Street Preservation Season for 2023

It’s hard to believe, but it’s time to get ready for street preservation season.  

The City of Bend is preparing to do about $3.2 million worth of improvements to about 37 lane miles in Bend. 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.

Read the press release or get more information and a map of this year’s plans go to bendoregon.gov/streetpreservation.

Weekly Road and Traffic Report

To plan your best route around road construction and maintenance projects, sign up to receive our Weekly Road and Traffic Report at bendoregon.gov/enews!

The City of Bend will once again release a weekly report each Friday during peak construction season to help our community plan the quickest, safest and most reliable routes to their destinations. The weekly report is intended to provide information about various projects within City limits that impact City roads.

Travelers can also check in on our interactive, online map at bendoregon.gov/traffic.

Pruning Reminder

Pruning your trees and shrubs that grow into the right-of-way will help out your streets crews. 
 
To help with street maintenance work, including street preservation, sweeping and snow plowing, 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. 
 
It is the responsibility of Bend residents, per City Code, to: 

• Maintain driveway approaches and adjacent to your property in good repair

• Keep sidewalks adjacent to your property clear of vegetation, such as low-hanging branches or overgrown shrubs

• Remove, cut and/or trim flammable vegetation adjacent to your property in the public right of way, and

Inside Bend: Getting to Know Mayor Melanie Kebler

On this episode of the Inside Bend Podcast, we’re joined by Mayor Melanie Kebler as she discusses what it was like growing up in Bend and what lead her to run for Mayor. She also explains her vision for the council moving forward and what goals she hopes to accomplish over the next two years. 

She also touches on ways community input influences policy decisions. You are not going to want to miss this episode! 

Listen at bendoregon.gov/inside-bend or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify. 

New Council Goals Take Shape

Following each Council election, new Councilors take community input and develop goals for the next two years. Here’s the first glimpse of the proposed Council Goals framework that will influence the 2023-25 budget! They address public safety staffing and service levels, securing sustainable funding for transportation system needs, equity and engagement, housing strategies and economic development, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting the watershed and more!

Read the draft goals.

With the two-year goals taking shape, we next enter into budget adoption. 

How the Budget Works

Learn how the budget works in this short, animated video.

About 21%-22% of a local taxpayer’s property tax dollars go to the City of Bend. The rest goes to Bend-LaPine School District, Deschutes County, Bend Parks and Recreation District, and more. In addition to property taxes, the City receives fees for services, such as water and sewer.

About 70% of the City’s revenue is known as “restricted funds” that come from fee-supported services and can only be used for specific purposes. (For instance, fees paid for water can only be used for water-related expenses.) The other approximately 30% of the budget is the general fund, which is mostly made up of property taxes.

For the current biennium, over 80% of the City’s general fund pays for public safety—Police and Fire services. Street maintenance, transit, accessibility, and some community development activities are also supported by this general fund. The general fund is also where the Council and the Budget Committee have the most discretion for funding priorities.

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City Council Updates

Mayor Melanie Kebler gives an update on some of the work that the City Council accomplished this past month.

Watch the video.

Ferguson Annexation

This month, Council approved annexing approximately 40-acres south of Ferguson Road and east of Magnolia Lane, the first annexation for the Southeast Area Plan which was adopted 2021 as a Urban Growth Boundary expansion area. The proposal includes a 138-lot townhome subdivision, 264 multi-unit homes, commercial buildings, open space and more.

 Read the issue summary.

City Invests in Behavioral Health at Lighthouse Navigation Center

Council approved granting Deschutes County $405,000 over three years for a Behavioral Health staff to serve guests at The Lighthouse Navigation Center. The City has a contract with Shepherd’s House Ministries to operate the Navigation Center at 275 NE Second St., a low-barrier emergency shelter that is open seven days per week and connects individuals and families with health services, permanent housing, and public benefits. The Navigation Center represents an innovative and responsive approach to the challenges facing our community.

Tree Code Update

Councilors discussed how to protect Bend’s urban tree canopy, a term referring to the part of a city that is shaded by trees, while balancing the need for new housing development. Councilors said City planners should work on code changes that will consider ways to preserve larger trees, but not do anything that will create a barrier to getting needed housing on the ground. The Council Stewardship subcommittee will discuss in early April and develop more guidelines on public engagement and timelines. The City does have tree-related rules already on the books to protect trees.

Get some background in this press release.

Camping Code

The City’s camping code, which clarifies where and how it is legal to camp on City rights-of-way, went into effect March 1. Learn more about the camping code, which is one piece of the City’s overall strategy to address houselessness at bendoregon.gov/camping-code.

Clean Water Works Student Video Contest

Attention Bend 4th – 12th Grade Students! Are you passionate about the environment?  

Make a 30-second video about how managing your yard can conserve water and prevent pollution…and you can win cash! The 2023 One Water Video Contest is open now thru April 28. 

This year’s theme is “My Own Front Yard: It’s a Part of the Deschutes Watershed!” which focuses on water conservation and pollution prevention. The grand prize winner will get $200 and have the opportunity to work with a local Grammy award-winning producer and Central Oregon Daily to turn their film into a professional service announcement. 

Visit cleanwaterworksKIDS.com for more information and check out previous winning videos!