Economic Development III

ORS 285C.050
Definitions for ORS 285C

Text
Annotations

As used in ORS 285C.050 (Definitions for ORS 285C) to 285C.250 (Redesignation or designation of new zone following zone termination), unless the context requires otherwise:

(1)

“Assessment date” and “assessment year” have the meanings given those terms in ORS 308.007 (Definitions).

(2)

“Authorized business firm” means an eligible business firm that has been authorized under ORS 285C.140 (Application for authorization).

(3)

“Business firm” means a person operating or conducting one or more trades or businesses, a people’s utility district organized under ORS chapter 261 or a joint operating agency formed under ORS chapter 262, but does not include any other governmental agency, municipal corporation or nonprofit corporation.

(4)

“County average annual wage” means:

(a)

The most recently available average annual covered payroll for the county in which the enterprise zone is located, as determined by the Employment Department; or

(b)

If the enterprise zone is located in more than one county, the highest county average annual wage as determined under paragraph (a) of this subsection.

(5)

“Electronic commerce” means engaging in commercial or retail transactions predominantly over the Internet or a computer network, utilizing the Internet as a platform for transacting business, or facilitating the use of the Internet by other persons for business transactions, and may be further defined by the Oregon Business Development Department by rule.

(6)

“Eligible business firm” means a firm engaged in an activity described under ORS 285C.135 (Requirements for eligibility) that may file an application for authorization under ORS 285C.140 (Application for authorization).

(7)

“Employee” means a person who works more than 32 hours per week, but does not include a person with a temporary or seasonal job or a person hired solely to construct qualified property.

(8)

“Enterprise zone” means one of the 30 areas designated or terminated and redesignated by order of the Governor under ORS 284.160 (1987 Replacement Part) before October 3, 1989, one of the areas designated by the Director of the Oregon Business Development Department under ORS 285C.080 before October 5, 2015, an area designated under ORS 285C.065 (Designation of enterprise zone), a federal enterprise zone area designated under ORS 285C.085 (Federal enterprise zones), an area designated under ORS 285C.250 (Redesignation or designation of new zone following zone termination) or a reservation enterprise zone designated, or a reservation partnership zone cosponsored, under ORS 285C.306 (Reservation enterprise zones and reservation partnership zones).

(9)

“Federal enterprise zone” means any discrete area wholly or partially within this state that is designated as an empowerment zone, an enterprise community, a renewal community or some similar designation for purposes of improving the economic and community development of the area.

(10)

“First-source hiring agreement” means an agreement between an authorized business firm and a publicly funded job training provider whereby the provider refers qualified candidates to the firm for new jobs and job openings in the firm.

(11)

“In service” means being used or occupied or fully ready for use or occupancy for commercial purposes consistent with the intended operations of the business firm as described in the application for authorization.

(12)

“Modification” means modernization, renovation or remodeling of an existing building, structure or real property machinery or equipment.

(13)

“New employees hired by the firm”:

(a)

Includes only those employees of an authorized business firm engaged for a majority of their time in eligible operations.

(b)

Does not include individuals employed in a job or position that:

(A)

Is created and first filled after December 31 of the first tax year in which qualified property of the firm is exempt under ORS 285C.175 (Enterprise zone exemption);

(B)

Existed prior to the submission of the relevant application for authorization; or

(C)

Is performed primarily at a location outside of the enterprise zone.

(14)

“Publicly funded job training provider” includes but is not limited to a community college, a service provider under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, or a similar program.

(15)

“Qualified business firm” means a business firm described in ORS 285C.200 (Qualifications of business firm), the qualified property of which is exempt from property tax under ORS 285C.175 (Enterprise zone exemption).

(16)

“Qualified property” means property described under ORS 285C.180 (Qualified property generally).

(17)

“Qualified rural county” means a county:

(a)

That is outside all metropolitan statistical areas, as defined by the most recent federal decennial census; and

(b)

In which, on the most recently certified property tax assessment roll, the total property taxes imposed by all taxing districts within the county are equal to or greater than 1.3 percent of the total assessed value of all taxable property located in the county.

(18)

“Rural enterprise zone” means:

(a)

An enterprise zone located in an area of this state in which an urban enterprise zone could not be located; or

(b)

A reservation enterprise zone designated, or a reservation partnership zone cosponsored, under ORS 285C.306 (Reservation enterprise zones and reservation partnership zones).

(19)

“Sparsely populated county” means a county with a density of 100 or fewer persons per square mile, based on the most recently available population figure for the county from the Portland State University Population Research Center.

(20)

“Sponsor” means:

(a)

The city, county or port, or any combination of cities, counties or ports, that received approval of an enterprise zone under ORS 284.150 and 284.160 (1987 Replacement Part), under ORS 285C.080 before October 5, 2015, or under ORS 285C.085 (Federal enterprise zones) or 285C.250 (Redesignation or designation of new zone following zone termination) or that designated an enterprise zone under ORS 285C.065 (Designation of enterprise zone) or 285C.250 (Redesignation or designation of new zone following zone termination);

(b)

The tribal government, in the case of a reservation enterprise zone;

(c)

The tribal government and the cosponsoring city, county or port, in the case of a reservation partnership zone; or

(d)

A city, county or port that joined the enterprise zone through a boundary change under ORS 285C.115 (Change of zone boundaries) (6) or a port that joined the enterprise zone under ORS 285C.068 (Port cosponsorship of zones).

(21)

“Tax year” has the meaning given that term in ORS 308.007 (Definitions).

(22)

“Urban enterprise zone” means an enterprise zone in a metropolitan statistical area, as defined by the most recent federal decennial census, that is located inside a regional or metropolitan urban growth boundary.

(23)

“Year” has the meaning given that term in ORS 308.007 (Definitions). [Formerly 285B.650; 2005 c.94 §2; 2005 c.704 §1; 2007 c.71 §84; 2007 c.895 §16; 2010 c.76 §18; 2015 c.648 §1;

2017 c.185 §3; 2017 c.297 §29; 2017 c.610 §24]