HB 2918 Local Government to Inventory State-Owned Properties

HB 2918 VOTE: NO
Signed into Law by Gov Brown on 07/27/2021
Status (overview) of bill: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/HB2918

This bill requires state agencies, transit providers, and transportation districts to prepare and submit to the Department of Land Conservation and Development a list of surplus real property owned by an agency or district that is inside an urban growth boundary or that is outside a UGB and already zoned for residential use.

Fiscal Responsibility
DLCD estimates cost of developing the online system to be $68,000 for the 2021-23 biennium and the cost of maintaining the system to be approximately $16,000 for subsequent biennia. This estimate reflects the cost of contracting with the Oregon State University’s Institute for Natural Resources to create and maintain the online system.

Limited Government
As required by statute, the Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) maintains an inventory of all state-owned real property and classifies each property on the basis of value or surplus to agency need. Land-owning state agencies are required to provide to DAS a biennial inventory of any surplus real property the agency owns, distinguishing between property within and outside of an urban growth boundary. In 2015, House Bill 3524 required state agencies selling certain lands to give first right of refusal to nonprofit organizations and Indian tribes as defined by ORS 97.740 for the development of affordable housing. The measure stipulated that the property be located within an urban growth boundary, an urban reserve, a rural community, or an urban unincorporated community; was not being used for a public purpose; and was not needed for public use within five years.

House Bill 2918 requires local governments to submit a survey of surplus real property owned by the agency or district to the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) on January 1 of each even-numbered year. DLCD is charged with developing and maintaining an online database, but is not responsible for verifying the accuracy of inventory uploaded by local governments. The measure also requires city councils to consider, in the sale of city-owned real property, the potential of a given parcel for affordable housing development.

Local Control
Micromanaging local government owned property as if it were state property. For what purpose should local government upload inventory properties which may not be correct, onto a state system, except for the state controlling its sale for affordable housing for low income households regardless of local needs.