City Council - Regular Meeting

Previously at Ben City Council.

Hi, I'm Councelor Ariel Mendes and this is your March City Council recap. This month, council heard about upcoming construction work on Franklin Avenue between Haramman and Fourth Street. Crews are going to fix the periodic flooding and faulty water line at the Franklin underpass. In addition to these storm water and water upgrades, they will perform utility work and improve safety for all street users. Construction will start in May with some limited closures and the corridor will close completely to all traffic in midepptember through mid November. A second closure to complete the work will take place from January through May 2027. To speed things up and to keep the corridor open for the holiday season, crews will work a Monday through Saturday. Thank you to the Downtown Ben business association for input on scheduling construction and thank you for your patience and understanding as we undertake this massive project. At council's mark March work session, we heard from the city of Ben's urban forester about juniper tree preservation in Bend. As a reminder, city council adopted a tree code in 2024 that established a set of rules for new development on land larger than 1 acre. One question that has since been raised is whether we need a different set of rules for junipers, particularly on industrial zone land since that type of development is different than residential. Council also asked staff to prepare options for a defensible space code, a new set of rules for making homes more resilient to wildfires, and look at how that will work with the existing tree code. City staff will continue to work with the development community to evaluate how the tree code is being implemented. Council did not make any changes to the tree code regarding junipers at the March 11th work session, but have asked staff to return in the next few months to continue the discussion. On March 18th, city council adopted a resolution supporting Ben's immigrant communities, condemning the current federal

government approach to immigration enforcement. We also allocated funds toward the goal of making Bend a welcoming city for everyone, regardless of immigration status. On March 12th, about 150 neighbors from the southeast area of town joined the Ben City Council for a neighborhood district roundt to talk about the growth, including upcoming changes to roads, housing, development, and commercial developments. More roundabouts and better connected sidewalks are on their way. If you're interested in learning more about your neighborhood district, check out bendorggon.gov/neighborhood-dists. Neighborhood districts are supported by the city, free for any resident to join, and a great way to connect with your community. City council approved two septic to sewer contracts this month, both for neighborhoods off of 15th Street in Southeast Bend. The septic to sewer program allows residents to replace their private on-site septic systems with a more reliable connection to the city's sewer system. This reduces the environmental and health risks associated with a septic system failure and provides a more affordable way to comply with state law. Finally, council proclaimed March 19th as absolutely incredible kid day and encourages all adults to appreciate the young people in their lives. Council also proclaimed March 8th through March 14th as MS awareness week and encourages all community members to learn more about multiple sclerosis, support those affected, and join efforts that move us closer to a world free of MS. Thanks for watching. If you would like to learn more about the work of your Bend City Council or how to communicate with us, head to bendorggon.gov/counsel. We'll see you next month.