Wet and Windy Week
Inclement weather continues to affect the Oregon coast line with more wet conditions continuing through the week. The National weather service is calling for a significant amount of rain to the north of Florence and in southwestern Washington. Along with rain a high wind watch will post tomorrow for Florence and northern cities on the coast with sustained winds of 25-35 miles per hour and gusts up to 60 miles per hour. The event will last mainly from Tuesday afternoon through late Tuesday evening. The strongest winds expected on the beaches and headlands. But there are possibilities of trees coming down and debris on the roadways along with the potential of power outages. The national weather service is also calling for significant rainfall ranging from 3.5 inches to 6 inches along some parts of the coast with 1.5 to 3.5 inches inland.
City Council Meeting
The Florence city Council is expected to have a full slate this evening after several weeks of no meetings. Tonight at 5:30 at City Hall the council will take up a pair of Liquor license requests for Jerry’s Place and the Laughing crab. There will also be a public hearing on an annexation and zone change for property owned by Roger Center at 88366 4th street. The .14 acres is within the city of Florence Urban Growth Boundary and if approved would receive city services including sewer and police. The city will also announce appointments to the Environmental Management Advisory Committee and a solid waste rate review.
Paid Leave Updates
The Oregon Employment Department has announced the 2025 tax rates for Paid Leave Oregon and Unemployment Insurance. Employers will receive mailed notices with details. The Paid Leave Oregon contribution rate remains at 1%, split between employees, who pay 60%, and employers, who pay 40%. It applies to wages up to $176,100. For Unemployment Insurance, Oregon will stay in Tax Schedule 3. The taxable wage base increases to $54,300 per employee, and new employers will continue paying 2.4%. Experience ratings for 2025 return to pre-pandemic rules. Director David Gerstenfeld expressed gratitude to businesses for supporting Oregon’s economic stability.
