Tumalo RV Park text amendment deliberations paused while legal staff resolve procedural questions

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners paused deliberations Wednesday on a proposed text amendment that would add RV parks as a conditional use in the Tumalo Commercial District while planning and legal staff sort procedural issues.

Audrey Stewart, associate planner, told the board the application raised a novel process question because it began as a quasi‑judicial matter but contains policy elements that could merit legislative treatment. “The ask for the board today is to delay deliberations,” Stewart said, while staff “huddl[es] up internally to really figure out what the options we’re gonna present to the board are.”

Senior assistant legal counsel Stephanie Marshall said the county needed more time to determine whether the process should be treated as quasi‑judicial or legislative and to ensure the record and required disclosures are correct. “The risk would be that there’s a procedural error,” Marshall said, adding staff wants a “clean packet for deliberations.”

Commissioners discussed disclosure practices and handling emails received from applicants and members of the public during the closed record and agreed in principle to postpone. The chair emphasized that a text amendment does not itself approve a specific RV park and that a later conditional‑use permit proceeding would consider site compatibility.

Audrey Stewart said staff will coordinate with board staff and legal counsel and return with options in the coming weeks. Commissioners urged staff to forward any communications they receive so the county can manage the public record appropriately.