Hoop house relief

A whole lot of nurseries may soon be breathing a sigh of relief. Earlier this week we talked about the possibility that hoop houses – the unheated, frame-and-plastic enclosures growers use to protect plants and ready them for market – could be assessed on property tax statements as if they were permanent structures. It’s a change that could cost a whole lot of nurseries a whole lot of money when they can least afford it. Well, this afternoon, the Senate Revenue and Finance committee approved an amended version of House Bill 2904 (HTML|PDF), which clarifies the issue and ensures hoop houses will be treated as they always have been under Oregon property tax law and court precedent. (Note: the linked versions aren’t the Senate amended ones, but they’re the newest we have available.) The bill now proceeds to the Senate floor. If approved, it heads to the House for a concurrence vote, and then the governor’s signature.