OSU’s Sustainable Tourism Lab has embarked on a 5-year research project to better understand community sentiment towards tourism.  Here is a quick story about it on KTVZ

The goal of this survey is to ensure that the voices from all of Bend's neighborhoods are represented and heard.
​
Please participate through the following QR CODE

Bend City Councilors declared two Council vacancies at their May 18 meeting, triggering a selection process that is open to community members interested in being appointed to the Bend City Council for the remainder of this year. In separate announcements, Mayor Sally Russell and Councilor Rita Schenkelberg publicized that they both were resigning and that the May 18 Council meeting would be their final meeting.
 
During the May 18 meeting, Councilors appointed Mayor Pro-Tem Gena Goodman-Campbell as the new Mayor. Councilors then chose Anthony Broadman to serve as the new Mayor Pro-Tem. Goodman-Campbell will complete Russell’s Mayoral term (Council Position 7) which expires the end of 2022.
 
The move into the seat of Mayor created one vacancy for Goodman-Campbell’s seat, (Council Position 5), which also expires in 2022. The other vacancy is for Schenkelberg’s seat, (Council Position 4). 
 
Both appointees will serve on the Council for the rest of 2022. Both Council positions will be on the ballot for the general election in November, at which time both seats need to be filled by election. The appointees will serve on the Council until the newly elected Councilors take office on January 4, 2023.
 
The person elected by voters into Schenkelberg’s seat will serve out the remaining two years of Schenkelberg’s term instead of a typical four-year term. 
 
Community members interested in being appointed can apply at www.bendoregon.gov/council-application found at www.bendoregon.gov/citycouncil between May 19 and June 1. Appointees must be registered to vote in Oregon and must have resided in the city continuously during the twelve months immediately preceding the appointment.
 
If more than 10 people apply for the vacancies, a subcommittee of councilors (Anthony Broadman, Melanie Kebler and Megan Perkins) will convene to review the applications and suggest candidates for interviews. If fewer than 10 people apply, the whole Council will interview all applicants. Councilors will hold special public meetings in early June to conduct interviews. (Watch www.bendoregon.gov/councilagenda for meeting information.) 
 
The City’s Charter says a vacancy in the council shall be filled within 30 days by appointment by the council but if the council does not fill the vacancy by an appointment within 30 days, then the vacancy gets filled at the next election, which would be in November.
 
For more detail, section 21 of the Bend Charter and section 9 of the City Council Rules explain the requirements associated with the process to fill vacancies.
 
More information about the 2022 Council elections can be found here.

Last week, two in-person Town Hall meetings were held on the topic of Houseless Strategies and the proposed Shelter Code amendments to the Bend Development Code.  These events were held at Caldera High School with 160 people in attendance on Monday, April 25th and 134 people in attendance on Wednesday, April 27th.  You may have attended, or at least viewed news articles or segments on TV. If you missed these in-person events, we are pleased to let you know they were recorded, and you may view them on YouTube.  Please click HERE to be taken to the recordings.
 
The topic refers to many terms that some of us may not be used to hearing.  If you need to reference a glossary, you can find one HERE.
 
If you missed the articles/editorials, here are links to view:
 
https://centraloregondaily.com/%E2%96%B6%EF%B8%8F-homelessness-in-bend-forefront-of-a-town-hall-meeting/
 
https://www.bendbulletin.com/homeless/town-hall-on-bends-proposed-shelter-codes-draws-questions-concerns/article_611e993c-c5ba-11ec-b309-ef76ed7241bd.html
 
https://www.bendbulletin.com/opinion/editorial-should-24-7-onsite-management-be-required-at-homeless-shelters-in-bend/article_e29124ca-c719-11ec-9db3-53f89dfa7f77.html
 
https://www.bendbulletin.com/opinion/editorial-maybe-state-government-should-take-a-hard-look-at-patti-adairs-idea/article_7f06acac-c7de-11ec-a4dd-dfa27afeca54.html
 
And finally, if you would like to participate further, the Council will hold a Public Hearing this Wednesday evening.  The work session begins at 5:00PM, and the regular meeting begins at 7:00PM (where the topic of Shelter Code amendments will be discussed). The meeting will be held at 555 NE 15th Street, Bend.   This is an in-person and virtual event - in person attendance will be limited.  You may find the council agenda here.  To submit comments, send emails to Pauline Hardie, phardie@bendoregon.gov. You must include the project number:  PLTEXT20210835, and email a copy to Council at council@bendoregon.gov.  
 
Virtual attendees will need to register to receive the link to the meeting. Registration link:
https://bendoregon-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VZ2uCXCpQzWbSNC5Mj6Dog 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Join by phone, toll-charges may apply: 1-888-788-0099 or 1-253-215-8782 Meeting ID: 846 9347 8450
 
Thank you for participating in this important discussion and plan for our community.

City of Bend to host open house on Wilson Avenue and 15th Street improvements
The City of Bend will host an open house from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27, at the Larkspur Community Center, located at 1600 SE Reed Market Road. The event will include information on the upcoming construction of the 15th Street and Wilson Avenue roundabout and design plans between Ninth Street and 15th Street.
The design consultants, construction team, and City staff will be available to answer questions. Roundabout construction is anticipated to begin in early summer of 2022.
The improvements are part of the Wilson Avenue Corridor Project, a multi-phase modernization project that will improve safety and east-west connectivity for all users along Wilson Avenue from Second Street to 15th Street.
The Wilson Avenue Corridor Project is the first Transportation General Obligation Bond project approved by voters in 2020.
Community members can access open house materials online at bendoregon.gov/wilson.

​Bend residents have been clamoring for an opportunity to discuss the new shelter code changes in a forum that allows them to hear the facts and ask questions. In response, Bend residents, collectively, are hosting Town Hall Meetings with panelists.  Please see attached invitations for further details:  April 25th Invitation
April 27th Invitation

Please come out and help support the community as we discuss this important issue!

At 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6, the Bend City Council will hold a work session on proposed code amendments that will increase the availability of shelter beds by providing updated standards for group, multi-room and outdoor shelters. This work session is an opportunity for Council and the community to review the proposed code and hear the recommendations from the Bend Planning Commission. Work sessions do not include a public comment opportunity. 
 
The proposed “Shelter Code,” was first developed by the City manager-appointed Sounding Board to House Our Neighbors to define standards for where and how development of different types of shelters and transitional options can take place in Bend. The proposed code includes recommendations for three types of permanent shelters, as well as two types of temporary shelters.  
 
In February and March, the Bend Planning Commission reviewed the proposed Shelter Code and deliberated changes based on community input. The Commission’s recommendations will now move on to City Council for consideration.  
 
To view the most recent draft of the proposed Shelter Code amendments and for information on accessing the work session, visit the Shelter Code Changes webpage. Review the Shelter Code Quick Reference for further background on these amendments, including what changes the Commission recommended and answers to frequently asked questions. 
 
Following the work session, City Council will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on May 4. The public hearing will provide community members an opportunity to provide public comments on the proposed code. Visit the City Council Agenda webpage for information on how to attend the public hearing. 
 
The proposed code amendments are one part of a comprehensive set of strategies identified by the City and community partners that include finding ways to keep people in their homes, providing temporary transitional housing, and increasing the availability of affordable housing in Bend, including shelter beds. 
 
City Council’s 2021-2023 biennium goals include a Housing goal to “Create housing or facilities to house 500 homeless individuals on a temporary or permanent basis.”   
 
Accommodation Information for People with Disabilities
To obtain this information in an alternate format such as Braille, large print, electronic formats, etc. please contact Joshua Romero at jromero@bendoregon.gov or (541) 693-2185.
proposed_shelter_code_amendments.pdf

The City’s 2022 season street preservation work is scheduled to begin in late March. Crews have been preparing for the upcoming street preservation season by trimming vegetation, pre-sweeping roads, sealing cracks, removing striping, repairing asphalt displaced by tree roots and building ramps complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The City of Bend is preparing to do about $2.6 million worth of street preservation contract work this summer that will improve around 51 lane miles in Bend. The street preservation contracts this year include grind/inlay and slurry seal treatments.
Street preservation treatments this year include:
Grind/inlays – Old asphalt is ground out and replaced on the existing roadway. The process can take a couple of days.
Slurry – A treatment for low-volume residential streets. One-day closures typically expected.
“Every year our staff and contractors work hard to improve our existing road conditions with the available funding and street preservation treatments,” said Transportation and Mobility Department Director David Abbas. “These efforts extend the life of one our community’s more valuable and necessary assets for all users, 882 lane miles of roads. Thank you for your patience and safety for all in the work zones this construction season.”
This year’s grind/inlay work will happen on Mount Washington Drive from the east end of Summit Drive to the Shevlin Park Road and Mount Washington Drive roundabout, Putnam Drive, and Shevlin Park Road from the Shevlin Park Road and Mount Washington Drive roundabout west to the Urban Growth Boundary. Visit bendoregon.gov/streetpreservation to see an interactive map about this summer’s plans.
The City’s “Keep Good Roads Good” philosophy means we maintain and preserve streets with the most cost-effective treatment for the road condition — the right treatment at the right time.
A road’s condition helps the City determine maintenance plans. The worst roads need full reconstruction. Reconstruction is exponentially more expensive than maintenance, which is not an efficient use of maintenance funds and more likely to be paid for as part of a larger Capital Improvement Program.
To learn more about Bend’s street preservation practices, visit bendoregon.gov/streetpreservation   

​street_preservation_2022.pdf

The community is invited to learn more about the Bend Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan at a public meeting Thursday, February 10, and can provide input to inform the plan online through March 11. 
 
To increase electric vehicle use in Bend, the City is developing the Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan. It will establish goals, timelines and strategies to enable a broad transition to electric vehicles across the community. This transition will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help the City achieve its climate action goals. It is a key strategy in the Community Climate Action Plan and the Bend Transportation System Plan. 
 
This plan will include a focus on ensuring that access to electric vehicle charging is equitably distributed across the community, and that the benefits of electrified transportation are shared by everyone, including underserved populations. 
 
The City hired a consultant to conduct research, analyze data and engage stakeholders to inform the plan’s recommendations. The City is incorporating feedback from key stakeholders and Council advisory committees, and also welcomes input from the public. To provide input, the community is invited to participate through this online feedback form (http://tinyurl.com/BendEVSurvey). The feedback opportunity is open until March 11.
 
Those interested in learning more about the project can tune in when it will be introduced to the Environment and Climate Committee at its meeting from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, February 10. Committee meetings provide an opportunity for public comment and instructions about how to join the meeting are on the agenda.   

​At today’s Bend City Council meeting, Councilors approved a contract with NeighborImpact to operate a temporary shelter that will add up to 40 additional shelter beds in Bend through May of this year. The temporary shelter, located at 2346 NE Division Street, will open later this month and provide guests access to case management and a pathway to stable housing. 
 
Opening the temporary shelter is in response to the lack of capacity at the shelter located on NE Second Street. It also supports continued public health efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community. 
 
“This temporary shelter is located at the motel we purchased with the state funds through Project Turnkey,” said Recovery Strategy & Impact Officer Carolyn Eagan. “It will still eventually be used as a permanent emergency shelter, but we have an immediate need for more temporary shelter beds now. That’s why we’re using it as a temporary shelter until renovations can be completed and we open it as a permanent emergency shelter this fall.” 
 
The contract with NeighborImpact is not to exceed $200,000. It is funded from the portion of the City’s General Fund that was authorized for housing and houseless services. The City will submit for reimbursement from FEMA for any approved expenses related to this contract.  
 
City Council has a goal to create housing or facilities to house 500 homeless individuals on a temporary or permanent basis. 
 
 
Council Update on Temporary Housing Strategies
 
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, Councilor Megan Perkins shared an update on the City’s temporary housing strategies. Because of the broad community interest in housing and houselessness, Councilors have added a new standing agenda item to Council business meetings to provide regular updates on work the City is doing to address houselessness. In addition to the Division Street Shelter (Project Turnkey) updates provided above, highlights from the Feb. 2, 2022 update include: 
 
1) Efforts to increase temporary housing capacity

• Outdoor Shelters: A contract to begin Phase I of the process of creating two outdoor shelter sites (a Senior Women’s Shelter with 10 sites, location TBD, and a Tiny Home Units of 6 sites, location TBD), is anticipated to come before Council on March 2.
• 2nd Street (a designated permanent warming shelter): Operated by Shepherd’s House with a capacity of 90 beds, the facility is consistently full. The City has received a proposal to operate location as Navigation Center and that contract anticipated to come to Council on March 16.
• Temporary Shelter (Rainbow Hotel): The Council approved the purchase last month of this hotel for a potential of 40-60 rooms. Closing is anticipated in the spring, following due diligence. The City will issue a “Request for Proposals” (RFP) from organizations that could operate the facility, potentially open this summer.

  2) Efforts to improve efficiencies and partnerships

• City Councilors and Deschutes County Commissioners met last week and reviewed a narrative and strategic plan proposed by the Emergency Homelessness Taskforce. There was unanimous support to continue moving forward with the efforts to form a Collaborative Office on Homelessness.
• HB4123 to fund Collaborative Office: The City of Sisters, La Pine and Redmond have all been named in the bill along with the City of Bend and Deschutes County; there are seven other City/County pilot sites listed in the bill, which is being considered in the legislative session with possible hearing dates of February 8 or 9.

   3) Efforts to manage the City’s rights-of-way to improve health and safety

• City staff continue to meet regularly with area service providers to coordinate resources and assess challenges in providing support for individuals camping throughout the city.

• Over this past week the team has given 72-hour notices in more than 20 areas along 2nd Street between Emerson and Irving for reasons including garbage, debris, obstructions in the rights of way or things that obstruct clear vision at street intersections, driveways, and alleys.
• Contractor Central Oregon Bio Solutions was on site Monday and Tuesday this week for clean-up efforts and may possibly be again Friday.
• The City is planning to post some notices on Hunnell Road later this week in targeted areas, related to topics such as rights-of-way obstructions and trash clean-up needs.

 
 

This month, in partnership with the NLA, the City launched a new land use education webpage to house the many resources that have been developed by the NLA to help the community better understand land use planning in Oregon and in Bend.

To access the webpage, click here.