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(1) Upon receipt of the application and required fee, the city manager shall review the application and make a written recommendation thereon to the council in sufficient time to allow the council to act within 60 days from the date the application is filed.

(2) Upon receipt of the city manager’s recommendation the council shall consider the application and grant or deny the property tax exemption.

(3) The city manager shall recommend approval of an application, and the council shall grant the exemption upon determining satisfactory compliance with or mitigation of the following criteria:

(a) If unoccupied, the property:

1. Is offered for rental solely as a residence for low income persons; or

2. Is held for the purpose of developing low income rental housing;

(b) If occupied, the property, or portion thereof subject to the property tax exemption, is occupied solely by low-income persons;

(c) The required rent payment reflects the full value of the property tax exemption;

(d) The applicant’s application was filed before July 1, 2030;

(e) The housing units on the property were constructed after February 12, 1990;

(f) The proposed development is consistent with the policies set forth in the Standards and Guidelines for Low-Income Rental Housing Property Tax Exemption adopted by council resolution;

(g) The proposed development is consistent with the city’s housing dispersal policy;

(h) The proposed development does not cause displacement of low-income persons unless the city and developer can reach agreement on provisions (to be provided by the developer) that reflect satisfactory mitigation thereof;

(i) The proposed development does not cause destruction of historic properties (as defined in section 9.0500 of this code), except:

1. Where development has proceeded according to historic property moving and demolition procedures as set forth in sections 9.8160, 9.8180 and 9.8185 of this code, or

2. The property is granted an exception by the council; and,

(j) The proposed development is otherwise consistent with this code and adopted city regulations and policies.

(4) As an alternative to an application considered under subsection (3) of this section, the city manager shall recommend approval of an application, and the council shall grant the exemption upon determining the applicant meets the criteria set forth in subsections (3)(d), (f), (g), (h) (i) and (j)of this section and all the following criteria:

(a) If unoccupied, the property is offered for rental solely as a residence for low-income persons, or is held for the purpose of developing low income rental housing;

(b) If occupied, the property, or portion thereof subject to the property tax exemption, is occupied solely as a residence for low-income persons;

(c) The applicant’s application was filed prior to July 1, 2030;

(d) The property is owned or being purchased by a nonprofit corporation organized in a manner that meets the criteria for either a public benefit corporation or a religious corporation, as those terms are defined in ORS 65.001; and

(e) The property is owned or being purchased by a nonprofit corporation that expends no more than ten percent of its annual income from residential rentals for purposes other than acquisition, maintenance or repair of residential rental property for low-income persons, or for the provision of on-site child care services for the residents of the rental property.

(5) For purposes of subsection (4):

(a) A nonprofit corporation that has only a leasehold interest in property is considered to be a purchaser of that property if the nonprofit corporation is obligated under the terms of the lease to pay the ad valorem taxes on the real and personal property used in the rental activity on that property, or the rent payable has been established to reflect the savings resulting from the exemption from taxation; and

(b) ) A partnership shall be considered a nonprofit corporation if the nonprofit corporation is a general partner of the partnership and the nonprofit corporation is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the property that is the subject of the application for exemption.

(6) The city manager shall recommend approval of an application, and the council shall grant the exemption upon determining the applicant meets the criteria set forth in subsections (3)(d), (f), (g), (h) (i) and (j) of this section and all the following criteria:

(a) The property is owned by a limited equity cooperative;

(b) The property is occupied by low income persons holding a proprietary lease in the limited equity cooperative; and

(c) The housing units on the property were constructed, or converted to limited equity cooperative ownership, after February 12, 1990.

(7) At the meeting at which the city manager’s recommendation is considered the council shall adopt a resolution approving the application and granting the property tax exemption, or adopt a resolution disapproving the application and denying the property tax exemption.

(8) A resolution approving an application shall contain:

(a) The owner’s name and address;

(b) A description of the housing unit;

(c) The legal description of the property or the county assessor’s property account number;

(d) Any specific conditions upon which the approval is based;

(e) If only a portion of the property is approved, a description of the portion approved; and

(f) A certification that the property or portion thereof, is exempt from ad valorem taxation.

(9) Within ten days from the date of its adoption, the city manager shall forward to the applicant a copy of the resolution adopted by the council approving an application, and, on or before April 1 following approval shall file a copy thereof with the county assessor. The copy shall contain therein or be accompanied by a notice explaining to the applicant the grounds for possible termination of the exemption prior to the end of the exemption period or thereafter, and the effects of termination.

(10) A resolution denying an application shall state the reasons for denial, shall be forwarded to the applicant within ten days of its adoption, and shall inform the applicant of the right to appeal in the manner set forth in ORS 34.010 to 34.100.

(Section 2.939 added by Ordinance No. 19667, enacted February 12, 1990; amended by Ordinance No. 19854, enacted May 26, 1992; Ordinance 19967, enacted June 13, 1994; Ordinance No. 20192, enacted March 13, 2000, effective April 12, 2000; Ordinance No. 20472 enacted April 13, 2011, effective May 15, 2011; Ordinance No. 20632, enacted May 26, 2020, effective June 29, 2020; Ordinance 20697, enacted October 25, 2023, effective November 30, 2023.)