Bend city councilors set to resume ‘office hours’
Bend city councilors soon will resume council “office hours,” the second year they have offered an opportunity to sit down and talk with one or two of your elected leaders in an informal setting. Drop-ins are welcome and there is no agenda.
“Council office hours offer a refreshing interaction with the people we represent. Visitors who come to Council meetings to talk to us don’t get the same casual back-and-forth dialog,” said Mayor Casey Roats. “I have always enjoyed these sit-down, face-to-face conversations with residents.”
“We want the voice of the public to be heard,” said Mayor Pro Tem Sally Russell. “This provides an opportunity to exchange ideas.”
Office hours will be held on the second week of each month.
· On the second Wednesday of each month, one or two councilors will be available from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Awbrey Butte Conference Room, upstairs at City Hall in downtown Bend.
· The second Thursday of each month, one or two councilors will be available from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at rotating locations on the east side of Bend, starting with the East Bend Library and Barnes & Noble Cafe.
Occasionally, certain active land-use issues arise that residents want to talk about. Councilors may not be able to discuss these outside of public hearings, when the full body is present and the public input is recorded into the public record.
Meeting details will be listed under City Meetings & Events at the bottom of the City’s webpage, www.bendoregon.gov and will be publicized on the City of Bend’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Councilors will rotate between day and evening shifts, and between downtown and eastside locations, to best accommodate all residents. The schedule is subject to change, but the first several weeks of the planned rotation is as follows:
April 12 , 2 p.m., Bill Moseley and Sally Russell, City Hall
April 13 , 5:30 p.m., Bruce Abernethy and Barb Campbell, east Bend
May 10 , 2 p.m., Justin Livingston and Casey Roats, City Hall
May 11 , 5:30 p.m., Cancelled
June 14 , 2 p.m., Bruce Abernethy and Barb Campbell, City Hall
June 15 , 5:30 p.m., Justin Livingston and Nathan Boddie, east Bend
July 12 , 2 p.m. Bill Moseley and Sally Russell, City Hall
July 13 , 5:30 p.m., Bruce Abernethy and Barb Campbell, east Bend
