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Columbia County holds first reading to let commissioners update land-preservation fees by order
Summary
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners held a first reading of Ordinance No. 2026-2 to repeal the old enabling ordinance and allow future Public Land Preservation Fund fee updates by separate board order; staff said state law removed a $10 cap, and the board requested the second reading be set for March 11.
Columbia County commissioners conducted the first reading on Nov. 18, 2026, of Ordinance No. 2026-2, which would repeal Ordinance 2006-10 and let the board adopt future Public Land Preservation Fund fees by separate board order rather than by repealing and replacing the enabling ordinance.
Staff explained the change grew out of new state law. "The board's taken this matter up at the request of the county surveyor, following the adoption of House Bill 3175 by the legislature," a staff member told commissioners, adding the bill removed a $10 cap that had been referenced in the county's previous enabling ordinance. County surveyor Nathan Woodward reviewed the historical fee structure and the reasons staff recommended decoupling fee adoption from ordinance repeal and adoption.
Under the proposal, fee amounts would be scheduled and returned to the board for a future formal adoption by separate board order after the new enabling ordinance is adopted. The staff member said the second reading must occur at least 13 days after the first reading under state law, and noted the ordinance would become effective 90 days after the second reading. A commissioner asked that the second reading be scheduled for March 11 to accommodate travel schedules.
The action taken at the meeting was the first reading only; no final vote on the ordinance occurred. Commissioners directed staff to return the proposed fee schedule and supporting materials for formal adoption once the enabling ordinance is in place.
Why it matters: decoupling the fee amounts from the enabling ordinance would let the board adjust the preservation fund fees by board order rather than by repealing and re-adopting an ordinance, a procedural change staff said was enabled by state law that removed the prior $10 statutory cap. The change affects people recording deed documents and could alter the per-transaction fee assessed into the preservation fund.
Next steps: staff will return with proposed fee amounts and the board expects to consider a second reading on March 11; if approved at second reading the ordinance would take effect 90 days later.
