Jun 27, 2024 | News
The effort to understand government and service provider needs to support recycling system expansion is well underway. The timeline for responding to the survey has been extended to July 26, and consultations will be extended through Sept. 10.
Counties should be able to enter the online survey tool using the email invitation they received from Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), or a printable reference of the survey can be downloaded here.
Based on the inquiries received to date, RRS has created an FAQ that will likely answer many of the questions a local government and/or their service providers might have about the survey. RRS and the Circular Action Alliance (CAA) would like to highlight the following FAQ for local governments:
Q: For areas that are within the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), but outside of the city limits, which entity should respond to anticipate the future needs of these areas? Should cities forecast these needs or counties?
A: Counties and cities across Oregon have taken a different approach to addressing these areas. The project team believes a case-by-case approach to capturing the needs of the unincorporated areas of the UGB can continue to be taken. However, there must be close communication between cities and counties to determine which jurisdiction will be reporting for these areas, as well as Special Designated Areas. It is important that duplication and/or total omission of these areas be avoided.
General Oregon Recycling System Optimization Plan (ORSOP) resources can be found here. Those jurisdictions or service providers with questions or needing help responding to the survey can reach out to RRS at 734-274-9408 or via email at orsop.help@recycle.com.
Jun 3, 2024 | News
The Oregon State Legislature met May 29-31, in Salem, for interim Legislative Days committee hearings. Below are links and highlights from the hearings with particular relevance to county governance, services, and budgets. As always, your AOC Legislative Affairs department actively participated in and monitored hearings, and used the opportunity to connect with legislators while they were in Salem.
The legislature will convene for two additional sets of Legislative Days before the 2025 regular session — Sept. 23-25, and Dec.10-12. View the 2024 Legislative Assembly Interim Calendar here.
Senate Interim Committee On Energy and Environment
Senate Interim Committee On Finance and Revenue and House Interim Revenue Committee
Senate Interim Committee On Health Care
Senate Interim Committee On Human Services
Senate Interim Committee On Natural Resources and Wildfire
Senate Interim Committee on Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs
House Interim Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water
House Interim Committee On Behavioral Health and Health Care
House Interim Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment
House Interim Committee On Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans
House Interim Committee On Housing and Homelessness (Meeting materials)
- Governor Kotek Policy Updates: Homelessness Response and Housing Production Frameworks
- Housing Production: Modular Housing, Rural Housing Production
- Housing Stabilization: Climate and Health Resilience in Housing, Manufactured Housing
Joint Interim Committee On Addiction and Community Safety Response
Joint Committee On Information Management and Technology
Joint Committee On Transportation
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director
Jun 3, 2024 | AOC Advocacy, News
Recent state policy shifts intended to serve more Oregonians in the community instead of at the Oregon State Hospital have exposed county governments and their contracted providers to new third-party liability when individuals court-ordered to aid and assist community restoration commit additional crimes.
A new report highlights how this third-party liability has rendered Oregon’s local behavioral health safety net uninsurable and vulnerable to bankruptcy.
The report, funded by SB 5506 in the 2023 legislative session, was presented to the House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee at its Thursday meeting during May legislative days (minute 2:21:32).
Staff from the Department of Administrative Services and select members of the study’s work group, City/County Insurance Services General Counsel Kirk Mylander, Lane County Assistant County Counsel Marcus Vejar, Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs Executive Director Cherryl Ramirez, and Options for Southern Oregon Executive Director Karla McCafferty, presented the report findings and recommendations.
Assistant County Counsel Marcus Vejar, testifying on behalf of the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC), recommended that public and nonprofit entities providing aid and assist community restoration services be included in liability protections equivalent to those for other court-ordered community-based services to individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges and that the $2.9 million reserve fund created by SB 5506 to cover defense costs of any future civil suits be carried over to next biennium until those liability protections are in place.
Contributed by: Jessica Pratt | Legislative Affairs Manager
May 28, 2024 | News
Circular Action Alliance (CAA), the prospective producer responsibility organization for Oregon’s Recycling Modernization Act (RMA), announced the Oregon Recycling System Optimization Project (ORSOP) kick-off. The purpose of this project is to work with local governments and service providers to:
- Reconcile the proposed rule concept priorities with county and city requests;
- Coordinate city and county requests within counties;
- Highlight geographic considerations that need to be taken into account when scheduling investments; and
- Develop a process for incorporating both local government and related service provider feedback.
ORSOP is Phase II of the Local Government Needs Assessment Survey that was submitted by local governments in April 2023. Gathering the information is critical to ensuring that counties receive funding for the service expansion needs they identified in the April 2023 survey. Time is of the essence — there is no prioritization list for when local governments will be contacted by Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), and this work needs to be completed by July 2024. RRS has begun reaching out to local governments; now is the time to gather the information to prepare for the upcoming negotiations. With this information, CAA will be able to resubmit a revised program plan that outlines the local government system expansion and new program funding requests, and the schedule for funding those investments over the program plan period.
CAA has contracted with RRS to assist with ORSOP outreach to local governments and service providers over the coming months.
CAA has developed a suite of resources to prepare local governments and their service providers for engagement with RRS. These tools will aid in identifying the type of expansion and opportunities local governments and service providers may want to consider and to help them gather and organize the information that will be requested by RRS.
Contributed by: Jen Lewis-Goff | Legislative Affairs Manager
May 28, 2024 | News
In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 3630, which directed the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) to create a grant program to support Oregon counties with energy resilience planning. Specifically, HB 3630 provides up to $50,000 per county to develop an energy resilience plan.
The County Energy Resilience Grant Program provides grants to Oregon counties to develop energy resilience plans that:
- Map current energy infrastructure, natural hazard risks, and communities that experience social vulnerability.
- Identify needs to increase resilience.
- Identify steps for implementation.
- Receive input from environmental justice communities to identify communities that experience social vulnerabilities.
This is a noncompetitive grant program with no match requirement. All Oregon counties are eligible to receive funds provided they meet the eligibility requirements. Counties may also work together and pool funds in a cohort.
Opportunity Announcement
ODOE posted the Opportunity Announcement for funding on May 22, and is now accepting applications through Feb. 28, 2025. Applications should be sent to the program team via email.
Single County Application
County Cohort Application
Application Resources: FAQs | Plan Development Resources
Counties must submit the program completion form and a copy of their plans by Aug. 1, 2025. If a county already has an energy resilience or other type of energy plan, the funding can likely be used to update that plan as per the requirements of HB 3630.
Informational Webinar
Join ODOE for one of two informational webinars on June 6, and June 25, to learn more about the County Energy Resilience Program. Program details can be found here.
