Board directs staff to schedule public hearing on county CPACE program

Dan Johnson, director of Transportation and Development, and Laura Edmonds, economic development manager, returned to the board with a follow-up briefing on a proposed Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) program. Staff said the board previously directed them to investigate CPACE and that the program would provide a financing mechanism to help owners of qualifying commercial real property pay for energy-efficiency and seismic rehabilitation improvements.

Edmonds summarized staff recommendations: designate the Department of Transportation and Development/Office of Economic Development as program administrator; adopt an ordinance to add CPACE to county code; notify utilities as required by statute; and finalize lien-collection processes modeled on local improvement districts. She said staff recommended a 1% administrative fee capped at $75,000, lien priority similar to LID liens (taxes superior), and no county general-fund exposure. Edmonds noted flexibility remains on whether to hire a third-party administrator to limit county risk.

Commissioners asked about turnaround deadlines for application review and lessons from other counties. Staff said strict short deadlines (for example, 10 days) have forced other jurisdictions to divert staff and that Washington and Deschutes counties provided useful lessons on timing and staffing. Business and developer stakeholders in the metro area had urged quick implementation.

Commissioner Schroeder moved and Commissioner Helm seconded a direction to staff to schedule a public hearing to adopt an ordinance amending county code to implement CPACE. The clerk called the poll and the motion passed 5–0.

Staff said they will return with ordinance language and refined terms at the public hearing stage.