WILDFIRE RESILIENCE

Embers from a fire can travel up to one mile! If an ember lands on combustible vegetation or debris such as leaves, pine needles or brush on or near a home, it can start a fire. What you do at your home can protect you and your neighbors by stopping or slowing wildfires.

Bend Fire & Rescue’s Own Your Zone Bend webpage outlines a few simple things to do to make a big difference. For example, Zone 1, also called the Ember Resistant Zone, is the area directly around your home. Here are five things to do within five feet of your home:

• Clean your roof and gutters.
• Trim branches that touch your roof.
• Remove flammable vegetation. 
• Replace bark mulch with non-combustible material. 
• Move firewood away from the house and deck. 

For more information on how to protect your home and property from wildfire, visit ownyourzonebend.org.

Thinking about cleaning up your yard debris?

Remember: Outdoor debris burning is prohibited in Bend’s city limits (but is permitted in rural areas outside of the city.) However, campfires, recreational fires, warming fires, and cooking fires are permitted within the city if proper safety precautions are followed.

Regulations and safety precautions are found on the Bend Fire & Rescue webpage at bendoregon.gov/burninginfo. Call the burning information line at 541-322-6335 with questions.

As an alternative to burning yard debris, Deschutes Recycling is offering residents an opportunity to recycle their yard debris for FREE at Knott Landfill and outlying transfer stations during the month of May. Many area garbage companies also offer curbside pickup of yard debris for a minimal charge.

WATER CONSERVATION

Seasonal Advisory Alert

As we face another season of extreme drought in Deschutes County, our individual and community wide responses to managing water are increasingly important. Landscape watering accounts for more than half of all water used by City of Bend customers during the summer season. If left unchecked, millions of gallons of water can go to waste in a single day due to inefficient irrigation practices. 

The City of Bend is encouraging its customers to make thoughtful decisions about their water use this year to minimize demands for unnecessary uses. Help by getting the most out of every drop! 

Check out Waterwisetips.org for more information and review Bend’s Water Use Code to get prepared for the season.

UTILITY BILLING SHUTOFFS

As the City is no longer in a pandemic-related state of emergency and because the City must have adequate funds to operate and maintain its infrastructure, utility bill payments will no longer be allowed to be late or unpaid. The City will go back to shutting off water service due to unpaid bills starting July 1. However, to help Bend community members in need, the City has payments plans and utility assistance programs to help certain qualifying customers.

Read more in this news release.

TRANSPORTATION

Wilson and 15th Roundabout Open House

The first project of the 2020 Transportation General Obligation Bond, the Wilson Avenue Corridor Project, is moving right along!

The City of Bend will host an open house on Wednesday, April 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Larkspur Community Center. The event will include information on the upcoming construction of the 15th Street and Wilson Avenue roundabout and design plans between Ninth Street and 15th Street. 

The design consultants, construction team, and City staff will be available to answer questions. Roundabout construction is anticipated to begin in early summer of 2022.

Community members can access open house materials online at bendoregon.gov/Wilson.

Inside Bend: GO Bond

And if you want to learn more about the Wilson Avenue Corridor Project and the 2020 Transportation General Obligation Bond, check out this month’s episode of the Inside Bend podcast!

Engineer Sinclair Burr discusses the projects that will be funded by the $190 million bond. The projects aim to improve traffic flow, create better east-west connections, improve neighborhood street safety, and increase pedestrian and bicycle access. He also explains the role of the Transportation Bond Oversight Committee in advising the City Council and City staff on scheduling and building the projects.

You can listen at bendoregon.gov/inside-bend or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast and Spotify!

Weekly Road and Traffic Report

The City of Bend will be releasing a Weekly Road and Traffic Report each Friday during peak construction season to help members of our community plan the safest and most reliable routes to their destinations. The weekly report is intended to provide information about various projects within City limits that impact public roadways.  

It will be another busy season, with road maintenance and construction, private development projects, and events that could require lane or road closures.

Access the Weekly Road and Traffic Report at bendoregon.gov/traffic. Or sign up at bendoregon.gov/enews to have Weekly Road and Traffic Reports delivered to your inbox.

HOUSELESSNESS UPDATE

Bend City Council Houselessness Update

The Bend City Council Houselessness Update from April 6 focused on how the City has used state and federal funds to invest in strategies to address houselessness.

The update from April 20 highlights efforts to address the City rights-of-way and how to file complaints about camps on the right-of-way. It also covers recent and upcoming meetings.

Watch a video of the latest update.

Project Turnkey Naming Contest

The results are in! We asked community members to submit ides for names for the new shelter on Division Street and received over 100 submissions!

The submissions have been narrowed down to the top three for you to vote on. You have between now and May 31 to vote on your favorite name for the new shelter.

Vote now at bendoregon.gov/project-turnkey!

Bend Town Halls: Houseless Strategies & Proposed Shelter Code

Come hear a community conversation with Bend City Councilor Megan Perkins and Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz, members of an panels at an upcoming town hall event on houselessness strategies and proposed shelter code. Sponsored by the Bend Neighborhood Associations and Bend Cares, the town halls are an opportunity to discuss the proposed shelter code changes in a forum that allows community members to hear the facts and ask questions. Perkins and Krantz will join Deschutes County Commissioner Patti Adair and Houseless Service Provider Alan Evans, CEO Helping Hands Re-Entry Org on the panel.

There are two town halls for the community to choose from, both covering the same content at the Caldera High School Auditorium, 60925 SE 15th Street, Bend.

Attendees can select and register for the date that works for their schedule using the links below. We look forward to this community conversation!

Monday, April 25, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Register Here. Doors open at 5:15 p.m.

Wednesday, April 27, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Register Here. Doors open at 5:15 p.m.

CITY COUNCIL UPDATE

For the first since COVID-19 shut down public gatherings, the City Council will welcome the public – in person – to the May 4 Council meeting at Municipal Court, 555 NE 15th Street. Councilors met in person on April 20 at Municipal Court (but the community participants were still virtual) to adjust to the different space and technology. The virtual option for attendees will also continue.

Watch bendoregon.gov/councilagenda for meeting information.

Council approved approximately $330,000 for local nonprofits to develop more affordable housing and provide social services that help to address the houselessness crisis in Bend. The funding comes from two separate federal programs, $200,000 from the Community Development Block Grant Program and $130,000 from the Community Assistance Grant Program. Learn more.

Council preliminarily approved creating stipends for City advisory board, committee and commission members. The proposed stipend program, which goes into effect this summer, would expand opportunities for community members to connect with the City and lower barriers to engagement. The program would provide members of City advisory boards, committees, and commissions with $40 per meeting, not to exceed $500 a year per person. Read the issue summary.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUITY COMMISSION SEEKING NEW MEMBERS

The City of Bend is seeking new volunteer commissioners starting immediately to serve on the City of Bend Human Rights and Equity Commission.

The Human Rights and Equity Commission (HREC) acts as a group of advisors to City Council. The Commission is charged with ensuring historically marginalized and underrepresented communities in Bend have access to City programs and services, representation in City decision-making, and a venue to raise concerns and complaints about discrimination. The Commission does this by elevating recommendations for City Council’s consideration through the Equity Department. 

Application deadline is Friday, April 22. For information on the Human Rights and Equity Commission, visit bendoregon.gov/HREC.

Learn more.

BEND PD 

Improved Service for 911 Callers and Crime Victims

The Bend Police Department is launching a new communication tool to enhance the user experience when a community member calls 911 or the non-emergency number to request police services. 

Learn more!

Preventing Scams

Bend Police want to help protect you from scams that come in all forms – from phone calls to phishing expeditions in emails. Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

Here are some common things to watch out for:

• If you receive a call regarding a vehicle warranty, hang up and do not provide any information. The caller is trying to access your banking information and personal information.
• If you receive a call asking for personal information such as social security number, name and date of birth, and/or banking information, do not provide the requested information.  Only share this sensitive information with people who you know and trust.  You should hang up and call your banking institution and speak to a trusted person with the organization to verify your account has not been jeopardized. 
• Some scammers will send emails that look authentic from banking institutions.  If they are asking for personal information or account numbers, do not provide anything to them, call your bank.  Banks will not send emails asking for personal information or account numbers, so be suspicious and don’t respond. 
• If someone calls and says they are with a law enforcement agency, get their name and badge number and call the non-emergency dispatch number at 541-693-6911 to verify who they are.  

If you think you have been scammed you can always call the non-emergency dispatch line at 541-693-6911 and speak to an officer or file a report online at bendoregon.gov/police.