690-601-0500 Application Requirements and Evaluation of Community Engagement Plans (1) Community engagement plan applicants shall comply with all the application requirements pursuant to ORS 541.561-541.581 or ORS 541.651 - 541.696. (2) Community engagement plan applicants, within loan or grant applications, may propose not to incorporate one or more of the Department recognized best practices in community engagement plans for a water project. If a community engagement plan applicant seeks not to incorporate one or more Department recognized best practices, then: (a) The community engagement plan applicant shall provide evidence to the Department explaining why the recognized best practice does not meet the community engagement plans desired outcomes or advance disproportionately impacted community involvement. (b) The Department shall determine whether the recognized best practice should be used, waived, or replaced with an alternative best practice proposed by the community engagement plan applicant. If the Department determines that the recognized best practice shall be replaced by an alternative best practice, then: (A) The community engagement plan applicant shall provide evidence to the Department showing that the proposed alternative meets the community engagement plans desired outcomes or advances disproportionately impacted community involvement. (B) The Department shall determine whether these alternative practices can replace a Department recognized best practice in the community engagement plan. In assessing alternatives, the Department may consider, but is not limited to, size and scope of the water project and the identified needs of the disproportionately impacted community. (3) The Department shall evaluate the community engagement plan components of an application according to relevant evaluation criteria in ORS 541.561-541.581 or ORS 541.651 - 541.696, and community engagement plan components described in OAR 690-601-0004(1) and OAR 690-601-0004(2). (4) The Department may evaluate the community engagement plan components of an application to ORS 541.561-541.581 or ORS 541.651 - 541.696 on additional criteria including but not limited to: (a) Significance and impact of the water project and community engagement plan on local communities and disproportionately impacted communities. (b) Appropriateness of the budget and the resources involved in the community engagement plan to increase meaningful involvement of local communities and disproportionately impacted communities in the water project. (c) Expertise, qualifications, and level of community connections held by the local governments or local organizations involved in the community engagement plan. (5) The Department may deny funding of a community engagement plan if the Community Engagement Plan Applicant fails to comply with any item described in OAR 690-601-0400(1) and OAR 690-601-0400(2). Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 536.027, ORS 541.561-541.581, ORS 541.651 - 541.696 & ORS 541.551 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 541.561-541.581, ORS 541.651 - 541.696 & ORS 541.551 History: WRD 4-2025, renumbered from 690-601-0005, filed 04/01/2025, effective 04/01/2025 WRD 2-2025, adopt filed 03/28/2025, effective 04/01/2025