Astoria City Council Regular Meeting - November 18, 2025

The Astoria City Council met for a regular meeting. The agenda and minutes date the meeting as Monday, November 17, 2025, at 6:00 PM, while the provided timestamp identifies the meeting as November 18, 2025, 14:00 UTC; this summary uses the provided date. Mayor Sean Fitzpatrick participated remotely while isolating after a COVID-19 diagnosis, and Council President Elisabeth Adams presided in his place. All four council members were present. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM and adjourned at 8:51 PM. Council approved the consent calendar, an emergency preparedness MOU, a fund restructuring, a compensation-related resolution repeal, and an updated salary resolution. Council also gave final direction on the Ward 4 appointment process and discussed a proposed response to recent ICE and border patrol activity.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the consent calendar by a single 4-0 motion: corrected loan repayment schedule for Business Oregon/IFA Loan Y12006; repayment schedule for Business Oregon Loan L23003; and a resolution formally recognizing the Ward 4 City Council seat vacancy.
• Motion by Councilor Andrea Mazzarella, seconded by Councilor Andy Davis. Voting yes: Mayor Sean Fitzpatrick, Councilor Elisabeth Adams, Councilor Andy Davis, Councilor Andrea Mazzarella.

Reports of Councilors

• Councilor Davis reported on the parks master plan event, food insecurity and SNAP benefit uncertainty, the Rogue Brewery closure, and community concerns about federal ICE and border patrol activity.
• Councilor Mazzarella reported on housing-related resident communication, infrastructure maintenance, storm preparedness, and regional disaster coordination meetings.
• Councilor Adams reported on a Veterans Day event, veteran service officer shortages, outreach about the Rogue closure, and upcoming community meetings.
• Mayor Fitzpatrick reported on visiting an ADU project, his COVID-19 quarantine, and his outreach to the governor's office regarding ICE actions.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Marilyn Dito (318 37th Street) asked whether the existing Astor West Special Projects Fund could already be used for housing without renaming or moving the money. Finance Director Hillary Norton responded that the fund's stated purpose was tied to Astor West urban renewal projects, so changing the purpose to citywide housing required a transparent fund change and supplemental budget process.
• Mr. Brush (682 34th Street), during discussion of the Resolution 21-02 repeal, stated that turnover costs are astronomical and that the city can save money long term by paying competitive wages.
• Ms. Morley (4908 Cedar Street), on the updated salary resolution, asked whether the retroactive application to July 1 should be explicitly spelled out in the resolution.
• Jenny Poole Radway (565 12th Street) urged council to consider equitable public participation in the Ward 4 appointment process, noting that many Spanish-speaking residents in Emerald Heights face language, safety, and digital-access barriers. She asked council to think creatively about how to include those voices.
• No public comments were offered during the non-agenda public comment portion of the meeting.

Discussion Items

• 7.a Memorandum of Understanding with Astoria School District 1C: Acting City Manager Jonah Dart-McLean presented the MOU for storage of emergency supplies on school district property and bus transportation during natural or man-made disasters. Fire Chief Dan Crutchfield answered questions and explained that supplies have already been stored with the school district for about two years under a verbal agreement, primarily at the middle school and elementary school, both outside the tsunami inundation zone. Councilors expressed support for formalizing the agreement. Motion by Councilor Davis, seconded by Councilor Mazzarella; passed 4-0.
• 7.b Housing and Community Resiliency Fund #141 and Closure of Fund #140: Staff recommended closing the Astor West Special Projects Fund #140 and transferring remaining funds into a new Housing and Community Resiliency Fund #141. Finance Director Hillary Norton explained the fund's original stated purpose was limited to Astor West projects, so council needed to close the old fund and create a new fund with a new stated purpose. Council approved two separate motions, each 4-0: first creating Fund #141, and second approving the supplemental budget, closing Fund #140, and transferring remaining funds into Fund #141.
• 7.c Repeal of Resolution 21-02: HR Director Ashley Diets explained that Resolution 21-02 fixed pay relationships for police sergeants, managers, and chiefs using specific percentage differentials that were not necessarily validated by market data. Repealing it aligns police management positions with the city's standard non-represented compensation practices. Councilor Davis expressed support for competitive pay but also concern about budget guardrails. The motion to repeal Resolution 21-02 was approved 4-0.
• 7.d Updated Salary Resolution: The updated compensation plan included cost-of-living adjustments and a market adjustment for non-represented police management positions. HR Director Ashley Diets confirmed the changes were retroactive to July 1, the beginning of the fiscal year, and resulted from negotiations with the Astoria Public Safety Association. The motion to adopt the salary resolution as presented was approved 4-0.
• 7.e Traffic Safety Advisory Committee Policy and Protocol: Staff presented a draft response policy and protocol for the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee. Councilor Davis requested more guidance on how the prioritization criteria—severity, frequency, vulnerability, and feasibility—should be applied, and recommended adding flexibility beyond the traditional engineering, enforcement, and education framework. Councilor Mazzarella suggested adding an appendix or list of outside stakeholders and resources available to the committee. Mayor Fitzpatrick, who served on TSAC years ago, supported the policy and said the committee would have benefited from clearer guidelines at that time. No vote was taken; staff will revise the policy and bring it back.
• 7.f Final Direction on Ward 4 Appointment Process: Council finalized the four questions to be asked of each candidate on December 1, 2025: Councilor Davis's question, "What do you believe should be the basis for decision making as a City Councilor?"; Councilor Mazzarella's question, "If you received a $1 million grant to use for the City any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?"; Councilor Adams's question, "What is your understanding of the time commitment involved as being a City Councilor?"; and Mayor Fitzpatrick's question, "What has changed in the 18 months since the filing period opened for the 2024 election that has prompted your interest in running for the recently vacated seat?", with a parallel version for Ms. Morley. Staff noted the mayor's question was later changed to "What has motivated you to run for Council now, and how has your perspective evolved since the last election?" Council also agreed to use the weighted STAR voting system, narrow the field through that process, then hold a nomination and final vote on the preferred candidate. In the event of a tie, council will decide at that time, possibly through further discussion or a coin toss. Public comment will be limited to 45 minutes total, two minutes per speaker, with priority to Ward 4 residents; sign-in sheets will allow people to indicate preferred candidates. Emails and letters to council will also be entered into the public record.

New Business & Miscellaneous

• Staff updated council on the Rogue Brewery closure, noting that the initial estimate of 18 affected workers had been reduced to 5 to 10, that wages are expected to be covered, and that Northwest Oregon Works has resources for displaced workers.
• Staff asked for council support for a new Public Works Maintenance Technician position to help cover duties during the vacant wastewater treatment supervisor role. Councilors generally supported the position.
• Council discussed recent ICE and border patrol activity in the region. Councilor Davis urged quick and measured action, and Councilor Mazzarella outlined a preliminary draft resolution affirming constitutional rights, preserving city resources for local enforcement, and exploring land-use measures to restrict detention facilities. Police Chief Stacy Kelly explained that Oregon law prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE or sharing information, and that local agencies have been updating protocols so officers can confirm whether a stop is legitimate and ensure public safety. Staff will work with the city attorney and affected departments and bring a resolution draft to council at the next regular meeting or possibly as early as the December 1 meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the emergency preparedness MOU with Astoria School District 1C, 4-0.
• Created Housing and Community Resiliency Fund #141, 4-0; closed Astor West Special Projects Fund #140 and transferred remaining funds, 4-0.
• Repealed Resolution 21-02, 4-0.
• Adopted the updated salary resolution, including COLA and market adjustments, retroactive to July 1, 2025, 4-0.
• Directed staff to revise the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee policy and return it for future action.
• Finalized the Ward 4 candidate interview questions, STAR voting process, nomination procedure, and 45-minute public comment format for the December 1, 2025 appointment meeting.
• Directed staff and the city attorney to develop a resolution addressing ICE enforcement concerns and community protections, with a target of the next regular council meeting or the December 1 meeting.