[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6535358,"mediaKeyId","3407547-5e0c03ef592cd5907977b6432b2ab477","parentId",3407547,"title","Council debates stipend and barrier-reduction options; declares potential conflicts of interest","audioSeconds",1213,"startMs",2880170,"endMs",4093280,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3407547-5e0c03ef592cd5907977b6432b2ab477&start=2880&end=4093","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3407547-5e0c03ef592cd5907977b6432b2ab477/thumbnail_2880170.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6535358/Newport/Lincoln-County/Oregon/Council-debates-stipend-and-barrier-reduction-options-declares-potential-conflicts-of-interest","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6535358-2a48d2484653d4cafbd25efb74805b17/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188869&Signature=EIN5iYjx96pJC1RqufpQKQalkveJYGgzn8NsMOviwILt4D7i2DUn~ulg97l772H5oBZyxALpsvItR3y6opoWhGcKHB56kCbIui114eNIA3NGhVK-8YNGXdQFT2p4jaUNS51JJg5JtLNg8wGhLb24k1ejBSHZnneMlml3kZG6kCOh6xhSNKphU9EV6ZrN0ai476Ow8mDhvdHN7LV62bbQ3LbE8wXEG8ohHl94OATl43zhM91oPxspG1Ao~0kD-jqnJNoRhxWgpwlR1gEtW3AI63ksNKXR1EUlXuefAb7BHCWmU6DFZtHdrtpy1JTjm4bwHhzCJqL63quZPCY~i9CppA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Newport","date","2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","article","The Newport City Council discussed whether to pursue compensation or accommodation measures to broaden participation on the council and reduce barriers for underrepresented residents.

At the start of the item each councilor read a potential conflict-of-interest statement noting that any measure that provided direct financial benefit could be to their financial advantage if referred to voters or adopted in a manner that affected them. The conflict declarations were recorded before the substantive discussion.

Councilors and staff framed the topic around two related goals: (1) make council service more accessible to people who currently face barriers (for example, working-age residents, parents who need childcare) and (2) consider whether modest compensation would make the position more widely available without substantially altering expectations for service. Speakers described a range of approaches, from a small monthly stipend to targeted accommodations such as childcare support or offering access to city facilities for meeting attendees. One councilor emphasized the idea of lowering participation barriers (childcare, schedule constraints) rather than simply providing a small check, while another called for a modest stipend to signal that council service is valued.

A councilor who collected comparative data said responses from about 58 Oregon cities showed roughly a 50/50 split on whether stipends are used; reported stipends ranged from about $10 to $1,000 per month across those jurisdictions. Several councilors noted that most cities pay travel or conference expenses (for example, reimbursement to attend the League of Oregon Cities conference) rather than a regular stipend. Staff noted two legal considerations raised in the discussion: how the IRS classifies compensation for elected officials and Oregon ethics rules that restrict officials from creating immediate personal financial gains. A staff member explained two procedural paths if the council wanted to proceed: the council can adopt compensation by ordinance, which typically would not take effect until the next election cycle for affected seats, or the council can refer the compensation measure to voters on the ballot, which could put it into effect sooner if approved.

No formal motion or vote was taken. Councilors asked the compensation work group to continue its work, focusing on approaches that reduce participation barriers for underrepresented residents, and to provide recommended options (including legal analysis) on whether to proceed by council action or by ballot referral. Staff said they would research legal and tax implications for proposed forms of compensation or accommodations.

The discussion also touched on related practicalities: distinguishing benefits available to all residents from benefits specifically tied to holding office (a distinction with ethics and IRS implications), whether childcare or recreation-pass accommodations would be treated as compensation if provided only to council members, and the mechanics and likely timing of any future referral to voters.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Newport - City Council Work Session - May 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Newport City Council discussed whether to pursue compensation or accommodations to reduce barriers to council service, and each councilor read a potential conflict-of-interest statement because measures that directly benefit councilors could be financially material to them.","taxTitle","Newport, Lincoln County, Oregon","taxId",70327,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6535362,"Newport Fire Chief outlines staffing, call-volume rise, new engine and ISO grading",2392,483520,2876410,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3407547-5e0c03ef592cd5907977b6432b2ab477&start=483&end=2876","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3407547-5e0c03ef592cd5907977b6432b2ab477/thumbnail_483520.jpg","/articles/6535362/Newport/Lincoln-County/Oregon/Newport-Fire-Chief-outlines-staffing-call-volume-rise-new-engine-and-ISO-grading","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6535362-4a8c0b609b5fcdde683840c3c3f69721/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188869&Signature=fVQeCGDfD9rS5YydRZGZZOTsSWpz20Z1zg9vVEMBpVeve2gN9BpjKazUqSHGmIWMv7XZMsE0g83TCLs-nMwT7vyNToewbSFF2vXP63OJd7nnjnec2pQCl6E30VKuCEfIQFnIoJvTJ8ZfdP6g35Hp7BBDJHOa9wpxkb8tNPkbph2t4OIGUJpPEf3~LbHaGCrw4UtYSZRscz8mFIhv-bNVxe-E6WRKq9JGMgmNj6IEFEk32slBW8PiuaiSPRIOOcQBZs8~Oi7t99AIXe0JVEA6J-0TotIVMZKLG56hYGf5zNeuPr5ldTibJZSxkfroGeqecK-mxlPVCn7BkOse3syVZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rob Murphy, Newport’s fire chief, gave the council a broad operations update, noting staffing levels, call-volume trends, recent equipment work and preparedness activities for the summer fire season.

Murphy said the department is a combination model (career staff plus volunteers), is budgeted for 15 full-time equivalents and is currently at 13.6 FTEs. He listed department personnel by name and role: Assistant Chief / Fire Marshal Tom Sikaris; Captains Steve Moody, Doyle Hemmerichs and Eric Stafford; three fire engineers; six firefighter positions of which four are filled and two candidates are in background checks; one executive assistant (Catherine, 0.6 FTE); an emergency-preparedness coordinator (Del); and about 13 active volunteers.

Murphy provided 2024 call-volume data drawn from the National Fire Incident Reporting System categories: 48 fires; 1,559 medical calls; 73 hazardous-conditions incidents (which includes hazardous-materials responses and gas leaks); 314 service calls; 405 good-intent calls; 176 false alarms; and a total of 2,577 calls for service in 2024. He said calls have risen about 25% from 1,924 in 2020 to 2,577 in 2024 and that year-to-date through April the department recorded 827 calls. He noted overlap rates (more than one active call) were about 30.62% last year and 34.38% this year; average response time improved from 8 minutes 2 seconds last year to 7 minutes 23 seconds so far this year.

Murphy described recent and planned department work: a firefighter hiring process that produced two candidates in background; an internal promotion that elevated Steve Moody to captain; rollout of a Lexipol policy manual with staged protocol releases; migration to a new records-management system (went live May 1, with some post-launch bugs remaining); delivery and final outfit work on a new fire engine expected to be online within one to two weeks; completion of an ISO (Insurance Services Office) grading visit with a likely retention of the department’s Class 3 rating; and preparations for the summer wildfire season, including hose and ladder testing and attendance at a task-force leaders symposium.

Murphy discussed the department’s service area: Newport city limits plus an intergovernmental agreement to serve a surrounding rural fire protection district on three sides, totaling about 26 square miles and roughly 16 miles of coastline, and noted automatic-aid and mutual-aid arrangements with neighboring districts, nine county fire agencies and the Oregon Department of Forestry. He recounted that local crews have deployed out-of-state through the Oregon Fire Service Mutual Aid System (conflagration response) to large incidents in California.

On capacity, Murphy said the department generally staffs one primary apparatus and that officials begin serious consideration of a second company when annual call volume reaches roughly 3,000–3,500 calls, which he estimated might occur in five to seven years if trends continue. He told councilors the department is exploring an intern program to increase presence at outlying stations and to build a recruiting pipeline, and that volunteer recruitment efforts have historically relied most effectively on word-of-mouth despite repeated outreach drives.

Councilors asked for and received clarifications about hazardous-conditions call types (spills, propane or gas leaks, carbon-monoxide alarms), boundaries of the rural district served, the city’s approach to ambulance/fire engine joint responses for serious medical calls, and the status of an Agua Beach (combined-use) fire station project expected to open in October. Murphy also confirmed the department has previously considered billing non-residents or nonresident motor-vehicle-crash responses to recover some costs and said other jurisdictions use third-party billing for crash-related costs.

Murphy closed by inviting councilors to ride along with crews and by asking the council to note several challenges cited statewide by the Oregon Fire Service Policy Council: increasing calls for service, decreasing volunteer participation, increased wildfire threat, and funding pressures.","Fire Chief Rob Murphy briefed the Newport City Council on department staffing, a 25% rise in calls since 2020, new equipment and an upcoming ISO report; he outlined recruitment, a mini-academy for new hires, mutual-aid arrangements and plans for a new combined station opening in October.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6535367,"Newport council hears League of Oregon Cities roundup on 'shot clock,' drones, lodging tax study",396,67800,464190,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3407547-5e0c03ef592cd5907977b6432b2ab477&start=67&end=464","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3407547-5e0c03ef592cd5907977b6432b2ab477/thumbnail_67800.jpg","/articles/6535367/Newport/Lincoln-County/Oregon/Newport-council-hears-League-of-Oregon-Cities-roundup-on-shot-clock-drones-lodging-tax-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6535367-a3cf9c1d9dc0f00ead73c09ac5faa5bb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188869&Signature=Yn8EL9SR9myvGK3jsh0JfPGKKVE1JUFuMotgxn8o4ETHeE3s6KfAFNFYTe9G~xa1P9~QL4l2pVafouCNUb1g4xqNn5C7XGInRaX3LvfSeLEqLrCyP9NqyeZQWP0SOFp8M9doVjSC8s2P1KVo47YiZasUnxcFqDw6yZR1pp8tYm~I7KUacO8KxreAw7wLaSvDCQD5ti7xk6js4q4il0fkWXNjXEowuuMfbTikcEXOA4xQQN47gXN3EKBI9whXY9CWG7lvUGMxssMJ8hLWaiFhnsN5OSeB0Ncyi-LPyELR6fmoPPnwaak7rbm~Zm3vvyPCAE7kYENxcYoxlqakxQPwIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Kaplan summarized updates from the League of Oregon Cities’ weekly webinar on state legislation and budget matters, telling the Newport City Council that several bills could affect local permitting, public-safety tools and lodging taxes.

The League reported that a so-called “shot clock” bill (sponsored in part by Sen. Anderson) now reflects a 120-day requirement for local governments to complete final engineering-plan reviews, or a mutually agreed extension with an applicant; earlier drafts used 90 days. The League also flagged Senate Bill 238, which would revise rules on law-enforcement use of unmanned aircraft systems, and noted movement on HB 3962, a proposal to study transient lodging tax flexibility and local taxation that the League said has gained traction after additional testimony this year.

The council was also told the state’s updated revenue forecast is weaker than previously projected and that legislators have more than a billion dollars in ways-and-means requests, creating a difficult budgeting environment for competing priorities across the state.

According to the League update relayed at the meeting, the shot-clock change to 120 days better matches current local practice and now explicitly allows a mutually agreed-upon extension between local governments and applicants for complex projects (for example, those with major infrastructure or geological issues). The League’s presenter said SB 238 was discussed briefly and appears to be advancing in a form that would give local agencies wider discretion to use drones for public-safety purposes, though details were not fully reviewed during the webinar. The League also characterized HB 3962 — described at the meeting as a study of local transient lodging tax authority and flexibility — as likelier to move forward this session than past efforts.

Mayor Kaplan said the League has not issued any specific action requests for Newport in the past week and that no formal asks were pending at the time of the work session. The council did not take formal action on any of the state items during the work session.

The League updates were presented as informational; councilors were thanked for previously providing testimony that the League said helped on the lodging-tax study. The council was advised to continue monitoring bills as the legislature worked toward a June adjournment.

Key specifics discussed at the webinar, as reported to the council, included: the shot-clock review timeline set at 120 days (or mutually agreed extension); SB 238 as a vehicle to expand law-enforcement drone use; ongoing negotiation on the TRIP 2025 transportation package; and HB 3962 directing a study of transient lodging taxation.","At a Newport City Council work session, the mayor summarized League of Oregon Cities updates from a Friday webinar, including progress on a 'shot clock' review timeline, draft changes to law enforcement drone use (SB 238), uncertainty in the state revenue forecast and movement on legislation to study transient lodging tax flexibility (HB 3962).","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council debates stipend and barrier-reduction options; declares potential conflicts of interest

Newport Fire Chief outlines staffing, call-volume rise, new engine and ISO grading

Newport council hears League of Oregon Cities roundup on 'shot clock,' drones, lodging tax study