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

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A micro shelter project for the homeless in Seaside is trying to navigate city building codes and find a path to completion.

Clatsop Community Action is hopeful the project will get the green light from city officials in the coming weeks.

The social services agency, which provides food, housing and energy assistance, announced plans earlier this year to open 15 units of pallet housing on N. Roosevelt Drive across from the old Seaside High School.

The project, which has been named Esperanza Village, would include a community room, two bathroom and shower buildings and provide around-the-clock support while helping people transition into permanent housing.

The shelter was initially expected to open this summer. However, project leaders say there have been several barriers and delays, including neighbor concerns, changes in city planning staff and significant permitting requirements.

See the story by Nicole Bales by clicking here.

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A state forensic audit of the Sunset Empire Transportation District identified a host of issues with financial management, but did not find any clear instances of fraud or criminal conduct.

The transit district suspended bus service and other operations in April after the former executive director, Jeff Hazen, abruptly announced the agency had run out of money. The transit district’s board denied Hazen — who resigned in May — a severance package, claiming that he would have been terminated for financial malfeasance had he not resigned.

The audit, which was conducted by the accounting firm Kernutt Stokes on behalf of the Oregon Department of Transportation and released on Monday, draws from interviews with transit district employees, financial statements and agency procedures.

“While our examination did not identify any clear instances of fraud, we cannot conclude that no fraud was present,” the audit stated. “Instead, while undetected fraud may exist, it appears that the largest contributing factors to the organization’s insolvency were due to mismanagement and lack of oversight.”

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

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Enrollment growth at Clatsop Community College will boost the college’s financial picture.

New data from the Higher Education Coordinating Commission shows a 16.1% increase in enrollment from the 2021-2022 school year to the 2022-2023 school year. Because of the increase, the college’s next allocation from the state Community College Support Fund will grow by 14.4% — a change of over $500,000.

Of Oregon’s 17 community colleges, 12 gained enrollment in the same time period. However, Clatsop Community College’s enrollment saw the largest growth — followed closely by Klamath Community College and Columbia Gorge Community College.

Take a look at the report by Rebecca Norden-Bright by clicking here.

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