OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Bend City Council Work Session - November 12, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, November 12, 2025
BodyBend, Oregon
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, November 12, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:51:24

Transcript — Verbatim
0:50

Good afternoon, everybody.

0:51

We will go ahead and start our Bend City Council work session for today.

0:54

Um let's start with roll call.

0:56

You're in uh councillor Plack.

0:59

Steve Platter, he here.

1:00

Megan Morris, she here.

1:02

Megan Perkins, she her.

1:03

Helene Kibo, she her.

1:04

Mike Riley, he him.

1:06

Ariel Mendez, he him.

1:07

Tina Franz is that she here.

1:09

All right, we're gonna start off with um update informational about our bridges.

1:15

So we'll kick it over to you guys.

1:16

All right, thank you.

1:17

So in about a half an hour here, we're gonna quickly go through an update for the Hawthorne Overcrossing Bridge, and then right after that, Alex is gonna join me up here, and we're gonna talk about the read market bridge.

1:28

So, quick introduction, Ryan Oster, uh director of our engineering department.

1:33

John Bresciers, architectural applications, we are the bridge architects.

1:37

And Craig talking, KPF structural engineers.

1:40

And as the mayor said, this is really truly just more informational.

1:43

We're not asking for any specific decisions tonight.

1:46

At the end of this presentation, I have a schedule slide where we'll give you a sneak peek of some of the things that we will be bringing back to council after a future open house meeting.

1:56

So to kick us off, I'll hand it over to John.

1:58

Yeah, thank you very much.

2:00

Just very briefly, I wanted to try and take you through what's what we're aspiring to and what is inspiring us to develop this project.

2:09

Every place has its own unique sense of identity.

2:13

Uh I think we all know that and we all feel it, whether we're aware of it or not.

2:17

This place has a particularly strong one, and so much of that is governed by the cascade peaks.

2:23

Uh they're just really prominent.

2:26

And I think all of us, I'm talking about as an entire species, are very much drawn to mountains.

2:32

They make us think of permanence, they make us think about time in ways we don't normally think about it on a geologic scale.

2:40

And they're very, very powerful.

2:42

Uh they also tend to change all the time.

2:47

These kind of ephemeral atmospheric effects, the light, the mist, the clouds is continually changing, and they they present these sort of layered vistas that have some perspective and some depth and draw us in.

2:59

So we're trying to embrace all of that and come up together with you with a bridge that is really anchored in the identity of this place and grounds it without slavishly trying to imitate the mountains or the history of bend, but give something that is really endemic to this place.

3:19

Uh so with that, I'm gonna let Craig talk about where we are with that effort.

3:31

So this is as an idea of the mountain peak idea.

3:34

Um if you think about like a gable and an attic gable.

3:37

It's a it lends itself a truss system with the if you kind of invoke that mountain thought.

3:43

It's a it's a trust is a very efficient structural system.

3:46

That's why you see an older structures especially.

3:48

Uh but that triangular shape is a stiff and efficient structural way to make a span.

3:53

So what we did is we take we took that mountain theme with that triangular uh concept with a truss that we created two different layers of trusses trusses.

4:03

If you see there on one side, there's the typical, as you would think, a gable trust that you would see in an attic, uh so to speak.

4:09

On the other side, we've uh what we've done is we've taken that that concept and extended it out over the supports.

4:14

So structurally, the the depth of the the truss is is where the all of its stiffness comes from on with that continuous span, the two mountain theme there we have on one side over the support, is where the depth is to again give us that efficiency.

4:27

So it really provides a very efficient structural system to make a span, and that's why you see them through the ages in terms of trusses and how they've been developed.

4:36

What we're using are typical uh say off the shelf, but the very common structural steel shapes that are available.

4:43

They can maybe may do a mill roll here, or they may be available just because these are fairly common shapes.

4:47

And joining them in a way that um uh minimizes field erection and field fabrication time.

4:53

These will be bolted together to again from an efficiency point of view to keep most of the work in the fabrication shop on the field work to a minimum.

5:02

Um the railing here, this is just a conceptual railing.

5:05

We're we're still we've spent all of our time working on the truss, getting that as efficient as possible.

5:09

And the look we're gonna come back to you later with the various railing concepts we're looking at, so please don't focus too much on that.

5:15

This is just to let you know there is a railing.

5:16

There is gonna be a railing, we're required a certain height over the railroad on over the highway.

5:21

Uh, but what that's gonna look like as we're gonna work on the development of that.

5:25

Do you want to show that are you?

5:27

There, is that the last one?

5:29

Yes.

5:30

Okay, I will show you a quick sneak peek here of a fun rendering.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████21%
Public Private Partnerships██████████████████18%
Fiscal Sustainability█████████████████17%
Public Engagement████████████████16%
Economic Development███████████11%
Public Safety█████5%
Immigration Policy███3%
Parking Management███3%
Transportation Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Bend City Council Work Session - November 12, 2025

The Bend City Council convened for a work session to review informational updates on major infrastructure projects and to initiate a strategic discussion regarding a Public-Private Partnership (P3) for a future City Hall. Key topics included conceptual designs for the Hawthorne Overcrossing and Reed Market Bridge, a legal briefing on federal grant conditions, and a deep dive into financial feasibility and land use strategies for potential mixed-use city hall development.

Consent Calendar

  • None listed in transcript.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No specific public testimony was recorded; the session included staff introductions and presentations to the Council.

Discussion Items

Hawthorne Overcrossing Bridge

  • Project Status: Ryan Oster (Director, Engineering), John Bresciers (Architects), and Craig Tack (Structural Engineers) presented a conceptual design for a truss bridge anchored in the local mountain identity. The design features triangular trusses, elevated landings with views, and ADA-compliant grades.
  • Key Specifications: The design spans BNSF tracks. The team is currently refining railing concepts and access points.
  • Safety & Management: Councillor Kibo expressed concern regarding pedestrian/cyclist safety and etiquette, asking for non-barrier solutions to manage speed. The team confirmed they are exploring surface texture changes and color differentiation to manage user behavior without restricting access.
  • Space Utilization: Regarding the space under the bridge on the east side, Councillor Franz noted the potential for a skate park or community use. Staff clarified that diagonal parking (approx. 12 spaces) is planned for the east side, while the west side's under-bridge space remains in discussion for potential community use concepts to be shared at a December open house.
  • Council Position: Councillors Mendez and Plack expressed strong support for the 3D concept and the mountain-inspired design, noting it looks better than previous iterations.

Reed Market Bridge

  • Project Status: Alex Doza (Engineering) provided an update on the elimination of the at-grade rail crossing. The project aims to construct a 108-foot span to tie 9th Street back into Reed Market. Construction is estimated to require a full closure of the corridor for approximately two years.
  • Funding & Legal: Elizabeth O'Shelw (City Attorney) reported that the Oregon District Court ruled against federal transportation grants requiring cooperation with civil immigration enforcement. This confirms the City is not required to comply with this condition under the FRA grant program, removing a previous legal constraint on funding.
  • Community Feedback: Councillors Mendez and Kibo referenced community support for keeping 9th Street open and for the pedestrian underpass. Councillor Franz expressed concern about the 6-7% pitch of the 9th Street ramp, questioning safety during icy conditions. Staff acknowledged the grade is slightly above city standards but necessary for the connection, promising to minimize it as much as possible.
  • Timeline: Preliminary engineering is expected to complete by year-end. The team anticipates a progressive design-build solicitation next year, with construction potentially starting in mid-2027.

City Hall P3 Analysis & Future Development

  • Financial Scenarios: A team from Cushman Wakefield, Accenture, and Conner reviewed development scenarios. The original 134,000 sq. ft. "full build-out" scenario was deemed financially unaffordable due to availability payments exceeding city revenue streams.
  • Revised Scenario: A scaled-down 58,000 sq. ft. facility was modeled, requiring a $78 million capital investment. While cash flow profiles still show deficits (negative cumulative cash flow) in the 2040s, the scenario is considered feasible if revenue gaps are managed or offset by private development. Councillor Plack and Kibo expressed concern about burdening future councils with cash flow gaps and demanded a long-range facilities plan grounded in realistic population and staffing growth projections.
  • Development Strategy: Ignacio Montoy (HRA) presented options for vertically or horizontally integrating the City Hall with private mixed-use development to generate revenue streams. Staff confirmed the city has acquired 3.2 acres in the BCD to facilitate this.
  • Guiding Principles & Values:
    • Councillor Franz emphasized the need to catalyze the BCD, create a community gathering space (referencing "Heritage Square"), and leverage assets for conventions or performing arts.
    • Councillor Plack and Kibo stressed the importance of housing/shelter integration and public safety considerations.
    • Councillor Kibo suggested expanding the highest-and-best-use analysis to include the 15th Street campus and the Drake Park parking lot, though the Mayor noted the 15th Street area is currently zoned PF/RS and would require further study.
    • Councillor Franz noted that while city hall needs to be welcoming, it should not be a "Cadillac" building at the expense of staffing levels, and encouraged value-engineering operations alongside facilities.
  • Next Steps: Staff is directed to conduct a "highest and best use" analysis for City Hall, 15th Street, and potentially other downtown parcels; develop a long-range facilities plan; and engage in short-term lease/renovation discussions to bridge until 2037.

Key Outcomes

  • Hawthorne Bridge: Progression to next stage of structural design; public open house scheduled for December 2nd at Dogwood Park; further design refinement (railings, lighting) to return to Council in January.
  • Reed Market Bridge: Confirmation that the grant condition regarding immigration cooperation is legally waived; preliminary engineering on track for year-end completion; full closure of two years anticipated for construction.
  • City Hall P3:
    • The 134,000 sq. ft. full build-out scenario is effectively removed from immediate consideration due to financial infeasibility.
    • Staff directed to pivot to the 58,000 sq. ft. model while exploring private development revenue offsets.
    • Authorization granted to expand the scope of the "highest and best use" analysis to include the 15th Street campus and potentially other downtown parking/land parcels.
    • Council requested a formal long-range facilities plan and staff to form a more frequent advisory process or committee to maintain momentum.
  • Next Work Session: Scheduled for January 14th to discuss legislative advocacy, land use code changes, and financial incentives regarding neighborhood commercial areas.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everybody. We will go ahead and start our Bend City Council work session for today. Um let's start with roll call. You're in uh councillor Plack. Steve Platter, he here. Megan Morris, she here. Megan Perkins, she her. Helene Kibo, she her. Mike Riley, he him. Ariel Mendez, he him. Tina Franz is that she here. All right, we're gonna start off with um update informational about our bridges. So we'll kick it over to you guys. All right, thank you. So in about a half an hour here, we're gonna quickly go through an update for the Hawthorne Overcrossing Bridge, and then right after that, Alex is gonna join me up here, and we're gonna talk about the read market bridge. So, quick introduction, Ryan Oster, uh director of our engineering department. John Bresciers, architectural applications, we are the bridge architects. And Craig talking, KPF structural engineers. And as the mayor said, this is really truly just more informational. We're not asking for any specific decisions tonight. At the end of this presentation, I have a schedule slide where we'll give you a sneak peek of some of the things that we will be bringing back to council after a future open house meeting. So to kick us off, I'll hand it over to John. Yeah, thank you very much. Just very briefly, I wanted to try and take you through what's what we're aspiring to and what is inspiring us to develop this project. Every place has its own unique sense of identity. Uh I think we all know that and we all feel it, whether we're aware of it or not. This place has a particularly strong one, and so much of that is governed by the cascade peaks. Uh they're just really prominent. And I think all of us, I'm talking about as an entire species, are very much drawn to mountains. They make us think of permanence, they make us think about time in ways we don't normally think about it on a geologic scale. And they're very, very powerful. Uh they also tend to change all the time. These kind of ephemeral atmospheric effects, the light, the mist, the clouds is continually changing, and they they present these sort of layered vistas that have some perspective and some depth and draw us in. So we're trying to embrace all of that and come up together with you with a bridge that is really anchored in the identity of this place and grounds it without slavishly trying to imitate the mountains or the history of bend, but give something that is really endemic to this place. Uh so with that, I'm gonna let Craig talk about where we are with that effort. So this is as an idea of the mountain peak idea. Um if you think about like a gable and an attic gable. It's a it lends itself a truss system with the if you kind of invoke that mountain thought. It's a it's a trust is a very efficient structural system. That's why you see an older structures especially. Uh but that triangular shape is a stiff and efficient structural way to make a span. So what we did is we take we took that mountain theme with that triangular uh concept with a truss that we created two different layers of trusses trusses. If you see there on one side, there's the typical, as you would think, a gable trust that you would see in an attic, uh so to speak. On the other side, we've uh what we've done is we've taken that that concept and extended it out over the supports. So structurally, the the depth of the the truss is is where the all of its stiffness comes from on with that continuous span, the two mountain theme there we have on one side over the support, is where the depth is to again give us that efficiency. So it really provides a very efficient structural system to make a span, and that's why you see them through the ages in terms of trusses and how they've been developed. What we're using are typical uh say off the shelf, but the very common structural steel shapes that are available. They can maybe may do a mill roll here, or they may be available just because these are fairly common shapes. And joining them in a way that um uh minimizes field erection and field fabrication time. These will be bolted together to again from an efficiency point of view to keep most of the work in the fabrication shop on the field work to a minimum.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com