Welcome to the Seaside Signal. Here’s what’s happening in your neighborhoods.

– Oregon city leaders in Seaside

Civil discourse, disinformation, housing and homelessness were leading topics at the League of Oregon Cities’ Local Government Spring Conference held April 25 and April 26 at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center.

The state is at a unique point in time, Andrea Bell, the executive director of Oregon Housing and Community Services, said in delivering the conference’s keynote address.

Bell oversees the strategic direction and growth of the state agency responsible for providing stable and affordable housing across Oregon. In this year’s spring session, the Legislature is preparing the largest scale of housing funding in history, Bell said.

Can the state and city combine to meet those goals?

– Budget time

It’s budget time for city governments. The 2023-24 Gearhart budget is balanced and projected to meet anticipated expenditures, wrote City Treasurer Justine Hill in presenting the budget message. But to do so the city will need to transfer almost $200,000 to boost sagging water operating fund resources.

Water operations, maintenance and improvements have increased without an increase in the revenue stream, Hill said. The last water rate increase was implemented almost 10 years ago in 2013 by the City Council.

“The 2023-2024 budget is balanced and projected to meet anticipated expenditures,” Hill said. “However, continued increases in operational costs coupled with regulatory payroll costs will continue to strain Gearhart’s financial stability.”

Stay tuned as the city’s budget committee seeks to meet the city’s financial needs.

– Beach mobility

Volunteers came to the Seaside Elks Lodge to present the gift of beach mobility.

An electric all-terrain track chair, designed to help people with disabilities navigate the beach, will be free to users in Seaside starting in May.

The track chair is one of 10 planned on the Oregon Coast and the Interstate 5 corridor through Oregon Parks Forever and David’s Chair, a nonprofit that promotes mobility.

The chair will make a big difference for visitors, supporters say. Read more here.

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