The CMCA Revised Bylaws Are Not Yet Carved in Stone………..

A reminder — we have found it necessary to revise the CMCA bylaws so that they coordinate with our application for 501(c)(3) status, while making sure the bylaws do not alter the traditional functions of our organization.  You can read a copy of the important changes made to this point, and there’s still time to comment and offer further suggestions.

New bylaw revisions are posted on  the Community Center exterior wall;  pens and paper are also available so you can leave comments.

Attached to this message (scroll to bottom) is a digital copy that contains changes that have been made thus far.  You may read this document online or download, print, mark up, and then send to one of the names of the sub-committee working on this project.  Sub-committee members appear below.

The adoption process of the bylaws from this point on includes sending a ballot via e-mail on June 21 for residents to register approval or disapproval of the bylaws. This act of voting is also your statement of interest in being a CMCA member. Your act of voting makes you a member regardless of whether you approve or disapprove of the proposed bylaw changes.  There are additional qualifications for membership that are outlined in the bylaws.  For those who don’t like reading small print, here’s a summary:

• Previously you were automatically a CMCA member. Now we have to ask for your permission and identify you on a membership list that needs to be created for our organization.
• Dues are $0.  Donations to the community organization are encouraged at your discretion.
• You must live in Cape Meares or own at least 25% of a property in the community, or spend four consecutive months per year in Cape Meares in order to be a member and vote.

For the revised bylaws to be accepted, we need to receive more ballots for approval than against.

Your ballot must be submitted electronically by 12:00 Noon on June 28.

If you have questions re the proposed bylaw changes, contact any of the members of the sub-committee that are working on it in preparation of our 501(c)(3) non-profit submission later this summer.

Charles Ansorge,  cansorge@me.com
Chris Spence,  chris@cspencebuilder.com
Deborah Thomas Neal, dct.neal@gmail.com

There will be a Celebration of Life in memory of James Bennett at the Cape Meares Community Center on June 15, 2014 from 1 to 5 PM.  James’ relatives and friends are invited to come and share memories and good food.  This is a potluck open house get-together.

Many in Cape Meares and throughout Oregon consider the Bayocean spit to be one of he unspoiled gems of the Oregon coast. We feel it is important that our residents be aware of actions that could threaten the wild nature of the spit.

By way of an alert from the Oregon Coast Alliance (ORCA), residents of Cape Meares learned that Mr. Dale Bernards of Canterbury Commercial LLC had purchased 53 acres of land on Bayocean Spit and that he is interested in submitting a land use application to Tillamook County within 30-60 days for an “eco-resort” on the land. He has a conceptual plan for Bayocean Park Resort, drawn up as a class project by students at Portland State University. Current zoning could, in theory, allow such development.

Mr. Bernards is the same person who unsuccessfully attempted to develop land on the Spit in 2008, but his efforts back then were rejected. In 2008 he began to farm his property by penning in several goats. He is now attempting a new strategy. Both strategies would result in the need for buildings, thus opening the door to more extensive development.

Mr. Bernards’ proposal was discussed at a workshop meeting of the Tillamook County Commissioners on Wednesday, April 2. An audio of this meeting can be heard on the county website shown below. A written transcription of the minutes is not yet available for review.

County Commissioners Meeting

Two Cape Meares residents (Chris Spence and Charles Ansorge) were able to attend the meeting of the Board of Commissioners mentioned above. We expressed our personal concerns about a development at that time and asked to be kept informed regarding any further actions. We did not attend as elected Executive Committee members of CMCA, but rather as citizens of Cape Meares. Below is a report of the meeting.

It is uncertain whether Mr. Bernards is serious about the pursuit of building this proposed resort or whether he would like to have the Tillamook Board of Commissioners either purchase the land he says he owns on the Spit or swap this land for other land that the county may offer. Back in 2008 the alleged value of the land that Mr. Bernards wanted to develop was $505,000, and the county pursued a grant to obtain one-half of that amount. The grant was denied. For this and other reasons, the 2008 proposal was withdrawn.

The older property valuations most likely overstates the true value. The Board of Commissioners has decided there are too many uncertainties (access, federal easement, tidelands, etc.) about how one would establish values for an acquisition/exchange. The permitting process itself can help to flesh out the true value, so the commissioners decided to wait to see “if the permit had legs” before initiating discussions concerning an acquisition.

During the meeting, Spence commented on the broad base of support for protecting the spit. He asked if now would be the time to consider the land status to a zone that would shut the door to any future attempts to develop. The commissioners present were open to that idea, but pointed out that resolution of the current proposal should come first.

The ball is now in the court of Mr. Bernards regarding what his next step will be. Should he decide to continue his efforts to construct the resort he will find it will be exceedingly difficult to do so. Cape Meares residents will be kept informed regarding any news related to this matter.