Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Bend public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues with high priority
Outback Well Improvements
The city is close to buying 48 acres of Forest Service land next to its key water treatment facility, needed for a pretreatment facility and possibly in-conduit hydropower. Two related items come to council May 20.
Juniper Ridge Reserve Loan for Affordable Housing Projects
BURA wants a loan from the city's unrestricted $5 million Juniper Ridge reserve to cover park district fees for affordable housing projects. Council favors helping only the two projects already under construction and wants to see actual rents before committing — the money could otherwise fund airport, water, police or shelter needs.
Eminent domain for Reed Market Bridge Project
The city locked in $32.3 million in federal money to finish design and construction of the Reed Market Bridge over the BNSF railroad tracks — a GO Bond project easing east-west travel.
Tax Increment Assistance policy for housing affordability
Most roundtable participants backed exempting deed-restricted affordable housing from the fee, and several pushed to extend exemptions to middle housing up to 120% of Area Median Income. Climate advocates warned every exemption weakens the fee and worries about stranded gas assets hitting lower-income owners later.
Southeast Area supplemental transportation fee
New development in the Southeast Area would pay an extra fee — about $2,660 per typical single-family home on top of the existing $10,230 transportation SDC — to fund three road projects totaling $11 million, including roundabouts at 27th/Caldera and Caldera/Journey Way. It's developer-requested and would replace the current 'who builds first' standoff.
Employment growth forecast for land planning
Developers say tree rules and process complexity are pushing jobs to neighboring cities. Council rejected full deregulation of industrial land but backed a flat per-acre fee feeding a tree mitigation bank, plus easier mass grading and on-site rock crushing.
Wildfire Defensible Space Code
Bend is entirely high wildfire risk, and a proposed community-wide defensible space code could require work like clearing the first five feet around homes, limiting bark mulch, and non-combustible fencing. Council wants community buy-in via a citizen assembly, faster action on new construction, and a pilot project in a high-risk neighborhood before next fire season. Costs and equity are open questions.
Neighborhood-Serving Commercial and VMT Goals
A new market analysis found residents don't shop near home and zoning patterns make true neighborhood commercial districts hard to create — which challenges Bend's vehicle miles traveled reduction goals. Council discussed Climate Friendly Areas, allowing commercial on both sides of streets, and adding homes near Juniper Ridge.
Fiscal Policy Updates
Staff proposed tweaks to the city's fiscal rulebook, including spending 20% of street preservation money on bike/pedestrian/safety projects and letting the City Manager approve new positions rather than the council. Councilors want clearer target language and deeper budget conversations.
Affordable housing progress at Summit area
Councilor Platt highlighted a Habitat for Humanity groundbreaking for affordable homes near an elementary school, prioritizing Bend-La Pine Schools staff.
Lava/Delaware diverter rework
A dozen Old Bend residents told council the new traffic diverters are funneling cut-through traffic onto narrow streets, sending cars over curbs and through stop signs, and making the neighborhood less safe for walkers and cyclists. Staff promised quick-build barriers, police enforcement and ADA ramps while the two-year pilot continues.
Sunday dial-a-ride cut for disabled riders
Cascades East Transit canceled Sunday dial-a-ride in September over budget shortfalls, stranding disabled riders who use it for church and jobs. Joyce Nichols asked the city to fund roughly $2,000 per Sunday to restore it.
City Council Building Purchase
Bend’s City Council voted to buy the old PacificSource building, which could reshape where city offices are located and how your tax dollars are spent. The details that matter now are price, financing, and whether this replaces rented space or adds a new cost.
Core Area SDC exemption to spur redevelopment
Council is converging on a five-year exemption from system development charges for adaptive reuse projects in the Core Area, with an ordinance due September 16. It's aimed at filling empty downtown-adjacent buildings, but Councilor Riley warns it could create future infrastructure funding gaps.
Future City Hall location and downtown redevelopment
The city is buying a 70,000+ sq ft east-side office building to consolidate staff under one roof, saving roughly $100 million versus new construction. It frees downtown land for redevelopment and possibly a First Street civic center/council chambers.
Surveillance technology in legislative priorities
Residents pushed back on language supporting 'expanding responsible technologies'; council agreed to narrow it to sound/photo enforcement with data transparency language.
Prevailing wage and BURA housing subsidies
Union carpenters blasted BURA for structuring housing subsidies to avoid prevailing wage; a BOLI ruling changed the math and staff proposed front-loading assistance to keep four projects alive.
Tree preservation code annual review and incentives
Bend's tree code only applies to about 3.5% of permit applications, and the urban forest has been declining for decades. Council backed new incentives — fee reimbursements for saving extra trees and breaks for small-lot builders who protect big trees — but refused to loosen the code by counting street trees or exempting right-of-way trees.
GO bond unallocated funds prioritization
About $28 million in leftover GO bond money needs a project list, and council is sending the question to TMAC. Early favorites: $8-10 million toward the Highway 20/US 97 connection, extending the Neighborhood Street Safety Program, and cheaper options for Boyd Acres Road.
Olney Avenue/8th Street intersection redesign
The intersection fails for six hours a day and traffic is growing. Staff recommend a $3.4 million partial multilane roundabout over a $5 million signal rebuild; a council majority agreed despite safety objections from Councilors Méndez and Franzosa.
Industrial land tree rules and employment site readiness
Developers say tree rules and process complexity are pushing jobs to neighboring cities. Council rejected full deregulation of industrial land but backed a flat per-acre fee feeding a tree mitigation bank, plus easier mass grading and on-site rock crushing.
Bend Central District Economic Improvement District assessments rejected
Following a remonstrance hearing where more than 33% opposed, council began repealing the Bend Central District EID, ending the district's assessment program.
Downtown parking management
Bend is hiring Diamond Parking for five years of enforcement citywide, with two new districts proposed (Old Bend East and Miller's Run). Councilors heard complaints that Old Bend residents are getting tickets they didn't sign up for under the benefit district, and promised a policy conversation in June.
City Council Elections
Bend’s City Council races are shaping up with surprisingly few challengers, so voters may see limited or even uncontested choices on the ballot. That means less competition and fewer debates over city spending, growth, and services. If you care about local decisions, this is the election where your vote—and who bothers to run—matters a lot.
Growth plan branding and community engagement
Residents and four councilors say an irrigation canal shouldn't count as open space. The council continued deliberations to July 15, leaning toward granting the block-length deviation, excluding the canal, and aligning the east-west path.
Police staffing shortfall
Bend Police is authorized for 120.5 sworn officers but has only 96.5 deployed, with seven in training. A rigorous background process and slow hiring are the main drag; staff are exploring using community service officers as a training pipeline.
Street preservation and capital projects update
Four contracts totaling about $4.34 million will treat 77 lane miles — paving, chip seal, micro seal, and slurry — keeping Bend's pavement score around 76 as asphalt costs jump 20 percent.
Immigration enforcement concerns in Bend
Mayor Kebler delivered a pointed statement on ICE actions, and the council agreed to draft a resolution supporting immigrant communities plus join a lawsuit challenging federal immigration enforcement tactics.
Hayden Homes Legacy Village financing request
The council advanced the 260-acre Legacy Village plan: at least 2,487 homes, nearly 24 acres of deed-restricted affordable housing, a 23-acre park, and commercial land. Councilor Franzosa's dissent centers on whether commercial actually gets built.
Small business water billing
A Wall Street shop owner says duplicated water meters force him to pay $1,885 a year extra; council sent him to staff for help.
Climate Pollution Fee adoption
Public commenters urged a strong electrification fee with no RNG exemptions, starting April 2027; a roundtable is set for April 8.
Neighborhood Street Safety Program contracts
Residents flagged dangerous conditions on Skyline Ranch Road at the Discovery West entrance and on SE Murphy Road near Jewell Elementary, asking for speed humps, traffic calming, and a lower speed limit.
City Hall Site Selection
Bend is picking where to put its next City Hall, and that choice will shape downtown for decades. It’s not just a building decision — it affects how much taxpayers pay, how easy city services are to reach, and what downtown becomes.
Midtown/Franklin Avenue streetscaping
The final Franklin Avenue phase means closing the undercrossing twice — mid-September through mid-November 2026, and January through roughly May 2027 — with Greenwood as the main detour. Holidays and summer stay open after downtown businesses asked for it, at a cost of roughly $100,000–$125,000 to the project.
Climate Pollution Fee on new gas appliances
A wall of opposition from unions, the gas industry, realtors, and the Chamber asked the council to postpone its February 11 direction vote until Pacific Power and grid-capacity data are in hand.
Transient lodging tax reallocation under HB 4148
The state legislature gave cities more flexibility on lodging tax dollars (now 50/50 instead of 70/30), kept $207 million in shelter funding intact, and passed housing bills on urban reserves and neighborhood commercial protection. Bend will discuss how to use its new lodging tax flexibility at a May work session.
Electric grid capacity and HB 2021 compliance
Pacific Power told council Bend is one of its fastest-growing service areas (7.75 megawatts/year) and that all-electric new homes could add up to 6.7 megawatts of demand annually. The utility's shift to clean energy under HB 2021 is behind pace, and federal tax-credit changes raise cost questions — which is why the fee design has built-in flexibility and check-ins.
Wildfire evacuation routes in Southeast Bend
A Southeast Bend resident warned that dense new development — like a project expected to generate 4,000 daily vehicle trips at 15th and Wilson — could choke evacuation routes in a wildfire. She asked the city to fund and plan evacuation routes, saying county, state, and city staff have nothing substantial underway.
Transit fares and ridership
CET brought back fares in February and ridership dropped — about half on some routes. The upside: expanded dial-a-ride service areas in northeast and southeast Bend and Deschutes River Woods, and new route efficiencies to get 15-minute service on busy corridors without new funding.
Southeast UGB expansion: plan map amendment and 66.46-acre annexation
Council finalized both the Comprehensive Plan Map change and the annexation of 66.46 acres in the Southeast UGB Expansion Area, opening that land to city services and development. Councilor Franzosa was the lone dissent on the annexation.
Firearms prohibited in city buildings
Council finalized a new city code chapter banning firearms in city buildings on a unanimous vote, a public-safety measure affecting anyone visiting City Hall or other city facilities.
$9.5 Million Bond Issuance and Water Bond Refunding
Council locked in financing for public works campus closeout, the air traffic control tower match, streets equipment and core area urban renewal projects, plus a water bond refinancing saving $300,000-400,000 a year.
Juniper Ridge land sale proceeds allocation
The city has $10 million from selling Juniper Ridge land and council is deciding how to spend roughly half of it — on street safety, shelters, homeless services, housing loans, and small business grants. Councilors also flagged holding some back for a managed camp and future housing needs.
Copperwood Crossing annexation and plan map amendment
The council advanced annexation of 66.46 acres in the Southeast UGB expansion area, potentially adding roughly 813 housing units plus mixed employment and light industrial space. Debate centered on whether the city can stop developers from converting planned commercial land to housing under state law.
Transportation Safety Action Plan update
Bend averages 3–5 fatal crashes a year, mostly on bigger roads like the Franklin corridor. The updated safety plan will use crash data to target improvements and guide safety messaging, with a draft expected for adoption in about a year.
Restructuring the City's Equity Program
Councilor Franzosa publicly raised concerns about the equity director's resignation, Juneteenth funding, and community dialogue, while a resident called for an investigation into alleged toxic workplace conditions.
Site-specific TIF clawback provisions
BURA is crafting what developers pay if they back out of 25-year affordability commitments tied to tax increment financing, leaning toward 30% early and 20% later.
2026 State Legislative Priorities
The council's Salem agenda puts lodging tax flexibility and shelter funding first, with amendments on complete communities, the 50/30/20 highway fund split, wildfire insurance discounts, and energy reliability.
Petrosa affordable housing dispute (Bella Pines)
Petrosa neighbors say Pahlisch Homes promised their subdivision a grocery-anchored commercial village, and they're angry the city funded the Bella Pines affordable housing project on that commercial land without notifying them. Council invited them to the January 14 work session on neighborhood commercial priorities.
City Manager Removal Petition
A petition is trying to get Bend’s city manager removed, which is basically a direct shot at City Hall leadership. It could eventually force the City Council to weigh in, so it’s worth watching if you care about how local government runs.