2023-99-Minutes for Meeting February 03,2023 Recorded 3/30/2023-V ES
BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS
1300 NW Wall Street, Bend, Oregon
(541) 388-6571
Recorded in Deschutes County
Steve Dennison, County Clerk CJ2023-99
Commissioners, Journal 03/30/2023 2:32:18 PM
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FOR RECORDING STAMP ONLY
DESCHUTES COUNTY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
8:00 AM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2023 VIA ZOOM CONFERENCE CALL
A virtual legislative update meeting was held on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 8:00 a.m, via Zoom
Virtual Meeting Platform, for a weekly scheduled event during this 2023 Legislative Session.
Deschutes County Attendance:
X
Commissioner Anthony DeBone
X
Nick Lelack, County Administrator
X
Commissioner Patti Adair
X
Erik Kropp, Deputy County Administrator
X
Commissioner Phil Chang
X
Whitney Hale, Deputy County
Administrator
X
Dave Doyle, Legal Counsel
X
Kim Riley, Assistant Legal Counsel
David Givans, Internal Auditor
X
Robert Tintle, Chief Financial Officer
X
Chris Doty, Road Department Director
X
Janice Garceau, Health Services Director
Kristie Bollinger, Property Manager
I Stephen Gunnels, District Attorney
X
Peter Gutowsky, Community Development
Director
X
I Kathleen Hinman, Human Resources
Director
Keith MacNamara, Veterans' Services
Manager
Deevy Holcomb, Community Justice
Director
X
Lee Randall, Facilities Director
X
Kevin Moriarty, Forester
X
Chad Centola, Solid Waste Director
Tim Brownell, Incoming Solid Waste
Director
Shane Nelson, Sheriff
X
Sara Crosswhite, 9-1-1 Director
Steve Dennison, Clerk
Cheyenne Purrington, Houseless
Strategies and Solutions Director
Geoff Hinds, Fair & Expo Director
Scot Langton, Assessor
Charles Fadeley,Justice of the Peace
Will Groves, Planning Manager
Holly Harris, Behavioral Health Director
X
Jen Patterson, Strategic Initiatives Manager
2023 DESCHUTES COUNTY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FEBRUARY 3, 2023 PAGE 1 OF 5
Tom Kuhn, Public Health Program
Manager
X
Angie Powers, BOCC Administrative
Assistant
Legislators Present:
X
Senator Lynn Findley
X
Representative)ason Kropf
X
Representative Emerson Levy
X
Representative Werner Reschke
Others Present:
X
Doug Riggs, NW Policy Advocates President
I X
Gabriel Velasquez, NW Policy Advocates
Legislative Coordinator
1. Introductions
Chair DeBone called the meeting to order at 8:02 a.m. Doug Riggs reported that this
is the third Friday of the session and the governor has released her budget. A
drought relief package, behavioral health package and homelessness package are
included in the governor's budget. The homelessness package, the semiconductor
package and possibly the drought package will be on the agenda in the next 60
days. Weekly legislator meetings will be moved from the 1st and 3rd to the 2"d and
4t" Fridays of each month, to avoid conflict with the Bend Chamber of Commerce
calls. Five targeted issues or bills will be the focus of these legislator meetings, and
this meeting will touch on rural ADUs, behavioral health and ODOT fund exchange.
Commissioner Adair shared that she received a message from Senator Findley this
morning that he believes SB 391 has a path forward.
Janice Garceau, Health Services Director, provided a departmental update:
• HB 2757 proposes a telecom tax to support the 988 statewide behavioral
health crisis services hotline. Funding for stabilization and mobile crisis is
included in this bill. Ms. Garceau recommends support of this bill as priority
2. The Board concurred. There will be a hearing on Monday, and she has not
yet been asked to testify. Ms. Garceau hasn't yet marked any bills as priority
1, due to the volume of bills and uncertainty of their footing.
• HB 2773 is a public health bill that is focused on workforce. This bill focuses
on wages and workforce development to ensure health -serving staff are
available. A related bill will examine Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities (IDD) staff and case managers' wages, which hasn't been done
since 2002. She recommends support of this bill, and any bills that help to
cover the costs of growing the profession through avenues such as paid
internships, tuition reimbursement, recruitment and retention bonuses, etc.
She acknowledged that the recruitment and retention bonus model is
difficult to maintain over the long-term. Some of these bills may merge.
Commissioner Chang would like these recruitment and retention bills to
2023 DESCHUTES COUNTY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FEBRUARY 3, 2023 PAGE 2 OF 5
provide for housing opportunities as an eligible expense. The Board supports
monitoring HB 2773 as priority 2.
• Ms. Garceau and her team will provide Mr. Riggs with a list of 5 watch items
as most important for workforce recruitment and retention.
• HB 2543 requires Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to conduct a study every
four years to determine the amount of funding needed by community
mental health programs to comply with statutory requirements. The County
is the state's designee for local mental health authority and there are
mandated services and requirements that aren't always costed out. This bill
will require OHA to cost out these mandated services. Ms. Garceau
recommends support of HB 2543. The Board supports monitoring this bill as
priority 2.
• Ms. Garceau reported that there are a number of mandated population bills
coming through, related to the aid -and -assist population. Ms. Garceau
advised watching for language requiring counties to cost -share when
populations on aid -and -assist commitment at the state hospital are unable to
return to the community. The burden of cost to remain in the state hospital
for a longer period of time would be on counties. She recommends opposing
SB 219. The Board supports opposing SB 219 and other associated packages.
o Commissioner Chang asked about the shortage of state hospital beds
to accommodate the need. If some counties are utilizing more of
these state resources than other counties, it may be advantageous to
have those counties pay for the use of those resources. Ms. Garceau
is hesitant to support a broad approach and supports an incentive
model, versus a punitive cost -sharing model.
Peter Gutowsky, Community Development Director, provided a departmental
update:
• LC 1637 is a Legislative Concept related to case law that housing provisions
need to be clear and objective for local governments. Washington County is a
proponent of LC 1637 and is looking for sponsors to clarify that the clear and
objective standards apply to housing within the urban growth boundary. Mr.
Gutowsky believes this is very important to rural counties. LC 1637 relates to
ORS 197.307. The Board added LC 1637 to their watch list, and will take a
position should it become a bill.
2. Legislator Updates
Mr. Riggs and Chair DeBone thanked legislators for their attendance. Mr. Riggs
explained to legislators that this meeting is a weekly legislative update for key
Deschutes County department heads.
2023 DESCHUTES COUNTY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FEBRUARY 3, 2023 PAGE 3 OF 5
Senator Findley reported that progress has been made on the A.DU issue, which
decouples from the wildfire risk map but keeps hardening building codes intact.
Chair DeBone shared that hardening building requirements are standards that are
typically already in -practice by most builders.
Sen. Findley reported that HB 2101 is a bill to put in statute the federal/state swap -
out of money for road projects. ODOT is strongly pushing back against HB 2101. He
commended Chris Doty, Director Road Department, and Commissioner Chang for
their testimonies. Sen. Findley will continue supporting HB 2101.
Sen. Findley commented that this session has had a slow start as everyone awaits
the revenue forecast. Some big bills are coming but haven't rolled out yet. He has
sponsored 11 bills, relating to issues such as property tax, estate tax, CAT tax,
fisheries, energy and environment. He recently introduced legislation to develop a
plan for recycling hazardous batteries as we electrify fleets.
Representative Levy reported having a productive week and agreed with Sen.
Findley's observation of the slow, non-traditional start to the session. She sits on the
housing committee and is temporarily chairing energy. Rep. Levy attended via phone
and sound quality was poor. HB 2816 Data Center Bill is controversial, but she is
hopeful that a better consensus can be reached. She is working with the City of
Bend to set up a hearing on HB 2750 for next week. A program allows tenants to
pay a fee instead of a security deposit plus first and last month's rent, if tenant and
landlord are insured. Chair DeBone asked Rep. Levy to please put these topics down
on paper so the Board can review and take a position of support or opposition.
Representative Reschke said that this session is different, with a different senate
president, a different house speaker and a new governor. There is a different
method of achieving goals, and everyone is trying to find their footing. His main
focus areas are ways and means and revenue, so the governor's budget is
important to him. His goal is for the governor's plans to be implemented statewide,
and that Central and Eastern Oregon don't get left behind. The governor's plan is a
housing first plan, of which he is not supportive. Aside from a cell phone tax (-$6
per phone per year), the governor isn't planning for any new tax to fund the 988
crisis hotline. Rep. Reschke is on the juniper cutting policy bill and the juniper
biomass tax credit bill.
Representative Kropf reported that housing and homelessness will be some of the
top issues in this session. The pace is beginning to pick up after a slow start.
Funding of behavioral health crisis services is an important issue. Keeping
communities safe from wildfires is another important topic, related to 56 762. Mr.
Riggs is working on language allowing for a path forward for ADUS on rural land as
the wildfire risk maps are being redone. Rep. Kropf plans to be hyperfocused on top
2023 DESCHUTES COUNTY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FEBRUARY 3, 2023 PAGE 4 OF 5
priorities to make the best use of public dollars, due to the budget reality.
Commissioner Adair informed Rep. Kropf that she recently sent him photos of her
recent tour of the China Hat homeless camps. She reported that trees on USFS land
are being cut down, and neighbors have reported gunfire in the vicinity of their
homes. She is concerned about the destruction of our public lands.
3. Commissioner Updates
Chair DeBone said that their schedule will be flexible to allow for legislator
attendance. Commissioner Chang commented on SB 762, a comprehensive wildfire
package. Hazard risk mapping has been the focus, but his hope is that legislators
will take note of other non -mapping items in this bill addressing reducing wildfire
risk (underground utilities, prescribed fire, etc.). Sen. Findley agrees that there are
good components to SB 762, but he disagrees with the wildfire risk mapping. Rep.
Reschke added that they can only vote yes or no on the bill in its entirety, not parts,
adding that the wildfire mapping portion of the bill is also troubling for him.
Commissioner Chang requested to add SB 509 to the list for consideration of
priority. This bill relates to financial and technical assistance to support
neighborhoods and individual property owners implementing hazardous fuels
reduction work.
4. Updates from NW Policy Advocates
Mr. Riggs said that he will send legislators a list of the County's top 5 priorities each
week.
Next Meeting: The next virtual legislative update meeting is scheduled for Friday,
February 10, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.
Adjourn: Chair DeBone adjourned the meeting at 9:03 a.m.
Respectfully Submitted by:
`R'ECO ING SECRETARY
2023 DESCHUTES COUNTY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FEBRUARY 3, 2023 PAGE 5 OF 5