News From Association of Oregon Counties

Salem - Like the spring weather outside, the atmosphere inside the Oregon Capitol changes hourly. Legislators are very busy. The deadline to schedule a work session for a bill has passed. The next deadline is April 18. By then a bill must have had a work session or it will not go any farther along the legislative path, unless it becomes fair game for the always interesting gut and stuff parliamentary maneuver.

The Senate and House Rules and Revenue Committees and the powerful Joint Ways and Means Committee are exempt from the April 18th deadline, providing some latitude for legislators.

A Senate bill, SB 822, dealing with PERS, passed out of Ways and Means on a party line vote last Friday. It is scheduled for a debate by the full Senate on Thursday, April 11. Needless to say, the PERS issue is taking a lot of air out of the room these days.

So is a proposal by legislative Democrats to raise an additional $275 million in new revenue. Between those two divisive issues and the budget, those of us who've watched legislative sessions in the past have reached that point in this session when we have to wonder how it will work out. May and June promise to provide plenty of fodder for political junkies and legislative watchers to chew on.

Nevertheless, not every issue or bill is controversial or contentious and you'll find out what's happening on several of those bills in this edition of Oregon Trails.

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HB 3194: Sen. Prozanski & Rep. Olson visit AOC Legislative Committee

Monday's AOC Legislative Committee featured visitors from the Capitol

building - Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) and Rep. Andy Olson (R-Albany) - who were urging commissioners to support HB 3194, a sentencing reform bill which would create a public safety incentive fund for counties.

Prozanski and Olson are two of the four co-chairs for the Joint Committee on Public Safety, which is evaluating HB 3194. The bill contains the 19 policy options studied by the Governor's Commission on Public Safety that met over the course of last year. The commission worked to develop options to curb prison growth and reinvest in local communities. It is estimated that the prison population will grow by approximately 2,000 beds over the next decade and a new prison will be needed. Preventing a new prison would save the state $600 million over that timeframe.

Prozanski is a former deputy district attorney and Olson is a former state trooper. Both told AOC members how important it is to keep our local communities safe.

"Regardless of the numbers, we're looking to enact good policy," said Olson.

AOC Legislative Committee and Public Safety Committee have both had numerous meetings regarding HB 3194, but is waiting on the fiscal impact statement before taking a position on the bill. AOC also hosted a workshop on the funding piece of the bill, which sends $8 million to drug courts and $32 million to counties for an incentive fund.

Leg Committee April 13

Rep. Andy Olson, R-Albany, addresses the AOC Legislative Committee

Sequestration Payback

There are many questions surrounding the US Forest Service notification that counties must payback 5.1 percent of their 2012 federal forest payment due to the federal sequestration that went into effect March 1, 2013. AOC has been working with the Governor's office on how to deal with this mandated repayment.

Governor Kitzhaber has sent a letter to Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell asking questions on the legal authority to recall the funds and whether Title II can bear the brunt of the payback. We'll let you know what the Governor hears back from Chief Tidwell.

Industrial Lands

Three industrial land use bills and amendments emerged from Legislative discussions:

HB 2255, originally aimed at modifying the planning period for including land within an urban growth boundary from 20 to 15 years, has a major amendment proposed by the Governor's Office. Richard Whitman outlined in testimony that the dash 2 amendment would provide three new tools for industrial land development: (1) industrial reserves, (2) Expediting employment opportunities of state significance (aka "The Big Fish"); and (3) Expediting employment opportunities of regional significance to recognize the difference in scale in rural and Eastern Oregon.
HB 2657 - Establishes the requirement that an applicant must show proof that the land was advertised as available for industrial development before the local government can consider an application to rezone land for nonindustrial use that is planned and zoned for industrial use. This bill is scheduled for a hearing on April 10.
SB 845 - Provides certainty on land use appeals for a large site industrial development (at least 500 employees). A hearing is scheduled for April 15. An article recently appeared on the front page of The Oregonian that referenced this bill with respect to Project Azalea.

In addition to the land use bills, two bills, SB 246 and SB 253 (and their companion HB 2284 and HB 2285) establish the Industrial Site Readiness program. The bills and their proposed amendments would make available a limited pool of grants for eligible projects to conduct a study on constraints for industrial sites and assist regions in conducting an inventory and readiness assessment of large industrial sites. Also, forgivable loans and/or low interest loans would be available to local governments and property owners to underwrite a portion of the costs of site preparation.

Infrastructure Package

SB 5533, the Governor's infrastructure package, had a hearing in the Ways and Means Committee on April 9. This bill would provide funding for regional priorities as set by the Regional Solutions Steering Committees.

Public Health

HB 2348 originally called for the formation of eight statewide public health regional entities. AOC has worked with Representative Greenlick's office to "gut and stuff" the bill to create a task force that will look at the future of public health in Oregon. The task force will report to the Legislature in October 2014. Deschutes County Commissioner Tammy Baney and Benton County Commissioner Linda Modrell both presented testimony in favor of a task force approach. Lincoln County Commissioner Bill Hall also presented written testimony. It was an excellent opportunity to highlight the counties' commitment to local public health and emphasize to lawmakers that counties contributed over $100 million of county general fund to public health over the last biennium. Commissioner Modrell also met with Representative Greenlick to clarify the language of the bill. The bill is scheduled for a work session Friday, April 12th in the House Health Care committee.

Early Learning/Youth Development Councils

Early Learning Council

Representatives from the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) met with Duke Shepard, Policy Advisor, Governor's Office, and Jada Rupley, Early Learning System Director, on April 1, 2013 to discuss county interests and roles in the transition of early learning services from counties to regional early learning hubs. Among the topics discussed were the funding streams currently flowing through the local commissions on children and families, the future structures of hubs and HB 2013. Notes from that meeting can be found here.

HB 2013, the bill that will move the Early Learning Initiative one step further, is up for a public hearing and possible work session on Friday, April 12th in the House Human Services and Housing Committee.

Youth Development Council

The work of the Youth Development Council (YDC) is further clarified by HB 2392. The bill has received a lot of attention from the governor's office, the YDC and a number of legislators. Currently there are a number of amended versions of the bill and it is not sure which one will be moving forward. However, there is a work session scheduled on Wednesday, April 17th in the Human Services and Housing Committee.

Cougars and Bears, oh my!

AOC weighed in on the controversial subject of using dogs to hunt cougars and bears, by supporting two bills that were heard on Tuesday by the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee. HB 3395 directs the Department of Fish & Wildlife to create a pilot program to use dogs to hunt cougars. A county may request inclusion in the pilot by adopting a resolution, by documenting the need given local cougar conflicts, and by demonstrating that existing management actions have not been sufficient in the county.

HB 2624 provides that a county is exempt from the ban on use of dogs to hunt black bear or cougar, and on the use of bait to hunt black bear, if voters approve a county measure by initiative or referendum. Given the local character of each bill, AOC testified in support.

The hearing was not without some drama and emotion, as witnesses described cougar encounters, decried the attempt to override earlier statewide initiative results that ban the practice of hunting cougar with dogs, and criticized the quality of encounter statistics. HB 3395 has subsequent referral to the Ways & Means Committee.

A work session has been scheduled by the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee for each bill next week.

ODOT Budget

Baker County Commissioner Fred Warner, Tillamook County Public Works Director Liane Welch, and Jackson County Roads and Parks Director John Vial, testified in support of the Oregon Department of Transportation's budget. They stressed counties' strong partnership with ODOT through participation on the Area Commissions on Transportation (ACT's) and by sharing resources. John Vial mentioned how Jackson County and ODOT share equipment resulting in lower costs for the county and for ODOT.

Commissioner Warner, Welch, and AOC noted the need for a major transportation funding package to address needs for local governments and the state.

Coastal Tollway Proposal

Five county commissioners from three counties testified in opposition to HB 2696 which would have allowed the construction of a tollway called the Coastal Highway. Marion County Commissioners Janet Carlson, Sam Brentano, and Patty Milne restated their strong opposition to the building of the Coastal Tollway through Marion County. Yamhill County Commissioner Mary Stern and Polk County Commissioner Craig Pope joined their colleagues and voiced their concerns that the road would impact farmland, circumvent local involvement and is counter to the development of the Newberg/Dundee bypass.

Legislators had hoped to discuss issues involved with developing new roads and public/private financing of infrastructure. Rep. Jim Thompson (R-Dallas) said he sponsored the bill to underscore the need to tap private financing for rural roads while Rep. Jim Weidner (R-Yamhill) expressed the need for public-private partnerships.

Since the bill has not received a work session, it is unlikely further action will be taken this legislative session.

U.S. House Hears Forest Bill

Thursday, April 11, a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on a plan being put forward by three Oregon Congressmen. The plan would revamp the management of the O & C lands in Western Oregon. The session was requested by U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio, Greg Walden and Kurt Schrader who have co-authored the O & C Trust, Conservation and Jobs Act.

The subcommittee will also hear testimony on a bill introduced by Committee Chair U.S. Rep. "Doc" Hastings, R-WA, to restore proper and sustainable management of federal forest lands.

Please visit the Committee website for more information about the bills being considered and how you can watch the hearings live. Remember the three hour time difference! The hearing starts at 10:00 am EDT, which is 7:00 am PDT.

A Very Sad Note

Former Crook County Commissioner Lynn Lundquist passed away earlier this week at the age of 78. He had a rich and varied career in public service and elected office. The Oregonian offered an obituary. Our thoughts are with his family and friends around the state.

Disaster Debris

What do you do with the debris that is left behind after a disaster like a tsunami or an earthquake? The clean up task is significant and there are ways to deal with what's collected and cleaned. The Army Corps of Engineers is hosting a no-cost workshop to help local governments figure out what, where and how to dispose of debris effectively and efficiently. The workshop will be held in Newport April 16th. Here's more information on the workshop.

Businesses Ready?

The Oregon Economic Development Association in partnership with Business Oregon and Small Business Development Centers would like invite economic development professionals and leaders in economic development to attend a one day workshop called Are Your Businesses Ready?

This workshop will have two main topics. The first is preparing your businesses to apply for a loan. One of the best kept secrets at Business Oregon is that over 70 percent of all their loans go to businesses in rural communities. John Saris, head of Business Oregon's Business Finance Department, and Garry Ross, business loan officer for Eastern Oregon, will go over the loans available to rural businesses in Oregon. Then Rick Stone from the Capital Access Team will provide information on helping your local businesses prepare for these loans.

The second half of the day will concentrate on preparing your businesses for international markets. Scott Goddin and Jeff Deiss will lead a panel of experts discussing what it takes to prepare your businesses to find new markets overseas. The training will cover three main topics Mini-Export 101 for economic developers: fundamental export topics & issues; Global Counseling: identifying and working with export-ready clients; and Export Resources for your Clients: who offers what for whom.

This is a must have training for helping your businesses grow and prosper. The training will be help May 1st from 10 am to 4 pm at the Oregon Forestry Building in John Day.

Oregon Forestry Building

415 Patterson Bridge Road

John Day, OR 97845.

To sign up for this event go to the OEDA website and click on the training. There is no cost for this training.

Thanks for Reading This Far

We know Scott Parker has. We're appreciative of his and your support.

Have a great week.

Please feel free to submit your story ideas, announcements, recipes, photos and job changes to your Oregon Trails staff for inclusion in the next riveting edition.

See you next week - your Oregon Trails staff,

Laura Cleland & Eric Schmidt

Association of Oregon Counties

503-585-8351