Can Bend 2030 Save Mirror PondPutting plastic baggies in public parks to deal with doggie land mines is arguably not an idea many people find important right now, but the Bend 2030 project, funded by $340,000 of city money over the last three years, lists it as one of its achievements on its website.
Created by the Bend City Council in 2006 as an effort to craft a long-range vision and planning framework for the community, Bend 2030, according to the organization, included input from 10,000 citizens who defined a vision for Bend's future long-term livability and quality of life. It's already resulted in the reduction of open burning with the expansion of the area's curbside yard waste program and includes action items like increasing the availability of quality childcare in the area, finding a long term solution to Mirror Pond sedimentation, improving access to health care, promoting key business sectors and working to expand public transportation throughout the city. (A detailed list of projects is available at www.Bend2030.org)
But it's also has been called a pet project by opponents who want civic leaders to focus on preserving core services like building inspections and street maintenance at a time when the city budget is falling faster than the Dow Jones. And as voters begin to cast their ballots, Bend 2030 is one of the "issues" that could determine the outcome of the next election, in which a block of so-called progressive councilors faces a slate of challengers funded by the local business community that wants the city to spend less time on city-driven projects like Juniper Ridge and Bend 2030 and more time on promoting economic growth with a limited government, free-market approach. If challengers like Jeff Eager, Kathie Eckman and Tom Greene, all of whom have the support of the powerful Bend Chamber and building and real estate industry lobby (Greene is president of the local board of realtors), it could mean a significant shift in city hall's support of long range planning and economic development projects like Juniper Ridge and Bend 2030 and more time spent removing perceived hurdles to development, like higher development fees.
