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Bend's Big Legislative Wins: Roads, Parks, and Fire Safety Get Major Boosts
Published 1 month, 1 week ago
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Good morning, this is your Bend Local Frequency for Wednesday, March 18.
Bend is buzzing today with big wins from the just-wrapped Oregon legislative session that hit right at our community's sweet spot. The City of Bend pushed hard for more flexibility with transient lodging tax revenue, and HB 4148 bumped that share from 30 to 50 percent for post-2003 taxes, letting us better fund the roads, parks, and services visitors love while keeping our town thriving for locals too. Mayor Melanie Kebler nailed it, saying this balances tourism's boost to our economy with residents' calls to cover rising maintenance costs. Shelter funding stayed secure through Oregon Housing and Community Services, a lifeline for folks facing tough times, as Housing Division Manager Racheal Baker shared, offering real paths back to stable homes. Other victories include tools for smarter urban planning in HB 4037, smoother transit funding for Cascade East Transit via SB 1544, and SB 1551 freeing homeowners from HOA rules blocking fire-hardened materials, empowering us all against wildfire threats, per Bend Fire Chief Todd Riley. Catch the full recap at today's City Council work session.
Outdoors, keep an eye on smoke as firefighters ignite up to 692 acres of prescribed burns 15 miles southeast near the Camp II OHV Staging Area today and tomorrow for wildfire prevention—trails there are closed, but it's smart prep for our dry seasons. Yesterday's escaped ditch burn east of Bend off Powell Butte Highway stayed contained at 6.6 acres thanks to quick work by Bend Fire, Alfalfa crews, ODF, and BLM—no structures hit, just pasture and brush.
For fun, today's the day summer 2026 registration opens at 6 a.m. for Bend Park and Recreation's swim lessons, sports leagues, and programs running mid-June through August—perfect for planning family adventures, with camps kicking off yesterday. Mark your calendars for Deschutes County Sheriff Ty Rupert's Town Hall here in Bend today, your chance to chat public safety face-to-face. Looking ahead, spring break skate and swim specials start March 22 at The Pavilion and pools for $8 sessions, plus epic DJ parties March 27 and 28 with Teafly and Briantology. The 14th Annual Pup Crawl hops breweries starting March 20 for dog lovers, and our shiny new Central Library opens May 11, with drive-thru holds from March 23.
That's your pulse on Bend—stay safe, get out there, and connect with what matters.
This has been Bend Local Frequency. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Bend is buzzing today with big wins from the just-wrapped Oregon legislative session that hit right at our community's sweet spot. The City of Bend pushed hard for more flexibility with transient lodging tax revenue, and HB 4148 bumped that share from 30 to 50 percent for post-2003 taxes, letting us better fund the roads, parks, and services visitors love while keeping our town thriving for locals too. Mayor Melanie Kebler nailed it, saying this balances tourism's boost to our economy with residents' calls to cover rising maintenance costs. Shelter funding stayed secure through Oregon Housing and Community Services, a lifeline for folks facing tough times, as Housing Division Manager Racheal Baker shared, offering real paths back to stable homes. Other victories include tools for smarter urban planning in HB 4037, smoother transit funding for Cascade East Transit via SB 1544, and SB 1551 freeing homeowners from HOA rules blocking fire-hardened materials, empowering us all against wildfire threats, per Bend Fire Chief Todd Riley. Catch the full recap at today's City Council work session.
Outdoors, keep an eye on smoke as firefighters ignite up to 692 acres of prescribed burns 15 miles southeast near the Camp II OHV Staging Area today and tomorrow for wildfire prevention—trails there are closed, but it's smart prep for our dry seasons. Yesterday's escaped ditch burn east of Bend off Powell Butte Highway stayed contained at 6.6 acres thanks to quick work by Bend Fire, Alfalfa crews, ODF, and BLM—no structures hit, just pasture and brush.
For fun, today's the day summer 2026 registration opens at 6 a.m. for Bend Park and Recreation's swim lessons, sports leagues, and programs running mid-June through August—perfect for planning family adventures, with camps kicking off yesterday. Mark your calendars for Deschutes County Sheriff Ty Rupert's Town Hall here in Bend today, your chance to chat public safety face-to-face. Looking ahead, spring break skate and swim specials start March 22 at The Pavilion and pools for $8 sessions, plus epic DJ parties March 27 and 28 with Teafly and Briantology. The 14th Annual Pup Crawl hops breweries starting March 20 for dog lovers, and our shiny new Central Library opens May 11, with drive-thru holds from March 23.
That's your pulse on Bend—stay safe, get out there, and connect with what matters.
This has been Bend Local Frequency. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI