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Measure 49 vote revives interest in land-use task force

October 30, 2007

By Peter Wong
Statesman Journal

A state task force that is supposed to look more broadly at Oregon's land-use planning system is about to get a second life.

Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, called in separate statements Tuesday night for the task force to resume its review of the system.

They spoke after voters overwhelmingly approved Measure 49, which scaled back the property-compensation law that voters passed in 2004 as Measure 37.

"We have to work hard to be fair to property owners and neighbors alike," Kulongoski said at a pro-Measure 49 gathering in Portland. "Measure 49 has set the stage for a more productive review of our land-use system through the efforts of the 'Big Look' task force."

An examination of the system, which is more than three decades old, is one of the few points of agreement between the property-rights group Oregonians in Action and environmental groups such as 1000 Friends of Oregon. They've been on opposite sides of the ballot measures.

More money for the task force could surface as an issue in the Legislature's planned session Feb. 4 to 29.

Courtney referred to continuing state efforts "to work hard to make the system fair."

"If they say they need more money, I think there would be a willingness to look at that request," said state Rep. Brian Clem, D-Salem, who sat on the subcommittee that reviewed the budget of the state land-use agency.

The nine-member task force, which was created by the 2005 Legislature, had its most recent meeting on July 16 in Lake Oswego. The meeting came about two weeks after the task force received recommendations from a group of consultants.

The final report of the task force goes to the 2009 Legislature.

Contrary to accusations by opponents of Measure 49 during the campaign, the 2007 Legislature did not eliminate money for the task force.

Lawmakers did cut a spending request by the state Department of Land Conservation and Development, but the agency's 2007-09 budget includes $750,000 for the continuation of the task force.

"We did have a conversation about reducing the agency allotment by an amount equal to what they were spending on consultants," said Clem, who sat on the budget subcommittee that heard the request.

The Legislature's budget committee voted 20-1 for the smaller amount for the task force within the budget, and both chambers approved the agency budget, 39-6 in the House and 18-8 in the Senate.

Clem said it was during the campaign that he heard about the suspension of the task force.

"People started speculating about why the Democrats gutted the 'Big Look' effort, although I said we didn't," he said.

If the governor himself halted that process, he added, "it was very bad timing."

pwong@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6745

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