Hood River issues temporary

HOOD RIVER — City council had several items to work through at its April 13 meeting. But one they didn’t was the Marriott Hotel appeal that was slated to go before council that night, but was withdrawn by developers the week prior.

Mayor Paul Blackburn declared April 13-20 as International Dark Sky Week following a presentation by Mark Zanmiller, former city councilor and co-chair of Dark Skies Gorge. Council then unanimously backed a resolution supporting Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District’s (HRVPRD) May bond and levy measures following a short presentation by HRVPRD Board Member Brian Hackett.

Both resolutions can be read online at columbiagorgenews.com.

Three discussion items on the docket indeed sparked council conversation. The first, “Consolidated Schedule of Fees, Rates, and Charges for Fiscal Year 2026-2017,” was presented by Finance Director Christopher Longinetti.

Councilors took issue with some of the proposed changes, particularly to transportation network companies (TNC) benefiting from lower fees, with the maximum fee capped at $2,000. There was also discussion around in-lieu and parking fees; council ultimately decided to save further discussion for upcoming meetings.

City Manager Abigail Elder also gave an update on the city’s response to federal immigration enforcement and communication plan. Since Hood River was declared a sanctuary city on Jan. 12, Elder has been working through council-directed actions, including policy changes, staff trainings and scheduling community listening sessions contracted through The Next Door, Inc.

Upcoming is an April 23 town hall at the Hood River Middle School auditorium beginning at 6 p.m., the purpose of which is to hear from community members about the impacts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. (See related story, A8.)

The last discussion item was a consideration of a temporary moratorium on data centers, as requested by Councilor Doug Stepina, which ultimately passed. The moratorium will be in effect until Dec. 31.

Stepina listed several concerns regarding data centers, ranging from environmental impacts to overstated employment opportunities.

“Arguably, there’s not a ton of land here that could be used for [data centers], but that doesn’t mean there’s no land,” he said, noting the City of Hood River does not currently have specific policies or development code provisions tailored to data centers.

A development code update “is underway and should be concluded by the fall, which would give the city time to evaluate impacts, develop appropriate zoning and development standards, and ensure future proposals are reviewed under clear and objective criteria,” as per the meeting packet. Until that’s finished, Stepina said, “I think it’s really important to hit the pause button.”

After a brief discussion, council directed staff to bring a draft resolution imposing a temporary moratorium until Dec. 31.