Oct 30, 2024 | AOC Advocacy, Transportation
Until the passage of Senate Bill 1566 during the 2024 short session, Oregon law prohibited counties from charging fees for permits issued to water, gas, electric, and communications utilities for construction, repair, or maintenance work in the county right of way. The statutory preemption on permit fees meant that precious State Highway Fund dollars intended for county road improvements and maintenance were instead subsidizing public and private utility operations.
SB 1566 removed the preemption and allows counties to charge cost-recovery fees for permits issued to the utilities that could previously operate in the county right of way free of charge. This month, Multnomah County became the first to pass an ordinance to implement the bill and begin to recover the costs incurred by utility permit review and administration.
Multnomah County’s ordinance updates Multnomah County Code Chapter 29 Building Regulations to include a code section § 29.503(E) which states that the Director can set fees consistent with SB 1566 (2024). While this is a small change to the code, it effectively removes the preemption against charging utilities. Now that the preemption is removed Multnomah County can apply the fee structure it already has in place. SB 1566 allows Counties to charge on Jan. 1, 2025. However, Multnomah County plans to begin charging permit fees on July 1, 2025. Between now and then the Transportation Development program (which is responsible for permitting) will be updating their permit forms, doing some outreach to the utility companies and their contractors, and updating the online permit portal to make it easier for utility companies and their contractors to both apply and pay the fee.
Negotiated language in SB 1566 includes a fee cap, permit fee exemptions for vegetation management, routine maintenance, and emergencies, and requires that completed fee-eligible permits must be approved or denied by the county within 15 business days. SB 1566 sunsets in 2031, so the legislature will have to review and renew the authority it provides to counties in a future session.
SB 1566 contains language that allows a county to begin ordinance development now, with operative date no earlier than Jan. 1, 2025. The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) encourages county boards of commissioners and county courts to work with county road departments and county counsels, and consider adopting an ordinance.
Submitted by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director
Sep 25, 2024 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News, Transportation
2024 County Road Needs Study Forecasts $834 Million Annual Revenue Shortfall Statewide for County Roads
Salem, Ore. — Today, the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) presented its 2024 County Road Needs Study to the Legislative Joint Committee on Transportation, forecasting a statewide annual revenue shortfall of 59 percent over the next five years, resulting in an additional $834 million per year needed to maintain and manage the county road system in a safe and adequate condition.
“The objective of our 2024 study was to determine and demonstrate the funding required to support the county road system to meet the needs of the traveling public over the next five years,” stated AOC County Road Program Director Brian Worley, who presented the report to the lawmakers. “The report concludes that anticipated revenue will not meet even the basic road maintenance and safety needs for most counties. Over the next five years, counties anticipate a 60 percent shortfall for pavement preservation projects and a 70 percent shortfall for capital construction.”
Oregon counties are facing structural funding challenges that impact core services, including maintenance of roads and bridges.
Counties are responsible for the largest share of Oregon’s road system, with 26,744 miles under county jurisdiction, including 3,448 bridges over 20 feet in length.
“Most of the county system was constructed over a half of a century ago, and for the last four decades, county road departments have been prioritizing the maintenance, preservation, and safety of those roads,” said Worley. “However, all counties are seeing dramatic decreases in funding, and the consequences of inadequate funding are unsafe and unreliable bridges and roads.”
As noted in the study, the majority of revenue for county roads come from the State Highway Fund, which comprises 47 percent of incoming revenues on average. For some counties, especially rural areas, operations and maintenance budgets are comprised solely from state support.
“We urge legislators to consider this study in developing a transportation funding package in the 2025 session, and to uphold the 50-30-20 funding formula that supports the full transportation system through shared State Highway Fund revenues,” said Mallorie Roberts, AOC legislative affairs director, “AOC and counties will continue to partner with the state in 2025 to ensure growth and stabilization of the State Highway Fund with diverse and modernized funding mechanisms.”
The current study is an update of AOC’s 2014 study that reported the anticipated needs of road departments from 2014 to 2018. The 2024 study looks at the same road construction and maintenance activities anticipated by individual county road departments.
To read the full 2024 study, and learn more about county road, bridge, and transportation priorities and funding visit oregoncounties.org.
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About AOC
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) unites Oregon’s county governments. Founded in 1906, AOC brings county officials together to advocate with a collective voice on statewide and national policy, exchange ideas, build new leadership skills, and exercise exemplary leadership in public service, while enriching the public’s understanding of county government.
Sep 24, 2024 | Events, Transportation
The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) program is a bi-state effort between Oregon and Washington to replace the aging Interstate Bridge with a safer, earthquake resilient multimodal corridor. It will reconstruct seven interchanges in Portland and Vancouver, create thousands of jobs, improve mobility along the interstate, and provide a new light rail link between Portland Vancouver.
The program published its Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) on Sept. 20, 2024, kicking off a 60-day public comment process under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) that will run through Nov.18, 2024.
Program Administrator Greg Johnson will be joining the Association of Counties (AOC) and League of Oregon Cities (LOC) on Oct. 25, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. for a virtual presentation to talk about the IBR program, highlight the key findings of the Draft SEIS, and outline how to participate in the public comment process.
Join the webinar here. (New link)
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director
Sep 1, 2024 | Transportation
The Joint Committee on Transportation (JCT) is holding a listening tour in preparation for the consideration of a new transportation funding package during the 2025 legislative session. Listening tour stops are expected to include roundtable discussions with local leaders, a site tour, and a public hearing.
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) encourages our members to save the date for their area meeting and be prepared to participate on behalf of their county’s local road, bridge, and transportation needs and priorities.
County road project tours and roundtables: The 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. local operations, maintenance, and safety project tours are coordinated by ODOT Region Managers. If your county is a host location please contact your ODOT Region for more information and to coordinate tour stops to visit county projects or facilities that would convey county road needs to the legislature. AOC county members wanting to attend the 2 to 4 p.m. local roundtable should contact AOC Legislative Affairs Director Mallorie Roberts before the meeting.
The AOC County Road Program and the Oregon Association of County Engineers and Surveyors (OACES) will provide additional suggested talking points, statewide county road needs data, and individual county road priorities one-pagers, to help your county communicate its needs effectively with the legislature.
County Roads Resources:
Legislative and ODOT Resources:
Transportation Safety and Sustainability Outreach Tour Schedule
| Date | City | Location | Link to OLIS meeting pages |
| 6/4 | Portland | Portland Community College: Cascade Campus | Meeting Link |
| 6/18 | Tillamook | Port of Tillamook Bay, Officer’s Mess Hall | Meeting Link |
| 7/16 | Albany | Tripp Theater, Takena Hall, Linn-Benton Community College | Meeting Link |
| 7/17 | Eugene | Lane Events Center | Meeting Link |
| 8/7 | Coos Bay | Marshfield High School | Meeting Link |
| 8/8 | Medford | Jackson County Expo Center, Mace Building | Meeting Link |
| 8/28 | Ontario | Treasure Valley Community College Four Rivers Cultural Center, Meyer McLean Memorial Theater | Meeting Link |
| 8/29 | Hermiston | Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center, Great Room | Meeting Link |
| 9/12 | Bend | OSU Cascades Campus, Ray Hall | Meeting Link |
| 9/13 | The Dalles | The Dalles Middle School Commons | Meeting Link |
| 9/25 | Salem | Virtual | Meeting Link |
| 9/26 | Happy Valley | TBA | Meeting Link |
| 9/27 | Hillsboro | TBA | Meeting Link |
Page updated Sept. 3, 2024
Aug 25, 2024 | Transportation
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has extended the deadline for the Local Consultation Survey, a federal requirement which ODOT is required to conduct and report on every five years. The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) encourages members to participate in the survey.
Click here to complete the survey by Sept. 27.
ODOT Local Consultation Survey FAQ:
What is the Local Consultation Survey?
The Local Consultation Survey (LCS) is a method we use to meet federal regulations requiring the state to gather feedback from nonmetropolitan local officials and other interested parties regarding the cooperative planning process and any proposed changes. The survey will evaluate ODOT’s local consultation practices regarding the following processes:
- Conferring with affected local officials and other interested parties in accordance with established rules, plans, policies, procedures, and programs.
- Considering the input of local officials and other interested parties before acting.
- Periodically informing local officials and other interested parties about actions taken.
- Implementing public involvement processes.
What are we asking?
We’re interested in your experiences with statewide transportation planning and programming activities. Transportation planning refers to participation in activities such as updating the Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP) or any of its component mode and topic plans, including the Transportation Safety Action Plan (TSAP) and the Oregon Public Transportation Plan (OPTP). The survey also includes questions about involvement in developing the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), reflecting on the processes used to prioritize and program
Who are we asking?
We are sending the survey to all Area Commissions on Transportation, the League of Oregon Cities, the Association of Oregon Counties, and many of our committee partners. As part of this effort, we are also gathering feedback from metropolitan representatives and Tribal governments as members of an Area Commission on Transportation. This survey is not to be considered part of the conditions for metropolitan or Tribal consultation per federal requirements, but rather leverages this opportunity to gain additional feedback from these partners.
How are we using the results?
We use feedback to improve our outreach practices. ODOT is continually working to improve, and these results will assist the agency in enhancing how it communicates and engages with key partners. The data will affect policies regarding who, when, and how often to contact different parties in the planning process. The recently updated Oregon Transportation Plan drew guidance from LCS feedback when updating outreach guidelines and practices.
Want more information?
The survey has been extended until September 27, 2024. Please contact Rachel Zakem at Rachel.zakem@odot.oregon.gov for more details.
Jul 29, 2024 | AOC News, Transportation
County commissioners capitalized on opportunities to engage with the Oregon Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation (JCT) at the committee’s Transportation Safety and Sustainability Outreach Tour stops in Albany and Eugene in July.
Listening tour host counties Linn and Lane worked closely with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to plan a local facility site tour to demonstrate cross-jurisdictional partnership and the essential nature of the shared county/state/city road system in supporting public services, jobs, and the economy of our state.
Following the site tours, county commissioners from the Albany and Eugene regions were invited to attend an intimate roundtable conversation with JCT members, local legislators, Oregon Transportation Commission members, governor’s office staff, ODOT leadership, and other community transportation leaders.
County commissioners discussed the impact of inflation, dwindling federal support, and limited local revenue bases on county road department budgets and stressed that counties put their 30% of the State Highway Fund to good use.
“The vast majority of Lane County’s road infrastructure was built over 100 years ago and, with escalating costs, we are falling further behind in our maintenance and preservation backlog,” said Lane County Chair Laurie Trieger. “Beyond the preservation needs of our existing century-old infrastructure,” she said, “we are also focused on key system pillars to carry us into the next century of service: safety, resilience, equity, and access.”
One of the Association of Oregon Counties’ (AOC) top legislative priorities for the 2025 session is to ensure a comprehensive transportation funding package prioritizes investments in operations, maintenance, and safety; incorporates diverse and modern funding mechanisms to ensure the growth and stabilization of the State Highway Fund; maintains the 30% county share of State Highway Fund revenues; and reduces barriers to local revenue sources.
The JCT listening tour continues throughout the summer, stopping next in Coos Bay on Aug. 7. Find the complete tour schedule and resources on the AOC website. AOC and the County Road Program are offering support via talking points, template testimony, and one-pagers to our member counties.
The AOC County Road Program conducted a statewide survey this spring and will present a comprehensive County Road Needs Study to the legislature during September Legislative Days in Salem.
Submitted by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director
