County to send letter to Redmond asking for coordination on Desert Rise encampment response

The Deschutes County Board voted March 18 to send a draft letter to the City of Redmond concerning the Desert Rise encampment situation and requested increased coordination before unilateral closure actions that could displace people into county‑owned resource lands.

Christy Bollinger of Deschutes County property management briefed the board on the draft; commissioners said they had met with Redmond leaders and the police chief and expressed a mix of urgency to address public‑safety and sanitation concerns and caution about creating disorder by moving people into other county lands. One commissioner said Redmond reported about 90 people at the site; others referenced lower estimates and emphasized the need for coordinated relocation options.

Board members debated the letter's wording; one suggested removing the phrase "and clearing" from the closing paragraph to allow the city to begin cleanup work while pausing broader closure and relocation steps. Commissioners also discussed the county's managed‑camp planning (Core 3, 137 acres of DSL land) and the need to avoid simply shifting encampments farther east where services and detection are weaker. Staff said code enforcement notices would also address prohibited activities such as car scrapping, and County Counsel and the sheriff's office are coordinating enforcement and outreach.

The board approved the motion to send the letter with the agreed wording change and asked staff to continue coordination with the city, the Department of State Lands and service providers to manage displacement and service capacity.

Next steps: staff will finalize and send the modified letter to Redmond, continue weekly coordination meetings with city and service providers and work on notice and enforcement measures to reduce hazardous activity at the site.