Interested in learning more about a few Hot Topics? Click below for more info!
Transportation Bond and Library Bond Info - Vote 2020!
Background on the Transportation Bond
While it is not the place of the neighborhood associations to take a position on local ballot measures, it is our role to keep you informed about matters involving city government. Toward that end, here is a brief summary of the transportation bond measure, as well as links to resources with additional information. You will also find a chart showing the tax impact for different assessed values of homes.
GO Transportation Bond
The bond measure on the ballot authorizes the City to issue general obligation (GO) bonds up to $190,000,000 for projects to reduce congestion and improve citywide traffic flow, east-west connections, and neighborhood safety. The City Council selected projects following recommendations from a two-year public advisory committee process.
For a map and explanation of the projects covered by the bond measure, click here. To see the full Transportation System Plan, click here. Information on the funding strategy begins on page 125.
Bonds are payable from property taxes, with the first increase in taxes resulting from this measure appearing on tax bills in 2022. Bonds will be issued over time as projects come online, so tax payments will increase over the first ten years and then begin to decrease as the principal is paid down. The City estimates that the average increase over the life of the bonds will be about $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Estimated impact on property taxes
The chart below uses information from a City of Bend worksheet to illustrate the additional taxes due at various levels of assessed value. The calculations assume a 3% increase in assessed value each year. They also assume that new construction will add to the tax base over time.
Note that taxes are calculated on the Assessed Value of your property, not on the Real Market Value. To find your assessed value, go to DIAL and enter your property address in the search field. Look for the assessed and real market values in the lower right portion of the Summary page.
This table is for illustrative purposes only. Final taxes depend on multiple variables and cannot be fully anticipated in this illustration. If you are interested in an interactive worksheet where you can input your assessed value and see the detail for the taxes each year, as well as a graph, click here.
Upcoming Community Meetings
The PDF below has a number of community meetings coming up that are open to the public, and we encourage CWNA members to drop in on if interested. Topics range from Land Use, to City Council activity, to upcoming Neighborhood Leadership Alliance meetings.
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2020 Bend City Council Candidate ForumDid you miss the October 4 City Council Candidate Forum put on by the Neighborhood Associations? We, no worries! You can find the full recording at the link below.
Candidate Forum - Oct 4 (Click to view) City Manager ReportsThe City of Bend has begun posting City manager Eric King's weekly updates on its website here. Therefore, CWNA will no longer have a webpage dedicated to these reports.
These reports are incredibly enlightening: here's one such item from this last week's report...you knew there was a lot of construction happening, but this! "Development Going Strong The Utility Department reports a high level of demand for our hydrant meter boxes. These are used primarily for construction-related activities. We have 94 boxes total and have 92 in the field rented to contractors. This is the highest number we have ever seen." Land Use - Update on Pine Ridge Inn
Approximately 30 people attended the public meeting to learn more about the proposed re-development of the Pine Ridge in and adjacent parcels. CWNA submitted this letter to the City of Bend summarizing the primary questions related to the project. The project has not yet been approved, so the official public comment period has not begun (where citizens can comment on the record). Here is the current status of the project: 1. Applicant completed a “pre-application” process where the applicants meets with city staff to identify potential issues with the concept the applicant wishes to pursue. 2. Applicant opened a site plan file (PZ-20-0263) and a separate file (PZ-20-695) for “variances”. 3. Applicant completed the required neighborhood meeting. 4. Engineering department is review the submitted Transportation Facilities Report (TFR) and Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA). Both documents are posted in PZ-20-0263. 5. Applicant is working on preparing submittals to “complete” the site plan application. Those submittals may include responding to comments the public made in the neighborhood meeting (the code doesn’t require the applicant to make a response. The city planner can only suggest the applicant do so.) The city planner makes the determination when the application is deemed complete and it must include the engineering department approving the TFR and TIA. Once the planner deems the application is complete, a notice of a two week comment period is sent out by the city planner to all within a radius of the project. That notice has not been issued yet. Sometimes it takes a while for the application to be deemed complete. If you have questions, please email us at centurywestneighborhood@gmail.com. We are coordinating with neighboring NA's and plan to issue additional comments around traffic and the requested variances during the comment period. Update: As of 9/15/2020, this project is still not approved. The developer did submit a 2nd Burden of Proof statement, and we are waiting to learn more in terms of city response. Fire Free -Fall dates: TBD
The incredible number of wildfires this month are keeping our fire professionals busy, so plans for the fall FireFree events have not been announced yet. Stay tuned. In the meantime, we invite you to visit www.firefree.org for more information on what you can do to be more prepared. CWNA Good SAM initiative continuesOne of the great things about living in Bend is the small-town feel with neighbors keeping an eye out for each other. With Winter in our sights, we at CWNA would like to help connect volunteers with neighbors needing a little help with snow removal, or errands (i.e. picking up a few groceries) for our neighbors unable to navigate driving through winter conditions. We are calling this our Good SAM project, for Snow Assistance Match-up. If you would like to be involved, please fill out this short form, and we will do our best to match up neighbors.
Click here to request assistance or to volunteer. Transportation Bond on the ballot this NovemberTransportation is a HUGE topic for us here in Bend, and there never seems to be enough money to do all the things we want to do.
This discussion is about to intensify as the TSP is adopted with the expected policies from Growth Management and CTAC. Reach out to us at centurywestneighborhood@gmail.com if you want to find a way to get involved with this conversation. |
Are you ready for Winter?EVERYONE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO PREPARE FOR WINTER! WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER. HELP US HELP YOU. BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
When it snows, you can help the Streets Department plow curb-to-curb by trying to keep streets clear of obstacles such as parked vehicles or garbage cans. The City is also trying a pilot program to designate targeted Snow Emergency Zone parking restrictions during snow emergencies. For more information on winter street maintenance, go to www.bendoregon.gov/snow During a big snow storm, City officials will consider many factors, including weather forecasts and time of day, in the decision to declare a “snow emergency,” which means parking will not be allowed on these streets for a period of 12 hours or until the street has been cleared curb to curb. Once the street has been completely plowed from curb to curb, cars can return to the zone. The City will plow within 12 hours of declaring the emergency. Work will most likely be done at night in the downtown area. How will you know if an emergency is declared? Sign up to receive emergency snow notifications via email at www.bendoregon.gov/enews, check the banner on the front of www.bendoregon.gov or call Streets and Operations: 541- 323-5980 Learn what to expect for snow removal: www.bendoregon.gov/winter Good Info from the City of Bend Police Department
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Always good info you should know.....
City of Bend - Get the latest news updates!
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Do you know about The Energy Challenge: Free LED Light Bulb Program?What?: The Energy Trust people come to your house and replace up to 16 old incandescent lights for energy efficient LED light bulbs -- all for Free!
Why?: Our LED bulbs, which look just like regular light bulbs, are 80% more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs. Unlike the swirly CFL bulb (which is also energy efficient), they are dimmable, the turn on to full brightness right away, they last for up to 23 years, and they don't contain mercury. Plus, they are free! Why Else?: By saving energy, you are helping your community. The less energy each home uses, the less likely power companies are to need to build more power plants! So far, we have installed light bulbs in over 3,500 Central Oregon homes. That's a lot of energy savings! When?: We have many time slots available. You can sign up online, or you can contact Ani and if you don't see a time that works for you. Also, It's free! The bulbs, the installation. Really, truly free. Do you qualify? Check it out here. Do you have any questions? Visit the LED FAQ page. To sign up, go to: www.TheEnergyChallenge.org/freebulbs Contact: ani@theenergychallenge.org or 541-385-6908 x26 https://www.theenergychallenge.org/take-action/freebulbs/ |
Senior Resources
We recently added information to our page regarding resources for Seniors and long term care. Please visit our Resources tab under About Us, or click here.
Want Your Voice To Be Heard?
While your involvement with CWNA is important, we are just one avenue by which to communicate our neighborhood concerns. The City of Bend LOVES hearing from you directly as well. Here's a link to the City's Council Members, Citizen Committees and Staff. www.bendoregon.gov/government/city-council
While your involvement with CWNA is important, we are just one avenue by which to communicate our neighborhood concerns. The City of Bend LOVES hearing from you directly as well. Here's a link to the City's Council Members, Citizen Committees and Staff. www.bendoregon.gov/government/city-council
