At tonight’s city council meeting Executive Director of the Bend Chamber of Commerce Tim Casey told the council the chamber would be hiring a neutral third party to evaluate the city’s water project.
The chamber would then decide whether it supported the city’s project or not, Casey told the council. The chamber’s decision was made just today, he said. The decision was submitted to the city in a letter (shown below).
City staff and council members appeared to be taken aback by the announcement.
City Councilor Mark Capell told Casey it’s doesn’t make sense to “make the effort” to take in other information because the city needs to proceed immediately with the project. The city is attempting to time the laying of a new pipe with an update of Skyliner’s Road by the county.
Casey responded that the council could do what it chose given the chamber’s new direction. That was it’s choice.
Apologies for the poor quality but here is a photo of the letter submitted by the chamber to the city.
This article appears in Feb 21-27, 2013.
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I love the reference to a “duel” system. Sometimes spelling errors are delightfully on target. There is time for public input and there is time for professional evaluations. This kind of open public free-for-all over what is a simple technological and cost/benefit fork in the road is coloring WAY outside the lines. Who is your city manager or top ranked city staffer? They should bring the “public works” brainiacs to the table and make their case. Have your finance people in the room. Size of pipes, water filtration capacity, compliance with DEQ/EPA requirements for today AND tomorrow are part of the mix. Negotiating with water rights holders…the works! Too much emotion. Not enough hard nosed expertise. Get it together Bend. You’re smarter than this!!!!