The Department of Environmental Quality may enter into an agreement with a local unit of government when the local unit of government requests to perform the variance duties of the department under ORS 454.657 (Variance from subsurface sewage disposal system rules or standards) and 454.660 (Delegation of variance powers) subject to variance criteria specified in the agreement by the department. Each local unit of government performing variance duties under an agreement may set and collect a variance application fee as provided in ORS 454.662 (Variance fee). A fee collected by a local unit of government under this subsection shall not exceed the cost to the local unit of government of performing the variance duties of the department. [1973 c.835 §219a; 1975 c.167 §9; 1975 c.309 §5; 1979 c.591 §3; 1999 c.551 §12]