Melanie Kebler, candidate for Bend City Council position 1, joins Editor Nicole Vulcan of the Source Weekly for “My View,” a video series inviting local candidates to share their views on a host of topics ahead of the 2020 election, while sitting in front of a view they enjoy.
Kebler chose Hollinshead Park in northeast Bend—where her family had a community garden plot growing up, she said.
Stay tuned for the Source Weekly‘s endorsements of local candidates, on stands Oct. 22, 2020. The My View video series will continue with video interviews for local city, county and state races, all the way up to the 2020 election.
COVID protocols: Since the interviews take place outdoors, the Source team invited each candidate to go without a mask, so voters can get to know them and see their faces as they talk.
This article appears in Sep 2-9, 2020.
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Thank you Melanie for running. I appreciate you realizing that the council is not listening to the community.
You seem to be a true leader and I hope you win. You have my vote.
Thank you for acknowledging that the city council did not do their job during the pandemic. Our children and families are suffering and at risk because of poor leadership at the council level. If STR’s and bars would have been shut down instead of 98% occupancy, we would be back at school.
As a Bend voter, I think that the Transportation Bond funds should be placed or collected from developers, builders and people moving in from California, Washington and other states as they are increasing or placing more demand on the infrastructure in Bend. I do think we should consider a luxury property tax (maybe homes bought or sold over 1 million or what would seem appropriate). I feel as a resident, I would not mind paying this tax if I am putting a burden or impact on our infrastructure and to create equity.
I appreciate your view on the ICE situation and glad to hear you would have been down there as a city council member. Were you down there on your own accord? Just wondering.
Also appreciate that you feel the council should be an anti-racist council. This would mean taking action as an anti-racist and I think we need that change.
I also agree we need the transportation measure and yes housing is an issue. If you win, I do hope you will consider luxury property tax and stop the building for luxury homes or if there are luxury homes they should also include affordable housing integrated in these communities as well as cottages, townhomes and more starter homes. I like your creative ideas for funding loans for people starting out with local banks.
In regards to the homeless. Marin County, in particular Novato, they came up with a very innovative idea for homeless. They created housing with a full commercial learning kitchen and cafeteria. The homeless had to be clean & sober to obtain the housing but they also had a culinary training program in this commercial kitchen which they were enrolled in, once they completed the program, they were able to get jobs and phase out to affordable living situations and they had a possible career path in the restaurant and hospitality management to boot. It would seem that since we are in tourist destination, that may be a good idea to create this sort of housing for homeless. They also had to give back by teaching others and had jobs on the premises to earn their keep like gardening, cleaning, dishwashing, serving food, removal of garbage and upkeep of the property. It is a very successful program.
You have my vote and I look forward to meeting you.