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In this Bend Current enewsletter you can get City Council updates on 14th Street construction and the $445,000 awarded to five affordable housing projects. You can also learn more about the upcoming street maintenance season and which streets will be targeted, the overall improvement of Bend's city streets, a new focus for fire training, the upcoming Earth Day fair, citizens' pruning responsibilities, burning regulations, backflow test information, and the Transportation Advisory Committee.
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STREET MAINTENANCE SEASON IS COMING!
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The City Council approved nearly $5 million worth of street preservation work that will be done this summer. Above is a map of the Streets and Operations Department’s plans to use the most cost-effective methods to keep the City’s good roads good. Learn more about this summer’s plans here.
Sign up for weekly road and traffic reports at bendoregon.gov/enews to get weekly information about road closures directed to your inbox.
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STREET CONDITIONS IMPROVING
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One of the Council’s 2017-2019 goals is improving road conditions and transportation facilities. In addition to supporting the update of the Transportation System Plan and approving other major capital road projects, the Council reallocated one-time funding to maintenance efforts to improve street conditions during this two-year budget cycle. It is resulting in improved road conditions around Bend! Road conditions are measured by what’s known in the industry as the pavement condition index, a numerical value between 0 and 100 that gives a standardized rating of the city’s streets. A score of 85-100 is rated as “excellent,” 70-84 as “good,” 50-69 as “at-risk,” 25-49 as “poor,” and 0-24 as “very poor.”
More information can be found on the street funding webpage:
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COUNCIL UPDATES
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14TH STREET
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The Council recently approved the contractor for the upcoming 14th Street Reconstruction Project which is scheduled to begin April 2. It is the final transportation improvement project under the 2011 voter-approved GO Bond measure. Improvements will stretch between Newport Avenue and Galveston Avenue, excluding the roundabouts, and Simpson Avenue to Albany Avenue, including the Simpson roundabout. The planned improvements will increase safety, mobility, and accessibility.
Related, Cascade Natural Gas will be upgrading its facilities along 14th Street between Newport and Galveston avenues, restricting the southbound lane of traffic for approximately 10 weeks. Detours will be marked. Cascade Natural Gas’ anticipated start date is March 26.
Visit the following page for more project information:
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AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND AWARDS
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Councilors awarded $445,000 to five projects that will help build 78 proposed units of housing as well as assist with the construction of transitional housing and services focusing on needs of homeless single adults.
Bend’s Affordable Housing Fund is generated from the Affordable Housing Fee on building permits. Established in 2006, it has contributed to the development or acquisition of over 770 units. Funds are awarded to projects that help accomplish goals in City of Bend’s Consolidated Plan, and for housing benefitting households earning 100% Area Median Income (AMI) and less.
Awards went to: Bend Area Habitat for Humanity, $100,000; Bethlehem Inn, $175,000; Central Oregon Veterans Outreach, $50,000; KOR Land Trust in partnership with Housing Works, $70,000; Pacific Crest Affordable Housing, $50,000.
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With a growing number of taller buildings in higher-density housing areas around town, the Bend Fire Department’s new training focus this coming year is fighting fires on upper floors of taller buildings.
Watch the video!
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Come visit the City of Bend Utility Department at the Earth Day Fair from noon to 3 p.m. on April 21, and learn about one of our most important and valued natural resources – our water.
Our water supplies come from surface water, groundwater, water conservation and reuse. The City provides around 13 million gallons per day of safe drinking water to homes and businesses in Bend. That’s about 4.5 billion gallons a year.
It’s important for us to work together to conserve this precious natural resource at home, in our businesses and on our landscapes so that we can continue to provide safe drinking water for our community for generations to come.
To learn more about how we protect public health and steward water resources, visit us at the Earth Day Fair or read more online.
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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
- Maintain a clear vision area for intersections adjacent to your property.
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Outdoor debris burning is prohibited inside the Bend city limits by ordinance to protect the community’s health and safety. Learn more: bendoregon.gov/burninginfo.
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The Safe Drinking Water Program prioritizes the safety and quality of Bend’s tap water.
To assure the clean water the City puts in the distribution system remains clean, we require backflow assembly devices at meter boxes and privately-owned landscape irrigation systems.
The City provides clean water to the City-owned, maintained and tested water meter and backflow assembly on the water meter that serves your home. Beyond the meter, a cross-connection can and does happen. Contaminates associated with lawns and irrigation, such as pesticides, fertilizers, and pet waste can cross-contaminate the water in your home. Generally, the cause is a back-siphoning or broken pipe issue, causing uneven pressure in household pipes.
Any piping and plumbing past the City’s water meter is the responsibility of the homeowner. Because underground irrigation systems are privately owned by the property owner, the annual backflow testing is the responsibility of the owner, to protect residents’ drinking water from their irrigation systems.
For more information bendoregon.gov/crossconnection.
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The Citywide Transportation Advisory Committee is charged with providing recommendations related to updates of the Transportation System Plan (TSP) and Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP).
The committee will also provide policy recommendations to the City Council on a variety of transportation-related policies and funding strategies to support the Council Goal for transportation: “Move people and products around Bend efficiently, safety and reliably.”
The Citywide Transportation Advisory Committee had its first meeting February 28 and its next meeting is April 10, when the meeting topic will be “Goals and Vision” as well as some background information on funding. Meetings are open to the public.
Meeting information and materials can be found at: bendoregon.gov/ctac.
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Accommodation Information for People with Disabilities
To obtain this information in an alternate format such as Braille, large print, etc., please contact Anne Aurand at: communications@bendoregon.gov; Relay Users Dial 7-1-1.
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