Chapter 662 Oregon Laws 2001

 

AN ACT

 

HB 2980

 

Relating to impact of new development on system development charges; amending ORS 223.208, 223.302, 223.304, 223.309, 223.311 and 223.314.

 

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

 

          SECTION 1. ORS 223.208 is amended to read:

          223.208. (1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, the rights and duties accorded governmental units and the owners of property for financing and assessments under ORS 223.205 to 223.775 shall apply to the following:

          (a) A systems development charge designed to finance the purchase or development of a public park or recreational facility or the construction, extension or enlargement of a street, community water supply, storm sewer or sewerage or disposal system as defined in ORS 199.464 imposed by a governmental unit as a condition to issuance of any occupancy permit or imposed by a governmental unit at such other time as, by ordinance, it may determine.

          (b) That portion of a connection charge imposed by a governmental unit which is greater than the amount necessary to reimburse the unit for its costs of inspection and installing connections with system mains.

          (2) Notwithstanding ORS 223.230, the financing of systems development or connection charges under this section may, at the option of the governing body, be a second lien on real property, which lien shall be inferior only to the mortgage or other security interest held by the lender of the owner’s purchase money. Bonds issued under this subsection shall be issued separately from bonds otherwise issued under ORS 223.205 to 223.775 and shall comply with all applicable federal regulations.

 

          SECTION 2. ORS 223.302 is amended to read:

          223.302. (1) Governmental units are authorized to establish system development charges, but the revenues produced therefrom shall be expended only in accordance with ORS 223.297 to 223.314. If a governmental unit expends any such revenues in violation of the limitations described in ORS 223.307, the governmental unit shall replace the misspent amount with moneys derived from other sources. Replacement moneys shall be deposited in a fund designated for the system development charge revenues not later than one year following a determination that the funds were misspent.

          (2) Governmental units shall adopt administrative review procedures by which any citizen or other interested person may challenge an expenditure of system development charge revenues. Such procedures shall provide that such a challenge must be filed within two years of the expenditure of the system development charge revenues. The decision of the governmental unit shall be judicially reviewed only as provided in ORS 34.010 to 34.100[, and not otherwise].

          (3)(a) A governmental unit must advise a person who makes a written objection to the calculation of a system development charge of the right to petition for review pursuant to ORS 34.010 to 34.100.

          (b) If a governmental unit has adopted an administrative review procedure for objections to the calculation of a system development charge, the governmental unit must provide adequate notice regarding the procedure for review to a person who makes a written objection to the calculation of a system development charge.

 

          SECTION 3. ORS 223.304 is amended to read:

          223.304. (1)(a) Reimbursement fees shall be established or modified by ordinance or resolution setting forth a methodology that considers the cost of the existing facility or facilities, prior contributions by existing users, gifts or grants from federal or state government or private persons, the value of unused capacity available to future system users, rate-making principles employed to finance publicly owned capital improvements and other relevant factors identified by the local government imposing the fee.

          (b) The methodology for establishing or modifying a reimbursement fee shall:

          (A) Promote the objective of future system users contributing no more than an equitable share to the cost of existing facilities. [The methodology for establishing such fees shall]

          (B) Be available for public inspection.

          (2)(a) Improvement fees shall:

          (A) Be established or modified by ordinance or resolution setting forth a methodology that considers the cost of projected capital improvements needed to increase the capacity of the systems to which the fee is related.

          (B) Be calculated to obtain the cost of capital improvements for the projected need for available system capacity for future users.

          (b) The methodology for establishing [such] or modifying improvement fees shall be available for public inspection.

          (3) The ordinance or resolution that establishes or modifies an improvement fee shall also provide for a credit against such fee for the construction of a qualified public improvement. A “qualified public improvement” means a capital improvement that is required as a condition of development approval, identified in the plan adopted pursuant to ORS 223.309 and either:

          (a) Not located on or contiguous to property that is the subject of development approval; or

          (b) Located in whole or in part on or contiguous to property that is the subject of development approval and required to be built larger or with greater capacity than is necessary for the particular development project to which the improvement fee is related.

          (4)(a) The credit provided for in subsection (3) of this section shall be only for the improvement fee charged for the type of improvement being constructed, and credit for qualified public improvements under subsection (3)(b) of this section may be granted only for the cost of that portion of such improvement that exceeds the government units minimum standard facility size or capacity needed to serve the particular development project or property. The applicant shall have the burden of demonstrating that a particular improvement qualifies for credit under subsection (3)(b) of this section.

          (b) When the construction of a qualified public improvement gives rise to a credit amount greater than the improvement fee that would otherwise be levied against the project receiving development approval, the excess credit may be applied against improvement fees that accrue in subsequent phases of the original development project. This subsection shall not prohibit a unit of government from providing a greater credit, or from establishing a system providing for the transferability of credits, or from providing a credit for a capital improvement not identified in the plan adopted pursuant to ORS 223.309, or from providing a share of the cost of such improvement by other means, if a unit of government so chooses.

          (c) Credits shall be used in the time specified in the ordinance but not later than 10 years from the date the credit is given.

          (5) Any unit of local government that proposes to [adopt] establish or modify a system development charge shall maintain a list of persons who have made a written request for notification prior to adoption or amendment of a methodology for any system development charge.

          (6) Written notice shall be mailed to persons on the list at least [45] 90 days prior to the first hearing to [adopt or amend] establish or modify a system development charge, and the methodology supporting the [adoption or amendment] system development charge shall be available at least [30] 60 days prior to the first hearing [to adopt or amend]. The failure of a person on the list to receive a notice that was mailed [shall] does not invalidate the action of the local government. The unit of local government may periodically delete names from the list, but at least 30 days prior to removing a name from the list must notify the person whose name is to be deleted that a new written request for notification is required if the person wishes to remain on the notification list. [No] Legal action intended to contest the methodology used for calculating a system development charge [shall] may not be filed after 60 days following adoption or modification of the system development charge ordinance or resolution by the local government. A person shall [contest] request judicial review of the methodology used for calculating a system development charge only as provided in ORS 34.010 to 34.100[, and not otherwise].

          (7) A change in the amount of a reimbursement fee or an improvement fee is not a modification of the system development charge if the change in amount is based on the periodic application of an adopted specific cost index or on a modification to any of the factors related to rate that are incorporated in the established methodology.

 

          SECTION 4. ORS 223.309 is amended to read:

          223.309. (1) [Any governmental unit which has adopted] Prior to the establishment of a system development charge by ordinance or resolution, a governmental unit shall prepare a capital improvement plan, public facilities plan, master plan or comparable plan [which lists] that includes a list of the capital improvements that may be funded with improvement fee revenues and the estimated cost and timing for each improvement.

          (2) A governmental unit that has prepared a plan and the list described in subsection (1) of this section may modify such plan and list at any time.

 

          SECTION 5. ORS 223.311 is amended to read:

          223.311. (1) System development charge revenues shall be deposited in accounts designated for such moneys. The governmental unit shall provide an annual accounting, to be completed by January 1 of each year, for system development charges showing the total amount of system development charge revenues collected for each system and the projects that were funded in the previous fiscal year.

          (2) The governmental unit shall include in the annual accounting a list of the amount spent on each project funded, in whole or in part, with system development charge revenues.

 

          SECTION 6. ORS 223.314 is amended to read:

          223.314. The [adoption] establishment, modification or implementation of a system development charge, or a plan as provided for in ORS 223.309, or any modification [thereto] of a plan, is not a land use decision pursuant to ORS chapters 195 and 197.

 

Approved by the Governor June 28, 2001

 

Filed in the office of Secretary of State June 28, 2001

 

Effective date January 1, 2002

__________