Commissioners consider draft resolutions to assist in land management of a Temporary Stay Safe Area

At its Wednesday, Oct. 16 meeting, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners will consider alternative draft resolutions to assist with land management of City and County owned land northeast of Bend, commonly referred to as Juniper Ridge.

The meeting will include a 1 p.m. public hearing as the Board considers the draft resolutions. Members of the public are invited to testify in person or virtually. Testimony will be limited to 3-minutes per person. The meeting agenda and virtual log in information can be found at www.deschutes.org/meetings.

As background, during a Sept. 4 joint meeting between the Board and the Bend City Council, the governing boards agreed to establish a "Temporary Safe Stay Area" and work collaboratively to mitigate the public health and other issues resulting from unsanctioned camping in the area.

City staff drafted Resolution No. 2024-046. Commissioner Phil Chang asked County staff to draft an alternative resolution, Resolution No. 2024-049 that focuses on providing case management services to individuals living in the "Temporary Stay Safe Area."

Key elements of Resolution No. 2024-046:

• 170-acres of property owned by the City and County northeast of the City of Bend will be designated as the "Temporary Safe Stay Area" or "TSSA" (see attached map).
• The TSSA will not be available to homeless individuals not living in vehicles.
• The TSSA is not intended to be a place for people not currently camping or sheltering on lands at Juniper Ridge.
• The County and City plan to provide the following services at the TSSA: portable toilets, handwashing stations, drinking water, and trash disposal facilities.
• The County and City plan to fund housing-focused case management services at the TSSA.
• The County and City will use land management strategies to provide a framework for rules of conduct, including property clean-up efforts and periodic security patrols.
• The County and City will coordinate on fire fuel reduction and other fire reduction strategies.
• The City will close its property east of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks by May 31, 2025.
• The TSSA is intended to close no later than December 31, 2026.

Key elements of Resolution No. 2024-049:

• The County and City plan to provide the following services at the 170-acres property owned by the City and County: portable toilets, handwashing stations, drinking water, and trash disposal facilities.
• The County and City plan to fund housing-focused case management services.
• The County and City will use land management strategies to provide a framework for rules of conduct, including property clean-up efforts and periodic security patrols.
• The County and City will coordinate on fire fuel reduction and other fire reduction strategies.
• The City will close its property east of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks by May 31, 2025.

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