Category: General Interest

Submitted By: tevisdiii@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

To decide what to do in these next couple months it’s vital to understand how we got here, namely, on the knife edge of nuclear holocaust. I suggest that the “West”, as in the United States of America, but still joined at the hip to Great Britain, has been hell-bent on world dominance, as in Empire, with single minded determination since the turn of the 20th century.

Those magnates, who rested control of the resources on our continent, as well as all those they’d stolen in other countries by then, never took their eyes off the prize, and neither have their heirs.

There has been a farsighted plan with time tested techniques to draw in and keep the reins of power tightly controlled by this group, this affiliation, cabal, this sophisticated “rat king”, – def., ‘ a gang of rats whose tails have become entangled thus turning them into a roiling mass searching for food, which will eat each other’ – call them what you like but recognize them by their actions. It doesn’t matter what form of government, even a well crafted republic like ours, if the people are not informed and participating, the Rat King will steer the ship of state. In fact, this tangle of billionaires, banksters, corporations and crooks have no allegiance to any particular nation.

The singular feature of our own bid for hegemony, and make no mistake, we are responsible for what history will refer to as the U.S Empire, and any of her misdeeds, is the age of electricity. Ten thousand years of conquerors ebbing and flowing by horse, boots and sail was all a crawl compared to the accelerated rate by which we now mow people down, alter landscapes and cultures. It is an inhuman pace so it’s no wonder the every-man cannot connect the dots of causation, cannot possibly imagine that those agencies meant to be safeguards, the EPA, the FDA, the CDC, NIAID and many others, let alone our congress, could be gradually married to private interests, while we all think these trustworthy agencies are guaranteeing our best interests; AND the health of our children.

The Rat King doesn’t give a rat’s tail about anything but control. While some of us were living the American dream and dutifully participating every four years in the national elections the Rat King continued to buy congress, judges, DA’s, the purse strings for the “Defense Dept” and the main stream news. It’s a time thing people. It’s happening at the speed of electricity.

We are that world generation on the roller coaster ride that has made the slow climb and are now roaring down so fast we can’t see what just passed, but look at the list of regime changes and wars that built the U.S Empire. The * are successful regime changes.

• China 1949 to early 1960s
• Albania 1949-53
• East Germany 1950s
• Iran 1953 *
• Guatemala 1954 *
• Costa Rica mid-1950s
• Syria 1956-7
• Egypt 1957
• Indonesia 1957-8
• British Guiana 1953-64 *
• Iraq 1963 *
• North Vietnam 1945-73
• Cambodia 1955-70 *
• Laos 1958 *, 1959 *, 1960 *
• Ecuador 1960-63 *
• Congo 1960 *
• France 1965
• Brazil 1962-64 *
• Dominican Republic 1963 *
• Cuba 1959 to present
• Bolivia 1964 *
• Indonesia 1965 *
• Ghana 1966 *
• Chile 1964-73 *
• Greece 1967 *
• Costa Rica 1970-71
• Bolivia 1971 *
• Australia 1973-75 *
• Angola 1975, 1980s
• Zaire 1975
• Portugal 1974-76 *
• Jamaica 1976-80 *
• Seychelles 1979-81
• Chad 1981-82 *
• Grenada 1983 *
• South Yemen 1982-84
• Suriname 1982-84
• Fiji 1987 *
• Libya 1980s
• Nicaragua 1981-90 *
• Panama 1989 *
• Bulgaria 1990 *
• Albania 1991 *
• Iraq 1991
• Afghanistan 1980s *
• Somalia 1993
• Yugoslavia 1999-2000 *
• Ecuador 2000 *
• Afghanistan 2001 *
• Venezuela 2002 *
• Iraq 2003 *
• Haiti 2004 *
• Somalia 2007 to present
• Honduras 2009 *
• Libya 2011 *
• Syria 2012
• Ukraine 2014 *

These were not humanitarian missions to spread Democracy. These are the stepping stones to controlling resources because the Rat King does not see the irony in the fact that having acquired the knowledge and tools to meet the needs of all humans on this little planet, the Rat King will not co-operate, will not give up control. So it is an age old ploy; create enemies, fan the fear, fracture the whole into factions and pit them against one another so they do not realize that 800 military bases and constant wars is why there is not enough energy – money – to sustain a healthy society; why there are masses of displaced humans flowing across borders. Forget about ideologies, religions, access to medical procedures, race or any of the other wedges used to divide. It’s all about resources. If you can convince someone there’s not enough to go around then they will kill to keep what they have to feed their children.

JFK walked us back from this same precipice where the whole world now stands once again. He proposed a new approach and extended his, our hand, to world partners to work towards mutual peace and prosperity and the Rat King murdered him, his brother, Martin, Malcolm, Dag Hammarskjöld, Patrice Lumumba and many other visionaries who posed a threat , a turning, at that time. Since then it has been war after war and the American people didn’t pay attention as much of the world grew tired of damages wrought by a grasping Empire.

So, the question remains; how to choose at this precarious time? Who will walk us back from the brink? It is a singular issue because nothing else will matter if we do not leash these dogs of war. Who does the Rat King stand behind?

On September 29, in Washington DC, there will be a gathering known as
RESCUE THE REPUBLIC

Tune in at 12pm and listen to rational people address the nation.

LIVES IN THE BALANCE Jackson Brown

I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN

FOR A WEEK OR A MONTH OR A YEAR

WITH THE BLOOD IN THE INK IN THE HEADLINES

AND THE SOUND OF THE CROWD IN MY EAR.

YOU MIGHT ASK WHAT IT TAKES TO REMEMBEER

WHEN YOU KNOW THAT YOU’VE HEARD IT BEFORE

WHERE A GOVERNMENT LIES TO A PEOPLE

AND THE COUNTRY IS DRIFTING TO WAR.

THERE’S A SHADOW ON THE FACES

OF THE MEN WHO SEND THE GUNS

TO THE WARS THAT ARE FOUGHT IN PLACES

WHERE THEIR BUISNESS INTEREST RUNS.

ON THE RADIOS TALK SHOWS AND TV

YOU HEAR ONE THING AGAIN AND AGAIN

HOW THE U.S.A. STANDS FOR FREEDOM

AND WE COME TO THE AID OF A FRIEND

BUT WHO ARE THE ONES WE CALL OUR FRIENDS

THESE GOVERNMENTS KILLING THEIR OWN

OR THE PEOPLE WHO CAN’T TAKE ANY MORE

SO THEY PICK UP A GUN, A BRICK OR A STONE

THERE ARE LIVES IN THE BALANCE

THERE ARE PEOPLE UNDER FIRE

THERE ARE CHILDREN AT THE CANNONS

AND THERE IS BLOOD ON THE WIRE…

THERE’S A SHADOW ON THE FACES

OF THE MEN WHO FAN THE FLAMES

FOR THE WARS THAT ARE FOUGHT IN PLACES

WE CAN’T EVEN SAY THE NAMES.

THEY SELL US OUR PRESIDENT

THE SAME WAY THEY SELL US OUR CLOTHES AND OUR CARS.

THEY SELL US EVERYTHING FROM YOUTH TO RELIGION

THE SAME TIME THEY SELL US OUR WARS.

I WANT TO KNOW WHO THE MEN IN THE SHADOWS ARE

I WANT TO HEAR SOMEBODY ASKING THEM WHY

THEY CAN BE COUNTED ON TO TELL US WHO ARE ENEMIES ARE

BUT THEY’RE NEVER THE ONES TO FIGHT OR TO DIE.

THERE ARE LIVES IN THE BALANCE

THERE ARE PEOPLE UNDER FIRE

THERE ARE CHILDREN AT THE CANNONS

AND THERE IS BLOOD ON THE WIRE…

Submitted By: peek.paula1@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

If you have not seen or are not watching MSNBC
right now (6:50pm) you are missing a chance to get to know one of the presidential candidates and cohorts. It is fascinating!

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Though the “why are you voting for your candidate” bbq survey deadline is past, bbq administrators will continue to post political opinions as long as they follow our protocol. The “rules” of the survey no long apply.

Submitted By: bbq@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

I support Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate for the Presidency of the United States.

I do so for many reasons among those being she is for: ending our costly, murderous, rapacious and unending proxy wars; reducing the Pentagon war budget and using that money saved to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure; and ending our complicit support of the genocidal policies of Israel.

The reader may discover other reasons for themselves by seeking the Green Party 2024 party platform on their website.

www.gp.org/

Chuck McLaughlin

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

posting for helidoni@nehalemtel.net

Shoes on, Ladies
There’s Glass
Everywhere

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

My sincere apologies to all of you who are not straight. I inadvertently left off “sexual persuasion” from the statement in my “why I am voting for Kamala Harris” bbq post about protecting the rights of all Americans. It was a thoughtless oversight.

And it gives me the opportunity to highlight and celebrate love WHEREVER AND WITH WHOMEVER it is found.

The magic of love between 2 adults, no matter their gender, is one of the greatest joys of living. With it we soar in happiness and because of it we can trudge together through the hard times. And the energy of that love spreads to all around us, like ripples in a pond.

Every one of us has a deep and fundamental need to love and be loved.

Love is what matters. Let us celebrate that love.

Beyond the love between 2 adults, imagine what our world would be like if all of us behaved from a place of love. Imagine that our deep wounds are healed and hate, violence, greed and cruelty are replaced by kindness, respect, caring and cooperation.

It is my fervent vision and prayer that humans will eventually evolve to that place of love.

“You may say I’m a dreamer. But I am not the only one. I hope someday you will join us and the world will be as one.” John Lennon

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Why I am voting for Kamala Harris

She wants to protect our democracy by making sure all eligible Americans can freely vote without harassment or restrictions.

She wants to create solutions for our countries many problems and will work with willing people of all parties who also want to create solutions.

She wants to protect the fundamental rights of all Americans, regardless of class, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and abilities.

She wants to make sure women have the right to control their own bodies.

She wants to protect the 2nd Amendment AND protect the lives of innocent school children and adults from being murdered by automatic weapons.

She strongly believes in the rule of law and that NO ONE is above the law.

She wants to make sure the super wealthy and corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

She wants to continue the successful work of making our economy stronger by providing living wage jobs, bringing down costs, reducing unemployment rates, and cutting taxes for working people and middle class Americans.

She wants to build 3 million affordable homes and rentals to stem the national housing crisis.

She wants to make affordable health care a right and not a privilege by strengthening and protecting the Affordable Care Act.

She wants to protect Social Security and Medicare.

She supports the bipartisan border security bill. She wants to secure our borders AND provide an earned pathway to citizenship.

She is committed to ending the opioid and fentanyl epidemic.

She is an effective international diplomat and is fit to be commander in chief.

I believe that Kamala Harris has the will, the intelligence, the temperament, the ability, and the commitment to “form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”

Barbara

Submitted By: codger817@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Back in July, I was very discouraged that the upcoming presidential election was going to be a contest between two men older than my 78 years. Then it changed.
One old man stepped aside and the nomination fell to Kamala Harris. She practiced as a lawyer, but her only client has been “the people.”
I was impressed by her acceptance speech at the convention and even more by her book, “The Truths We Hold”. She stands for the directions this country needs to go, together.
I reviewed the book for the Pioneer (see link below). The review doesn’t really talk much about the book but it does include a big chunk of her Preface for the book. It fully convinced me to vote for Kamala and Tim.
www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/book-review-the-truths-we-hold-an-american-journey-by-kamala-harris/

Submitted By: ketzel.levine@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

While I like quite a few things about our Vice President – her vast experience as a lifelong public servant fighting for justice and fairness for her constituents; her poise, level-headedness and effectiveness as a politician; her agility and sophistication representing the US on the world stage; her ability to engage with an extraordinary range of people in a genuine, unpretentious way; her unabashed love of friends, family and country; and her positive, affirming views of America’s future – I am most moved by her commitment to safeguard the reproductive rights of women and in so doing, to save women’s lives.

Submitted By: becky3353@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Private art lessons in my home studio
Local artist with over 30 years experience in pastel, acrylic, oil and cold wax, mixed media, watercolor, teaching and more.

I offer help, instruction, consultation with wherever you are on your art journey.

$35/hr.

Becky
chappbjartist@gmail.com
www.beckychappellart.com

Submitted By: Roscoe2521@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Need a ride to Hillsboro on the 26th.
Need to be there by 2:00pm.
Email or call Barney at 1-503-396-0415
roscoe2521@gmail.com

Submitted By: dixiegainer@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

What I would like to see in the future…..*

1. Secure the border, finish building the wall, and deport illegal aliens
2. De-weaponize the Federal Government by increasing accountability and oversight of the FBI and DOJ
3. Unleash American energy production to reduce energy prices
4. Cut the growth of government spending to reduce inflation
5. Make federal bureaucrats more accountable to the democratically elected President and Congress
6. Improve education by moving control and funding of education from DC bureaucrats directly to parents and state and local governments
7. Ban biological males from competing in women’ s sports

What do you think?

* from project 2025

Submitted By: helidoni@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Kamala Harris is my choice for the next President of the United States. She’s eager, eloquent, educated and experienced. And a stable genius.

Submitted By: madrona.hill@frontier.com – Click to email about this post

I’m voting for the First Amendment and freedom of speech.
I’m voting for the Second Amendment and my right to defend my life and my family.
I’m voting for the next Supreme Court Justice(s) to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
I’m voting for the continued growth of my retirement and reducing inflation.
I’m voting for a return of our troops from foreign countries and the end to America’s involvement in foreign conflicts.
I’m voting for the Electoral College and for the Republic in which we live.
I’m voting for the Police to be respected once again and to ensure Law & Order.
I’m voting for the continued appointment of Federal Judges who respect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
I’m voting for keeping our jobs to remain in America and not be outsourced all over the world – to China, Mexico and other foreign countries. I want USA made.
I’m voting for secure borders and have legal immigration.
I’m voting for the Military & the Veterans who fought for this Country to give the American people their freedoms.
I’m voting for the unborn babies that have a right to live.
I’m voting for peace progress in the Middle East.
I’m voting to fight against human/child trafficking.
I’m voting for Freedom of Religion.
I’m voting for the right to speak my opinion and not be censored. I am voting for the return of teaching math, history, and science instead of indoctrination of our children and pronouns.
I’m not just voting for one person, I’m voting for the future of my Country.
I’m voting for my children and my grandchildren to ensure their freedoms and their future.
I’m voting for someone who has courage to carry out the duties of Commander-in-Chief and I believe truly loves our country and its people.

Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Look what we found arising during our morning walk in Manzanita.
Noticed they’re also beginning work on the Police Station.

Submitted By: cbbcalm@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

THANK YOU for everyone coming by to leave cans and bottles .The Animal shelters everywhere are in great need for dog food and help. Some have been destroyed by fires.
Donation go to Barrels in driveway of 454 Dorcas Lane and 5 th .
Petfinder.com:
save a life don’t buy please. All purebreds have a their rescue site too. People die, get separated, loose their home, and dogs and cats are left behind.
thank you

Submitted By: judysugg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Ordinances are amended or replaced over time to reflect changes. Manzanita is getting ready to reevaluate its Comp Plan and there will be Ordinances that will be rewritten, updated, amended. This is not illegal. It’s logical.

In 2023, the Council led by Mayor Simmons voted on changing the billing cycle, water rates and units tied to the base rate. There was plenty of notice given to water users through communications through the water bill notices, city website, public meetings, etc. Ordinance 90-8 was amended to reflect the billing cycle change to monthly. The City did amend the Ordinance once the mistake was discovered.

From Yachats to Astoria, not one city bills quarterly. Why move backward?

Submitted By: norcocompcare@outlook.com – Click to email about this post

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Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Today’s Useful Manzanita Headlines:

All Oregon Municipalities Bill Monthly or Bi-Monthly for Water. NONE bill quarterly.
(for specifics refer to Kim Rosenberg’s in-depth analysis)
The good news: the election is almost here (Tuesday, November 5th).
The bad news: That’s 49 days.
For voters who want to learn more about Manzanita Water Meter Reading/Billing, there will be a bunch of informational (Q and A) meetings in September/October hosted by Manzanita City Councilors.
When in doubt, support our elected/appointed Manzanita Mayor/Councilors:
VOTE YES on REFERENDUM 29 179.

Submitted By: rkinor@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

A recent post that attempts to portray my position as City Manager of Philomath on monthly water meter readings as being inconsistent in light of my filing of the Referendum in November totally fails.

1. Meter readings and billings are two totally separate issues.
2. Only 2 cities in the 2023 League of Oregon Cities Water Rates Survey cited by the author have any similarities to Manzanita with both of those Cities of Gearhart and Seaside billing water customers every 2 months. STRs in both constitute a much smaller percentage of the residential housing stock than in Manzanita.
3. Radio read meters installed in Philomath and are presently being installed in Manzanita are absolutely more efficient than manual reading. Again, this has nothing to do with billing efficiencies and costs for Manzanita.
4. Detecting residential leaks through monthly meter reading does happen but it is random and infrequent. In Philomath, it amounted to about .3% of all homes each month and consisted primarily of running toilets and leaking faucets.
5. The City Manager and City Council failed to correctly implement new water rates in July of 2023 through passage of the necessary implementing Ordinance. The City still has not taken steps to acknowledge that it violated its own Ordinance by collecting water charges that it was not entitled to for 7 months and owes customers who paid tier charges and late fees credits for those unauthorized billings.
6. It was not until the required implementing Ordinance was passed by the Council that citizens could file the Referendum to have a vote.

Solution:
1. Citizens vote in November to return to quarterly meter reads and billing.
2. The Council then presents an Ordinance to citizens with an amendment that allows the City to READ water meters monthly. I totally support the City reading water meters monthly if the City can provide citizens the total costs including additional staff time to see if it makes financial sense in light of the benefits that it provides.

As Manzanita City Manager, the City provided residents with 6,000 gallons of water each month in the base at an affordable rate for families and seniors of modest means while completing some of the most significant improvements to the water system in City history. In recognition of these accomplishments, the City won the 1992 League of Oregon Cities First Place Award for Excellence for its Small City Water Conservation Program. The City’s lack of a creative and comprehensive strategy regarding the operation of our water system has resulted in the present situation of residents receiving less water, higher monthly bills and the message of how dare we seek to have a vote on the matter.

The City and its supporters want to distract citizens with personal attacks and innuendo in order to avoid a community conversation as to why residents should continue to subsidize water usage by visitors. The dramatic increase of TLT revenue during the past several years provides the City with the funding means to both restore our monthly water allotment to 4,000 gallons and keep rates affordable for all residents.

Why do you think the City is so resistant to using even 10% of this increased TLT revenue to the benefit of residents in this important matter?

If you are a Manzanita water customer either living inside or outside of the City and want to keep up with the issues affecting your water service, please send me your email at rkinor@gmail.com to directly receive these updates. Your email will not be shared with anyone.

Randy Kugler

Submitted By: dixiegainer@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

I will be voting for Donald Trump for President. He has had 4 years experience. In these 4 years we did not see crippling inflation or war. He protected the border. He understands the effect of sanctions and tariffs. He can deal effectively with other world leaders. He worked for 4 years for president and did not take any pay, and instead donated his salary to various federal agencies, such as Health and Human Services for the opioid crisis and Covid 19.
He says he is going to remove taxes on overtime pay and not tax tips. He has his faults as do all of us, but when I watch him on TV (and I can’t stand the way he talks by the way – sort of ADHD) I get the feeling that he really loves this country as do I. The country with the best constitution in the world hammered together by a very diverse group of individuals who understood tyranny very well.

Trump supports farmers and ranchers. The Trump Administration led the United States to become the number one producer of oil in the world while maintaining America’s position as the number one natural gas producer. The year 2019 marked the first time in 67 years that American annual gross energy exports exceeded gross energy imports. There are so many reasons to vote for Trump. The media, owned by the 1% has another opinion.

Submitted By: babbles@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

hello there, all you water users in manzanita.

i just read mark kuestner’s 9/14 BBQ post, where he gives a link to the recent Manzanita Water Rate Study. i have copied and pasted his post below.

reading the charts and slides of that study, honestly i didn’t understand all of it. but what i did see was that the difference between monthly and quarterly billing cost to individual users is a very minimal amount.

all this brouhaha over monthly vs. quarterly billing, and ensuing cost to the city because of legal fees and ballot measure expense, seems to me to be Much Ado About Nothing.

IMHO.

lucy brook
nehalem resident

Manzanita Water Rate Study
Posted on September 14, 2024 by North Coast BBQ

Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com

There was an interesting and informative presentation of the most recent Manzanita Water Rate Study at the Manzanita City Council’s Work Session this past week. For those interested in this issue, I urge you to look through the slides here, and if you have time, watch the video recording available via the city’s website.
ci.manzanita.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WATER-RATE-STUDY.pdf

If you have further questions, you can send an email to the entire Manzanita City Council at:

citycouncil@ci.manzanita.or.us

Submitted By: carolynnkutz@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

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Restock in the textiles

Great collection of vintage jewelry

Front of store * most items * 50% off

Back room 50% off on 2+ items

Date: 9/14 + 15
Saturday + Sunday
Hours: 12:30 to 5PM

Submitted By: bill.brayman@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

I enjoyed reading the Rosenberg recent post “water log” to the BBQ, and greatly appreciate the fact based approach. I have comments on two aspects of the post.

1. The post states: “All see the value of monthly billing to prevent water loss by identifying leaks and faulty meters sooner than later”

At a city coffee session it was stated that it takes only a couple hours, maybe half a day, to read all water meters with Manzanita’s current method of reading water meters. So, frequent meter reading is no big deal.

The current water billing software is limited because it will only trigger a meter reading during the billing process. That is a software limitation that should be able to be solved (probably quite easily) so that meters can read often enough, anytime actually, to detect leaks or other conditions. That ability to read meters often should be there regardless of billing requirements.

So, quarterly billing doesn’t have to be a problem because it delays meter readings. But quarterly billing, itself, is appealing because it reduces the water bill for people who go over their base allotment. Plus, It is actually significantly less expensive to the city to bill quarterly. Plus it’s easier for the custom to write 4 checks per year instead of 12 checks per year.

2. The other item mentioned that i will comment on is the use of base allotments as part of the billing process.

Base allotments turns out to be quite a ridiculous hold over (in my not so humble opinion), a legacy method of billing. It’s complicated to explain why we should get rid of the base allotment method of billing, but i’ll outline the idea below. I have communicated with a city official about this, but they haven’t responded.

The stated policy for the water enterprise fund is to establish billing fees that will recover the expenses of maintaining and operating the water system.

In other words, an enterprise fund is not meant to be a profit center, but is meant to bring in enough revenue to recover near and long term expenses. If the city wants to make a profit to help other city expenses, that is perfectly legal, but of course it should be done transparently with stated policy and public budget disclosures.

So the math of budgeting the water system is simple: Revenue = Expenses

(Well, actually forward budgeting is sophisticated and tricky, allocating and projecting expenses and revenue and all that)

With a supply system there are two basic kinds of expenses:
1 Fixed expenses that are more or less constant no matter how much water is supplied.
2. Variable expenses, mostly the cost per gallon of supplying variable amounts of water.

Given that, logically, all customers should be billed a basic monthly subscription fee which represents their share of the fixed expenses, plus an additional fee proportional to how much water they individually consume.

This is the way most services operate – TV, telephone, trash, and so on.

So where does the base allotment of so many free gallons of water come from?

Well it doesn’t figure into anything mathematically, but it does complicate matters any time you want to adjust billing rates. It complicates it much more than is apparent. A base allotment isn’t a fixed expense and it isn’t a variable expense.

For example, the city wants to do a rate study to account for a possible change back to quarterly billing. But, again, it is the legacy “base allotment” complication that requires a new study.

My concern is that instead of a rate study the city should do a cost management study. Once costs are determined, rates are easily determined. So, in my opinion, the city should be focused on cost management. But, psychologically people want to talk about rates, not realizing it is the costs that drive rates. I have seen this behavior in a city meeting video.

From what I can tell, the base allotment method comes from a long ago idea that it encourages water conservation. Supposedly people will try to stay within their allotment so they don’t have to pay extra, and thus they end up conserving water.

Now, the obvious thing to do is to re-examine what we need regarding water conservation. Then if conservation is needed, the intelligent thing to do is have a focused method to achieve conservation.

As it is now with the base allotment, the conservation incentive really only works for those people who are frugal. It doesn’t incentivize well to do users. So, in many ways the base allotment method of incentivizing conservation is unfair and has completely unknown effectiveness. It is an obsolete method. If anything it is the short term rentals that use a very large amount of water. Perhaps they should be targeted for water conservation. But maybe not. The point is to do things thoughtfully and effectively.

It is questionable that we need any conservation program at all. After all most of the year we live in a rain forest. There is no shortage of water. And if unusual circumstances arise, then water conservation methods should be targeted carefully, not just targeted to frugal customers, and should be done in a way that is known to be effective.

So, there isn’t anything wrong with quarterly water billing, and there are improvements to the billing method and the cost management process that are available that would simplify the water billing process and would help reduce the confusions and controversies.

Thanks,
Bill

Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

There was an interesting and informative presentation of the most recent Manzanita Water Rate Study at the Manzanita City Council’s Work Session this past week. For those interested in this issue, I urge you to look through the slides here, and if you have time, watch the video recording available via the city’s website.
ci.manzanita.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WATER-RATE-STUDY.pdf

If you have further questions, you can send an email to the entire Manzanita City Council at:

citycouncil@ci.manzanita.or.us

Submitted By: ben.killen.rosenberg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Water Log

Posting on behalf of Kim Rosenberg
loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

With Referendum 29-179 on the ballot for this November’s election, I wanted to understand how other Oregon cities bill for water, so I did a little research.

For 24 years the League of Oregon Cities has compiled Water Rates Surveys from cities in Oregon to understand trends in water and stormwater rates. Most cities in the survey use a drinking water rate structure like Manzanita’s tiered rate structure that includes a base rate with additional charges for water use beyond that amount. It’s not the same thing as a surcharge which is a fee for specific costs or conditions like when you use a debit card at a different bank or ask for cash back at Fred Meyer.

Of the responding cities 90% bill monthly, 10% bill bi-monthly and 0% bill quarterly. While not all cities in Oregon responded to the voluntary survey, that’s a pretty stunning result. So, I decided to look at the City of Philomath, where Randy Kugler, the author of the referendum, was City Manager for 18 years, to see how Philomath does it.

The city of Philomath bills monthly. In Philomath City Council meetings, archived from 1994 and available on their city’s website, Mr. Kugler often spoke about the importance of water conservation and how monthly billing helped save water. In addition, he praised the monthly billing system technology as increasing efficiency for the city at the March 14, 2011, Council Meeting. Mr. Kugler also included ways consumers could improve water conservation at home in the 2011 Philomath Water Study. During that time Philomath Public Works was in the process of installing radio read water meters throughout the city at the behest of Council and the recommendation of the Public Works Committee.

The Philomath Public Works Operations Supervisor reported at the August 13, 2012, Philomath Council Meeting that the last radio read water meters had been installed resulting in huge savings in staffing to read the meters every month.

As City Manager, Mr. Kugler saw the benefit of monthly billing and water conservation for consumers and Philomath. No other cities in Tillamook County bill quarterly. All see the value of monthly billing to prevent water loss by identifying leaks and faulty meters sooner than later while encouraging conservation by consumers.

It just makes sense.

Kim Rosenberg

Philomath City Council Minutes Archive
portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/Browse.aspx?id=59316&repo=r-7906069a

Submitted By: sheila.bayside@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

This post is a Recognition of Mary Moran who has managed the NCRD Theater for the past eight years.

A person of many talents she helped grow the NCRD Theater into its present, impressive condition. Mary did everything from book performers, sew stage backdrops, run sound and lights for performances, design posters, write successful grants for the theater’s needs and perhaps most Herculean of all, she managed a performing arts venue through the worst of COVID.

NCRD boasts a vibrant and popular presence in our community today. Thank you, Mary, for 8 years of work to help make this possible. Earlier this week she quietly and almost under the radar passed the torch to a new NCRD theater director.

If I recall, it was Mary’s success with managing and participating in our local Trashion show that began her journey into theater. Hopefully, we will continue to see her on that stage. I’ve encountered a number of people who were surprised to hear of Mary’s retirement as theater manager since it didn’t seem to be common knowledge. However, she isn’t going far away. She continues to reside in our area so you may bump into her and still have the opportunity to greet her and acknowledge her contributions if you are feeling the desire.

Submitted By: Diwax54@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

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