Redmond council agrees to clear Desert Rise encampments in June amid safety, business concerns

Redmond’s City Council on Tuesday agreed to proceed with staff’s plan to begin relocating encampments on the Desert Rise property in June after months of outreach and an influx of new residents, citing heightened safety concerns and pressure from nearby businesses.

Deputy City Manager Steve Ashworth told the council that outreach to people living on Desert Rise began last summer and that encampments have grown from a handful to roughly 14–15 sites, with a different and, in his words, “more hostile” clientele than in prior years. “It is important for not only to meet the obligation that we have with our businesses and get that property available, but it’s also for the health and safety,” Ashworth said.

Redmond Police Captain Steve Lopez said calls for service in the area have risen substantially this year and described the site as a frequent source of police responses. “We are over 300 calls for service … and it is a significant area as far as call response,” Lopez said.

Business representatives described economic and safety impacts. Steve Bettis, vice president of operations for Medline Renewal, said the company has invested heavily in security and fencing for its 400 employees and urged the council to “stay the course” with the planned relocations. Alastair Swartzenberger, operations manager for Baselite Concrete Products, described theft and instances he characterized as aggressive behavior near his property and said nearby businesses are incurring unplanned security costs.

County representatives briefed council that the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners had approved a letter urging reconsideration of immediate clearing and that the county remains committed to coordinating relocations and pursuing a land-transfer with the Department of State Lands. Eric Croft, deputy county administrator, said county staff have been directing people on the larger DSL parcel to other county lands where possible and are coordinating with security firms to assist outreach.

Service providers at the council meeting said they were concerned about the timing and the level of coordination. James Cook, a local service-provider representative, said many organizations with long-standing relationships to people in the encampments had not been invited to earlier briefings and urged the city and county to include them in planning. “When the city and the county and the business community want to address the problem of homelessness in Redmond, that they talk to the homeless service providers who actually have relationships and have worked for years,” Cook said.

Councilors pressed for concrete relocation destinations and for clearer scheduling and coordination with service partners. Several members asked that, if people are moved from Desert Rise to county lands or other temporary sites, staff and partners confirm those sites will offer services and clarify whether people will be required to move again soon after. A councilor suggested asking the county for additional law-enforcement support during relocations.

Mayor Fitch summarized the council’s direction as support “to move forward on Desert Rise as outlined by staff” while continuing intergovernmental coordination and outreach to service providers. The council did not take a formal roll-call vote on a specific ordinance; instead members registered consensus to act on the staff plan and begin notices and cleanup in June.

Next steps called for continued coordination with Deschutes County and local service providers, targeted outreach to people living on the affected parcels and the logistical planning necessary to conduct relocations and cleanup safely.