City passes budget; several fees
to rise
The Bend City Council on
Wednesday approved its
first-ever, two-year budget of
$480.5 million. And to help
balance that budget, Bend
residents will face new or
additional fees for many
services. Effective July 1,
water rates will increase 5.5
percent, and sewer rates will go
up 6 percent. For the average
residential customer, that
translates into an additional
$1.38 (winter) and $2.75
(summer) for water and $1.43 for
sewer, bringing that monthly
bill to $25.18 per month. Also
coming is a new, city-wide $4
per month stormwater fee,
charged to all residences
whether they’re on city water or
not. Businesses will be charged
$4 for every 3,800 square feet
of impervious surface. Many
other fees also went up:
Development fees will increase
an average of 35 percent, and
fees for such things as
obtaining a sign or grading
permit also are up. City
Councilor Chris Telfer cast the
lone “no” vote on approving the
budget, saying a 19 percent
increase in the budget in the
first year alone was
unacceptable given growth in
Bend has slowed to single
digits.
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In other action, the council …
Also on Wednesday, the Bend City
Council gave a tentative
go-ahead to a plan by
HousingWorks and its development
partner to sell condominiums on
the top floor of its Lava Court
affordable housing project on
the east side of the downtown
parking garage to help pay for
the apartments in the same
project. HousingWorks needs the
money because in the little over
a year the project has been in
the works, construction prices
have risen considerably. The
project is expected to break
ground next year. Sales of the
condominiums will be limited to
individuals or families earning
no more than 120 percent of
Bend’s median income, and
restrictions will give
HousingWorks the right to buy
them back to prevent owners from
making a quick profit and
leaving. Councilors also
approved spending $150,000 to
$200,000 for a study on how the
city can mitigate traffic
impacts to U.S. highways 97 and
20 by making Deschutes Market
Road and other streets east of
Juniper Ridge the main routes
into the proposed development.
The Oregon Traffic Commission
has made it clear the city of
Bend can’t count on making
Cooley Road off Highway 97 the
main route into Juniper Ridge
until the failing intersection
is improved.
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Chamber Legislative Policy
Council votes on two issues
At this morning’s meeting of the
Bend Chamber Legislative Policy
Council, members listened to a
presentation from Deschutes
Brewery Chairman and CEO Gary
Fish before voting to recommend
to the Chamber Board of
Directors that it oppose House
Bill 2535. The bill would raise
excise taxes on beer (not other
alcoholic beverages) by 1,231
percent, or $32 per 31-gallon
barrel, to help pay for
everything from state police to
drug and alcohol preventive and
treatment programs. Fish said
the increase would have a
substantial impact on Deschutes
Brewery, which employs 185
people and has an annual payroll
in Deschutes County alone of $6
million. The council also
recommended the Chamber board
support Senate Bill 465, which
would change state law regarding
medical marijuana cards. If
passed, the bill would no longer
require employers to accommodate
the medical use of marijuana in
workplaces or exempting medical
marijuana users from drug-free
workplaces.
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Double majority voting rule
heads to ballot
Gov. Ted Kulongoski is expected
to sign a bill that will ask
Oregon voters to change the
Oregon Constitution to
effectively end the so-called
“double majority” rule in local
property tax elections.
Currently, any local bond
requests and other property tax
measures in certain elections
not only must receive a majority
vote, but also must have at
least 50 percent of registered
voters participate. House Joint
Resolution 15 would exempt
elections in May and November
from this rule. Since virtually
all elections are held in those
months, the double majority rule
would all but disappear.
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UGB expansion brings many
opinions
