Bend Plans Catch-Up on Curb Ramp Fixes

In Bend there are 7,149 curb ramps, and only 1,624 are compliant with the ADA, or the Americans with Disabilities Act. That means there are still over 5,000 not meeting the requirement.

“This is a civil rights issue, and this requires a dedicated stream of funding,” Carol Fulkerson, Central Oregon Coalition for Access member, told city councilors at a work session Wednesday night.

The problem, as often is the case, is money. The city has only $207,000 for the next two years to spend on it. The rest would have to come from grants.

“To rely on grant funding to complete the remainder 5,000 curb ramps is not a responsible action for a city that is under a federal settlement agreement,” Fulkerson said.

That’s just one issue Bend councilors discussed at their meeting.

And while the controversial $68 million Bend Surface Water Project wasn’t on their agenda, it was still on the minds of many residents.

“The economics are not getting better, and people are struggling just to pay their water bill. We can’t be spending our money like it’s water because apparently we need more of it,” one woman told the council.

“The citizens of Bend are asking for leadership from you their elected representatives, please immediately freeze all spending on this project and look at the alternatives,” said Moey Newvold, campaign coordinator for the Stop the Drain group urging the city not to proceed.

“So I would ask you in your deliberations and your thoughtful conclusion that you remember that your primary responsibility is in the people that elected you,” she added.

There apparently was no other discussion of the Surface Water Project from the councilors, though more is certain in coming weeks.

On a more positive note, the city council recognized the Southwest Bend Neighborhood Association for its 10 years of service. Councilor Jim Clinton, a former president of the assocoiation, presented the new president Mike Lovely with the honor.

“I’m hoping the city council will be supportive of the neighborhoods as they have been in the past,” Lovely said, thanking the city for the honor.