2 November 2015
Applicant reverses course on secondary access
The Florence City Council will take testimony this evening on an appeal of a September Planning Commission decision requiring an alternative access to a planned subdivision on the East side of Sandpines Golf Links along Oak Street.
The applicants were asking to convert a previously approved 99-home planned unit development into one containing 54-homes. They also asked to have the requirement for a second entry through the Sandpines Golf parking lot waived. The Planning Commission approved, but citing current code requirements, required a second access onto Oak Street.
The developers of the East Bank development are appealing that decision and have asked for the Sandpines access to be reinstated.
In other business this evening, the Council will hear a request to declare the 2nd Monday in October as Indigenous People’s Day and begin the annual evaluation process for the city manager.
The Council meets at six at City Hall.
Higher health care premiums coming
Oregonians enrolling or re-enrolling in health insurance for 2016 will face some of the highest rate increases in the country — but their monthly premiums will remain among some of the lowest across the U.S.
The third open enrollment period for buying health insurance under the federal Affordable Care Act started yesterday. Oregon residents will use the federal exchange portal, HealthCare.Gov, to sign up, renew or change plans.
Federal data shows Oregon saw some of the highest rate increases for benchmark silver plans.
But state officials say Oregon still has some of the lowest rates in the country. That’s because Oregon’s original plan rates in 2014 were extremely low, and they remain in the lower half of the pack despite price increases.
Newport tops in West coast seafood landings
Newport is now the dominant West Coast port for commercial fishing, with the highest quantity of fish landings on the coast.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Newport landed 124 million pounds of commercial fish, the 11th highest quantity in the country. That was two million pounds more than the former top west coast port, Astoria, which had held the spot since dislodging Los Angeles in 2012.
The nation’s top commercial fishing port by quantity for the past several years has been Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
Dancing with the sea lions
A call for artists is being issued by the Friends of the Florence Events Center and a special committee. They’re looking for 20 different artists; each would decorate seven-foot long fiberglass sea lions that will be used to promote the center’s 20th anniversary next year.
Artists are invited to submit a “blind” entry of their design for evaluation. They may submit up to three different designs, but if selected would only use one.
Design proposals are due no later than December Fourth. The sea lions will go on display in various locations in early April… then will remain in place until the FEC’s 20th anniversary in August.
Complete instructions, including the application, are available on the FEC website.
