Bend · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Bend public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
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.
Utility infrastructure contracts
Consent agenda funded $1.3 million for sewer primary clarifier rehabilitation and $765,337 for River Well #1 design — behind-the-scenes water and sewer reliability work.
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.
Digester 4 and Hauled Waste Project
A ~$115M fourth digester and regional hauled-waste facility at the water reclamation plant, needed by 2030 when the current hauled-waste contractor leaves the industry. Council approved the fast-track CM/GC delivery method.
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.
Azalia and Windsor sewer expansion
Septic-to-sewer conversion continues with a $2.9 million state loan and a $1.9 million construction contract; construction runs April through October with some road closures.
King Hezekiah and Fargo septic-to-sewer conversion
About 42 properties in the King's Forest area will get city sewer connections, replacing aging septic systems. Property owners who commit early get a 50% connection fee discount (about $5,000 in savings). Construction runs April through October.
Solid waste franchise wind-down
Bend's 1980-era trash franchise terms don't fit a city of 100,000+, and mutual agreement with the haulers failed. Council kicked off a six-year wind-down while working with Deschutes County and Redmond on a regional replacement — new agreements, possible competition, and performance standards would arrive around 2031-32.
2025 Stormwater Master Plan
The city adopted an updated 20-year, ~$80 million stormwater plan to reduce flooding and improve runoff quality, with new rain gauges to account for climate change and Bend's microclimates. Rate impacts will be discussed this spring.