Time to Change Your Tires
If you have studded tires on your car or truck, you have until the end of the day Friday to have them taken off. Studded tires are allowed in Oregon between November 1st and March 31st each year. Galen McGill, the State Maintenance and Operations Engineer for the Oregon Department of Transportation says there are alternatives to studded tires. Things like traction tires and chains. McGill said a 2014 study estimated about $8.5-million damage was caused each year by studs. He said if you drive after March 31st with studded tires, you could be cited for a traffic violation and possibly face a fine of $165.
Planning Commission
Short term rentals in the City of Florence and a review of the 2023-2025 Work Plan are on the agenda for a Florence Planning Commission work session this evening at city hall. Commissioners will hear an update from city staff on a study of short term rentals in Florence. Like many other communities on the Oregon Coast, Florence has been studying the impact of short term or vacation rentals in residential property and the impact it has on affordable housing. Planning commissioners will hear the results of that study and review the next steps in possibly moving forward with comprehensive regulation. The Planning Commission work session begins at 5:30 at City Hall.
Children to Receive Additional Food Benefits
While additional SNAP benefits were reduced at the end of February, the state of Oregon says it will boost benefits for children that were eligible for the National Free Lunch Program meals during the 2020-2021 school year and to those who were under the age of 6 and enrolled in the SNAP program during the summer of 2022. Each child will be sent an P-EBT card in the mail containing $391.00 in food benefits. Claire Seguin is the interim director of the Oregon Department of Human Services Self-Sufficieny programs and says the state recognizes the impact that still exists as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the rising cost of food. The program will fund 170 million dollars in relief benefiting 434,000 students and young children in the state. Cards should begin arriving by the end of the month. Eligible households should see notification Letters in the mail in the next several days.
