Klamath County to co-apply with city for DLCD consultant support to update 2018 housing study

Klamath County planning staff will submit a joint application with the city to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to obtain a planning consultant to update the county’s 2018 housing needs analysis and to review land development code changes related to recent state middle-housing laws.

“We have an opportunity to apply for a DLCD grant to investigate and update our 2018 housing needs analysis,” Jeremy Morris, Planning Director, said. Morris told the board the housing study is seven years old and that several state law changes affecting middle housing and land division rules have not been reflected in the county’s land development code. The DLCD program would furnish the consultant; the county said it was not requesting grant funds for direct payment but rather the consultant services provided through the DLCD program.

Morris said the city planning manager (identified as Joe) agreed to a joint application; the city had set aside funds to “sweeten the pot” and discussed contributing about $20,000 though that contribution was still pending city council approval. Morris said the DLCD-provided consultant would prepare the analysis, followed by public work sessions and a planning commission recommendation; any code changes would later come to the board in a full public process.

Commissioners voted to send the letter of support and to authorize the department head to take actions needed for the county to be a co-applicant with the city. Staff emphasized there are no DLCD-required matching funds (the city’s contribution was voluntary to strengthen the application). No specific timeline for consultant selection was provided in the meeting record.