Thank you for your interest in reading The Astorian. Here are a few stories that you might have missed this week:

•••

The Sunset Empire Transportation District will bring back some bus routes.

After a financial collapse in late April, which led to an abrupt shutdown of public transportation in Clatsop County, the transit district restored partial service on its U.S. Highway 101 route and the Pacific Connector route, as well as reinstating partial paratransit and Dial-A-Ride services.

Jennifer Geisler, the transit district’s operations officer, presented the draft route changes at a meeting of the agency’s board on Thursday.

The restored routes are those known as Route 10 and Route 20, which will operate Monday through Friday. Route 10 will begin at the Mini Mart in Warrenton and serve the Astoria area, extending to Emerald Heights with stops at Clatsop Community College’s Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station campus available by request.

Route 20 also begins at the Warrenton Mini Mart and offers service into Seaside and Cannon Beach.

“We just can’t wait anymore,” Paul Lewicki, the transit district’s interim director, said. “People are hurting every day. It was brought to my attention, and then it became very obvious to me, how many people we see walking across the Youngs Bay bridge these days, how many bicycles we see on 101. And I don’t have anything documented, but I know very well that’s because those folks have no other way to get where they need to go. Because it used to be us.”

See the story by Rebecca Norden-Bright by clicking here.

•••

Significant rate increases are planned in Cannon Beach.

The city hired FCS Group, a consulting company that assists the public sector with utility rates and financial planning, last year to study the water, sewer and storm drain utilities and create a 10-year rate analysis.

The study is intended to ensure the financial viability of utility operations and make sure the city is on track to pay for capital improvement projects.

During a City Council work session last week, the company presented the study and rate projections through 2032. If the financial plan is approved by the council, the combined bill for all three utilities could more than double over the period of the study.

Read the story by Nicole Bales by clicking here.

•••

A new levy on the November ballot would help the Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District.

The five-year levy, which would replace two existing levies, would help continue to fund administrative staff and add three paid firefighters.

The fire district, which serves Cannon Beach, Arch Cape, Cove Beach and Falcon Cove, has one of the lowest permanent tax rates in the county at 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The permanent tax rate is set when a district is established, which leaves fire districts dependent on voters to approve levies and bonds to keep up with increasing demand for service.

If approved by voters, the levy would cost $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value in addition to the permanent tax rate for a total of $1.85 per $1,000. For a home assessed at $420,000, the proposed levy cost would be about $630 per year.

Take a look at the report by Nicole Bales by clicking here.

•••

We invite you to help sustain local journalism on the North Coast. Please consider subscribing. We have several options available at: www.dailyastorian.com/subscribe-now/

— Derrick DePledge