Deschutes commissioners talk ‘State of the County’

Deschutes County commissioners got together Tuesday evening to address the State of the County at a Bend Chamber-sponsored forum, addressing a long list of issues being addressed.

The commissioners said they were excited about this event because it gives them a chance to interact with the public, including the status of the troubled 911 radio system, affordable housing in Deschutes County, upgrades to the transportation system, a crisis stabilization center and polices regarding marijuana.

Marijuana — and the continuing dispute over operations in the rural county — was a big topic of conversation, as it is in their daily and weekly meetings, with a long list of appeals being considered.

The commissioners all said they want to be able reach a solution that is good for all involved in marijuana production in the county.

Commissioner Tony DeBone said he hopes to come to a conclusion on the matter soon.

“Some people are very upset still, some people want it to just be an opportunity on farmland,” DeBbone said. “So we re working through it, and we’re going to communicate in Salem and make sure that we understand what the future looks like, because it’s still evolving.”

Tammy Baney said she wants to make sure that the new marijuana grows are not going to interfere with other neighbors or farmers in the same area.

“For us, we want to make sure that water resources are protected, that the impact of the smell and the site of the greenhouses being lit up at night, so we can meet those needs and the impact so we can mitigate those for the neighbors.” she said.

The commissioners also said they want to help create solutions to the affordable housing problem in Central Oregon.

Phil Henderson said its important to be able to work with the public to come up with solutions to the problem.

He said Central Oregon could benefit from distancing itself from the Willamette Valley to come up with housing solutions.

“I just think that we really have a system that is ‘one size fits all’ from Salem and Portland that we really have to look at, because we have so much pressure from growth, and it’s not going to change,” Henderson said. “And so what do we do that works for the vast majority of people?”

All in all, the commissioners were upbeat about finding solutions to these problems.

They said they were encouraged by the turnout at the event and want to listen to the community to figure out solutions to the problems.