[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6479787,"mediaKeyId","5692106-9300bbd2acf10abee28f138e37e687f1","parentId",5692106,"title","City attorney briefs Bend housing advisory committee on public meetings law, public records and conflict-of-interest rules","audioSeconds",242,"startMs",2852000,"endMs",3094000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692106-9300bbd2acf10abee28f138e37e687f1&start=2852&end=3094","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692106-9300bbd2acf10abee28f138e37e687f1/thumbnail_2852000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6479787/Bend/Deschutes-County/Oregon/City-attorney-briefs-Bend-housing-advisory-committee-on-public-meetings-law-public-records-and-conflict-of-interest-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479787-c93474aa09811dc29f7e89cb3dfc2d36/orig.mp4?Expires=1770568646&Signature=deecAeMcHmpVifj2iwtN4cDYFZyx68xem7Y25JDmOgKR2uJur106iHt2E3-TljIJ8fXZu3oylke66UHI1~QevU~ALXHbD3NW7nOd-if9iOmWftbia8NhEYJfgfEoqNAAUI5YmKtCp2zi1AkwSZVqe~XNVtisqzlus~dKl~7N60Lmx32xPfkbrUSpPe6lGV0opZldZnKNOJZegZxdjnojW8d94d4sHJXuAgTXLml7wKaD7IchQxiubU-BPrBSMaJH10IghKLktW9m5shoxCg2FgJLMcGaoOOweBedWv6~8u5SPBgbpwdX10QoftVAXduVei6ZrYyxTIcET6KF13Zlwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Bend, OR","date","2025-08-28T09:29:25Z","article","Ian Lighthizer of the City Attorney’s Office briefed the Bend Housing Advisory Committee on public meetings, public records and ethics obligations, emphasizing transparency rules that govern committee deliberations and how members should handle potential conflicts of interest.

“Because you're a governing body of a public body, you essentially have to do your work, essentially, all of it as a group in these public meetings,” Lighthizer said, explaining that state law treats the group as a public governing body because it is empowered to give recommendations to the City Council. He told members to expect the city code and the council resolution that established the committee to be primary reference documents if procedural questions arise.

Key points Lighthizer and his colleague Elizabeth Oshiel covered:
- Quorum and meeting conduct: The committee has nine voting members; a quorum (a majority unless otherwise specified) must conduct deliberations in a properly noticed public meeting. Lighthizer said a quorum convening outside a noticed meeting to deliberate can run afoul of the public meetings law.
- Serial communications: Members were warned against email or message chains that serially loop several members together and thereby effectuate a quorum outside a meeting. Using intermediaries or staff to pass deliberative information to multiple members can create similar legal concerns.
- Public records: Communications about committee work (emails, text messages, notes) are likely public records and could be subject to public-records requests even if sent from personal devices. Members were advised to assume retention obligations attach to such records.
- Ethics and conflicts of interest: Lighthizer said volunteers on the committee are public officials for purposes of state ethics law. Oregon law focuses on private pecuniary benefit; the city attorney described two conflict types: potential and actual. Potential conflicts should be declared on the record when an agenda item could cause a financial benefit to a member or their employer. By contrast, an actual conflict requires recusal from participation on that specific topic.

Lighthizer told members that declarations of potential conflicts are common and expected: “If you do, you need to declare it at the meeting where this idea, this topic, this recommendation is gonna be deliberated on or voted on,” and that declarations do not by themselves prevent participation. He urged members to look ahead at agendas and ask staff or the city attorney in advance when unsure about whether to declare a potential conflict.

Why it matters: The guidance shapes how the committee will deliberate, what communications are permissible between meetings, and how members must document potential financial conflicts to preserve transparency and compliance with state law. Staff told members they can request specific language to use when declaring a potential conflict and that the city will support compliance (for instance, by using blind-copy emails to avoid inadvertent serial communication).

Meeting detail and follow-up: staff said they will circulate the establishing council resolution and relevant Bend code references, provide meeting materials in advance, and offer template language for declaring potential conflicts when necessary. Members were advised to check future agendas and consult the city attorney’s office or staff if uncertain about an issue.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Bend Housing Options Made for Everyone (HOME) Committee Meeting - 08/27/2025 - 1:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","City Attorney staff explained that the Bend committee is a governing body under state law; quorum-based deliberations and most decision-making must occur in public meetings, members should avoid serial communications that create a quorum, and potential financial conflicts should be declared on the record when relevant.","taxTitle","Bend, Deschutes County, Oregon","taxId",2850,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6479792,"Bend housing advisory committee selects Costco snacks for series, leaves room for one chocolate-fountain session",1012,1809000,2821000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692106-9300bbd2acf10abee28f138e37e687f1&start=1809&end=2821","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692106-9300bbd2acf10abee28f138e37e687f1/thumbnail_1809000.jpg","/articles/6479792/Bend/Deschutes-County/Oregon/Bend-housing-advisory-committee-selects-Costco-snacks-for-series-leaves-room-for-one-chocolate-fountain-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479792-6996a2156995f284f3b207eb5e4c8551/orig.mp4?Expires=1770568646&Signature=oCgsnSwFvxcvNCe1Jahu1GjXcyVQrbLE1WinFpiH-Vi4vLOc3pE9ZaB-9hQuWD7y48b8cYfEBmOoV4u1ut3TPLmOnh3YpGyYY9iPdOUa-eK0p4z~K0uudi4uTcNO4kEseQPqhOI7Vz0fY3K2cj3LTowIyn1uJJDjtzoSUrFhQK3Tsh0aYWvAk4B0I85vLFYvKy5tba~5Q7KFhsPIM7NTMLnP24ND6mNQA8lB5DD-DaAeTyCraOe3Aa1O-Tvn8Rkr4NO9cuZseqGPYsVRvUXigI1UpAWqqmF3TYEF7dp3WD2QqAqmaoM09bSEUmb0XT7nAJyeBewh9s36Hu2GNYFZaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bend Housing Advisory Committee voted at its first meeting to purchase bulk snacks from Costco for the committee’s meeting series, with a possible single chocolate-fountain session funded from the same $300 series budget.

Melissa Kamania, the city’s affordable housing coordinator, told the committee the total budget for snacks across the series is $300 and that staff estimates a Costco selection would cost about $30 per session while the peanut-butter-and-jelly option would cost about $20 per session. “The budget for the whole session is for the entire series, is $300. We estimate this will be $20 a session or it'll cost you a 120 total,” Kamania said during her presentation of options.

Committee members discussed alternatives including peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, trending/TikTok foods, foraged local items, a taco truck and a chocolate fountain. After conversation on dietary restrictions and staff capacity, members coalesced around Costco bulk snacks as a low-cost, low-staff-burden option and included flexibility to provide coffee. A motion to approve Costco snacks with the possibility of a chocolate-fountain session later in the series was moved and then amended on the floor to explicitly prioritize accommodating members’ dietary restrictions and sensitivities. The motion was adopted by consensus; no formal roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Why it matters: the committee clarified logistical and budget expectations for its meeting series and placed dietary accommodations on the record. Staff and the facilitator framed the snack selection exercise as illustrative of how the committee will handle trade-offs and decisions as a body during the mandate period.

Meeting detail and follow-up: staff will purchase snacks within the $300 series budget, prioritize options that meet declared dietary restrictions, and aim to provide coffee when feasible. Committee members who wish to receive the meeting stipend were asked to complete the city form provided at the meeting.

Clarifying points from the meeting record:
- Series budget: $300 total for all sessions (stated by staff).
- Estimated per-session cost: staff estimated about $20 per session for PB&J and about $30 per session for Costco bulk snacks; a taco truck or trending foods could exhaust the budget in a single meeting, and the chocolate fountain would be over budget and require more staff time.
- Number of planned sessions referenced: six meetings in the series (mentioned during discussion).

The committee moved on to substantive agenda items after confirming the snack plan; staff will carry out the purchases and incorporate stated accommodations into procurement choices.","At its initial meeting the Bend Housing Advisory Committee approved a plan to provide bulk snacks from Costco across the meeting series, with staff instructed to prioritize dietary accommodations and reserve budget to allow a single chocolate-fountain event if feasible.","actionData","errors"]

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City attorney briefs Bend housing advisory committee on public meetings law, public records and conflict-of-interest rules

Bend housing advisory committee selects Costco snacks for series, leaves room for one chocolate-fountain session