CASCADE LOCKS — The Cascade Locks City Council held its regular meeting Oct. 14, following a 90-minute work session to discuss a proposed increase in the security deposit required for commercial users.
Local business owners showed up en masse to contribute to the work session discussion. The City of Cascade Locks recently lost $188,000 when a commercial utilities user closed their business and left town with a large unpaid bill. This action triggered City Administrator Jordon Bennett to broach the idea of increasing commercial customers’ utility deposits from $300 to a “two month rolling average” in order to mitigate the risk to the city coffers.
One business owner reported that this deposit would amount to $150,000 for his company. Others contributing to the discussion said they’d like to see the city solve this problem without putting the onus on business owners, particularly start-ups. One speaker pointed out that tying up thousands of dollars of his capital is unfair, and said that he “would have to demand some kind of return on it.” The discussion was both vigorous and respectful, and no decisions were made on this subject in the work session or regular meeting.
The regular meeting highlighted a presentation by Anna Lee, a consultant from HR Answers, who was hired by the city to provide job descriptions, salary comparisons, and pay equity analysis. One notable criteria discussed was that the city of Cascade Locks does not pay the 6% PERS contribution for its employees, a factor which has recently affected an applicant’s decision to pass on a job offered by the city. It also affects employee longevity as they are more prone to seek an employer that does offer that benefit.
Cascade Locks continues to wrestle with short-term rental (STR) regulation. The council was concerned about the parking associated with STRs, particularly if an event is hosted or if temporary guests join the tenant. Councilor Pete Happy pointed out that street parking is public parking, no matter who’s inside the residence. Councilor Bernard Seeger distinguished between hosted and non-hosted STRs, saying the hosted STRs make local housing more affordable and help to keep locals housed, whereas non-hosted often results in potential long term rental properties being eliminated. The council voted unanimously to enact a required safety checklist, but tabled any other decisions about STRs, citing the need for more input or a work session.