Bend councilors tackle big issues at marathon meeting

It was a busy Wednesday night for the Bend City Council, as their next-to-last meeting of the year had plenty of issues to grapple with, from Mirror Pond to boosting housing density while also adopting a single-use plastic bag ban and a policy to help homeowners facing the cost of sewer hookups.

Among the biggest issues was a move to expand the number of duplexes and triplexes that can be built in the city’s standard residential (RS) zones.

The idea is to make it easier for developers by allowing them to build duplexes on 6,000-square-foot lots (compared to an 8,000-square-foot minimum before) and triplexes on 9,000-square-foot lots, compared to the current 10,000-square-foot limit, with no density standards.

The council approved the code changes, but amid much debate agreed to an amendment that will include proposed design standards (for front doors facing the street and set-back garage doors) only for duplexes or triplexes in or adjacent to existing neighborhoods, but not in new subdivisions.

The idea is to ensure compatibility with the neighborhoods of single-family homes, but still take heed of concerns by builders that too many restrictions will keep many more duplexes and triplexes from being built — the reason the issue was taken up, to boost housing supply and hopefully make housing more available and affordable for those who work in and often can’t afford to live in the city.

“By reducing the lots down to the 6 and 9,000 square feet, and not requiring them to comply with density (standards), will hopefully encourage a lot more developers to build the duplex and triplex in the standard density district,” city planner Pauline Hardie said.

Councilors also reached a milestone in the first reading of an ordinance adopting a new septic-to-sewer conversion program. It’s looking to convert 2,800 homes on Bend’s southeast side to the city sewer system, over time.

Both citywide sewer ratepayers and homeowners hooking up to the sewer system will pay for the change. Councilors have chosen an $8,500 cap on sewer hookup fees, in the middle of an estimated $7,500 to $10,000 cost.

Councilors also agreed to pay more than $250,000 for six new police SUVs, one’s for the department’s K-9 unit.

Bend police have 14 cars over the 100,000-mile mark right now, and 15 other cars are set to pass that milestone in the next year.

Police vehicles are used more frequently than any other city-owned vehicles, and are often used 24 hours straight at a time.

After months of discussion and presentations by environmentally minded students, councilors also adopted a ban on plastic bags in Bend with a policy to encourage use of reusable bags following in the footsteps of several other Oregon cities, despite some councilors’ objections.

It was a 4-2 vote, with councilors Bill Moseley and Justin Livingston opposed. But Mayor-elect Sally Russell was among the initiative’s supporters. She said she believes this is something Bend should do for future generations.

“We count on our natural areas, for our recreation and as a part of our quality of life,” Russell said. “And this is one very small thing that we can do as a city and as a community.”

The ordinance will be implemented on July 1, 2019, but the rules will not be enforced until January 2020.

Councilors also unanimously (a 6-0 vote, with Councilor Nathan Boddie absent) agreed to a 70 percent reduction in transportation system development charges for day care facilities. City staff said the current formula used to calculate the number of vehicle trips child care facilities create assumes parents are traveling from home to a facility and back, rather than picking up or dropping off children on the way to or from home or work, so-called “linked trips.”

An “emergency” was declared because amid a critical lack of child care facilities, three were waiting for the decision on SDCs to be able to stay open, city Economic Development Director Carolyn Eagan told councilors. Moseley was reticent to waive SDCs, while Livingston’s motion for a full 100 percent SDC waiver failed.

Amid much debate and grumbling, councilors toward the end of the night did agree to pledge $300,000 toward the estimated $6.7 million cost for the long-debated dredging of Mirror Pond’s silt, with Councilor Barb Campbell a loud “no!”

The Bend Park and Rec Board took similar action earlier in the week, and a subcommittee of the council and park board will meet this Friday and again later this month to look at how to finish the funding and get the work done while permits are still valid.

Councilors learned Pacific Power has made a long-term commitment to keep its century-old dam that formed the pond in operation, but the idea of covering most of the dredging cost with a hike in the franchise fee the utility pays for use of city rights of way — and passing that on to ratepayers — still rubs some councilors the wrong way. With no doubt still more debate lies ahead — and with council changes at hand in the new year — City Manager Eric King urged them to take it one step at a time.

Perhaps the biggest moment of the night was a standing ovation for Bend resident Robert Maxwell, at 98 America’s oldest living Medal of Honor recipient. The Bend Heroes Foundation provided formal recognition of Bend as a Medal of Honor City, and true to his modest nature, Maxwell told the crowd there are 29 Medal of Honor recipients in Oregon.

“This is for them — not me,” he said.

Councilors also finalized plans for filling the council vacancy that will open up in January, when Mayor-Elect Sally Russell takes the position held by departing Mayor Casey Roats.

Here’s a city news release announcing the process:

The Bend City Council plans to declare a vacancy on the Council on Jan, 2, 2019, when Sally Russell becomes mayor. Russell will vacate the remaining two years of Council Position 3, with a term expiration of December 2020.

The Bend City Charter requires that a vacancy on the council be filled within 30 days of declaring the vacancy by a council appointment. Councilors agreed to an application process at their meeting on Dec. 5, to begin the appointment process. In consideration of the timeline, Council will begin accepting applications on Dec. 6. The council will review applications and then conduct interviews.

Applicants can complete an online application and submit a letter of interest which may address such areas as reasons for wanting to serve on the Council, working as a part of a team and representing various areas of the community. A description of the application process and application will be available on the Council vacancy tab on the City Council webpage: www.bendoregon.gov/citycouncil.

Completed applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 4, 2019. The Council will review the applications then can select candidates for interviews. The council anticipates conducting interviews the week of January 14, and expects to make an appointment at the regular Council meeting on Wednesday, January 16.

The council aims to have the appointment made prior to the start of its goal-setting process, which takes place in early February. Dates, times and locations for all meetings associated with this process will be available on the City Calendar once scheduled.