Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Electrification Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
BDAB endorses electrification policy-options presentation for joint council/advisory review
Summary
The advisory board approved a motion to send the presented electrification policy options to council, the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, and the Environment and Climate Committee for the joint meeting on Feb. 24, 2025.
At the Feb. 3 meeting the Bend Economic Development Advisory Board voted to approve the electrification policy options packet and forward that recommendation to city council, the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and the Environment and Climate Committee for the joint Feb. 24 meeting.
What passed
Board member moved that the board approve the electrification policy options as presented in the meeting materials and to forward those options to the joint meeting attendees on Feb. 24. The motion passed by board vote.
Public comment and board discussion
A public commenter, Marilyn Kenitz, spoke in support of electrification measures and cited research from 350Deschutes.org. She urged the city to consider right-of-way standards, an ordinance to control nitrogen-oxide emissions, and a just-transition fund; she also suggested the city use utility billing and other outreach channels to educate residents about electrification opportunities.
Board members discussed the substance briefly and confirmed the motion to forward the presentation to the joint meeting. Board members noted potential legal considerations on regulatory options and the need to balance resilience and redundancy when considering electrification measures.
Next steps
Staff will include the board’s endorsement in materials for the Feb. 24 joint meeting. Any formal policy change would be decided by council or through formal ordinance development.
