Bend Current, Newsletter for the Community, Agosto 2024

(Photo credit: Doug Hauck 2024)

Cue the Summer Coats!

It’s not quite pumpkin spice season, but we’re getting there almost too quickly! Back to school efforts have officially begun, and we hope you’re enjoying these dog days of summer (Mayor Kebler likes to refer to this as “puffy coat and flip flop season”). In this issue of the Bend Current, you’ll find a number of updates about efforts to make travel between east and west Bend safer, an invitation to a Fire & Rescue Open House, and information about continued work to pursue opportunities related to the creation of affordable housing in Bend. 

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Accessible and Effective City Government City Council Updates

An Update from Councilor Norris

Check out this months’ City Council recap to hear about an update about fire season, a design recommendation for the Hawthorne Overcrossing, efforts to update the City code related to sheltering in vehicles, and future plans to move towards electrifying city buildings.

Watch the video update.

Thank You for Joining National Night Out and CityFest!

We loved hosting community members, ranging from four legged friends to guests of all ages, at National Night Out and CityFest in Agosto! Thank you for coming out, connecting with City staff, elected officials, and public safety – we’re proud to serve our Bend community, and look forward to hosting more free events in the future.

You’re Invited to Welcoming Week!

Welcoming Week brings together immigrants, refugees, and long-time residents to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places. Bend has been recognized as a Welcoming City since 2017 and is a part of a national movement to build inclusive communities.

Thirteen events will occur across one week, Septiembre 13 – 28 and all are free and open to the public! This year’s theme is “We’re All In” and invites communities to showcase how they’re building places that value all perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Check out the Welcoming Week webpage for more information and details about the upcoming events!

Seguridad pública

Wildfire Response: Mile Marker 132

On Agosto 2, a fire ignited on the north end of town – the Mile Marker 132 fire started in the late afternoon, earning a swift, coordinated response from fire agencies. The fire was fought using both ground and air resources, successfully halting its spread to 78 acres. Evacuation orders were issued, and power outages affected many residents.

On Agosto 7, City Council heard an update from Bend Fire & Rescue Chief Riley, Director of Emergency Management, Carrie Karl, and Real Estate Director, Matthew Stuart about fire season in general and the Mile Marker 132 fire specifically. You can watch that discussion by visiting this link.

Solutions for the area of the fire are being worked on, and the City of Bend is coordinating with Deschutes County to secure funding for fuels reduction in Juniper Ridge. Another conversation to pay attention to is the City of Bend and Deschutes County’s joint meeting on Septiembre 5, where the groups will discuss the future of county and city owned property in that area. This link will host an agenda and instructions for tuning in to the meeting, when they come available.

Fire risk impacts our entire community. Please partner with us to reduce our collective risk; check out Own Your Zone for more information, including an invitation for a free assessment of your property by Bend Fire & Rescue.

Open House Invite: Fire & Rescue

You’re invited to Bend Fire & Rescue’s Open House at the North Fire Station (63377 NE Jamison Street) on Sábado Septiembre 28th from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Join us for a fun (and free!) opportunity to explore our fire station, climb aboard a fire engine, meet our dedicated firefighters and emergency responders, and connect with our community partners. Enjoy free ice cream as you tour the station and learn about the important work we do. This event is open to everyone, so please bring your friends and family.

Transportation & Infrastructure

On Agosto 7, Bend moved a little closer to seeing the Hawthorne Overcrossing become a reality. City Council chose a single tower cable stay bridge design (see above photo!).

The Hawthorne Overcrossing, a federal and state grant funded project, will be a collaborative effort between the City of Bend and the Oregon Department of Transportation. Construction is slated to begin in 2026 and is scheduled to be completed in 2027. Learn more about the project by visiting the Midtown Crossings Project webpage.

Help Re-design the Franklin Avenue Undercrossing

Let’s keep rolling with the Midtown Crossings conversation – improving the Franklin Avenue Undercrossing is another strategy to make travel safer from east to west Bend. The project is currently in pre-design, and options to make walking, biking, and rolling safer and more convenient on Franklin Avenue (from Harriman Street to Fifth Street) are being evaluated.

An in-person open house was hosted by the City of Bend on Agosto 22, but the online option to provide feedback is available until Septiembre 5.  Check out the online open house at bendoregon.gov/midtowncrossings.

Improvements are slated to begin in late 2025, following design selection and work.

Greenwood Avenue Opens with Safety Improvements in Place

Greenwood Avenue looks a little different after opening in mid-Agosto. The pilot project “quick-build” improvements will be in place, between Wall Street and Second Street, for one year while the City of Bend solicits feedback from the public and evaluates the impact and effectiveness of the changes.

Safety for all users is the primary goal of the redesigned street, which features two traffic lanes, a left turn lane, buffered bike lane, accessible ADA parking, new crosswalks and safer, wider, buffered parking on the south side of Greenwood Avenue.

Thank you for your patience while the construction work took place. Watch out on the Midtown Crossings Project website for ways to provide feedback later this fall.

Affordable Housing & Sustainable Development

Expanding the Urban Growth Boundary for Affordable Housing

It’s no secret that housing in Bend is unaffordable for most working families. Creating more affordable housing – and policies that support that effort – is a major goal for the State of Oregon, and that’s where Senate Bill 1537 comes in. That bill offers local governments a number of tools to support housing production, and a strategy that Bend is pursuing would add 100 net acres of residential land to the Urban Growth Boundary. Any land added to the City through this process would require adoption of a conceptual plan including 30% of housing units to be affordable.

Senate Bill 1537 defines affordable as a household making 80% of the area median income for a household of four if they are renting (that’s $83,750 annually here in Bend) or 130% area median income for a household of four if they are purchasing a home (that’s $136,110 annually here in Bend).

If you’re interested in learning more about the potential Urban Growth Boundary expansion, check out this website.

Environment & Climate

Looking Towards a Fossil Free Future

On Agosto 21, City Council previewed a resolution about making all new, future City facilities fossil fuel free. The resolution recognizes a grim reality – without significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, Oregon’s annual temperature is projected to increase by 8.2°F by the 2080s (10.2°F in the summer!).

Watch the presentation and discussion by visiting the City Council’s homepage (all meeting recordings are posted after they conclude) and tune on Septiembre 4 to see the Council vote on the resolution.

City Offices Closed Septiembre 2 in Observance of Labor Day

City Offices will be closed in observance of Labor Day; as always, your public safety will be serving Bend around the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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