Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legislative Update topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County staff flags telecom lease bill that could cut Clatsop County revenue; board to draft opposition letter
Summary
County manager Chuck Wheeler updated commissioners on several tracked bills including HB2693 (Lehi Project Grant Fund) and HB3251 (telecommunications leases for Clatsop and Tillamook) and said staff will prepare a formal letter opposing the lease‑cap proposal that would reallocate existing tower lease revenue to the state general fund.
County manager Chuck Wheeler briefed commissioners on legislative items staff is tracking and asked for board input on a planned comment letter opposing a proposal to cap telecommunications lease revenue on certain state lands.
Wheeler said staff prepared written testimony for HB2693 (Lehi Project Grant Fund) and is preparing testimony for a separate bill related to agricultural stress hotlines. He also reminded the board of transient lodging tax (TLT) bills and ongoing tracking work.
Wheeler flagged HB3251 (as introduced in the presentation packet), a bill that would apply only to Clatsop and Tillamook counties and would limit leases of state lands for telecommunications towers to $1,500 per year. He said the county currently receives a share of roughly $120,000–$140,000 annually from two towers in Clatsop County (split one‑third to the state, two‑thirds to the county under current arrangements). The proposed legislation, Wheeler said, would cap those leases at $1,500 and redirect resulting revenue to the State General Fund, reducing county receipts.
“I just wanted to really raise that to your board,” Wheeler said, asking for commissioners’ agreement to work on a formal opposition letter. Commissioners expressed concern about losing existing local revenue and asked staff to prepare a letter opposing the bill.
Commissioner Banks said she had discussed the matter with a state representative and stressed the importance of preserving county revenue, especially where state lands are subject to growth constraints due to habitat conservation plans. Wheeler said staff would draft a formal letter of opposition to the bill on the board’s behalf.
No formal vote was taken at the meeting; Wheeler requested timely signatures on draft testimony for HB2693 so the county can meet an upcoming filing deadline.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to prepare a letter opposing the lease‑cap proposal and to circulate the draft testimony on other bills for signatures before hearing deadlines.
