Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 454 § 454.779 — Grants

Grants for financial assistance programs; requirements; grant preferences; rules. (1) As used in this section and ORS 454.777: (a) “Available sewer” means an existing public sewer system that a residence or small business is capable of being connected to: (A) In compliance with state and local law; and (B) Without a significant extension of the public sewer system. (b) “Financial assistance program” means a program to provide grants, loans or other assistance that is funded by a program grant awarded under this section. (c)(A) “On-site septic system” means a subsurface on-site sewage treatment and disposal system, including, but not limited to, alternative sewage disposal systems, nonwater-carried sewage disposal facilities and subsurface sewage disposal systems as those terms are defined in ORS 454.605. (B) “On-site septic system” does not include any system that is designed to treat and dispose of industrial waste. (d)(A) “Residence” or “residential” means single-unit or multiple-unit housing, whether occupied by the owner or a tenant. (B) “Residence” or “residential” does not include property used to provide short-term lodging. (e) “Small business” means a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship or other legal entity formed for the purpose of making a profit and that generates less than 3,500 gallons of wastewater per day. (2) The Department of Environmental Quality shall award program grants for the purpose of developing and administering financial assistance programs for the purposes described in subsection (3)(b) of this section. The Environmental Quality Commission may adopt rules necessary to implement the provisions of this section. (3) The department may not disburse program grant funds under this section unless the department and the intended program grant award recipient first enter into a grant agreement. The grant agreement must: (a) Provide that a lender that participates in a financial assistance program must agree to subordinate the lender’s lien to the borrower’s consensual mortgage lien. (b) Require that financial assistance provided to property owners must be used for at least one of the following purposes to address a public health and safety risk or to otherwise protect or maintain water quality in the waters of this state: (A) To repair a damaged, malfunctioning or inoperable residential or small business on-site septic system. (B) To replace a damaged, malfunctioning or inoperable residential or small business on-site septic system with: (i) A new, used or reconditioned functional residential or small business on-site septic system; (ii) A new, used or reconditioned functional cluster on-site septic system; or (iii) A connection to an available sewer, and to properly decommission and discontinue use of the on-site septic system. (C) To upgrade a residential or small business on-site septic system with a newer or more advanced on-site septic system. An upgrade may include alterations if the work is part of a repair or if the on-site septic system being upgraded is more than 25 years old. (D) To replace the waste disposal well or sewage drill hole of an otherwise functional residential or small business on-site septic system. (E) To conduct a regional evaluation of community, residential or small business on-site septic systems to determine whether repair or replacement is necessary. (c) Require that, if a residence or small business with a damaged, malfunctioning or inoperable on-site septic system is located within the territory of an available sewer, and is required to connect to the available sewer, financial assistance provided to address the damaged, malfunctioning or inoperable on-site septic system must be used to install a connection to the available sewer and to properly decommission and discontinue use of the on-site septic system. (d) Require that a loan provided under a financial assistance program must be in an amount that covers 100 percent of the costs associated with the purposes under paragraph (b) of this subsection for which the loan is provided, unless the borrower requests and consents to a loan that covers a lower percentage of the costs. (e) Require that a program grant award recipient must provide a mechanism for ensuring compliance with any locally required operation and maintenance of an on-site septic system for which financial assistance is provided. (f) Require that a program grant award recipient use accounting, auditing and fiscal procedures that conform to generally accepted government accounting standards. (4) In selecting program grant award recipients under this section, the department shall give preference to applicants that: (a) Provide financial assistance to low and moderate income households, residential housing providers and small business property owners that are unable to obtain traditional financing; (b) Can demonstrate prior success in offering, underwriting, servi