After being asked by the Downtown Bend Business Association to maintain broken drinking fountains, the City of Bend "discovered that the fountains were not an asset that the City wanted to repair or maintain," according to a statement. On Nov. 30, the City began removing the drinking fountains from downtown. The fountains' water line connections do not meet current regulations and upgrading the fountains is not a planned expense. According to Community Relations Manager Anne Aurand, the City only operates four drinking fountains downtown and once they are removed, there will no longer be any city-maintained fountains downtown. The City plans to work with the Downtown Business Association to find out if fountains are considered an amenity by shoppers, employees, and restaurant goers. If the City finds that the public wants drinking fountains, they will look into ways of reinstalling new fountains.
The City of Redmond will host a public presentation to show the draft plan of Mid-Town. The Mid-Town area is underused and the City aims to redevelop the area into a thriving neighborhood. Two workshops held earlier this year took public comments into consideration when drafting the plan. Consultants and City staff will attend the meeting and public comments are welcome at that time. The meeting will be held Dec. 9 from 6 to 8 pm at Redmond City Hall, Conference Room A at 716 SW Evergreen Ave., Redmond.
The Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee is reminding business and homeowners to keep sidewalks shoveled and free of ice. Business owners should have sidewalks cleared within six hours of precipitation and residential neighborhoods have 24 hours. This code applies to Sisters, La Pine, Redmond, and Bend and helps keep sidewalks safe for pedestrians.
Two public hearings will discuss the proposed land use rules for businesses that sell, grow, and process marijuana in unincorporated areas of Deschutes County. The Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners is urging residents to comment on the proposed regulations. The hearings will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 1:30 pm and 6 pm at 1300 NW Wall St. in the Deschutes Services Building.
