Summary of Jan. 5 board meeting
January 7, 2021
To begin the New Year, the BPRD board of directors adopted a contract to build Alpenglow Community Park in SE Bend, approved additional waivers for affordable housing developments, and appointed budget committee members. A video recording of the meeting is here.
Alpenglow Community Park
Alpenglow Community Park will be a 37-acre park that will include an off-leash area, outdoor event space, open lawn area, shade structure, restrooms, splashpad, play area, demonstration garden, climbing/bouldering area, paths, trails and natural space. Staff recommended and the board agreed to award a construction contract to the low bidder, Griffin Construction LLC, for a total contract amount of $5,614,000 with a 15% contingency. For more information about the project, see here.
Affordable housing SDC waivers
The board discussed and approved a revised resolution to waive additional system development charges (SDCs) for affordable housing development. Staff brought information to the board over the past few meetings about the district’s SDC program. These discussions were prompted by a request by the city of Bend that the district lift the 400-unit limit on the district’s adopted SDC waiver program for deed restricted affordable housing projects. Nearly half-way through the four-year timeline, 380 waivers have been granted for a total of $2.3 million in charges not collected by the park district.
The adopted resolution No. 2021-01 provides 75 additional waivers per calendar year, over the next two years for a total of 150 additional waivers. The approved resolution included an amendment to include mixed-use development proposals.
The district’s other contributions to affordability were discussed including childcare, recreation scholarships, Therapeutic Recreation programming, senior center services, partnership collaboration with not-for-profit partners and more.
Budget committee members
The board voted to fill two vacant seats on the district’s budget committee. There were six applications submitted that were reviewed and scored by the board of directors. Scores were tabulated and Tom Fisher and Joanne Matthews will serve a term of three fiscal year budget processes, beginning with the 2021-22 fiscal year budget process.
Other updates
In other business, the board authorized the executive director to acquire 8.2 acres of open space near Shevlin Park that will facility trail extension and development. Staff negotiated the transfer of the property from Rio Lobo Investments to BPRD at no cost. The property will be maintained as open space with trail development that will connect to Shevlin Park.
In work session, staff shared the current operations during the state’s health and safety framework, and how the district plans to make decisions to reopen and expand services under this framework. Risk levels are determined by the state every two weeks on Tuesdays with any changes in Risk Level taking effect that Friday. On the alternating Tuesdays, the state publishes “Warning Week” date to help prepare for potential risk level changes the following week. Current Deschutes County cases and positivity rates are quite a distance from the next risk level.
The next board meeting is Jan. 19.