City Council Meeting Notes 4/20/22
How dare you interrupt my holy 420 wake and bake with a City Council Meeting? I could be getting stoned and watching this wholesome slice of life anime about a cute guy adopting a cute stray cat, but instead I have to get stoned and prepare for this god damned meeting. Is this a consequence of that monkey paw I used to wish for a Councilor Kebler mayoral run? It must be.
Also, Editor is away for work this week, so 1 like = 1 prayer for my grammar, retweet for blessings.
A lot of stuff is on the agenda. Big ticket items are the quarterly Council Goals update, a discussion about Fire/Emergency Medical Service Staffing, and annexing a master planned community on the west side into the city.
Work Session
Quarterly Goals Update
This week's meeting starts with an update on progress towards Bend's Council Goals. Our last update was in January. Russ is here to present. Looks like Mayor Russell isn't here. The focus of this presentation is to provide a broad, comprehensive overview of the 6 goal categories. There are 10 pages of bullet points in this power point. Council Goals need to be changed because of the Climate Friendly and Equitable City rules that are coming in from the state, and to better align with where the city wants to go over the next 12 months. There are currently 6 goals, 19 strategies and 79 action items in in the goals. They are going to use this opportunity to streamline and clarify the goals to better separate "guiding principles" and "action items". 84% of the action items are complete or are on target. The city's Environment and Climate and shared prosperity goals have seen the most changes. Several pages of bullet points in the powerpoint presentation list all of the proposed action items if you are curious. My favorite new action item is to "Complete the Midtown Crossing Feasibility Study and pursue funding opportunities." Yes please.
Proposed schedule for this goal change: April 20 – Quarterly Update Discussion April/May – Review and Finalize Goals June 15 – Council Meeting – Adopt Update Council Goals July/August – Revise Council Goal Workplan and Reporting Tools
Councilor Perkins thinks that the proposed changes makes a lot of sense. Councilor Broadman thinks that using subcommittees as much as possible makes a lot of sense and asks that we formally involve the Human Rights and Equity Commission (HREC) and the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee(AHAC).
Council and Committee Comment
Cindy from the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee has awesome glasses. Her committee is passionate about housing. Currently our affordable housing capacity is at 800 units, which means that we are quite close to our 1000 housing unit goal. They've made tremendous progress over the last couple years. The committee is always available to help at any time.
Lisa from the Neighborhood Leadership Alliance applauds the report, she thought the restructuring of the goals sounds interesting and in line, given recent developments.
Mo from the Human Rights and Equity Commission is here. They are here to make sure that equity is a lens that we are looking through when making all decisions.
Fire/EMS Staffing Plan
One of the council goals is to ensure that core services are functioning and keeping pace with Bend's growth. Bend is trying to keep response times low. Bend needs more staffing to do this.
Check out this cool heat map of 911 call density in Bend:
The red spot is around the hospital. The city wants to staff station 306 (depicted above) with 9 new Firefighters/Paramedics. Based on the data, this new station is expected to become the most busy station in Bend. We need this staffing now, but permanent funding for this can't happen until the May 2023 election, where a new tax levy will be put on the ballot. Until then, the fire district is going to have an operating deficit. It has an operating deficit even without these new staff. The fire district is asking the city for bridge funding for 10 additional staff for the next 2 fiscal years. Oliver is here to talk about how EMS has been struggling with burnout as volume has increased over the last 2 years. This additional staffing is important and needed.
Councilor Schenkelberg and Councilor Goodman Campbell are both supportive. Councilor Megan Perkins wants to know if we have seen an increase in calls related to our houselessness community? Currently 20% of the call volume is related. Councilor Broadman would like us to know that the permanent tax rate that funds emergency services is very low and is outside of the city's control, so putting these funding levies that expire regularly on the ballot can't be avoided.
The city is going to move forward with the bridge funding.
Property Tax Exemption Update
Lynne is here to talk about potential property tax exemption programs. There are currently 3 different proposed programs, targeting Affordable Housing, Middle Housing, and increasing housing density respectively. There has been a bunch of outreach to get feedback prior to this presentation.
Middle Income Property Tax Exemption This program would allow the city to give a tax exemption to property owners developing multi-unit deed restricted properties that are affordable for people however the city defines as Middle Income. Staff suggests that we hold off on this one until we work out more of the specifics.
Non-Profit Property Tax Exemption This program would let the city give a tax exemption to non-profit affordable housing property developers. I couldn't really figure out anything else about what this is from the presentation, since they didn't explain it.
Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption (MUPTE) This program would give a limited tax exemption to developers building high density housing. It is intended to densify the core area. Only improvements to the land would be tax exempt, not the land itself. STRs would be prohibited. The developer would need to provide at least 3 public benefits from a defined list to qualify, such as affordable housing minimums, childcare facilities, like open space.
Staff wants to know how council wants to move forward with these 3 programs? Council agrees with the direction staff wants to go with holding off on the Middle Housing Exemption and to move forward with the other two proposals. Councilor Perkins wants to make sure there are not major barriers for that would block non-profits from using the exemption. Councilor Broadman has questions about MUPTE. Is there a rational for changing the 2 story minimum to 3? He thinks 2 might be low for the core area. He wouldn't want to do this if it would be really prohibitive to developer usage. Staff says that it would make the program less flexible, but they'll look into it and come back with more information at the subcommittee meeting. Staff is expecting their first developer through this program next year, it is going to be a good case study for how they are going to tweak the program going forward.
Regular Session
The regular meeting began as usual with roll call, the Pledge of Allegiance, and Land Acknowledgment. April 27th is Dam Proud Day.
The May 4th Council Meeting is expected to be the first meeting open to the public for the first time since Pre-Covid. Y'all wont see me there though. I'm too comfy on my couch.
Update on Temporary Housing Strategies
We're trying out my new recording and transcript strategy today. This my best approach so far!
Councilor Perkins's update today focuses on camps in city rights of way.
Bends Current Approach to managing rights of way:
Bend has a policy that outlines specific procedure for managing and removing camps in the right of way.
City Code does not currently prohibit camping or sleeping in the right of way, but it does prohibit construction or depositing garbage and debris, or obstructing side walks.
You can find more information and details about our existing rights of way management policy and practices by visiting the public land camps management section of the BendOregon.gov/houselessness website.
The community can submit service requests and report unsafe rights of way on the city website
Bend's future plans for policy development:
Bend is working on a local code that will provide clear regulations regarding camping in city rights of way and other public property
The code could regulate where and wend people are allowed to camp or sleep in city.
This topic is expected to come up sometime this summer
There is going to be a public hearing on the proposed development code changes on May 4th. (man, doing this public hearing during the first in-person public meeting is quite a choice)
they are is looking for an executive director to head the City/county collaborative office funded by HB4123. They are hoping to have an individual selected by early fall.
Public Comment
Looks like just one caller tonight
Lindsey is the director of ember wildflower and bunny sanctuary. She is here once again to ask the city to pass a city ordinance to ban sales of dogs cats and bunnies in pet stores. There are still currently no stores in Bend that do.
Consent Agenda
Notable Items on the Consent Agenda:
The city is sponsoring a community driven art project on Houselessness and Diversity Equity Inclusiveness and Accessibility(DEIA) Issue Summary
Consent agenda except the above art project approved. Mickie is here to explain more about the art project. Staff would like the Council to sponsor this project. Scalehouse is a local non-profit that has worked with the city since 2018. This sponsorship would fund the creation and placement of art looking at Houselessness through the lens of DEIA in the City of Bend.
Art project approved
Appeal of City’s decision to revoke a Short Term Rental Operating License for 1368 NW Ogden Avenue
Lorelei is here to go over this. The license was revoked because it wasn't renewed in time before the license expired. The owner is appealing to change the decision to revoke the license under a hardship exemption. He says he missed the expiration notices because he was going in and out of state related the death of his father. Staff wasn't able to apply the hardship exemption because the code only applies to license utilization, not license expiration. The only way to get the exemption is for the council to manually approve it. William the owner is here to state his case. He made a mistake and missed the time-frame. His STR license was unused over covid. He is a single father, he's a community member, he coaches baseball. He needs this STR to build back after the hardship he's experienced over the last two years.
Councilor Kebler is sorry for his loss and apologizes to the disruption to his life, the decision is based on what the the rules are allowed in the code at this time...
They said no. The council unanimously voted to affirm the city's decision to revoke the license. "They said yes??!?" excitedly asks his son, popping in from out of frame, and misunderstanding the situation.
That hurt to watch.
Amendment of Bend City Code and Land Annexation to establish the Talline Master Planned Development
This is the last property in the west-side annexation area. It is a 68 acre wedge in between two other developments. It will add ~266 housing units. Sounds like the development is putting a lot of thought into how the community will integrate into the low stress network Bend is developing.
Councilor Kebler wants to know why there are cul-de-sacs. The topography makes connecting the two cul-de-sacs challenging. The developer has put in effort to limit grading changes and limiting removing trees from properties. The planning commission unanimously supports the development plan.
Public Comment:
No callers
Motions passed
Adoption of an Emergency Ordinance Amending Bend Code Section 14.20.040 – Emergency Water Use Curtailment
What is Water Curtailment? Curtailment planning is the development of proactive measures to reduce water demand during supply shortages as the result of prolonged drought or system failure from unanticipated events.
The old curtailment stages were not optimal. The new curtailment plan has 3 stages:
Stage 1: Potential Shortage
Stage 2: Serious Shortage
Stage 3: Severe Shortage
Councilor Kebler wants to know if this curtailment plan is only applicable to our utility, or if it also applies to other utilities in the city. Each utility has their own curtailment plan, but theirs are similar to ours because they all have the same curtailment requirements.
Motion passed
Amend the Bend Code to establish a stipend program for permanent City advisory bodies
Well I didn't see this one coming. I knew there was a lot of support for something like this, but I didn't know the effort was this far along. Anna, the equity and inclusion director, is here to present. The city has set up a goal lower barriers to community engagement to improve accessibility. There are costs and expenses to participating on on a committee. A stipend would offset those costs. To set up this program, staff looked at other cities that have stipends like this in their code. The proposed stipend is $40 a meeting, payments would be limited to $500 annually per person. Estimated cost is ~63k a year. This is a pilot program that would be re-evaluated in a year. There is an option to opt-out of the stipend. Going above a $500 stipend gets really legally annoying because of a Federal law.
Motion passed
Authorize a contract with Kirby Nagelhout Construction Co. for Progressive Design Build services for the Juniper Ridge Public Works Campus project for Phases 1, 2 & 3a
Bend approved the construction of the Juniper ridge public works campus last October. The facility is planned to hold the City's Engineering and Infrastructure Planning, Fleet, Transportation and Mobility, and Utility operations. Today they are issuing a contract to start the planning and design process. They hope to have construction completed by 2025, so they don't have to renew a lease.
Motion passed
Adopt a Resolution to Authorize the City to enter into Clean Water State Revolving Fund Loan Agreements with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
This would authorize the city to go into 3 different loan agreements. This is in the weeds enough that this is all I am going to bother to learn about this topic.
Motion passed.
Council Show and Tell
Gonna be lazy today
Councilor Schenkelberg has nothing to report
Councilor Kebler has to check her calendar. She did a lot, went to meetings, went to YIMBYtown, etc
Councilor Perkins had robust discussions about proposed code changes with the NLA, bike share program, housing and houselessness, parks, etc
Councilor Perkins gave Councilor Barb Campbell enough time. Councilor Campbell said "COIC CPAC HOC YC CWP" and then explained what that meant. I gotta say, I love love love listening to Barb wax poetic about just about anything, but I hate hate hate trying to summarize it.
I STRONGLY SUPPORT COUNCILORS GIVING THEIR ACTION REPORTS SOLELY BY LISTING ACRONYMS WITH NO CONTEXT.
Councilor Broadman went to the hydroelectric facility, went to the warm springs commissary, Parks and Rec, Restrooms downtown, meetings, thank you to Mayor Russell for 2 decades of service, etc
Councilor Goodman Campbell did a water ship board thing, its an arbor month themed update, we should send a letter to the forest service to ask them to prioritize thinning younger trees over older trees when doing fire risk management. She moves to send that letter. Motion passed.
Manager King Update
Tonight's Manager update is themed around connecting the council with exciting efforts.
The City of Bend is part of a national movement called Housing America. It is a campaign to increase housing across the country. Are you interested in participating?
The Central Oregon Regional Housing Council is looking for a Councilor Representative. Councilor Barb Campbell will do it.
We need a new Municipal Court Judge. Some councilors need to be a part of the selection committee.
9th and Wilson is moving right along. Hoping to open the round about mid June. The City is preparing for their paving contract. There is a lot of gravel to pick up, so expect to see a lot of street sweeping.
Meeting Adjourned.
Get involved with City Government