Take action: Share your priorities with Bend City Councilors
New City Council Means New Goals
Let The Council Know Your Thoughts Today
Every two years, right after new Bend City Councilors are sworn in, the City Council sets new goals to guide the Council’s and staff’s work, and the City’s two-year budget, over the next biennium.
The new Council’s goal setting meetings are this week: January 20th and 21st. Now is the time to express your values and where you would like to see our local government invest its time, resources, and attention.
The Environmental Center will be working on a variety of issues over the next two years that we believe will move Bend toward a sustainable and equitable future for all. Here is where we hope to see the City of Bend lead the way:
- Create complete neighborhoods in all four quadrants of the City and the core area. In a 10-minute walk, people should be able to get to work and get their kids to school, access basic services, enjoy dinner, and play in a park. Our current growth plan has a blueprint to get us there—this Council should focus on fully implementing that plan rather than expanding our urban growth boundary.
- Ensure Bend has a complete, safe network of sidewalks and bike lanes and a robust transit system. The transportation bond we just passed is a good start but it’s not sufficient.
- Adopt policies that make the total cost of owning or renting a home lower through energy efficiency and solar. Examples include mandating home energy scores and and incentives for clean energy projects.
- Shift Bend’s source of electricity to 100% renewable.
- From law enforcement to transportation services to representation in local governance, and much more, we want to see local reforms that promote equity and inclusion and ensure the safety and well-being of Black, Native, and Latino people, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities and other underrepresented groups. The Council should listen to people of color and believe their experiences — and adopt policies and take actions that protect and support those who have historically been oppressed and left behind.
Take Action Today
You can reach all Bend City Councilors by emailing council@bendoregon.gov or you can find their individual addresses here.
To get an idea of the types of goals that City Council sets, view the Bend City Council Goals for the 2019-2021 biennium here. You don’t need to be eloquent or deep–don’t let perfection get in the way of having your voice heard, and brevity is always appreciated!
Help shape Bend’s future. Share your ideas with the City Council today!