‘The city must act’: Bend plans to clear, close Hunnell Road homeless encampment due to health, safety issues
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The city of Bend announced plans Wednesday to remove homeless residents next month and close the years-long encampment at Hunnell Road, a focal point of the local government struggle to resolve the homeless issue and deal with health and safety issues.
Several people spoke during the visitor section of Wednesday night's meeting against the clearing of the Hunnell Road encampment, including residents who said it would be difficult to find anywhere to go. One said residents have driven away the drug dealers and worked hard to clean up the area,
Here's a statement issued by Bend City Manager Eric King:
Statement on Hunnell Road read by City Manager Eric King at the June 21, 2023 City Council Meeting:
"The City has been monitoring the campsites at Hunnell Road (including the areas on Loco and Clausen) that have been established in the City right-of-way for the past couple of years. A formal public health and safety assessment was completed in October 2022 that resulted in a decision to remove camps in March. That decision was tabled as plans fell through for the establishment of a managed camp in partnership with Deschutes County.
"In recent weeks, the situation has not materially improved as calls for service continue to rise since last fall's formal assessment. The circumstances in this area have created public health and safety issues for people camping there and nearby residents, businesses and traveling public. There have been 1,527 calls for service from July 1, 2022, through June 20, 2023. That is more than double the amount of calls police responded to in 2017-18. And, as of recently, many of those calls have been resource-intensive, putting a strain on the Police and Fire Departments.
"Additionally, since the assessment was completed last fall, two emergency shelters have opened including the Rainbow Hotel on Franklin with a capacity of up to 60 beds operated by Shepherd’s House as well as an outdoor shelter on 27th and Bear Creek with an anticipated capacity of 20 units operated by Central Oregon Villages. This additional capacity puts the total beds the City has funded or supported to 484, just shy of the 500 total bed goal for this biennium.
"The City’s Camping Code went into effect on March 1st and has been applied City-wide with the only exception being Hunnell Rd, where the ‘time’ regulations were not applied in hopes of coordinating with the County on the siting of a managed camp or increasing the capacity of the emergency shelter system. The City has taken on the difficult task of passing a camping code while also increasing shelter capacity. We need to keep applying the code across Bend and are not currently funded to be the primary actor or catalyst for more shelter capacity beyond the goals we've established as an organization. City streets are not suitable for long-term or indefinite shelter for large groups of people, and the City must act.
"As a result of these factors, the City will be conducting a cleanup and closure of the Hunnell Road area on July 17, 2023 and will work with service providers to connect those living in the area with resources. Service providers were contacted yesterday, and a follow up meeting has been scheduled for June 27th to assist in coordinating available resources. The City’s camping code does not ban camping in Bend, but it does set rules on where, when, and how people can use public right-of-way to camp. We know some people need to use public places to meet their basic needs, and have recognized that in the code. The City needs to continue applying the rules.
"Although there has been a significant increase of shelter capacity brought online over the past two years, there is still more work to do. The City will continue to work with other public agencies, the Coordinated Houseless Response Office and service providers to create more resources. A city cannot be all things to all people, and no city has the resources to meet every single community need. Bend has to meet its obligations that connect to its core functions, including managing public places for the good of everyone and other entities and community partners need to step in and fill the needs a city cannot meet on its own.
"Today, at their board meeting, the County Commission directed staff to explore Safe Parking and managed camping code options or long-term visitor areas, similar to what exists on BLM land in other states. We are excited to see these options move forward and strongly support the County enacting local regulations that will allow managed camping and Safe Parking outside of City limits. We also support the idea voiced at today’s County Commission meeting to explore establishing managed camping on publicly owned land in or around Juniper Ridge outside the UGB.
"We know this decision affects human life and it doesn't come easy. We know that there is a sense of community in that area and that there are many stories of hardship, hope and resilience. We know that there are many dimensions to the crisis and no one single action is going to solve all issues. We are taking this action in response to safety concerns building in the area of Hunnell Road, for people living there and for the public at large. We also know that we can't respond to the crisis of homelessness alone; we need this entire community to bring a mindset of collaboration, resources, and most importantly hope. We pledge to work with our partners to prioritize safety and humanity during this transition for the community living on Hunnell."
The city also adopted its two-year budget Wednesday night. Here's a city news release:
Two-year City Budget Approved
At its June 21 meeting, the Bend City Council approved the City’s $1.3 billion, two-year budget.
In May, the Budget Committee, which is comprised of seven City Councilors and an equal number of community members, discussed and approved the proposed2023-25 biennial budget in public meetings.
The Budget Committee included a few amendments that increased some key service areas:
- The Planning Fund increased by $400,000 to support code updates associated with legislative requirements.
- The Houseless Fund increased by $1 million to support administrative costs.
- The Affordable Housing Fund increased by $100,000 to support administrative costs; and
- The Police Department budget increased by $536,000 to support an additional patrol officer and an additional investigator.
The two-year budget’s operational revenues are $480.1 million. Of the $480.1 million of City-wide operating revenues, $136.1 million is in the City’s General Fund. The General Fund mostly consists of property taxes. Assessed property tax revenues are expected to increase 5% per year. Property taxes and the General Fund primarily fund police, fire and street maintenance services.
Water, sewer, stormwater (in the Utility Department) and the Community and Economic Development Department permit center operate more like businesses; fees associated with the services provided in those areas cover the cost of doing business.
The largest portion of the budget is from planned investments in infrastructure, including projects improving water, sewer, stormwater and transportation infrastructure. Personnel services expenses, which include salary and benefit costs for City employees, represent the second largest category of spending in the budget.
Property tax revenues are limited by state law, and Bend has one of the lowest property tax rates in the state. Because of legislatively cut-and-capped property tax growth, many jurisdictions in Oregon seek levies, bonds or other revenue sources to help fill funding gaps. In May, Bend voters approved an increase and renewal of the fire levy to maintain Bend Fire & Rescue staffing and response times.
The budget reflects funding increases that are needed to keep operations at current service levels. The City is strategically targeting specific fees for specific priority needs. Public safety, transportation and housing are consistent community priorities and there are a few revenue options that are in the City’s control that can help with those core service areas, including a fire levy, a possible transportation fee and permit fees in Community and Economic Development.
“We recognize that these are tough economic times for many people, and the City shares some of the same challenges of increasing, inflationary costs,” said Mayor Melanie Kebler. “While we are sensitive to these concerns, we also need to balance the needs and expectations of this fast-growing community.”
Documents are available at bendoregon.gov/budget. The City Manager’s budget message also provides a high-level overview of the budget.
To learn more about how the budget works, watch this short, animated video, How The Budget Works.
