Summary for Dec. 1, 2020 board meeting
December 2, 2020
At the Dec. 1 board of directors meeting, collaborations with the City of Bend and BPRD were the focus, as well as the possible future of fish passage at Mirror Pond. Video is available here.
Fish passage
The board of directors approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Bend Park and Recreation District and the City of Bend to modify the Mirror Pond Community Vision to address fish passage. A motion was approved 4-1 (Kropf opposed) to authorize the executive director to enter into the MOU with the City of Bend.
A previously adopted resolution called for the city and BPRD to work jointly to conduct a public, independently facilitated process to update the 2015 Mirror Pond Community Vision by developing an alternative to allow for fish passage. Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC) has agreed to be the third-party facilitator. The committee will include representatives from: Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department, Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, PacifiCorp, Trout Unlimited, members of the Bend city council, and members of the BPRD board of directors. All meetings will be open to the public with opportunity for the public to address the committee.
SDCs and affordable housing waivers
System development charges or SDCs are the main source of funding for the development of parks, trails and recreation facilities to serve growth. They support the district’s goals of maintaining the same level of service as population increases and to assure the benefit of having parks that past generations have enjoyed.
In the second of what is expected to be a series of conversations on the topic, Lynne McConnell, city of Bend Affordable Housing Manager on the city’s affordable housing program, provided an explanation on how they fund projects, and a summary of the expected future park SDC waiver needs. The discussion also included updates by Russ Grayson, city of Bend Development Services Director, on the status and timing of the district’s tiered SDC fee implementation, and the status of the city’s consideration of tiers for the city’s transportation SDC fees. Mayor Sally Russell and Councilor Gena Goodman-Campbell introduced the topic and thanked the BPRD board for engaging in the conversation and considering a recent request to lift the 400-unit cap on the district’s adopted SDC waiver program for affordable housing projects. Councilor Barb Campbell also participated in the discussion.
Trail maintenance collaboration
In the work session, city and BPRD staff also shared information about a new Trail Maintenance Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) currently in development. Currently there are more than 103 miles of trail within, or in close proximity to, the district’s boundary. Collectively, these trails comprise “Bend’s Urban Trail System.”
The new trail maintenance IGA seeks to clearly delineate trail maintenance responsibilities, provide legal mechanism for the district to maintain trails previously dedicated to “the City” or to “the public”, establish a process for new trails to be dedicated directly to the district, and ensure coordinated trail planning going forward.
The next meeting is Dec. 15.