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.

The emergency order includes an immediate ban on the use of all fireworks – legal or illegal – within the City of Bend. It also allows the City to mobilize resources to provide support services to unhoused community members.

Professional fireworks displays at Vince Genna Stadium (July 3) and Pilot Butte State Park (July 4) will continue as scheduled.

Under the emergency order, use of any fireworks is a class A civil infraction and carries a penalty of a fine up to $750.

The City is asking for the community’s support in keeping Bend safe by complying with the ban on fireworks. Community members are encouraged to report the use of fireworks via email at fireworks@bendoregon.gov. Use of fireworks posing an immediate risk to persons or property are emergencies and should be reported by calling 911.

Please do your part to ensure the safety of our community –- opt out of using fireworks this year! Start a new tradition with your loved ones this independence day, and stay cool! To read more about the emergency declaration, click here. 

The declaration of a local state of emergency is effective immediately and remains in effect through July 9, 2021.

The Neighborhood Leadership Alliance (NLA) has adopted their 2021-2023 Strategic Plan & Work Plan. These are now available on the NLA’s webpage at:  www.bendoregon.gov/nla.

The NLA consists of one member representing each recognized Neighborhood Association in Bend. This standing advisory committee of the City Council is a liaison the  City of Bend through a dedicated staff member, the Community Relations Manager.
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The NLA reports regularly to the City Council, providing updates on projects accomplished or in process and testifying on specific items in front of the Council. The NLA meets with the City Council on at least a bi-annual basis to inform them of accomplishments and projects.

The non-partisan League of Women Voters is sponsoring a ballot initiative to change the county commissioner seats from partisan to non-partisan. They are requesting your support by signing a petition to get the initiative on the ballot.

Why do voters need the opportunity to vote non-partisan for County Commissioners?

• Candidates for County Commissioner are the ONLY elected officials in the county that are still selected by political parties.
• A third of Deschutes County voters are registered as non-affiliated and are not able to vote in party primaries for a commission candidate.
• Of the 36 Oregon counties, only 10 still have partisan races and Deschutes is one of them.
• Local government has no need for partisan decisions at the county level. Commissioners are full-time employees with an administrative role in addition to their policy-setting role.
• Partisan races tend to favor more extreme-leaning candidates.
• The public is easily aware of the political party affiliation of candidates without them being chosen by the party.
• Moderates and third-party candidates would enter each election on an even playing field with major party candidates.

To sign the petition, please contact Mimi Alkire at: mimi.alkire@gmail.com. She will let you know when and where volunteers will be collecting signatures or she can have a volunteer come to you.
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Petition Circulators are needed in your neighborhood. Let Mimi know if you’d like to volunteer.

Bend Bikes, a local non-profit advocating for the safety of people on bikes, wants to include voices from neighborhoods throughout Bend about what bike infrastructure is working and what needs improvement.

The mission of Bend Bikes is to improve bicycling conditions in Bend to include equitable access, protected bike lanes, neighborhood greenways, and a complete bike network. Bend Bikes works in partnership with citizens, businesses, community groups, government agencies, and elected officials to create a community where all people can meet their daily transportation needs by bicycle. 
 
The group has created a Neighborhood Association Outreach Workgroup that is brimming with ideas and wants to include voices from neighborhoods throughout Bend about what bike infrastructure is working and what needs improvement. They want to hear directly from residents in all of the Bend neighborhood associations.

To email your ideas to Bend Bikes click here.