Title 24, Public Organizations for Community Service

A domestic water supply district created under this chapter may exercise the power of eminent domain both inside and outside of its boundaries, and may purchase, sell, condemn and appropriate real property, water, water rights and riparian rights. A district also has the right to…

(1) For the purpose of carrying into effect all or any powers granted by this chapter, the district, when authorized at any properly called election held for that purpose, may borrow money and sell and dispose of general obligation bonds. Except as otherwise provided by this sect…

In addition to the authority to issue general obligation bonds, the district, when authorized at any properly called election, shall have the power to sell and dispose of revenue bonds, and to pledge as security therefor all or any part of the unobligated net revenue of the distr…

Refunding bonds of the same character and tenor as those replaced thereby may be issued pursuant to a resolution duly adopted by the board of commissioners without submitting to the electors the question of authorizing the issuance of such bonds. [Amended by 1969 c.666 §16]

All general obligation and revenue bonds, including refunding bonds, issued under ORS 264.250 to 264.270 shall be advertised and sold in the manner prescribed in ORS chapter 287A for the sale of bonds of cities of this state. [Amended by 2009 c.538 §11]

(1) A district may assess, levy and collect taxes in an amount each year not to exceed one-fourth of one percent (0.0025) of the real market value of all taxable property within the limits of the district, computed in accordance with ORS 308.207. The proceeds of the tax shall be …

(1) Any district may adopt and promulgate regulations concerning the use of water and the property of the district. The board of commissioners may refuse to supply any building, place or premises with water where the user fails after five days’ written notice to comply with the r…

Any district may require a reasonable cash deposit to insure payment for the use or rent of water to be furnished by the district. [1953 c.660 §1; 1969 c.666 §19]

A district shall charge consumers for the water furnished and fix and collect the rates therefor. Rates charged may be fixed and classified according to the type of use and according to the amount of water used. Any contract entered into by a district with persons other than dome…

(1) Whenever any increase is proposed in the existing rates charged water consumers by a district pursuant to ORS 264.310, the board of commissioners shall first provide for a public hearing on such proposal before any increased rates are ordered into effect. (2) The public heari…

In case prompt payment of water rent or charge is not made, a district may shut off the water supply to the building, place or premises to which the district supplied the water. [1953 c.660 §2; 1969 c.666 §56]

If any person is required by a district to pay the cost of extending a water main adjacent to property other than the person’s own so that water service for domestic use is provided for such other property without further extension of the water main, the district shall require th…

Any district may install hydrants for fire protection along its mains at such points as its board of commissioners may determine, and furnish water for such purpose. The board shall establish, from time to time, regulations governing such installations, and furnishing of water th…

In addition to the other powers granted to districts under this chapter, after holding a public hearing on the question, a district may exercise the powers granted to sanitary districts under ORS 450.005 to 450.245 if: (1) The district obtains all or part of its supply of water f…

Notwithstanding ORS 264.335, a district may exercise the powers granted to sanitary districts under ORS 450.005 to 450.245 if: (1) The district meets the requirements of ORS 264.335 (1), (3) and (4) (2023 Edition); (2) Any part of the territory of the district is covered by the m…

(1) Any district, when authorized by the electors as provided by this subsection, may purchase fire apparatus and equipment and maintain, service and operate the same, and may enter into intergovernmental agreements under ORS chapter 190 for fire protection for its inhabitants, o…

A district which has provided fire protection under ORS 264.340 may, in accordance with ORS 198.510 to 198.600, adopt a fire prevention code. [1953 c.206 §1; 1969 c.666 §24; 1971 c.268 §23; 1971 c.647 §39]

The fire prevention code referred to in ORS 264.342 may provide reasonable regulations relating to: (1) Prevention of fires. (2) Storage and use of combustibles and explosives. (3) Construction, maintenance and regulation of fire escapes. (4) Means and adequacy of exit in case of…

When a fire prevention code has been adopted as provided in ORS 264.342, no person shall violate the provisions of the code or fail to remove hazards found on inspection within the time set by the inspecting officer, after written notice to either the owner or occupant of such pr…

Copies of the fire prevention code referred to in ORS 264.342 shall be filed with the Department of the State Fire Marshal and a copy shall be posted at each fire station within the domestic water supply district. [1953 c.206 §4; 2003 c.802 §87; 2021 c.539 §110]

(1) The authority of a district to furnish fire protection service under ORS 264.340 may be revoked by a majority vote of the electors voting at a special election called for that purpose. (2) Upon revocation of the authority of a district to furnish fire protection service under…

(1) Any district, when authorized by the electors, may install, maintain and operate a system, or systems, of street, road and highway lights. Lights shall be maintained upon streets, roads, intersections or other places as, in the judgment of the board of commissioners, will fur…

Any district may perform drainage work for the purpose of reclaiming real property located within the district, protecting real or personal property located within the district from the effects of water, promoting sanitation, providing for the public health, convenience and welfa…

(1) Districts may enter into cooperative agreements with each other providing for the joint acquisition, construction, ownership, use or control of facilities for the collection, treatment, distribution or supply of water. (2) Each district may issue and sell general obligation, …

Whenever the district board considers it necessary, upon its own motion, or upon the petition of the owners of one-half of the property that benefits specially from the improvement, to make any improvement to be paid for in whole or in part by special assessment according to bene…

After the report has been filed with the secretary, the district board may by motion approve the report, modify the report and approve it as modified, require additional or different information for the improvement, or it may abandon the improvement. [1969 c.686 §3]

After the district board approves the report as submitted or modified, the board shall, by resolution, declare its intention to make the improvement, provide the manner and method of carrying out the improvement and direct the secretary to give notice of the improvement. Such not…

The district board may provide in the improvement resolution that the construction work will be done in whole, or in part, by the district, by a contract or by any other governmental agency, or by any combination thereof. [1969 c.686 §5]

(1) At the time of the public hearing on the proposed improvement, if the written remonstrances represent less than the amount of property required to defeat the proposed improvement, if such an improvement is one that can be remonstrated against, then on the basis of such hearin…

The district board in adopting a method of assessment of the costs of the improvement may: (1) Use any just and reasonable method of determining the extent of any improvement district consistent with the benefits derived. (2) Use any method of apportioning the sum to be assessed …

Any person feeling aggrieved by the assessments made under an assessment ordinance may, within 20 days after the passage of the ordinance levying the assessment by the district board, appeal to the circuit court for the county in which the district is located. The appeal and the …

Within 10 days after the ordinance levying assessments is adopted, the secretary of the district shall send by registered or certified mail a notice of assessment to the owner of the assessed property, and shall publish notice of the assessment twice in a newspaper of general cir…

After passage of the assessment ordinance by the district board, the secretary shall enter in the docket of district liens a statement of the amounts assessed upon each particular lot, parcel of land or portion thereof, together with a description of the improvement, the name of …

Claimed errors in the calculation of assessments shall be called to the attention of the secretary of the district, who shall determine whether there has been an error in fact. If the secretary finds that there has been an error in fact, the secretary shall recommend to the distr…

In the event that an assessment is made before the total cost of the improvement is ascertained, and if it is found that the amount of the assessment is insufficient to defray the expenses of the improvement, the district board may, by motion, declare such deficit and prepare a p…

Upon the completion of the improvement project, if it is found that the assessment previously levied upon any property is more than sufficient to pay the costs of the improvements, the district board shall ascertain and declare the amount of the excess by ordinance. When declared…

The district board may abandon proceedings for an improvement at any time prior to the final completion of the improvement. If liens have been assessed upon any property under ORS 264.362 to 264.394, they shall be canceled, and any payments made on such assessments shall be refun…

No improvement assessment shall be rendered invalid by reason of a failure of the improvement report to contain all of the information required by ORS 264.362, or by reason of a failure to have all of the information required to be in the improvement resolution, the assessment or…

Whenever any assessment, deficit assessment or reassessment for any improvement which has been made by the district is set aside, or its enforcement restrained by any court having jurisdiction thereof, or when the district board is in doubt as to the validity of an assessment, de…

(1) In case the whole or any portion of the cost of an improvement is assessed against the property directly benefited and the owner of the property fails to pay the amount of the lien, or any portion thereof, or the interest thereon, when they become due, the board may proceed t…

(1) Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, the power and authority given to districts is vested in and shall be exercised by a board of five commissioners, each of whom shall be an elector of the district. However, if there are fewer than 100 electors of the district, then…

(1) Each office of commissioner shall be designated by number as Position No. 1, Position No. 2 and so forth. (2) The secretary of a district shall assign a position number to each office on the board. The number so assigned shall be certified by the secretary to the commissioner…

The board of commissioners at any regular meeting may call a special election of the electors of the district. [Amended by 1969 c.666 §31; 1971 c.647 §41]

(1) The board of commissioners shall hold meetings at such time and place within the district as it may determine. The board shall hold at least one regular meeting in each month on a day to be fixed by it, and may hold special meetings under such rules as it may make. (2) The bo…

(1) The money of a district shall be deposited in one or more qualified depositories, as defined in ORS 295.001, to be designated by the board of commissioners. The money shall be withdrawn or paid out only when previously ordered by vote of the board, and upon checks signed by t…

(1) Notwithstanding ORS 198.910 and 198.915, when, at an election on consolidation or merger, a majority of the votes cast in each affected district is in favor of merger or consolidation or when merger or consolidation of districts is approved by a final order of a local governm…