Oregon Revised Statutes
As used in this chapter unless the context requires otherwise: “Board” or “board of commissioners” means the governing body of a district. “By-product” means any mineral or minerals (exclusive of oil, hydrocarbon gas, helium or other hydrocarbon substances) which are found in solution or in association with geothermal resources and which have a value of le…
For the purposes of ORS 523.020 and this section, notwithstanding ORS 523.610 to 523.670, “board,” as defined in ORS 523.010, includes the governing body of a city. “District,” as defined in ORS 523.010, includes an incorporated city. Note: 523.015 and 523.020 were enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but were not added to or made a part of ORS chap…
An incorporated city, when empowered by its charter to do so, may provide geothermal heating services to persons within and without its boundaries in accordance with the provisions of ORS chapter 523, where not in conflict with ORS 523.015 and this section. The powers conferred by ORS chapter 523 and ORS 523.015 and this section are in addition to the power…
A geothermal heating district may be formed for the purpose of supplying inhabitants of the district with geothermal heat as provided by this chapter. In connection with supplying geothermal heat, a district may supply, furnish and sell for any use any surplus geothermal heat over and above the heating needs of its inhabitants to persons outside the district…
A district formed under this chapter shall have the power to make contracts, hold and receive and dispose of real and personal property within and without its described boundaries and do all other acts and things which may be requisite, necessary or convenient in carrying out the objects of the district or exercising the powers conferred upon it by this chap…
A geothermal heating district may purchase, sell and hold interests in water and real property in carrying out the objects of the district. A district also has the right to purchase or obtain from cities or other geothermal heating districts, geothermal heat, or an interest in geothermal heat, or an interest in a geothermal heat pipeline owned or operated by…
Districts may enter into cooperative agreements with each other providing for the joint acquisition, construction, ownership, use or control of facilities for the collection, treatment, distribution or supply of geothermal heat. Each district may issue and sell general obligation, revenue or refunding bonds, subject to the limitations and procedures contain…
Any district may perform drainage work for the purpose of reclaiming real property located within the district, protecting real or personal property located within the district from the effects of geothermal heating, promoting sanitation, providing for the public health, convenience and welfare or providing services of public utility or benefit. The district…
Any district may adopt and promulgate regulations concerning the use of geothermal heat and the property of the district. The board of commissioners may refuse to supply any building, place or premises with geothermal heat where the user fails after 10 days’ written notice to comply with the regulations. The written notice shall be by registered mail or by c…
Any district may require a reasonable cash deposit or an irrevocable letter of credit to insure payment for the use or rent of geothermal heat to be furnished by the district.
A geothermal heating district shall charge consumers for the geothermal heat furnished and fix and collect the rates therefor. Rates charged may be fixed and classified according to the type of use and according to the amount of geothermal heat used. Any contract entered into by a district with persons other than domestic users shall provide for immediate ca…
Whenever any increase is proposed in the existing rates charged geothermal heat consumers by a district pursuant to ORS 523.130, the board of commissioners shall first provide for a public hearing on such proposal before any increased rates are ordered into effect. The public hearing required under subsection (1) of this section shall be held at a place des…
In case prompt payment of geothermal heating rent or charge is not made, a district may shut off the geothermal heating supply to the building, place or premises to which the district supplied the geothermal heating.
If any person is required by a district to pay the cost of extending a geothermal heating pipeline adjacent to property other than the property of the person so that geothermal heating service is provided for such other property without further extension of the geothermal heating pipeline, the district shall require the owner of the other property, prior to …
Whenever the district board considers it necessary, upon its own motion, or upon the petition of the owners of one-half of the property that benefits specially from the improvement, to make any improvement to be paid for in whole or in part by special assessment according to benefits, the board shall, by motion, cause a survey and written report for such pro…
After the report has been filed with the secretary, the district board may by motion approve the report, modify the report and approve it as modified, require additional or different information for the improvement, or it may abandon the improvement.
After the district board approves the report as submitted or modified, the board shall, by resolution, declare its intention to make the improvement, provide the manner and method of carrying out the improvement and direct the secretary to give notice of the improvement. Such notice shall be given by two publications one week apart in a newspaper of general …
The board of a geothermal heating district may provide in the improvement resolution that the construction work will be done in whole, or in part, by the district, by a contract or by any other public body as defined in ORS 174.109, or by any combination thereof.
At the time of the public hearing on the proposed improvement, if the written remonstrances represent less than the amount of property required to defeat the proposed improvement, if such an improvement is one that can be remonstrated against, then on the basis of such hearing of written remonstrances and oral objections, if any, the district board may, by m…
The district board in adopting a method of assessment of the costs of the improvement may: Use any just and reasonable method of determining the extent of any improvement district consistent with the benefits derived. Use any method of apportioning the sum to be assessed as is just and reasonable between the properties determined to be specially benefited.…
Any person feeling aggrieved by the assessments made under an assessment ordinance may, within 20 days after the passage of the ordinance levying the assessment by the district board, appeal to the circuit court for the county in which the district is located. The appeal and the requirements and formalities thereof shall be heard, governed and determined, an…
Within 10 days after the ordinance levying assessments is adopted, the secretary of the district shall send by registered or certified mail a notice of assessment to the owner of the assessed property, and shall publish notice of the assessment twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the district, the first publication of which shall be made not later…
After passage of the assessment ordinance by the district board, the secretary shall enter in the docket of district liens a statement of the amounts assessed upon each particular lot, parcel of land or portion thereof, together with a description of the improvement, the name of the owners and the date of the assessment ordinance. Upon such entry in the lien…
Claimed errors in the calculation of assessments shall be called to the attention of the secretary of the district, who shall determine whether there has been an error in fact. If the secretary finds that there has been an error in fact, the secretary shall recommend to the district board an amendment to the assessment ordinance to correct the error. Upon en…
In the event that an assessment is made before the total cost of the improvement is ascertained, and if it is found that the amount of the assessment is insufficient to defray the expenses of the improvement, the district board may, by motion, declare such deficit and prepare a proposed deficit assessment. The board shall set a time for a hearing of objectio…
Upon the completion of the improvement project, if it is found that the assessment previously levied upon any property is more than sufficient to pay the costs of the improvements, the district board shall ascertain and declare the amount of the excess by ordinance. When declared, the excess amounts shall be entered on the lien docket as a credit upon the ap…
The district board may abandon proceedings for an improvement at any time prior to the final completion of the improvement. If liens have been assessed upon any property under ORS 523.210 to 523.380, they shall be canceled, and any payments made on such assessments shall be refunded to the person paying the same, the assigns or legal representatives of the p…
No improvement assessment shall be rendered invalid by reason of a failure of the improvement report to contain all of the information required by ORS 523.210, or by reason of a failure to have all of the information required to be in the improvement resolution, the assessment ordinance, the lien docket or notices required to be published and mailed, nor by …
Whenever any assessment, deficit assessment or reassessment for any improvement which has been made by the district is set aside, or its enforcement restrained by any court having jurisdiction thereof, or when the district board is in doubt as to the validity of an assessment, deficit assessment or reassessment, or any part thereof, the district board may ma…
In case the whole or any portion of the cost of an improvement is assessed against the property directly benefited and the owner of the property fails to pay the amount of the lien, or any portion thereof, or the interest thereon, when they become due, the board may proceed to foreclose the lien in any manner provided by law for the collection of liens by mu…
A district may assess, levy and collect taxes in an amount each year not to exceed one-fourth of one percent (0.0025) of the real market value of all taxable property within the limits of the district, computed in accordance with ORS 308.207. The proceeds of the tax shall be applied by it in carrying out the objects and purposes of ORS 523.030 to 523.050 and…
When an attempt has been made to organize a district under the provisions of this chapter and subsequently by a judgment of a court it has been declared that the organization is invalid, but prior to such judgment the invalid organization has levied taxes, the funds derived from the levy shall be disposed of as follows: If the area embraced in the invalid o…
For the purpose of carrying into effect all or any powers granted by this chapter, the district, when authorized at any properly called election held for that purpose, may borrow money and sell and dispose of general obligation bonds. Except as otherwise provided by this section, the bonds shall never exceed in the aggregate two and one-half percent of the r…
In addition to the authority to issue general obligation bonds, the district, when authorized at any properly called election, shall have the power to sell and dispose of revenue bonds, and to pledge as security therefor all or any part of the unobligated net revenue of the district or system, to purchase, acquire, lay out, construct, reconstruct, extend, en…
Refunding bonds of the same character and tenor as those replaced thereby may be issued pursuant to a resolution duly adopted by the board of commissioners without submitting to the electors the question of authorizing the issuance of such bonds.
All general obligation and revenue bonds, including refunding bonds, authorized under ORS 523.460 to 523.480 shall be issued as prescribed in ORS chapter 287A. DISSOLUTION
A city may enter into a written agreement with a geothermal heating district contemplating dissolution undertaking to assume, in the event of such dissolution, all of the outstanding debts and obligations of the district and to continue to furnish geothermal heat to the inhabitants of the dissolving district for domestic and municipal use for a term therein …
Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, the power and authority given to districts is vested in and shall be exercised by a board of five commissioners, each of whom shall be an elector registered in the district. Except as provided by subsection (2) of this section, each commissioner shall be elected for a term of four years. Not later than the 40th …
ORS chapter 255 governs the following: The nomination and election of commissioners. The conduct of district elections. The electors of a district may exercise the powers of the initiative and referendum regarding a district measure, in accordance with ORS 255.135 to 255.205.
The board of commissioners shall hold meetings at such time and place within the district as it may determine. The board shall hold at least one regular meeting in each month on a day to be fixed by it, and may hold special meetings under such rules as it may make. The board shall, at the time of its organization, choose from the commissioners a president, …
The board of commissioners at any regular meeting may call a special election of the electors of the district.
Moneys of a district shall be deposited in accordance with ORS 295.001 to 295.108 and as designated by the board of commissioners. Moneys shall be withdrawn or paid out only when previously ordered by vote of the board, and upon checks signed by the treasurer or such other person as may be authorized by resolution of the board. Receipts or vouchers, showing …
If a city has been annexed to a district under ORS 198.866 and 198.867 or joined to a district under ORS 198.910, the city and the district may: Enter into contracts and agreements to do any act or thing which either could have done if the annexation had not occurred. Contract and agree for the collection by the district of any geothermal heat tax or charg…
A district may establish an employees’ retirement system. The board of commissioners may enter into agreements necessary to establish the system and carry out the plan and may agree to modifications of such agreements from time to time. The retirement plan may provide for retirement benefits measured on the basis of services rendered or to be rendered by an…
The district may budget and provide for payment into the fund of the retirement plan an amount sufficient: To provide on an actuarial reserve basis the amortized level premium cost of the retirement benefits which, under the provision of the retirement system, are to be provided by the district to its employees who attain the retirement age or retire in acc…
The district may collect, as a contribution from any employee, that percentage of the salary received by the employee which is necessary to fund on an actuarial reserve basis the cost of retirement benefits which the employee is required to provide pursuant to the provisions of a retirement plan.
Nothing in this chapter authorizes the district to budget, provide for payments or collect contributions to fund retirement benefits for an individual who is not in the employment of the district at the time of the creation of a membership status under a retirement plan. CHAPTERS 524 AND 525 [Reserved for expansion] _______________