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Redmond signals closure of Desert Rise; county urges coordination as residents may move onto county land
Summary
Redmond council discussion signaled the city will move forward with closing the Desert Rise encampment and likely notify occupants soon. County staff and commissioners warned the move could transfer impacts to county‑owned land, asked for Redmond investment in safety and services, and discussed expanding or duplicating managed‑camp options.
The City of Redmond informed Deschutes County staff that it intends to proceed with closure of the Desert Rise encampment, and county leaders urged the city to coordinate investments to mitigate the likely movement of people onto county‑owned lands.
Eric Crop, deputy county administrator, summarized a 20‑minute Redmond City Council discussion in which the council mayor said the city would "move forward with closing Desert Rise" and indicated notification to occupants could issue in the near term. Redmond staff and council members cited increasing numbers of camps, changed population dynamics, business complaints about worker safety from nearby employers, and sanitation concerns.
County staff and several commissioners cautioned that closing the existing site without agreed alternatives could shift the encampment population to county‑owned property in the area the county has described as a 'green' zone on internal maps. Commissioners urged the city to either coordinate direct investment in safety, sanitation and operations for any relocations, or to explore alternatives such as co‑funding an expanded temporary safe‑stay / managed camp with sufficient services and management.
Mayor Fitch and Councilor Zwicker at Redmond’s meeting acknowledged the transfer risk to county land and described a potential plan for a designated safe parking or managed site on county property; Redmond leaders also discussed doubling the nearby managed camp from 36 to 72 sites. County staff flagged operational questions: who will provide on‑site management and security, whether utilities and dumpsters will be provided, and how right‑of‑way and land‑use status (urban reserve vs. UGB) affect enforcement and policing responsibility.
Staff reported three responses in the field: at least one household moved from Desert Rise to county‑owned property already, and county security observed a small number of people relocating east. Commissioners asked staff to provide an update next week on the managed‑camp operator procurement (three RFP submittals were in review) and to return with recommendations for intergovernmental coordination and any requested county actions. County officials said they prefer to open a managed site before mass relocations and asked Redmond to partner on operational costs and notifications; Redmond Council signaled they planned a prompt closure and would likely proceed with notification soon.
Next steps: staff will complete scoring of managed‑camp operator proposals (anticipated this week), return to the board with an update and recommended next steps, and seek clarity from Redmond about timelines and resource commitments before any broad county notifications or enforcement.
