BEND, OR -- Building permits and applications will be more expensive in Deschutes County, starting July first. After hearing from staff at Wednesday’s meeting County commissioners chose to raise fees for four types of permits ranging from .02 to 20%.

Community Development’s Sherri Pinner laid out where the department’s budget stands for 2023, “Our permitting volumes were not equal to fiscal year 2022. That results in a revenue projection that’s about $2.2 million less than we had anticipated. We still potentially might need about $560,000 to $565,000 of reserve transfers to balance. As we dip into our reserves the number of months that we have in reserves will continue to decrease.”

In voting for the increase, commissioners said it is important to maintain budget reserves. 

They also recommended waiting to fill four open Community Development positions.

Also yesterday, Commissioners approved the application for a $400,000 grant for NeighborImpact to provide loans for low- and moderate-income homeowners to fix up their property.

NeighborImpact’s Deputy Director Andrew Spreadborough told Commissioners the need is growing, “We’re getting one to two calls a day for loans. We have an official waitlist which means an application has been submitted. It was over 40, 45 range a couple weeks ago.”

Spreadborough says the Community Development Block Grant from Business Oregon would help the entire area NeighborImpact serves, “What we’re proposing is a regional project. This would not be a Deschutes County specific. It would be Central Oregon specific; Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson County homeowners.”

Neighbor Impact would be responsible for distributing the loan funds.