OAR 123-662-1000: Electronic Commerce Zone Status

(1) An E-commerce zone may be any enterprise zone, whether urban or rural, except as described in section (3) of this rule, that is already designated in accordance with OAR 123-650 or 123-656 and has not terminated. (2) Electronic commerce status fully overlays the entire area of the enterprise zone designated as an E-commerce zone inclusive of areas added by a subsequent change to the zone’s boundary. (3) The sponsor of an enterprise zone may revoke its status as an E-commerce zone by resolution(s), at any time, pursuant to which the Department shall establish the effective date of revocation, but that enterprise zone designation is not eligible to be an E-commerce zone. (4) To designate an E-commerce zone: (a) The process begins with a zone sponsor’s sending a formal (email advisory) to the Department of its intent to so designate, which must occur on or after an effective date in OAR 123-662-1200; (b) The Department shall respond promptly to such an advisory, conferring with the sponsor’s representative about the availability of any designation and other pertinent information as the Department will memorialize through an email reply; (c) Not less than 31 days after advising the Department, the sponsor may submit its E-commerce designation, consisting of an executed (potentially electronic) copy of a resolution that designates the zone an E-commerce zone, as adopted by each governing body of the zone sponsor consistent with its charter, by-laws or ordinances after conferring with the Department; and (d) Subject to the resolution(s) in subsection (c) of this section and other procedural matters being in order, as well as E-commerce zone availability under the law, the Department shall issue a positive determination confirming the designation and establishing its effective date. (5)(a) Pursuant to advisories and so forth in section (4) of this rule, if the Department receives more submissions than the number of available electronic commerce designations, on effectively the same day, then the positive determination(s) shall go to the zone with the earlier date of resolution adoption by any cosponsor. (b) If subsection (a) of this section results in a tie, tiebreakers shall be employed in the following order: (A) The enterprise zone that less recently had electronic commerce status; (B) The formal advisory received on the earlier date; (C) The zone with the greater number of cosponsors; or (D) Special determination of the Director. (c) If the Department receives fewer submissions than there are available E-commerce zone designations, despite excess advisories in section (4) of this rule, then pursuant to advisories from other zone sponsors, the Department shall process additional submissions consistent with this section, until all available designations are positively determined to have been made. (6) The Department shall promptly give written notification and explanation to any zone sponsor subject to a negative determination of its electronic commerce designation and shall counsel the sponsor about the viability and timing of resubmission. (7) As otherwise permissible, the Department may allow a zone sponsor of an E-commerce zone to re-designate itself as an E-commerce zone at the time it re-designates the enterprise zone under ORS 285C.250, if the zone was designated for electronic commerce within one year of the enterprise zone’s termination in OAR 123-650-9100(1)(a).