Deschutes County commissioners to review appointment options after La Pine Park & Rec Board’s resignation

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Following Wednesday's resignation of all five members of the La Pine Parks & Recreation District Board, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners will fill the vacancies as required by state law, starting the process with a Monday afternoon meeting.

While the park district is a separate governmental entity, ORS 198.320 directs the Board of County Commissioners to promptly fill the vacancies if a majority of the membership of a governing body is vacant. During their meeting on Monday, commissioners will determine next steps and a timeline for appointing a new district board.

The board meeting will be held at the Deschutes Services Building, 1300 NW Wall St. in Bend. The public is invited to attend in person or participate virtually. The meeting agenda and virtual log in information can be found at www.deschutes.org/meetings.

As laid out in a memo to commissioners from Deputy County Administrator Whitney Hale, the board could accept and review letters of interest and resumes, then conduct interviews before making appointments. The board could make the appointments directly or involve a broader group, including community representatives.