OAR 150-306-0130: Oregon Land Information System Fund and the Oregon Map Project

(1) Definitions. For the purpose of this rule: (a) “Cadastral Data Exchange Standard” is a document created and maintained via Oregon’s Framework Program and approved by the Oregon Geographic Information Council (OGIC) to provide the structure and specifications necessary for the exchange of standardized cadastral data for the state of Oregon to maintain interoperability and facilitate data sharing. Geospatial data standards can be accessed on the Oregon Framework Program website (b) “County” is the agency, approved by the County Assessor, requesting funds from the Oregon Map Project (ORMAP). (c) “Department” means the Oregon Department of Revenue. (d) “Director” means the director of the Oregon Department of Revenue. (e) “Fund” means the Oregon Land Information System (OLIS) Fund. The fund provides financial support for ORMAP. The fund is separate from the state’s General Fund. The fund’s source is an allocated dollar amount received quarterly from each county’s collected document-recording fees, as provided by ORS 205.323(3)(a). (f) “Grant” means a money award from the OLIS Fund. (g) “Oregon Map Project” (ORMAP) means the program implemented and authorized by the department to establish a statewide base map for facilitating and improving Oregon’s property tax mapping system and for providing other Geographic Information System (GIS) benefits, pursuant to ORS 306.132 and 306.135. (h) “ORMAP Project Coordinator” is the department employee tasked with administering the ORMAP project. (i) “Oregon Land Information System Advisory Committee” (Advisory Committee) is a team of individuals appointed by the department’s director. The committee is comprised of ORMAP stakeholders in private industry, and in federal, state, or local government who have an interest in the success of the program (OAR 150-306-0140). (j) “ORMAP Funding Criteria” (Funding Criteria) are listed in the document used for the administrative review, technical review, and priority scoring for grant applications. The criteria are part of the grant application and are on the ORMAP web site (www.ormap.net). (k) “ORMAP Phases” are the project goals approved by the advisory committee. The phases are identified on the ORMAP web site. (L) “ORMAP Policies” are administrative policies approved by the advisory committee. The policies are identified on the ORMAP web site. (m) “ORMAP Technical Group” (Tech Group) is comprised of volunteers who have education or experience in surveying, cadastral cartography, legal descriptions, mapping software, database software, or other GIS technology. The group evaluates and provides recommendations on individual county project grant applications and ORMAP policies to the department and the advisory committee. (n) “ORMAP Technical Specifications” (Tech Specs) is a minimum standard used to determine if taxlots and tax maps remapped with ORMAP funds have been completed and meet ORMAP Phase 1 goals. (o) “ORMAP Tools Group” (Tools Group) is comprised of county and department staff who have education or experience in surveying, cadastral cartography, legal descriptions, mapping software, database software, or other GIS technology. This group develops and provides support in the construction of Oregon assessor’s maps. (p) “Project” means an activity that is eligible for a grant from the fund. (2) The department administers the fund to fulfill the goals of the ORMAP Phases. The department adopts priorities for funding specific projects, goals, or geographic areas in support of ORMAP. The grant is intended to assist the counties in the development of a statewide base map system. The department makes the following disbursements from the fund: (a) Quarterly payments for ORMAP administrative costs to the department. Administrative costs include but are not limited to, personnel, equipment, and other services and supplies required to administer ORMAP . (b) Tools group funding. The tools group is eligible for funding up to $75,000 per year. (A) The Tools Group may provide technical services to counties to assist in the development of GIS editing tools, data development, and data migration. (B) All projects and services approved by the Tools Group must meet data standards defined by the department. (c) Grants to the counties. Counties are eligible for grants to support eligible ORMAP projects and for the purchase of approved equipment or software. (3) Counties applying for a grant to fund an ORMAP project must complete an ORMAP Grant Application; Form No. 150-304-101-9. The application is available upon request to the department or on the ORMAP web site. (a) Completed project grant applications must be submitted to the department’s ORMAP Project Coordinator no later than the due date for that funding cycle, which is posted on the ORMAP web site. The department accepts grant applications for the purchase of approved equipment or software at any time. (b) A county’s grant request must adhere to the ORMAP Phase goals and tech specs. (c) A county that submits a grant application must have a representative available during the tech group meeting to respond to questions related to the application. (d) If requested by the department, a county must provide a reduction package by completing the Alternative Funding Request form developed by the department and attached to the grant application. The county must describe the modified deliverable in the event full funding is not possible. (4) The ORMAP Project Coordinator reviews applications using the current version of the ORMAP policies and the funding criteria’s section titled, Administrative Review Criteria. (a) Administrative review criteria are all pass/fail and include: (A) The county provides the department with a status map of the county’s ORMAP project phases, (B) The county has no more than two outstanding ORMAP grant contracts, (C) The county agrees to share its countywide cadastral data with the department for its internal use and the ORMAP website. (D) The county has proposed a project directed at meeting the goals of the ORMAP Phases , (E) The county has provided the department with the most current calendar year’s countywide cadastral data, which meets the current Cadastral Data Exchange Standard. (F) At the department’s discretion, the county provides an alternative funding request for the grant application outlining funding reductions of varying percentages defined by the department, and (G) Final remapping grant application. If a county grant application proposes to bring the entire county to meet the goal of ORMAP Phase 1 (100% of county tax maps meeting the technical specifications) and the application meets other criteria for approval, it may receive priority for a one-time full funding to the 20% funding limitation for that funding cycle. If more than one county submits a final remapping grant request for a funding cycle, the tech group and advisory committee may review final grant applications and make recommendations for prioritizing and funding final remapping grant requests. (b) The ORMAP Project Coordinator will notify the county applicant if any of the criteria are not met. The applicant may resubmit an amended grant application prior to the grant cycle deadline. (c) An application that does not pass all the department’s administrative review criteria referenced in section (4) of this rule will be denied. (d) Applications for approved equipment and software may be awarded at the discretion of the department without review by the tech group. A list of approved equipment and software is attached to the grant application form. (5) A project grant request that passes the department’s administrative review process will be submitted to the tech group for review at its first scheduled meeting for that funding cycle. Each grant application will be reviewed using the current version of the funding criteria section titled, Technical Review Criteria. (a) Technical review criteria are pass/fail and include: (A) The project demonstrates a successful process, (B) The project has a completion time frame that does not exceed one year, and (C) The project has reasonable and measurable deliverables. (b) If additional information is requested by the tech group, the county must submit a written addendum to the ORMAP Project Coordinator by the date specified. (c) The tech group may review any information submitted at its next scheduled meeting. The department will determine if more meetings are required to complete the application review process. (6) The department will determine if there are sufficient funds to provide full funding to all grant requests that pass the technical review. The department will provide funding to as many counties as possible as its first priority. If full funding is not available, grant applications will then be scored using the current Priority Scoring section of the funding criteria. (a) The Priority Scoring criteria will each be assigned points, and include: (A) The project is identified as a county edge matching project, (B) The project is part of an ongoing process, (C) The county currently has a low completion percentage of taxlots that meet the ORMAP Technical Specifications, (D) The project shows a multi-county effort to encourage collaboration, (E) The project shows funding partnerships, (F) The project demonstrates significantly greater costs if not funded in the current cycle, (G) The county has had significant contribution of non-department resources in completing goals of an ORMAP Phase, (H) The county has signed a statewide data sharing agreement to share its taxlot data, and (I) The County voluntary withdraws the application from the current funding cycle. (b) The department will rank each grant application in point total order, with the higher scoring projects receiving preference, using the Priority Scoring methodology. (c) The tech group will evaluate the department’s ranking and make findings and recommendations as to the department’s application of that methodology. (d) The department will take account of each of the tech group’s findings and recommendations in the course of recommending approval, denial, or partial funding of the grant based on the Priority Scoring and, if applicable, the quality and quantity of the deliverable in the event of insufficient overall funds. (7) The department may make changes to the criteria listed in sections (4), (5) and (6) of this rule and notice will be given in the grant application prior to the funding cycle. (8) The department will provide a written recommendation on grant awards to the advisory committee. (a) The advisory committee will review the written recommendation of the department and may provide suggestions and input during each funding cycle. (b) The department will consider any suggestions and input from the advisory committee, and in its discretion, may modify the original written recommendation on grant awards. (c) The department will notify each grant requestor of its final grant determination and award by letter within two weeks of notifying the advisory committee of grant determinations. (9) The department will consider appeals of grant decisions. (a) Appeals must be submitted in writing to the department within 30 days from the action that is being appealed. (b) If an appellant is successful and additional funds are granted, the additional funding will be deducted from the next quarterly fund deposit. (10) The department and the grant award recipient must execute an intergovernmental service agreement prior to the disbursement from the fund. (11) The department must review and approve all documentation of completed project deliverables before approving the payment from the fund to grant recipients. (12) The department may approve modifications to awarded ORMAP contracts. These modifications may be adjustments to the timeline, deliverables, or amount awarded. The modifications are granted at the discretion of the department based on the availability of funds or the circumstances that required the modification of the contract. (a) To be granted a contract modification, the county assessor must approve, by letter or e-mail, to the ORMAP Project Coordinator the completed ORMAP Contract Modification Request form attached to the grant application. The form is also available upon request to the department’s ORMAP Project Coordinator. (b) The department must receive contract modification requests one month prior to the contract expiration date. [Publications: Publications referenced are available from the agency.]