HOUSE COMMITTEE ON WATER

March 06, 2003 Hearing Room B

8:30 AM Tapes 33 - 34

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Bob Jenson, Chair

Rep. Jackie Dingfelder, Vice-Chair

Rep. Linda Flores

Rep. Jeff Kruse

Rep. Mike Schaufler

Rep. Carolyn Tomei

MEMBER EXCUSED: Rep. Jeff Kropf, Vice-Chair

STAFF PRESENT: Pete Test, Committee Administrator

Ryan Sherlock, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: HB 2515 – Public Hearing

HB 2210 – Work Session

HB 2376 – Public Hearing

HB 2512 – Public Hearing

HB 2551 – Public Hearing

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 33, A
004	Chair Jenson	Calls meeting to order at 8:38 a.m., and opens a public hearing on HB 2515.
HB 2515 – PUBLIC HEARING
015	Pete Test	Committee Administrator. Offers a description of HB 2515.
025	Geoff Huntington	Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). Offers written testimony (EXHIBIT A) regarding HB 2515.
085	Rep. Kruse	Comments that the Ways and Means committee will decide if this is an appropriate use of the funds, and discusses the purpose of the bill.
095	Huntington	Discusses the possible mechanisms for funding the bill.
115	Chair Jenson	Expresses his concerns for how projects would be chosen to receive the support as outlined in HB 2515.
120	Huntington	Outlines the ways in which projects would be chosen for support, identifying the main factor being merit based.
135	Rep. Kruse	Comments on the need in every county for watershed funding, and points out that a major problem is the fairness in which the funding is distributed.
205	Rep. Dingfelder	Clarifies that currently the money from OWEB goes straight to the Department of Agriculture and is then distributed.
210	Huntington	Discusses the process in which money is distributed.
225	Rep. Dingfelder	Clarifies that it is the Department of Agriculture which allocates the funds, and if this is the case, that allocation legislation should be directed to the Department of Agriculture.
235	Huntington	Further discusses the allocation process.
245	Rep. Schaufler	Asks whether the funds are allocated to those groups and projects which product the best grants.
255	Huntington	Discusses the way in which funds are allocated, and how the state attempts to distribute funds equitably.
290	Chair Jenson	Thanks Mr. Huntington for his testimony, and calls John McDonald to the witness stand to address Rep. Dingfelder’s earlier question regarding funding.
295	Rep. Dingfelder	Asks about the allocation of funds.
305	John McDonald	Association of Conservation Districts. Explains the way in which funds are distributed to the counties.
320	Chair Jenson	Asks Mr. McDonald to give any other testimony he would like.
330	McDonald	Expresses his concern for the means of allocation, and the problems in the system.
350	Chair Jenson	Presents for the record written testimony (EXHIBIT B), regarding HB 2515, offered by Les Helgeson of the Native Fish Society who was unable to attend the meeting.
360	Rep. Kruse	Observes the need to correctly allocate the federal funds which the state will soon receive.
365	Rep. Dingfelder	Points out that Soil and Water Conservation districts do have the ability to pass local taxes, which the Watershed Council does not relying heavily on the State for funding.
TAPE 34, A
025	Chair Jenson	Responds to Rep. Dingfelder’s comment, indicating the difficulties met by the counties in trying to pass such taxes.
035	Rep. Dingfelder	Clarifies her earlier comments regarding the local tax option.
040	Rep. Kruse	Points out the local tax option is not exercised because the likelihood of it being effective is little to none.
050	Chair Jenson	Closes the public hearing on HB 2515, and opens a work session on HB 2210.
HB 2210 – WORK SESSION
055	Pete Test	Committee Administrator. Offers a description of HB 2210.
070	Rep. Tomei	MOTION: Moves HB 2210 to the floor with a DO PASS recommendation.
075	Rep. Flores	Comments on the alleviation of her concerns regarding the fiscal impact of HB 2210.
080		VOTE: 6-0 AYE: In a roll call vote, all members present vote Aye. EXCUSED: 1 - Kropf
	Chair Jenson	The motion CARRIES.
085	Rep. Kruse	MOTION: Moves HB 2210 be placed on the CONSENT CALENDAR.
		VOTE: 6-0 EXCUSED: 1 - Kropf
	Chair Jenson	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.
095	Chair Jenson	Closes the work session on HB 2210, and opens a public hearing on HB 2376.
HB 2376 – PUBLIC HEARING
100	Pete Test	Committee Administrator. Offers a description of HB 2376, and explains that the purpose of this public hearing is to add four sets of testimony to the public record: The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (EXHIBIT C) The Oregon Association of Conservation Districts (EXHIBIT D) Northwest Sports Fishing Industry Association (EXHIBIT E) Native Fish Society (EXHIBIT F)
120	Sharon Livingston	Long Creek, Oregon. Offers testimony in support of HB 2376.
145	Chair Jenson	Closes the public hearing on HB 2376, and opens a public hearing on HB 2512.
HB 2512 – PUBLIC HEARING
150	Pete Test	Committee Administrator. Offers a description of HB 2512.
160	Adam Sussman	Oregon Water Resources Department, Legislative Coordinator. Offers written testimony (EXHIBIT G) in support of HB 2512, and defers to Mr. Wozniak to present the online information.
245	Rep. Schaufler	Asks what the motivation was for compiling the relevant data.
250	Karl Wozniak	Oregon Water Resources Department, Ground Water Hydrologists. Discusses the use of the compiled data, both internally in the Water Resources Department and externally by the public and other public bodies. Offers a presentation on how the compiled information is provided to the public on the Internet.
TAPE 33, B
020	Committee	Discussion on the impressiveness of the online information as presented by Mr. Wozniak.
030	Chair Jenson	Comments on the fact that the Oregon Water Resources Department has already affectively fulfilled the requirements of HB 2512, therefore negating the current language in the bill.
045	Rep. Schaufler	Comments on the extensiveness of the online availability of information.
050	Chair Jenson	Concurs. Closes the public hearing on HB 2512, and opens a public hearing on HB 2551.
HB 2551 – PUBLIC HEARING
055	Pete Test	Committee Administrator. Offers a description of HB 2551.
065	Kristina McNitt	Oregon Water Resources Congress (OWRC). Introduces the OWRC’S new executive director Anita Winkler, and offers written testimony (EXHIBIT H) in support of HB 2551.
145	Rep. Kruse	Clarifies that with HB 2551 the Department would compile a list of qualified individuals in the private sector, which would then be used to staff these request of the Department.
155	McNitt	Concurs and discusses the options to the department.
170	Rep. Schaufler	Clarifies that those groups which use this program are not given preferential treatment.
180	McNitt	Explains that there should be no preferential treatment as a result of this bill, rather the bill would create parallel processes.
195	Rep. Dingfelder	Expresses her concerns for creating a two tier system, and asks if the processed would be helped if the fees were raised.
200	McNitt	Discusses her groups support for the raise in fees, and expresses her doubt that the two issues are conflicting.
215	Rep. Dingfelder	Asks if this proposed system couldn’t be provided by the private sector.
230	McNitt	Explains that many districts have already done this process through the private sector, but the proposed bill would be a tool for the department.
245	Anita Winkler	Oregon Water Resources Congress. Explains that she is there in support to Ms. McNitt.
250	Rep. Tomei	Asks who would be opposed to HB 2551.
255	McNitt	Indicates that no group that she knows of is opposed to the bill, and points out those other groups which are in support of the bill.
275	Chair Jenson	Asks Mr. Sussman to reflect on the funding of the bill.
280	Adam Sussman	Oregon Water Resources Department, Legislative Coordinator. Offers written testimony (EXHIBIT I) in support of HB 2551.
360	Rep. Schaufler	Asks if this will help expedite the process.
370	Sussman	Acknowledges that HB 2551 would streamline the process.
405	Chair Jenson	Asks how the Department will pay for these additional Full Time Positions (FTEs) if they don’t get the raise in fee bill passed.
410	Sussman	Explains that the Department would take the money from the groups wanting the service, and pay the contracted experts with that money.
425	Chair Jenson	Clarifies his question, asking how those extra positions in the Department would be funded.
430	Sussman	Discusses the ways in which these positions could be funded.
TAPE 34, B
010	Chair Jenson	Asks Mr. Sussman to address the topic later, and expresses his concern that those contractors would want to have positions at the Department.
025	Sussman	Points out that HB 2551 would not require any general funds support.
040	Jean Wilkinson	Oregon Farm Bureau. Offers testimony in support of HB 2551.
060	Amanda Rich	Special Districts Association of Oregon. Offers testimony in support of HB 2551.
075	Chair Jenson	Expresses his concerns that HB 2551 should have been classified as an economic development bill at the beginning of the session. Closes the public hearing on HB 2551, and opens a public hearing on HB 2515.
HB 2515 – PUBLIC HEARING
110	Les Helgeson	Native Fish Society. Presents previously offered written testimony (EXHIBIT F) in opposition to HB 2515.
180	Chair Jenson	Closes the public hearing on HB 2515, and adjourns the meeting at 10:30 a.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – HB 2515, written testimony, Geoff Huntington, 1 p.

B – HB 2515, written testimony, Les Helgeson, 1 p.

C – HB 2376, written testimony, Staff, 5 pp.

D – HB 2376, written testimony, Staff, 4 pp.

E – HB 2376, written testimony, Staff, 2 pp.

F – HB 2376, written testimony, Staff, 1 p.

G – HB 2512, written testimony, Adam Sussman, 3 pp.

H – HB 2551, written testimony, Kristina McNitt, 2 pp.

I – HB 2551, written testimony, Adam Sussman, 3 pp.