Little Log Church board agrees to tear down, replicate deteriorating building

March 14, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com There are holes in the siding of the Little Log Church and Museum in downtown Yachats. There is no foundation under the church. And there is dry rot throughout the structure. And, it could cost $300,000 or more to repair or replace. Is it worth it? That’s the question facing the city of Yachats, the museum’s board

Yachats may have been under-charging biggest water users for years

March 13, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com What do you do when after three years it’s discovered that you might be under-charging the biggest water users in Yachats? That’s the $27,000 question that could be facing the city of Yachats. Tom Lauritzen, a Yachats resident and former finance consultant for the city, has apparently unearthed a 3-year-old mistake in rates for the city’s biggest

Yachats council backs off tax increase, will appoint study committee

March 7, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The Yachats City Council on Wednesday tabled it’s proposal to increase the city’s lodging tax, instead planning to form a committee of businesses and community members to determine goals for the $1 million it collects annually. The council had proposed raising its tax by from 9 percent to 10 percent. Coupled with the state’s 1.8 percent lodging

Yachats Farmers Market reorganizing but should be ‘exactly the same’

February 28, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The Yachats Farmers Market is undergoing a change of structure, but the goal of its new organizers is that the Sunday event remain exactly the same. The market, through its website, expects to begin taking vendor applications starting Monday, March 4 for its six-month season. Until last fall the market operated under the auspices of the Friends

Commons’ multipurpose room closes for three weeks

February 27, 2019

The multipurpose room in the Yachats Commons will be closed for three weeks starting Monday, March 4 to replace its floor. The work was originally supposed to have been done in early January, but hit a snag when contractors removed the top layer of floor and vinyl tiles underneath it pulled up. That meant the new floor couldn’t be installed over

Proposed lodging tax increase draws no support Wednesday night

February 21, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com As expected, the major motel managers in Yachats told the City Council Wednesday night that their idea to raise the city’s lodging tax by 11 percent was the wrong way to support tourism and prop up the city budget. Instead, they asked for a better long-term plan for using tourism taxes, to bring more people to Yachats

Consultant recommends new finance software for Yachats

February 21, 2019

The consultant now handling the Yachats’ finances Wednesday night recommended to the City Council that it adopt new accounting software to save staff time and provide a better picture of money issues. With the Feb. 1 departure of clerk Judy Richter, the city is contracting with the Albany-based Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments to handle its finances. One of

State agency “forgives” part of Yachats’ loan for new water tank

February 21, 2019

An Oregon agency that financed the city of Yachats’ new south water tank has “forgiven” $700,000 of the $1.73 million loaned to build it. So now, instead of having to repay the full amount at 2.2 percent interest over 20 years, the $1.03 million balance will be paid back at 1 percent interest over 30 years. The yearly payments are

Proposed Yachats lodging tax increase draws opposition, warnings

February 11, 2019

QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com Most Yachats motel owners are strongly opposed to a proposed increase in the city’s lodging tax, contending that coupled with the city’s unusual food tax the city is putting too great a financial burden on tourists. They are also critical of lack of communication between the City Council and businesses that fuel Yachats’ budget, and especially want the

Yachats City Hall will trim back office hours amid staffing issues

February 7, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com Yachats City Hall will trim back its public office hours starting in April as the city tries to find two key employees and City Manager Shannon Beaucaire completes an organizational review and staffing proposal. The City Hall office is currently open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The new hours starting April 1 will be 9 a.m.