Bend HREC reviews city powers, adopts minutes and weighs role in council goal setting; vice chair resigns

The Bend Human Rights and Equity Commission received a presentation on Jan. 29 from Ian Lighthizer of the City Attorney’s Office explaining how the City Charter, ordinances and municipal code define city authority and the scope of advisory bodies.

Lighthizer told commissioners the charter functions as the city’s fundamental governing document and said decisions about how the city operates often follow charter requirements. “If the charter addresses it, that’s the answer,” he said, adding that the charter is effectively “the supreme law of the land for the city of Bend.”

He walked the commission through basics of the council-manager form of government used in Bend: the City Council sets policy, the city manager runs day-to-day operations, and advisory bodies — including HREC — are designed to advise the council but cannot bind the city. Lighthizer explained that advisory committees are created and governed by municipal code, that appointments are made by the mayor and council, and that members serve at their pleasure.

Lighthizer also cautioned commissioners about legal and ethical limits on their roles: advisory bodies must follow public‑meeting rules and avoid conflicts of interest. “If your radar goes off, just call me,” he said, offering staff advice on disclosures and potential conflicts.

On meeting business, Commissioner Veronica made a motion to approve minutes for the previous two months; Commissioner Carly Colgan seconded the motion. The commission approved the minutes by voice vote. The commission did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; the clerk reported the motion carried.

The commission discussed a proposed subcommittee model for executing its work plan, with Equity and Inclusion Director Andres Portela describing three focus areas — education and awareness, community engagement, and policy advocacy — and proposing smaller working groups to carry out tasks between full-commission meetings. Portela said subcommittees should include a staff liaison from the equity department and asked commissioners to limit subgroup size to avoid public‑meeting-law constraints. He said the expected incremental time commitment per commissioner would be around two to four hours.

Ian Lighthizer clarified that subcommittees that make recommendations to the full commission are likely subject to Oregon public‑meetings law and should be noticed and accessible when required. “Whether or not this is a great structure and a great way to get work done, even if the smaller group is subject to the public meetings laws,” he said, “it’s still a better way to get work done.”

Andres Portela reported that the equity department will continue to brief the commission on the equity framework, language access, supplier diversity, and accessibility programs, and he said staff would coordinate presentations from emergency management and communications staff about equity considerations in public safety and outreach.

Portela also announced the commission received a letter of resignation from Vice Chair Jeff Kitchens. According to Portela, Kitchens stepped down because of professional responsibilities but intends to remain involved in the community. Portela said the city would explore reassigning Kitchens to other boards or ways for him to remain connected to equity work.

The commission set follow-up actions: staff will circulate Lighthizer’s presentation to commissioners, continue to work with commissioners on subcommittee design and notification practices, and include emergency management and communications briefings on future agendas.