BEND, OR -- Bend Parks and Recreation is getting a $300,000 grant from the Oregon State Marine Board to build a non-motorized water craft launch at Miller’s Landing.

“What's really exciting about this project is the focus has been from the very beginning that we want to provide safe dedicated river access to folks, regardless of their age, regardless of their ability,” BPRD Landscape Architect Ian Isaacson says construction on the $695,734 ramp could begin at the end of this year, or the start of next year, “This project aims to improve the usability and the accessibility at both access point one, which is the existing boardwalk and access point two, which is just downstream. What the Oregon State Marine Board just helped fund specifically is focused primarily on watercraft launching. So, launching of kayaks, canoes, stand up paddle boards, things like that.”

He tells KBND News the Miller’s Landing launch will be unique, “From what we've been able to gather from around the country. This is going to be first of its kind in terms of the breadth and the scope of accessibility that we're designing and going to be implementing at Miller's Landing.”

Isaacson says the district has received a lot of support and encouragement, “We've been awarded grants from Visit Bend, Oregon State Marine Board, Visit Central Oregon's Future Fund.”

The Miller’s Landing project should be complete by next summer.

PRINEVILLE, OR -- Prineville is developing its next 20-year Transportation System Plan. Josh Smith, City Planning Director, says immense growth has caused significant issues with its five highways, "We have a lot of coordination with ODOT in those five highways that come through our community. And, to try to figure out what those solutions are to those issues, is the challenge." He tells KBND News, "Specifically with the O’Neil intersection. [It’s] Very dangerous. We’ve had some fatalities there that needed to be corrected, so we need to have a comprehensive plan on how that gets addressed." Smith says the last TSP was finalized in 2013, and was supposed to address the O'Neil intersection. But problems remain. 

Smith also hopes an update will consider changes to Third Street, which is the main arterial through downtown. A previous plan proposed a couplet, "Kind of like Madras, where they have the two one-way streets. It doesn’t really work very well in Prineville because of our topography, but we want to solve that problem. Is that a thing or is it not? We want to make that decision. Because, if it’s going to be a thing, we need to plan for that."
And, he wants to see work on the west "Y," at the bottom of the Prineville grade, "It’s all ODOT right-of-way; it’s the intersection of Highway 26 and 126. We need a solution to that. It’s essentially a roundabout that’s poorly designed and it’s just at capacity." There are also smaller projects in the proposed TSP aimed at improving connectivity and safety for all users. Smith says any work must maintain Prineville’s personality, "It still has a small-town feel. But we do have big-city issues."

The public is asked to weigh in on the draft plan next Thursday, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., at the Golden Coffee Company on Fourth Street. For those unable to attend the open house, an online survey is also available through May 17.
 

PORTLAND, OR -- The Oregon Public Utility Commission wants to hear from Pacific Power customers about a proposed 18% rate increase. It would push the average residential power bill up by more than $30 a month. Households in multi-family units would see an average increase of over $18 a month. 

Pacific Power is asking for the large increase to cover power grid improvements, wind generation, customer service improvements and a proposed catastrophic fire fund. A similar fund was created in California. All utilities pay in and it compensates fire victims. Pacific Power is paying out nearly $400 million for the 2020 Labor Day wildfires.  

A virtual public hearing on the rate increase will be held Tuesday, starting at 6 p.m. Access the Zoom link and phone-in details at: https://bit.ly/44bnMi6. 

BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners are tightening policies around unsanctioned encampments. Assistant County Legal Counsel Kim Riley says new guidelines outline the procedure for removing homeless camps on county-owned property. "Previously, a policy was approved by the board, relating to the removal of unsafe encampments. But this is follow-up that is necessary based on the board’s prior action in August." The update mirrors the previous policy, but applies to any county-owned property declared closed to the public, not only those deemed "unsafe." It still requires campers be given notice and that the county store personal property taken from a site.

Commissioner Phil Chang worries it opens the county up to a lawsuit, "If people who are defending an unhoused person’s right to sleep in a public place, for example, might come forward and legally challenge us." But Riley explained Wednesday campers still must be offered another place to go, "We anticipate that you would have to identify an alternative location, just as we did with the code."

A sanctioned campsite for people displaced from encampments has not been developed, although a location is under consideration on the east side of Redmond, near Oasis Village. Commissioner Chang said Wednesday, "I’m really concerned that we have not made more progress for creating alternative places for people to go. I think we certainly could have in this timeframe." But added, "I will vote yes on this motion, because I hope adopting this policy will help us become even more focused and get more serious about really doing what’s necessary to establish alternative places for people to go."

Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone also approved the update. DeBone said, "I do support putting this on paper. This is what it would look like as we try to proceed and work together in the community to improve the situation, public safety, offering resources for people in need, and not having unsanctioned encampments where it’s very impactful."

file photo

POWELL BUTTE, OR -- The Oregon National Guard’s base in Powell Butte hosts night flight- training missions. The crews flew in Wednesday night.

“You may hear or see Black Hawk helicopters, about 3 to 4, that will be coming through from Washington into the Redmond area. Just the normal rotary aircraft that you, that you would hear,” Biak Training Area Manager Michael Paul says it’s a standard drill, “It’s an active-duty army aviation unit out of joint base, Lewis-McChord out of Tacoma Washington, its active-duty post. They've just asked to do some training in our training area down here to keep their pilots and their back seaters as well mission ready for any real-world missions that they might have.”

He tells KBND News night-training missions are important, “They do have to fly in blackout conditions because obviously real-world missions, combat environment sort of requires that. So that does get them ready for those type of events. That's why they're flying at night. It gets not only the pilots situated to that but also their soldiers in the back seat as well.”

Operations were scheduled all week but due to forecasted weather conditions, they expect to only go out again Monday night, April 29th.

People may hear or see the helicopters from sundown until Midnight in the Powell Butte Area and at the Redmond airport, where they re-fuel.