Cassie Lacy, senior management analyst in the city manager’s office and the staff liaison to the Environment and Climate Committee (ECC), presented the ECC’s seven priority projects for the 2025–27 biennium as part of the Community Climate Action Plan update.

Lacy said the list was developed with the ECC and will be presented with the full CCAP update to the council on April 16. “Today, I’m sharing with you the priority projects for the ’twenty five–’twenty seven biennium from the upcoming CCAP update,” Lacy said.

The seven priorities the ECC recommended and staff described:
- Outreach, engagement and education: build a communications platform (website revamp launched recently, an environment‑and‑climate newsletter planned for April, and in‑person outreach for events such as the Earth Day Fair) to promote efficiency, renewables and electrification resources.
- Energy navigator program: scope a navigator to help residents and businesses identify technical and financial supports; staff said simpler models that connect people to existing providers (Energy Trust, NeighborImpact, Central Electric Co‑op, and the Environmental Center’s Home Energy Assessment Program) are being prioritized for an initial launch in summer or early fall.
- Electrification policy: staff proposed pursuing incentive-based approaches (the city indicated it would use a public stakeholder process) rather than immediately pursuing right‑of‑way restrictions or a NOx restriction. Lacy said the recommendation is to focus on incentives and revisit other regulatory approaches later.
- Expand public EV charging: staff said the city will seek to deploy chargers (mobility hubs and city‑owned lots such as Mirror Pond were discussed) and coordinate with the transportation and mobility department on operations and maintenance. Staff noted federal grant programs exist but are in transition and cannot be relied on as certain funding sources.
- Waste reduction and reuse initiatives: the ECC expressed interest in pilots such as reusable food service ware for food‑truck lots and takeout.
- Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT): priority projects include the bike‑and‑pedestrian master plan, transportation design standards, continuing Bend bikeways work and supporting transit and land‑use efforts that reduce reliance on single‑occupancy vehicles.
- Demonstrate city leadership on clean energy: planned municipal projects include completing the Juniper Ridge campus as an all‑electric building, pursuing battery storage grants, exploring renewable generation at the water‑reclamation facility, and accelerating light‑ and medium‑duty fleet electrification. Staff said a resolution to formalize a fleet‑electrification commitment is planned.

Committee members and councilors asked clarifying questions on program scope and sequencing. Lacy said the city does not plan to pursue right‑of‑way regulation or NOx restrictions in this biennium, explaining staff believes incentives will be more practicable given legal and implementation uncertainties and that regulatory approaches could be revisited later.

On EV chargers, staff said the state NEVI program focused on highway charging and other federal programs have had rounds of funding but are not guaranteed; the city said it will continue to seek creative solutions and may contract for charger operations.

Councilors and ECC members asked about implementation resources, possible partnerships for a navigator role, and the potential for shared navigator capacity across water, housing and energy programs. Staff said initial navigator options will emphasize connecting residents to existing providers but noted a higher‑service, person‑based navigator would require additional resources or contracting.

The subcommittee heard that the Juniper Ridge campus is planned as an electric facility with significant charger capacity and that the fleet manager will present more on fleet electrification during upcoming budget deliberations. Staff said administrative policies to increase use of renewable diesel blends for legacy diesel vehicles would also be advanced administratively.

Staff said they will bring the full CCAP update to the council on April 16 and plan to introduce a Climate Action Partner Grant Program resolution in May or June.