Dumping
Their Bucket
At last Friday’s Legislative
Council Breakfast, 50 community
members and nine representatives
from the city, four of them from
the city council, had an open
discussion regarding the Juniper
Ridge project. Clearly, the
community members have a
different point of view
regarding the city’s role in
this project, how much and how
soon the land at Juniper Ridge
should be developed and concerns
regarding entering into a
long-term relationship with a
single developer. The
discussion lasted over an hour
and, as a result, a couple of
action items for the chamber
emerged. The first is to respond
to Councilmember Jim Clinton’s
willingness to meet with a team
of experts to discuss this
project in detail; and second,
examine the over 300 pages of
material on the city’s Web site
about Juniper Ridge and do a
fact check of the many project
assumptions the city is
presenting to the community.
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Law Suit
Dismissed and City Recognized
The city of Bend issued a press
release this week announcing a
Measure 37 lawsuit, filed in
Deschutes County Circuit Court
by Country Sunset LLC, against
the city of Bend mobile home
ordinance, has been voluntarily
dismissed by the plaintiff. The
attorney for Country Sunset LLC
decided there was no basis for
the suit after he was provided
information about legislative
changes to Measure 37. The
legislative changes to Measure
37 in the past legislative
session require a 540-day
waiting period before a Measure
37 claim may be filed with the
city.
Another positive piece of news
for the city came in the form of
recognition by the US Department
of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). HUD recognized the city
as part of its National Call to
Action campaign designed to
enlist states, local communities
and affordable housing advocacy
groups to commit to producing
affordable housing, through
public participation. The
city’s Housing Development
Incentives Program, Mobile Home
Park Ordinance and Affordable
Housing Fund (1/3 of the 1% fee
on all permits issued by the
city) are the basis for the
recognition. It’s about time
the city got some good news.
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Blue Sky
Challenge
The city of Bend has thrown down
the gauntlet when it comes to
purchasing green energy. The
city, working with Pacific Power
and the chamber have teamed up
to challenge residents and
businesses to make a difference
by choosing Blue Sky renewable
energy. My home has been a Blue
Sky customer ever since I moved
to Bend, and I ask the business
community to join chamber
members: Bellatazza, Cascade
Publications, Deschutes Brewery,
Inc., Mount Bachelor Village and
Nature’s General Store and look
into the renewable power
option. To learn more and
enroll in the renewable energy
challenge, visit
www.pacificpower.net/bluesky or
call 1-800-769-3717.
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