Bend Current, Newsletter for the Community, July 2022

Wilson and Ninth Street Roundabout

The Wilson Avenue and Ninth Street roundabout is now open!

We created this video to help explain how to navigate Bend’s first-ever bicycle-protected roundabout. 

The roundabout works the same as a single-lane roundabout, but has a protected bike lane around the outside, between the sidewalk and vehicle lane. If you’re riding a bike you’ll have the option to ride in the protected bike lane or the vehicle travel lane.  

If you want to learn more about this new intersection you can head to bendoregon.gov/wilson.

City Council Update

Councilors gave City staff guidance on how to proceed with developing a Bend Municipal Code to regulate unsanctioned camping on City rights-of-way, such as streets, sidewalks and landscape strips. Unsanctioned camping is the type of camping the City hears a lot of concerns about – unmanaged campsites popping up along City streets and sidewalks. The Bend Municipal Code currently does not ban camping on public property or rights-of-way. 

Council is beginning discussions on how to regulate camping on City rights-of-way. Upcoming Council meetings will consistently include discussions and decision points on drafting a code. The code would be outlined based on Council policy direction and next steps will include public outreach and roundtable discussions with a diverse representation of community members, partners and public agencies. Public input will be channeled directly to Council.

Check out the Unsanctioned Camping Code project page and you can sign up for email updates on this topic at bendoregon.gov/enews.

Here is Councilor Megan Perkin’s update highlighting achievements in addressing houselessness by increasing shelter capacity and supporting services that people need to get back on their feet and into stable housing. 

Watch the video. 

Three City Council seats and the position of Mayor will be placed on the ballot for the November 2022 election.  

Bend residents interested in being elected in November to serve on the City Council can file now through August 30, 2022. Information about filing, including forms, can be found here. 

Candidates must reside within the city limits of Bend for at least one year prior to taking office and be a registered voter.

Home Energy Score

The City of Bend is considering a Home Energy Score Program to improve transparency around the energy cost of homes and encourage energy-efficient homes and is seeking feedback on the proposed program. 

Learn more about the Home Energy Score Program and provide feedback.

Smart Irrigation Month

Even with some welcome late-season precipitation, most of Deschutes County is experiencing drought conditions for the third year in a row. As we move into our peak summer months of July and August, these conditions are forecast to continue.  Conservation remains an effective tool to mitigate the effects of seasonal drought conditions and keep the demands on our water supplies in check.

There are a few easy ways we can leverage smart technology to prevent water use and bills from getting out of control. 

• Manage your water use with WaterSmart . Get alerts and hourly water use data through your customizable water use portal available to all City of Bend water customers.
• Upgrade your irrigation system with smart irrigation equipment, including high-efficiency nozzles, drip irrigation kits and smart controllers. Smart irrigation controllers can take the guesswork out of seasonal changes in irrigation scheduling by adjusting to local weather conditions.
• Periodically check for leaks in the home and irrigation system. Watering usually happens when we are not watching, so checking irrigation systems while they operate can save thousands of gallons from broken equipment. Set your leak alert thresholds on your WaterSmart account to be notified of unusual water usage.
• Drought resilient landscapes can thrive better in dry, warm climates like ours and require less than half of the water than our cool-season turfgrass varieties. Look for examples of native and low water use plant material on our webpage.

The City of Bend’s conservation program has an updated webpage that holds helpful water savings information, native pollinator information, and smart irrigation equipment rebates.  Learn more at waterwisetips.org.

Noxious Weeds

Have you spotted some of these common invasive weeds in your neighborhood? Help us improve native plant habitat by eradicating noxious weeds in your own backyard! 

They could be noxious weeds, which are non-native, aggressive plants brought to the U.S. accidentally or on purpose.  

These plants are invading vast areas across the West, Deschutes County and the City of Bend. Noxious weeds increase soil erosion, reduce habitat for wildlife, rob native plants of water, nutrients and light and are potentially toxic to humans and other animals. When they die, they also become a fire hazard risk.

Some examples include Orange Hawkweed, Dalmatian Toadflax, Spotted Knapweed, and others.  

When pulling the weeds, be sure to wear gloves. Do not dispose of the weeds in your compost! Instead, put the weeds into a plastic bag and dispose of the weeds at the Deschutes County Landfill.  

For more information on how you can help prevent the spread of noxious weeds, visit bendoregon.gov/weeds.

Inside Bend: Stevens Road Tract

As the City continues to grow, so do the options for expanding the City’s Urban Growth Boundary and the ability to create more housing options.  

In this month’s episode of the Inside Bend podcast we talk to Brian Rankin, the City’s long range planning manager about the Stevens Road Tract Concept Plan. Rankin breaks down what the vision is for this development, explains what the impacts will be of adding this 261-acre piece of land to the City, and shares how this concept plan hopes to help create more housing options in Bend. 

You can listen to the podcast at bendoregon.gov/inside-bend or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Public Safety Tips

Fire Emergency Reminders

Emergency Alerts

Emergencies, including fires, flooding and hazardous materials incidents can happen with little or no notice at any time of day or night. Deschutes Alerts allows you to receive emergency notifications about threats to your safety. You can opt-in to receive notifications via phone calls, text messages, email, and more based on the locations you care about

Visit our partners at Deschutes County at deschutes.org/911 to register for alerts.

In case of an evacuation it is important to understand the what the three evacuation levels mean.

Evacuation Levels

Level 1 – “BE READY!” for potential evacuation. Residents should be aware of the danger that exists in their area and monitor emergency services websites and local media outlets for information.

Level 2 – “BE SET!” to evacuate. You must prepare to leave at a moment’s notice. This level indicates there is significant danger to your area.

Level 3 – “GO!” evacuate now. Leave immediately!

Learn more at deschutes.org/emergency.

Preventing Car Break-ins

There are few things more infuriating than coming to your car to find it has been broken into overnight. 

Thieves are looking for easy targets, commonly called “smash and grabs,” that will allow them to quickly grab valuables and move on to the next car. While we can’t prevent 100 percent of these incidents, there are simple steps you can take to deter thieves. 

The top way to prevent your car being broken into is by locking the doors and rolling up the windows. Don’t leave your keys in the car, either.

Next, make sure valuables are out of sight. That means off the seat, dashboard, floorboard or center console. Thieves are looking for shopping bags, purses and wallets, laptops, backpacks, phones, electronics, keys, even change and cash – a cupholder full of change may not seem like a big deal to you, but could be an impetus for a thief to break in. 

When parking your car, find a well-lit area and look for spots with lots of people around.

If you have to leave valuables in the car, lock them in the trunk, and do so prior to parking, because sometimes thieves will already be watching when you’re moving stuff to your trunk before locking the car and leaving.

If you are the victim of a car break-in, call nonemergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 to report the incident. You can also file an online report at BendPoliceReports.com if the incident took place in the City of Bend. If your wallet was stolen, call your banks to cancel your cards – this will help you avoid being revictimized.

Internet Safety Tips

In collaboration with kidshealth.org, the Bend Police would like to extend some basic guidelines for how parents and guardians can supervise kids’ online use. Once you’ve opened the door with a discussion about appropriate internet use, kids will have a good understanding of what is acceptable — even when you’re apart. 

• Spend time online together to teach your children appropriate online behavior.
• Keep computers in a common area where you can watch and monitor use, not in individual bedrooms. Monitor any time spent on smartphones or tablets.
• Bookmark children’s favorite sites for easy access.
• Check your credit card and phone bills for unfamiliar account charges.
• Find out what, if any, online protection is offered by your child’s school, afterschool program, friends’ homes, or any place where kids could use a computer without your permission.
• Take your child seriously if he or she reports uncomfortable online exchanges.
• To keep your teens safe, explain to them why they shouldn’t post personal information such as full name, birthdate, address, or school they attend.
• Know what applications are on your teens’ phones and have settings that only you can add or delete an application, and settings that allow you to access and monitor the apps.
• Look at the settings on your teens’ social media posts and make sure it isn’t easy for a predator to determine your location.
• Talk to your child about inappropriate behavior online and the importance of immediately reporting this type of behavior to a parent, guardian or trusted adult.
• Discuss the dangers of interacting with strangers online with your children. 
• Watch for warning signs of a child being targeted by an online predator. These can include:
  • Spending long hours online, especially at night
  • Phone calls from people you don’t know
  • Unsolicited gifts arriving in the mail
  • Your child suddenly turning off the computer or cell phone when you walk into the room
  • Withdrawal from family life and reluctance to discuss online activities

If your child discloses anything suspicious with online activity, you can always call the Bend Police to discuss this with an officer and determine whether a crime has occurred. The nonemergency dispatch line is 541-693-6911

Does this newsletter look different?

The City recently assessed its graphics, fonts and colors used for outreach materials. To be more accessible, inclusive and consistent in our outreach, we made some updates. Watch for more changes to our materials in the coming months!