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Weather Update

The National Weather Service Portland is forecasting moderate rain and gusty winds Monday and Tuesday.



• Periods of moderate to locally heavy widespread rain and gusty winds could cause slick roads and minor urban ponding of water.
• Strong winds offshore will produce hazardous conditions across the coastal waters Sunday – Tuesday.
• Continued rain showers forecast for Wednesday into Thursday will have little to no impacts.

Monday, October 9, is Indigenous Peoples' Day, a time to celebrate the traditions and cultures of Indigenous communities. 

In 2021, Oregon passed House Bill 2526 officially recognizing the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples' Day. The day offers formal acknowledgment of the significant contributions made by Oregon’s tribes to the culture of this state. 

Oregon became the 11th state to formally recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Clatsop County offices will remain open that day.

Find out more about Oregon's tribes.

Property Tax Statements will be Mailed Soon

Property tax statements will be mailed Friday, October 13.

There are four ways you can pay your property tax bill:



• Online
• Use our drop box located outside of Clatsop County administrative offices at 800 Exchange St.
• In person at the County Assessment & Taxation office which is located on the 2nd floor of 820 Exchange St. in Astoria.
• Mail your payment to Clatsop County Assessment & Taxation; 820 Exchange St., Astoria, OR 97103.

We have put together information at ClatsopCounty.gov to answer any questions you may have about your property tax statement.

Tuesday, October 17, is the last day to register to vote for the Tuesday, November 7 election. 

This election affects those registered within the city limits of the City of Warrenton, Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District and Mist-Birkenfeld Rural Fire Protection District.

Official ballots will be mailed Wednesday, October 18. 

Read more.

The Columbia Inn Shelter celebrated its opening as a new resource for individuals and families facing homelessness on Tuesday, October 3.

“This shelter opening brings to life one of the core goals of Clatsop County’s strategic plan where the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners recognized the great need for housing in our community, ranging from shelter services to affordable housing,” said Mark Kujala, Clatsop County Board of Commissioners Chair.

“The Columbia Inn will provide a place of refuge for individuals and families who need and want to regain their foothold in our community. This will be that important first step to stabilizing their lives and beginning to build a solid future for themselves and their loved ones. This ribbon-cutting speaks to the power and momentum that comes when people come together to address a human need,” he said.

The Columbia Inn is one part of a multi-prong, county-wide approach to meet transitional and permanent housing needs. The County will contract with Clatsop Community Action to operate the facility. CCA will in turn collaborate with a number of social service providers including The Harbor and Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare.

“Clatsop County has one of the highest populations of homeless people in Oregon and by offering the Columbia Inn Shelter, we will make a positive impact on so many lives,” said Viviana Matthews, executive director of Clatsop Community Action which will administer the Columbia Inn.  

Read more.

Community Development Launches Quarterly Newsletter

Clatsop County Community Development Department is launching a quarterly newsletter in October to keep you informed about land use issues, short-term rentals and more.

We are notifying all individuals who signed up for our Short Term Rental newsletter of this change and are encouraging them to sign up for our Community Development newsletter.

What to know about insurance coverage for COVID-19, RSV and flu vaccines

There is some confusion about whether insurance will cover COVID, RSV and flu vaccines. 

Oregon Health Authority has put together some basic facts about coverage for COVID-19, RSV and flu vaccines. Learn about scenarios for private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, as well as tips on where to get the vaccines and avoiding unpleasant surprises, and how uninsured people can receive COVID-19 vaccines at no cost.

Read more.

October is CyberSecurity Awareness Month and we have four simple steps to share to help you stay safe online. 

• Use strong passwords and a password manager: Strong passwords are critical to protecting data. They are long, random, unique, and include all four-character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols). Password managers are a powerful tool to help you create long, random, and unique passwords for each of your accounts. Plus, they make storing passwords and user IDs easy.

• Turn on multi-factor authentication: You need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked. Enable multi-factor authentication on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media, and financial accounts and use authentication apps or hardware tokens for added security. Learn more about multifactor authentication.

• Recognize & report phishing: Phishing emails, texts, and calls are the number one way data gets compromised. Be cautious of unsolicited emails, texts or calls asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials over the phone or email unless necessary and don’t click on links or open attachments sent from unknown sources. Verify the authenticity of requests by contacting the individual or organization through a trusted channel. Report phishing attempts to the appropriate authorities or IT department. Learn to recognize the signs of phishing and report these incidents to protect data and devices.

• Update software: Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check manually for updates if automatic updates are not available and keep operating systems, antivirus software, web browsers, and applications up to date.

Emergency Preparedness Campaign

Week 5: Tsunami Preparedness

Week 5 of Clatsop County’s Get Ready Emergency Preparedness campaign focuses on the tsunami that will follow after a major earthquake.

When the next great Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami occurs, coastal residents and visitors will have 10-30 minutes to reach safety. Evacuation on foot will be the only means possible.

The need to get to higher ground also applies to people near inland rivers and streams. Too often, people only think tsunami warnings apply to the coast. The fast-rising tsunami waters move inland, too.

To be prepared, you will need to know:

• The most efficient roads and trails to take to reach safety
• How fast you will have to travel to beat the wave to safety
• If the earthquake will cause bridges to become impassable or activate a landslide that blocks an escape route
• What to do if safe evacuation isn't possible. You will need to prepare for other options

Local Beat the Wave tsunami maps are available at the Oregon Tsunami Clearing House resource library.

Personal preparedness and other emergency preparedness information can be found at Get 6 WEEKS READY Clatsop County | Clatsop County Oregon.

With the return of colder temperatures, people spending more time indoors, and children and youth back at school, Respiratory Virus Season has returned.

Clatsop County Department of Public Health has suggestions on how you and loved ones can stay healthy:



• Stay home if you feel sick or have any symptoms, such as congestion, cough, fever that is greater than 100.5 degrees, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue
• Wash your hands frequently and before eating
• Get vaccinated for COVID-19 and the flu for those six months and older
• Get vaccinated for those who are RSV eligible
• Cover your cough
• Wear a mask if you are around high-risk individuals, in congregate care facilities or with persons with immunocompromising conditions

Tune into our first ever podcast featuring Justin Dersham, Clatsop County Animal Shelter Supervisor. We talk about the Purrfect Storm, pet licensing and more.

Enjoy! and send us your ideas for upcoming podcasts!

Septic Issues? A New Program May Help

A new program is available to help Clatsop County homeowners repair or replace septic systems that are damaged, non-working or have failed.

“It can be expensive to fix septic issues but this program can provide relief to individuals and small businesses.  Eligible individuals may receive a no-interest, no payment loan, with a 30-year term or due when the title changes.  In other situations, they could receive a grant which does not have to be paid back,” said Casey Mitchell, weatherization & housing rehab program manager for Community Action Team Inc.

This program is open to up to 105 participants. To be eligible, household income must be at 120% of area median income or less, and the septic system must be on private property in Columbia, Clatsop or Tillamook counties.

Application Form

Candidates Sought for Fair and Expo Board

The Clatsop County Board of Commissions is seeking applications from individuals interested in serving on the Clatsop County Fair Board. 

The deadline to submit completed applications is 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 31.

The Clatsop County Fair Board operates and otherwise manages the Fairgrounds with the assistance of staff. This includes recruiting for bookings, scheduling, establishing rental fees, general promotion, food service, concessions, maintenance and all other related operational activities.

Read more.

$30,000 in Grants Now Available to Local Service Providers

On behalf of the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, a total of $30,000 is being made available to be distributed to local not-for-profit social human services organizations that address Clatsop County community needs.

The Clatsop County Human Services Advisory Council will review grant applications and make recommendations to the Board based on the Board’s annual strategic planning goals.

Online applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31. To be eligible for consideration, the county online application must be completed. Grants will be awarded in Spring 2024.

Read more.

Crews will be crack sealing at the Klaskanine River Bridge (Youngs River Road milepost 10.55). There will be one lane closure with minimal delays. Flaggers will be present.

Crews will:

• Brush chop in the Olney and Vesper areas
• Grade Vesper, Jones, Cahill and gravel roads county wide
• Replace driveway culverts on 7th Lane in Jeffers Garden
• Perform culvert and ditch maintenance county wide

Elections

Candidate filing window has opened for the May 21, 2024 Primary Election. Positions include Precinct Committee Persons, Commissioner District 2, Commissioner District 4 and Sheriff. 

Recording Information

You can now search for a document that has been recorded in Clatsop County. In coordination with Information Systems we have developed a way to search for a document before coming in or calling our office.

Once you find the document you are looking for you can request a copy without paying a research fee. 

Just go to our website under Recording Information – Records Research, click on Locate a Document.

Passports

• An appointment is RECOMMENDED prior to coming in for new passport processing. Routine service can take 10-13 weeks or longer. Expedite service can take 7-9 weeks. 

• Please go to our webpage and schedule an appointment for passports, park passes, marriage licenses, dog licenses, and recordings with us. If you do not have an appointment, you may be asked to wait if we are with someone that has scheduled an appointment. 

Clatsop County is a great place to work. Find out about current Clatsop County career opportunities where you can make a difference every day.

Clatsop County is committed to being transparent and providing the information you need, when you need it.

Our new subscriptions webpage has a variety of email update topics and gives you the option of signing up or unsubscribing.