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APRIL 2024
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With the warmer weather approaching, this issue of the Bend Current focuses on one of the great wonders of Bend: our outdoors! Join us for Bend Bike Night on May 13 (see details below) for a family-friendly event that is all about bicycles, reminders about how to take care of your property (now that those sprinklers are turning back on), and an update from Councilor Barb Campbell!
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Accessible and Effective City Government
An Update from Councilor Barb Campbell
Councilor Barb Campbell gives an update on some of the work that the City Council accomplished this past month. You’ll learn about the City of Bend’s work on fair housing, the Hawthorne overcrossing, the community climate action plan and water conservation, the multiple unit tax exemption program, and much more!
Watch the video update.
Utility Billing Website: Notice a Difference?
We have updated our Utility Billing website to help you get to the services you need faster and easier! Check it out at bendoregon.gov/utilitybilling. Added bonus: the cleaner design, quicker account access, and easier navigation is also mobile friendly.
Neighborhood Code Update
The Bend City Council will be voting on changes to Bend Municipal Code Chapter 1.70 “Neighborhood Associations” next month.
In March, City staff presented an overview of the proposed code changes to the Bend City Council Stewardship Subcommittee meeting. Councilors provided feedback for staff to incorporate into draft code language that will be considered by the whole Council in a first reading on May 15. Here are 5 Things to Know about the proposed code changes.
Should the Council vote in favor of the draft code on May 15, they will have a second reading on June 5. If approved, the code will go into effect after 30 days.
Public Safety
National Wildfire Preparedness Month: Own Your Zone
Bend Fire & Rescue recommends that you “Own Your Zone” and create a defensible space around your home to protect your home, your neighbor’s home and to make sure that our community is prepared to help mitigate wildfire risk. Whether you live in a close-knit urban neighborhood or a community of large lots – we can all do our part to create defensible space.
Learn more about what you can do at bendoregon.gov/own-your-zone.
May FireFree Events
And speaking of creating defensible space, FireFree is back for 2024! This annual spring event is held by our partners at Deschutes County where you can dump your needles, leaves, branches and brush for FREE at certain recycling locations during the month of May.
For a list of dates and locations, visit firefree.org/firefreeevents.
Transportation & Infrastructure
Invitation: Join us at Bend Bike Night!
Pencil it into your calendar now (or, let’s be more accurate – plug it into your Google calendar) – Monday, May 13, from 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at The Grove in Northwest Crossing. Don’t miss out on raffles, giveaways and activities, including a bike safety cone course for kids and an interactive safe riding in roundabouts demonstration at Bend Bike Night! Bring your own bike to the event for additional opportunities for prizes, and your helmet for food discounts.
Check out bendoregon.gov/bike-night to learn more, including some awesome opportunities to join group rides to the event!
Affordable Housing & Sustainable Development
Fair Housing: Identifying Barriers and Ways to Break Them
The City of Bend’s Housing Department gave a presentation at the April 3 Council meeting reporting on the barriers to fair housing in Bend and recommendations for future work to break those barriers.
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 established the fair housing act, and as a recipient of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development funds, the City of Bend is required to perform a fair housing analysis.
The City of Bend’s Housing department, along with community member stakeholders, conducted extensive outreach and research to inform findings and recommendations. If you want to learn more, check out the recording of the April 3 Council meeting to watch the presentation: April 3 City Council Meeting. The full report will be available on the City of Bend’s Housing website later this year.
Environment & Climate
Pruning Reminder: Tame Those Plants!
It’s that time of the year again when the days are getting longer and warmer which means we’re seeing all those beautiful plants, trees and flowers begin to bloom. And with all of that wonderful springtime growth happening, it’s time to start pruning trees and shrubs that are growing into the right-of-way.
To help with street maintenance work, including street preservation work and sweeping, property owners have a responsibility to prune trees and shrubs that have grown into the right-of-way (as shown) to accommodate street maintenance equipment.
City Code outlines the following responsibilities (for property owners):
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Maintain driveway approaches and adjacent to your property in good repair
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Keep sidewalks adjacent to your property clear of vegetation, such as low-hanging branches or overgrown shrubs
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Remove, cut and/or trim flammable vegetation adjacent to your property in the public right of way, and
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Maintain a clear vision area for intersections adjacent to your property.
Thank you for doing your part to help your Streets crews get beneficial work done for the community!
Backflow Testing: Keep Your Drinking Water Clean
Do you want the water from your freshly sprinkled lawn coming back into your home tap? We don’t either.
Now that it’s that time of year when you start turning your irrigation system on, also make sure you call your state certified backflow tester to assure a timely appointment for your annual backflow test.
The consequences of not doing it could impact your clean drinking water – without a properly working backflow assembly installed on your irrigation system, water that pools or puddles in landscapes can be sucked back into your household’s clean drinking water lines.
To keep you and your family healthy, get your backflow tested as early as possible in your irrigation season.
For more information about the City of Bend Backflow Program and a list of state certified testers, visit our website at bendoregon.gov/crossconnection
Progress Report: Community Climate Action Plan
Did you know that the City of Bend has goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2050? The City has released its first progress report – check it out at this link: Bend Community Climate Action Plan (arcgis.com).
This month, City Council received an update on the Environment and Climate Goal area. As a part of that presentation, staff shared the above reporting tool that captures information related to energy supply and usage in Bend, Community Climate Action Plan projects, greenhouse gas emissions, and much more.
Another tip – the Community Climate Action Plan will undergo an update this year, and we’ll be looking for input from you!
Win $1,000 in Student Environmental Video Contest
The City of Bend, BendFilm and Central Oregon Daily are again hosting the “One Water” student video contest and have increased the Grand Prize winner amount to $1,000! The theme is “My front yard…it’s part of the Deschutes Watershed!”
We encourage Bend students, grades six through 12, to learn about and share their perspectives on protecting our river and groundwater. Videos should focus on how landscaping, watering and managing their own front yard can impact or benefit the Deschutes River watershed. Students can help spread messages of how we can all make a difference in our everyday actions to protect the quality and availability of water in Central Oregon.
Each year, the winning student not only gets the cash prize, but also works with a Central Oregon Daily producer to turn their video into a final format that the City shares on television and other media to encourage the Bend community to love and protect its waters. Winning videos are also celebrated at the annual BendFilm Festival.
Contest rules and application are available online at bendoregon.gov/video-contest.
The deadline is 5 p.m. on May 3, 2024.
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