Subcommittee hears LUBA budget request including $450,000 IT modernization and proposed fee increases

The Natural Resources Subcommittee on Thursday heard presentations and questions on Senate Bill 5529, the appropriation bill for the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA), including a request for one-time funding to modernize the agency's case management and electronic filing systems and a related proposal to raise appeal fees under Senate Bill 817.

Kendra Beck of the Department of Administrative Services chief financial office told the subcommittee, "I'm here to give a brief overview of the 25, 27 governor's recommended budget for the land use board of appeals." She said the governor's recommended budget adds roughly $450,000 for an IT modernization project and that the total recommended budget rises from about $3,500,000 in current service level to about $3,900,000 because of that request.

H. M. Zamudio, chair of LUBA, said the agency remains "fully staffed and in a steady state" but described longstanding operational limits tied to a legacy case database and paper filing. "The number 1 question that LUBA board members and the staff receive when we're out in community in our official capacity is when is LUBA getting e filing?" Zamudio said, noting LUBA has identified a commercial off-the-shelf solution and plans to work…