The Sweet Home City Council adopted an ordinance at a special meeting on Nov. 30 creating a procedure for dealing with Measure 37 claims.
Measure 37 took effect on Dec. 2, and the council passed the ordinance with an emergency clause to have the procedure in place by that time.
Measure 37 provides that if the city enacts or enforces a new land use regulation or enforces a land use regulation enacted prior to the effect date of Measure 37 that restricts the use of private real property reducing the fair market value of the property, then the owner of the property shall be compensated for the loss of value.
The government agency enforcing the land use regulation can waive the regulation for the property owner instead of paying the compensation.
The city based its new ordinance on a previous ordinance adopted to process Measure Seven claims. Measure Seven was ruled unconstitutional, and the city’s ordinance was never used.
The new ordinance is similar to those adopted by other cities.
No claims for compensation have been filed since the measure went into effect on Thursday.