Bend Councilor Doug Knight announces re-election bid

Bend City Councilor Douglas Knight announced Monday his candidacy for re-election to a second four-year term in council Position #2.

So far, the council candidates who have filed include Ron Boozell and Justin Livingston for Position 1, Knight and Bill Moseley for Position 2, incumbent Sally Russell for position 3 and Bruce Abernethy for Position 4. The deadline for filing is Aug. 30, said City Recorder Robyn Christie.

Here’s his complete news release announcing his plans:

“The Southeast Sewer Interceptor project, expansion of the Sewer Water Reclamation Plant, and the UGB (Urban Growth Boundary) Remand effort all benefited from the technical voice I lent to the City Council during my first term.

“Bend continues to have infrastructure & planning challenges however, and there is more to do if we are to continue to provide for and plan for our citizen’s future,” Knight said, adding, “You’re going to need someone with an engineering and planning background on Council to keep us on track.”

A member of the Bend MPO (Metropolitan Planning organization) and the Central Oregon Regional “Redmond” Airport Commission, Doug is also doing good things for Bend outside the city. “At some point, advocacy for Bend extends well beyond the artificial limits and super-imposed boundaries of what others think our city is.”

Regarding Bend’s affordability, Knight said, “During my tenure as a City Councilor I’ve strived with every vote to help make Bend one of the best American (small) cities, and that means keeping it affordable. The Cottage Code, Density Bonus, and SDC (System Development Charges) reductions were all steps I took as a councilor to encourage affordable housing.”

While accommodating growth, encouraging economic vitality, and contributing to the affordability of Bend is important, Knight says it is critical we don’t do so at the expense of livability.

“It is equally important we protect the character and sense of place that we’ve all come to love & cherish about Bend and take deliberate steps toward preserving neighborhood livability,” Knight said. Adding that “Neighborhoods, and the strength of neighbor to neighbor relations is the backbone of who we are as a city and what we call community.”

That is why Knight says he’s going to raise the hood on the recently revised ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) development code, as well as the Noise Ordinance if he’s re-elected. “I want a code that actually improves neighbor-to-neighbor communication, not hurt it, and I want a noise ordinance that works for everyone.”

Knight is a long-time resident of Bend from 1996. He served as chair of the Bend Planning Commission prior to being elected to the Bend City Council in November of 2012. He is married and the father of two girls.