2023 Year in Review - Melanie Kebler

Clockwise from top left: City tent at Bend Pride event, Bike to School Day with Commute Options, celebrating the success of Central Oregon Villages, presenting with colleagues at Bend Young Professionals Summit, Bend Menorah Lighting at the Old Mill, celebrating the opening of Stepping Stone Shelter with Rep. Levy, attending the community tree lighting event, celebrating the progress on creating the Bend Bikeway, speaking to the Oregon Historical Museum Society, talking to constituents at the State of the City event in Alpenglow park.

Reviewing City Council accomplishments in 2023

As 2023 comes to a close, I’m excited to look back on what this new Council has been able to accomplish, and I’m ready to keep diving in on the issues that matter most to our community. Whether it was housing, homelessness, transportation, public safety, or the environment, your City Council set bold plans of action for our City staff to carry out through June of 2025. The year started off with intense goal-setting and budgeting sessions, and below I highlight accomplishments in each of our goal priority areas. You will also find a link to our full goals document, as well as a great video our communications team put together where staff highlight accomplishments in their own words. I can’t say enough how lucky we are to have an incredible team working for us every day at the City of Bend.

I’ve learned a lot during my first year as your Mayor, and I’m more determined than ever to serve our community through the powers of collaboration, advocacy, policymaking, and governing that you empowered me with when you elected me. I look forward to all we can accomplish together in 2024.

Sincerely,

Mayor Kebler

Affordable housing and sustainable development

Supported 363 new affordable homes, leveraging $4.4 million dollars in Affordable Housing Funds, Community Development Block Grants, and SDC exemptions to put these homes in the pipeline. 162 homes (144 rental, 18 hom ownership) were completed in 2023, many of which were funded in previous years.
Increased available shelter space to over 500 beds, and continued advocacy to make sure no shelter space is lost due to lack of continued funding from our government partners.
Completed renovations and fully opened the Project Turnkey funded Stepping Stone Shelter.
Continued success at Lighthouse Navigation Center, adding direct services from Deschutes County Behavioral Health, keeping people out of the elements, and serving them meals all while helping them move out of homelessness.
Reformed parking regulations to remove costly parking mandates and align City code with the Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities state requirements.
Broke ground on Cleveland Commons, Bend’s first permanent supportive housing, a crucial and sorely needed solution to which Bend committed funds alongside Deschutes County.
Approved several master plans for neighborhoods, including Parkside Place where 40% of the homes will be affordable to households earning 80% of the area median income.
Piloted a new Middle Housing program, setting aside $500,000 to invest in housing solutions for people making between 80% to 120% of the area median income.
Granted $100,000 to COCC to fund their childcare accelerator program.
Made code updates to facilitate housing development.
Identified City-owned parcels of land to surplus for housing development and created parcels of land for sale in Juniper Ridge.

Accessible and Effective City Government

Appointed Councilor Megan Norris to Council in January 2023 through a transparent process and within the 30 day timeline outlined in our city charter.
Set goals and work plan for the next two years through an extensive community engagement process, including a community survey, targeted round table discussions, listening sessions, and other public input.
Passed a budget with full vote of our resident budget committee members.
Created a permitting process dashboard and reduced permitting timelines.
Hosted historic meeting with Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Council, committing to develop an intergovernmental relationship and work together on shared issues of concern.
Update our utility assistance program to provide more assistance to low-income customers, a program run in partnership with NeighborImpact.
Started work on our new Public Works Campus, which will improve the operations and efficiency of all of our public works departments.
Held joint meetings with Deschutes County Board of Commissioners and with the Redmond City Council, and continued our commitment to the work of the Coordinated Houselessness Response Office, now housed at Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council.
Launched Bend Works, a new app where constituents can report issues and receive updates and data about how the City is responding to everything from potholes to public safety.
Created the Bend Block Party trailer and used it at neighborhood gatherings to support spaces for neighbors to convene and connect on the important topics that shape our community, and to provide opportunities to engage with city staff and Councilors.

Public Safety

Referred a renewed fire levy to voters who passed it in both Bend and our surrounding rural fire district, which our Bend Fire and Rescue Department serves, in order to maintain our level of service and keep response times low.
Provided a new police data dashboard to create more transparency and provide information to the public about public safety calls in every neighborhood. This dashboard is part of a wealth of information and data the City provides, which you can access here.
Supported the Community Crisis Response Team starting work in the field this year. The Crisis Team can be dispatched directly from 911 calls, and in 752 encounters the team had in Bend this year, 75% were resolved without any police officer presence.
Moved forward in the work to address hate speech and provide a hub of resources for community members or visitors who have experienced discrimination.
Co-hosted a roundtable on ebike safety with Representative Emerson Levy, Councilor Megan Perkins, and community partners. We will continue working with our legislators next year on a bill being brought by Rep. Levy to make changes in the law. We also continue to work on improving infrastructure and supporting safety education campaigns in Bend.
Implemented City of Bend’s camping code in mid 2023, and after eight months, reviewed how the code is working. Based on feedback, we gave staff direction to make some changes with regard to parked vehicles and will continue to evaluate the code on a regular basis going forward.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Received state and federal investment of approximately $25 million for the Hawthorne Overcrossing, supplementing the City’s own commitment to our Midtown Crossings in the core of the city.
Completed the award-winning Newport Avenue Improvements Project, with improved sidewalks, bike lanes, and safety infrastructure.
Awarded over $6.4 million in grants to date for an air traffic control tower to improve safety at the Bend Municipal Airport, which is the third busiest airport in the state.
Approved first steps to make Midtown Crossing improvements a reality, and moved forward with next steps for improvements to 2nd street in the Bend Central District.
Committed to building the Bend Crosstown Bikeways, with one north-south and one east-west route to be completed by July 2025.
Moved forward with developing bicycle wayfinding signs to direct people to the Bend Crosstown Bikeways and other routes around town.
Completed Wilson Ave Corridor improvement work from 15th St to 9th St, opening a new roundabout at 15th/9th. The Corridor will be completed through the intersection at 3rd St in 2024.
Completed improvements at Neff and Purcell intersection, including sidewalk infill around the project area.
Purchased new equipment to help maintain bike lanes and sidewalks with assistance from the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Environment and Climate

Initiated the Rethink Waste Project to improve recycling at multifamily residential buildings and teach residents about food waste prevention and diversion.
Planned for a new public works building that will be all electric powered, with no natural gas or other fossil fuel use needed, and solar panels on the roof. Notably, the City already has solar panels on our current buildings at the Water Filtration Facility, Downtown parking garage, and the Awbrey wells and reservoir near Hillside Park.
Completed crucial upgrades to infrastructure during the Newport Improvements Project designed to reduce runoff and erosion, increase the quality of water reaching the river, and limit flooding.
Approved fish passage concept at the Mirror Pond Dam during a joint meeting with Bend Park and Recreation District Board. Funding for this project will need to be secured in the future.
Established the Home Energy Score Program that requires all homes publicly listed in Bend to include a Home Energy Score report. This will allow homebuyers to compare the efficiency of homes as they are considering their purchase, and have information about cost-effective upgrades once they purchase a home.

Coming up next in 2024

Above are just some of the highlights of what we’ve accomplished this year at the Council level. Every day, City staff work to provide our core services to the community and help Bend work for everyone. Our public servants give highlights themselves in the video below – check it out!

We want everyone to feel welcome and safe and will put that outcome at the center of our decision making and actions. Our engagement efforts will amplify the voices of historically excluded populations and work to ensure all groups have a seat at the table. We will apply an equity lens and consider the community of today and future generations with our actions and policies. We will strive for a Bend where everyone has a voice in
decision making that leads to shared prosperity.”

– the Bend City Council, 2023-25 Council Goals Guiding Principles

View the full Council Goals document here

View our Council goals status reporting tool here

Email the Bend City Council

Share this page!

Reviewing City Council accomplishments in 2023

I’ve learned a lot during my first year as your Mayor, and I’m more determined than ever to serve our community through the powers of collaboration, advocacy, policymaking, and governing that you empowered me with when you elected me. I look forward to all we can accomplish together in 2024.

Sincerely,

Mayor Kebler

Affordable housing and sustainable development

Supported 363 new affordable homes, leveraging $4.4 million dollars in Affordable Housing Funds, Community Development Block Grants, and SDC exemptions to put these homes in the pipeline. 162 homes (144 rental, 18 hom ownership) were completed in 2023, many of which were funded in previous years.

Increased available shelter space to over 500 beds, and continued advocacy to make sure no shelter space is lost due to lack of continued funding from our government partners.

Completed renovations and fully opened the Project Turnkey funded Stepping Stone Shelter.

Continued success at Lighthouse Navigation Center, adding direct services from Deschutes County Behavioral Health, keeping people out of the elements, and serving them meals all while helping them move out of homelessness.

Reformed parking regulations to remove costly parking mandates and align City code with the Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities state requirements.

Broke ground on Cleveland Commons, Bend’s first permanent supportive housing, a crucial and sorely needed solution to which Bend committed funds alongside Deschutes County.

Approved several master plans for neighborhoods, including Parkside Place where 40% of the homes will be affordable to households earning 80% of the area median income.

Piloted a new Middle Housing program, setting aside $500,000 to invest in housing solutions for people making between 80% to 120% of the area median income.

Granted $100,000 to COCC to fund their childcare accelerator program.

Made code updates to facilitate housing development.

Identified City-owned parcels of land to surplus for housing development and created parcels of land for sale in Juniper Ridge.

Accessible and Effective City Government

Appointed Councilor Megan Norris to Council in January 2023 through a transparent process and within the 30 day timeline outlined in our city charter.

Set goals and work plan for the next two years through an extensive community engagement process, including a community survey, targeted round table discussions, listening sessions, and other public input.

Passed a budget with full vote of our resident budget committee members.

Created a permitting process dashboard and reduced permitting timelines.

Hosted historic meeting with Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Council, committing to develop an intergovernmental relationship and work together on shared issues of concern.

Update our utility assistance program to provide more assistance to low-income customers, a program run in partnership with NeighborImpact.

Started work on our new Public Works Campus, which will improve the operations and efficiency of all of our public works departments.

Held joint meetings with Deschutes County Board of Commissioners and with the Redmond City Council, and continued our commitment to the work of the Coordinated Houselessness Response Office, now housed at Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council.

Launched Bend Works, a new app where constituents can report issues and receive updates and data about how the City is responding to everything from potholes to public safety.

Created the Bend Block Party trailer and used it at neighborhood gatherings to support spaces for neighbors to convene and connect on the important topics that shape our community, and to provide opportunities to engage with city staff and Councilors.

Public Safety

Referred a renewed fire levy to voters who passed it in both Bend and our surrounding rural fire district, which our Bend Fire and Rescue Department serves, in order to maintain our level of service and keep response times low.

Provided a new police data dashboard to create more transparency and provide information to the public about public safety calls in every neighborhood. This dashboard is part of a wealth of information and data the City provides, which you can access here.

Supported the Community Crisis Response Team starting work in the field this year. The Crisis Team can be dispatched directly from 911 calls, and in 752 encounters the team had in Bend this year, 75% were resolved without any police officer presence.

Moved forward in the work to address hate speech and provide a hub of resources for community members or visitors who have experienced discrimination.

Implemented City of Bend’s camping code in mid 2023, and after eight months, reviewed how the code is working. Based on feedback, we gave staff direction to make some changes with regard to parked vehicles and will continue to evaluate the code on a regular basis going forward.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Received state and federal investment of approximately $25 million for the Hawthorne Overcrossing, supplementing the City’s own commitment to our Midtown Crossings in the core of the city.

Completed the award-winning Newport Avenue Improvements Project, with improved sidewalks, bike lanes, and safety infrastructure.

Awarded over $6.4 million in grants to date for an air traffic control tower to improve safety at the Bend Municipal Airport, which is the third busiest airport in the state.

Approved first steps to make Midtown Crossing improvements a reality, and moved forward with next steps for improvements to 2nd street in the Bend Central District.

Committed to building the Bend Crosstown Bikeways, with one north-south and one east-west route to be completed by July 2025.

Moved forward with developing bicycle wayfinding signs to direct people to the Bend Crosstown Bikeways and other routes around town.

Completed Wilson Ave Corridor improvement work from 15th St to 9th St, opening a new roundabout at 15th/9th. The Corridor will be completed through the intersection at 3rd St in 2024.

Completed improvements at Neff and Purcell intersection, including sidewalk infill around the project area.

Purchased new equipment to help maintain bike lanes and sidewalks with assistance from the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Environment and Climate

Initiated the Rethink Waste Project to improve recycling at multifamily residential buildings and teach residents about food waste prevention and diversion.

Completed crucial upgrades to infrastructure during the Newport Improvements Project designed to reduce runoff and erosion, increase the quality of water reaching the river, and limit flooding.

Approved fish passage concept at the Mirror Pond Dam during a joint meeting with Bend Park and Recreation District Board. Funding for this project will need to be secured in the future.

Coming up next in 2024

System Development Charge methodology update

Transportation Fee policy

Tree Code Update

Council Compensation Update

Right of Way Code

Community Climate Action Plan Update

And lots more!

Above are just some of the highlights of what we’ve accomplished this year at the Council level. Every day, City staff work to provide our core services to the community and help Bend work for everyone. Our public servants give highlights themselves in the video below – check it out!