Monday, June 8, 2015, the AOC Legislative Committee took up two matters referred to them by the AOC Governance Committee, both of which played out later on that same day in the Capitol.

 

Marijuana 

On June 8, at 1:30 p.m., the Joint Marijuana Committee released the amendments that comprise the draft global marijuana package:

• HB 3400 Dash-9 (retail marijuana)
• HB 3400 Dash-10 (medical marijuana)
• HB 2041 Dash-2 (retail marijuana tax reconfiguration to point of sale - this has to be a separate bill for Constitutional reasons) 

This is an updated summary of that package prepared by AOC Legal Counsel Rob Bovett.

 

As these things often go, there have been too many cooks in the kitchen. There were additional tweaks to key provisions of the package that Mr. Bovett had negotiated, some contrary to the deal he struck with the co-chairs, and what the AOC Legislative Committee had approved less than an hour before. The change of greatest concern was to the scope of the time, place and manner section related to retail marijuana businesses. The new tweak would have confined that statutory authority to retail shops. In other words, no statutory authority related to the other categories of retail OLCC licensees (specifically producers, processors, and wholesales). Mr. Bovett cried foul with both co-chairs, and legislative counsel. Hence came the HB 3400 Dash-11 amendments in short order, which restore statutory authority to all categories of retail licensees.

 

At the hearing Monday night, the Joint Marijuana Committee heard a review of the myriad of changes to the global package from legislative counsel, before hearing from OLCC on a number of issues.

 

Public Records 

House Bill 3557 came about as a result of the passage of House Bill 3037 earlier in the session, which adds additional categories of public employee personal information that is exempt from public records disclosure. The newspaper publishers pointed out that the way those new exemptions were granted leaves them immune from any public interest balancing test. They argue that recent events in the Governor's Office show how there needs to be a balancing in some cases. Hence, the introduction of HB 3557 to create such a balance by way of a relatively high "clear and convincing" standard. 

 

However, AOC Legal Counsel Rob Bovett had two serious concerns with the bill, so he shared the proposed legislation with the county counsels. The ensuing conversation on confirmed the serious nature of the concerns, namely: (1) Potential liability for releases later deemed to not have reached the high "clear and convincing" standard; and (2) local governments having to absorb the costs associated with responding to such a public records request when they turn down the request, as can be anticipated to occur due to the high standard.

 

As a result, Multnomah County secured two amendments to address those concerns.  Upon recommendation of the AOC Governance Committee, the AOC Legislative Committee voted to support HB 3557 only if the Dash-1 (immunity) and Dash-2 (cost recovery) amendments are adopted into the bill. Later that day, the House Rules Committee passed the bill with both amendments.

 

AOC Legal Counsel Rob Bovett is our resident expert on marijuana legislation.

FirstNet to Hold Data Collection Workshops Around State 

FirstNet is a federal initiative that will provide emergency responders with the first nationwide, high-speed network dedicated to public safety. The goal is to increase collaboration and help emergency responders save more lives, solve more crimes, and keep our communities safer, according to its website. 

 

A series of data collection workshops will be held around the state, starting next week for the central and eastern Oregon region. On Tuesday, June 16, FirstNet will hold its first workshop in Bend at the Deschutes County 9-1-1 Service District from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Workshops will follow in Baker City on June 17 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Pendleton on June 18 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The information being collected includes data regarding number of incidents responded to, number of law enforcement personnel and first responders in the area, and what type of communications are currently in use. This is also an opportunity to get to know the folks at FirstNet, which could come in handy in the future. 

 

In July, FirstNet will hold workshops throughout the valley and then in August, workshops will be held along the coast and in southern Oregon. For more information on these workshops, please visit www.firstnetinoregon.org. 

 

AOC Policy Manager Patrick Sieng keeps an eye on public safety issues and carries a badge.

 

Many of the policy bills that the AOC Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee weighed in on are either moving smoothly along or are stuck in the waiting game of Ways and Means.

 

DEQ Bills

Last week SB 263, the DEQ "Opportunity to Recycle" bill passed the House and is on its way to becoming law. The funding bill for materials management, SB 245, passed the full Ways and Means Committee and will be voted on in the Senate on Wednesday.

 

Juniper Update

The two Juniper bills, HB 2997 and HB 2998, passed the Full Joint Ways and Means Committee with unanimous support. The funding levels in the bills also remain at their full original request levels ($250K and $900K, respectively). Both bills now go to the House for a vote on Wednesday. HB 2997 and HB 2998 are complementary bills that encourage sustainable harvest and utilization of Western Juniper for ecological benefit and economic development in rural communities, as well as provide locally produced wood products to the urban marketplace and green building sector. The bills provide competitive working capital, business and technical assistance, and workforce training for juniper businesses and entrepreneurs, as well as funds to advance juniper supply chain and market development.

 

A new marketing video that profiles A to Z Wineworks switching out their old vineyard trellis posts and replacing them with new juniper posts can be found here.

 

SB 246-Onsite Septic Revolving Loan Program

SB 246 establishes the Onsite Septic System Loan Fund and authorizes DEQ to provide grants or loans to implement the program at the state, local or regional level. The program would be structured as a revolving loan fund to maximize the use of limited start-up funds and ensure this resource is available for the long term: as loans are repaid, they are immediately available for lending to other homeowners. The purpose would be to help homeowners in need of septic repair or replacement which can often cost as much as some homes are worth.

 

After speaking with the co-chairs of the Ways and Means Committee, it is clear that the policy has broad bipartisan support but the question is how much money will be available to establish the loan fund. If this is a pressing issue for your county we urge you to contact your legislators to describe the importance of supporting SB 246.

 

Biomass Blog Entry

Here is an interesting blog entry from the USDA Chief Economist stating that a study confirms wood pellet industry promotes forest stewardship, helps create jobs and cuts greenhouse gasses.

 

AOC Policy Manager Mark Nystrom handles energy, environment & land use issues.

 

 THUNDER ROAD

. . .  roll down the window

And let the wind blow back your hair

Well the night's busting open

These two lanes will take us anywhere

We got one last chance to make it real . . .

 

As the session draws to a close, the words of Bruce Springsteen's Thunder Road seem to be playing continuously. After weeks of meetings between leaders of both parties and both chambers with the Governor, the chances of a transportation package have gone from optimistic to nil and back again several times. We still remain hopeful that the Legislature can pull out a win for the people of Oregon. But with the clock ticking, as the Boss would say, "we've got one last chance to make it real."

 

Continuing down an optimistic path, IF a package passes, the members of AOC have agreed to seek a revised distribution formula for up to $30 million of any new funds that come to the counties from the State Highway Fund. Currently, funds are distributed based only upon vehicle registration. The new formula would be divided into three parts: 1/3 would be equally distributed to all counties; 1/3 would be based upon county road miles; and 1/3 would be based on vehicle registration. This change would enable more rural, less-populated counties to receive a base level of funding necessary to adequately address local needs.   

 

It appears that HB 2275 will now be the home (fourth bill's a charm?) for a funding source to cover the cost of the DMV's Service Transformation Program (STP) and the DMV Debit/Credit Acceptance program. These two programs would take an estimated $39 million off the top of the State Highway Fund in the 2015-17 biennium, potentially resulting in the loss of nearly $9 Million to counties. An amended version of HB 2275 will allow for DMV to recover the cost of services on certain functions, such as issuing Class C driver licenses. This would raise approximately $28 million per biennium, which would cover the costs of the two new DMV programs over the long term. The bill, which the AOC Legislative Committee voted to support Monday, is currently in the House Rules Committee. We are asking for a hearing and a referral to the Joint Ways & Means Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development. 

 

The Legislative Committee also voted to support, with amendments, House Bill 2274. HB 2274-2 makes changes to the Connect Oregon program, including adding to the criteria for consideration of projects a requirement that a proposed project have a useful life expectancy that offers maximum benefit to the state. This additional language should help alleviate some of the concerns voiced by AOC's members regarding the short term nature of some of the bike/ped projects previously funded through ConnectOR. The bill also seeks to increase the match requirement from 20 percent to 30 percent.  

 

At an Informational Hearing on June 1 in the House Transportation & Economic Development Committee, AOC Policy Manager Mary Stern raised concerns about the increase in the match, calling it unnecessary due to the fact that one of the criteria already considered in the amount of match. By increasing the match to 30 percent, local jurisdictions, particularly those in rural areas, may not be able to meet the higher level of match, thereby potentially excluding some important and necessary projects. The bill is now in the Ways & Means Committee. Please contact the members of that committee if you have concerns about the increase in the required match.

 

USDA Seeks Applications to Expand Economic Development in Rural Communities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking applications for grants to support rural community economic development. Approximately $4 million is being made available nationwide under the Rural Community Development Intiative (RCDI) program.  

Eligible applicants include public, private and nonprofit intermediaries, as well as federally recognized tribes.

 

RCDI grants can be used to provide training or technical assistance. Training may be focused on home ownership education, minority business entrepreneurship, strategic community planning or accessing alternative funding sources. Intermediary organizations must provide matching funds at least equal to the RCDI grant. USDA has invested more than $33 million through the RCDI program since 2009. Grants range from $50,000 to $250,000. 

 

For more details about the RCDI funding, see page 27887 of the May 22, 2015, Federal Register. Applications must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on August 13, 2015. In Oregon, paper applications should be submitted to the following address:

 

USDA Rural Development
ATTN: Community Programs
1201 NE Lloyd Blvd
Suite 801
Portland, OR 97232

 

Questions related to USDA Community Programs in Oregon may be directed to a Community Programs specialist in the Portland State Office. 

 

AOC Policy Manager Mary Stern navigates transportation issues along with community and economic development.

 

SB 5539:  CVSO Funding Contained in Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Bill 

Thank you to all of the Commissioners who signed on to the support letter for SB 5539 (CVSO funding) at Monday's AOC Legislative Committee meeting. With the full Ways and Means Committee beginning their final round of decision making on the 2015-17 state general fund budget, now is the time to continue our full engagement of committee members.

 

Please Send ASAP:  Sample of Personal Email to Legislators

 

Date_____

 

Representative/Senator ________________

Member, Joint Committee on Ways and Means  

Oregon State Capitol

900 Court Street NE

Salem, Oregon 97301

 

Subject: SB 5539---Funding for County Veteran Service Officers

 

Dear Representative/Senator ________________,

 

I am writing in support of a funding level of $4.7 million for County Veteran Service Officers (CVSO's) as contained in SB 5539, the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA) budget bill. 

• According to the latest VA Expenditure data released on May 29, 2015, the level of compensation and pension benefits paid to Oregon's veterans rose to the level of $1.282 billion in 2014.  This total increased by $182 million from 2013, a 16.5% rise. 

• The ROI (return on investment) for our investment in CVSO's is phenomenal. For a state GF investment of less than $5 million per biennium, our CVSO's help leverage $1.282 billion of federal funds each year. These funds go directly to veterans in every county in the state and stimulate local economies via payments for rent, food and basic services.  These federal dollars also save millions of state general funds on social services that would otherwise be needed. 

• 58 County Veterans Service Officers are the front line troops who work hard to gain the trust of our veterans, help them file complicated federal VA claims, and ultimately shepard our veterans and their families through the "VA maze" and "across the benefits finish line" to access education, healthcare, disability and other earned benefits.  These CVSO's are funded jointly by counties and the state. 

• Oregon CVSO's are top notch: they are ranked 7th nationally in the average size of the disability compensation claims they achieve for our veterans.  In 2013, the annual average amount of disability and pension payment received by 64,899 Oregon veterans amount totaled $16,953 and exceeded the national average of $14,917 by 14%. 

Sincerely,

 

Commissioner ________, _______ County

 

Send your emails to the members of the Legislature's Ways and Means Committee.

 

AOC Policy Manager Andrew Smith is in charge of the Veterans' portfolio. 

AOC Executive Director Mike McArthur offers a couple of Oregon perspectives this week. The first is Detroit Reservoir on a sunny day...

The second is the first ever stop light in Sherman County...

Can't make this stuff up. If you have an interesting photo of something from your neck of the woods, please let us know.  

The Twelfth Annual County Leadership Institute took place in Washington, D.C. May 31 to June 4 of this year. CLI is a rigorous four-day program offered in partnership with Cambridge Leadership Associations. More than 250 county officials from 42 states and 160 counties across the nation are graduates.

In this year's class was Jackson County Commissioner Doug Breidenthal who was recently elected 1st Vice President of NACo's Western Interstate Region (WIR). This year's class focused on the demands of personal leadership in a new era of government, one characterized as a "permanent crisis" by CLI Program Developer and Cambridge Leadership co-founder Marty Linsky.  

Thank you for your participation Commissioner Breidenthal!

2015 County Leadership Institute Class of 2015 Commissioner Breidenthal is pictured second from left

Become a NACo Leader and Make a Difference

A great deal of NACo's strength is in its committees and that strength is reflected in the commitment and active participation revealed throughout our committee structure.

 

These appointments are for:

• Policy steering committee and subcommittee chairs and vice chairs
• LUCC and RAC chairs, vice chairs and members
• At-Large appointments to the NACo Board of Directors
• Standing committee chairs, vice chairs and members
• Ad Hoc committee, task force and advisory board chairs, vice chairs and members

The Presidential Appointments Application Form must be completed by everyone who wants to be considered for a leadership or committee appointment on a standing or ad hoc committee for the 2015 - 2016 presidential year. The application form is available online at NACo's web site: Presidential Appointments Application.

 

Please note: steering committee membership is NOT a part of this application process. State associations are responsible for nominating general policy steering committee members. To become a members of a steering committee you must fill out the steering committee nomination form and submit it to your state association, who will submit the nomination to NACo.

 

Please address questions to Jamie Richards at 202.942.4258. 

 

As a member-governed and owned organization, CIS is continuously looking for additional coverage to help meet counties' emerging needs. The CIS Board of Trustees recently authorized two important updates: Builders' Risk coverage has been added and Cyber Risk coverage has been expanded. Read more...