Bend councilors OK budget, water and sewer fee hikes, purchase of 2 shelter sites
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Bend city councilors Wednesday night approved new fees for the coming year as part of the biennial budget adoption and also approved two planned property purchases for the city's new low-barrier overnight shelter and a northeast Bend motel that it hopes to convert into an emergency transitional shelter.
The city fee schedule covers utility rates, development fees, system development charges, airport fees, parking fees, solid waste rates and more.
Utility rates will increase 3% for water, 2.5% for sewer and 7% for stormwater. System development charges – fees on development to pay for infrastructure needed -- are increasing 5% each for transportation, water and sewer SDCs. Development fee increases include building 3%, planning 6% and private development engineering 3%.
Here is the full list of fee changes. The fee increases are part of the 2021-23 budget, which councilors adopted unanimously.
The biennial budget of $927.7 million is a 4 percent increase over the last biennium. That figure represents all operating revenues for the biennium (which are $395 million), as well as debt proceeds, interfund transfers, one-time grant funding, and reserves from the prior fiscal year. The $395 million in projected operating revenues for the biennium is a 5 percent increase for the first year of the biennium and a 6 percent increase for the second year.
Of the $395 million of city-wide operating revenues, $124 million are in the city’s General Fund. The primary source of revenue in the General Fund is from property taxes, and about 80 percent of the General Fund pays for public safety. The General Fund is also where the council and the Budget Committee have the most discretion for funding priorities.
Councilors approved allocating about $3 million of General Fund discretionary revenue to support implementation of their Council Goals. Addressing homelessness is a priority, with approximately 40 percent of the allocated revenues dedicated to council’s housing goals.
The proposed 2021-23 budget is here. Past and present budget documents are found at: www.bendoregon.gov/budget.
This short, animated video explains more generally how the City's budget works.
Project Turnkey Update
Councilors on Wednesday night authorized the City Manager to finalize the purchase of the Bend Value Inn if the City is awarded Project Turnkey funding from the Oregon Community Foundation. Project Turnkey helps acquire motels or hotels to use as shelters for people experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness. The City expects to receive a decision soon on whether the project will be funded by Project Turnkey. If funded, the City could close on the property by end of June. The City is talking with NeighborImpact about managing the facility following renovations.
Follow this page for updates: www.bendoregon.gov/project-turnkey
Low-Barrier Shelter
The City of Bend and NeighborImpact partnered to fund the re-opening of the former winter warming shelter as a low-barrier shelter for unhoused community members. The Shepherd’s House operates the low-barrier shelter located at 275 NE Second Street. Here is the earlier announcement about the low-barrier shelter partnership.
The council authorized the city manager to enter into a purchase and sale agreement for potential acquisition of the property for $2 million, subject to an appraisal and meeting requirements for American Rescue Plan Act funds. Closing is anticipated in September. The intention is to continue to run it as a low-barrier overnight shelter, potentially with additional services.
