Mayor Steve Wright's Annual Report
Mayor Steve Wright’s Annual Report – January 8, 2024
In 2023 the Seaside City Council witnessed a change in leadership with the appointment of a new mayor and two councilors. Herein is a short recap of what we accomplished in 2023.
The City Council held 20 meetings, including 10 executive sessions. Our work session topics covered various issues such as our council rules, city branding, e-bikes, city policies, camping, and staffing.
The council passed 6 ordinances, relating to abandoned buildings, lodging taxes, and e-bikes, as well as 21 resolutions, covering the city budget, water and sewer rates, and several policy adoptions.
The council also entered into 8 agreements, including the Broadway fields, ambulance service, and visitor center parking, and approved 6 contracts, among them the comprehensive plan update and our new city attorney.
The council also established or updated 7 policies, including those for expense reimbursement, mayor proclamations (I issued 20), electronic meetings, camping (3 updates), our council minutes format, and city branding.
The mayor, council and staff participated in 2 statewide and 4 regional conferences organized by the League of Oregon Cities (LOC), gaining valuable networking and training experience.
Our council-appointed boards, committees and commissions scheduled 100 meetings by their 67 members. I and the council offer our heartfelt gratitude for the hearts of service of all involved.
Seaside completed several projects in 2023, including the huge ODOT Highway 101 Ave A to Ave K project, replacing the Coho Creek culvert on Wahanna, and the implementing the abandoned buildings ordinance, which included the clean-up at 4th and Roosevelt and the start of clean-up on N. Wahanna.
Seaside also hosted the LOC Spring Conference and a South Korean delegation (50+ visitors) from Chung Ju. Seaside has also been recognized as a Tree City for 25 years.
Here in Seaside there are currently several public and private sector housing projects in various stages, including Esperanza Village, Hawk’s Eye Apartments, our own "NN40", one at N Wahanna, one at N Roosevelt and at the old high school site. The city is also working with the Clatsop County Regional Housing task force and the Seaside Housing task force to address our many housing issues.
Seaside has developed closer ties with federal, state, and county representatives and entities, including the state Regional Solutions team, COLPAC for Economic Development, NWACT for transportation, Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and CREST, all with a particular focus to help us secure grants for our projects here in Seaside.
In 2024, Seaside will continue working on our Strategic Blueprint, will recognize the 125th anniversary of its February 17, 1899, incorporation, update its Comprehensive Plan, continue work on short-term and master plans for city infrastructure, relocating the recycling yard and complete our police and fire seismic and remodel projects and many more.
I offer my heartfelt gratitude to our city manager, as well as our department heads (several being new to the city this year) and the rest of our city staff and volunteers, for helping us to accomplish so many good things during the past year. I believe we have a great team that will move us forward in 2024. Finally - I thank the Seaside City Councilors for being great to work with and for dedicating your time and expertise toward making Seaside a great place to live.
Steve Wright, Seaside Mayor