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May 16, 2024 in News

Commissions & Committees

The following Commissions and Committees are integral to the successful functioning of the Planning Division. The Planning Commission prepares recommendations for the Board of Commissioners regarding proposed amendments to the County’s land-use and development regulations; makes decisions on quasi-judicial land use matters; and, in its capacity as the Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI), assists the Board of Commissioners with development and evaluation of the County’s Citizen Involvement Program related primarily to land-use planning (ORS 215.020). The Historic Resources Commission was created to implement a county-wide historic preservation program. The Citizen’s Advisory Committee provides an opportunity for community members of each CAC area to be involved in all phases of the land-use planning process and other aspects of County government that relate to their area.

PLANNING COMMISSION
DISPOSAL SITE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
HISTORIC RESOURCES COMMISSION
CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEES

May 14, 2024 in Floodplain

Floodplain Information

Floodplain Management in Benton County

Muddy Creek 2012 Flood

Benton County has approximately 57,000 acres of land located within its floodplains and nearly 3,200 individual parcels that are partially or entirely located within a floodplain. This page contains information and links about floodplain development, local requirements as well as flood hazard and safety information, real-time river gage information, and more.

As a result of Benton County’s efforts, county property owners have been receiving a discounted rate on their flood insurance premiums for the past 20 years.

Benton County Floodplain Program

Benton County’s floodplain program is designed to help ensure decreased flood hazard risk to county residents and structures, improved communication regarding flood risks and natural beneficial floodplain functions, and continued provision of flood data.  As a result of Benton County’s efforts, county property owners have been receiving a discounted rate on their flood insurance premiums for the past 20 years.  The following are a few of the services Benton County provides with regard to floodplain records and information:

  • Maintain records of all development activity approved in the floodplain.  Benton County does this through approval of Floodplain Development Permits.  These records document the county’s commitment to responsible floodplain management.
  • Provide floodplain and flood hazard related information.  Typical types of information available at the Benton County Community Development office include:
    • The location of a property in relation to the floodplain shown on the current and historic Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) for the county;
    • Additional flood insurance data for a site, such as the flood zone designation shown on the FIRM panel and, if available, an approximate base flood elevation;
    • Land use and building code regulations that apply to properties in a floodplain;
    • A copy of FIRMs showing flood hazard boundaries and, when available, mapped floodway locations;
  • Maintain a record of all elevation certificates submitted to the Community Development office.  Elevation certificates are required for all new construction and are typically available for structures constructed or improved since 2002.  Additional floodplain worksheets are sometimes available for structures constructed as early as the late 1980s.
  • Provide outreach information to property owners whose land is in or near a floodplain.  The county sends out a yearly Flood Facts mailing identifying high flood risk areas and providing reminders about development requirements in floodplains, information about how to prepare for and respond to flood events, helpful contact information, significant flood events that have occurred in the past, benefits of floodplain functions, and actions that help reduce damage caused by flooding.
  • Provide information regarding flood mitigation options.  The county Floodplain Manager can provide information about possible retrofitting options that can be helpful to reduce the risk of structural damage from flood events and potentially reduce flood insurance premiums.
Helpful Floodplain Resources
Floodplain Development Permit Information

May 13, 2024 in DSAC MeetingsNews

Disposal Site Advisory Committee (DSAC)

Disposal Site Management

The Disposal Site Advisory Committee (DSAC) assists the Benton County Board of Commissioners in the planning and implementation of disposal site management, including the following:

  • Review with the permittee the regional disposal site’s siting, operation, closure, and long-range monitoring of the site;
  • Provide a forum for citizen comments, questions and concerns about the regional disposal site and promote a dialog between the community and the owner or operator of the site; and
  • Prepare an annual written report summarizing the local citizens’ concerns and the manner in which the owner or operator is addressing those concerns

DSAC BYLAWS

Participation on county boards and commissions involves citizens directly in local government in an impactful way and provides the Board of Commissioners with timely input on important issues. Members of Benton County’s various advisory boards and committees are unpaid volunteers who devote numerous hours of their time to these community activities. In all there are 26 advisory boards, commissions and committees and members may serve up to two consecutive terms. Members are appointed by the Board of Commissioners to fill vacancies, which have set terms.

The Board of Commissioners office is currently conducting interviews to fill positions for DSAC. New member information will be posted here when it becomes available.

MEMBERTERM OF SERVICE
Ken Eklund, ChairTerm began 01.01.22 – Term expires 12.31.24
Deborah GileTerm began 01.01.19 – Term expires 12.31.24
VACANT
VACANT
VACANT
VACANT
VACANT
VACANT
VACANT
VACANT
Ian McNabDesignated Permittee – Republic Services (Coffin Butte Landfill)

NEXT DSAC MEETING

Coming soon

DSAC Minutes – January 26, 2022DSAC Minutes – April 27, 2022DSAC Minutes – 2021DSAC Minutes 2020
DSAC Minutes – 2019DSAC Minutes – 2018DSAC Minutes – 2017DSAC Minutes – 2016
DSAC Minutes – 2015DSAC Minutes – 2014DSAC Minutes – 2013DSAC Minutes – 2012

May 6, 2024 in Planning Commission

Planning Commission

The Commission shall prepare recommendations for the Board of Commissioners regarding proposed amendments to the County’s land-use and development regulations; make decisions on quasi-judicial land use matters; and, in its capacity as the Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI), assist the Board of Commissioners with development and evaluation of the County’s Citizen Involvement Program related primarily to land-use planning (ORS 215.020).

There are no vacant positions on our Planning Commission at this time.  If you are interested in serving in the future, please contact Teresa Farley, teresa.larson@bentoncountyor.gov at the Board of Commissioners office for more information.  

Meets: Meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month (as needed) 

Members:

Nicholas Fowler, Chair
Albany area		Greg Hamann, Vice Chair
Albany area		Evelyn Lee
Monroe area
Elizabeth Irish
Corvallis area		Catherine Biscoe
Philomath area		Ed Fulford
Corvallis area
Andrew Struthers
Corvallis area		John Wilson
Adair Village area		Sara Cash
Alsea area
NEXT PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING

Tuesday, June 4th

More Details

2024 meetings

DATERECORDINGAGENDAMINUTES
January 16, 2024Recording AgendaMinutes
March 5, 2024RecordingAgendaMinutes
April 30, 2024RecordingAgenda
May 7, 2024Recording Agenda

Prior to 2023, virtual meetings were hosted by GoToMeeting, a virtual meeting platform that is no longer supported by the county. Meeting minutes for meetings prior to 2023 are available at the links above.

November 30, 2023 in News

Wildfire Mitigation Grant Program

Overview

Benton County Community Development Department is seeking applications for neighborhood community wildfire preparedness projects that aim to 1) decrease structure ignitability of homes, 2) reduce hazardous fuels around homes and/or 3) educate residents about wildfire risk reduction or preparedness. Priority will be given to projects that support residents with vulnerability to the negative impacts of wildfires, including low-income, elderly, disabled, and/or non-English speaking residents, as well as rural residents of Benton County.

The total funding for this grant is $18,000 with a maximum of $3,000 for each proposal (there is no minimum request amount). An individual applicant can only be associated with one unique proposal. Awarded grant funds need to be expended by December 31, 2023. The deadline to submit applications is 5pm on June 16, 2023.  Grant funds will be made available to successful applicants either by direct funding or through reimbursement, dependent on the project.  

All applications will be assessed for feasibility, potential impact, and equity. See the last page for additional information including example projects, exclusions, the application evaluation criteria, and project administration details.

Please complete the following application electronically and email the completed Word document to Inga Williams, inga.williams@bentoncountyor.gov. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Wildfire Mitigation Grant Application
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