonetheless.    
 
The voters in 1996 chose to establish voter approval for the sale of certain bonds because the people knew the local politicians would continue to spend public money on wasteful projects with little regard for the concerns of the citizens.
 
The most disturbing thing about this agenda item is that the city recorder has already filled out and predated the SEL802 document that the city has to submit to the county clerk for a ballot measure.  It is almost as if the city officials already know how the council and mayor will vote before the meeting has occurred….Rob T. 

CITY OF COOS BAY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
February 20, 2018 - 7:00 PM
Council Chambers - 500 Central Avenue, Coos Bay, OR
 
Those changes will affect these sections of the city charter: 
(1) Section 4.1 Meeting requirements of the Council;
(2) Section 9.11 Funds for Police Officers and Firefighters;
(3) Section 9.12 Sales of Bonds and Warrants.

The follow Section is part of the new amendment giving the councilors of CB the authority to create more debt in the name of the taxpayers.
 
 Section 2.4 Utilities. The City, acting by and through its Council, is authorized and empowered to acquire, construct, purchase, own, lease, operate and maintain, within, without, or partly within and without the corporate limits of the City, public utilities and other public utilities and other public enterprises and properties which may be deemed by the Council to be in the public interest, including, but not limited to, airport, roadway, dock, wharf, sewer, and water system facilities; and the Council may, by ordinance, authorize the issuance and sale of self-liquidating revenue bonds and self-liquidating notes or contracts payable only from the pledged revenues of public utilities, enterprises and properties for the acquisition, purchase, construction, reconstruction, improvement, extension or repair of any such utility, enterprise or property or any part thereof; provided that such obligations, and any part thereof, shall not be payable from taxes or general fund revenues and shall not be deemed general obligations of the City unless specifically authorized at election of the legal voters of the City, nor shall such self-liquidating obligations be debts of the City within the meaning of any constitutional, statutory or charter limitations.

Related Posts:
Coos Bay Pays Around $406,000 to Repair Mingus Park Pool
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
Coos Bay URA Spends $300,000 on North-South Gateway While Streets Deteriorate
Coos Bay Street Action Plan Open House Thursday, June 8, 2017, 5:30pm
Coos Bay Legally Steals from Average Citizens to Decorate a Private Business
Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
Coos Bay Gives $97,000 of Public Money to the Local Drama Club
Coos Bay Redistributing Money to Owners of Historical Places
Coos Bay Giving Away Public Money to a Private Business Using Urban Renewal
CATO Policy Analysis #676 ~ The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing
Public Comment Due BY December 1, 2017 on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the North Bay URA
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension  
PERS Task Force Recommends Exempting School Districts from Urban Renewal
List of Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Expenditures from 2006 - 2012
LTE ~ Coos Bay Urban Renewal Giving Away Public Assets Paid for by The Public
#CoosBay Urban Renewal Monies Siphoned from Public Basic Services 
Port of #CoosBay Blowing Through Your Tax Dollars Like Drunken Sailors 
Commissioners Campaign Contributors are Champions of Corporate Welfare

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Sunday, February 18, 2018 
CONTACT:  Shelia Megson   
Chief of Staff 
503-986-1401   
Shelia.Megson@oregonlegislature.gov                           

Click Here for the Bill                                                

SALEM – A bipartisan bicameral piece of legislation; introduced and Chief Sponsored by Senator Roblan (D-Coos Bay) and Representative David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) looks to better track crab and other marine base food susceptible to domoic acid and other food related issues that could pose a threat to human consumption.

“We have an ever-increasing frequency of domoic acid test results that have a negative impact on our coastal industries,” said Senator Roblan. “This is evident in the delay of this year’s crab season, as well as the recent closure on Friday due to high levels of domoic acid found in Brookings,” he said. “We have been working with our industries and agencies to come up with a better solution to protect our consumers, without having such a wide impact on our producers”.

SB 1550 looks to the location of the seafood caught and if a problem is discovered in one location, product data can be tracked to check nearby locations for a similar issue. If one is not found, area closures can be isolated and much smaller rather than have larger, regional closures like the current crab harvest closure that occurred last week from Cape Blanco to the border.

“Our crab fishers are struggling and so are their families,” said Representative David Brock Smith, whose District is affected by the recent closure. “With the delay in opening of the Crab Season due to elevated levels of domoic acid, and now the regional closure off southwest Oregon, our fishers are being hit extremely hard and this bill couldn’t come soon enough for them,” said Brock Smith. “This tracking and data collection will help isolate the affected areas and allow more certainty to ODA on localized closures,” he said. “This legislation will also allow for more flexibility in evisceration orders, while keeping the public safe and helping our fishing industries continue to be successful.”
SB 1550 is expected to pass the Senate Floor on Monday and move to Representative David Brock Smith’s House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources on Wednesday to be worked on his side of the Capitol.   

Rep. David Brock Smith represents House District 1, which includes Curry, Coos, Douglas and Josephine counties. This press release and an archive of previous press releases issued by Rep. David Brock Smith’s office are available on the web at: www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithd.

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OR State Land Board Public Meeting December 13, 2016 ~ Sell the Elliot Forest
ODFW ~ Deer virus confirmed in Coos County
ODFW ~ Hosts Town Hall On Proposed 2017-19 budget North Bend May 4, 2016
ODFW ~ Commission Meeting in Bandon Friday April 22, 2016
ODFW ~ Harassing Cormorant to Protect Salman but Still a Crime for the People
ODFW ~ Public Meeting Coquille Valley Wildlife Area Discussion Wed. March 2, 2016

Commercial crab from south coast must be eviscerated to protect public health
February 16, 2018

SALEM, Ore.—The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have announced the establishment of a biotoxin management zone from Cape Blanco to the California-Oregon border, effective immediately. To protect consumers, all crab landed from this area must have the viscera (guts) removed by a licensed processor.

Dungeness crab internal organs (viscera) sampled from the area have biotoxins above the alert level, indicating that crab harvested from the biotoxin management zone must be eviscerated (gutted) before it is safe for consumption. Traceability measures that were put in place at the start of the season (Dec. 1, 2017) will be used to ensure that whole crab are eviscerated.

Crab meat remains safe for consumers who purchase it in retail markets or at restaurants. Domoic acid levels are elevated only in crab viscera, or the guts, of crab sampled and tested from this area of the Oregon coast.
Because of Oregon’s precautionary management of biotoxins, crab and shellfish products currently being sold in retail markets and restaurants are also safe for consumers.

ODA and ODFW will continue monitoring biotoxins in crab and shellfish to ensure that the concentrations of harvested products from all of Oregon remain below the alert level.

Domoic acid is a naturally occurring biotoxin produced by marine phytoplankton or algae that grow and bloom during certain seasons. When the algae are in high numbers, the biotoxin they produce is eaten and concentrated by crabs and other species.

Eating shellfish that is contaminated with domoic acid can cause illness in humans within minutes to hours resulting in cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, consumption can result in memory problems or even death. The toxin cannot be destroyed by cooking, adding baking soda, or any other method. Anyone experiencing these symptoms after eating seafood should contact a physician immediately.

Fortunately for crab consumers, the majority of domoic acid resides in the internal organs– not the meat– and is effectively removed through “evisceration” (also known as “backing”) of the crab, to remove the internal organs. For this reason, it is recommended that crab always be eviscerated prior to cooking, which includes removal and discard of the internal organs and gills.

For more information, call ODA’s shellfish safety information hotline at (800) 448-2474 or visit the ODA shellfish closures web page at: http://ODA.direct/ShellfishClosures

For notices to the commercial crabbing industry visit ODFW commercial crabbing webpage at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/shellfish/commercial/crab/news_publications.asp
###
Contact:
Rick Swart (971) 673-6038

Recreational crabbing closed along southern Oregon coast

February 16, 2018

SALEM, Ore.--The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announce the immediate closure of all recreational crabbing on the southern Oregon coast from Cape Blanco to the California border due to elevated levels of domoic acid. This includes Dungeness and red rock crab harvested from the ocean as well as in bays and estuaries, and on beaches, docks, piers, and jetties.

Recreational crab harvesting from Cape Blanco north to the Columbia River remains open in the ocean, bays and estuaries, and on beaches, docks, piers, and jetties.

Meanwhile, for commercial crabbing, ODA and ODFW are requiring that all crab harvested from Cape Blanco to the California border be eviscerated (gutted) before it can be deemed safe for consumption. Domoic acid levels are elevated only in crab viscera, or the guts, of crab sampled and tested from this area of the Oregon coast.

For recreational crab harvesters, it is recommended that crab always be eviscerated prior to cooking, which includes removal and discard of the viscera, internal organs, and gills.

Because of Oregon’s precautionary management of biotoxins, crab and shellfish products currently being sold in retail markets and restaurants are safe for consumers.

Domoic acid or amnesic shellfish toxin can cause minor to severe illness and even death. Severe poisoning can result in dizziness, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea. More severe cases can result in memory loss and death. Shellfish toxins are produced by microscopic algae and originate in the ocean. Toxins cannot be removed by cooking, freezing or any other treatment. ODA will continue to test for toxins in the coming weeks. Removal of the advisory requires two consecutive tests in the safe range.

For more information, call ODA’s shellfish safety information hotline at (800) 448-2474 or visit the ODA shellfish closures webpage at http://ODA.direct/ShellfishClosures
###
Contact:
Rick Swart (971) 673-6038

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ODFW ~ Crab Harvesting Reopens on a Portion of Oregon Coast
ODFW ~ Commercial Dungeness crab season delayed
ODFW ~ Entire Oregon Coast Reopened for Mussel Harvesting
ODFW ~ "Pounder" trout stocked in Coos Bay area Lakes
ODFW ~ One Species on the Verge of Causing the Extinction of Another Species
NOAA Antibusiness Plan for Coquille River ~ Public Private Property Partnership
ODFW ~ Commercial Crabbing Closed From Coos Bay North Jetty to Heceta Head
ODFW seeks Landowner Representatives for Access & Habitat Program – by Jan. 30
OR State Land Board Public Meeting December 13, 2016 ~ Sell the Elliot Forest
ODFW ~ Deer virus confirmed in Coos County
ODFW ~ Hosts Town Hall On Proposed 2017-19 budget North Bend May 4, 2016
ODFW ~ Commission Meeting in Bandon Friday April 22, 2016
ODFW ~ Harassing Cormorant to Protect Salman but Still a Crime for the People
ODFW ~ Public Meeting Coquille Valley Wildlife Area Discussion Wed. March 2, 2016

The City of Coos Bay had to do a necessary repair on the Mingus Park Pool, which will end up costing the city approximately $406,000.   The taxpayers of Bandon were very wise to vote down a public pool when their city put the question on the ballot, because they saved themselves a huge expense.  
 
During the development, the city planners of CB surmised that people living in the surrounding area would travel to CB to swim in their public pool.  The residents of Bandon were part of those statistics, because the city did not have a public pool at the time, and that holds true through today.   A pool in Bandon would be a financial loss for the pool in Mingus Park, because it takes more customers to support that pool than are available in the entire city of Coos Bay and they knew this when it was built.  North Bend made those same estimations when their city constructed the NB public pool.  
 
Each new public pool in Coos County draws revenue from all previously constructed pools, so at some point these projects will over saturate the county costing the taxpayers millions.  The people from the cities without pools have to except the reality of the situation and reside in the fact they will have to travel to do their swimming……Rob T.

TO:  Mayor Benetti and City Councilors
FROM:  Randy Dixon, Operations Administrator
THROUGH:  Rodger Craddock, City Manager
ISSUE:  Request for Additional Funding - Mingus Pool Project
 
SUMMARY: Mingus pool mechanical rehabilitation project is completed. The improvements made to the facility will allow the community many more years of pleasure, and it will allow efficient operation! Anderson Pool Works supplied mechanical equipment, and City staff and service contractors provided the labor for the project. The plumbing portion was estimated to be around $6,500, (T&M) time and material; however, there were a few design changes to the plumbing configuration that affected plumbing cost. The actual plumbing cost came in at $23,869.61. At the August 1, 2017 Council meeting, Jim Hossley requested the project budget not to exceed $328,350.00 including 10% contingency. Given the change order for the pluming portion of the project, the actual overall cost of the project is $347,451.27.
 
ACTION REQUESTED: If it please the Council, revise the Mingus Pool mechanical project budget not to exceed $347,451.27 which includes the additional plumbing expenses.
 
BACKGROUND: April 2016, the City applied for a Government Grant (LGGP) through Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to improve Mingus Park Community Pool.  September 2015, the City was informed by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that the City was awarded the LGGP 40/60 grant for a total grant amount of $371,770.00. The project was broken into two phase; Phase 1.) Dressing/Restroom Rehab. Phase 2.) Mechanical Operations Rehab. Last year the dressing/restroom were rehabilitated which cost $96,601.67 of the $371,770 which left $221,774 for Phase 2.
 
BUDGET IMPLICATIONS: The City will be partially reimbursed for this project from Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Local Government Grant Program and the Energy Trust of Oregon. Matching funds come from in-kind labor and equipment plus cash from Fund 17 Parks Improvement.

TO:  Mayor Benetti and City Councilors
FROM:  Randy Dixon, Operations Administrator
THROUGH:  Rodger Craddock, City Manager
ISSUE: 
Request Additional Spending Authority for the Mingus Pool Repair Project
SUMMARY: Staff presented to the Council on December 19, 2017 a staff report regarding expenses on the Mingus Pool Project, which at that time, we had thought all material invoices were accounted for. Not so, All Coast Plumbing who is the City service contractor for plumbing did not turn in all the material invoices. The actual plumbing cost T&M (time and material) came in at $63,938.43. It should be noted, Anderson Pool Works bid the plumbing portion for $406,000. Below is breakdown of bid items by Anderson Pool Works on the project before the City self-performed the project. The City accepted bids to rehab the Mingus Pool facility, and we received one bid: $890,650 from Anderson Pool Works. Once the City received only one bid, which was 60% over budget, staff recommended to self-perform using City labor and service contractors plumbing & electrical. Council approved of self-performing the work; therefore, staff requested T&M estimates from service contractors. However, staff only received labor cost not material. Service contractors thought the City was supplying material, so they never provided those cost to the City. This was not realized until about 40% into the project. In an effort to prevent this from ever happening again clear communication and understanding with our service contractors will be established to ensure we have accurate labor and material cost. Additionally, due to the unknowns associated with most of our self-perform projects, project budgets will be crafted to include total cost including 25% contingency.
On December 19, 2017, Council approved project cost of up to $385,000; however, the project is over that amount by $21,704.04. We will need to be adjusted from $385,000, not to exceed $408,000.
 
ANDERSON POOL BID: Equipment Cost: $276,000 Building Mech: $102,000 Pool Plumbing Mech: $406,000 Pool Shell: $106,650 Total Bid Cost: $890,650
 
SELF PERFORM: $406,704.04 OPRD Grant: <$163,728.93> City Out Pocket Cost: $242,975.11 The City will also be reimbursed by the Energy Trust of Oregon. At this time staff expects the reimbursement to exceed $10,000.
 
ACTION REQUESTED: If it please the Council, revise the Mingus Pool mechanical project budget not to exceed $408,000. BACKGROUND: April 2015, the City applied for a Government Grant (LGGP) through Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to improve Mingus Park Community Pool. September 2015, the City was informed by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that the City was awarded the LGGP 40/60 grant for a total grant and City match amount of $371,770.00. The project was broken into two phase. Phase 1.) Dressing/Restroom Rehab. Phase 2.) Mechanical Operations Rehab. Last year the dressing/restroom was rehabilitated which cost $96,601.67 which left grant funds of approximately $164,000 for Phase 2.
 
BUDGET IMPLICATIONS: The City will be partially reimbursed for this project from Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Local Government Grant Program and the Energy Trust of Oregon. Matching funds come from in-kind labor and equipment plus cash from Fund 17 Parks Improvement and Fund 34 Major Capital Reserve.The project would need additional Council approval for a total project cost not to exceed $408,000, approval of a supplemental budget to transfer funds to the Parks Improvement Fund from the Major Capital Fund, and Council approval of the increased dollar amount of the task order/contract with All Coast Plumbing from $25,000 per occurrence to $63,938.43 due to the final plumbing costs.

The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
 
Sex scandals aside, taxes are the biggest issue on the table right now, which is understandable when most families are spending more on taxes than they do on housing, food, and clothing combined.  Most people think they are paying too much due to the overspending of government, so it makes sense to shrink the budget.
 
There never seems to be enough revenue for education, infrastructure, and public safety, so eliminating the process of tax-increment financing would stop Urban Renewal Agencies from siphoning money from those and other overlapping taxing districts that provide those services. 
 
According to data collected from the “OR Property Tax Annual Statistics FY 2016-2017” found on the Oregon Department of Revenue’s website, there are 77 Urban Renewal Agencies in the state that manage 113 areas/districts.  Those UR agencies received $223.3-million from the “Revenue from Excess,” while others received an additional $21.1-million from special levies totaling $244.4-million that was diverted from other various taxing districts or directly from the taxpayers.  The revenue from property taxes going to Urban Renewal through the TIF process in FY 2009-2010 was $182-million.
 
“Revenue from Excess,” is the property tax revenue generated by increased property values inside the UR area over the frozen increment when the authorities enacted the plan for the district.  Without the TIF process, the other districts that overlap the UR area would retain that money.  
 
Statewide in FY 2016-2017, Public education lost $87.2-million in potential revenue because of urban renewal activity. Cities lost $73.3-million in that same fiscal year, and counties lost $41.5-million, which includes the $28.2-million taken from Multnomah County alone.  Other districts, including Fire Districts, lost $21.3-million. 
 
Those totals do not include the maintenance of the unfunded projects built with the redirected money.  
 
Politicians use urban renewal funding as seed money to create new taxing districts, or they use tax dollars from existing districts to maintain unnecessary projects at the expense of necessary amenities. Those projects include auditoriums, carousels, conservation easements, convention centers, decorations, estuaries, murals, racetracks, swimming pools, sports stadiums, sculptures, street art, and theaters, which take money directly from colleges, roads, schools, police and fire departments.
 
The idea of redevelopment is to increase the assessed values of property surrounding and within the urban renewal area by artificially inflating the local tax base using public money---all to generate new economic activity that most likely would have taken place with or without public incentives.  It just may not have happened in the area desired by the urban renewal planner but in a place chosen by the private business owner, which alleviates the taxpayers of the financial risk. 
 
Some independent studies have found little evidence that municipalities with Urban Renewal Agencies developed any faster than cities without these programs did.  In fact, one study titled “The Effects of Tax Increment Financing on Economic Development” written in March of 1999 by two professors of economics, Richard F. Dye, and David E. Merriman, it found TIF areas grew slower than areas without it did.  Quote, “If the use of tax increment financing spurs economic development that would not have happened but for the public expenditures, we would expect (after controlling for other growth determinants and for self-selection) a positive relationship between TIF adoption and growth. If the use of tax increment financing merely moves capital around within a municipality, relocating improvements from non-TIF areas of the town to within TIF district borders without changing the productivity of that capital, we would expect (after appropriate controls) to find a zero relationship between TIF adoption and growth. What we find, however, is a negative relationship between TIF adoption and growth. This is consistent with the hypothesis that government subsidies reallocate property improvements in such a way that capital is less productive in its new location.
 
A Senior Fellow at the CATO Institute made the case against urban renewal and tax-increment financing in a policy analysis titled, “The Case against Tax-Increment Financing” by Randal O’Toole.  In the paper, he states, “There are two problems with any attempts to reform TIF. First, no matter how much legislatures may try to focus TIF on genuine examples of blighted neighborhoods, cities will find ways to get around such safeguards. Second, there is little evidence that city gov­ernments are better than private developers at determining the type and location of new development that cities need, and plenty of evidence that they are not as good. Instead of reforming TIF, state legislatures should sim­ply repeal the laws that give cities and coun­ties the authority to use it and similar tools to subsidize economic development.”
 
The politicians intentionally design these types of development schemes to centralize power and money for the utilization of government planners.  Oregon legislators both Democrat and Republican ignore the annual loss of revenue, especially to education, so they can continue the excessiveness of constructing nonessential boondoggles of the future because it benefits the special interest of both parties today.    
 
About the author: 
Rob Taylor is the tentative Chief Petitioner for the “Committee to Shut Down the Coos County URA.”  Go to CoosCountyWatchdog.com for more information.

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Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency Minutes - September 19, 2017
Approval of Streetscape Construction Bid
Public Works and Community Development Director Jim Hossley stated over the past two years, the Urban Renewal Agency reviewed various ideas and renderings for the Highway 101 streetscape. The goal was to improve the appeal of the Highway 101 streetscape from the south to north city limits. The streetscape improvements would be restricted to Highway 101 right-of way (ROW) and City owned property. Due to funding constraints, efforts on the project focused on the two existing entry monument locations.
 
Based on early cost estimates, staff budgeted $175,000 in this year's Downtown Capital Projects Fund Urban Renewal budget for the streetscape projects at the entry monument locations. After completion of the construction documents, the design consultant estimated the total construction cost to be $225,071. The project was advertised for bid, and the City received one bid from Clean Rivers Erosion Control for a total cost of $249,999. Mr. Hossley noted there was a $75,000 shortfall in the budget relative to the bid price, but there were adequate funds in the Urban Renewal Downtown Capital Projects Fund to cover the bid price plus a contingency.

Urban Renewal Agency Minutes - September 19, 2017 21 
Mr. Hossley advised the proposed bid only covered the streetscape improvements and did not include the two entry signs and rockscaping . The estimated cost for signs was $32,000 and rockscaping was $10,000. Vice-Chair Marler expressed concern about the increased costs for the project.
 
Board Member Groth moved to award contract to Clean Rivers Erosion control for a cost of $249,999 plus a 10% contingency of $25,000 for a total cost of $274,999. Board Member Kilmer seconded the motion which carried. Ayes: Benetti, DiNovo, Farmer, Groth, Kilmer, Marler. Absent: Kramer.

November 22, 2017

The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announce the reopening of recreational and commercial bay crabbing from the north jetty of the Coquille River to the north jetty of Coos Bay. The reopening includes crab harvested in bays and estuaries, and on beaches, docks, piers, and jetties. Crab samples taken from the area indicate levels of domoic acid have dropped and remain below the alert level.

The recreational crabbing season in the ocean closed coast-wide on Oct. 16.

Crab harvesting remains closed from the California border to the north jetty of the Coquille River (including the Coquille estuary), and from Tahkenitch Creek (north of Winchester Bay) to Cape Foulweather (north of Newport). Crabbing north of Cape Foulweather to the Columbia River remains open in bays and estuaries, and on beaches, docks, piers, and jetties.

Today’s test results and health advisory come at a complicated time of year for Oregon’s crab fisheries. By rule, Dec. 1 is Oregon’s earliest annual start for ocean crabbing, for both commercial and recreational fisheries. However, this year, due to low crab meat yield and elevated levels of biotoxins in some areas, much of Oregon’s ocean area remains closed to crabbing after Dec. 1. Additional testing for meat yield and biotoxin levels will continue at least through the end of December.

For both recreational and commercial crab fishermen, below is a simple guide for what is currently open and closed. Before you go crabbing, please confirm the status of ODFW/ODA harvest areas relative to concerns about elevated biotoxins at the website below.

• Recreational crabbing – Currently open in all bays and estuaries that are not under the health advisory; opens after Dec. 1 in ocean areas where biotoxins are below the alert level.
• Commercial ocean crabbing – Delayed in all areas until at least December 16.
• Commercial bay crabbing – Commercial bay crabbing is re-opened in Coos Bay on Monday, Nov. 27; commercial bay crabbing remains closed from the California border to the north jetty of the Coquille River (including the Coquille estuary), and from Tahkenitch Creek to Cape Foulweather. Commercial bay crabbing remains open at this time in bays and estuaries, and on beaches, docks, piers, and jetties within the areas that are not under the health advisory.
• All commercial bay crabbing will be closed as of Dec. 1 along with the delayed season for the commercial ocean fishery, according to existing ODFW rules. This year, the commercial ocean fishery is delayed from Dec. 1 until at least Dec. 16.

Despite the closure, crab and shellfish products sold in retail markets and restaurants remain safe for consumers.

For more information, call ODA’s shellfish safety information hotline at (800) 448-2474 or visit the ODA shellfish closures web page at: http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/FoodSafety/Shellfish/Pages/ShellfishClosures.aspx

###

Contact:
ODA / Alex Manderson at (503) 842-2607

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ODFW ~ Entire Oregon Coast Reopened for Mussel Harvesting
ODFW ~ "Pounder" trout stocked in Coos Bay area Lakes
ODFW ~ One Species on the Verge of Causing the Extinction of Another Species
NOAA Antibusiness Plan for Coquille River ~ Public Private Property Partnership
ODFW ~ Commercial Crabbing Closed From Coos Bay North Jetty to Heceta Head
ODFW seeks Landowner Representatives for Access & Habitat Program – by Jan. 30
OR State Land Board Public Meeting December 13, 2016 ~ Sell the Elliot Forest
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ODFW ~ Hosts Town Hall On Proposed 2017-19 budget North Bend May 4, 2016
ODFW ~ Commission Meeting in Bandon Friday April 22, 2016
ODFW ~ Harassing Cormorant to Protect Salman but Still a Crime for the People
ODFW ~ Public Meeting Coquille Valley Wildlife Area Discussion Wed. March 2, 2016

The Coos Bay Best Bond finally passed today by a very narrow margin of twenty-eight votes. I voted against the measure both times, not because I do not care about the children (as those on the other side accuse us of), but for two reasons.
 
One, our legislators and school administrators have proven time and time again they cannot be trusted to spend the money they have already been given properly.
 
Two, I am tired that as a property owner, I am being forced to pay for the education (or miseducation if you will) of every child in Coos Bay.
 
If education was so important to them, why didn't people who have children in Coos Bay schools volunteer to pay more property taxes?
 
They could have funded this bond themselves and not stolen from the rest of us, but that is not how things work today.  Everyone has their hand in the pocket of the person next to them.
 
Parents who have children in our schools but do not own property will not pay one red cent of this bond. People like me, who own property but do not have children, are forced to subsidize them. Wealthier property owners will not only have to subsidize them but then most likely pay again for private school for their children.
 
Will they receive a kickback because their children are not in public school? Well, of course not.
 
Frankly, I am sick to death of subsidizing others with schooling, welfare, housing, etc. then being accused of being a miser when I complain about being forced to pay their way at the point of a gun because that is what this measure is, a legislative gun.
 
I have no way of avoiding this new tax.  The authorities will add it to my property taxes with or without my consent.  Twenty-eight people have now decided that thousands of others MUST pay, or else. 
 
As the adage goes, "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch." Property owners in Coos Bay have just become the lamb, and I, for one, will not stand for it.
 
Matthew Wilbanks / Coos Bay

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