Oct. 7—CANNON BEACH — Housing and livability issues that stem from tourism are among the top policy issues raised by candidates running for City Council in the November election.

Terms are expiring for the mayor and two city councilors at-large on the five-member council.

Barb Knop, a retired teacher who serves on the Planning Commission, and Erik Ostrander, a hotelier, will vie for mayor. Mayor Sam Steidel has reached his term limits after serving two four-year terms.

City Councilor Mike Benefield has also reached his term limits. City Councilor Robin Risley, who was elected in 2018, will run for reelection.

The other contenders for councilor at-large are Lisa Kerr, an attorney and former planning commissioner; Jenee Pearce-Mushen, the owner of a Gearhart security company; Gary Hayes, who owned a local publishing company for 20 years; Deanna Hammond, the owner of Cannon Beach Bakery; and Laurie Simpkins, the owner of Healthy Hub Massage & Wellness in Seaside.

Voters can choose two councilor at-large candidates.

The candidates said that in addition to policy issues, there are several major projects that need to be overseen, including the construction of a new City Hall and police station, the redevelopment of the former elementary school, a code audit and the collection of the prepared food tax that went into effect in July.

Mayor

Knop, a retired teacher, serves as vice chair of the Planning Commission and chairwoman of the city's parks and community services committee.

She is a founding board member and volunteer of the Cannon Beach Community Food Pantry; a founding board member of Cannon Beach Academy, a kindergarten-to-fifth grade public charter school; and a founding member of Seaside Scholarships, a nonprofit that awards scholarships to graduating seniors from Seaside High School.

Knop said she considered running four years ago, but chose not to run against Steidel, who she supported. She said she chose to take the time to prepare by joining the Planning Commission.

Knop said that if elected, she will work to oversee the major projects before the city. She said the council also needs to continue tackling housing and balancing tourism and livability.

But first, she said, the community needs to learn to get along again. She believes increased animosity in the community is directly related to the coronavirus pandemic.

"It has nothing to do with city staff or present council, present mayor. It's just that we were isolated for so long," Knop said. "We were on Zoom meetings, and we just kind of forgot how to be polite and kind and respectful of each other.

"Until we can kind of work on that, then the other issues, while they're important, are going to rely on how successful we are with getting along with each other."

Ostrander manages Sea Breeze Court, a hotel owned and operated by his wife's family.

He also serves as a volunteer firefighter for the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District and as a board member of the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to Cannon Beach, Ostrander held jobs in Texas and Florida working with native plants and habitat.

He said he is running for mayor because he believes that he can provide a voice for, and a connection to, local business owners and workers.

"Something that I've noticed over the last couple of years in watching City Council meetings is, through no fault of their own, the current council — none of them work in the tourist industry," Ostrander said. "None of them understand the needs of those of us that do work in the tourism industry."

He said he wants to work to address housing and balancing tourism with the livability of the people who live and work in the city.

Ostrander said he has been critical of city staff, and specifically City Manager Bruce St. Denis, over what he called a lack of transparency.

"The citizens don't have a high level of trust for decisions that are made," he said. "And I think a lot of that comes from the very high number of meetings that they have. There's no way that a normal working person in town can attend or keep up with the decisions that are made and I think that is to the detriment of the decisions that are made."

Councilors at-large

Risley, a principal broker at Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty, served as a planning commissioner for the city and Clatsop County prior to her time on council.

She also sat on the city's parks and community services committee and was appointed twice by the governor to serve on the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission.

During her time on council, Risley started a monthly Coffee with Councilors meeting with City Councilor Nancy McCarthy.

If she is reelected, Risley said she wants to spend more time promoting the arts and coming up with creative solutions to address the affordability and availability of housing.

"I'm passionate about Cannon Beach and the livability, the environment, water quality, the importance of each other," Risley said. "Through my many years of public service and leadership on numerous commissions and boards, I've learned how to listen and how to get things done. I'm experienced with Oregon land use laws, (Federal Emergency Management Agency) regulations, Oregon Parks and Recreation rules, and know how hard we must work to successfully navigate the government landscape. The work is very rewarding to me because I get to live in the results."

Kerr has served two terms on the city's Planning Commission and sits on the board of the Clatsop County Cultural Coalition and Friends of Haystack Rock. She is also part of the city's short-term rental task force.

Kerr spent over 20 years as a public defender and trial lawyer in Seattle before moving to Cannon Beach. She still practices law and has worked with nonprofits, including the North Coast Land Conservancy.

Kerr said her top policy priorities are housing, protecting the natural environment and quality of life.

"I'd like to see families coming back to Cannon Beach because if you don't have families, all you're going end up with just a bunch of wealthy retirees or wealthy second-homeowners," Kerr said. "That's because that's all who can afford to build here now or to live here or even buy a house."

She believes her experience as an attorney, and more important, her eight years on the Planning Commission, are good preparation for the role of city councilor.

"I think you have a responsibility — because it's representative government — to listen to people," Kerr said. "And I believe very strongly in free speech. I think people should be allowed to express their opinions, even if I don't like them or agree with them. I think it's really important that there's a forum always, for people to give their feedback and express their opinions. And I think the council so far has done a really good job with that. And I'd like to see that continue."

Pearce-Mushen, who has owned Pacific Alarm Systems in Gearhart for the past 15 years, has been an active volunteer throughout Clatsop County.

She has served on the city's public works committee for 13 years, and spent eight years on the city's Design Review Board.

Pearce-Mushen is the Red Cross community liaison for the county, a member of the city and county's Community Emergency Response Team and has spent 15 years on the board for the Independent Electrical Contractors of Oregon. She serves as president of TRYAD Ministries of Cannon Beach and has a family charity that supports local activities.

Pearce-Mushen is also a longtime volunteer with the Portland-based environmental organization SOLVE, and was awarded leader of the year by the organization in 2018.

Her priorities include housing, protecting quality of life, supporting local businesses, protecting the environment and supporting families. She said she also wants to focus on improving community relations and ensure city staff feels valued, appreciated and respected.

"We must all work together to collaborate and make a better world," Pearce-Mushen said. "Because if we don't, we don't have anything. And so that, to me, is very important. So I feel like I can bring that to the city of Cannon Beach. I like to work with people. And if I'm elected, I will be respectful, I will listen and I will make sure that we all work together."

Focus on housing

Hayes, the owner of Explorer Media Group in Cannon Beach, has worked closely with local businesses and published the visitor guides for Seaside and Cannon Beach for about 20 years. He also published his own magazine called Coast Explorer for 20 years until 2020.

Hayes has served on the founding board of Friends of Haystack Rock and as president of the Cannon Beach Arts Association. He also spent nearly a decade on the board of the Oregon Coast Visitors Association.

Hayes said there needs to be continued focus on housing, protecting the environment and livability issues, such as seasonal overcrowding and parking. He said there is also opportunity to expand parks, public lands and trails.

"I have the kind of perspective and experience that I think would allow me to make very balanced and realistic solutions for the city," Hayes said.

Hammond, a downtown business owner, moved to Cannon Beach about five years ago after a more than 25-year career as a financial controller in the construction industry.

She believes her experience would make her an asset while the city manages big projects. Hammond also believes the council needs representation from the business community.

"I'm a fifth-generation Oregonian, and very proudly a fifth-generation Oregonian," she said. "I love this community. And I really think that being a resident here and a local business owner that currently has a business that is open and feeling the effects of the tourism that I realize and have a great understanding of the importance of maintaining that balance between the residents and the tourism and businesses. And I think that I could help bring a lot of insight there."

Hammond was a vocal opponent of the timing of the prepared food tax. If elected, she said she wants to ensure the fire district continues to receive its share of the funds generated from the tax. She also believes the tax should have a sunset date.

She is also opposed to using the funding to build the new City Hall and police station in the tsunami inundation zone.

Simpkins has been a Reiki practitioner and massage therapist for more than 20 years. She said her professional career has focused on service, which includes her work as a doula and when she worked in service industry as a server and bartender.

She is concerned about the prepared food tax and the impact it will have on businesses.

If elected, she wants to focus is on building community.

"If you're going to keep a community together, you have to have honest, ethical and transparent representation," Simpkins said. "That's key. So that's what I'm looking to do."