Deputy city attorney briefs Oregon City Planning Commission on land‑use procedures, ex parte rules and housing law changes

Carrie Richter, deputy city attorney, gave the Planning Commission an annual legal training at the Feb. 24, 2025 meeting, reviewing Oregon’s statewide land‑use framework, types of land‑use decisions, public‑hearing procedures, rules on ex parte contacts and conflicts of interest, public‑records obligations, and recent housing‑law developments.

Richter told the commission that Oregon has a statewide land‑use program created in large part by Senate Bill 100 in 1973 and implemented through the Oregon Revised Statutes and the Department of Land Conservation and Development’s acknowledgement process. She said local comprehensive plans implement statewide goals and must include a 20‑year projection of growth and infrastructure needs.

Richter explained the difference between legislative (long‑range planning) decisions — where the City Commission adopts policies or code amendments that apply broadly — and quasi‑judicial (development review) decisions, where the commission applies existing criteria to a…