Bend council mum on bag ban, honors former worker

The group pushing to ban single-use plastic bags in Bend addressed the Bend City council at Wednesday night’s meeting. but left without any response.

Alisdair Nielsen addressed councilors in the visitor’s section of the agenda, urging city leaders to adopt a resolution banning the bags.

Nielsen told councilors his group has support of several stores around the city. He urged the council to act and be who they say they are, but drew no response.

“Bend prides itself on being environmentally friendly,” Nielsen said. “Bend is a honey pot for eco-tourism and as the VisitBend website puts it, it’s not easy being green — unless you live in Bend.”

Councilors heard from several others regarding Mirror Pond.

Also on the agenda: renewal of the system development charges (SDCs) deferral program. The council voted 6-0 to extend the program for two more years.

The program first came about in 2008 to help boost the sagging housing market. It gives builders nine months to pay the charges.

To honor one of Bend’s former long-time employees, the council voted 6-0 to approve sending an application to the Oregon Geographic Names Board to formally rename the springs where the city gets its surface water.

The city says Roger Prowell went above and beyond to monitor and protect the watershed and source springs for all the citizens of Bend.

“I really commend what you are doing for Roger,” Mayor Jim Clinton said. “It’s sort of a token of all of our appreciation.”

“That something could be named after our efforts, that’s truly the sign of living an exemplary life,” Councilor Doug Knight said.

The city noted Prowell conceptualized and created inter-agency hikes to review watershed protection and worked to protect the city’s water quality from environmental and other risks.

The application now goes to the Oregon Geographic Names Board.