Bend-Deschutes County plan for ‘temporary safe stay area’ for Juniper Ridge homeless appears to be falling apart

County commissioners could not agree on proceeding; Mayor Kebler calls that a 'huge mistake'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A plan by Bend and Deschutes County leaders to create a “temporary safe stay area” for dozens of homeless living at Juniper Ridge north of the city, to boost safety and cut fire risk on the government-owned land, hit the rocks Wednesday when county commissioners failed to approve a joint resolution fleshing out the first devilish details.

As a result, and with a deadline to use federal grant money pressing, dismayed Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler and her fellow city councilors later Wednesday shelved a planned vote on the resolution. Instead, they backed City Manager Eric King’s proposal to put together backup plans for the city to go its own way and instead use the money to expand “safe parking” sites within the city limits.

Kebler read a statement (see below) and also got colleagues’ nod to send a letter of concern to county commissioners, urging that they reconsider their stance within a week, to keep the joint plans on track.

Last month, the two elected bodies, under increasing pressure to take action on the Juniper Ridge homeless, unanimously approved a move to create a more focused and managed location west of the railroad tracks and east of Highway 97, requiring them to move off the rest of the property, closer to homes and businesses.

But getting down to brass tacks on specifics as drafted by city and county staff – such as limiting the new encampments to vehicles and a timeline dictated by the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars – sent the three county commissioners in three different directions.

Commissioner Phil Chang began the splintering earlier by drafting his own, alternative resolution. He said he was unwilling to back what he said was a land-use decision that could be appealed to the state amid uncertainty about how state legislation will be interpreted and better define what the funds can be used for.

“I worry that making this declaration a formal use will generate land-use battles, when at the same time we should be focusing on ramping up housing case management services and fire risk reduction,” Chang told his colleagues. “I worry about fighting about land use and siting will distract us from providing the services we all are really interested in providing.”

Kebler, joined by City Attorney Mary Winters at the county meeting, said she was sympathetic to those concerns but advised that “the community wants forward movement,” and if such issues arise, they’ll be dealt with.

Service provider Chuck Hemingway with the Home More Network also questioned needing to use the whole 170-acre joint city-county parcel, calling it unnecessary. He and others also pointed out that some of the “campers” live in vehicles that can’t be towed or moved, and others in makeshift homes on the property – and if they can’t move to the western part of the property but have to leave, they well could go to the other big homeless location south of town, off China Hat Road.

And should the services offered, from sanitation to help with permanent housing, be limited only to those who already living at Juniper Ridge? Lots of devilish details.

County Community Development Director Peter Gutowsky agreed with county attorneys that the proposed resolution on the land zoned for exclusive farm use laid out a troubling land-use decision – something Winters, the city attorney, said was not the conclusion the city had reached, as well as other cities that approved safe-parking locations.

Commissioner Patti Adair said: “We have to do something,” noting that even with daily security patrols, there were numerous fires throughout August at Juniper Ridge. “It’s not working the way it is.”

Colleague Tony DeBone said he backed the resolution, even with all the details that still need working out.

“Let’s practice doing something,” DeBone said, assuring that the issues raised are not being disregarded, His only suggestion was adding a “whereas” referring to another reason to act – a code enforcement case still pending against the county at Juniper Ridge over safety and sanitation issues.

But Chang, insisting he also wants action, stuck to his guns about the joint resolution: “I don’t think this is the right format for collaboration.”

Adair said those who testified raised valid issues, from China Hat to too many acres, and expressed hope the resolution could be revised and return to the board in a week.

So DeBone’s motion to adopt the resolution as a “starting point” – with intergovernmental agreements and a memorandum of understanding still to come - died for lack of a second.

“We want to do something that’s actually going to work,” Adair said. Chang responded: “I don’t want this to be about land use. I want it to be about services provided.”

Chang also didn’t support only allowing vehicle camping or limiting it to current Juniper Ridge residents. He also wanted the IGAs to proceed “at lightning speed … (and) quickly implement them, so everyone can see we’re doing something and actively moving to make the situation better.”

But Kebler noted that it was on Wednesday night’s council agenda and that they don’t meet again for three weeks. She said lack of county action this day “would be a huge mistake.”

“This first step doesn’t obligate us on all the details,” the mayor said. “It will cause significant delay if it doesn’t move forward today.”

As the debate continued, Chang asked Kebler if the city could take steps on its own land, without a county agreement, but Winters pointed to issues, from joint city-county funding of the effort to the property actually being outside the city, on county land.

Later, when the city council met, Kebler suggested that councilors not take up the matter until their next meeting on Nov. 6 (which happens to be the day after Election Day). She called the county’s failure to adopt the resolution “an extremely disappointing development” after an earlier promise of collaboration.

Because the federal funds need to be obligated by contract by the end of the year, King said the city will look at using the funds for more safe parking sites elsewhere, inside the city.

“We can provide some sanitation and support services,” he said, but cannot do case management toward permanent housing without county involvement.

Several councilors expressed disappointment and frustration, hoping the county commissioners will reconsider, acknowledging there would still be details to work out.

Here's the statement read by Mayor Melanie Kebler at Wednesday night's council meeting: