City Council Meeting Notes 10/19/22
Why are we starting at three? I just finished my homework and I'm so tired. Do we really have to do a six hour meeting today? And Editor is out of town... Ugh Fine. Let's do our best!
I've been putting all of my love and procrastination power into whatever I am calling my candidate recommendation post. It's turning into quite an opus. Keep an eye out for that dropping whenever it's finished. If you like my creative writing posts, I think you're going to really enjoy it! Laura's Voting Guide also just dropped, so check that out if you are looking for some progressive candidate and measure recommendations.
The meeting is starting off with an update on Council's Goals and then we're talking about the Midtown Crossings project. The Regular session is filled with not very much. Gonna be phoning it in for the whole thing.
Work Session
Council Goals Quarterly Update
As you can see in the Agenda listed below, there is a lot going on in this TWO HOUR LONG Quarterly Goals Update. I can already feel my eyes glazing over. Emotionally prepare for a lot of screenshots.
Dashboard Updates
Manager King is calling this "an elongated city manager report", which is cute. We're focusing mostly on the Climate Friendly and Equitable Community rules tonight.
We're starting with the dashboard. There is a new dashboard that publishes building permit review times. The first step in having reasonable review times is transparency in how long it is taking. Our permitting department continues to be doing very not good at completing residential building permits in a timely manner, but they are doing okay with commercial permits. This is partially the city's fault, and partially because there have been an inordinate number of residential permit requests.
The department is working to reduce these review times. He last talked to us in July. The city is starting back up a "pre screening" process. They are upgrading City View. Two more permit examiners are about to start working, which will give the department more manpower. They are setting up some focus groups to meet with developers on improving the permit process.
Councilor Broadman wants to know if the spike in review times is correlated with a spike in requests? It is. Is outsourcing reviews to third parties helping residential permit times? They don't know.
There are two cranes in town at construction sites. Both of these projects are multi-family. There are several other projects in the pipeline for next year. It's going to be awesome. There is a lot of complexity for these kinds of projects.
Climate Friendly Equitable Communities(CFEC) Implementation
The new Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rules from the state are done. The overall goal of the rules is to lower emissions of Oregon cities. Now we have to comply with them. The direction of these goals are not inconsistent with the City's goals. Some cities are challenging these rules in the court. City lawyers are keeping an eye on that.
This is a cool chart of average trip length. The general objective is to build more densely in the green areas of this map:
Between now and 2029, the city will need to implement parking reforms, these Climate Friendly Areas, reporting, and changes to the transportation system. Bend will need to have a Housing Capacity Analysis done by 2024. Some of the deadlines for these rules are not aligned with each other, so Staff recommends the city request alternative dates from the state for complying with these rules.
Home Energy Scores
The Environment and Climate committee(ECC) has been working on a home energy score program for the last year. Basically it is a number that roughly represents a home's carbon footprint.
The committee recommends that all homes that are for sale in bend have to be evaluated for a home energy score. This is because 58% of the greenhouse gas emissions in Bend come from buildings.
The goal of the program is to get as many homes as possible with an energy score. The goal is not to punish people out of compliance. Unsure of the value of this observation, but I am just going to point out that realtors are really unhappy with this. They don't want this to be required, they want it to be optional.
Councilor Kebler wants to know how often scores will need to be evaluated? 7 years.
Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan
The Environment and Climate committee(ECC) wants to increase electric vehicle use in Bend, because it reduces greenhouse gas emissions in the city. 36% of greenhouse gas emissions are from transportation. There are only 55 public charging plugs in Bend, enough to serve 1k EVs. The goal is to support 6k EVs in 2025. To do that, we need 270 public charging plugs. To increase this, the committee recommends community outreach, adoption of policy requirements for EV parking, deploying their own public charging infrastructure.
Human Rights and Equity Commission (HREC)
HREC has been working on their work plan. The goal is to have a work plan that improves diversity, equity, & inclusion by December.
There is a listening session at COCC at room 190 in the health center building on 10/26 and we are all invited.
What is a historically marginalized community?
Councilor Kebler wants to know what the timeframe is for this work plan? 2023 - 24. Kebler says that this is a lot for a 1 year work plan. We should identify a subset of this list that is more actionable over a 1 year period. HREC says that this is an idealistic list. They are working on a top 5.
Councilor Mitchell likes number 4.It feels really important to incorporate equity into the process. The Equity framework should have an auditing process incorporated for accountability.
The goal is for this work plan to be done in time to incorporate it in the 2023-24 Council Goals Process
Committee Input
Bend Economic Development Advisory Board - permit review times has been on their agenda for 5 years. They are happy that we are now measuring permit times. 3rd party review is going to help us scale. The advocacy subcommittee is not a fan of the Home energy score. They want it to be voluntary because of the cost.
Neighborhood Leadership Alliance - Generally not a fan of mandatory home energy scores because the "incremental additional cost"
Affordable Housing Advisory Committee - I love your hair. The Climate Rules are very involved with a lot of layers. It is going to drastically change how everything is developed. They are concerned that the Climate Friendly Areas will limit building affordable housing in those areas since they basically prohibit single family homes in those areas. They also want Voluntary home energy scores. There is currently only 1 assessor in town.
The Environmental Equity Committee - The committee supports CFEC rules. They are very aligned with their climate and transportation goals. There are resource constraints that affect implementation. They re-emphasize their recommendation to make the climate score mandatory. The impact of the program is only statistically significant if the program is mandatory, according to some survey.
Planning Commission - They are excited to help with the CFEC rules. A lot of master plans have come through recently and a lot of the recent developments have been in line with the rules. We need to make sure there is an opportunity for ownership with new housing that is built. The planning commission needs a new commissioner.
Breaktime. Oh my god it's only 5? (T_T);
Midtown Crossing Update
Quick Recap: Voters passed the Transportation Go Bond in 2020, part which is allocated to improving our midtown pedestrian crossings. The city is currently trying to decide how to best spend that money. Broadly, our options are to improve Franklin and Greenwood, and build a pedestrian bridge over Hawthorn. Everyone wants to do all the things. No matter what we do, we will probably have to use additional funding sources. The question is priority. Which project do we do first? Which project do we spend the Go Bond Money on? Today the Council needs to answer these questions.
Here is a broad overview of the different options we are discussing here.
The Feasibility Study looked to identify the timing cost and needs that projects at these intersections needed to be addressed. Concept 2 for Franklin seems to be prohibitively expensive. Two bridges worth of money, and BNSF is a fucking nightmare to work with, so I think that option is dead.
Information Packet Highlights:
The Core Area Advisory Board (CAAB) suggests Prioritizing Franklin, then Hawthorne, and finally Greenwood. Franklin should be prioritized because there are 2 mixed use projects being considered on that corridor.
The Transportation Bond Oversight Committee (TBOC) suggests that the Greenwood Corridor should be done first because it has the greatest potential for immediate and visible safety improvements, and it would provide a safe detour for the longer construction of Franklin. Hawthorn should be built last because funding for the project hasn't been secured yet, and the project should also be paired with other bike and ped improvements in the area to prevent it from being a "bridge to nowhere"
The Bend Central District Business Association (BCDBA) is emphatically supportive of the Hawthorne Crossing. It will send shockwaves throughout the BCD, encouraging redevelopment of the district. It will encourage "10's of millions of dollars" of investment the moment it is announced, and will lead to the construction of "hundreds, if not thousands" of mixed use housing units for the city.
The Central Oregon Landwatch recommends doing the Franklin Corridor Undercrossing Option 1 and starting Hawthorne at the same time. They say that all three projects are essential and well worth the expensive investment. Together they will catalyze more affordable and mixed-use development, provide more equitable housing and transportation options, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support a diversified economy, and allow people to get around without a car.
Key Route 6 here is my fucking dream: a protected pedestrian path between Drake Park and Juniper Park would be life changing for so many people.
Check out the presentation for other cool concept art.
The Core Area Advisory Board is also going to be allocating a substantial amount of money to these projects.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends we do a quick and cheap pilot project of the concept 1 greenwood crossing immediately to test it without making permanent changes. It can be finished as early as (2023/2024), is relatively inexpensive (~ 5.1m), and will serve as a detour route when construction of Franklin Concept 1 begins in 2024. Any remaining funds would be preserved for Hawthorne, and the City would continue to seek additional funding resources for Hawthorne, proceed with design, coming back to Council with an update on funding in February.
I think this sounds great. What does the council think?
Councilor Kebler confirms that we only need 500k to do a quick build version of the project on Greenwood. How much would it go up if it is jersey barriers instead of plastic? Staff says this number wouldn't change that much to add Jersey barriers.
Mayor Goodman-Campbell is concerned that there is no existing infrastructure once you get east of the tunnel. With Franklin, is there an opportunity to start the bike lane sooner when exiting the tunnel? If Franklin is chosen that is something that can be really examined.
Councilor Broadman wants to know if we have traffic estimates for bikes in these areas. We have counters at franklin with data going back 6 years. The capacity concerns seem pretty negligible.
Yall, it's potentially possible we get jersey barriers all the way to 3rd for the quick build project.
Councilor Kebler does not want to lose momentum on Hawthorne. She thinks that the Franklin Funding Summary is good. Putting holding 10m for matching funds for Hawthorne is acceptable. She supports the quickbuild temporary concept on greenwood, but she wants it to be jersey barriers.
Councilor Sehgal agrees. He wants to get something started quickly, which Hawthorne. Prioritizing Franklin over Greenwood is the right decision with public perception the way it is.
Councilor Broadman confirms that this funding option is a very large commitment to building Hawthorne. It is. Broadman wants to send a clear signal that Hawthorne is a high priority. That it will be built
Current signs point to Hawthorne existing in 2028, Franklin 2025, pilot for Greenwood in 2024(?), Greenwood would not be fully built until after 2028.
Council sounds generally supportive of the staff recommendation with the added emphasis that Greenwood would need to get built out eventually. February, when staff comes back with Hawthorne funding is the next big meeting on this.
Council is going into a Non-Public executive session, and will return for the Regular Session. Some people ask me how I sit through these meetings. Today the answer is flaming hot cheetos mac and cheese.
Regular Session
The regular meeting began as usual with roll call and Land Acknowledgment. Betsy won the Clean Water Works Bend Film Contest.
Public Comment
I don't have the emotional energy for public comment today. Muted my stream through the whole thing. Here is a link to what I assume any spicy comments that may have occurred were about.
People look mad
Consent Agenda
Notable Items on the Consent Agenda:
Nada
Consent Agenda Passed
Public Hearing to do Progressive Design-Build for the Southeast Area Plan Pump Station project instead of low-cost bidding
They are building a sewer pump station on the SE side of town. They want to do Progressive Design-Build instead of low-cost bidding.
Motion passed without public comment.
Resolution authorizing ODOT to acquire easements for relocating City utilities, for the US97 and US20 Bend North Corridor Project
Detailed map of where the new road overlaps with the water and sewer utility
ODOT is working on the Bend North Corridor Project. They need an easement to proceed with construction. This resolution will transfer authority to do this easement from Bend to ODOT.
Motion passed
Second Readings
For all intents and purposes, Second Readings are procedural confirmations of the actions Council took during the previous City Council Meeting.
Amendments to Bend Development Code (BDC) 3.6.500, Short-Term Rentals Issue Summary 1 Issue Summary 2
Council Show and Tell and Surprise Motions Sometimes
Everyone went to their neighborhood associations and stuff. Councilor Mitchell has not been able to attend their responsibilities because they do not have access to reliable childcare.
MOTION: Councilor Broadman has filed a motion for the city to acquire 705 and 755 ne 2nd street, currently owned by MCP Petroleum in the Central District. Motion passed.
Councilor Kebler proposes giving some money to food banks? I was typing the previous one and missed the details. Council agrees.
Manager King Update
The Bend Venture Conference is at the Tower Theater tomorrow. There are tickets available
Meeting Adjourned.
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