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In this issue you’ll find updates on important transportation projects such as Empire Avenue and 14th Street, plans related to fireworks enforcement, stories about our drinking water sources and water quality testing, recent projects at the Bend Airport, a Deschutes River Clean-Up, Council updates and more!
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EMPIRE AVENUE, A NEW EAST-WEST CONNECTION
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Traveling east-west on the northern half of Bend is going to get easier with the upcoming extension of Empire Avenue, one of the City’s priority transportation projects.
The City will soon be building new road sections and modernizing existing ones as part of the Empire Corridor Improvements project. This long-awaited project enhances capacity and safety on a major route that is an important part of the City’s street network.
Travelers will begin to see some utility relocation and survey work in this area as the City prepares for this project.
Phase 1, which starts in September and is expected to take about nine months to complete, will include:
- a roundabout at Empire Avenue and Purcell Boulevard
- reconstruction of Empire Avenue between 18th Street and Purcell Boulevard
During this phase, sections of Empire and Purcell will be closed temporarily but local access to area homes, parks, schools and businesses will remain open.
Phase 2 includes:
- extension of Empire to 27th Street and Butler Market Road
- a new roundabout at 27th and Butler Market Road
- modernization of Purcell Boulevard between Empire Avenue and Butler Market Road
Phase 2 construction is expected to be completed by 2021. For updates during the project, watch bendoregon.gov/empire.
For regular updates about road or lane closures, sign up for Weekly Road and Traffic Reports here:
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FIREWORKS
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Not surprisingly, Bend Fire crews responded to more calls than normal around the Fourth of July. In 2017, the Fire Department’s average daily call volume was 30, compared to 41 during the week of the Fourth this year and 61 calls on Fourth itself. The Department also responded to at least 12 fires caused by people misusing fireworks, including the 10-acre fire on Pilot Butte.
Although a segment of the population enjoys using fireworks in July, the City has heard concerns about illegal fireworks from pet owners, veterans with PTSD, those concerned with fire and those who value peace and quiet.
For next year, the Police and Fire departments have committed to putting together a task force of Police officers and Fire inspectors who will respond exclusively to illegal fireworks calls. They also plan to work with the community throughout the year to find ways to minimize risk of fire and injury and to improve compliance with fireworks laws. Collaboration with the community can reduce fireworks incidents so everyone can enjoy the birthday of our nation.
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GREAT WATER, GREAT LIFE
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Bend’s award-winning tap water is as pure as premium bottle bottled water but available to you at a fraction of the price. Bend’s water customers are fortunate to have easy access to clean, safe drinking water.
Bend’s drinking water comes from two places. It’s primarily from our surface water source, Bridge Creek in the Bend Municipal Watershed, and when water demands increase during the summer irrigation season, the City pumps groundwater from the Deschutes Regional Aquifer as well.
The City protects your safety by routinely monitoring 130 regulated and unregulated contaminants in your drinking water. Interested in learning what lab tests on your drinking water show? The City’s Annual Water Quality Report has the answers and information about water conservation, stormwater programs and more. The latest report is now available online at bendoregon.gov/waterreport or you can call (541) 317-3000 ext. 2 to receive a paper copy or request a copy online:
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14TH STREET
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Councilors have approved $2.35 million in funding to extend 14th Street reconstruction work between Galveston and Albany avenues. Improving this section should begin in August and finish in October, providing complete reconstruction of the 14th Street corridor between Simpson Avenue and Newport Avenue this year. The project improves safety by providing a new road surface and striping, sidewalks, curb ramps, buffered bike lanes and other safety features.
Learn more about this phase of work at an Open House from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, August 6 at Westside Village Magnet School at Kingston Elementary, 1101 NW 12th Street.
The 14th Street Reconstruction project is the final transportation improvement project built with the 2011 voter-approved GO Bond measure. However, the bond measure did not provide enough funding for the work between Galveston and Albany avenues. To help fund this section, the City is working on agreements with the owners of land recently added to the Urban Growth Boundary on the west side of town to address future transportation impacts. Part of the transportation mitigation for the proposed developments will require the developers to contribute $1.4 million towards the completion of the 14th Street corridor. The development agreement will be subject to a public hearing prior to a vote from Councilors.
The overall 14th Street project is ahead of schedule. Visit the project webapge for updates:
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SEPTIC TO SEWER
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Councilors heard the Septic to Sewer Advisory Committee’s final recommendations this month, which represents considerable committee time and effort. The committee’s goal was to provide recommendations to the Council that result in a citywide program that encourages connections to sewer and is equitable to homeowners and citywide ratepayers.
The committee recommended that the Council establish a formal septic tank elimination policy and comprehensive program to transition the estimated 2,800 homes in Bend still reliant on septic tanks to sewer over the next 15 to 20 years. Also, the report suggests the City move ahead to pursue timely septic-to-sewer conversions in the Southeast Bend study area and that homeowners and the City ratepayers share the responsibility of the costs associated. Here is the report to Council.
Before the Council adopts policies about funding mechanisms, the public is invited to a City Council “listening session” on this topic from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 15.
More information:
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JUNIPER RIDGE
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A Bend Economic Development Advisory Board (BEDAB) working group recommended to the Council this week that they step back from direct oversight of Juniper Ridge and instead have a separate board guide future development on the City-owned property in northeast Bend. The Council appeared to support additional exploration and discussion of the recommendations at a future meeting. The BEDAB recommendations memo and other documents are available at bendoregon.gov/juniperridge.
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COUNCIL ELECTIONS
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Three positions on the Bend City Council will be on the November 2018 ballot. Starting in January of 2019, the Bend City Council will be comprised of six council members and an elected Mayor. Citizens interested in serving on the City Council have until August 28, 2018 to file completed petitions to the City. More information is available on our elections webpage.
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Thank you Bend community for helping us shape our future transportation system! The City recently completed one phase of public outreach associated with updating the City’s transportation system plan – open houses held in-person and online. You stepped up and spoke up. Input from these open houses is currently being analyzed and will be compiled later this month. Watch bendoregon.gov/tsp for results in the near future!
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Join the Deschutes River Clean-Up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 28. Volunteers are needed to collect trash and debris around and in the river. The 22nd annual clean-up is a great opportunity for all ages to come together to restore and protect our great Deschutes River.
Bring your canoe, kayak or paddle board and help collect debris in the water and on the banks of the Deschutes River in Bend. The City of Bend Stormwater Program is an avid participant and partner with the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council for the annual Deschutes River Clean-Up. For more information visit upperdeschuteswatershedcouncil.org.
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Did you know the Bend Municipal Airport, located east of town, has the third most takeoffs and landings in the state? Only Portland International and Hillsboro Airports experience more activity than Bend’s airport which has a helicopter flight school, plenty of business and general aviation in Bend.
This month, contractors have repaved and reconfigured a former helicopter use area for plane operations to ensure that the Bend Airport can continue its safe expansion of operations.
This work is the final step in a multi-year $10 million project that also included a new 8-acre dedicated Helicopter Operations Area last year. The project was largely funded by Federal and State grants with some local matching money. Learn more about business and recreational opportunities at Bend Municipal Airport at bendoregon.gov/airport.
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In addition to public safety, the City’s core services include streets, water and sewer, which build the foundation for a strong economy and let Bend residents focus on their lives, families and jobs.
Last month, the City celebrated the annual American Public Works Association recognition week, “The Power of Public Works”, in honor of the vitally important contributions of public works professionals and the crucial role that infrastructure, facilities and services play in the quality of life in our community here in Bend. Every day, our public works professionals provide and maintain transportation systems, clean water, utilities, emergency response operations, essential infrastructure and many other community services.
Learn more about Bend’s Streets and Operations, Utility Department programs, or our Engineering and Infrastructure.
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Curious about water supplies and drought in Oregon? See our refreshed drought webpage bendoregon.gov/drought for great local and regional information and links.
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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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