Mar 26, 2024 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News, 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. The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and the Oregon Association of County Engineers and Surveyors (OACES) have prioritized the lifting of this preemption through legislative action for several legislative sessions.
The concept was introduced as SB 635 in the 2023 session, and AOC participated in a months-long work group with utilities that was ultimately fruitless. Before the end of the 2023 session, AOC successfully advocated for an interim committee work group sanctioned by the Joint Committee on Transportation. That workgroup was led by committee co-chair Sen. Chris Gorsek and committee member Sen. Lynn Findley. Five county representatives participated in several meetings around the state during the interim and negotiated the language that became SB 1566, which was introduced as one of the Joint Committee on Transportation’s three short session bills. AOC and counties are grateful to staff and commissioners from Multnomah, Polk, Union, Jefferson, and Lincoln counties and the leadership and dedication from Sens. Gorsek and Findley, without whom SB 1566 would not have passed.
SB 1566 removes the preemption in ORS 758.010 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. The language includes negotiated permit fee exemptions for vegetation management, routine maintenance, and emergencies. Completed fee-eligible permits must be approved or denied by the county within 15 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 is permissive — if a county wishes to pursue the fee structure the bill authorizes, it must pass an ordinance. SB 1566 contains language that allows a county to begin ordinance development immediately, and includes an emergency clause so it will be in effect upon the governor’s signature. AOC and OACES will create opportunities to collaborate on ordinance development and track the efficacy of this new authority over the next five years.
Contributed by: Legislative Affairs Director Mallorie Roberts
Jan 25, 2024 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News, Transportation
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and League of Oregon Cities (LOC) continued the Transportation Funding Forum meeting series in January (watch recording), featuring presentations from Governor Kotek’s transportation policy staff and transportation stakeholders in the construction industry, the environmental community, transit, and freight carriers. The discussion explored the range of interests and priorities in the future of Oregon’s shared transportation system.
The forum series will continue through 2024 to further coordination, collaboration, and shared understanding of local government interests in the future of Oregon’s transportation funding system and increase transparent, partnership-oriented communication with state agencies, stakeholders, and the legislature. Upcoming forums will take deep dives into national trends in the future of transportation funding, explore local revenue options, more specific needs related to safety, bridges, and the multimodal system.
The kickoff forum meeting in August (watch recording) provided a detailed overview of federal, state, and local funding mechanisms and how these revenue tools work together to fund the current system. The October meeting (watch recording) featured presentations from city and county road departments to demonstrate the range of local jurisdiction transportation budgets and varied regional project priorities.
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | AOC legislative affairs director
Oct 24, 2023 | AOC Advocacy, Transportation
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and League of Oregon Cities (LOC) continued the virtual forum series to coordinate, collaborate, and cultivate a shared understanding of local government interests in Oregon’s transportation funding system.
In August, the first forum meeting provided a detailed overview of federal, state, and local funding mechanisms and how these revenue tools work together to fund the current system. Presentations from the Oregon Department of Transportation, AOC County Road Program, and LOC reviewed the current system, with an emphasis on structural deficits and declining fuel tax revenues. A recording is available here.
The second forum meeting, held on Monday, Oct. 2, featured presentations from two city and two county road departments that demonstrated the range of local jurisdiction transportation budgets and varied regional project priorities. A productive brainstorm and strategy discussion followed the presentations. Slides are available here and a recording of the meeting can be found on the League of Oregon Cities YouTube page.
Forum meetings will continue next year to identify priorities and develop guiding principles to inform AOC and LOC engagement in an expected transportation funding package during the 2025 legislative session. Forum conversations will seek to increase transparent, partnership-oriented communication with state agencies, commissions, and the legislature related to transportation funding policy.
Future forum meetings will feature insight from national experts, and an exploration of mechanisms such as congestion pricing and tolling, road usage or vehicle miles traveled fees, and local options.
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | AOC Legislative Affairs Director
Apr 3, 2023 | Transportation
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) released the draft Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP) for public review and comment.
Tell ODOT what you think!
You are invited to review the draft OTP and provide comments now through May 12.
Why should you review and provide comments? Because this 25-year plan guides important transportation-related decisions that impact people like you and communities like yours every day. Your comments will let ODOT and the Oregon Transportation Commission know what you value in a transportation system – now and into the future.
Learn about the plan, how to provide comments, and get your questions answered at a live webinar on Tuesday, April 11 at noon. If you cannot make it to the live event, the recorded webinar will be posted on the project webpage following the meeting.
Ways to Comment
Visit the project webpage for more information.
About the Plan
The OTP sets the long-range transportation policy for Oregon transportation system. It informs investment decisions by ODOT and regional and local governments for all the ways we get around, including walking, rolling, biking, and taking public transit like buses and streetcars. Planning for a better transportation future is a complex challenge that takes collaboration, compromise, and creativity across the entire state and in our local communities.
Your participation is important! Your feedback will help finalize a plan that gives ODOT the opportunity to develop a more sustainable and equitable transportation system for all Oregonians.
Why is the plan being updated?
The OTP was last updated in 2006 and much has changed. Updating the OTP will help us develop a resilient plan that can adapt to drivers of change such as climate change, social equity, our growing population over age 65, and new technologies.
Contact
Questions and comments can be submitted at any time to the project team at:
Phone: 503-423-3720
Email: OTP@odot.state.or.us
Website: tinyurl.com/OTP-update
More information is available here.
Contributed by: Oregon Department of Transportation Project Team
Feb 21, 2023 | Transportation
One of the most innovative and successful programs offered through the state department of transportation in partnership with counties and cities is the now 40-year-old Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Fund Exchange Program, which efficiently leverages infrastructure funding in order to preserve and maintain Oregon’s transportation infrastructure system in the most cost-effective manner for Oregon taxpayers.
This program allows local agencies to exchange federal dollars for state dollars. Federal funds come with burdensome federal requirements, which local governments often cannot afford, slowing, or ultimately stopping critical infrastructure projects.
“Delays often equate to increased cost as resources, labor, and general compliance measure costs have increased significantly,” said Association of Oregon Counties County Road Program Director, Brian Worley.
Now, under the heavy impacts of inflation, depleting revenue sources, and high need to repair, replace, and add new infrastructure, the fund exchange program, a critical resource for counties, is under threat. Like the other 10 states with fund exchange programs, and Oregon’s county governments, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has felt the diminishing budgetary impacts of the pandemic and widespread economic and compliance concerns for all transportation infrastructure stakeholders.
ODOT is no stranger to constricting budgets with spending limitations in its Operations and Maintenance (OM) budget and long-term deficits in the State Highway Fund, ODOT has proposed reducing and eliminating the fund exchange program. Under current statute, the OM budget is the budget in which local governments exchange their federal funds. Under the exchange, ODOT receives 10 cents for every dollar to recoup administrative costs. This share has increased in recent years due to ongoing budgetary shortfalls.
To remedy this issue, the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) proposed HB 2101 as one of its priority bills in the 2023 Legislative Session. HB 2101 allows ODOT the flexibility to exchange State Highway Fund dollars with counties and cities – opening up a secondary option to fund the program and alleviate the department’s concerns regarding their OM budget to cost-effectively manage federal funding. AOC and 16 of its member counties submitted testimony during the January 31 public hearing in the Joint Committee on Transportation of the Oregon State Legislature.
In their joint testimony, AOC President and Klamath County Commissioner Derrick DeGroot and Oregon Association of County Engineers and Surveyors President, Tom Fellows said, “Everyone wins with this arrangement; the state alleviates the burden of administering local federal-aid projects and counties alleviate the burden of federal requirements. Due to a favorable exchange rate, the STBG Fund Exchange Program is also a revenue generator for ODOT when functioning with full state resources.”
On average, the funding from this program is the third largest source for county governments – and for some counties, equates to over 10 percent of their annual operating budget. This means any hit to this program could collapse or delay crucial infrastructure projects across the state, a discussion that has been ongoing between counties and the department since 2020.
During the public hearing, members of the committee, and the department took well to the concept and indicated the bill is likely to advance during the session.
A follow up informational meeting was held, Tuesday, February 14, before the Joint Committee on Transportation to discuss the partnership between the state, counties, and cities. AOC presented before the committee.
Staff at AOC, as well as member counties are continuing to work with stakeholders to pass this long-term, sustainable funding solution for the fund exchange program.
Contributed by: Megan Chuinard | Public Affairs Associate
Feb 21, 2023 | Transportation
SB 635, a bill that allows counties to recoup costs related to right of way permitting, is one of the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and the Oregon Association of County Engineers and Surveyors (OACES) top priorities for the 2023 Legislative Session.
Pre-session filed by Senator Lew Frederick (D-Portland), the bill is a reintroduction of HB 3049 from the 2021 Legislative Session, and a critical resource for counties as they engage in costly permitting processes without the ability to recoup costs. Cities can currently recoup similar costs in statute. The bill is aimed to provide equitable options across jurisdictions and help counties continue to deliver access to services.
AOC staff has worked with stakeholders over the past few years to identify solutions for this funding issue. A workgroup has been formed to allow additional dialogue between utility providers, legislators, and counties before the bill advances.
Contributed by: Megan Chuinard | Public Affairs Associate
