(1) A proposed enterprise zone must be located in a local area in which:
(a) Fifty percent or more of the households have incomes below 80 percent of the median income of this state, as defined by the most recent federal decennial census;
(b) The unemployment rate is at least 2.0 percentage points greater than the comparable unemployment rate for this entire state, as defined by the most recently available data published or officially provided and verified by the United States Government, the Employment Department of this state, the Portland State University Population Research Center or special studies conducted under a contract with a regional academic institution; or
(c) The Economic and Community Development Department determines on a case-by-case basis using evidence provided by the cities, counties or ports applying for designation of the proposed enterprise zone that there exists a level of economic hardship at least as severe as that described in paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection. The evidence shall be based on the most recently available data from official sources and may include, but is not limited to, a contemporary decline of the population in the proposed enterprise zone, the percentage of persons in the proposed enterprise zone below the poverty level relative to the percentage of the entire population of this state below the poverty level or the unemployment rate for the county or counties in which the proposed enterprise zone is located.
(2) An enterprise zone must consist of a total area of not more than 12 square miles in size. The area of the zone shall be calculated by excluding that portion of the zone that lies below the ordinary high water mark of a navigable body of water.
(3) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section:
(a) An enterprise zone must have 12 miles or less as the greatest distance between any two points within the zone; and
(b) Unconnected areas of an enterprise zone may not be more than five miles apart.
(4) Unconnected areas of a rural enterprise zone may not be more than 15 miles apart when an unconnected area is entirely within a sparsely populated county, and the zone:
(a) Must have 20 miles or less as the greatest distance between any two points within the zone, if only a portion of the zone is contained within a sparsely populated county; or
(b) Must have 25 miles or less as the greatest distance between any two points within the zone, if the zone is entirely contained within a sparsely populated county.
(5) This section does not apply to the designation or redesignation of a reservation enterprise zone. [Formerly 285B.662; 2005 c.94 §4; 2005 c.704 §9; 2007 c.71 §85]
(Electronic Commerce)
Section: Previous 285C.065 285C.066 285C.067 285C.070 285C.075 285C.080 285C.085 285C.090 285C.095 285C.100 285C.105 285C.110 285C.115 285C.120 285C.125 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008