The Astoria City Council met in regular session on August 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers at 1095 Duane Street, Astoria, Oregon. The meeting included Mayor's Awards, a school-attendance proclamation, councilor reports, unanimous approval of the consent calendar, and action on an Arts & Culture Advisory Commission, a stormwater utility study, forestry contracts, solar bollard lighting, Recology rate changes, and a letter supporting Chinook Indian Nation federal recognition. The meeting adjourned at 8:29 PM.
Arts & Culture Advisory Commission: Staff proposed a five-member voting commission with up to three nonvoting ex officio members to advise on arts/culture policy, administer designated programs, review public-art proposals, and periodically update the Arts and Culture Strategic Plan. Councilor Davis recommended voting members have direct arts experience; Councilor Adams supported emerging artists; Councilor Mazzarella emphasized culture beyond traditional art forms; Councilor Conklin supported retaining tourism/hospitality connections. Public comment: Ryan Blume strongly supported the commission; Jessamyn Grace West supported it and suggested focusing on intersections between art and tourism, hospitality, events, and local culture; Quinn Haase, representing the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association, supported and requested coordination with its Arts and Culture Committee. Council approved the resolution and then approved an amendment allowing ex officio members to demonstrate expertise in tourism/hospitality, education, community engagement, or nonprofit leadership. Both motions passed 5-0.
Stormwater Utility Formation Study: Council authorized a $74,025 contract with FCS Group. Assistant City Engineer Cindy Moore said the city maintains about 35 miles of stormwater pipes and related facilities but lacks a dedicated revenue source. Several Combined Sewer Overflow loans are being paid off, allowing consideration of phasing in stormwater rates. City Manager Spence noted approximately $245 million in infrastructure needs, including about $10.5 million for stormwater. Most study work is expected by December or January, with FCS available through May 2027. Motion passed 5-0.
Forest Management Budget Transfer: Council approved transferring $40,000 from Fund 102 Contingency to Forest Management Activities, increasing that appropriation from $60,000 to $100,000 to complete Bear Creek Forest Carbon Project work and fund the FY 2026-27 forestry contract. Finance Director Hilary Norton said contingency has rarely been used and about $20,000 of the transfer represents unspent prior-year funds. Motion passed 5-0.
Springboard Forestry Contract: Council authorized a contract not to exceed $68,560 for FY 2026-27 forestry stewardship consulting services, including timber sale preparation, forest road inventory, Cedar Creek Spur 1 project assistance, and remaining Bear Creek Forest Carbon Project work. Motion passed 5-0.
Solar Bollard Lights Budget Transfer: Council approved transferring $60,000 from Contingency to Capital Improvements in the Promote Astoria Fund (#410) for solar bollard lights. Parks and Recreation Director Jonah Dart-McLean said 40 lights would be enough to extend lighting and retain spares. Stacey Stahl, representing the Astoria Upper Town Business Association, supported the purchase, noting Upper Town had waited years for lighting and the solar bollards tested successfully. Motion passed 5-0.
Solar Bollard Light Purchase: Council authorized the purchase of 40 Meteor solar bollards from Crescent Electric for $57,078. Staff explained solar bollards cost roughly half of wired bollards, charge in about 3 hours of direct sun or 5-8 hours of overcast conditions, provide up to 12 hours of illumination, dim to 33 percent when no motion is detected, and have batteries with an estimated 5-year life and about $50 replacement cost. The lights would extend from approximately 35th Street toward the LaPlante Spur and first trestle. Motion passed 5-0.
Recology Rate Increase: Council approved Recology's requested rate changes: a 3 percent collection-rate increase, a 3 percent increase for self-haul transfer station customers, a 7.3 percent increase for waste delivered by collection vehicles, and higher yard-debris charges driven by third-party processing costs. A typical 32-gallon residential customer would see about a $1.02 monthly increase; a commercial customer with a one-yard container would see about $6.50. Recology representatives said the projected operating ratio was 93.83 percent, above the 88-92 percent franchise range, and that smaller annual adjustments are less disruptive. They also reported approximately 51 local employees, a coming hard-to-recycle collection site, a new customer account system, average hold times under one minute, and continued Coastal Artist-in-Residence programming. Council discussion included battery-fire prevention and a future low-income assistance program. Motion approved 5-0, effective September 1, 2026.
Chinook Indian Nation Support Letter: Council directed staff to prepare a letter supporting federal recognition of the Chinook Indian Nation and to have the Mayor and Council sign it. City Manager Spence said the draft was based on language provided by the Chinook Indian Nation and consistent with the City's Tribal Engagement Policy. Councilor Davis noted federal recognition could also benefit other smaller tribal nations. Motion passed 5-0.
And welcome to the Monday, August 17th, 2026 meeting of the Astoria City Council. For the record, the time is six PM. I would ask our city manager to please lead us in the pledge. Thank you, Mr. Spence. And if we could have a roll call, please. Councilor Davis. Here. Council Mozzarella. Here. Counselor Adams. Councilor Conklin. Here. Mayor Fitzpatrick. Here. So tonight we are going to start with some early assistance. I will be presenting hopefully three Australia Mayors Awards, followed appropriately by a proclamation in which the entire council will participate. And that would be supporting the Australia School District's campaign to increase student attendance. And then I recognize that several of the people attending for the awards and the proclamation have other meetings or business to attend to this evening. So after providing the proclamation to Superintendent Hoppas, I will pause briefly to allow people to exit the chambers quietly, and then we will go to reports of counselors. So starting with the mayor's awards, the Australia Mayor's Awards are presented to recognize those Astorians who quietly go about making Astoria a better place to live. Not due to the need for recognition, but because it's who they are and what they do. That is what we celebrate this evening. So we intend to recognize four people with three mayors' awards tonight. And I will first ask uh the first lady Ann Carpenter to join me at the lectern along with uh Principal Lynn Jackson of Alstraya High School, and he will be getting the award for building community in Astoria. Thank you for joining me. So Lynn is beginning his twenty-eighth year as an educator for the Astoria School District. And in his service to Australia High School, Lynn has served eight years as a social science instructor, five years as the assistant principal, and 14 years as the principal. And under program development and partnerships, Lynn lists development and refinement of the Australia Choice Academy, which is the alternative education program of the Austoria School District. Lynn has helped to establish the Clatsup Works Internship Program. And in collaboration with Clatzup Community College, he's developed the Coastal Commitment Dual Enrollment Program. And with the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Foundation, he's established a branch of the Schnitzer Care Program at Astoria High School. And this foundation provides students with philanthropic opportunities and many grants to local nonprofits. He's worked on the on track to graduate programs, averaging a 94% ninth grade on track to graduate rate and 91% on time graduation rate over the past three years. And he's also worked on expansion and maintenance of the Waldorf Astoria Sister City student exchange program. Now Lynn asks we please note that these achievements were not done in isolation. They are achieved through the collaborative effort, collaborative effort of dedicated individuals. And he's grateful that he works with such skilled and committed educators. And time does not permit me to go further into Lynn's exceptional work with educational organizations spanning the state and country, as well as his leadership within his church. I will note though, when I was in high school, I had virtually no interaction with the principal at either of the high schools that I attended, and minimal interaction with our vice principals, except for when I was in trouble for something. At Astoria High School, we are lucky to have a very different dynamic, and that's due to the work of our superintendent, Astoria High School's previous previous leadership, and especially the leadership of our current principal, Lynn Jackson. The first lady Ann has worked with and served on Astoria High School Scholarships Inc. for over a decade. And she's had the opportunity to watch Principal Jackson interact with students throughout his period. And Ann would like to read a small portion to Lynn here. All right. Mr. Jackson, thank you for providing valuable information to the Astoria High School Scholarships Board of Directors. Your feedback has helped make us aware of student successes, helped us understand their sensitivities, and ask better questions, all of which allows us to make better decisions when awarding scholarships. Your effort to meet with all incoming freshmen is incredibly impressive.