Bend, Deschutes Co. leaders vote to close most of Juniper Ridge to homeless by next May, create ‘temporary safe stay’ area
(Update: Adding city-county news release)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Deschutes County commissioners and Bend city councilors voted unanimously at a joint meeting Thursday afternoon to close much of the the city- and county-owned land at juniper Ridge north of Bend to homeless campers by next May 31 and provide a “temporary safe stay” area with services on part of the property.
Such joint meetings are somewhat rare – but even rarer is to come out of one with every elected official backing a staff-created, elected officials-wordsmithed joint action plan, based on much staff work beforehand and with discussion but no real disagreements among the two elected bodies, on a very controversial subject.
But local governments have faced increasing pressure to take quick action and reduce the fire, health and safety dangers posed by homeless living at dozens of camps in the wooded area – concerns heightened by the Mile Marker 132 Fire a month ago that forced evacuation of nearby residents for the second time in four years.
Here's the agreed-to joint action statement:
Similar issues in recent years off China Hat Road south of Bend also are being tackled in similar coordinated fashion, as Mickie Derting, city strategic initiatives explained:
Juniper Ridge was the biggest topic at Thursday's meeting, as Bend and the county approved a proposed safe camping area on Juniper Ridge that would shrink the encampment area to just 170 acres.
Both offices would coordinate resources for safety and fire risk management. But city lawyers warned the joint effort could cause legal trouble in the future over issues such as how concentrated the relocated homeless camps must be, and whether the people living there feel - and are - safe.
"It's a theory where if the state government creates a particularized danger and then knows about it, then it's obvious you can be sued," said City Attorney Mary Winters. "If you're going to get the idea of congregating closely for the providers, if people feel unsafe, then you have to be able to adjust."
According to homeless responders, more than 200,000 pounds of trash were removed by both the city and county since last summer. On Juniper Ridge, 150 to 200 people are currently living on city-owned land alone. The area has been the center of debate for homelessness in the city as crime, garbage, and fire have all been problems at the encampment. The agreed-to deadline for the closure and relocation is May 31, around when fire season begins.
The stage was set in positive fashion with details of efforts conducted so far to tackle homelessness around the city and county (shelters, safe parking, Villages and the like) and then focusing on Juniper Ridge, including lots of trash removal, drinking water and portable toilets, as well as armed security that got to know the campers, called in three fires but never had to use force, and much more. (The full city-county presentation is at the end of this article.)
There was no sugar-coating of the problem, also showing cut gates and locks, etc., but officials said the number of incidents has been reduced since the governments and a wide array of organizations began focusing on helping people in the area and meeting some needs in limited fashion - including security patrols, at a cost of about $17,000 a month.
The “temporary safe stay” area would be 170 acres of city- and county-owned land east of Highway 97 and west of the railroad tracks, providing services such as water, trash and sanitation. Several area residents have pleaded with the city not to use the ‘Rock Crusher 2’ site near their homes for a managed camp – and the plans now call for it only to be used for property storage.
Matt Stuart, the city’s real estate director, has been heavily involved in the Juniper Ridge efforts and was out in the area when the recent fire broke out, posting notices of the county’s open-fire ban and handing out extinguishers.
He spoke of giving notice of having to move up to 60 days out and said, “Ideally, we’d like to let them know before the end of the year, start working with them.”
State land-use restrictions outside urban growth boundaries have been one of the hurdles local officials have faced. Winters also noted that a section of legislation had a “carve-out” saying local governments could let people stay overnight in vehicles, without regard to zoning or the UGB.
“We are not saying that’s completely risk-free,” legally, she said. “It’s not a total model of clarity, not a land-use decision, but it has not been litigated. We believe there are strong arguments we are completely willing to defend. If wrong, we go back to the Legislature and say, ‘write better laws.’"
After some language adjustments, the prepared action plan got the unanimous city and county leaders’ approval in two votes.
In the end, no one was kidding themselves about the work still ahead and the hurdles that could emerge in an effort to make things safer for everyone.
“This is a start, not the end,” said Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler.
Here's the city news release on the discussion and plans, issued Friday:
City of Bend and Deschutes County Unanimously Agree to Juniper Ridge Strategy at Joint Meeting
During a joint meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners and the Bend City Council unanimously approved a strategy to address dispersed camping at Juniper Ridge. The governing boards agreed to establish a Temporary Safe Stay Area and work collaboratively to mitigate the public health and safety threats in the community.
The goals of establishing the Temporary Safe Stay Area are to help protect community members, both housed and unhoused, by increasing security and lessening the impacts on the environment from trash and wildfire. The proposed 170-acre area will be located east of Highway 97 and west of the railroad tracks and includes 50 acres of County-owned land and 120 acres of City-owned land.
The Board and Council agreed to move individuals camping in Juniper Ridge to the Temporary Safe Stay Area and implement a full closure of City and County-owned land outside of the established location by May 31, 2025.
“This joint agency agreement is a start to addressing a very difficult issue in our community,” said County Commissioner Chair Patti Adair. “We appreciate being able to work collaboratively with the City of Bend and all of our agency partners to work towards a solution.”
“It’s imperative that our County Commission and City Council work together to create more safety in Juniper Ridge while providing services and pathways out of homelessness for those who are living on public lands,” said City of Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler. “I’m very pleased that we were able to come together in our Joint Meeting and take action for our community.”
The joint agency agreement allows services like drinking water stations, trash receptacles and portable toilets to be continued and expands the security presence in the area. The City and County will also work with housing-related service providers to offer intensive case management, with a focus on safety and key performance metrics, including a monthly follow-up for six months to reduce housing barriers and help individuals transition into more permanent housing.
County and City staff will begin to examine the legal and land use issues associated with implementing the joint agreement. The two bodies approved continued coordination on fire fuel reduction and other fire reduction strategies as part of the management plan.
County and City officials also agreed to continue working with the Coordinated Houselessness Response Office (CHRO)to allocate and leverage county-wide resources to assist in case management and operations for temporary safe stay areas and a coordinated approach.
Other topics discussed during the joint meeting included the City and County growth plans, managed camp strategies in cooperation with CHRO, an update on the County Landfill Siting and oversight of Waste Hauler Franchisees.
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Below is the city-county staff presentation Thursday on what's been done to address the houseless issue and what was proposed going forward:
