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DECEMBER 2019
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AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRESS
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In 2019, Bend’s affordable housing program made big strides towards supporting more housing types in the community. We have more than 400 housing units in the pipeline!
- We started off 2019 with a 48-unit development opening in Northwest Crossing in January.
- Azimuth 315 has provided a stable home for 48 families, which has given their children access to some to the best schools in town.
- This year, the City supported the development of 11 single family homes, two new property acquisitions (for 48 units and 47 units) and provided some crucial funding for Bethlehem Inn’s expansion and redevelopment.
- We also helped finance a private, mixed income development known as “Revere Renaissance,” where moderate income residents reside alongside luxury townhomes close to downtown Bend.
This year the City of Bend also succeeded with two successful legislative pilot programs that will:
- create more than 400 low and moderate income homes on the east side,
- allow Bend to designate 40 acres of commercial land to allow residential development, to encourage the use of underutilized commercial land.
“The City Council has taken an all-in approach to tackling the housing crisis,” said Councilor Justin Livingston. “We’re looking at all possible ways to increase supply of affordable homes. We’re using code and policy changes, and funding that comes from the affordable housing program.”
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NEIGHBORHOOD STREET SAFETY PROGRAM
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Bend’s Neighborhood Associations are helping us choose neighborhood safety projects all over town -- a new program in the City of Bend!
In the 2019-2021 biennial budget, the City Council approved $800,000 for the Neighborhood Street Safety Program. Between August 5 and September 20, the City received more than 360 applications for projects.
In recent months, each Neighborhood Association reviewed and prioritized projects proposed within its boundaries, and submitted its top one or two top projects for advancement. City staff packaged these projects with additional details and cost information and provided this information to the Neighborhood Leadership Alliance on December 5.
Currently, the Neighborhood Leadership Alliance is reviewing the project list and working towards selecting those that best meet the program’s focus of improving safety for local, residential streets. The Neighborhood Leadership Alliance will recommend projects for final selection by the end of January, 2020.
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CHRISTMAS TREE SAFETY
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Christmas tree fires are relatively rare, but the fuel of a dry tree is concentrated, so fires can be intense and spread quite rapidly. There are five times as many fatalities in tree-involved fires as there are in blazes started by candles.
Here are a few tips from Bend Fire and Rescue to keep your tree fresh and your household safe this holiday season:
- Use lights designed for indoor use and follow the manufacturer’s limits on the number of strands you can use. Before stringing lights together, check for frayed or broken wires, loose bulbs and throw out damaged strands.
- Place trees away from fireplaces, heat registers, radiators, baseboard heaters or direct sunlight that will dry it out.
- Water the tree daily! The tree should be checked twice a day to make sure it’s not drying out.
- Beware of needle droppings and dry branches -- that means remove the tree!
- Once you remove a dry tree from your house, do not leave it next to the house. A dry tree represents an explosive amount of fuel!
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TRANSPORTATION
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The City has been working with a Council-appointed community advisory group for about two years. The group has been looking into all elements of travel and traffic and identifying projects that improve how people drive, ride bikes, walk and use transit to get around town.
Many of these proposed projects can be completed with additional funding. A long-range funding strategy is being developed that considers available sources of funding for transportation improvements. One important funding source is a “General Obligation” bond to support projects that improve traffic flow and safety. The City Council is currently considering placing a bond measure on the May 2020 ballot.
A subcommittee comprised of Councilors and public advisory committee members has recommended two potential project list alternatives for the “General Obligation” bond for City Council consideration. The subcommittee agreed on some major themes for these system-wide transportation improvements:
- Projects that improve East/West connectivity and system-wide traffic flow (Reed Market, Aune Road Extension, Colorado, midtown bike/pedestrian improvements)
- 20 major intersection projects to improve traffic flow
- 12 city-wide routes that provide safe access to schools, parks and jobs
- Project funds that support Oregon Department of Transportation’s interchange improvement projects
- Citywide safety improvements
- And more!
See bendoregon.gov/safe-travel to see potential bond project lists.
CHECK IT OUT:
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CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
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The City Council passed the Community Climate Action Plan in December on a 5-2 vote. The plan is a set of strategies that will guide both the City and the community as we work together to reduce our fossil fuel use.
The goal is to decrease fossil fuel use in Bend by 40 percent by 2030 and a 70 percent decrease by 2050 (from a baseline year of 2016).
Here is the issue summary from the Council meeting, and here is the actual plan. The plan is a roadmap to a sustainable future and suggests practical action across a wide range of sectors and activities.
A community advisory group, the Climate Action Steering Committee, has been working since early 2018 on a plan that encourages and incentivizes businesses and community members to voluntarily reduce fossil fuel use.
More info: bendoregon.gov/CCAP
For an introduction to the Climate Action Plan and how it got started, check out the following video:
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TUNE IN
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City Council meetings are livestreamed through our website. Agendas and meeting videos can be found at bendoregon.gov/councilagenda.
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PLOWING AND SANDING: HOW WE DO IT
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We’ve already seen a decent snowstorm in town this season and received some questions from the community about how we handle major snow events.
The City prioritizes plowing and sanding on the highest-use streets that accommodate the most drivers, major employment areas, schools and transit routes. This Priority Routes Map helps you understand how we prioritize which routes to plow first.
During a major storm, City officials will consider whether to call contractors to help the City, based on several variables including the weather forecast. Contractors are typically used to help us clear local, residential roads.
Lots of winter road information is at bendoregon.gov/snow.
Or, watch the winter operations video here:
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STREETS MAINTENANCE
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When it’s not snowing and it’s not the middle of road construction season, the Streets Department works to prepare neighborhood streets for next year’s maintenance work. We’re doing more residential area street preservation work than in recent years. In preparation for upcoming streets maintenance work, we need to make sure trees and landscaping don’t grow into areas that would impede equipment. When Streets crews have time between street maintenance season and winter operations, they will occasionally head out into the neighborhoods to prune landscaping. You probably want to do it yourself to make sure it’s done to your liking, so check the image here for guidelines and what needs to be trimmed back.
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WINTER QUARTER AVERAGE
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SAVE WATER AND MONEY ON YOUR UTILITY BILLS
Saving water indoors this time of year can lower monthly sewer charges throughout the year!
Your average water consumption during the months of December, January and February each year (called Winter Quarter Average or WQA) is used as the basis for monthly sewer volume charges.
During the winter months, water leaks may result in a higher sewer bill. If you have a water leak during these months, be sure to notify the City of Bend Utility Billing Department within 60 days of repairing the leak. The City will review your account, determine whether a leak existed that would have a negative impact on your WQA and can adjust your sewer volume charge when WQA’s are updated annually on July 1 if the leak was repaired.
NEED HELP?
Watch this video for more information:
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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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