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Lane County staff honored for launching online utility permit process; SB 1566 fees generated about $150,000
Summary
The county recognized an interdepartmental team April 7 for implementing an online utility permit system enabled by Oregon Senate Bill 1566; staff said the 2025 workload reached a record ~760 permits and the new fees brought in roughly $150,000 to help offset road‑fund permit costs.
Lane County commissioners on April 7 recognized an interdepartmental team for designing and deploying a new utility permit process that staff said would not have been possible without a 2024 change in state law. Sasha Vartanian (division manager, construction & engineering services) and Jim Franklin (right‑of‑way permitting supervisor) were singled out for leadership in designing the system, which includes an online application and online self‑reporting.
County staff said Senate Bill 1566 (2024) allowed counties to collect reasonable permit fees to cover staff time for issuing and inspecting permits — a change counties previously lacked. Staff reported a record number of utility permits in 2025 (surpassing about 760 permits) and estimated the new fees produced roughly $150,000 in revenue to offset part of the road fund costs for the program.
The team’s work included cross‑department collaboration among engineering and construction services, transportation planning, and technology services to build a customer‑facing form, create internal efficiencies, and enable online payments. Commissioners praised the team for delivering the update in approximately three months while continuing regular duties; several commissioners described the change as improving customer service and helping recoup costs the county previously absorbed.
Staff said the fee revenue helps cover inspection and permit management costs and that the county’s approach will be shared nationwide as counties adapt to the change in state law. The board observed that the implementation will be important as the county enters the 2026‑27 budget discussions.
