| Reimbursement Authority |
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| Purpose |
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Reimbursement Authority is a project that provides the Water Resources Department the ability to enter into a voluntary agreement with an applicant for expedited agency action on an application or other request for regulatory action. Under such an agreement, the applicant pays the cost to hire additional staff, contract for services, or provide additional services to the applicant not otherwise available.
Since 1990, Oregon has averaged more than 50,000 new residents per year and a 34 percent increase in population is projected during the next 25 years. Today, there are approximately 84,000 water rights to use surface or ground water, and to store water; representing a 30 percent increase in the last decade. All of these increases in population, water demand, and agency workload have occurred against a backdrop of declining Department staffing of some 15 percent in the same period and significant budgetary constraints. Workloads continue to increase and some backlogs have developed. Reimbursement Authority provides an additional tool to address customer needs and to support economic and environmental activities throughout Oregon by allowing the Department and water users to enter into alternative service delivery agreements to expedite processing.
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| Program Implementation |
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The Department´s current Reimbursement Authority program consists of three "pools" of pre-qualified contractors. The contractors are available, on a rotational basis, to perform reimbursement authority work and prepare draft documents reflecting appropriate agency action on water right transfers and water right certificates. The contractors work directly for the Department. In a separate contract, the water user agrees to an estimated time schedule for completing the work at a rate of $120.00 per hour. The Reimbursement Authority Program flow chart provides a schematic of the process. In addition to the fee for expedited processing, the Department collects the statutorily required application fee.
Applicants interested in an estimate of the cost and timeline for expedited processing must submit a Reimbursement Authority Estimate Application (PDF 107 KB) along with a fee of $125.00. For more information on expediting a transfer application, contact Dorothy Pedersen. For information on expediting a water right certificate, contact Gerry Clark.
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| Links and Resources |
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Reimbursement Authority Estimate Application (PDF 107 KB)
Reimbursement Authority Program Flow Chart (PDF 81 KB)
Dorothy Pedersen - Water Right Transfers Contact
Gerry Clark - Certificates Contact
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