Waldport voters have an array of candidates to choose from when it comes to selecting next mayor and three council members

 

WALDPORT – There’s no lack of interest by people running for Waldport council positions in the Nov. 8 general election.

There is a two-man race for mayor and five people – including three incumbents – are seeking three seats on the city council.

The only sure thing is that Melaia Kilduff, a Waldport native and second-grade teacher at Crestview Heights School, will be elected to fill the remaining two years of council vacancy. Kilduff is running unopposed for the seat vacated in March when Heide Lambert resigned to become Yachats city manager.

Greg Holland, a retired attorney who was elected mayor in November 2020 after serving 12 years as a city councilor, is being challenged by Mike Gatens, a U.S. Forest Service employee and owner of Shrimp Daddys, a Waldport wholesale bait supplier and retail store. The mayor’s term is for two years.

Five people are seeking three, four-year terms on the city council. The top three vote-getters will take their seats in January.

Three council candidates are incumbents – Rick Booth, Jerry Townsend and Susan Woodruff. Also seeking the seats are Michael Flaming, a carpenter with a Yachats construction company, and Michelle Severson, a Waldport High coach and substitute teacher.

YachatsNews asked seven questions of each candidate. Severson declined to participate and some candidates did not answer all the questions. Here are their responses.

Please give a brief description of your education, work, professional and civic background.

Mayor candidates

Holland: I have a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Missouri State University, a master’s degree in Political Science from Pittsburg State (Kansas) University a law degree from the University of West Los Angeles. I was a family law attorney for 22 years in Los Angeles until retiring and have lived in Waldport for 16 years. I have been active in the community, founding the non-profit Alsea Bay Center for the Arts, and in Beachcomber Days as a past Vice-president.

Gatens: I grew up on South Beaver Creek just north of Waldport on the property which my great grandfather first settled on in the mid-1800’s. I left Waldport after high school to begin working for my family’s business, building motherboard testers and computer power cables we sold to Intel. This is where I studied business, educating myself learning inventory management and technical assembly line production. After four years I had enough of the big city and returned home to build a lifestyle as a deckhand in the fishing industry out of Newport and on the Bering Sea. In 2000 I began working for the U.S. Forest Service in Ukiah, Ore. where I started a career fighting wildfires in the summer while still maintaining a spot on a crab boat in the winter. In 2012 I transferred to the Central Coast Ranger District to assist and build a cohesive fire crew. I am part of a new fuels program on the Siuslaw National Forest focusing on enhancing old coastal meadows for the silver spotted butterfly and dunes restoration to remove European dune grass offering more habitat for the snowy plover. On the side I also built a small wholesale/retail bait and tackle business in Waldport with the goal to build more employment opportunities for folks wanting to work.

Council candidates

Kilduff: I am an elementary school teacher at Crestview Heights School, but have served Waldport students in various roles since 2007, including running the very successful 21st Century Community Learning Center After School Program in the old Waldport Elementary School. Although this publication often prefaces my experience with being my mother’s daughter, I haven’t been personally involved with the Seashore Family Literacy organization since 2016. My husband, Morgan, and I have two sons who attend Waldport schools, where he is the head cross country coach and track and field assistant coach. Morgan and I both grew up in Waldport and graduated from Waldport High School before leaving to attend college. I am part of the third generation of the McKinley Family in Waldport, with the hope of making the fourth generation want to come back to contribute to this community. I have a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, a master’s degree in Special Education, and an Oregon teaching license.

Booth: I’m a retired U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer. I have a community college associates degree in business; served five years with the Coast Guard Auxiliary; member of Oregon Coast Veterans Association and the Waldport Veterans of Foreign Wars. I have worked with South Lincoln Resources since 2007 and serve on its board; coordinator of Hands Across the Bridge yearly event in Waldport, Lincoln County Sheriff Community Advisory Group member, Lincoln County Drug and Hope Court advisory council member, ministry leader/state and regional representative for Celebrate Recovery, serve as chaplain for three south Lincoln County fire districts, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and Pacific West Ambulance, and I am a Waldport Chamber of Commerce Interpretive Center volunteer.

Flaming: I’ve lived in the Waldport area about 20 years. I’m a local carpenter working for the same local contractor for eight years.

Townsend: I worked 50 years as a college and university journalism professor, including serving as chair of a department with 28 faculty and staff, a magazine, online and print newspapers, radio and TV stations and managing an annual budget of more than $1 million. I was founder and owner of two successful small businesses in Macintosh computer services and professional photography, and I served as president of several local, state and national professional organizations in journalism, photography and higher education. Covered the Missouri legislature, state government and politics for a daily newspaper and wrote a weekly column for Missouri Press Association, published in 80 newspapers.

Woodruff: Although my formal education stopped with an associate’s degree, I have always been a quick and inquisitive learner, both through life experience and various structured learning opportunities. My business experience came from teaming with my husband to run three connected transportation businesses, retiring and moving to Waldport in 1994, and then contracting to run McKinley’s Marina for five years. While gardening at our home, a city councilor who often walked by encouraged me to apply for Waldport’s Planning Commission. After serving there one year, a council opening came up; I applied and have been serving on council since 2001.

Have you previously served on any city, county, fire district or school committees or attended any Waldport council meetings?

Mayor candidates

Gatens: I served on the Ukiah School Board in Ukiah, Ore. and I am currently president of the Alsea Sportsman Association. I have not physically been to any Waldport city council meetings, which offers me a non-biased approach into the mayor’s seat. However, I do follow up on the agendas and minutes from the meetings on occasions to stay informed.

Holland: I have been Waldport’s mayor for the past two years. I was a Waldport city councilor for 12 years and council president for two of those years.

Council candidates:

Booth: Appointed to Waldport Council in January 2021 due to the loss of a councilman and elected to the remaining term in November 2021, which expires in December.

Townsend: I have served on the Waldport City Council since January 2021 and have attended every meeting. I also represent the city on the Lincoln County Public Safety Coordinating Council and the Cascades West Area Commission on Transportation. I mentor Waldport High students in the ASPIRE program.

Woodruff: While on council, I have served on the boards of other organizations whose work relates to quality-of-life issues for our citizens. These include the Lincoln County Economic Development Alliance, the Citizen Advisory Committee for Waldport High School organization and new building; co-organized and participated in Travel Oregon’s rural tourism studio for south Lincoln County; Lincoln County Solid Waste Advisory Committee; Samaritan Pacific Hospital board; Cascade West Council of Governments; Waldport Chamber of Commerce, and Lincoln County Budget Committee.

Kilduff: I have worked within large organizations, served on committees, and boards for the last 25 years. The experiences gained there will flatten the learning curve a bit, although I am well aware that I have much to learn. In my experience, the most successful organizations have leadership that recognizes the importance of listening. We will all come to council with our own ideas, our own vision for a safe, healthy, and thriving Waldport. However, whatever my personal opinion is, it must be the greater good that becomes our path.

Why are you running for Waldport mayor or the city council?

Mayor candidates

Holland: It’s because we’ve started something good here in the past two years, and we can do even more in the future. I testified in the Oregon Legislature twice to help get $4.1 million to improve our freshwater plant and repair our wastewater plant, saving us thousands of dollars in taxes per resident. It’s getting us $750,000 from the state to build a park that will improve the quality of life for our kids and entertain their parents. We’ve built a creative economy, galleries, and even a pottery studio. It draws people to Waldport who will also eat, shop, and stay. It’s the transparency in government. For the first time, everything in Waldport government is online. It’s the new partnerships between the City and groups like the Chamber of Commerce in the successful recent Beach, Bikes and Blues festival. I have the time to dedicate to attending all the meetings (sometimes three a day) that are required to do this unpaid job right. I represent Waldport all over the state. By attending these meetings and meeting with other representatives, you never know when you plant a seed if it will sprout into something great for Waldport.

Gatens: When I saw that our current mayor was running for county commissioner last May I saw an opportunity to run for a position in a positive way. I have been waiting for an opening on the council because I want to be involved with our city’s decision-making and bring fresh ideas to the table. As I drive through town, I see such potential in our city. Our buildings and streets need improvements/makeovers and roads resurfaced. Our neighborhoods deserve sidewalks. Old Town needs to be resurrected and brought back to life.

Council candidates

Flaming: I’m running for city council because I really care about our community and the people that live here. I believe I can bring a fresh and new train of thought to our cities leadership. Not that anyone is doing a bad job, but I believe we can always do better.

Woodruff: I am running this time looking forward to seeing some projects that we have worked on for years come to fruition, the biggest of which is Southworth Park where Waldport High School once stood. In addition, we now have the best city hall staff to work with, led by a manager who aggressively seeks more efficient, economical, and customer-friendly ways to conduct the city’s business. This team makes our job much more effective and pleasurable, and I would be honored to continue working with our council team to guide and support their efforts.

Townsend: I believe in a government which is honest, fair, open and humane. To help that happen I will continue to solicit and listen carefully to the concerns of my fellow citizens and work to address them. Among my major goals are to create stronger ties between Waldport schools and the city, to enhance and expand our parks and trails, and to encourage volunteerism and protection of the environment.

Booth: I’ve strived to be an independent voice working on behalf of all citizens of Waldport. My interests are wide ranging with many interests. My goals are to improve our neighborhoods by building community spirit and pride.

What in your background (work, family, civic involvement, etc.) would make you a good mayor or member of the city council?

Mayor candidates

Gatens: With an amazing wife who stands behind me with whatever I am working to achieve. The five young adults we have raised together have blessed us with amazing family values. Observing the kids struggles to live in our community and working hard to make ends meet, allows me to understand the pains families and other minimum wage workers are going through to even put food on their tables. Working for the U.S. Forest Service for 23 years as an incident commander and a task force leader, I have studied to be a rapid decision maker ensuring the safety of others. As a crew boss I have acquired advanced leadership skills I have structured to apply in any scenario. I believe in teamwork that builds and forms cohesiveness within the core structure. I believe in a learning environment — not a know-it-all mentality. I am going into this willing to listen, learn and have a can-do attitude. All who know me know I come with a strong work ethic and will only quit when safety is jeopardized. The government has trusted me in advanced leadership roles for 18 years of my career I want to share this with Waldport especially during an emergency. I have also built a small business from the ground up in our town. As an entrepreneur I want to encourage others to take that leap of faith and follow their dreams building new businesses in Waldport and give them the support they need to be successful. I will remain humble and caring for Waldport and all who reside and visits “Where the Forest Meets the Sea.”

Holland: First of all, it has to be the love of Waldport. I’ve never seen a more caring community, a community that looks out for each other. I have a background in divorce mediation. It was where a couple who wasn’t at a World War level could come into my office, and by simply talking it out, with my assistance, we could come to a resolution of their case without even going to Court. I’ve secretly used mediation techniques when the council has had particular tough issues and we have resolved them. Finally, I like people. So even if you yell at me in the Post Office, I’m going to see that your complaint is resolved as best we can.

Council candidates

Woodruff: I show up. I take the needed time to understand the issues on which we are deliberating — always considering their effect on our residents, and I seek out relationships and groups whose influence can help our community. I believe this has served our council well and will remain valuable as the number of councilors with two years or less years of service grows.

Booth: I have always been involved with my community. While working I was involved with many service organizations. Since retiring I continue to put my boots on the ground working with members of the city and county, opening doors to be involved creating relationships. I will continue listening to members of the community and continue to be their voice. I continue to provide Waldport with the type of leadership that fosters community pride, livability, and economic diversity. I am committed to making Waldport an energetic year-round community for visitors to come and be part of.

Kilduff: In my experience, the most successful organizations have leadership that recognizes the importance of listening. We will all come to council with our own ideas, our own vision for a safe, healthy, and thriving Waldport. However, whatever my personal opinion is, it must be the greater good that becomes our path.

Townsend: Please see my response above to my civic and professional background.

Flaming: I’ve been raised, and believe that working hard is how one gets ahead. I was very involved with my daughter’s school and was vice-president of the PTA so I know how to listen and learn and I know when to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s not the most popular decision.

What should be the city’s approach to housing, including workforce, affordable, family/multifamily, etc.

Mayor candidates

Holland: We hit the ground running two years ago and commissioned a survey of all buildable land within the city limits. We are working to remove city obstacles to building and make it easier for affordable housing to be built. The reality of the situation are high labor costs in a tight labor market, combined with higher material costs, are making new builds tough. We have a great land tract behind the ODOT weigh station on U.S. Highway 101 that could be a great development, but ODOT wants $10 million to move the rarely used site. I hope to be able to work with state leaders to overcome this obstacle, so Waldport could benefit. We’ve also loosened up on registered accessory dwelling units during Covid and now during the worker shortage. I encourage everyone to make their units legal now.

Gatens: Housing is an issue in so many communities like ours that must stop being just “talked about” and ideas need to be put into action. I look forward to having motivated discussions with city council to finding solutions in our community. Such as encouraging more tiny home neighborhoods and yurt style homes giving more affordable opportunities for places people can call home. If planned right and everyone working together it can offer immediate housing needs while we continue to find greater solutions for the future.

Council candidates

Booth: We need to seek ways to provide housing available for those to live. This is not a one-person show. It will take all coming together to provide land, to lower the costs, and to work together to accomplish this huge problem, and it must be addressed by government bodies to provide funding to support it.

Townsend: I support the city’s professional housing study, which is in the home stretch. Once complete, we will have a detailed inventory of truly developable land along with a picture of what housing options make sense here. This will give our council and city manager the information we need to develop plans and act to encourage developers to create the affordable housing we need.

Woodruff: Without city land to incentivize developers to build needed affordable housing, we are allowing accessory dwelling units, to be built in residential areas; considering allowing RVs as housing until more affordable housing becomes available; conducting a needed survey that will allow us to take further zoning steps to provide for more housing options; actively encouraging property owners to develop; offering ways to make upfront costs payable in stages, and streamlining our requirements.

Describe how you would approach the growing issue of homelessness

Mayor candidates

Gatens: My approach to homelessness in our community has already started by giving employment opportunities to the ones who are capable to safely perform. Whether they can maintain or not I feel it is important to give anyone a chance to get a leg up if they seek help. It just takes that one time from someone reaching down to help pull them up to possibly chance their lives forever. I have some great and rewarding success stories. It saddens me, however, to see some in our community throwing verbal stones at people who maybe just need to feel recognized. Mental health is a different circumstance but we still need to come together as a community and find solutions for them as well. We are however very fortunate we are not experiencing severe homelessness in our community as so many others currently are today. We must take care of our working people — our employees that keep all of our business open and currently people who do having housing, helping them ease their financial burden they are currently going through right now. Rather than continue to raise utilities and taxes to the point they can no longer afford already expensive housing and do find themselves homeless. This is not easy times right now coming out of a long pandemic that still continues to linger on all of us. We must be willing to flex where possible and still maintain strong structure within our community.

Holland: The Mayor’s Association of Oregon, of which I am a member, is asking the state for more money to address the issue. We simply don’t have the funds in Waldport to address the issue. Our budgets barely cover the necessary programs. Lincoln County was given $1 million to set up a program of services for the homeless and I sit on the advisory panel trying to ensure that Waldport will get its fair share. I’m one of the five on the executive committee selecting the expert advisers they will hire. Finally, Lincoln County mayors are working on the possibility of a new shelter opening. This would serve both those who want to transition out of homelessness and those that don’t. There are so many services needed training, mental health, addiction, domestic violence, PTSD, etc. If anyone has easy answers, don’t believe them. I don’t know if we can ever solve homelessness.

Council candidates:

Kilduff: Homelessness is a symptom of greater issues: Lack of affordable housing, severe shortage of mental health services, and an imbalance of services to need. In 2021, Oregon House Bill 3115 created state statute that requires cities to consider how they are responding to the homeless crisis through ordinances and proactive response such as shelters and affordable housing. It is my understanding that Waldport City Council has spent a considerable amount of time working on their response to HB3115. Before adding my opinion or ideas to the work already started, I would listen to what has been considered and what plans “hold water” as they say. I would hope that our City Council would be able to come up with a way to maintain the dignity of those who are currently residing in our city without shelter.

Townsend: Homelessness is a serious issue in Oregon and nationally. I believe local governments are well equipped to provide ideas, but the dollars to implement most of them must come from state and national governments, which have far more discretionary money. Cities like ours need to help develop solutions and press our legislature and congress to spend to implement them.

Woodruff: This issue requires partnerships, collaboration, and finding ways to work together, both locally, regionally, and at the state/federal levels, to obtain the funds and human resources required to tackle this need in communities throughout our state. Shelters are temporary band aids but require buildings and supervision. Programs which are currently getting some homeless into housing need to be expanded, as having a stable home is key to getting a job and services needed to become a productive community member. RV housing mentioned above is one limited action that we’ve been able to do so far, but other ideas are also being actively investigated by our local mayors, and our council will hear more about this at our November council meeting.

Flaming: Homelessness is a very real and growing problem. If there were an easy answer, it would already be solved. I do have a few common sense ideas that I think could help.

Booth: I believe everyone has a right to protection from the elements and a place that provides safe shelter. This issue is nationwide. Solving the issue is not a small feat that will be accomplished in a short time. It will take funding outside of the city budget. There must be city, county and state partners pushing together for the common cause of “Treating our Neighbors respectfully.”

What is your philosophy and approach to code enforcement?

Mayor candidates

Holland: We have gotten a little tough with code enforcement the past two years and you know what? Waldport looks all the better for it. Junk around homes, hoarding houses, and junked cars are becoming things of the past. We are also shutting down businesses that are a threat to our groundwater, and environment or doing things not authorized within the city limits. We need to protect our citizens and children from potential toxin exposure.

Gatens: With the appropriate code enforcement and training resources available to the property owners, landlords and residents there can be transparency to code requirements keeping our community healthy, safe, and informed.

Council candidates

Townsend: We are gradually updating and simplifying our codes to make Waldport safer, healthier and more livable. I believe code enforcement begins with information provided to the citizens. Codes must make sense. Enforcement is a process. A second step is warnings. Most people will follow sensible rules, if they understand the reasoning behind them. But sometimes, after multiple congenial efforts at gaining compliance, citizens still knowingly defy codes. The city then must fine or, in the most serious cases, even take court action to protect the community.

Booth: We live in one of the most beautiful cities in Oregon and to maintain this we must seek means to keep our city that way. It takes all of us, coming together to do this. My thoughts are to find ways for enforcement. Again, funding becomes key to success.

Flaming: Code enforcement rules are there for a reason. If residents don’t like them they are free to petition to change them. Also, I don’t believe in playing favorites. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”

Woodruff: My desire is that Waldport be an attractive and well-run city for residents and visitors alike. We have struggled over the years without enough staffing to do this consistently and have tried contracting for the service but so far without the desired success. Currently our city manager handles egregious cases and has had good success at cleaning those up. Until we have more comprehensive enforcement, our system will remain complaint driven, but always first seeking compliance, with fines as a last resort.

What other important issue(s) does the city of Waldport face and how would you deal with it/them?

Mayor candidates:

Gatens: I want to be mayor because I want to share my vision with all of you and do what I can to improve our community. I look forward to joining Waldport city council and being part of their team working hard together to build a greater vibe to our town. I want to see more musical festivals such as Beach, Bikes & Blues and Beachcomber Day’s events. We need to have a Crabbing Festival with a derby and crab races, and bring back the sandcastle building event that used to be down by the Port’s beach. Anything that will bring us all together I will support 100 percent.

Holland: Issues arise almost daily and I am ready to devote the time and study necessary to work out the right solutions for Waldport as needed. You need a mayor who can concentrate nearly full-time on Waldport, someone experienced and knows the right people to get what Waldport needs. This job can’t be handled by someone working full-time. The ones that will be short-changed are the citizens of Waldport.

Council candidates

Woodruff: Not surprisingly, most come down to money. Although we have consistently produced and maintained conservative budgets, just like in our personal lives, income does not keep up with the increasing costs of everything needed to responsibly maintain our city. The pandemic has brought unusual funding opportunities to meet the needed upgrading and replacement of old and failing infrastructure, and we have already received several million dollars for such water and sewer projects. We are now seeking new grant funding for upgrading our water system to ensure, for example, that Central Coast Fire & Rescue has sufficient supply to successfully fight fires. This partnering effort is allowing us to deed our old city hall building to them for $1 so they can take advantage of available funding to structurally harden the building against earthquakes or other disasters. I will also continue to advocate for ways to deliver needed services more efficiently and with less burden on our citizens. And looking beyond our city: why have four water districts or three fire districts in south Lincoln County or five law enforcement agencies in our relatively small county? We cannot afford the rising costs of these duplicated services and must work together for a sustainable future.

Townsend: The key issues include several major projects which will happen in the next year or so are: the development of Southworth Park, a major recreation and event area on the property of the old high school, using multiple grants; repair of the city’s water supply tank and installation of an additional tank via grants with work to begin in the next few months; and building a sidewalk on the east side of Crestline Drive with a $1.67 million Safe Routes to Schools grant.

Flaming: The city of Waldport is growing and it seems the city infrastructure is falling behind. Water treatment and city sewer expansion is a very important topic to be researched and that ties right into the housing shortage. Also youth programs are something that could use some help.

Booth: Our water and wastewater systems are over 25 years old so seeking funding for upgrade is a major issue for our city. Additionally, there is a huge need to seek funding to upgrade the fire suppression systems. Our water pipes are old and in need of major upgrades. I am very concerned about the high use of drugs in our community, either with adults or children. My stance is to have a better knowledge of what is happening. Begin by taking drugs off our streets, then we must have safer schools, which are affected by the problem. Crime in general is becoming more prevalent. We need to seek tools to better protect ourselves. One thought is to reinstate a Neighborhood Watch concept. Our neighbors are our biggest asset.