Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Astoria public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
Liquor license recommendations moving to staff
Ordinance 26-10 would let the City Manager make liquor license recommendations to the state directly, instead of bringing each new application before the council. It applies only to new applications and name or license-type changes — not renewals or special events.
Doughboy Monument centennial and Veterans Day
The council is set to recognize 100 years of the Doughboy Monument and Veterans Day on November 11, with the Bells of Peace ringing at 11:11 a.m. citywide.
Department head purchasing authority increase
Ordinance 26-09 would let department heads approve purchases up to $10,000 without City Manager sign-off, up from $7,500, and would raise the small procurement threshold to match the state's $25,000 limit. City staff say costs have risen and dozens of purchases fall in this range each year.
City Government Overview
Ordinance 26-09 would let department heads approve purchases up to $10,000 without City Manager sign-off, up from $7,500, and would raise the small procurement threshold to match the state's $25,000 limit. City staff say costs have risen and dozens of purchases fall in this range each year.
Masquerade liquor license at 1020 Commercial Street
Seedborn LLC dba Masquerade is applying for a Limited On-Premises Sales License for its new location at 1020 Commercial Street. Police reviewed the application and raised no objections.
Shelter First policy implementation
The city is hiring its first homeless liaison under the Shelter First policy to connect unsheltered residents with services and shelter providers.
LED streetlight conversion proposal
Pacific Power wants Astoria to convert roughly 700 street lights to LED, with incentives cutting the city's share to about $50,000 and saving around $25,000 a year — a two-to-three-year payback.
Parking Master Plan Ad-Hoc Working Group
The city paused its plan to hire a consultant to update the 2019 downtown parking study, deciding instead to talk about a full citywide parking master plan first. It affects downtown businesses, shoppers and anyone who parks downtown.
Astoria Municipal Code modernization, Phase 1
Staff proposed 10 code amendments, from raising the department-head purchase limit to $10,000 to repealing obsolete licenses for pinball machines and drive-in restaurants. Bigger policy items include making liquor licenses administrative and replacing the general occupation tax with a business license program by July 2027.
Emergency water and sewer repairs on Marine Drive
A collapsed sewer pipe at 6th Street and a February waterline break at 30th Street are getting permanent fixes before ODOT's ADA ramp work starts this fall. The waterline fix costs about double the original estimate.
Coast Guard City Designation
Astoria is renewing its Coast Guard City status, first earned in 2011. The designation honors the deep ties between the community and Coast Guard members, who serve as neighbors, mentors, and part of the local workforce.
Downtown mail delivery crisis
Mail service problems in Astoria are delaying ballots and hurting local businesses. Councilors urged residents to use ballot drop boxes rather than relying on the mail ahead of the October 26 deadline.
Homelessness and 11th Street Camps
Residents split sharply: business owners and nearby residents want existing camping and nuisance ordinances enforced and repeat offenders held accountable, while others argue homelessness shouldn't be criminalized and services need to be more trauma-informed and individualized. A work session on the city's homelessness response followed the meeting.
Heritage Square Brownfield Cleanup
A $2 million EPA grant will fund cleanup of the Heritage Square site, including filling the pit, with the goal of future public open space downtown.
Riverwalk bicycle safety
Fast-moving e-bikes on the Riverwalk remain a concern, but staff say an outright ban would be hard to enforce and legally shaky. Instead, the city is installing reflective share-the-path signs and working with police on education — with a ban kept on the table if problems continue.
Building code modernization and outdated fees
Ordinance 26-08 modernizes building code administration; councilors also flagged that building fees are over a decade old and may be revised after a future work session.
2027 State Legislative Priorities
Astoria's first formal legislative agenda targets $7 million in direct asks — a $6 million Clearwell water tank and lab, $500K each for Customs House workforce housing and the Aquatic Center — plus a Highway 30 chairwall study and SB 48 reform.
Community Development Department staffing and capacity
CDD has seven full-time staff but a workload that could absorb 13 or more — 200 land-use applications a year, 400+ permits, and a stream of state mandates. Council is weighing whether to hire another planner, use consultants, or table some projects.
State housing and Goal 5 mandates due January 1, 2027
New state rules take effect January 1, 2027: Goal 5 tribal notice requirements for ground-disturbing applications and HB 2138 middle housing and single-room-occupancy code changes. CDD must comply regardless of its staffing crunch.
Housing Capacity Analysis and 20-year housing need
The city must reach historically underserved communities, tribal governments, and — per commissioners' suggestion — the general workforce and large employers. Two public meetings, surveys, and focus groups are planned, with a community meeting expected in September.
Hillside Cemetery native planting and reforestation
Parks staff are planting two 50-by-50-foot areas with 24 Oregon native species at Hillside Cemetery this fall — a first step toward long-term reforestation and possibly an arboretum-like space.
Astoria Aquatic Center / Community Center investment
A resident has offered to donate up to $20,000 for a sauna at the Aquatic Center, plus possible maintenance support. Staff are still checking feasibility — power, code requirements, location, and upkeep.
Disc golf feasibility at Shively Park
Astoria may get a free, 18-hole wooded disc golf course winding through Shively Park's perimeter and connecting to Evergreen Fields. Baskets are donated and volunteers would build much of it, but residents have raised concerns about pedestrian safety, parking, weddings, and the park's quiet character. A public open house on August 19 will shape whether the board recommends the project in September.
Customs House Workforce Housing Redevelopment
Non-agenda comments raised missing garbage service near homeless camps on the Riverwalk and concerns about building 50 units of housing in a high-risk landslide area at the Customs House property.
Regional Library Sharing Expanded
Astoria cardholders can now borrow directly from Seaside and Warrenton libraries — holds arrive in one to two weeks, or you can just drive over. Non-residents outside the three cities still pay $70 a year, and councilor Davis pushed for pursuing countywide service.
2026 Emergency Operations Plan
The city now has a current playbook for disasters, mostly paid for by a county grant. It's mostly an internal document, though officials will give presentations to community groups.
Three-Year Contract and Raises for Public Works Staff
Public Works employees represented by Teamsters Local 58 get a three-year deal with raises every year, better on-call pay, an extra eight hours of personal leave for three-year employees, and city-provided uniforms. Wage costs flow into the city budget already adopted.
Highway 30 Eastbound Merge Redesign at Columbia Street
ODOT redesigned the confusing eastbound merge near the Pig 'N Pancake after complaints, close calls, and queuing into the intersection. The new drop-lane design gives drivers 350 feet to merge instead of 170, with new signs and pavement markings. Councilors want bigger, clearer signage and asked how drivers who end up in the wrong lane will get back on track.
Police Use-of-Force Incident Raises Concerns
Two speakers raised an incident in which a man suffered a skull fracture and lost an eye during an encounter with police. Mary Yang urged crisis-response training and officer wellness supports; Matthew Miller questioned the officer's conduct directly.
Demolition of historic garage at 1064 14th Street
The council upheld the denial of a homeowner's greenhouse conversion of a rare wood-frame historic garage. Several councilors agreed the preservation code itself may need updating.
Short-term rental licensing ordinance (Ordinance 25-07)
The mayor wants it suspended; a business owner described getting squeezed out by parking-rule confusion. The council will take it up at a work session rather than act now.
Fire and life safety standards for rentals
Sprinkler requirements kick in for commercial buildings with any sleeping use, which is costly and hard to navigate in Astoria's historic building stock. Staff wants to clarify when codes apply and allow more building-official flexibility.
Vacant-residential-unit excise tax
Resident Paul Crocker opposed the ballot measure targeting second-home owners, arguing it creates hardship and treats three-day versus four-day occupancy arbitrarily. Councilor Davis reported constituent questions about exemptions.
Arts & Culture strategic recommendations
Astoria now has a five-member Arts & Culture Advisory Commission to advise the council, review public art proposals, and advance the Arts & Culture Strategic Plan — a first step the arts community has long sought.
Chronic student absenteeism
The council proclaimed support for the school district's attendance campaign; about 500 of 1,750 students missed 17+ days last year, with chronic absence up from 10% pre-pandemic to about 30%.
Stormwater utility formation study
Astoria has 35 miles of stormwater pipe but no dedicated funding source. The $74,025 study could lead to a new stormwater utility rate in FY 2027-28, phased in as CSO loans are paid off to limit ratepayer impact.
Recology solid waste rate increase
Recology's annual rate review brings a 3% collection increase (about $1.02/month for a typical 32-gallon cart), 7.3% for waste delivered by collection trucks, and a sharp yard-debris increase driven by third-party processing costs. Recology also committed to exploring a low-income assistance program.
BPA funding cuts to Select Area Fisheries Enhancement Program
Councilor Adams asked the council to plan a special meeting with stakeholders and legislators about the loss of Bonneville Power Administration funding for the SAFE program, which matters greatly to Astoria's fishing economy.
Chinook Indian Nation federal recognition
The council directed staff to prepare a signed letter of support for the Chinook Indian Nation's ongoing fight for federal recognition, which Councilor Davis noted could also benefit other smaller tribal nations.
Water and Sewer Rate Increase (4%)
Your water and sewer bill is going up 4% starting FY 2026-27 — roughly $7-8 more per month for a typical household. The money mostly keeps pace with operating costs; the city has no dedicated capital fund and about $250 million in unfunded infrastructure needs.
Riverwalk lighting extension to Upper Town
The council approved buying 40 solar bollard lights to extend Riverwalk lighting from 35th Street toward the LaPlante Spur — a long-awaited fix for Upper Town at roughly half the cost of wired lights.
Copeland Commons Affordable Housing Infrastructure
A $550,599 state grant will fund the stormwater infrastructure needed to build about 60 affordable housing units at Copeland Commons.
Special assessment program for historic commercial properties
Three commercial property owners applied to the revived state special assessment program, which offers property tax benefits for historic preservation work. The commission's comments to SHIPO will shape whether the former Robies buildings and Workers Tavern get in — and whether the tavern's original wood siding gets repaired or replaced.
Cedar Creek Spur 1 Bridge in the Watershed
A failing culvert on Spur 1 Road near a critical water intake will be replaced with a fish-passable bridge, protecting watershed access and drinking water.
Homeless Liaison Position
The council advanced the camping-code piece of its homeless-response strategy and hired toward a homeless liaison. The ordinance makes a shelter-first policy explicit and creates enforcement tools, while neighbors remain divided about how the 72-hour trespass works.
17th Street floating dock replacement
The old dock is closed because it's unsafe; repairs were running near $50,000 a year. A new, sturdier dock will cost about $429,000 total.
Tongue Point Area Plan
Astoria won a top-tier ODOT transportation grant to plan the Tongue Point area, aiming to stitch together transportation, maritime industry, and two residential opportunity sites. The plan will also examine the choked Highway 30 intersection near Emerald Heights.
Oregon Film Museum parking hurdle
The long-discussed Oregon Film Museum has roughly $10 million in seed money but is stuck on parking — the zoning analysis says 18 off-site spaces are needed, though a traffic analysis suggests fewer might work. No formal application has been filed yet.
Crosswalk request at 20th Street between Aquatic Center and OSU Seafood Lab
A resident asked the city to paint a mid-block crosswalk on 20th Street between the Aquatic Center and the OSU Seafood Lab, citing fast-turning cars from Marine Drive and blocked sightlines. The city engineer agreed to review it, along with a second pedestrian connection near Exchange Street.
September 28 joint work session with City Council
The Planning Commission and City Council will sit down together on September 28 to align on priorities for 2027–2028 — housing studies, planning initiatives, and a backlog of code amendments including vacation rental rules. What gets prioritized shapes how fast these changes happen.