A new thing gets revised and an older thing will be closed.
Hood River City Council approved three updates to the new ordinance enforcing retail bags, and heard that the playground at Children’s Park will be closed and dismantled for safety reasons.
City Manager Steve Wheeler said the city will close the playground at Ninth and Eugene streets in about one week, because of rotting and other repair issues with beams, posts and other parts of the 24-year-old wooden structure. It was built in 1993, thanks largely to community fundraising, design, and labor, and remains one of the community’s most popular destinations for families.
Public Works Director Mark Lago said he plans to give council a report on the situation at its April 24 meeting; park users should expect to see signs soon that direct them to the city website for details.
In a wide-ranging agenda, the council also welcomed two new fire department employees, and approved a proclamation declaring April 2-8 as Sexual Assault Awareness Week.
In other business, council upheld an unusual recommendation by Chief Neal Holste to deny a liquor license application by the new owners of Red Carpet Inn (details this page).
In addition, the council heard some surprising news about short term rentals. Assistant City Manager Will Norris said the city had so far received only one appeal, out of 120 applications, over non-conforming STRs, following city-wide notification of the location of all such applications.
The non-conforming STRs will need to cease operation after five years, under an ordinance passed last year by the city; they total more than 11,600 annual visitor nights, according to Norris.
The single appeal was not from a neighbor, but from an applicant who wanted to be granted more nights to use their home as an STR, according to Norris, who stressed that more applications could come in, as the deadline to appeal was 5 p.m. March 28. (See hoodrivernews.com on March 29 for an update.)
On the “plastic bag ordinance,” which also affects the paper bags merchants provide customers, the council agreed to waive the requirements that stores charge a nickel per paper bag and provide reuseable cloth bags for sale.
Staff will bring a revised ordinance to council on April 24.
The new ordinance prohibits stores from issuing carryout plastic bags and had dictated that stores would have to charge at least a nickel for paper bags. The ban affected the city’s three largest stores starting March 1 and will apply to all stores on July 1.
Merchants registered concerns with Mayor Paul Blackburn and city administration over aspects of the law’s rules on paper bags. One merchant said they had a large stock of non-complying bags and did not want to incur the cost of disposing of them.
Council also agreed to set aside the ordinance’s requirement that paper bags be recyclable and contain a minimum amount of recycled material, opting to let merchants use existing stock and to work with city staff on a case-by-case basis.
As to how city enforcement staff would respond on this basis, Holste said, “We need to make sure everyone has the opportunity. What’s good for one member of the community needs to be good for the others.” Wheeler noted that enforcement is on a complaint basis, so merchants communicating need to city hall would likely prevent issuance of a citation.
In addition, to demonstrate why her shop needs an exemption from the plastic bag ban, Megan Gauthier of G. Williker’s Toy Shoppe brought a unique set of visual aids to council: a life-sized German Shepherd stuffed animal, and one of the plastic bags that would be provided to the customer to carry home a $140 gift. (See photo, above left.)
“I don’t want to get a $200 fine every time I protect a customer’s expensive purchase with one of these large bags,” Gauthier said.
Wheeler said the response to merchants’ specific bag concerns is, “come see us,” adding, “I think it goes without saying anyone can complain to me at any time.”
Blackburn said Gauthier’s example clearly demonstrated why the city needs to be flexible.
Red Carpet permit
Holste recommended the Red Carpet liquor license be denied, citing his concerns over “information I either have or have received” regarding “personal history and past choices made” by business owners.
The long-standing bar property at the west end of Cascade Avenue closed three weeks ago for extensive cleaning and remodeling after purchase by Andy von Flotow of Hood River.
Business owners Lucas Ward and Morgan Lynch both have criminal records, but none in the past 10 years, and Ward voluntarily provided Holste with his criminal records dating back 12 years, though reporting a minimum of five years is required.
“We’ve both rebuilt our lives and are looking to this (Red Carpet) as a way to help do just that, to work and support our families,” said Ward, who owns rental properties in town and has worked for the same employer for 10 years. Lynch has worked as bartender at the Red Carpet for nine years.
They said lack of a permit, or even a delay, will mean the loss of thousands of dollars of revenue; they have invested $7,000 of their own funds in the project, and cited the support of von Flotow in cleaning up the facility and outfitting the space with new appliances, flooring and other improvements.
Holste said the recommendation does not ensure the OLCC would deny the permit, but that it slows it down. He said it is the first recommendation for denial he has issued in six years as chief.
Council upheld Holste by a 4-2 vote, with Susan Johnson saying, “I believe in second chances,” and Peter Cornelison noting that the new owners have already done much to clean up the property, scheduled for reopening in a month.
Council members Mark Zanmiller, Kate McBride and Megan Saunders, along with Blackburn, voted to uphold Holte’s recommendation.
“The chief is not saying this for no reason at all,” McBride said. “I know it means a delay, but the OLCC might not deny or delay it.”
Meanwhile, during the public comment period, the council heard one business owner urge the city to form a “beverage council” to help liquor purveyors and the city curb health and safety issues. Brian Shortt of Shortt Supply said it came down to “urine, vomit and butts,” the unsavory remnants of some patrons’ nights out found near local establishments serving alcohol. Shortt said a beverage council would bring business owners and the city together to raise awareness and develop joint solutions to combat litter and other behavior.
“Hood River is renowned for its quality of life, and healthy attitudes about living the way we do, which is why we need to be proactive about talking about this,” Shortt said. He said he cleaned up 20 cigarette butts in front of his store, and has collected dozens of photos of litter and vomit.
Shortt also noted that the city’s recycling bins are too small for the amount of need and are disproportionate to the number of downtown alcohol purveyors.
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