City Council
Posted inLocal News

City Council Moves Home Hardening Code to a Vote, Discusses Defensible Space Code  

Bend may soon adopt an urban fire prevention code similar to those already in place in Ashland and Sisters
Avatar photo by Jesse Coronado

Oregon cities including Ashland and Sisters have recently adopted new home hardening requirements in their development codes, and it appears that Bend may soon follow suit.  On Feb. 25, the Bend City Council moved a home hardening code proposal forward for an April 1 vote, with May 15 discussed as the proposed effective date.    The proposed requirements, which fall under Oregon Residential Specialty code Section R327, would mean new homes need […]

Posted inNews

Rescue Plan B

The American Rescue Plan Act provides funding that Bend will use to achieve housing goals
Avatar photo by Jack Harvel

The City of Bend is adjusting its budget to meet City Council goals after it were awarded $7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. The supplemental budget presented at the city council meeting on July 21 outlined a $13.1 million budget adjustment in total, with a lot of the funds going toward housing projects.   […]

Posted inNews

Can’t Camp Here

Bend City Council adopts a policy for the removal of houseless camps on public right of ways. With shelters at capacity, where will they go?
Avatar photo by Jack Harvel

The Bend City Council unanimously approved a new policy on campsite removals for camps in City right of ways at its meeting June 2. The Council tailored the conversation to one of the City’s most visible camps, on Emerson Avenue. On Monday social service providers received the notice to engage with camp residents to prepare […]

Posted inNews

City Council Moves Forward with Transportation Bond

Bend City Council to draft a $180 million bond measure for the May Primary Election ballot
Laurel Brauns

The Bend City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to move forward on a transportation bond measure. The Council will finalize the language for the ballot at its Feb. 5 meeting. The motion directs the City Attorney’s office to draft the language for the bond measure that would fund $180 million in capital transportation projects. Once the […]

Posted inNews

What’s Next for the Council?

A new, directly elected mayor, and a council appointee bring changes to Bend’s City Council
Avatar photo Nicole Vulcan

Bend City Councilor Sally Russell won the election Tuesday to become Bend’s first directly elected mayor. It was a crowded race, with six candidates in the running. According to the latest unofficial results released by the Deschutes County Clerk, Russell took 50.18 percent of the vote—amounting to 21,666 votes as of Wednesday morning. Next in […]

Posted inNews

Fellow Councilor Calls for Boddie to Step Down

Accusations against City Councilor and House 54 candidate prompt community leaders to speak out
Avatar photo Nicole Vulcan

Accusations against City Councilor and House 54 candidate, Dr. Nathan Boddie are prompting at least one of his fellow city councilors —and others—to call for him to step down. Boddie’s public response to Newbold’s allegation was reprehensible and beneath the dignity of a sitting city councilor and candidate for future office. Boddie is entitled to […]

Posted inCulture

Source Spotlight: Mayor Casey Roats

A spotlight on the people of Central Oregon
Brian Jennings

The day after being elected mayor of Bend by fellow councilors, Casey Roats sat down with the Source Weekly to talk about the future of the city and his new role. “I’m looking forward to serving as mayor. It’s a real honor. It’s not something I campaigned for and I wasn’t seeking it out.” But […]

Posted inOpinion

Rethinking City Council

The Source Staff

Though City Council duties, meetings, committees, and hearings require 45 to 55 hours per week to fulfill, Bend City Councilors are considered volunteers, have no administrative support staff and receive no benefits. The archaic notion of an unpaid mayor and city council is not in step with the times within the paradigm of the exponential […]

Sign up for newsletters

Get the best of The Source - Bend, Oregon directly in your email inbox.

Sending to:

Gift this article