ORS 199.461: Study of proposed boundary change or other action; hearing; action by commission; judicial review; notice to public officials.

(1) When the boundary commission receives a petition in a boundary change proceeding or an application for any proceeding allowed under ORS 199.464, it shall: (a) Cause a study to be made of the proposal. (b) Conduct one or more public hearings on the proposal. (2) After the study and hearings, the boundary commission may alter the boundaries set out in a petition for formation or a minor boundary change of a city or district or in a petition for consolidation of cities so as either to include or exclude territory. If the commission determines that any land has been improperly omitted from the proposal and that the owner of the land has not appeared at the hearing, in person or by a representative designated in writing, the commission shall continue the hearing on the petition and shall order notice given to the nonappearing owner requiring appearance of the owner before the commission to show cause, if any, why the land should not be included in the proposal. For minor boundary change modifications, notice to nonappearing owners may be given by personal service or by letter sent by first-class mail, at least 10 days prior to the date to which the hearing has been continued. For major boundary change modifications, notice to nonappearing owners may be given by personal service, by letter sent by first-class mail or by a legal advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the area at least 15 days prior to the date to which the hearing has been continued. The required notice may be waived by the nonappearing owner. (3) After the study and hearings the boundary commission may alter the application for extraterritorial sewer or water line extensions to include or exclude line and connections thereto, and may alter the application for formation of a privately owned sewer or water system or allocation of territory to a community water supply system to include or exclude territory. If the commission determines that any land has been improperly omitted from a proposal to form a private water or sewer system or allocate territory to a community water system, or that any line or connections have been improperly omitted from a proposal to extend extraterritorially a water or sewer line, and that the owner of the property to be included or to which the line is being extended has not appeared at the hearing, in person or by a representative designated in writing, the commission shall continue the hearing on the proposal and shall order notice given to the nonappearing owner requiring appearance of the owner before the commission to show cause, if any, why the land or line or connection should not be included in the proposal. Notice to nonappearing owners may be given by personal service or by letter sent by first-class mail, at least 10 days prior to the date to which the hearing has been continued. The required notice may be waived by the nonappearing owner. (4) On the basis of the study and on the basis of the facts presented at the hearing, the boundary commission shall approve the proposed boundary change or application under ORS 199.464 as presented or as modified by the commission or disapprove the proposed change, by an order stating the reasons for the decision of the commission. Jurisdiction for judicial review of such an order is conferred upon the Court of Appeals. Except as provided in ORS 183.315 (1), any person interested in a boundary change may petition for judicial review of the order under ORS 183.482. (5) Immediately after the effective date of a final order entered under subsection (4) of this section and a proclamation declaring a minor boundary change approved if any is entered under ORS 199.505 (3), the commission shall file a copy of the order and proclamation, if any, with the Secretary of State, the Department of Revenue, the assessor and the county clerk of each county in which the affected territory, city or district is located, and the clerk of the affected city or district. If the commission disapproves a minor boundary change, it shall send a copy of the final order to the person who actually filed the petition and to the affected city or district. (6) Immediately after the effective date of a final order on an application under ORS 199.464, the commission shall file a copy of the order with the applicant, the Oregon Health Authority, the Department of Environmental Quality and the county planning department. [Formerly 199.475; 1979 c.772 §16; 1981 c.265 §9; 1983 c.336 §6; 1989 c.92 §16; 2009 c.595 §176]