At its August 5 meeting, Bend City Council voted to move forward with an incentive plan aimed at encouraging the development of more affordable housing units. In its second and final vote, Council approved an ordinance that will waive some system development charges—the fees that help pay for infrastructure costs associated with new developments—for affordable […]
Side Notes
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Side Notes 8/5-8/12
A new brew playing off a soon-to-be iconic Central Oregon attraction is heading to the market. Crux Fermentation Project and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company are collaborating on the Paddle Trail Ale, a 35 IBU / 4.5% ABV session IPA. The beer will be distributed across the state by Columbia Distributing and will be available starting […]
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Side Notes 7/29-8/5
Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday ordered state agencies to improve their efforts to conserve water. The executive order establishes a goal of reducing water consumption by 15 percent or more at all state-owned facilities by December 31, 2020. Agencies will be required to give a progress report on November 1, 2015, and annually for the […]
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Side Notes 7/22-7/29
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Monday, July 27, to adopt sage-grouse management rules that would cement what are now mere recommendations. The proposal would require developments such as aggregate mining, wind, solar, and geothermal energy plants to engage in mitigation efforts. New rules are also being proposed by the Oregon Land Conservation […]
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Side Notes 7/15-7/22
Rep. Knute Buehler (R-Bend) announced on his Facebook page Monday that he is entertaining the idea of running for Governor in 2016. “Next year’s election in Oregon will be unique with three statewide offices up for election without an elected incumbent. I have an important decision to make,” he wrote. “Should I run for re-election […]
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Side Notes 7/8-7/15
The lengthy process to redefine the City’s boundaries just took another step forward. The Urban Growth Boundary Steering Committee recently approved three options for Bend’s future footprint to be evaluated in more detail. The proposed scenarios came out of research and deliberations by City staff, consultants, and the UGB Technical Advisory Committee. The steering committee […]
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Side Notes 7/1-7/8
City Council talks transportation funding
A local gas tax is creeping closer to the November ballot. At a special meeting of Bend City Council on Monday, councilors discussed the results of a survey by DHM Research that found 63 percent of respondents support a 10-cent gas tax. It’s no secret that Bend’s roads are in bad shape. Survey respondents confirmed […]
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Side Notes 6/25-7/2
Bend Transit Gets Funding Boost
Cascades East Transit announced a $3.4 million partnership to fund improvements to Bend’s bus system Friday in a press conference including elected officials, City staff, and local business and education leaders. The three-year partnership will facilitate the first meaningful expansion of the chronically underfunded transit system, which has not added hours or routes in the […]
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Side Notes 6/18-6/24
Sharing the road
Think you know the rules of the road? Find out what Oregon law says about sharing the road. Here are some highlights. 1. Bikes are vehicles. That means that when code refers to vehicles, it’s talking about bikes too. In other words: bicycles are required to follow the same rules of the road (with a […]
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Side Notes 6/10-6/17
Slide the City, a travelling 1,000-foot water slide, is coming to Bend despite concerns raised in other cities about its use of water in drought-affected regions. During the City Manager’s report at the end of the June 3 City Council meeting, City Manager Eric King authorized the company to purchase water from the City and […]