City and County Weigh Closing Juniper Ridge Temporary Safe Stay Area; Seek Options and Funding to Protect Canal Infrastructure

BEND, Ore. — Deschutes County and the City of Bend presented an update Sept. 29 on the Temporary Safe Stay Area (TSSA) at Juniper Ridge, discussing operations, enforcement and options for closing or extending the site that was established after unmanaged camping was reported on city- and county-owned land.

The update, delivered by Matt Stewart, Real Estate, Facilities and Housing director for Deschutes County, and Amy Fraley, a City of Bend staffer, summarized TSSA activity since sanitation stations were first installed in 2023 and described the joint resolutions adopted by the county (Oct. 23) and the city (Oct. 29) that established the area and called for a full closure on or before Dec. 31, 2026. “Our goal with this meeting is to provide that update and status on how we’ve been doing with the management and the implementation and discuss next steps,” Stewart said.

Why it matters: The TSSA is a managed response intended to reduce public-safety and sanitation risks from unsanctioned camping while directing people into services. County and city staff told the joint meeting the program has increased engagement with service providers but also requires ongoing enforcement, infrastructure protection and funding. Officials are weighing whether to begin phased closures in 2026 as called for in the resolutions or to extend the TSSA while they build alternative placements.

Key facts and figures

- County and city staff said the TSSA has engaged 241 unique individuals with service providers at peak reporting; an August dashboard used by the city reported 569 service hours for 95 people that month. The most recent count cited at the meeting was 191 people and 143 camps (report from Compass as of the prior Thursday).

- Service providers said about 70 people have active housing equity assessments. Staff estimated, based on provider conversations, that roughly 25% might qualify for permanent supportive housing, 25% might seek safe parking, 25% might consider noncongregate motel shelter and 25% other outcomes; staff emphasized those allocations were informal estimates, not tracked client-level data.

- Combined city and county spending for fiscal years 2024–25 was reported at about $1 million for hygiene stations, security, trash, cleanup and related costs. County-specific line items presented by staff included water ($64,000), portable toilets/handwashing ($40,000), dumpsters ($20,000), security ($128,000) and general cleanup (~$250,000), for a county total of roughly $600,000 over the last couple fiscal years.

Management, rules and enforcement

County and city officials reviewed the TSSA rules derived from state law that require camping in the designated area to be temporary and vehicle-based, prohibit constructed structures and open wood fires, and limit fuel-burning cooking to safe distances from flammable materials. Staff said they first emphasized education in June, began issuing notices of remedy in August (10 to date), and issued a first removal notice in early September that led to removal of three camps (about six individuals). Providers receive copies of remedy notices to coordinate outreach.

Service engagement and outcomes

Amy Fraley told the joint body that engagement with grant-funded housing services exceeded expectations. Fraley said, “The level of engagement with the Houseless Services grant recipients has been much higher than we anticipated.” She added that the city does not keep client-level files and relies on providers and NeighborImpact for case conferencing and data aggregation.

Staff said several providers—Mosaic Medical, Shepherd’s House, Central Oregon Villages, Reach and Companion Animal Medical Project—are active at the site and that NeighborImpact is managing data and case conferencing. The meeting record shows 22–26 people have moved from the TSSA into more permanent housing since operations began; staff said that figure is derived from provider reports rather than a city client registry.

Infrastructure and public-safety concerns

Both agencies described work to protect buried irrigation canals (COID and Swalley) where vehicle traffic risked damage to infrastructure, and to reduce fuels and fire risk on both city and county parcels. County staff emphasized the canals’ subsurface construction and said irrigation districts asked for measures to prevent vehicles driving over them. Staff also credited fuels-mitigation work with enabling quick fire response and fewer severe incidents.

Options discussed and next steps

Staff presented two central options: (1) follow the adopted resolutions and coordinate a phased closure of the TSSA on or before Dec. 31, 2026 (with closures beginning in May 2026 and notices beginning in March 2026), or (2) reduce the TSSA footprint by roughly 50% and extend operations beyond Dec. 31, 2026 while the city and county pursue alternative sites and long-term solutions.

During the discussion, city and county leaders signaled they would explore an extension conditional on a clear, time-bound plan. Several councilors and commissioners stressed that closure next year without ready alternative placements would likely disperse residents around the region and increase public-safety risks and hardship. Councilor Megan Perkins and others urged more time to identify managed camps, long-term vehicle-residency areas and other lower-cost approaches that have been used elsewhere.

Staff and elected officials also discussed a cooperative step with the Central Oregon Irrigation District (COID). County staff asked both jurisdictions to consider contributing capital to COID to harden fencing and protect its hydro intake. Participants agreed informally that both the city and county would each consider contributing up to $30,000 toward larger perimeter fencing for COID’s intake area; the meeting record shows this was treated as a joint, informal commitment rather than a formal, recorded vote.

Direction to staff and follow-up

Elected officials from both bodies asked staff to return early next year with a menu of options, cost estimates, and timelines for managed camps, long-term vehicle areas, safe parking expansion and other alternatives. Several members requested a January progress meeting so governing bodies could decide whether to proceed with closure in 2026 or extend the TSSA while implementing alternatives. Staff said notice to occupants would be required in March 2026 if the jurisdictions decide to begin phased closures in May 2026.

What was not decided

No binding, formal vote to close the TSSA on a particular date was recorded at the meeting. The city and county discussed and signaled conditional support for exploring an extension and for co-investing in COID fencing; those commitments were recorded as informal consensus/show-of-hands discussion rather than an official motion with a recorded roll-call vote.

Speakers (selected and as stated at the meeting)

- Matt Stewart, Real Estate, Facilities and Housing Director, Deschutes County (government) - Eric Cropp, Deputy County Administrator (government) - Amy Fraley, City of Bend staff (government) - Tony DuBone, Deschutes County Commissioner (government) - Melanie Keebler, Mayor, City of Bend (government) - Megan Perkins, Bend City Councilor (government) - Phil Chang, Deschutes County Commissioner (government)

Authorities referenced

- Joint resolutions establishing the TSSA: Deschutes County joint resolution (adopted Oct. 23, 2023) and City of Bend resolution (adopted Oct. 29, 2023) (type: resolution; referenced_by: ["TSSA intent and closure date"]) - State statute referenced generically as ORS provisions governing temporary vehicle camping (type: statute; referenced_by: ["TSSA rules requiring temporary vehicle camping"])

Actions (recorded from the meeting, informal or planned)

1) Action: Informal consensus to co-invest with COID on fencing - kind: other - motion: "City and county to each consider contributing up to $30,000 toward COID perimeter fencing to protect irrigation/hydro assets." - mover/second: not specified - vote_record: [] - outcome: consensus_note - notes: Informal show-of-hands during discussion; not recorded as a formal board/council motion.

2) Action: Staff directed to prepare options and return early next year - kind: referral - motion: "Staff to return early next year with a menu of options, cost estimates and timelines for managed camps, long-term vehicle areas, safe parking and other alternatives; report back to the joint bodies." - mover/second: not specified - vote_record: [] - outcome: planned - notes: Multiple elected officials requested a January follow-up meeting for progress updates and decision-making.

3) Action: Proposed phased closure approach (staff recommendation) - kind: other - motion: "If following existing resolutions, begin phased closure by May 2026 (notice beginning March 2026), starting with Sections 1 and 2 and moving in 30–90 day phases." - mover/second: staff recommendation - vote_record: [] - outcome: no_action (discussion only) - notes: No formal approval recorded; staff asked for direction from elected bodies.

Clarifying details

- "Not specified" used where staff said the city does not keep client-level exit destination data (staff provided counts but not detailed exit destinations). - Closure timing: staff recommended notices begin in March 2026 with phased physical closures beginning in May 2026; closure would be completed by Dec. 2026 under the existing resolutions unless extended. - Enforcement timeline: education began in June 2025; remedy notices began in August 2025 (10 issued); first removal notices executed early September 2025 (3 camps removed, ~6 individuals).

Community relevance

- Geographies: Juniper Ridge; potential knock-on impacts across Bend and unincorporated Deschutes County - Impact groups: people living in the TSSA (est. 191 at last count), providers/staff, adjacent neighborhoods, irrigation district customers - Funding sources discussed: city and county general funds, state shelter funding streams (discussed generally), grant-funded case-management dollars used by providers

Meeting context

- Engagement level: lengthy joint discussion, multiple elected officials and staff participants, numerous public-service provider references; meeting time devoted chiefly to the TSSA update - Implementation risk: medium to high — closure depends on availability of alternative placements, state funding allocations, and coordination with landowners and service providers - History: TSSA evolved from sanitation stations in 2023; joint resolutions adopted in October 2023; housing-focused case management added March 2025

Searchable tags:["TSSA","Juniper Ridge","houselessness","Deschutes County","City of Bend","COID","safe parking","managed camp","closure timeline","housing services"]

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