(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, the governing body may provide that the decision of a hearings officer or other decision-making authority is the final determination of the county.
(c) The governing body may prescribe, by ordinance or regulation, fees to defray the costs incurred in acting upon an appeal from a hearings officer, planning commission or other designated person. The amount of the fee shall be reasonable and shall be no more than the average cost of such appeals or the actual cost of the appeal, excluding the cost of preparation of a written transcript. The governing body may establish a fee for the preparation of a written transcript. The fee shall be reasonable and shall not exceed the actual cost of preparing the transcript up to $500. In lieu of a transcript prepared by the governing body and the fee therefor, the governing body shall allow any party to an appeal proceeding held on the record to prepare a transcript of relevant portions of the proceedings conducted at a lower level at the party’s own expense. If an appellant prevails at a hearing or on appeal, the transcript fee shall be refunded.
(2) A party aggrieved by the final determination may have the determination reviewed in the manner provided in ORS 197.830 to 197.845.
(3) No decision or action of a planning commission or county governing body shall be invalid due to ex parte contact or bias resulting from ex parte contact with a member of the decision-making body, if the member of the decision-making body receiving the contact:
(a) Places on the record the substance of any written or oral ex parte communications concerning the decision or action; and
(b) Has a public announcement of the content of the communication and of the parties’ right to rebut the substance of the communication made at the first hearing following the communication where action will be considered or taken on the subject to which the communication related.
(4) A communication between county staff and the planning commission or governing body shall not be considered an ex parte contact for the purposes of subsection (3) of this section.
(5) Subsection (3) of this section does not apply to ex parte contact with a hearings officer approved under ORS 215.406 (1). [1973 c.552 §§17,18; 1977 c.766 §13; 1979 c.772 §11; 1981 c.748 §42; 1983 c.656 §1; 1983 c.827 §21; 1991 c.817 §9]