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Klamath County opens first hearing on ordinance to charge utility right-of-way permit fees
Summary
The Board of Klamath County Commissioners on March 31 opened a first public hearing on proposed Ordinance 42.04, which would allow the county to charge utility right-of-way permit fees up to limits set by state law; Public Works said the new authority could recoup some administrative costs but noted a $500 cap per application may not cover long projects.
Klamath County commissioners opened a first public hearing March 31 on Ordinance 42.04, a proposal to add utility right-of-way permit fees to county code and recover the county’s administrative costs. The board voted to conduct the hearing and take public testimony.
The hearing follows Senate Bill 1566 (Oregon Laws 2024, ch. 60), which authorizes counties to charge fees limited to recovering the ‘‘county’s cost of administration, issuance, and compliance enforcement on a competitively neutral and nondiscriminatory basis,’’ according to the chair. The county reported an advertising cost for the hearing of $157.16.
Jeremy Morris, Klamath County Public Works director, told the board public works reviews dozens of utility permits and must evaluate traffic control, trenching and backfill, and inspect during work to ensure taxpayers are not left subsidizing later repairs. "All of that has been funded by the gas tax over the years, and this senate bill allows us to recoup some of that over time," he said. Morris said the draft ordinance contemplates a cap of $500 per application and acknowledged that amount "is not nearly enough if somebody, a fiber optic company spends all summer long trenching" in a county road but called it a start.
A single public commenter spoke in support of the ordinance in principle, saying the fee would shift costs from residents to utility companies and reduce subsidies for private projects that impact county roads. The commenter said $500 "doesn't seem like it's the appropriate amount" for large, multiweek projects but reiterated support for the policy direction. No other members of the public testified on the issue and the hearing was closed.
The board opened the first hearing on the ordinance; subsequent procedures and any final fee schedule or resolution to adopt fees were not taken at this meeting. Next steps include staff review of testimony and any return to the board for a fee-adoption order or revised ordinance language.
