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Clackamas County approves broad package of fee and fine updates across departments
Summary
After presentations from seven departments, the board approved a coordinated set of fee and fine updates (including one‑time resets, eliminations, new fees and CPI adjustments) for Assessment & Taxation, the Sheriff’s Office, Transportation & Development, Health and Human Services divisions, environmental health, North Clackamas Parks & Rec District and Water Environment Services.
The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 17 approved a multi‑department package of fee and fine adjustments presented by seven county offices. County staff said the package is intended to align fees with the county’s job‑costing results, reflect statutory changes and maintain program staffing and compliance.
Key departmental actions approved by the board included:
- Assessment & Taxation: Assessor Bronson Rueta proposed one‑time “reset” increases for fees last changed in 2012, adjustments to electronic data request charges and higher prices for certain paper printouts. Commissioners debated comparables with other counties and the rationale of catching up after long static periods; the Board approved the A&T changes 4–0.
- Sheriff’s Office (CCSO): Finance manager Patrick Williams presented mostly CPI adjustments and a small number of requested increases. Commissioners asked about room rental comparables and the financial model for the county’s public safety training center; the board approved the CCSO package (excluding rates set by state statute) 4–0.
- Transportation & Development (DTD): Dan Johnson presented a large set of changes in several categories (eliminations, one‑time resets, new fees and housekeeping changes). He emphasized three items: DEQ‑mandated residential erosion control fees (aligned with Water Environment Services), new property disposition fees required by a recent Supreme Court decision, and an update to the Public Land Corner Program fee (statutory cap recently removed). After a short recess staff removed CPI‑only items and returned a shortened packet; the board approved the DTD package and scheduled a public hearing on the public land corner fee, with an explicit exemption for certified death certificate recordings to avoid charging grieving families.
- Health, Housing & Human Services: Resolution Services asked to raise voluntary, non‑mandated mediation fees from $125 to $175 per hour (still below regional market averages); Health Centers proposed an update to the 70th percentile of regional rates. Commissioners approved both packages.
- Environmental Health (Board of Health sitting as board): Staff recommended fee increases to preserve a prevention‑focused program amid rising costs and to add specified administrative penalties for operating without a required public health license; the board approved the changes.
- North Clackamas Parks & Recreation District: NCPRD proposed tiered pricing and a set of new pricing tiers plus 25 fees above CPI and eliminations of unused fees. The board approved the recommended changes.
- Water Environment Services: WES proposed a multi‑year phase‑in of industrial extra strength treatment charges and changes to septic waste discharge permitting to align charges with actual cost of service; the board approved the WES recommendations and a multi‑year ramping approach.
On DTD’s public land corner fee, Dan Johnson said the fee had not been raised since the 1980s, a legislative cap was removed last year, and the department recommended increasing the charge to $30 while exempting certified copies of death certificates. The board added the death‑certificate exemption to the fee table and scheduled the statutorily required public hearing before finalizing the land corner fee.
Board members repeatedly noted the need to balance cost recovery and business competitiveness in the region. Several commissioners said many fees are CPI‑only adjustments while a smaller set are one‑time resets to reflect job costing and statutory changes. Motions to approve each departmental package passed in recorded polls as listed below.
