City council tips hat to new police officers

Published 12:30 pm Friday, February 6, 2026

On Feb. 2, Astoria’s City Council met for their first meeting of the month. In the meeting the council swore in a pair of new police officers, voted on measures to expand a redevelopment site and more.

Officers sworn in

Starting the meeting, Astoria Police Department’s newest officers were introduced by Astoria Police Chief Stacy Kelly and sworn in by Mayor Sean Fitzpatrick.

Officer Eva Khamphouy was up first. She grew up in Wisconsin but went to college at Eastern Washington University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a pair of minors in psychology and sociology. In addition to her academics, Khamphouy worked full time as an in-home caregiver for a dementia patient. At the swearing in ceremony, she was joined by her parents. Khamphouy’s mother pinned the badge on her uniform.

“I just wanted to say thank you all for this opportunity and I respect the community of Astoria so much,” Khamphouy said, “and I’m so excited.”

Officer Nicholas Bradley was second to be sworn in. Bradley was raised in Longview, Washington and served in the Marine Corps. After the military, he served as a corrections deputy in Salt Lake City before moving back to the Pacific Northwest. At the ceremony, he was joined by his wife, and two daughters as well as his mother.

Both officers were given a police code of ethics and their badges.

Career and technical education month

Mayor Sean Fitzpatrick then led the council in a proclamation of Career and Technical Education month.

CTE programs teach specific career skills in a wide range of subjects from industrial work to healthcare.

“Career and technical education programs ensure that employers have access to a qualified and thriving workforce, ensuring Oregon has a strong and competitive economy,” said Fitzpatrick.

Accepting the proclamation was Jarrod Hogue, president of Clatsop Community College.

“CTE is how public investment turns into public service,” said Hogue.

Astor East redevelopment site

Councilors passed a first reading to expand the Astor East Urban Redevelopment Area to include a pair of new sites. Darigold at 385 9th St. and Copeland Commons at the 1160 block of Marine Drive are the two proposed amended areas.

Adding these sites to the redevelopment area lets the city use allocated funds to assist with the future affordable and workforce housing sites.

“As the president of the Astoria Housing Alliance, this is signaling great work,” said Andy Kipp, president of the Astoria Housing Alliance.

Councilor Andy Davis, who also serves on the board of Copeland Commons, abstained from the vote. Davis has been a member of the board since 2019, prior to his involvement with the City Council.

“As a member of the community it’s exciting to see these projects go forward,” Davis said.

The second reading of the ordinance and vote will be conducted on Feb. 17. The amendment is likely to pass according to Davis who also plans to abstain from the second reading.

New system development charges

Councilors voted to implement a system collecting one-time fees to cover costs of expanding infrastructure to accommodate new development. The fees were first implemented in 2023, but only charged developers at one third of the recommended rate according to City Engineer Nathan Crater. At the meeting, they decided to charge the full amount.

“A lot of Oregon cities have had these for decades,” said Crater, “Astoria is a little late to the game on these charges.”

The five charges are for: water, wastewater, storm drainage, transportation and parks. Each charge takes into account different factors when calculating the entire charge, according to Crater.

“I think it’s unfortunate that this wasn’t done 20 years ago, and now we’re in a situation where we just have to do it, and we have to be the bad guys,” said Councilor Andrea Mazzarella, “but it’s the right thing to do for the health of the city.”

The new charges will be implemented on July 1.

City Repairs

Councilors also authorized $40,000 of city contingency funds to repair sewage pumps at the Astoria Recreation Center.

“It’s critical that we have an operational sewage system, especially when we’re talking about a childcare facility,” said City Manager Scott Spence.

In addition, councilors awarded a $488,000 repair contract to Bergeman construction for a trestle repair project which would cover repairs to the trolley trestles near Columbia Avenue and 1st and 2nd streets.

The city had estimated that the repairs would cost approximately $600,000, but due to the quote coming in significantly under budget, the council also passed a measure to keep almost $100,000 as contingency money in case any problems arise in construction.