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County approves first reading of dark-skies outdoor lighting amendments
Summary
The board approved first reading of Ordinance 2025-018 to update outdoor lighting control standards with a holiday-lighting exemption window and a 90-day effective schedule after second reading.
The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners approved first reading by title of Ordinance No. 2025-018, which amends county building and construction code to update outdoor lighting control standards and incorporate dark-skies principles.
Tanya Salzman, senior planner, summarized the revisions and told the board the only substantive change since the public hearing was an adjustment to holiday-lighting exemptions, moving the allowable date range from a fixed Dec. 1'Jan. 15 period to the day after Thanksgiving through Jan. 15. Salzman noted staff added an illustrative diagram for what constitutes a fully shielded fixture.
Commissioners discussed expectations for compliance timelines, public outreach and how the county will help property owners adapt existing fixtures. Commissioner Chang said the ordinance "has been a long time coming" and thanked advocates and planning staff for their work. Chang moved first reading by title; the motion passed and the board set second reading for two weeks, with the ordinance to take effect 90 days after second reading (staff noted that date would fall in early December).
Salzman said the legislative adoption is one piece of a broader public outreach program the county plans to implement, including a podcast and educational materials to help residents and businesses meet the new standards. The ordinance sets a three-year compliance period for existing fixtures in rural areas and directs staff to return with an outreach plan.
No final adoption occurred at the Sept. 10 meeting; second reading is scheduled for Sept. 24, 2025.
