Before we get into the Meeting Summary, I have some homework for you. BPRD, Visit Bend, and the City all have surveys out that will influence important decisions in our community. Fill them out!
This year, Visit Bend is allocating $692,000 dollars to organizations in our local community working to protect, steward, and create sustainable experiences in Bend and surrounding community. Several projects have been proposed, and this survey will help decide which proposals are funded.
BPRD is doing a survey to get input on how BPRD is meeting your various needs. BPRD is not a part of the City of Bend, and is funded and managed separately. Lately, they have been surprisingly hostile to incentivizing affordable housing and shelter development. Please tell them to renew their SDC Exemption program (expires at the end of 2024), and to vote to approve MUPTE requests that encourage affordable housing development.
The City of Bend is doing a survey to get public feedback on where we should designate Climate Friendly Areas to comply with CFEC rules coming form the state. These areas will have special rules to encourage more dense and walkable development.
The City and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs had their first intergovernmental meeting. It started with a word prayer / song. After this, the City and Tribes gave a brief overview of their respective governing structures. This meeting's intent is to give the city and tribes an opportunity to talk about shared interests. They talked about water, land-use and growth. The tribes care about clean water, and how growth impacts wildlife, such as deer corridors. Warm Springs also has a housing shortage. Since they don't have enough homes, a lot of tribal members live in Madras. The Warm Springs economy is built around timber harvest, their casino, a partnership with Portland General Electric, and hopefully the KAH-NEE-TA hot springs resort, that is currently being rebuilt. The tribes would like the City to keep them involved, especially around water. The City wants to do this meeting once a year going forward, next time they want to do it at Warm Springs.
Update on Public Safety System with Chief Krantz, Judge Bagley and District Attorney Gunnels
The Police and the District Attorney's office talked about what they do and how they relate to each other. If you want to learn about that, the presentation starts about 27 minutes in! Have some slides about crime statistics:
In the Q&A section of this item, Councilors asked how the court approaches cases involving someone who is homeless. The court approaches those cases the same way they do other cases. They do not have resources to expressly allocate to support them, except in cases that are tried in our mental health court. Those cases bring in community partners that provide additional assistance. Councilor Broadman asked about the status of the Adult Treatment Court that was shut down because of staffing challenges. They want to start it up again, but have yet to find a treatment provider.
Council asked Police Chief Krantz to answer once and for all if the City Council tells the police not to enforce laws:
With all due respect, City Council doesn't have authority to tell us how to enforce the law. So I think that's that's really the biggest issue is there is no there's no direct connection between city council policy to how police officers enforce the law that are written in the books and that our job is to go out and enforce. Where some of that confusion comes in, is our community, sometimes, when they call the police, have a certain expectation around what they think should solve the problem for them. As we respond, we observe what's happening, whether it be a crime or maybe not a crime, and our solution because we're limited by again, rules, laws, rights, court decisions, level of violation: we're limited by that of what types of actions we can take to solve a problem. ... Frequently people just want to see whatever problem they called for go away, and that's not always the case. So then that's when we get that frustration and of the police officer didn't do anything right, and their hands are tied, or city council, or somebody's telling them not to do anything.
There, now we all know! I am sure this is going to convince Nextdoor.
Envision Bend released their Vision Action Plan recently, and today they are presenting the 10 items in the action plan that list the City as a primary partner. Here is the action plan if you need to be caught up on the details. Here are the 10 items:
Core Area Engagement & Investment Guiding our Growth & Development
Railroad Safety & Redevelopment – Relocate
Complete Communities in Our Neighborhoods + CFEC
Citywide Bikeways & Pathways Network
Drake-to-Juniper Pedestrian Network
Housing Innovation & Affordability Coalition Creating an Inclusive Community
A City of Belonging – Regional Program & Events
Alliance on Equity Partners–Regional Coalition/Programs Ensuring a Safe, Healthy Environment
Adapting to Climate Change
Thriving Urban Tree Canopy
Staff has opinions. These are those opinions:
This strategy broadly aligns with Council Goals
We can start the conversation, but there are a lot of other partners that need to be on board.
This strategy broadly aligns with Council Goals
This strategy broadly aligns with Council Goals
This strategy broadly aligns with Council Goals
Staff supports incorporating this Housing Innovation & Affordability Coalition idea to our current efforts. AHAC is a perfect lead for this strategy. We should also wrap in the Communication Department.
Consider using this to inform the 25-27 Council Goal process. We shouldn't be the lead agency, but want to be involved.
Consider using this to inform the 25-27 Council Goal process. We shouldn't be the lead agency, but want to be involved
This is best led by the County.
This strategy maybe aligns with Council Goals, a lot of these suggestions may be part of the Council's actions following the tree code update
The name of the game today is to get the Council's thoughts on these proposals. Their thoughts generally align with Staff, and they want to take these ideas and incorporate them into the next goal setting process in 2025. Specific councilors also had additional things to about specific items:
Councilor Mendez is concerned that there are no Developers listed in this document to support this work. The City does not build things, they zone things and approve plans to build things. For example, Pahlisch is selling off land that they zoned commercial instead of taking the lead on development this week.
Councilor Perkins is concerned that the "cultivating an inclusive community" section will not succeed without a massive influx of resources of time, money, and community building. Nonprofits do not have the resources to pay for full time Staff for this. She wants to ensure that we set this up for success. Councilor Riley suggested that engaging with these communities is something that Envision Bend should also help with.
Councilor Campbell put out the idea of spreading Welcoming Week over a longer period of time. Councilor Perkins doesn't think this idea would be an effective strategy.
Councilor Riley thinks this is going to fit into Phase 2 that will follow from the tree code update.
Freddy has lived in Bend since he was born. He is from the Deschutes Youth Climate Coalition. He once again asks the city to prioritize home electrification. He thanks the city for directly engaging with his organization.
Rowen says that buildings are the number one contributor of carbon emissions in bend. He wants to see the City set a goal for 50% of homes and buildings be electrified by 2030.
Ann and Linda support the upcoming changes to the City Event Sponsorship Policy coming up in this session.
Consent Agenda: Passed
Notable item on the Consent Agenda: The City is renting a property across from the Franklin Avenue Shelter to use for case management, This will open up more shelter rooms that are currently used for this purpose. . This facility will be bought by COIC and we will rent it for $1. Issue Summary
The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee has been working with staff and developers to lower barriers in our housing code that are preventing development in our code. These changes are as follows:
Removes maximum density in RH zones: Instead of having an explicit maximum density regulating the scale of a development in High Density Residential Zones, the scale of developments will be limited by setback, landscaping, and building height requirements. This change is largely prompted by challenges faced by the "Jewel Development". A two-story development that wasn't able to pencil because of the maximum density limitation.
Single Room Occupancy (SRO): Allowing this kind of development is required by State legislation passed this year. An SRO is a residential development with at least 4 attached units that are independently rented and lockable. These units must provide personal living and sleeping space, and share cooking and/or bathrooms. (basically, it's a dorm). SROs will be permitted in all residential zones.
Middle Housing Land Division: This is another change prompted by legislation passed by the State this year. The new law allows attached multi-unit housing to be split into separate properties for individual sale. The city is making an additional change, allowing utilities to cross these property lines, instead of requiring a direct connection to the street, as long as there is an easement. I believe this change is a result of challenges faced by a specific affordable housing developer that brought this up in an AHAC meeting I watched a few weeks ago. I'm pretty shocked at how fast this change made it through the pipeline.
We do not have enough monies for everything in the 2020 Transportation GO Bond
So, development and material costs have gotten much more expensive over the last three years thanks to inflation and our worker shortage. The money in the bond is fixed, so not all projects are going to be able to pencil. This has been a common theme in recent contracts for GO Bond projects, and it's something that we now have to deal with. The Council will have a Work Session in January going over this issue, where they will help decide which projects will be prioritized over others. Both of the projects up tonight are priority projects that will need more GO Bond Funding than initially expected.
Amendment to the contract with Parametrix, Inc. for Phase 2, final design and construction support services, for the Olney Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements project
The Olney Pedestrian and Bike Improvements Go Bond project is intended to improve pedestrian and cyclist connectivity through the underpass that connects Portland and Olney Avenue. It is part of an important East/West Key Route that intersects with three other planned North/South routes. The city presented three options during the Open House for this project, and based on the feedback, wants to move forward with a 4th design option. This option physically separates pedestrian and bike traffic from vehicles with a physical/ tree barrier, with one-way bike lanes on each side of the street. The budget for this project will be supplemented by funds for needed work on sewer, water, and stormwater utilities that go through the underpass. This contract is for the final design and construction support. Construction is tentatively expected to begin at the end of 2024.
Design contract for the Crosstown Bikeways project
One of the council priorities over the next two years is to create one complete North/South, and one complete East/West corridor for bikes to safely cross the city. Most of the parts of these routes are planned and funded, but there are small bits in that need to be filled in to make complete routes. Filling in these pieces is the goal of the Crosstown Bikeways Project. This contract is for analysis and design work to figure out how to fill the gaps and how much that work will cost. Construction is tentatively expected to begin at the end of 2024.
Councilor Broadman read a letter sent in support of this project:
I wanted to share with you about my family's experience. We lost Trenton Berger, my 15-year-old son who was riding an E-bike, hit by a car and killed in June of this year in Bend. He was a kind, loving soul, a friend, a brother and uncle and a grandson to those who knew him. We will never get to see you talk to, or even hug him again. I want to help and support ebike, bike safety, and infrastructure to keep other families from going through this tragic experience. Please build the infrastructure we need to ensure that our children are safe. The Bend Bikeway before you tonight is part of ensuring that kids can get around our community independently and safely. It's good for our climate, our kids development and our transportation system. But we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard as a community to ensure our kids are safe. I commend the efforts to legislate more around ebike safety and clarify the rules. I plan to support those efforts. This issue has many facets, and we need to address it from all aspects. Building the Bend Bikeway and designing it so that it works, so that is used by all kinds of people and is maintained well, will make kids in our community safer. This is one thing the city can do to honor Trenton and the lives we have lost in our community. Thank you for your time.
David W Berger.
Resolution Amending Council Policy No. CP007 to Affirm the City’s Commitment to Nondiscrimination in the Use of Discretionary Funding for Community Programs, Services, and Events
Issue Summary The city has a sponsorship program that lets it contribute to local events like the Pride Parade, and Juneteenth. This amendment affirms the City’s commitment to using discretionary funds for nondiscriminatory purposes and clarifies the definition of public purpose to include additional protected classes. The amendment changes the words “Christmas Parade” to “Holiday Parade” to reflect the Policy’s prohibition on promoting religious purposes, and some other stuff.
